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"It's getting to her," he grumbled.
"Me?" I asked.
"All of it," he clarified. "I think our god has decided that it's time to step in."
"Yeah..."
I waved Wraythe off and headed toward the water, deciding I needed a break. Naturally, Wraythe followed. Nari's recent mood had started just after she came back from winter break. Right after I told her about my sessions with Faylie. I was pretty sure she didn't care about me sharing Cayden's bed. She promised me she didn't have a problem with my lessons, and yet I still felt like this was my fault.
"You know I heard you two in the shower last night, right?" I asked as I poured both of us a glass.
"Not shocked," he admitted. "It also wasn't a secret."
"Not even the part about her specializing?" I turned to him, took a drink, and raised a brow, making it clear I wanted an answer.
"Not even that part," he promised. "Ela, her fear isn't you. It's never been you. It's how the temple is going to treat you. Both of you. She's worried she won't be able to workwithyou."
"Oh." Because that wasn't what I'd expected. "So what's her real problem?"
"She feels like she's failing," he admitted, "and I have no clue how to fix that. I'm pretty sure it's why Zeal just dragged her out."
"Yeah." That was a good point. The bigger question was how I was supposed to help.
Wraythe's job was to shield Nari from her fears. Both physically and mentally. He was good at that. Talin's job was to keep her safe in both body and mind. The two of them did almost the same thing, but they did it very differently. A sword and a fist. A kiss and a massive embrace. Mine, however, wasn't quite that simple.
Zeal had said she would walk in shadows to see the light. I had no idea what that meant, but I got the funny feeling our god couldn't put it any simpler. He'd told me to stay the path and she would follow. He'd said I should push her, but how? The loving her without condition part? That was easy. I couldn't really do anything else.
Then an idea came to me. Turning to the group of priests, I let out a whistle, forcing them all to stop and pay attention. Passing my cup to Wraythe, I moved into the center of the room, deciding I had nothing to lose. Something had to change. My girl was drowning under the pressure, which was what her instructors wanted, and I was done with sitting back and feeling helpless.
"I think we're all here for the same reason, right?" I asked.
A dark-skinned man at the back thrust his chin toward me. "What reason is that?"
"To be the best priests we can for our god," I said, watching him closely for his reaction.
The guy shoved out his lower lip and nodded, making it clear that was pretty much his opinion too. "And maybe to gawk at your partner and her 'friend' a bit."
"Zeal." I dropped that out there, scanning faces to see if anyone looked uncomfortable.
It was always possible that someone was faking the ability to see him. I couldn't discount the idea of some group sending a guardian in here to see what we were up to. So long as it was regular training and helping a few initiates get ahead, then there was nothing to complain about. This, however, was going to be different. But when the entire group nodded, showing they were all on the same page, I knew I was doing the right thing.
"Nari is Zeal's Chosen." I paused, making sure they were still on board. "But while our god approves of her, our temple doesn't. The High Priest sees her as a threat. Her instructors want to see her failed onto a set Path. Half this temple hates the idea of a Priestess of Temptation. Their reasons don't matter, and there are a few of them, but she's the one our god chose. The real question is how far you're willing to go to help her."
"As far as I need to," Harlin said, lifting a finger, "so long as my own desire doesn't pay the price."
A bunch of others murmured in agreement. "Ok, then," I said. "Any of you who are mentoring an initiate, I need you to push them to complain about the grading. Nari's being singled out to make her an example. Next, it could be their desire."
"Or ward," Wraythe chuckled behind me. "Because not all of us desire our wards."
"Just you, big guy," I teased. "And I promise that's a one-sided thing. But, the rest of you? How many are thinking about moving across the hall? Do it. It's time we start changing the rules. Not just her changing them, but all of us. Encourage your wards to speak up for her. The more priests who support what she's doing, the harder it is for her instructors to grade her unfairly. The more support she has, the stronger our god becomes. He needs her on this Path."
"It's not going to do much," Jamik told me.
"It'll fucking help her feel like she's not alone," I snarled, feeling my rage rush to the surface. "Don't any of you get this? She's trying to carry all of this on her own! Nari's not a god. She's not divine. She's simply the one Zeal dumped this on, and she's barely twenty years old! You all talk the talk, but are any of you willing to step up?"
"I am," Harlin said.
"Myself and my desire will," Irila called out.
