Despite the temple's relatively modest facade, the actual complex was surprisingly large. The area near the entrance was dominated by the spacious sandy courtyard where the duels and exercises were held, but the temple grounds stretched well beyond the courtyard, the majority of it seemingly dedicated to the rows and rows of empty chambers.He and Ihra had snatched the first available rooms they had found, but as Jasper walked down the shady colonnade, he realized that the number of temple recruits he had seen was a mere fraction of what the temple could house.

As a result, tracking down Laylah proved to be a more difficult task than anticipated. His hand was worn out from knocking by the time he finally stumbled on her room.

Her door was slightly ajar, and through the crack Jasper could see the petite Djinn sprawled across her bed. Her glossy brunette hair spilled across her pillows as she held a book above her face, intently focused on whatever she was reading. She clearly didn't hear him coming, for when Jasper knocked gently on her door, Laylah practically leapt off the bed, quickly stuffing the book beneath her pillow as the hint of a blush rose to her cheeks.

“Um, come in?” She said tentatively, peering through the crack in the door, but she relaxed when she saw her guest, a pleased smile slipping across her face.

“Jasper, how delightful! Decide you want something after all?” She winked at him, arching her back not so subtly.

He knew better, but couldn't stop himself from smiling back, his eyes lingering a moment before he managed to respond. “Actually, yes. These daily exercises are killing me - my muscles haven’t been this sore in years. I thought I’d check out the town’s famous hot springs, if you wanted to come along.”

She quickly agreed, pulling the door shut behind her as she joined him in the hall. An awkward silence hung between them as they headed back down the colonnade toward the temple entrance. Uncomfortable, Jasper fumbled for a conservation starter. “So…what were you reading? Anything good?”

To his surprise, the usually forward Djinn blushed, quickly averting her eyes. “Oh, it’s...nothing.”

“No, really,” he persisted. “I'm genuinely curious. I used to read all the time back when...where I came from," he corrected himself, "but nobody seems to read much around here.”

“It was just a romance,” she admitted. “I’m sure you’ve read much better books in the royal library.”

“Royal library?” he laughed. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

She smirked. “It’s not exactly a secret. One of our members saw you arrive in town with a member of the royal guard, then you requested entrance as a 'legacy.' Normally, the parentage of a legacy isn't a secret, but the Keeper wouldn't tell us, which really got the rumors mills started. It wasn't particularly difficult to put the pieces together.”

“Hmmh,” Jasper responded non-committally. “In truth, I wasn’t talking about the royal library. I’ve spent most of my life outside the province until recently.” He grinned. “So, a romance, huh? Tell me about it.”

As Jasper gently teased Laylah, he found himself questioning the image he had formed of her. Unless she was a consummate actress - one fit to grace the stage of the Oscars - her brazen overtures struck him as a rather clumsy facade hiding a surprisingly naive romantic. The Keeper had been correct, on one thing though - he had no doubt that she would fling herself into his arms if he asked. She did see him as a meal ticket, of sorts, but it was a ticket to fantasies of love, not wealth, that she sought, the sort of person who was in love with the idea of being in love.

He kept the questions casual as they relaxed in the springs. The water was amazing; suffused with some sort of sweet-smelling mineral, the spring was piping hot and exactly what his aching muscles needed. The company wasn’t bad either, he had to admit. Indeed, Jasper had to force himself to remember that he was here for a reason other than flirting with the perky brunette leaning against to him.

He felt a bit of guilt as he did it, but keeping his hands hidden beneath the waters, he cast one of his inquisitor spells. Scales of Justice.

“So, last night you mentioned something about the real brotherhood of the temple? What’s that?”

Laylah’s shoulders stiffened at the question, pulling away from him slightly.

“Oh, nothing really important. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it, but I....” She trailed off.

He persisted. “Come on - you can’t say something mysterious like that and just leave me hanging.”

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She hesitated a second longer, but he could already see it in her eyes. She was going to tell him.

“Well…I really don’t know that much about the brotherhood of Yas̆gah. I’m just an initiate,” she explained. “But the cult of Nahrēmah is just the first rung of the order, the part that deals with the temple visitors and pilgrims and such. But if you display sufficient devotion to the goddess, the brotherhood will eventually contact you and teach you her sacred rites. At least, that’s how it was for me.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You’re a true devotee? No offense, you just don’t seem quite as devoted to the battle-junkie scene as the rest of them.”

She blushed. “You’re right. I’m not really here for the battles,” she admitted. She twisted her hands nervously, refusing to meet his gaze.

He grabbed her hand gently. “So why are you here?”

She wilted. “I guess you were going to find out eventually.” She finally turned to face him, and he could see a few tears trickling down her cheek.

