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Chapter 42
Nariana
Ispent the next hour explaining to my father how the Temple of Temptation worked. When I told him we're allowed to refuse a session or even change Paths to something easier, he looked relieved. He was confused when I admitted that I'd chosen Body as my main Path, since I'd been allowed to choose after getting lace for all of them.
Because, like most people, my father didn't truly understand how the temples worked. Things I took for granted, he'd never heard before. I gave him the basics, starting with the five Paths, and ending with my family.
"That young man," Papa said, "is a Ranndor? Like, the Baron's relative?"
"His younger brother," I admitted. "Granted, Tath is a jerk, but his wife is really nice. She's one of my friends."
That made my father smile. "So you did get a better life because of this. Good. You deserve to mingle with the nobility."
"Papa, I mingle with gods," I reminded him. "I'm not making that up, either. I know it sounds fantastical, but I've talked to Zeal, Savi, and Will so far."
"Not Merci?" he asked, naming the goddess of Compassion.
I shook my head. "I've always been scared of telling my brothers that I ended up in a different temple. After the way you reacted? I couldn't help but think they'd be just as bad. We all think our god or goddess is the best. As I got older, I learned what people thought of Zeal's priests, and that made it even harder. The thought of Cesyr and Jeerad being disgusted by me?"
"Kynsana and Xakiri went to Compassion as well," he admitted.
"What happened to the baby?" I asked. "Where did Teodora go?"
My father's face fell and he shook his head. "She didn't make it through that winter, sweetie. The baby died, either from lack of food or warmth. That's when we decided to send Kynsana and Xakiri. With just the three of us - well, two now."
I sat up. "Two?"
He sighed. "Nariana, your mama - she couldn't forgive herself. She started drinking, you see, and when we didn't have much to eat, she'd use a little corn whiskey to keep her warm. 'Bout five years ago now, come winter, she's been gone. Ichiago and I buried her out with the baby. Just him and me now."
"I'm so sorry, Papa," I breathed.
He nodded, accepting that as gracefully as he could. "She was your mama too, honey."
"No, she wasn't," I admitted. "Papa, when you left me here, a priestess stopped to calm me down."
"Yeah, I saw that," he admitted. "Real pretty girl. When you looked at her, I slipped out so you wouldn't follow."
"Her name is Amerlee," I explained. "She became my mentor officially, but she treated me more like a mother should. Her guardian, a man named Jamik, raised me like his own daughter. I call him Dad now. Amerlee's partner - you'd call it a lover - is a woman named Shalsa."
"A woman?" my father asked.
I chuckled. "Yes. Amerlee loves women. Shalsa loves both men and women. Shalsa's guardian is a woman named Irila. She also loves both men and women. Those four? They're like my parents. It's a big, complicated family, but they loved me, Papa."
"What about you?" he asked, pausing to swallow audibly. "Do you love women or men?"
"Mostly men," I admitted without shame. "My partner, the man who the temple sees as the closest thing I'll have to a husband, he lays with both men and women. His name is Eladehl. You met my guardian, Talin. He's also my lover. Ela's guardian is only interested in women, though. He's my other lover."
"I thought..." My father stopped, clearing his throat quickly. "They have, um, rings?"
"Zeal fixed them," I explained. "The benefits of befriending a god are that the god can change the rules. All I'm saying is that I have a family, and a very good one. Zeal agreed to never take my family from me again..." This time, I was the one letting my words trail off. "And you said he helped you set this up?"
"The priest called himself Zee," my father said. "You say he's a god."
"Zee is short for Zeal," I groaned, leaning my head back. "Zeal?"
The door cracked open. "Yell at me later, Nari," Zeal said as he stepped in.
My father chuckled. "She says you're a god."
