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Chapter 57
Nariana
We stayed out and played late that night. After Peyron stood with Talin, the guy decided that maybe it was ok to be seen with a man. When Ela began flirting with him, he was sure of it. Maela laughed as the guys flirted with the Priest of Perception, giggling with me about how cute they all were. Yamina monopolized Wraythe as her "date," and I got to enjoy my evening, even with gods running around.
When the night finally came to an end, Ela and Wraythe escorted Maela and Yamina back to the Temple of Temptation for their carriage. Talin and I walked Peyron to the back of the Temple of Perception. Dozens of people were still milling around, and plenty of them had Priests of the Body on their arms, but I didn't care what they thought. Neither did Talin it seemed.
He stepped in and gave Peyron a sweet kiss just before we reached the steps. "I had fun tonight," he told the guy. "I keep wanting to hate you, and it seems you make it really hard."
Peyron just smiled at his toes. "Yeah. Maybe because I have no intention of ruining your good thing." Then he looked up at me. "Thank you, Nari. For Savi, for making this the best Day of Planning in my life, and for encouraging me to be with the guys." He cleared his throat, his eyes jumping between the pair of us. "If you want, I'm going to be free next weekend. My last bit of fun before midterm exams. I'd love to have all of you over."
"Shit," I breathed. "It's almost that time, isn't it?" Because I hadn't really had time to even worry about it. "Yeah, I think we deserve a little relaxation before hitting the books."
"Or bring your books," Peyron offered. "Invite Anver too. No expectations. I just enjoy having some friends who talk about something besides our latest lesson."
"We'll come," Talin promised. "Even if I have to haul them over here. We will come."
"Good night, Pey," I said.
He smiled so sweetly and lifted a hand, standing there even as Talin and I headed back home. Even better, when we got to our suite, there was a lump waiting in the bed. Giving Anver a key had been the best idea, and I was pretty sure Talin had done it. Maybe Ela. Possibly all three of the guys. Either way, they'd made a good call.
"I'll take the couch," Talin offered. "I think he's been lonely for the last few days."
So I got cleaned up and scooted into bed beside Anver. He stirred when I wrapped my arms around him, opening his eyes with a sleepy smile. Lifting his hand, he pushed my hair away from my face.
"Did your sessions go ok?" he asked.
"It was divine chaos," I admitted, "but yeah. For the Day of Blessing, I had some man who was angry at the world because he might have to surrender his son. Now, he's made a friend with the woman who was Ela's date. Yes, a few gods were involved. Bode spoke to Talin - who can see him. Zeal was around too."
"Which explains why he's been missing," Anver realized. "And the rest?"
"My brother is Merci's Chosen, and he saw her the first day. Sounds like my other siblings saw her the day after. The High Priestess of Perception met Savi, as well as my official date, and my unofficial date - Peyron. Also, we're invited to visit him next weekend. He specifically mentioned you."
"Does Talin still hate him?" Anver asked.
I shook my head against the pillow. "No. Pey's sweet."
"And hot," Anver added. "Admit it, the four of us have similar aesthetics for men. Peyron's masculine without being brutish, he's intellectual without seeming bookish, and he's just got this air of kindness about him."
"Oh, so you're going to steal him away from me, huh?" I teased.
Anver pulled me a little closer, hugging me tightly. "No. I might start telling you what to do to him, but I'm too lazy to fuck. Just sounds like more work than I want."
I knew he was full of shit, but he was also asking about how he fit in. It was subtle, braced for rejection, but still there. Pressing my face against his chest, I tangled my legs between his, and simply relaxed into his embrace.
"I still love you, Anver. Ela loves you. Talin likes having you around, even if he's not completely sure how to flirt with you. He certainly doesn't mind when you flirt with him. Wraythe adores you. Zeal spends more time with you than me lately."
"He's just busy," Anver tried to explain.
"Shh," I said, making it clear I wasn't done. "What I'm saying is that you're allowed to crawl in our bed, sneak into our showers, leave the room, or direct things. It's sexy when you sit back and take charge. You know I like having an audience. I also like this. I like knowing that when I get home from a very long couple of days, my friend will be waiting."
He leaned in and kissed me softly. "Then I'll be here every time you need me," he promised. "Any of you. Now close your eyes, Nari. Even a god's Chosen deserves a little rest."
I fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me, and woke up to Ela pressed against my back. There was a note under the door, left there while we slept. Talin found it just as the alarm went off. Evidently Maela had to cancel her weekend plans with us. Pia was on a tirade about Yamina's future, and Maela was not backing down. Since Tath was due home that evening, she needed to have it settled.
But Peyron had been right. The end of this semester was coming fast. The weather was nice for this late in the year, but over the course of the next week, that changed. It started with a violent storm. Hail pounded down for almost two days, making the traffic of patrons through the temple slim. The light coming in from the few windows in the temple was grey and depressing. Then, the firewood started showing up outside the door to our suite. It was halfway through the week when I finally caught the priest making our delivery. Naturally, it was Drandir.
"Hey," I said as I opened the door after hearing the clank of split logs. "Got a moment?"
