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"I've figured that out," Talin assured him.
"So will you help us?" Bode asked.
Talin immediately looked at me. Beside and behind him, the other guys were glancing around, completely lost but used to dealing with gods enough to know that I'd explain later. The only problem was that I couldn't quite figure out where this was going.
"Help you with what?" I asked Bode before Talin could respond. "We want to help. The question is if we're able to. We're just priests."
"And so was the woman who chased away the crows the day we were born," Merci said, stepping toward me. "Nariana, we have only given that gift once. It isn't an easy thing to do, not with as weak as we are, but Zeal promises that he has the power now."
"What?" I breathed, still not quite keeping up.
The answer came from behind me, Zeal's lips hovering beside my ear. "We want to let all five of you see. Not just you, Nari, but your partners as well."
My lips curled at his choice of titles for them. Partners - not guardians. He'd just admitted that these men were my lovers, and he'd done it before all of his siblings. I couldn't explain why, but that one little detail meant so much to me.
"The gods want to give you the gift of sight," I told the guys.
"Which one?" Ela asked.
"All of them," I answered, "to all of you. They're tired of not being seen."
"Wait," Anver said. "They want to make us like you?"
"We do," Zeal assured him. "We need you. All five of you. My siblings wanted to simplygiveit to you..." Zeal looked at me. "But my priests deserve to consent first."
"I consent," Wraythe said quickly.
"Same," Ela agreed.
"Oh, count me in," Talin added.
Anver breathed out something almost like a laugh. "Yes, Zeal. I've already said that you can do with me whatever you need to. That counts as consent."
Merci stepped forward as Zeal said, "Then it is time for all of you to see."
Chapter 2
Wraythe
The priests had walked out, leaving the five of us standing in a room with Zeal. I knew the other gods were here as well, but I couldn't see them. Talin could - or at least he saw Bode. I could tell by the way he was looking at the empty air beside him. I could feel a zing of nervousness from Ela, and I was pretty sure the confusion was from Nari, but no one was scared, so I'd just go with this. After all, I'd already given my consent.
Then Nari turned toward us. Zeal shifted behind her, both of his hands on her shoulders. Talin moved to stand beside her, his arm brushing hers. With the other arm, he made a gesture for us to circle up. Ela moved beside Talin. Anver took the spot beside Nari. I filled the gap they left for me, trying my hardest to look at least a little imposing while watching Nari's eyes track nothing as one of the invisible gods moved into the space between us.
"No," Zeal said, breaking the silence.
Nari grunted at him as if she was disappointed. "Wraythe said he was fine," she chided.
Zeal's jaw clenched, but the problem was that he was looking right at me. "What?" I asked.
"Will needs to touch you," Nari explained. "Are you ok with that?"
"Yeah, sure." Because why wouldn't I be?
But Zeal looked pissed about it. Nari simply lifted her hand, pressing it over where Zeal's rested on her shoulder. Our god pulled in a deep breath, then nodded. Whatever that was about, it seemed to end the problem, because Nari looked forward again, at the spot in between us, then she nodded.
"You will all want to close your eyes," she warned.
So I bowed my head as if I was praying. I had nothing to say, but around me the guys did the same. When Nari ducked her head as well, I finally let my eyes close, and then I simply waited. I trusted Nari. I knew that she saw the gods, and she needed our help. I trusted Zeal because he'd taken care of me so many times. This seemed to be something they felt was important, so I'd do it, but the truth was that I didn't honestly care about the other gods.
