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An hour later, all four of us were waiting at the corner of the nave and the priest's wing. Talin pulled out his watch to check the time, then pushed it back into his pocket. Wraythe simply grunted, making it clear he was tired of waiting. Nari's eyes were scanning people up and down the hall, and yet I was the one who finally spotted Anver - and the three people with him.
"Hey, Anver?" I called out.
"That's my cue," Anver said. "I'll check with you in the morning, Tish. If anything changes, that should give me time to adapt."
"And if it doesn't?" Tishlie asked, sounding like she couldn't believe him.
Anver just turned to face her, but he was walking backwards towards us. "Then you need to learn to plan better. It's a session. Ryshie can watch one side, I'll take the other, and your patron won't have a guardian. You'll be fine."
"And if I'm not?" she demanded.
"Then I'll kill him," Anver said. "See, I can do my job."
But Ciella couldn't take that. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
Ryshie's voice came next, sounding weary. "Man, we're supposed to go over their limits."
"No," Anver said. "Limits aren't your job, Ryshie. You can't talk them into liking something or not. You simply need to know how far they're willing to take it. I also happen to have a relaxing evening planned, so act like real priestesses, ladies. In other words, handle your shit, because it's not our responsibility."
Ciella growled in the back of her throat and tried to follow him. Wraythe simply pushed himself off the wall, blocking her from chasing after Anver. Talin moved forward, holding out a coat. Anver took that, rolling his eyes at the insanity of those women, but Ciella was growing more angry by the second.
"You're not allowed to leave the temple, you know!" she called after him.
Anver groaned. "That was for primary, Ciella. We're initiates. We can leave, and I have, plenty of times."
"To go where?" she asked, turning her attention on Nari. "Are you having sessions? Is that how you're getting ahead?"
"We're not allowed sessions outside the temple grounds," Nari reminded her. "You know, kinda the whole point of those rooms under the domes?"
"Then what would you do outside, especially in this weather?"
"That isn't any of your business," Nari assured her, pulling on her coat. "You guys ready?"
"More than ready," Anver said. "Is it still raining?"
"Freezing rain right now," I told him. "Means cold."
"Good, I like the cold." And he gestured for us to lead the way.
But Ciella was following. "Sneaking out the back, huh? It's gotta be a big deal if it takes all of you. Does Saval know what you're doing? Because when I tell her, I have a feeling they'll be stripping your lace, Nari."
Nari stopped and spun. "Like Zeal stripped yours? Oh, right. That's not such a big threat anymore. Never mind that they can't. That whole devout thing, you know. And why the fuck do you care if we want to go outside anyway?"
"Because you have my partner's guardian!" Ciella screamed.
"Yeah, no," I mumbled, pushing forward. "Talin, Anver, keep Nari going." Then I leaned into Ciella's face. "Tishlie's still back there with your guardian. Clearly, he's so worried about your health and well-being that he's all but avoiding you. Your lace is gone. Your power is gone. Your beauty is already fading because you haven't figured out yet that acting like a shrew is anything but sexy. So I'll ask you again. Why do you care, Ciella?"
"Because whatever she's doing has her getting the best patrons," Ciella snapped. "If I'm going to be a temple whore, then I expect to at least get rich from it."
"Which is why you'll never get ahead," I assured her. "And, just so it'll make you shut the fuck up, we've been invited to another temple. You know, that devout thing again. Try it. You might be surprised at the results."
"What, Perception?" she asked. "Because we all know that Temple's been spending a lot of time fucking her. She was with something like three priests at the festival? Yeah, and then she had that guy for her first outside session. See, rumors are how to get ahead, Eladehl. It's why you're not as important as you like to think."
I couldn't stop the smile. "You forgot about her visit to Compassion, huh? Right, but she has family there. Funny. We also have some friends in Perception. I do like how you assume it's all Nari, though. I'll have you know that plenty of people like talking to me. You know, like the Baroness of Temptation. She was my date for the Day of Planning." Then I winked and turned.
Wraythe fell in at my side, saying nothing and yet somehow still managing to look intimidating. Thankfully, Ciella stayed put, but the idiot just couldn't hold her tongue. It was like she thought getting in the last word actually meant something.
"Sessions are supposed to be scheduled, you know. You're also not supposed to fuck other priests!"
I just shook my head and kept walking. Up ahead, Nari and the guys were slipping outside. She paused to glance back, but Wraythe gestured for her to go ahead. I lengthened my stride a little more, Wraythe easily matching me. The door had only barely closed when we reached it, so I pulled it open and hurried to catch up with my family - who were all waiting on the top step.
Beyond, the clouds were dark and the sleet was heavy. I could just see the Temple of Perception through the haze of the precipitation, but right now, being outside the temple sounded like a good thing. So, flipping up my hood, I headed down the stairs.
"I hope he can make a good cup of tea," I said. "I also vote we run."
Nari just skipped down after me. "I'm starting to think I like real winter better." Then she laced her fingers with mine and looked over.
Our eyes met, she smiled, and then we both took off. Cold water splashed against our legs, our oiled coats not long enough to stop that. Behind us, I could hear the trouncing of Wraythe's feet, Anver chuckling, and Talin's groan when he clearly stepped in something extra-soft.
But she was right. It was fun to play in a storm. It was even better when we knew we had a hot fire and a good friend waiting for us when we were done.
