Page 52 of The Lost Art of Revealing Hidden Truths (The Lost Arts #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

P erian woke up. This seemed to happen a lot these days, where he woke and then wasn’t sure where he was or why he felt the way he did.

After considering for a long moment, he decided that he felt…

pretty good, all things considered. A bit achy, but not as…

as empty as he would have expected. He was pretty sure that it could have been much, much worse.

There was a faint taste in his mouth that told him he’d probably been on the receiving end of one of the doctor’s tonics.

There was water beside him, which was great, because his throat was dry. He managed to reach for it and not spill it as he tried to gulp it down. Only once he’d drunk some of it did he realize he wasn’t in a cell anymore.

It wasn’t a room he recognized—it was much smaller than Brannal’s room—but it was a proper room with a bed. The room was made of stone, and it felt like the castle.

That… could have been much worse.

He drank more of the water.

He lay back in the bed.

He lay there and contemplated the shape of the world and how everything that you thought you knew could change in the blink of an eye when you least expected it.

He was still lying there when there was a brisk knock at the door, and it opened to reveal Cormal, who stepped inside. It wasn’t quite like waiting for someone to answer and actually tell you to come in, but it was a step up from prison.

“You’re awake,” Cormal said.

“I am,” Perian agreed.

“The Queen would like to see you.”

“Of course.”

Perian was dressed in sleep trousers.

Cormal pointed out where clothes had been set out for him and then half turned so that he wouldn’t be looking directly at Perian as he changed.

He levered himself up from the bed, sat there for a moment to make sure that everything still seemed to be working, and then carefully rose to his feet. But he felt… pretty well, truly. Still… slightly off, but maybe that was to be expected.

“Are Renny and Kee all right?” he demanded as he pulled on his shirt.

“The Queen wishes to speak to you,” Cormal repeated.

“Cormal,” Perian said, then amended, pleading, “Secundus. Please .”

The redhead let out a sigh like Perian was the biggest pain that had ever pained him, but allowed, “They are… as well as can be expected.”

That was… not exactly the answer Perian was looking for, but one glance at Cormal’s stubborn face, even mostly turned away, told him he wasn’t going to get more information.

Still, he didn’t think Cormal would lie to him—not about this.

If Perian had hurt Renny or Kee, then Cormal would be shoving it in his face right now.

(Or, more likely, Perian wouldn’t have woken up at all.)

He pulled on his trousers.

“How long has it been?” he asked.

“A few days,” Cormal said, like he couldn’t be bothered to keep track.

Perian suppressed a sigh and sat down on the side of the bed and pulled on his boots. Then he rose to his feet, smoothing out his clothes and running a hand through his hair.

“I’m ready,” he said.

Cormal led Perian out into the hall, where two Mage Warriors were at the door along with two Warriors.

Again. Perian didn’t say anything, just let them escort him to the Queen, a silent phalanx of confusion and fear—and that hum of desire that didn’t seem to go away completely, even when you knew that the person you were guarding was a carnalion.

Perian had to assume that carnalions were built this way, meant to attract even if you knew it wasn’t a great idea to be attracted.

He was brought to an area of the royal wing he’d never seen before.

Perian stood waiting with his escorts while Cormal entered the room, presumably to let the Queen know they were here.

They waited for what felt like a very long time, and Perian had to resist the urge to fidget.

He didn’t want anyone to overreact. Besides, it probably wasn’t more than a few minutes before he was led inside.

And then, to Perian’s surprise, his escort was dismissed, until it was just the Queen, Cormal, and Perian in the room.

This was nothing like the Queen’s study. It was sparser and more formal, with something that looked more like a throne for the Queen. This seemed more like a room where she could intimidate people.

Perian swallowed and bowed to the Queen as she sat on that throne on a dais that made her level with Perian even though he was still standing.

Cormal was halfway between the two of them, clearly ranged with the Queen and keeping a close eye on Perian. Perian could have told him that he could pull desire from either of them anywhere in this room, but he didn’t suppose that would help the conversation any.

“Are Renny and Kee all right, Your Majesty?” Perian asked the Queen, who was staring at him like he was a particularly large problem that she needed to solve. “Cormal said they were as well as could be expected. What does that mean?”

