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. “WhereisBrannal?”
“Summus is not presently in the castle,” the Queen said, unperturbedly. “We agreed to take care of this matter.”
Because Perian was amatter 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?Summuscouldn’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.”
Because they were the heirs to the throne, and they shouldn’t be consorting with a demon. What influence might people believe he wielded? What tricks would they presume he was playing, just the way that Cormal had, eternally convinced that Brannal couldn’t actually care for him, that it had all been Perian’swiles.
Perian was pretty sure he didn’t have wiles, but what did he know? He hadn’t even known that he was a carnalion. What if hecouldinfluence people? What if his desire for the other man had been so great that hehadconvinced him to want Perian back?
It might explain why they were separated now, why Brannal hadn’t come to support him through this.
Hadn’t even wanted to come say goodbye.
He swallowed, and in a small voice, he said, “I’d like to say goodbye to them.”
“We believe that the connection should be severed decisively,” the Queen told him.
Perian eyed Cormal’s resolute face. It had probably been his idea.
“They won’t understand,” Perian said carefully.
“They will be told that you wished to leave due to your failure to return Prince Kinan to his full form.”
Said with such graveness and disapproval, like Perian had failed to do something that was easy and obvious, as though he hadn’t managed to do something that no one else could even attempt.
He sucked in a breath.
The Queen continued. “They will be extremely busy, and we’re confident that within a short period of time, they will forget about this unfortunate connection.”
They were going to lie to Renny, Perian realized. They were going to do everything in their power to make her think that Perian wanted to leave, that he hadn’t cared to say goodbye to her.
They didn’t know her very well. She wasn’t going to believe them. Briefly, he thought about trying to explain that they were actually making this worse, but he could already see that it was useless. Their expressions were implacable, their belief absolute that if only they could get rid of Perian, things would go back to the way they had been—with the added bonus of everything that he’d fixed for them before they banished him.
