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"Exactly!" Talin said. "But Will kissed her, Zeal got jealous and fucked off. I'm guessing he was jealous, at least. He didn't seem pissed at Nari, but he was clearly not happy."
I was nodding, taking this all in. "And how's Nari doing?"
"Still stressed," Talin admitted. "Guys, I have no idea how to help her. She says she's fine when I ask. She admits she's worried about her classes, but nothing I say is making it better." He paused, running his tongue over his teeth behind his lips. "I need help."
Wraythe shifted like he was about to get up, but I lifted a hand, stopping him. "I got this."
"Don't push," Talin warned me.
I moved before him and then leaned in. "Over the last few weeks, we've all been focused on our courses. We're worried about everything but each other. I think that's her problem. Our lives got too serious, too fast."
Then I hooked a finger under his chin, tilting his face up. Those blue eyes of his found mine, then closed when I leaned just a little more until our lips touched. He murmured against my mouth, opening for me, so I tasted him once before pulling away.
"That," I said, "is what she needs."
"You are a fucking tease," Talin told me, but he didn't try to stop me.
Instead, he turned to Wraythe, so I headed for the bathroom. Behind me, I could hear them talking about some law. Homework, I was pretty sure. Ahead of me, I heard the water splash again. When I stepped into the bathroom, the first thing I checked for were towels, but Nari had them laid out in her reach. Then my eyes found the woman reclining in the tub.
"That's a nice sight," I said as I moved to sit on the edge.
Her lips curled, but her eyes didn't open. "Zeal pulled me down into the snow. It was cold, so I'm soaking it out."
"Everyone's worried about you," I said gently, reaching into the tub to caress the side of her leg.
That made her eyes open, the golden color landing right on me. "I kinda feel like I'm fraying around the edges."
"Why?" I asked.
Nari sighed, sinking a little lower in the tub so her shoulders were under the water. "You're going to tell me not to worry about it."
"Ok, then I won't," I promised.
She sighed again. "The three of you are doing so well in your classes, but your grades don't reflect that. Know why? Because of me. Because I couldn't just be happy with one Path. Even Grath said it. Talin should be the best in his year, but he's not because Ghale's trying to punish me."
"But that's not your fault," I reminded her.
Nari rolled her eyes. "It is. Zeal asked me what Path I wanted. I said none and all. Guess what I got? Guess what caused this problem? Yeah, my choice. This is my price, but you three are also paying it."
I moved my hand to brace before me, then leaned into it, looking right at her. "And?"
"What?"
"And what's your point?" I clarified. "Not once have we complained. You know why? Because we're ok with this. Because when we chose you, we accepted that there would be good times and bad. You aren't a trinket, Nari. You're not a burden. You're not some way for us to get ahead. You are our family too, and we will fight to take care of you the same way you fight to take care of us."
"But it's not fair!" she grumbled.
"You're right," I agreed. "And what does worrying about that get us?"
Her mouth flopped for a moment as she tried to come up with an answer. From the glint in her eyes, I had a feeling she wanted it to be a scathing one - but I was right. I knew I was, and after a few seconds, she realized it too.
"So what do I do?" she finally asked.
I smiled, stood, and then grabbed her towel and held it open. "Don't waste your time on the things you can't fix. Who cares if you aren't the top student? All we have to do is make sure you pass. Even if that's barely, it still counts. I promise that as soon as you're able to take sessions, there will be a lot of people wanting a moment with the woman covered in god-lace."
"But what if I don't pass?" she asked.
"Then we'll do a lot of praying and come up with a backup plan." I wiggled the towel, making it clear I wasn't going anywhere. "Nari, all you're doing right now is hiding. I know the bathroom is the only place you get privacy, but if you ask, we really will leave you alone."
