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Harlin did, but as soon as he let it out, Zeal pressed on either side of his nose andsomethinghappened. Yes, he aligned the cartilage to the bone again, but that wasn't all. There wasn't a flash of light, and no mystical sounds, but I still felt something in my bones that said a miracle had just happened.
And Harlin bucked against us. His fingers crushed my hand, but I pushed his shoulder back down. Talin leaned onto him. Wraythe just held the man in place. Then Harlin sighed heavily, proving the pain had only lasted a moment. Yet when he opened his eyes, it wasn't us he was looking at. His gaze was steady on the man he hadn't seen a moment before.
"Who..." he asked.
Zeal smiled. "I told you he was close."
"Just like that?" Irila asked. "We don't see you, and then we do?"
"Pretty much," Zeal agreed before dropping his eyes back to Harlin. "Your nose will finish healing tonight. It is the price for your temptation, but a small one. You wanted to see if the chosen one is real? Well, I hope this is enough proof."
"You were testing me?" I asked Harlin.
"No," Zeal answered before Harlin could. "He was hoping. Praying for a bigger picture for all of this. You were the icon he decided to grab onto, which is why he's been so helpful. He thinks you can change the problems in the temple."
"Whoareyou?" Harlin asked. "And how do you know that?"
Zeal reached to his throat and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Let him up. Slowly, Priest Harlin, so your head doesn't swim."
Harlin's eyes were on the lace being revealed at Zeal's throat. "I didn't know Priests of the Word performed medicine."
"They should," Zeal said, "but I promise I am no priest." And then he spread his shirt, revealing lace across every inch of his torso. "Do you see now?"
"Why... What?" Harlin looked at me. "You aren't the only one?"
"That," I told him, "is your god. He walked in with Anver, but you needed one more reason to believe. I think him setting your nose was it."
"Because he knew someone did," Zeal explained. "And now there are eleven, because Saval smiled at me in the halls earlier today."
He meant myself, my three guys, Amerlee, Jamik, Irila, and Anver. Except that didn't add up, so I looked at Irila. "Shalsa believes?"
"Uh... I just saw him when he walked in." Irila shook her head in confusion. "But Jamik explained about the rings."
"She believes," Zeal promised. "She saw me when I told Amerlee to check on you four at breakfast. She asked me about Irila's rings." And he looked at Harlin. "Mm, speaking of that..."
Closing his eyes, Zeal reached out to press his fingers to Harlin's forehead. Then he sighed. That was it, and yet we all knew what he'd done. Well, except Harlin.
"What was that?" he asked, sounding almost nervous.
"I did not make the rings," Zeal told him. "Your sudden rush of belief is a surge of power for me. Enough to allow me to fix those disgusting torture devices. My priests are supposed to embrace temptation, but how is that possible if your most carnal abilities are shackled with pain and metal?" He smiled at the man a little too sweetly. "Guardians are meant to protect. To be a safe place for my Priests of the Body to fall when they can't take anymore. Your job is to shelter them in every way they need, and that includes with love. Both physical and mental. Your ring will no longer cause you pain, Priest. It is nothing more than jewelry now. Wear it or don't. I honestly do not care."
"In exchange for what?" Harlin asked. "There's always a price."
"Teach my Chosen to be brutal. Irila will teach her to be agile." And Zeal looked over to Jamik. "You will teach her that she is more than her duty. She is also a person."
And his gaze moved higher, aiming for a spot behind us. As a group, we all turned to look. There, against the wall, stood Anver. He was close enough to be a part of this, and yet unwilling to shove his way in.
"I want you to train with Eladehl. Every day. I need her partner to not get soft. Wraythe and Talin need to learn how to work together, so you will push Eladehl. I don't care if it's awkward. I need this, my friend."
Anver nodded. "I'll do it. I miss them."
"Then repairing that relationship will be your price. Now come. I need you to open doors for me so I don't have to explain ghosts in my temple."
I opened my mouth to point out that he didn't actually have to walk from place to place, but Talin caught my hand, halting the words. While we all watched, Anver escorted Zeal across the Salle and out, leaving us alone to deal with the aftermath.
"He..." I tried.
"Is lonely," Talin finished. "And I do believe our god has finally found someone who has time to do nothing more than sit and talk for hours."
