Page 34 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong (Lost Arts #2)

But Molun was right; Perian needed to be fueled for what was to come tonight. He was trying to concentrate so hard on his food that he didn’t notice the swirl of sound that suddenly swept through the room until a voice at his elbow said, “Is there room for me?”

Perian sprang to his feet, awkward on the crowded bench. “Brannal!” he beamed. “There is absolutely room for you!”

This was more a wish than an actual statement of reality, because they had already been wedged in there pretty tight…

Perhaps Perian looked as wild-eyed as he felt, because Molun rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Arvus, I think I see some seats over there.”

“You are the best,” Perian told him. “I love you.”

There was another spike of sound, and Molun and Perian rolled their eyes in unison before Molun said, “We love you, too.”

And then he and Arvus went to sit at the end of another table, and there was room for Brannal to sit next to Perian without Perian needing to push someone off the bench.

Brannal settled in beside him.

“Is it easier to shove people off benches discreetly if you have control of air?” Perian wanted to know.

Brannal laughed. “I’m not sure that’s the right use of the word ‘ discreet.’”

“But look,” Perian pointed out. “It might have been you, it might have been Nisal, it might have been Molun or Rollanor. Whereas if I shoved people, they would probably notice.”

“I’m glad you figured that out, dear heart. Good job.”

Perian wrinkled his nose at Brannal, but the man just grinned at him. And Perian felt like melting into a ball of contentment, because Brannal had called him by an endearment, and now they were sitting side by side, close enough to touch.

“Ugh. You two are nauseating.”

Perian blinked. Cormal was across the table from them? What?

“How long have you been there?” he asked.

Cormal’s ears went red, and Perian winced a bit, because he honestly hadn’t meant that as an insult, he’d just kind of been… preoccupied.

Brannal stepped into the breach, saying, “Cormal and I reported to the Queen together. There was a great deal of information to share. We finished at the same time and realized there was still time to join everyone else for dinner.”

Perian nodded and waited to see if Cormal was going to say anything totally insulting. Perian kind of deserved something for sounding so rude, so he was determined to accept it, whatever it was.

But weirdly, Cormal held his tongue. Was he really hungry? Feeling all right? Had the week away actually done some good and given them metaphorical as well as physical distance from one another? Perian really hadn’t been trying to start something between them.

They spent a few minutes just eating their food, Onadal asking about the trip and Delana, Cormal, and Brannal variously filling him in about details of their journey which weren’t the sort that probably showed up in official reports but which made for good stories that everyone could hear at the dinner table.

Sly mention might have been made of Brannal’s desire to get back to the castle in a hurry.

“What can I say?” Brannal said with a shrug. “It felt particularly appealing for some reason.”

The warm look he gave Perian left no one in any doubt as to what that reason was.

Cormal spoke up from across the table. “Ah, yes, I do hear that many people seem to find that reason appealing. ”

Brannal stiffened, but Perian had kind of expected something like that, and honestly, he didn’t think it was the redhead’s best effort.

He just grinned at him. “Are you saying you think I’m appealing? That’s really nice of you, Secundus, thank you.”

There were a scattering of abortive laughs around the table, and Cormal’s ears went red again.

Well, Perian had never said he was going to be perfect . He could feel Brannal’s shoulders shake at his side, though a glance at him showed he’d mostly managed to get his expression under control.

“Some of us have refined tastes,” Cormal snapped.

It was clearly an insult, but he’d needed to say something to Perian’s jab.

Delana kindly took up the torch and used “refined tastes” to mention a bakery they’d come across that still didn’t quite rival the one here in the city but which had quite good pastries.

“Phew,” Perian said, wiping his brow with exaggerated relief. “Imagine how much harder it would be to get them for you if you decided those were the best ones.”

There was general laughter, and they managed to talk about other things that didn’t involve Perian at all, which was nice. Brannal didn’t venture much, mostly letting the others speak as he finished his meal, but he was still pressed up against Perian, and Perian relaxed into the touch.

Once Brannal had finished, they rose to their feet, perhaps a little more quickly than was strictly necessary, and it was really no surprise that someone commented on their desire to get away.

