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Thiemo had just taken a sip of his tea and nearly spit it right back out. Even Talin's lips curled a bit at how smoothly Ela had managed to sneak that in. Nari hid her amusement with a bite of her breakfast, but it seemed that both Maela and Pia had missed the meaning of that.
"How's your fencing, Tath?" Ela asked, his posture changing.
Even back here, I could tell that was a threat. Yes, he'd delivered it in a pleasant tone, but this was Ela. I had a feeling that darkness was gathering in his eyes, and I could feel the rage slowly building in our bond. My ward just needed an excuse, and any excuse would do.
Pia pointedly cleared her throat. "This is the breakfast table, young man. It's too early for some subjects, and certainly not in public."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Ela said, the rage easing a bit as something lighter took its place. "I thought fencing was sometimes a hobby of noble women."
"We more prefer the watching," Maela told him. "It's also safer than playing such games with men."
"Oh, it's very safe with someone skilled, my dear," Ela teased, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "I'd be happy to teach you everything you want to know."
"So is it true," Tath asked, "that partners in the temple are the closest a priest gets to being married?"
"Not exactly," I said before Ela could. I wasn't quite sure of how close he was to the edge and didn't want to risk a full-fledged fight at the breakfast table. "The bond between a guardian and his or her ward is the strongest. Partnerships are often compared to marriage for those outside the temple, but it's a very different relationship. It's based on emotional connection, not physical."
"So Priests of the Body are more closely attached to their protectors than the lover they live with?" Tath asked. "That does explain so much. Being bound to a man in a ring is like being married to a eunuch, I hear."
"No," Ela said, pausing when the servant arrived with our breakfasts. He let that hang in the air while the food was handed out, that warning feeling growing again. Then he picked up right where he'd left off. "The problem most people have with understanding this is that Zeal doesn't make couples. He prefers quads. Priests of the Body usually work in groups of four, you see. Nari and I may serve together, but Talin will protect me as much as her. Wraythe is actually more likely to protect her than me."
"You don't need it," I reminded him.
Maela chuckled. "I think his patrons might need you, though."
"Which is why we were matched," I agreed.
"What do you mean?" Tath asked.
Talin spoke up quickly. "That's not exactly polite discussion for the table, Tath."
"But I'm curious, brother. I want to know about this man you spend so much time with. A man you're now sharing a room with. The same man who just pointed out that you'll protect him with your life. Considering you're noble-born and he's, what, from farming stock?"
"Criminal, actually," Ela told him. "It gives me a dangerous air and seems to make me seem mysterious. I'm really not. You see, we gave up our ancestry and our last names when we became priests. These three are my family. You can think of them as brothers, if that makes you feel better." Then he smiled at Maela, and turned to his own breakfast as if nothing had happened.
I was trying to make sense of not just what I was seeing, but also what I was feeling. Ela had always been able to turn his charm on at will. That didn't always mean he could hold back the darkness that ruled him. For a year now, he'd been fighting himself, and it had always felt like he was holding a monster by the tail, but this? It was different. I just didn't know how yet.
Nari looked up, finally acknowledging that Tath was there. "I'm surprised that the presence or lack of a ring matters so much to you, Lord Ranndor. You also seem rather fascinated with the jewelry our guardians wear. There are jewelers who make less invasive forms of such, um, adornments."
"You're kidding!" Maela said, trying not to laugh.
Nari smiled at her. "I hear it's like tying a string on your finger. Maintains the blood flow."
Maela looked over at Ela. "Really?"
"Not ringed, my dear," Ela told her. "Although, I assure you that I'm glorious enough without jewelry."
"Gentlemen!" Pia snapped.
Ela turned to her and held up his hands. "I've never found rings to be comfortable. Since I'll never be wed, it hasn't been a concern. The lace is enough for me."
His rage wasn't gone. Not atall. It simply felt different. More contained, as if instead of trying to hold onto the monster's tail, he had crawled inside its skin. The thought barely crossed my mind before my eyes jumped over. Ela was waiting. Yes, the darkness was still in his gaze, but somewhere in the last few months, it seemed he'd mastered it.
No. He was riding it.
The same way Zeal rode our bodies, using our flesh to give him an advantage, Ela had finally taken control of the beast that burned so powerfully inside him. The fear was gone. He wasn't faking this. The link between us hummed in my soul, marked on my skin, and I was sure of it. My best friend was finally ok with this.
He wasn't just a Priest of the Body. He was so much more than the punisher people wanted to talk about. As he sat beside me, trading barbs with Tath, flirting blatantly with Maela, and smiling sweetly at Talin and Nari, the sensations finally made sense. This man was Nari's weapon as much as the rest of us - and a threat was sitting right there. He was ready to be used, but waiting for his master to set him free.
