Page 9 of Own To Obsess

Shaya nodded in agreement, even though she didn’t know what a blessing room was or why they needed to go there. She glanced at the door Kardos had left through as the high chief guided her across the main space, and the deep yearning for her mate continued to stir.

“You are the first Omega to enter this temple in just under one hundred years,” the high chief continued, dragging her attention back to him as he walked along the side of the hall. “It used to be run by Omegas, and it is the charge of every high chief to try to keep it as preserved as possible.” He turned down a yellow corridor decorated with beautiful tapestries as he glanced at her. “So I hope it is to your liking.”

Shaya wasn't sure what to say. Everything she had seen so far was indeed magnificent, but how was she to know if the temple was up to the standard of the Omegas who ran it in the past? Luckily, he didn't seem to want an answer.

When they reached the end of the corridor, he crossed a small hallway into another corridor and entered the third room on the left. Inside was bright and airy decorated in yellow, peach, and cream, with a slatted wall window opposite that let in light. In the center were two large peach cushions and between them a low, small table made up of a plank of wood on wooden brackets.

“Your presence here has caused much concern about many of the things we have become accustomed to in our society,” the chief said as he lowered to a seat on one of the cushions and gestured for Shaya to sit opposite him, “but also much excitement.”

Shaya dropped onto the cushion and folded her legs in, wriggling to get comfortable as she thought about the angry crowd outside the temple. That didn’t seem quite true.

Once she was comfortable, the high chief smiled again at her and gestured to the low makeshift table between them. “I hear you are skilled at this?”

Shaya eyed the cups and saucers on the table wearily, recalling her painful lessons learning how to make fevvoli tea, but she nodded.

The high chief inclined his head. “I would appreciate a cup.”

Shaya inhaled slowly as she began to assemble the cups. The high chief was silent as she made the tea, but that made her even more nervous, and by the time she tipped the teapot to fill the serving cup, her heart was racing. Her hand shook as she went to lift the serving cup to hand to the high chief, but he placed his palm above the cup indicating she could stop. She exhaled quietly in relief and lifted her gaze to see him staring at her quizzically.

“You are much different than I imagined,” he said slowly.

Shaya withdrew her hands to her lap and kept her eyes on his, wondering what he expected.

He hesitated for a moment, watching her, and then frowned. “Do you speak?” he asked, bewilderment and irritation entering his tone.

Shaya cleared her throat. “I’m not sure of the… rules to speak, high chief.”

At that the high chief smiled. “You do not need to follow any rules to speak right now, Katashaya. We are in a blessing ritual; you may speak whenever you like.”

“Oh,” Shaya breathed, relief filtering through her. After a moment, she asked, “What is a blessing ritual?”

“It is when an important member of the Isles seeks to have their pairing approving by their superior. Usually pairings are made in advance and by agreement, but sometimes, a couple decides to be together naturally, and it is for the superior to decide if it is a suitable pairing, or at least better than the one previously arranged.”

“Ah.” So many questions crowded Shaya’s mind. “But… Kardos and I… we already have a bond.”

The high chief nodded. “Yes. That makes things complicated but I see what Kardos’ purpose is for requesting the blessing.” He lifted the teacup, murmuring, “Sometimes I forget how smart he is.” He took a sip. “He has memorized all of our traditional rules and rituals—I should have suspected he would seek a solution in this way.”

Shaya didn’t know what to say to that since she wasn’t clear what the problem was that needed solving. She watched the high chief take two more sips. “Is it… made to your liking?” she asked, gesturing to his tea.

“Perfectly. Just as I would expect.” He placed the cup down. “I sometimes also forget about Kardos’ obsession for perfection. I don’t doubt he has applied that to your learning of our culture.”

Shaya frowned. “I thought fevvoli tea had to be made in a very specific way.”

“It does,” the high chief agreed. “But it doesn’t always come out perfectly. Except maybe for Kardos. He has extremely high expectations. He expects the best of himself and others. It is one of the reasons he has excelled in so many areas and why Tribe Nyek has flourished under his hand.”

Shaya frowned, shaking her head at the idea. “But not everything can or should be perfect. In nature imperfections can be valuable.”

The high chief smiled, but there was a strange look in his eyes. “I think he is very much aware of that, Katashaya. But he chooses to ignore it.”

“How can he? It is natural,” Shaya blurted out. “Isn’t it better to learn to expect imperfections?”

“It can be argued that expecting anything less than perfection encourages mediocrity.”

Shaya shook her head in disagreement. “Sometimes I’m surprised by how fascinating the imperfections are in the plants I grow. Or when I make a mistake with a potion, it’s sometimes the most exciting way to discover a new and unique recipe.”

The high chief’s brows lifted. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard any potionist describe making mistakes as exciting.”

Shaya smiled. “I usually don’t combine anything too dangerous, and if I do I’m really careful. The worse was when I accidentally scalded my sister’s arm. I felt terrible about it for weeks.”

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