Luke and Jessia left us, conversing in a hushed whisper about whatever the Apostle of Secrets extracted from the Father.
"That went rather well," she remarked, gazing after the departing apostles.
I nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "I was afraid he'd say no."
"What?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "There's no way he could have done that. Not if he's serious about beating the church."
"No, didn't you hear him? He didn't want me to be with him," I said, staring at my feet. "I'm just too weak, and I can't--"
"Oh, Xiviyah," she chided, shaking her head, "Did you think he said that because he hated you? I think it's quite the opposite."
"But I--"
She reached over, cupping my cheek and raising my eyes to hers. "Look at the bigger picture. If Luke refused you, he wouldn't just be turning down the Oracle of Eternity but all of your allies as well. You know how driven he is, right? Do you think he'd turn down Fyren and my help just because he didn't like you?"
