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Eventually, Talin came over with Maela. They both looked a little more relaxed, which made me think that Maela didn't hate us for what we'd done to Tath. I couldn't ask, though. Not in front of everyone. I was just trusting Talin to let me know if there was anything to worry about.
I'd just caught his eye, hoping for a sign, when Talin's lips split into a grin. A moment later, arms wrapped around my waist - and it didn't feel like Wraythe! I tensed, but Ela's laugh made me relax almost immediately. Then a deep voice that I knew well rumbled in my ear.
"Can I talk my daughter into a dance tonight?"
I spun to find Jamik standing behind me. "Yes!" I assured him, but I didn't let him pull me away. Instead, I tugged him closer so I could introduce him to my family. "Jamik, this is Kynsana and Xakiri, my blood siblings. This is Jamik, my dad."
Xak's eyes grew wide. "Dad?"
"Her mentor's guardian," Jamik hurried to explain.
"My dad," I repeated, all but ignoring him. "The day I was surrendered, his desire calmed me. That evening, Jamik helped explain to me what was going on. He bought me my first toy, a stuffed bunny, and has taken care of me ever since. I think of Amerlee as my mom now too."
Xak just thrust out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Dad."
"I wasn't trying to replace her real family," Jamik said even as he clasped my baby brother's hand.
"Real is an interesting word," Kyns pointed out. "Considering that our parents gave us away and you took our sister in, I think it might not be the one you're looking for. Priest Jamik, we at least had each other. I promise we don't think poorly of you for taking care of our sister."
"Nor does Zeal," I assured them as I turned for the dance floor. Looking over my shoulder, I added, "He gave Jamik and Amerlee to me."
Jamik walked with me, tucking my hand into his arm with the experience of many years of escorting Amerlee. Once we were on the dance floor, he shifted me into a formal embrace and then stepped off. I moved with him out of habit, since he'd been the one to practice with me as a girl. In all honesty, I'd probably danced with him more than anyone else.
"So," he said, "does this mean you're back from your winter vacation?"
"We got back this morning," I said. "And yes, it was earlier than planned. There was a problem with the baron."
"What kind of problem?" he asked.
"The kind that will definitely get worse with time," I admitted. "Tath refused to accept it when I told him no, so Ela and Wraythe made sure it wouldn't happen again."
"How?" he asked.
I just shook my head. "We'll talk about that at home. Just know that Maela seems to be on my side in this, and I'm pretty sure Yamina is. I have no idea about the rest of the family, though. It was a rather public incident."
"Shit," Jamik breathed, spinning me gently with the music. "But you're ok?"
"Someone taught me how to defend myself," I assured him. "I also got a big surprise when we returned home. It seems that our suite is now a lot bigger than it used to be."
Jamik chuckled. "Your friend, that Priest of Obligation?" His brow furrowed as he tried to remember the name. "Drandir. When he got the notice that the neighboring suite was going to be empty, he went straight to Amerlee. She spoke with Saval, and they took the suite out of commission so that Drandir and the other Priests of Obligation could make that happen."
"So you knew about this?" I was more surprised about that than anything else.
The curl of his lips turned mischievous. "Well, someone had to let them into your room. Believe it or not, Anver wasn't constantly available. Yes, Nari, we all helped to make this happen, but Obligation is who deserves the credit."
"Thank you," I told him. "You have no idea how much nicer it is with the extra space. Especially since Anver is going to be spending a lot more time with us. It was starting to get just a little crowded."
"Which is why," Jamik went on, "Shalsa and Irila want to take you shopping for furniture. You have a second living space to decorate, and I have a feeling that you might need furniture that's a little more… useful."
He was talking about sex. I knew it, he knew it, and neither one of us wanted to make it too obvious. Considering that I was now living with four men plus a god, he also had a point. Sex was going to happen, and the bedroom often felt like it was too far away. Sometimes, a little spontaneity was nice.
"We've all been saving up our tithes from the summer to redecorate anyway," I admitted, "so tell those ladies that whenever they have free time, I would appreciate advice as to what will work."
"You realize that Shalsa will try to get furniture with buckles and hooks in every corner, right?" He lifted a brow to make his point.
I just laughed. "And Ela might like that. No, I'm not going to tell you who he might like using that with. Let's just leave it as me trusting Shalsa's expertise."
He nodded sagely just as the song ended. "Wise choice." Then Jamik stepped away, intending to lead me back to my friends.