“Things to do,” Perian said cheerfully.

They didn’t make it very far, though, before Perian was suddenly surrounded in an embrace, and after a startled moment, he realized it was Bennan.

He was saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” and Chamis was standing off to the side looking shy but…

Oh, yes, Perian was sure things were better, quite apart from the gratitude.

Chamis still looked a bit uncomfortable, but something underlying that body language had shifted, something fundamental. He was happier, for certain.

Perian hugged him back. “I’m so glad it worked out.”

“I can never thank you enough. It means so much to me.”

Perian patted his back. “You’re very welcome. ”

He really didn’t seem like he was letting go anytime soon.

And then Brannal’s voice said, with more bite than Perian was used to, “Is there a particular reason you’re all over my lover?”

Silence rippled out around them to an almost absurd degree. Bennan let go of Perian, and he swallowed visibly. Perian kind of forgot, sometimes, that Brannal was Summus. Well, not really, but it wasn’t… a reality of his everyday life? He wasn’t faced with Summus very often, anyway.

Bennan looked a little disconcerted, but to give him his due, after that startled moment, he looked right at Brannal and said, “Because he is awesome, and I wanted to thank him for being that way.”

The room collectively held its breath, and Perian barely managed not to roll his eyes. He did look at Brannal with amusement, and he trusted the other man knew what he’d do to him if he ruined this friendship.

“Very well,” Brannal said. “Continue on.”

A brief roar of sound, before it got quieter again.

Bennan gave his trademark smile that was only a little bit shaky, darted in to hug Perian again but kept it brief this time, and pulled back to beam at him. “It really is so wonderful, thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” Perian told him again.

Bennan nodded at him, gave Brannal a very respectful nod, and then swept up Chamis and headed out of the room—probably as fast as he could to try to get away from the gossip.

Brannal shut it down with a sweep of his eyebrow.

(Well, they probably still talked when he wasn’t here, but it sure killed everything in the moment.)

Perian smirked. “Wow, people are… invested in this sort of thing, aren’t they?”

Brannal just shrugged, really not seeming perturbed, which was good, because Perian seemed to wind up in these sorts of situations a lot.

Curiously, Perian asked, “What did you all talk about before I got here?”

This made Brannal laugh. “You know, I haven’t the slightest idea. This is much more interesting.”

“And that’s a good thing?” Perian checked.

“Most definitely,” Brannal confirmed with a smile. “I wouldn’t change anything at all.”

Well, that was very clear, and Perian beamed with happiness .

He blamed that happiness for the fact that when they bunched up at the door with Cormal only a couple of people ahead of them, Perian actually spoke to him.

“Hey, Secundus.”

Cormal turned around and looked at him like he was just expecting the worst insult, and he would totally lob fireballs no matter how many people were in the way.

“I heard that you and Delana helped Brannal with a nest of wraiths and some lesser demons. I know you can all take care of yourselves, but I really appreciate that you were there and that you helped to keep him safe. So thank you.”

A look of surprise and an emotion Perian couldn’t quite identify crossed Cormal’s face before it went entirely neutral, and he offered a tight nod, and they were able to exit. Cormal went one way, and Perian and Brannal went the other.

Brannal cocked an eyebrow. “What was that?”

Perian shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious.

“I thanked Delana earlier. And then I realized that just because Cormal and I don’t really get along, it was kind of rude not to even consider thanking him as well.

He did the same as Delana—I mean, assuming he wasn’t out there ignoring you—and so I thought I should acknowledge that. ”

Brannal was smiling. “That’s very kind of you.”

Perian shrugged again. “Well, I mean, I’m still me. I’ll probably take a jab if it’s called for.”

Brannal’s smile broadened. “Yes, well, let’s not redesign the entire relationship in one fell swoop.”

Perian couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t like him.”

“I noticed.”

“But maybe he’s only mostly awful. If he protects you, he can’t be all bad.”

Brannal slung an arm over his shoulder, tugging him close, and they walked back to Brannal’s rooms in perfect harmony.