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"Which is why I thought dominance," she admitted.
I nodded, because I could see that now. "Ok, but you're not a domme. You aren't the give orders and push people around kind of lover. I believe you could be, but youenjoybeing the toy. The thing to be used while manipulating them the whole time. You are temptation, baby. You are beautiful, sensual, and at first glance, you appear delicate and innocent. I know better, but those things are your power. Use them."
"And Ela?" she asked.
"He can be just as sensual," I assured her. "He also uses his abuse to heal. That guy from the last assignment? Ela started as submissive and reversed the roles to make the guy accept what he really wanted. Ela is dangerous and deadly, but his heart is in the right place. He gives them what they give him. He abuses the abusers and lifts up the abused. Yeah, he likes it. He also isn't unfair about it, and he'll eventually realize he isn't a monster."
"I've always known that," she promised. "He's cruel to those who need it, and so kind to the ones who've felt too much pain. That's why he's so protective of us."
"But isn't that what you do?" I asked. "You work the other way around. From what I heard about your session, you let that man assume he was going to use you, then you subtly used him. You both are a matched set, but opposites. You complement each other so well."
"And that won't matter if we declare our specialization and there are no requests for it." She turned to face me. "Don't you get it, Wraythe? The problem isn't us. It's the system the temple uses. One designed to make their lives easy, not necessarily our lives better. Just like how the rings were created to skip through training guardians to ignore your urges, or how Obligation is housed together like livestock. The balance of power has slowly but surely shifted to the top, and I think that's what Zeal really needs to fix before his priests feel like he's a fair god again."
"But that's not Zeal's fault," I pointed out.
Nari just shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's what people see. Zeal is the god of this temple, yet only a handful of us know that his power has been weakened. I'm trying so hard, but all of this..." She flailed her hands toward the wall in the general direction of our classrooms. "The stupidity is blocking me more than anything else!"
"The temptations," I corrected. "Oryll wants power, Nari. Ghale wants to impress his lover, I think. I'm sure he wouldn't mind power as well, but I'm pretty sure his real concern is keeping Oryll happy. The High Priest wants to stay in charge."
"And Tath wants to have no responsibilities. He wants money and to live some kind of salacious lifestyle. Pia wants to keep her household looking respectable, even if it's all a lie. They're all fighting for a veneer instead of a reality."
"No, they're trying to find the easy answer." I cupped her face and made her look at me. "They aren't willing to work for it. You are. So ignore the parts that can wait and ask us for help when you're feeling overwhelmed."
Her tongue darted over her lips, licking the moisture from them. "I'm feeling overwhelmed right now."
"And that's why I'm here," I promised. "I'm also strong enough to carry as much as you'll let me. We have all night, so let's finish your hair first, and then you can keep talking while I massage that tension from your body."
A little smile curled her lips. "Oh, just trying to get your hands on me again?"
"Always," I assured her. "Maybe even your head on my shoulder." And I reached for the cream to soften her hair. "Besides, I can't really spoil Ela like this, right? So it's your responsibility to take it."
"Mm," she breathed, leaning toward me. "I think that's one task I might actually enjoy."
Chapter 22
Nariana
After missing a day in the Salle, I made sure to be early this time. The four of us wandered in to find Jamik and Irila had beat us. Those two were sparring hard, lashing out at each other with wooden sticks. They also used their feet. For a moment, I paused to watch.
Jamik didn't treat Irila gently, even though she was smaller. It didn't seem to matter that he'd been intimate with her - although not many people knew that. He went at her with everything he had, and I knew my mentor was one of the more impressive guardians. Irila, however, was keeping up. She didn't always get the block or strike she wanted, but she always made up for it.
Their bodies moved so fast. Arms, legs, ducking and jumping, they were like gymnasts. If that was what I was supposed to look like, then I was clearly failing. But just as I thought that, Irila lashed out at Jamik's face, stopping her weapon an inch away from his nose. Jamik just laughed.
"Yeah, you got me," he agreed, breathing hard. "Kids are here."
Irila looked over, and the first thing I saw was the dark mark on the far side of her face. Sucking in a breath, I hurried over. "What happened?"
"That was aimed at Shalsa," she explained. "Fucking patron used a chair! I asked Jamik for advice, and we decided this was close enough to chair legs." She lifted the sticks, then bent over to catch her breath. "Needless to say, the man was generous with his tithe after I put his ass on the ground."
Talin just flicked a finger at the weapons. "One of you willing to work with me on those?"
"Want to go against power or precision?" Harlin asked from the side, proving he was here as well.
"Precision," Talin decided.
So Irila grabbed her sticks, then Jamik offered his to Talin. "Warm up first. She'll bust your balls."
"Experience talking?" Talin teased. "Because I can totally see her making you beg."
