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"That's what Talin said," I groaned, feeling like I just couldn't win.
My almost-father rubbed my shoulder again. "Hold that thought and tell me what you're eating today."
"Something light," I decided. "I don't really have a taste for anything."
"Then get us both a drink," he said. "Water for me. No alcohol, Nari. The last thing you need is a crutch."
"Tea," I assured him, heading to the buffet table with the beverage options.
I was waiting in line when Anver stormed into the dining hall. His eyes landed on me, and his feet turned my way. The look on his face was frustration, possibly even anger. Great. This was all I needed. I could only imagine what his problem was this time, and I was pretty sure I was at the center of it if he was being this obvious.
"What did you tell Ghale?" he demanded.
I filled a tall glass with water, then moved to the kettle that was now open. "That your ward was hitting you and I didn't know what I should do."
"Nothing," he snapped. "You need to stay out of this, Nari. You have enough shit to worry about without my issues too."
I bit my tongue and focused on making myself a tea. Dropping in the steeping spoon, I carried both it and Jamik's water back to our table. Anver followed behind me, refusing to give this up. Evidently my silence wasn't enough for him. As soon as I set the drinks down, he grabbed me, spinning me around so I had to look at him.
"I'm serious!" he snapped. "Don't stick your nose - "
A blade at his throat made Anver's words stop hard. I hadn't even seen Jamik moving. He was simply there, behind Anver, with a dagger out and ready to use. I also knew it wasn't an empty threat.
"Get your hands off my girl," Jamik warned.
Anver lifted his hands. "I'm trying to help her, Jamik."
"Her guardian entrusted her to me, Anver." But Jamik put his blade away. "So sit your ass down and talk. Stop acting like an idiot."
Then another man cleared his throat. I looked up to see Grath, of all people, halfway between us and the doorway. His eyes were hanging on me, waiting to be noticed. When I saw him, he pointed to another of those chairs. Waving my hand that way, I invited him into my little insanity as well. Since my talk with Jamik was ruined, I didn't see any reason not to make this a group effort.
"And you are?" Jamik asked, retrieving the plates he'd carried over while Grath sat down.
"Grath, Path of Protection," he said. "I mentor Nari in grappling, and it seems I've been assigned to Anver in all the classes we share."
"By Ghale," I realized.
Grath nodded. "I'm currently the best-ranked in our year. Shouldn't have been, but Talin was called out and missed his Choosing. The only reason he's not the top of your year... is you." Then Grath turned to Jamik. "And how do you fit into this?"
"I'm Jamik, the guardian for Amerlee, and mentor to both Wraythe and Nari."
"Ah, so you're the reason she's been improving." Grath nodded before looking over at Anver. "You are off the rails. You know that, right?"
"I was just telling her to stay out of my mess," Anver insisted, looking to Jamik like he should help.
"And I warned you that wasn't going to happen," I said before they could talk around me. "No guardian deserves to be treated like that, Anver!"
"I'm on Nari's side in this," Jamik told him. "Your ward should never hit you.Never,Anver. She should protect you in her own way. And Nari? You know she has to say something. Just look at the fucking Path Zeal put her on. She's a guardian too, and I hate to break this to you, but you're one of her wards."
"One of?" Grath asked.
Anver groaned and dropped his head to the table. "And this is why I said to stay out of it."
"The current theory," I explained to Grath, trying to be vague because I didn't know him that well, "is that my match-mark is intricate. Very intricate. We think I'm paired to the entire temple."
"Guardian of the faith," Jamik explained. "The question is whether you think she's insane or not?"
"Not," Grath assured him. "I think she's something new, I think our instructors hate the idea, and I think the progress I've seen in her skills in one single semester - from a woman who admits she took almost no sparring courses - makes it clear that this is her Path. I can't speak to how she is in any of the others, but Zeal put the lace on her. Who am I to doubt that?"
