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Chapter 41
Nariana
After our last class of the week, I had to hurry back to my suite to change. The schedule for my session meant I didn't have time to screw around. I had to get pretty and get over there. Thankfully, the guys had taken that into consideration. When I walked into the bedroom, Ela was just finishing his own beauty regimen, and Talin had laid clothes out on the bed for me.
"I've got the shower already warmed up," Wraythe said. "Leave your hair, because it won't have time to dry."
"Thank you!" I called back as I hurried to make this happen.
But it worked out. The clothes Talin had picked were perfect. My dress was modest yet sultry. The dark purple fabric was trimmed in the turquoise of goddesses, but looked nearly black in dim lights. It was the sort of thing I could wear to an afternoon with Maela, but easy enough to get off that no acrobatics were required if I had to do it alone.
I painted my face to be alluring, but not provocative. That meant no red lips, but I did line my eyes so the golden color stood out. My goal was to appear like a lady from high society, not a temptress. Just enough beauty to make this man want me, but not enough to make him feel like I was good for nothing but sex. If he wanted to just talk, then I would make sure he had the best conversation of his life.
Forty-five minutes after I got home, the four of us headed back out. I hung on Ela's arm as we made our way to the center of the temple. Talin and Wraythe followed silently behind us, dressed as shadows and armed like soldiers. This time, there was no effort to hide that they were ready to kill. The blades were on full display, their suits tight enough to prove that neither one was soft.
We didn't even make it to the center before Migard found us. The man scurried forward with a pair of keys. "Ok," he said. "Eladehl, I have you on the second row. Her name is Erilyn, and she's very nervous. I've never seen a patron blush that much." He pressed a key into Ela's hand and pointed the direction, then turned to me. "Nariana, your gentleman is waiting on the third row, other side, and he used a fake name. When I asked what he wanted to be called, he stuttered and eventually said Jonasin."
"Ok," I agreed, accepting the key Migard offered. "So, probably married?"
"Definitely married," Migard said. "There was a pale line on his wedding finger. He seemed dramatically opposed to most of the sexual options, so I think he's hoping for an evening of being fawned over by a pretty girl. Let me know sometime next week, and I can update his records."
"Wish me luck," I said, smiling between our scheduler and my partner. "And have fun, Ela?"
"I'm going to make this woman feel like a princess," Ela assured me. "Wraythe's going to look like a sweet little stuffed toy in the corner, and he won't do anything terrifying."
"And I'll cut this guy's balls off if he gets out of hand," Talin told Ela. "Wraythe, enjoy being bored."
"Enjoy being tense," Wraythe teased.
With that, we went our separate ways. Talin moved in to gently rest his palm on my lower back, and I looked over. His blue eyes were worried, but I understood. This felt like it was too easy. Zeal had been too evasive. There was no way I was supposed to spend an evening simply talking to some man. That wasn't how things worked for me.
When we finally found the right room number, Talin reached up to knock. There was a pause that felt like it lasted a little too long, then a man called out, "Come!"
Talin opened the door gently and stepped through first. I followed behind him. The first thing I noticed was the smell of leather and harness oil. It reminded me of Jamik's armor. I barely thought that before Talin stepped to the side and my eyes landed on the man who'd asked for me by name.
He was older, but his face was still the same. His hair was no longer dark, now salted with more grey than anything else. Oddly, it was his hands that convinced me I wasn't making this up. Callused, wrinkled hands, stained with the same dark dirt I remembered from my childhood.
"I can't do this," I told Talin, turning around to walk out.
"Excuse us," Talin said, turning to follow without question.
But I never made it. When I pulled the door open, Zeal was standing on the other side, blocking my way out. "You are doing this," he demanded, a warning in his voice.
"Nariana?" the man said, pushing to his feet. "I just want to talk. I wanted to know you're ok, and this is the only way I could think of to see you."
I couldn't turn back. I didn't want to look into those amber eyes that were only a few shades darker than my own. The familiar scent was more than I could take, and standing proudly was all that kept me from losing control. Holding Zeal's eyes, I shook my head, begging him to understand.
"You surrendered," Zeal said, stepping in to close the door behind him. "You will talk to him, Nari. You will do your duty, even if it's not what you expect. That is what it means to be my priestess."
"She said no," Talin warned him. "She doesn't need a reason why."
"This time," Zeal said, "she's wrong."
Gently, he turned me back around. The moment my eyes fell on the man, memories of him flooded back. I could still see the tears in his eyes and feel the pain in my heart.
"Papa?" I breathed.
Talin's body flinched even as his head snapped over to look at me. "Oh, shit," he breathed.
