Page 104 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

Yeah, Perian had suspected the Queen must have been involved in at least some of the words from yesterday. He didn’t think Brannal would have been quite so ruffled if it was just a discussion between him and his Secundus. Although maybe if said Secundus wanted to be Summus, it was always awkward when he called you out for anything?

Just when Perian had thought maybe things were going well, this happened, and Perian wasn’t totally convinced it was accidental. After all, Molun was Tertius, and he’d been present throughout the ride, but it was clear he hadn’t been consulted.

But that was Brannal’s problem to deal with today.

“Are you going to spend the whole day yelling at Cormal?” Perian asked with would-be innocence.

Brannal rolled his eyes, but he looked amused. “After I straighten out what happened yesterday, it will be more of the usual: reports, checking in on training, making sure that everything is running the way it’s supposed to.”

“A Summus’s job is never done.”

Brannal’s eyes shadowed. “No, I don’t suppose it is.”

Perian reached across the table and clasped his hands. “That wasn’t an attack. I mean you’re busy and important.”

Brannal huffed a laugh. “Thank you. But as you’ve observed before, all jobs are important. And maybe it’s a little too easy sometimes to get lost in those details. Everyone matters. There was another Summus before me, and there will be another one after me. I’m just a person, like anyone else.”

“A wonderful person,” Perian toldhim.

“One who still has plenty to learn.”

It must be a lot of pressure, Perian realized suddenly, to be someone everyone looks up to.

“I think you can be a very positive example for everyone to look up to and still be human,” Perian pointed out. “Teach everyone that you can stumble but still recover.”

Brannal looked at first like he wanted to protest, but then he nodded. “You’re probably right, but I don’t like the idea of messing up.” He sighed. “People can die when that happens.”

Oh. Of course.

Perian came round the table and wrapped his arms around him, and Brannal buried his face in Perian’s stomach.

“You’re an excellent Summus, Brannal. And you’re figuring out how to be a pretty decent partner, too.”

Brannal snorted, but Perian could hear the smile in his voice. “Thank you for that overwhelming praise.”

Perian leaned down and pressed a kiss to Brannal’s head.

“I’m so glad to have met you. I’m so glad you cared about a random stranger on a random street one night. That’s the kind of person you are, Brannal. Don’t forget it.”

Brannal clung to him for a moment and then let go, and Perian returned to his side of the table.

Brannal sniffed and went for his tea. He took a long drink of it.

“I’m not entirely certain how I’m supposed to face the morning now.”

“With grace and maybe a little bit of yelling?” Perian suggested.

Brannal’s face relaxed into a grin. “If a little bit of yelling is called for.”

Defense was a little tenser than usual, with even more looks at Perian than he usually got, telling him the rumor mill was in full swing. But since even Fomadin’s group offriends didn’t do more than mutter a bit louder than normal, he ignored it all and tried to concentrate on his training.

At lunch, he learned that Brannal had gone directly to Renny to get the actual details of what had transpired yesterday. Molun was there, too. Renny cheerfully relayed to Perian how she hadrazedthe objectors in the meeting,shatteredCormal’s theories, andlovedPerian.

“Did you actually tell them you loved me?” he asked. “Because we both know what you mean, but the next thing we know, Cormal is going to suggest I have designs on you or something.”

She made a disgusted face, and he laughed.

“I was yourchampion,” she corrected with dignity.

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