Page 34 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

Perian cursed and sprang to his feet.

“Wait, do I look like I was recently in a knife fight?”

They eyed him up and down. “No, it’s not so bad. Changing the shirt helped a lot. Grab a vest and coat, just in case. I’ll help you get them on.”

Perian did just that, and then Nisal handed him the blankets.

“Thanks again,” he told them. “I’m not sure how I could actually help, but if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

They smiled at him. “I will, thank you.”

And then they were going their separate ways, Nisal presumably off to wherever letters were dispatched, and Perian to the kitchen, where his hopes that maybe Renny wouldn’t have heard any of this steadily diminished, because Alona, the friendly kitchen staff person who almost always brought him the basket, did so today while also asking if he was all right, heart-shaped face twisted in a look of concern. Since Nisal had told him he looked all right, he was pretty sure this meant the rumor mill was working overtime.

“I’m fine, thank you. I’ve been to the doctor, she’s stitched me up, and I should be good as new ina few days.”

Or weeks.

“I’m glad,” Alona said as she held out the basket, her brown eyes still scanning him carefully.

He switched the blankets to his left arm and took the heavy basket in his right.

Perian smiled at her. “Thank you.”

Out in the garden, he didn’t recognize either of the Mage Warriors, but they eyed him with that “checking for injuries” look that told him they’d heard what had happened too.Fire and water.

Perian passed between the bushes and found that Renny was standing there with her hands already on her hips, just waiting for him.

Chapter Seven

Hey,” he said, a little bit weakly. “How are you?”

“Better now that I know you’re not dead!” she snapped and threw herself at him.

He dropped the blanket and managed to awkwardly catch her against him. He patted her with his left hand, but he was doing it gently, so it wasn’t so bad. He was still holding the basket with his right and didn’t really want to drop all their food.

Renny pulled back suddenly. “Wait, am I hurting you? Kee says it’s your left arm that’s hurt.”

He eyed the empty space.

“I haven’t even moved yet. How can you tell?”

Renny tilted her head. “You wouldn’t be holding the picnic basket with your right hand if it were the injured one. And the bandage makes your arm look a bit thicker on the left.” She eyed it. “Oh, yeah, I can see that now.”

Perian huffed a laugh. “I’m going to need more help than normal to get the blanketslaid out.”

He set the basket down and they managed it just fine, though Renny scolded him any time he tried to use his left arm for anything.

“Honestly, it’s not that bad,” he tried to assure her.

“Were you or were you not bleeding all over the place?”

“Well, noteverywhere,” Perian protested.

She looked unimpressed. “And did you or did you not have to go see the doctor because the wound was so bad?”

Perian opened his mouth to protest this but couldn’t honestly do it.Hit bone,the doctor had said. Needed twelve stitches and to be checked for days. Perian doubted he could just have gone back to Brannal’s rooms and slapped on a bandage. He closed his mouth again.

Renny gave a decisive little nod. “That’s what I thought. Fomadin is not a Warrior anymore, and he’s been banned from the castle and the city.”

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