Miesa rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder before walking away, leaving him alone with Tanya and some man at the other end of the bar. Tanya smiled, then leaned close.
"You really not allowed to do anything fun?"
Sin shook his head. "It's not like that. All of our rules are for a reason. You should know this by now."
"What I thought was they removed the restriction on you priests and sex," she countered.
He shrugged. "To a point. Pleasure of the flesh, though? Still frowned upon. Relationship bonding is tolerated, but marriage is still preferred, and it's only acceptable for certain positions in the Legion."
"But not yours," she guessed.
He shook his head. "Not mine."
There was no way he was going to mention that any relationship, let alone a sexual one, was the easiest way to be stripped of his position. Legates weren't allowed to become intimate. It would be too easy to use that against them. Too easy for him to slip and say something confidential to a person he trusted. Even a chaste girlfriend would most likely see him moved to the confessionals at best. Removed from the church at worst. It was the price he'd accepted to become the hand of God. One of many.
Tanya rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Sin? No one gets married anymore. The tax penalties are insane, and the benefits? What? Naming your kid?"
He just lifted his hands. "God doesn't agree."
"And has God been that good to you, for you to give up so much for him?"
He pressed his lips together and shrugged, looking at the two dark fingers on his hand. "He hasn't been too bad to me. I'm also not some damned Ingénue to know His plan." He sucked back the last of his Coke, gesturing for Tanya to top him up again."How's your dad been doing?" he asked, changing the subject to something safer.
She refilled the soda and shrugged. "Insurance declined his request, so not too good. You gonna say a prayer for him?"
"If that's what you want," he offered. "Workers' comp won't cover it?"
"No," she sighed. "They say he was using the implants for more than just his job, so not their responsibility. Not really a shock that they managed to weasel out of it, though."
"Damn," Sin said, patting her arm. "He gonna be able to walk again?"
"Nope. Doctors say he needs everything rewired, but his body won't handle it without five times the rejection meds he's on now." She lifted her hand, trying to shrug it off. "We can barely afford what he's currently on."
"I'll spread it around the church. You mind if I ask how much you need for his meds?"
She chuckled. "Isn't the Legion against modification?"
Sin raised his arm and wiggled the last two fingers. "Optional enhancement isn't really encouraged, but feeding your family does take a little priority. The Praetor says God gave us brains and expects us to use them."
She reached over and grabbed his half-human hand. "Thanks, Sin. I mean it. It's gonna cost like a thousand a week to keep him from getting the shakes."
He nodded in understanding. "And how much to get the use of his legs again?"
"Five grand." She sighed and shook her head. "Seriously, I'm not above taking a handout if it means Dad can go back to work, but I don't expect anything like that."
"You never know, God does work in mysterious ways. You might try coming to a service, too. I don't think we're quite like you think."
She laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure of it ifyou'rea damned priest, but I'm not into the whole God thing."
"Doesn't mean it goes both ways." He smiled, unwilling to push. "You see Trent in here anymore?"
"Yeah. He was in just last night. Usually shows up an hour after sundown or so."
He smiled flirtatiously at her. "Willing to pass a message for me, sweetheart?"
"Always," she replied, leaning closer. "Whatcha need?"
"Tell him to stop by my place?"
