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"Well, shit." We seriously needed to talk to Zeal.
Chapter 4
Talin
It was a long day. Not just because it was the first one after our winter vacation, but also because we all knew we needed to talk. Over lunch, Ela told Wraythe and me his thoughts about our instructors. Nari ate at a different time with Jamik, where she was supposed to update him. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried to think through this, none of us could imagine why these two instructors hated her unless it was tied back to the High Priest.
Then Ela told us how he'd rearranged the bedroom while we were in our grappling class. It made sense. I was honestly a little annoyed that I hadn't thought of it myself. I'd spent countless nights in the suite. For many, Wraythe had been there too. We didn't normally have a problem the next morning, but we also hadn't had class.
Wraythe had just woken up earlier so he'd be out of her way. I hadn't even thought about it. Ela's idea to move things around, however, should help. He was also rather proud of it. I was pretty sure the guy didn't realize how he puffed up when he talked about finally doing something to make Nari's life easier, but he did. It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen, and from the twist of Wraythe's lips, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Sadly, that did nothing to solve our issue with Ghale and Oryll. We also couldn't really talk about it as a group. Wraythe and I did in our Strength Training course, but we mostly just rehashed what we already knew. That did nothing to keep either Nari or Ela safe from being failed out of their Path.
That evening, when we finally got back to our room, Nari asked Zeal to join us. For once, he didn't appear immediately. Usually, the moment she breathed his name, he appeared wherever she wasn't looking. All of us stood there for a bit, checking the corners, and then I realized that our god wasn't coming this time.
"He's probably busy," I said. "I mean, gods have things they do, right?"
"I don't know." Nari looked a little disappointed. "You think he heard me?"
"Yes," Eladehl assured her. "I have no doubts about that. If Zeal isn't coming, it's because he's probably showing himself to another priest who can see him. Take this as a sign that you've clearly been doing your job well." Then he grinned. "And I've been trying to do mine. While we wait, can I show you what I did this morning?"
I had to work not to laugh. Eladehl was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Even Zeal called him the golden one. His blonde hair was dark enough to not make him look pasty, his eyes were so dark they almost looked black, and his skin was burnished in the sexiest way I'd ever imagined. Add to that his well-defined muscles and perfectly sculpted face, and he was not the kind of man who had to worry about what anyone thought.
Yet he was. As he backed toward the bedroom, Ela's eyes hung on Nari, encouraging her to follow. She did. I glanced over at Wraythe, shrugged, and then decided that I wanted to see this too. The big guy followed, and we entered the bedroom only two steps behind our wards to find that the difference was remarkable.
"So," Ela said, "I moved the bed closer to my closet. I debated angling it in the corner, and I'm not sure how it would fit, but that would make the space in that corner a little larger. I also moved your cosmetics onto that table."
She sucked in a breath and looked around. "That's amazing. Thank you!" And then her eyes landed on her table. "I'm probably going to need a light, though."
Wraythe made a little grunt as if he had an idea. "I have a lantern in my room. It's a soft glow, so that would work, right?"
"Yes!" Nari said, flashing him a smile. "And a stool or bench to sit on?"
"I'll find one," I assured her.
"And," Ela said, steering her toward the bathroom, "I sectioned this off. The toilet now has a screen, so we won't have to wait between that and bathing. Someone can shower while you're using it now."
Leaning against the wall just outside, I could see what he meant. No, the dressing screen wasn't the most private enclosure, but it would definitely work. Wraythe, however, had other ideas.
"Why don't we just have a door built? If we pool our coins from the lost pouches, I bet we'd have enough to get some Priests of Obligation to install one."
"Would also need a light," I reminded him.
"Then we could add a gas lamp there, and another on the other side, and Nari would have the one she wanted." He pointed, making it clear that they'd be on either side of the same wall.
But Nari was thinking about that a little too hard. "What about the rumors?" she asked. "The entire temple is already talking about us, and if we're asking for construction to make our unique situation easier, won't that just make it worse?"
"So?" I asked. "You heard what that guardian said this morning."
"I didn't," Ela pointed out. "Which guardian, and what was said?"
"Uh..." Wraythe paused to clear his throat. "Ran into Shiran on our way to grappling. People have noticed that we live here more than across the hall."
Which was the simplest version of it, so I added, "He made it clear that a few other guardians are interested in doing the same thing. The guy basically said that we should own what we're doing. Nari thinks we should blame it on making our rooms into sex dens for you two. One for harder stuff and the other for the softer."
"Uh huh," Ela muttered. "Remind me again why we can't just fuck here like all the other partners?"
"Not us," Nari told him. "For our assignments. If we're the only ones who can use our bed, then where are we going to experiment with multiples? How do we practice working together with the same patron?"
