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"It's actually the specialization I planned to talk you into," she said. "Unlike your last set of instructors, I am aware that Ela is not a cruel and heartless machine. You, Nari, are not as sweet as most think. Both of you have a bite, but you can also be kind and considerate. Now, what else do I need to know to help you two?"
"Five," Ela said, pushing to his feet. "Zeal broke Anver's bond with Tishlie. He still has marks to match her, but..." And he tugged at the neck of his shirt to reveal the lace on his collar.
"Shit," Saval breathed.
Then Ela turned, lifting the back to show the stripe of swirls that ran down his back. "Yeah, we all have them now."
"How?" Saval asked, looking at me.
"Well, there was some alcohol involved," I said, grimacing in shame. "And it seems that Zeal waited until we were drunk enough after celebrating passing last year, then he tempted us to the Temple of All Gods. That's when he had us soak in his basin, and, um..."
"The marks," she finished for me. "Zeal?"
"Yes, my dear," the god said as he stepped into our reality right behind her.
"I need a lesson plan for these kids. Would you care to help?" she asked, looking back and up to see him.
Zeal rested his hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently. "I want Nari and Ela to have the most diverse experiences possible. I need them trained in everything. Preferably together, or at least in tandem."
Saval nodded. "Ok, I can work with that. What about the boys?"
"Talin and Wraythe will need to work with Anver," Zeal said. "Leave them as Priests of Protection. Treat Eladehl as a Priest of the Body. The Path of Temptation is Nari's, but I realized last year that she can't do it on her own."
"I can do that," she assured me. "My bigger problem is going to be declaring their new marks so the High Priest doesn't have a fit."
"Let him have a fit," Zeal whispered, leaning toward her ear. "Let him rant loudly. More people see me every day. That means the sides are even. If it's going to be us against them, then be glad you're on the side with a god."
She reached up to press her palm over his on her shoulder. "I don't want the kids to suffer for this."
"But they will," he admitted. "There's no way around that. I have not changed their Paths. I merely gave them more, and yes, their main Path is significantly larger."
"And Anver's bond with his ward is gone?" she asked.
"Mhm," Zeal agreed. "I do not like the sniveling one. She grates on my ears. He, however, has potential."
"But he can't be a guardian without a ward," she reminded him.
"I am aware of that!" Zeal snapped. "I have seen what they did to Nari, and she isn't even on the Path of Protection! I also know that Ela and Nari will need more than two guardians. I know that I need Anver more than you can imagine. He is mine, Saval. I will have him on this Path, even if I have to drag that blathering idiot along for another year to make it happen."
"Tishlie declared Sensuality as her specialization this morning," Saval told him. "Will that work for you?"
"That's fine," Zeal assured her. "It will give Anver more time to focus on what really matters. I will want him to work with Eladehl at some point as well. Not officially, but to be sure that he will not flinch from the damage my Temptation can inflict."
Saval nodded. "I'll make it happen. I don't know how, but I'll find a way - or they will. Those five are impressively resourceful."
"Almost like we have a god helping us," I pointed out.
That earned me a smile from both of them. Ela just leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, these extra sessions..."
"Mostly dates," Saval assured us. "They will be to functions similar to what you've already been doing this summer. I'll assign you both to the same scheduler, so you can stay somewhat close together." Then she cleared her throat and reached for a paper on the far side of her desk. "I also need to know if I should approve this. It's a request for you both in your first outside session. A Priest of Perception, it seems."
"Peyron," Ela purred. "Yes, approve that."
"So you know him?" she asked.
"We do," I promised. "Met him when we were doing that year in the Temple of All Gods. Ran into him again yesterday morning, along with Savi."
Saval set the paper before her, grabbed the pen I'd gifted her with last year, and quickly scrawled her name. "So you know, liaisons with other priests are allowed at your own discretion - so long as they aren't official sessions. As initiate students, you're free to have sex with who you want, when you want, though. I suggest that if either of you - or both - plan to spend the night, that you do it on the weekends. Also, it's often easier to bring priests here, since your guardians will want to be in attendance, and your rooms are made for that."
