“And I amnotunable to see manipulation, blatant or otherwise. I may not know this world, butyouknow little of how I was trained. Zanisabsolutely trying to manipulate me, but it’sbecause he thinks he’s bad for me, not the other way around.Why, I still don’t know.”
Because volatility sure as fuck isn’t it.
I’m theSage of Wrath, gods take it.
“Could he be right?” Nomi asks quietly.
I’m about to snap at her, but I take a breath instead.
Make myself think about it.
Clarity.
“No,” I say simply. “Not about this.”
“Hmm.” She doesn’t look convinced. “Even if he has an obsession?”
I shrug. “Might be mutual to be honest.”
Frankly, it gives me a little thrill.
Also a liiittle anxiety, because that’s a lot of years of expectation to live up to, but—
I’m not exactly one to back down from a challenge.
And Zan, of everyone, has seen me clearly.
Nomi blinks. “Oh. That’s... probably not any healthier, honestly.”
“If we’re happy together, I don’t particularly care or see how it’s anyone else’s business,” I snap—then pause. “Other than the Order, who will try to murder us, but they’ll be doing that anyway, so...”
Nomi snorts. “Okay, I take your point. I just wanted you to have some more context to make your decisions with care. And to tell you that if at any point you feel like you need help, or if Zan is making you uncomfortable, that Iwilltake care of it.”
Her voice is sheer steel.
A guardian of sages indeed.
I’ve never had a person who would go to bat for me before, I realize. And now, in only days... now I have three, I think.
What a world.
And this time I don’t even need it.
Without a word, I tug another dress on. If Nomi’s backed down, I no longer need to use social expectations of nudity to put her off-balance the way she was trying to put me, springing this conversation on me.
At her considering look, I lift my eyebrows archly.
I am really not unschooled in manipulation, and she should know that.
I’d never have survived my first lifetime otherwise.
I sit next to her on the edge of the bed. “What if I need the other thing?”
It takes her a moment.
I don’t want to make Zan back away. I want theoppositeof that.
“You’re serious?” Nomi asks. “He’s adragon.”