“Princess Larenia appears to have regained full health,” the Queen informed him, making Perian waver for a moment in pure, heady relief. “She’s been full of energy and a desire to try everything that has previously been denied her.”

Perian smiled at the image. The Queen did not smile back.

“Prince Kinan,” the Queen pronounced, “is visible. We can all see and hear him. But he is still intangible.”

“Oh, no!” Perian exclaimed.

While that was a vast improvement, it wasn’t at all what Perian had been trying so hard for. He opened his mouth to offer to try again, but the Queen spoke first.

“It is clear that you have reached the limits of your usefulness. ”

Perian froze. He felt a trickle of fear down his spine, but it was a fear that had been there since the moment Cormal had called him a carnalion.

Perian swallowed. “Are you going to kill me, Your Majesty?”

Cormal said, “You’re a danger to the country. You’ve killed a man.”

Perian clenched his jaw. “I’ve never been a danger to the country. I’ve only tried to help people.”

“People have died.”

“A convicted felon who somehow escaped his prison sentence tried to assault me and then kill me!” Perian snapped. “I’m sorry someone died, but I can’t be sorry that I tried to save myself and that I stopped him!”

“But you didn’t simply stop him, did you?” Cormal asked. “You fed on him, as a carnalion would.”

Perian sucked in a deep breath. “I was half naked and restrained in metal shackles to the bed. I did the only thing I could think of.”

“But no one else has that resource available to them, do they?” Cormal asked.

It always came back to that. Perian squared his shoulders, faced the Queen, and repeated his question.

“Are you going to have me killed, Your Majesty?”

She stared at him with an expression that he couldn’t decipher.

“It would seem the simpler solution,” she said, “best judged to ensure the safety of the country.”

Perian’s hands were cold and sweaty. “Do you really think so?”

“All demons should be destroyed,” Cormal said flatly.

Perian shot him a look. “Even thinking, feeling, reasoning ones that have never harmed anyone? Even ones that are best friends with Renny?”

“Was that your plan?” the Queen asked. “To become invaluable?”

Perian sighed. “There was no plan. There never has been. I genuinely care for Renny, and that’s why I helped her and Kee. I’m sorry that I couldn’t do more.”

The Queen continued to stare at him for a long, long moment, as though she could see right into his heart, and maybe she could. But Perian wasn’t sure that she was actually looking .

“You have performed a service for us,” the Queen said. “Our son is partially returned, and our daughter’s health restored.”

Perian gave a stilted nod.

“You agree that it is best you not remain in the castle.”

“I don’t imagine I am being given a choice, Your Majesty.”

“You’re a carnalion!” Cormal hissed. “You should be nowhere near the castle! The very idea of a carnalion with Summus is absurd! It is an insult to the very foundation of Mage Warriors! Why would anyone trust us or take us seriously?”

And that was the heart of the matter, wasn’t it? He swallowed. “Where is Brannal?”

“Summus is not presently in the castle,” the Queen said, unperturbedly. “We agreed to take care of this matter.”

Because Perian was a matter that needed to be resolved .

Had Brannal been asked to leave? Had he chosen to leave so he wouldn’t have to be involved in this decision?

Because it would make sense, wouldn’t it?

Summus couldn’t be involved in this decision.

Perian had always known how important being Summus was to Brannal.

It still hurt more than he expected, that the man hadn’t been able to come for this, but maybe that would have just made it worse.

“So I’m not welcome in the castle,” Perian said, the words sharp and painful in his mouth.

“You are banished from the castle and the city,” the Queen pronounced.

Right. That was extremely clear. Because after doing everything in his power to save Renny and Kee, obviously he deserved the same fate as someone who had attacked him with a knife unprovoked.

“We understand you have an estate,” the Queen said. “You would do well to remain on it.”

Oh. This was more than simple banishment.

Cormal continued, “If we hear any hint of trouble, if the Mage Warriors or Warriors run into you…”

So it was house arrest with the constant threat of being killed on sight. But Perian could see it in the man’s eyes, how much he would prefer to simply kill Perian right now. Perian was pretty sure it was only her children that were staying the Queen’s hand.

“May I see Renny and Kee before I go?”

“The Prince and Princess are very busy,” the Queen said quellingly. “And this association is not in their best interest. ”