“They’re really like this all the time, aren’t they?” Delana said, eyebrows raised. “I thought it was maybe just when I saw them.”
Nisal shook their head. “Oh, no, it’s all the time.”
“Well, really—” Perian protested. He frowned. “I mean, itisall the time, I’m not disputing that, but you only see us when you see us, so you can’t actually know that it’s all the time just because you’re also seeing us now.”
“It’s the different setting,” Delana explained. “I thought I might see a different side of you.”
Perian eyed her. “It’s a beautiful, mostly-secluded area by a lake with trees, a beach, and a fire. Of course, we’re going to have sex. Lots of it.”
She considered this, then said, “Yeah, all right, I rescind the comment. Is there any scenario where youwouldn’thave sex?”
“Hmm,” Perian said, thinking about this.
“Is this really what we want to be talking about right now?” Brannal asked withan eye roll.
Perian said, “I assume we can discount all of the usual ones: in front of children, the Queen, or anyone who really doesn’t want us to have sex in front of them, or a large group of people where the interest is unclear. Apart from that… not a lot of occasions are coming to mind, especially if they’re occasions where the two of us are alone or one of us is looking particularly sexy—and since Brannal looks particularly sexyall the time, that kind of answers that question, right?”
Delana was laughing. “Yes, that answers that question.”
“You know,” Brannal said, though his lips were twitching up at the corners, “you don’t actually have to answer every question that’s asked of you.”
“But what if it kept Delana up at night because it was an unanswered question, and then that led to a terrible sleep disorder, and then she couldn’t be a Mage Warrior anymore?” Perian demanded.
“That escalated quickly,” Molun observed, sounding impressed.
Brannal was eyeballing him. “So… you are, in fact, preserving the sanctity of the Mage Warrior duty by answering questions about our sex life?”
Perian smacked a kiss onto his lips. “Now you’re getting it.”
Everyone laughed, and Brannal wrapped an arm around Perian’s waist and tugged him closer, clearly not actually perturbed. This was a group of Mage Warriors he was close to, and he seemed willing to be a little more casual with them. Perian would have answered a little bit differently in front of another group.
Probably.
They dipped into the provisions from the castle for lunch. Perian was delighted with the fact that they were being fed the entire trip, since they were just staying overnight. Hunting was not a skill he’d acquired.
Brannal really did want them to do the training, though, and while Molun and Perian had succeeded in delaying them a little, it was early afternoon when they actually got some work done.
Molun was still complaining.
“If we get it over with, then we can do fun things afterwards,” Arvus pointed out.
“What sort of fun things?” Molun wanted to know. “Do we get to have sex in the forest like Perian and Brannal?”
Arvus regarded him with amusement. “Would you like to?”
Molun nodded hopefully.
“Then we can certainly do that,” Arvus agreed.
Molun cheered and clapped his hands.
“After training,” Brannal said flatly.
Molun was back to pouting.
Nisal and Delana exchanged glances. “Do you feel a bit like the odd ones out?”
Nisal nodded. “No offense, but I don’t want to have sex with you in the forest.”
