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"Of course," I agreed, enjoying the sound of his voice against my ear even though I knew the story.
"So when they decided to govern the country for us, they stood shoulder to shoulder and split the land. Each one held their arms before them, and the lines that would've radiated out became the secular markers. They appeared on maps, and people in each section were protected by their specific deity's government: the barony. It's millions of acres of land, Nari. I'm not sure anyone knows how many, and my brother doesn'townit all. He simply manages it."
"What does that even mean?" I asked. "I know the barons collect taxes, but what else?"
"He hires people to manage the barony services. Temptation police, road construction, and all of the things that have to happen but no one wants to see. Tath is now responsible for that, but don't think it's a lot of work. Not for him. He is simply the focal point of it, kinda like the High Priest is the focus of the temple. We all work just fine on our own, but the High Priest likes to be important."
I nodded. "Makes sense. I didn't exactly study politics in school. I mean, I had some classes, but it seems tedious."
"Very," he agreed. "Basically, my brother looks at some reports, makes decisions to correct problems, and then spends the rest of the week playing. The tradeoff is that our family is supposed to be the middlemen between our god and our people. With the gods being gone for so long, the barons have come to think of themselves as the ultimate power for each section, and only the Book of Rules keeps anyone from trying to take over the whole thing." He leaned a little more to see my face. "You know that the laws write themselves in it, right?"
"Do they?" I countered. "Or is it just that no one can see Zeal's hand? Or whoever's hand, if another god is writing them."
Talin shrugged against me. "No idea. All I know is that I saw the name change for the Baron of Temptation. I didn't see Zeal at the time either, but it's an impressive trick."
"Mm." I leaned my head back against him. "Andwhyare we supposed to stand on the balcony all night?"
"Until midnight," he corrected. "The holiday is called the Fresh Start, and it symbolizes the Goddess of Compassion acknowledging the suffering of the less fortunate. Her name is Merci, and she expects the more fortunate to trade places with the less fortunate for the last hours of the year. Tath would've sent firewood to at least a dozen homes, along with lavish meals. So tonight, they will feast in the luxury of warmth, and we will stand in the cold so we can understand the misery of not having enough."
I chuckled, shaking my head to show the foolishness of that. "We're on the third-floor balcony of a mansion the size of a temple wing. We have blankets, each other..." And I turned in his arms to face him. "Youdoknow that this is nothing at all like true poverty, right?"
"I do now," he promised. "For the longest time, I didn't." Clasping the blankets together in one hand, he shifted the other to brush my hair back. "I used to think that some of us were simply more worthy than others. Then I met you."
"Oh, I'm worthy," I reminded him. "Zeal's Chosen, right?"
"You would've been worthy without that," he assured me, shifting a little closer to pin me between his body and the bannister. "Even if you'd ended up married off young, stuck with a dozen screaming children and struggling to feed all of them, you would've been worthy, Nariana. Everyone is."
"Oh, and here I thought you were trying to sweet talk me," I teased.
He bent his head until his brow rested against mine. "I can do that too. I could tell you how the light in your eyes sparks one in my heart. Is that what you want?"
"Better," I said, but my voice had turned soft. "Are you really happy with us?"
"You mean Ela, Wraythe, and you?" he asked. "Yes. More than you can imagine. I love you. There's no other word to describe the way I feel about you, but it happened fast, before I even knew what was happening. No, I didn't try to fight it. I mean, what's the point? Iamyour guardian, and I'd rather serve my time loving you than pretending I don't. But, I'm also falling for your partner."
"What about Wraythe?" I asked.
He smiled. "Not even a hint of shock in your eyes, huh?"
"Nope," I said. "I think you and Eladehl work better than he and I do. I'm not saying you love each other more, just that you have more to give him than I do, I suppose. I think you make him happy, and that makes me happy. But what about Wraythe?"
He palmed the side of my neck, bending his fingers to soak up the heat of my skin. "I like the guy. I love that I never have to worry about you when he's there. I feel like, in another life, you were meant for him. I dunno, I could just imagine him working on a farm, you raising his brood of kids, and the two of you so happy like that."
"I like this way better," I said, the end of my words cut off by the chime of a clock downstairs.
Talin immediately took a step back, carrying me with him. "I like this way better too," he agreed. "And I know exactly how I'm going to celebrate the start of this year. They say that your first act after midnight is how you hope to spend the entire year." He smiled. "And all I want is to be with you."
"Did you lock the doors?" I asked.
"Mhm." He let the blanket drop as soon as we were inside, freeing his hands to release the dozens of buttons on my dress. "Locking ourselves away is for last year. This year..." He spun me around to undress me easier. "I want to spend it making love to you."
The fabric relaxed, gaping across my back, but I didn't care. Slowly, he was steering me toward the massive fireplace on the far side of his bedroom. I lost my outer dress halfway there. The corset and garters were left at the edge of the rug. By the time I could feel the heat wafting from the flames, I stood there bare, but he still wouldn't let me undress him. Each time I reached for him, he stepped back, making a show of revealing his skin.
"You," he breathed as he tossed his shirt aside, "are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." His shoes came off next, but his hands were working on his pants. "And you are mine, Nariana. Never forget that. I might share you, but I will never give you up. I will never leave you behind." He stepped out of his pants and closed the distance between us, his hand immediately finding my face. "Because you aren't the only person who needs something to hold on to."
"Then cling to me," I whispered, shoving a hand deep into his dark hair to pull him closer.
The sound he made was almost a growl, and then his mouth was on mine. Talin kissed me deeply, but gently. His lips savored every pass they made across mine. His tongue sampled and teased, but the hand on my hip held me against him, nothing but our skin to separate us. I could feel his erection pressing into my belly, his ring as warm as the rest of him. And when he knelt, I followed, the pair of us sinking down to the rug together.
