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"Zeal too," I reminded her. "We all know that he did it for a reason. He must've."
"To survive," Nari told us, sounding like that should've been obvious. "The problem is how we tell Talin. How do we break that news without him doing exactly what Zeal fears most and pulling away from all of us? Talin's only here because of me, and now his brother is dead?"
"But he loves you," I reminded her. "Maybe that's how it started, him being the pawn of a god, but didn't you hear him? Zeal is suffering too. He's feeling exactly what Talin is - plus all of us worrying about him. The grief, the guilt, the fears and worries, it's all hammering a god who has spent six centuries untouched by such things as consequences."
Nari's eyes dropped to the turquoise fabric of the couch. "The bond goes both ways. People stopped believing in gods when gods stopped believing in people. Zeal believes in me." And then she looked up. "So let's give him a reason to believe again, and maybe he'll show his siblings how as well."
"And telling Talin?" Anver asked.
"I'll do it," I promised. "Tonight. Not right after he gets back, but I'll tell him tonight when he's ready to hear it. He'll probably break something. I can't promise that he won't hate Zeal, but I will make sure that he knows and understands that we'll always be here for him."
"But what if he's not willing to be here for us?" Nari asked me.
Yeah, that was the real problem. I didn't have an answer for her, because I was terrified of the same thing. I couldn't imagine how that would break her heart - or Ela's. I could see the worry lurking in Anver's eyes, which meant that he'd be just as bad. In other words, it was up to me to hold them together, and I'd do it. Somehow, I'd find a way.
But Anver had a better idea. "We'll make sure he knows that it's ok to come back, Nari. That's what took me so long, so if Talin can't, then we will make sure he knows that this door is always, and will always be, open for him to come back."
Chapter 75
Nariana
Talin took the news better than we expected. He didn't yell. He didn't throw things. He simply dropped down onto the sofa in the dressing room and breathed for a moment. Wraythe told me that after a long pause, Talin had admitted that was what he'd suspected, but he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He could see why Zeal had tempted his brother. He could only imagine how angry a god would be about Tath trying to take advantage of Nari, since Talin knew howhefelt about it. He also felt betrayed, and he didn't know how to make all of that work together.
But that night, he crawled into bed and pushed himself up against Wraythe, of all people. When I tried to give him space, Talin reached back to pull me in as well. That was how we fell asleep, once again holding each other, and for the first time in days, the crushing feeling from him began to ease.
But the next day was the naming ceremony. As Talin's ward, I was required to be there. As my partner, Ela was expected to be, which meant Wraythe as well. Because of his temporary guardianship over me, Anver had an excuse to come, but this would be a formal situation. Ela and I were expected to wear the ceremonial robes. Our guardians were exempt from that because of their weapons, and Talin would wear a suit, showing he was a member of the family.
This time, our carriage was draped in a black mourning cloth that covered the windows, and the team of black horses were in the finest harness I'd ever seen. As we traveled from the temple to the City Hall where the civilian courts presided and the Book of Laws was kept, the people we passed couldn't tell if this was the High Priest, the Ranndor family, or just a group of initiates trying to hold themselves together a little longer.
At the front of the building, ropes held back the onlookers, and the city police stood as guards. Our carriage pulled up and we all climbed out, leaving Talin for last, yet the moment his feet were on solid ground, he turned to offer me his arm. I took it, looking up into his face and trying to figure out what he was thinking. He'd been too quiet for too long.
"Talin?" I asked.
He pressed his free hand over where my fingers gripped his arm. "Always, Nari. No matter what."
Which said enough. Maybe he hadn't given me all of the details my mind craved, but he meant that he wouldn't leave me. I wouldn't leave the rest, so we'd find a way to get through this, somehow, even if it was hard.
Ela moved to my other side, and the five of us climbed the stairs to enter the building. At the door, one of the policemen stopped to make sure we were allowed. Talin gave his name, to which the man nodded. Then I gave mine and his head snapped up.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I have a note that you are not allowed. The baron's mother - "
"She's my ward," Talin told him. "If you'd like, I'll show you the lace that binds us."
The poor officer looked around as if hoping for some help. "Lord Ranndor - "
"Priest Talin," he corrected. "Path of Protection, Temple of Temptation, and bonded to the Chosen of Zeal, Priestess Nariana. I'm also the third in line of succession, so without me, this procession can't begin. Without her, I won't walk through those doors. You decide which thing you want to be responsible for, sir."
The policemen swallowed nervously, then nodded, giving us permission to enter. "Please head in, Priest Talin."
"Brace for it," Ela warned as we hit the foyer.
Then the group of us turned to the left, aiming for a large room that looked like something that belonged in the Temple of All Gods. Dozens of people were already there, waiting. Priests in all the colors of the gods lined the walls. I recognized the faces of the High Priests of each temple among them, along with their advisors. Kinen had Yana beside him, and three men I didn't know. Then there was Viyan from the Temple of Compassion. Jeerad stood just behind him, beside another woman and two more priests in blue.
But before we could find a place, Pia saw us. "No!" she snapped, pointing right at me. "Not her."
"Mother," Talin warned, "you do not want to do this. If she leaves, then so do I."
Pia's face pinched together from her chin to her brow. "She killed your brother!"
