Page 60 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

“Wha—?” Molun said.

Perian plunked a kiss on the top of his head.

“Go back to sleep, you can have a few more minutes.”

Molun cuddled back into his pillow. “Oh, good.”

To the more awake Arvus, Perian said, “Super-secret stuff, I’ll see you later, all right?”

“Your arm,” Arvus pointed out.

“I will do it, promise,” Perian said hurriedly.

After he waylaid a certain redhead in the hallway, he amended to himself.

“Thanks again,” he said as he climbed out of the bed. “I really appreciate it. You two are the reason I actually got sleep this week.”

Herushed out of the room and headed to Brannal’s to do the bare minimum in terms of getting cleaned up and throwing on clean clothes. Then he rushed back out of the room and made his way over to the Warrior wing.

Nisal’s knowledge was as good as it always was, and Perian had not been long in the corridor before Chamis appeared. When the man spotted him, Perian actually saw the slight falter and what he was certain was the consideration of turning around again and just heading in the opposite direction.

Ouch.

“Good morning,” Perian said as cheerfully as he could. “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a couple of minutes.”

The other man looked resigned now, those bright green eyes shadowed. “Of course.”

Feeling so very accomplished, Perian headed to the training yard with a spring in his step.

He checked in with Onadal, who eyed Perian with sympathy.

“Looking forward to his coming home?” he asked.

“Soo much,” Perian said with a half laugh, dragging out the word. “And if I had my way, you wouldn’t see him for a week.”

Onadal smirked. “I know what you mean.”

Perian waggled his eyebrows. “Do you?”

And of course, Onadal just walked away. Perian shook his head with a grin and settled back down on the ground to watch everyone train.

As he watched, his mind drifted. There was still that itchy worry in the back of his brain that something might happen to Brannal, but he tried to push it away. He wondered, if he was able to defend himself better, might he be able to go next time? Brannal had explained that he and the other Mage Warriors were allowed to have guests at the castle and there were no costs for Perian, but Perian wasn’t sure that extended to him following after Brannal when he was actually patrolling.

For that matter, he wasn’t sure Brannal would like it, since Perian would unquestionably be in more danger on a patrol than at the castle. The only time people in the castle had been killed by demons was in the wraith attack six years ago. No one had ever figured out how the wraiths had gotten in, and Brannal had overhauled training and security afterwards when he became Summus, and the castle had been perfectly secure since then. Perian couldn’t bring any of that up, though, since the attack clearly still haunted Brannal.

But… maybe there were options. Perian was pretty sure he’d be less worried about anything happening if he was there and could actually see the man. Perian would keep an open mind, and hopefully, Brannal would, too. Of course, all of this depended on Brannal coming back, but there was no reason to imagine he might not. It wasn’t like he’d gone off to face the most dangerous beings in the country that regularly killed people.

Oh, wait.

“What’s with the long face? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so unimpressed with looking at so many muscles before.”

Perian looked up to find that Bennan was standing in front of him, looking down at him with concern.

Perian blew out a breath and summoned a smile. “Sorry. I was a million miles away.” He really obviously eyed the other man up and down and then attempted an overblown leer. “You’re looking good, as always.”

Bennan huffed a breath and sat down beside him. “Thanks, but that wasn’t your best effort.”

Perian sighed. “Just trying to convince myself not to panic about the possibility that something has happened and Brannal isn’t coming back.”

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