Page 40 of The Lost Art of Revealing Hidden Truths (The Lost Arts #3)

“Well,” Perian acknowledged, “I would definitely approach with caution before you decide that it means that you’re best friends for life or anything.

I did promise to feed him all the apples and carrots in the entire castle, so if you help with that, it could go a long way towards making things more cordial. ”

Molun grinned. “I can definitely help with that.”

Perian nodded. He had no idea how long it would take Molun to recover, but Perian hadn’t given a time frame on that apple and carrot extravaganza. Perian would make sure to get started soon, and Molun could always join in later.

He swallowed and went on to explain how once they were back, the doctor had taken over and done such a fabulous job with the sewing and the cleaning and just… putting everything back together, including the bone.

Molun laughed and then groaned a little. “Yeah, it feels broken.”

Perian explained, “And I promised I wouldn’t leave you until you were better, so then the doctor got me cleaned up and put me in bed with you, which I hope is all right.”

Molun laced his fingers with Perian’s. “Of course, it’s all right.”

He bit his lip. “And we might have jerked off a few times just because that makes everyone feel better.”

Molun huffed a laugh. “That is totally fine, though I’m sad I missed it.”

“I might have mentioned a few times that I was sure Arvus would take care of you once you woke up. ”

They were all laughing now.

“When it won’t hurt you, baby, I promise to follow through on all the promises that Perian apparently made on my behalf,” Arvus agreed.

Perian sniffed. “Just that you’d give him lots of sex and take such good care of the wound, put salve on it and bandage it, and cuddle him and love him so, so much.”

Now Arvus’s eyes were suspiciously bright. “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”

“Do you want to head back to our room for a little while?” Brannal asked. “Maybe have a bath?”

“Oh, is it me that smells?” Perian asked, staring down at himself. “I wasn’t going to say anything. I thought it was Molun.”

Laughing softly, Arvus said, “You’re both a little rank, if you want the truth, but we love you anyway. You’ve been in this bed for days.”

Perian had no sense of time, just those brief moments of waking and clinging. The idea of leaving Molun had been impossible at that point; he’d just… known he had to be here.

But Molun was on the mend now, and he might appreciate some time with Arvus. Perian should really not invade their privacy.

“A bath sounds like a great idea,” he conceded.

Molun groaned. “Yes, it does.”

“No bath for you,” Arvus argued immediately. Then he winked. “But I’ll clean you up, promise.”

Molun’s eyes sparked, and arousal rippled through the air, heady and decadent.

Yeah, Perian could definitely give these two some alone time. A lot had happened, and they needed to connect again.

“Let’s go,” Perian told Brannal.

He shouldn’t have been surprised but was when Brannal swept him up so that his feet didn’t even touch the ground.

“You’re not to even try using your magic until you’re further recovered,” Brannal admonished Molun, somehow managing to look every inch Summus despite carrying Perian. Perian stared happily at his arms and chest.

“I—” Molun started.

“Don’t even think about it,” Brannal said sternly. “Arvus can get water the old-fashioned way, or I can stop by later, and we can manage something that won’t get your leg wet or involve much movement, all right?”

“ Fine ,” Molun said, pouting. “I was going to agree with you.”

Brannal’s expression softened. “Sorry. I think overprotective mode has been thoroughly engaged. I’m so glad you’re all right, Molun.”

Molun’s expression softened. “Me, too. Thank you, Perian. Thank you, everyone. I’m sure that I will thoroughly annoy everyone before I can get out of this bed.”

They all laughed, and then Brannal carried Perian to their room and ran him a bath.

He stripped them out of their clothes and then scooped Perian up again and settled them in the bath together.

They were soon arranged in Perian’s favorite position, and he leaned happily back against the other man, who wrapped his arms around Perian.

“I’m so sorry,” Brannal said.

“What are you sorry for?” Perian asked, confused.

He thought Brannal had been kind of great this whole time.

He’d supported Perian in his need to sleep in Molun’s bed, not seeming to find it weird the way other people did.

He’d cuddled up to Perian so that he felt warm and cozy.

And he’d even managed to get some sexual release in there, which was guaranteed to put people in a better mood.

Brannal’s voice practically vibrated with self-loathing. “If I hadn’t set up that training exercise—”

“Whoa, no, hey,” Perian protested immediately. “Don’t even start with that. Or are you going to blame me for suggesting that we go out there to begin with?”

“No, of course not.”

“Prince Horsey for remembering how to get there? The Prince for finding the spot to begin with? Nature for creating it?”

“Don’t be absurd,” Brannal said.

“Right back at you,” Perian shot back.

Brannal let out a huff of breath that ruffled Perian’s hair.

In a low voice, he admitted, “I can’t help but think that the worst could have happened.”

Perian had done his level best to push the worst out of his mind ever since the attack. But it had always been looming there in the background.

“I think that’s perfectly natural. You must have had close calls before,” Perian said .

Brannal blew out a loud breath. “People have been injured, of course. We have an excellent team, but no one can anticipate everything.”

They’d been surprised. If Molun had been able to use water or wind to begin with, or a shield, he could no doubt have driven them away without being injured.

“The demons were so fast,” Perian said softly.

“No matter how attentive people are, they’re not infallible or invincible.

We were thinking about getting the ribbon back to the camp fire.

Maybe if we’d all been together, you could have reacted instantly and thrown up a shield.

Or maybe, if we’d all been there together, we would all have been taken by surprise. Maybe more of us would have been hurt.”

“Maybe you would have been hurt.”

His voice vibrated with distress, and Perian belatedly realized where some of Brannal’s emotions were coming from.

Perian had pushed almost everything out of his mind, because all he could concentrate on was what Molun needed.

He’d known in the back of his mind that Brannal was still out there, but he’d been as confident as he could be in Brannal’s ability to defend himself.

Brannal hadn’t had the same assurance when it came to Perian.

So Perian admitted, “You’re right, I could have been. There’s always the chance that something could happen to either one of us. I think you always worry about the people you care about, and the only way to stop doing that is to stop caring. I don’t want to do that.”

Brannal’s arms tightened around him, holding him even closer, like he could encase Perian entirely and keep him safe.

“I don’t want to do that, either.”

“We’re all right,” Perian repeated. “Molun will heal.”

He could feel Brannal swallow. “The doctor said it’s astonishing that you got him back to the castle in time.”

“I wasn’t going to let him die,” Perian scoffed, as if the power of his belief could actually change the outcome of someone’s injury.

Brannal pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “And I love you for that.” Then his voice changed. “And I would love you ever so slightly more if you were clean.”

This made Perian burst into giggles. He didn’t want to think about how gross his hair probably was. Someone had got him clean er before he was bundled into bed with Molun, but it hadn’t been a bath.

“Yes, let’s fix that,” Perian agreed.