Page 88 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

Molun and Arvus exchanged glances.

“Now I just feel like you’re building it up so much that nothing is going to compare,” Molun told him.

“Nope, nope, it really is that good!” Perian said cheerfully, convinced they would be as impressed as he and Brannal had been.

As they reached the entrance to Brannal’s rooms, he told them to cover their eyes.

Molun was now eying him suspiciously. “Am I going to get a bucket of water dumped on me? Because I seem to remember a prank starting like this, and I’m not going to fall for it a second time.”

Perian laughed merrily. “Oh, did someone decide to get you back?”

“Someone absolutely did,” Arvus informed him.

Molun pouted. “But it’s myelement. And people look soprettywhen they’re wet.”

Perian grinned. “You have a point there, but as someone who’s been doused before, it’s not always the most pleasant of sensations. Do you think you could switch towarmwater?”

Molun spluttered about how the temperature of the water was entirely arbitrary, and did helooklike he controlled fire?

“Wait,” Perian said, distracted. “Does that mean Brannal could conjure warm water?”

Molun’s head tilted. “Actually, I don’t know. I feel like he might just conjure a lot of steam, to be honest.”

Perian hummed a noise. “Well,thatsounds promising.”

“Hold on,” Arvus sternly. “I can see your mind going to the gutter as we watch. Keep in mind that a steam room might be fun, but steam can actually be extremely dangerous and burn you. Brannal might be one of the only people who could do this,and that probably means it hasn’t been studied much. Don’t go getting ideas that are going to wind up with a visit to the doctor again.”

Perian made a face. “Oh, yes, that makes total sense. Don’t worry. Brannal is way more sensible than me.” He suddenly remembered what they were actually doing. “Hey! No more distractions. I swear this is not for a bucket of water, though I will keep that in mind for the future. Both of you close your eyes—and then cover them with your hands, because I don’t trust some of you not to peek.”

“Hey!” Molun protested.

“I will guide you to where I want you to stand. I won’t let you bump into anything, and it’s not a prank, I swear. I just want you to have the full effect, all right?”

Molun grumbled, but they both covered their eyes, and Perian opened the door and then guided first Arvus and then Molun into the room, because he definitely didn’t trust Molun on his own in front of the fireplace while he went to get Arvus.

Once they were both standing there, he let the tension build for a moment before he said, “All right, open them!”

They let their hands fall and opened their eyes, blinked for a moment, and then both saw the carving.

Molun’s mouth actually fell open, and Arvus’s eyes widened.

“Wow,” Molun breathed.

They both stepped closer, and Perian beamed as they examined it.

“Chamismadeit,” he gushed. “And he gave it to me as a thank you for helping him and Bennan get together. Have you ever seen anything so amazing? I just couldn’t believe the detail and how he was able to capture Brannal and the elements and make everything look soalive.”

“It really is amazing,” Arvus agreed, staring at it. “You’re right, it’s like everything is one second away from moving, and if you glanced away, it would be in motion…”

“Exactly!” Perian exclaimed. “It’s like he managed to capture a tiny piece of Brannal and reconstruct it here. I just love looking at it. I mean, the real thing is better, but this is a close second.”

Molun snorted with laughter. “Oh, have you told Brannal that? I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear he ranks a bit above this statue.”

Perian nudged him. “That is not what I meant!”

But they all giggled and continued to admire the carving.

A few days later, Arvus tugged him aside in one of those rare moments where he wasn’t with Molun and asked if he thought Chamis would take a commission.

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