Jasper stared at her in confusion, no longer able to track what was going on. The spell told him that this was no act, that was she speaking the truth.

“The warriors worship Nahrēmah as nahrah-rēmah, the goddess of withered mercy, she who brings the final end to the world so that it might live again. But for women, Nahrēmah has another meaning. She is nahru-rēmu, the withered womb, who may become a nāru-rēmu, a river of mercy.”

Suddenly, it clicked into place for him. "Are you saying you can’t have children?” He asked, gently, not sure how to broach the sensitive topic.

She nodded bitterly. “My father was one of the merchants who ply Lake Yarhab and, from birth, I was engaged to the son of my father’s business partner. I grew up my whole life, knowing we were intended for each other, and when the day came, I thought it was the start of everything I had dreamed of. But then two years passed with no children. Healers and potions followed, but still the goddess didn't bless my womb until," she paused, struggling to finish. "I was set aside."

"I had to return to my father's house in shame. Eventually, I decided to join the temple in hopes that Nahru-rēmu would take pity on me, that she would heal me. I'm sure Qas̆tu would never take me back, but if I was healed, maybe somebody would want me.” She abruptly stood up, the water raining down from her curves like a storm cloud over the sea. “I'm sorry for trying to deceive you - I'll just leave. No one’s ever interested in me once they learn the truth.”

Jasper grabbed her arm. “Wait, you don't have to go.”

Laylah hesitated, looking down at him with a bitter smile. “Do you really wish me to believe you're still interested in me as a partner?" She scoffed, "Were you ever?”

Seeing the raw pain in her eyes, Jasper debated telling her the truth for a moment, but he couldn't bring himself to fully trust her. “Honestly, I don’t entirely know what I’m looking for. I was just hoping to learn more about my mother when I came here, but this place isn’t exactly what I expected.” He frowned. "What I want doesn't seem to matter much these days."

The moment of vulnerability was enough. Slowly, she sat back down, managing a weak smile. “I guess I can stay a bit. I still pray daily that the goddess will heal me,” she ended, unable to hide the hopeful look on her face.

She looked so dejected, Jasper found himself leaning over. “I’m sure you’ll find someone,” he assured her. “You’re a beautiful woman.” A second later, she latched onto him, her lips finding his with a passion fueled by desperation. His resistance melted immediately, his body betraying him as he kissed her back.

It didn’t take long for them to make it back to the temple, settling for the nearest empty room before succumbing to their desire.

When the fires of their passion were finally extinguished, they lay entwined together, exhausted and sweaty. The thick sandstone walls kept the worst of the day’s heat away as a warm breeze wafted through the small, barred window. He looked over at the beautiful woman laying next to him with a mixture of relief and regret. It had been a long time - since he had left earth, in fact - but he didn’t want to hurt her. He was barely in control of his life right now, and the relationship she was hoping for just wasn’t in the cards.

But as he lay there, his mind clearing from the fog of lust, the nagging little detail that had been lurking in the back of his mind the entire time Laylah told him her story finally came into focus. Thanks to the Scales of Justice, Jasper knew that she had told him nothing but the truth, yet everything she said clashed with what the Keeper had told him. Laylah was hardly a brazen hussy eager to trap him with a bastard - hell, she was only at the temple because she couldn’t have a child - so why had the old woman lied? Suspicion sprung up in his mind.

“Laylah, who recruited you to the brotherhood?”

The pretty Djinn gave him a pouty look, annoyed that he had returned to quizzing her about the secret cult, but she responded nonetheless. “The head of our temple, Lady Hayil, of course. Who else would recruit the faithful?”

Jasper shot up, grasping her hand. “You’re sure - the Keeper is the one who recruited you.”

She nodded, confused. “Yes - why?”

He sprang up from the bed, hopping on one foot as he struggled to pull on his pants. “Laylah, I can’t tell you the details of my mission, but I promise you - this brotherhood is dangerous. Yas̆gah is a dark goddess, not a hypostatization of Nahrēmah. Please, if you value your life, leave. I think the Keeper tried to kill me last night and she might just kill you.”

She started to object, and he grabbed her hand again, finally telling her the truth. “Look, I am not really here because of my mother. I’m here because the goddess herself asked me to investigate the brotherhood. I can’t give you the relationship you want, but I promise you, if you leave the temple, I will personally deliver your request to Kas̆dael. I’m sure she’ll at least hear me out.”

Her lips parted in shock, but she finally managed to nod. “You really will beseech the goddess for me?”

“I promise,” he assured her.

“Then I’ll go.”

Satisfied with her word, he released her hand, tugging on his shirt, before he ran out the door and down the hall. If the Keeper really was with the brotherhood, then Ihra might be in trouble.

And Laylah, for the first time in years, felt a flutter of hope stir within her.