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"Because he thinks it makes a convenient excuse for his own," I said, lifting a brow to show Kinen that I was no longer scared of speaking out. "The problem with your theory, Priest Kinen, is that I'm not the only one who talks to our god anymore."
"We all pray," Kinen shot back.
"That is not at all what she means," Zeal mumbled, shaking his head in frustration. "And the worst part is that this man is so sure that I'm not real that I can't help him. I can't reach him at all."
"So how did he get - " Livia slapped a hand over her mouth, holding in the words when she realized what she'd done.
"What's that?" Kinen asked, making it clear he expected an answer.
I turned in time to see the poor first year initiate swallow nervously. "Um, I was wondering how we got Zeal's words if he doesn't talk back."
"He writes in the Book of Rules too," Orilee pointed out.
Then the guy from my year, Zevon, decided to speak up. "Priest Kinen? How should we balance the questions of our god's reality against the assumption that he can't be seen or interacted with? If we don't believe he can talk back, then how would he have left words in the first place? Would you call that magic? A hoax? An elaborate metaphor used as some kind of temple ritual? Because if we don't believe in a god, then what are we priests of?"
"Yeah, I'm curious about that too," Zeal said. "Good question, Zevon."
"Of course we should believe," Kinen told the young man. "But believing in a higher power that we serve isn't the same as expecting that higher power to walk among us."
"Why not?" I asked. "The books of the six gods make it clear that they were born from the body of a man. The first priestess chased away the crows as the gods recovered from their birth. If they were allegorical or metaphorical, why would she have needed to do that? If they aren't in the same realm as us, why would she have needed to do that? Are the words of our god literal or figurative?"
"These are the questions you should be asking Vernie," Kinen replied. "Which is why I expect more from you than sitting there, reading a book that doesn't even apply to this class."
"So you don't think the socioeconomic status of not only our priests' upbringing but also their patrons would alter how they interact with them, sharing Zeal's teachings?" she countered. "Is it not the job of the Path of the Word to be prepared for all questions, including those by people different from ourselves? And with that said, how would these students get to these questions without the freedom to explore the theories of the knowledge our temple provides them?"
Kinen actually huffed at her, clearly at a disadvantage. At the side of the room, Zeal was smiling proudly, but his eyes were intently focused on Vernie. I had a funny feeling that he was doing his best to tempt her to push just a little more.
"And how many in this class will spend their days managing schedules for Priests of the Body?" Kinen asked her. "Do you not think that maybe this subject is a little more advanced than most of them need?"
"No, I don't," Vernie assured him. "I think that the foundation of all of our responsibilities comes down to an honest belief that Zeal is real, he is the reason we're here, and he asks his priests to be his tools for when he cannot help a patron on his own. Do you disagree, Priest Kinen?"
"I think that the traditional way of teaching this course was good enough," the man snapped. "Why has the curriculum changed?"
"Since it's my first year teaching this class," Vernie said, "I wouldn't know. If you'd like to go over my lesson plan..."
"Did you do this because of her?" Kinen demanded.
He didn't say my name or point at me, but it was clear that I was the one he was talking about. Vernie just shook her head slowly. "No, High Priest. I was told to treat Priestess Nariana no differently from the others. She engages the same as the others. She is graded the same as the others. Since she's dressed in this class, her lace isn't even a distraction." She blinked at him again, tilting her head to the side slightly. "Is that why you decided to interrupt my lesson today? Are you concerned about the status of a single initiate priestess?"
"I'm concerned about the future of the Temple of Temptation," Kinen assured her, "but everything seems fine here. I hope I didn't derail your day too much."
Then he turned and marched back out the door with as much intensity as he'd had when he came in. When the door closed behind him, no one moved. Seconds passed before Vernie let out a heavy breath, making the rest of us relax. Then she looked over at Zeal.
"I would never have said those things to the High Priest!" she huffed.
Zeal murmured thoughtfully. "I know, but it felt so good, didn't it? That is why you should give in to temptation, Vernie."
"Maybe so," Vernie agreed, "but it seems the High Priest has used up the last of our class time. Maybe we can continue this discussion tomorrow." She paused. "And Nariana?"
Zeal waved her down. "One of her guardians is waiting. I will take care of Nari, Priestess Vernie. Thank you for caring, though."
"Then class is dismissed," Vernie told us as she reached for her book again. And then under her breath, I heard the woman mutter, "The arrogance of that man!"
Chapter 39
Nariana
Itold the guys about what had happened over lunch. Naturally, they decided that this meant I wasn't allowed to be in the halls alone anymore at all. Talin was worried about Anver picking me up after my Word class, since Zeal didn't seem to want him tied to our group yet. Anver promised that it wasn't a problem, and that he could fake it well if Kinen got curious. Wraythe pointed out that Anver's duties to Zeal didn't mean that he shouldn't be allowed to spend time with me, which ended the discussion.
