Perian nodded, remembering that all-encompassing wall of heat, impossible to get away from, the smoke flooding the room. He coughed reflexively.
“There’s water,” Brannal said, gesturing.
Perian saw it now, and he reached for the flagon and poured the water into the cup set beside it. His hands were shaking, and he had to use both of them to get the cup to his mouth. He managed to swallow a few mouthfuls, coating his throat, making it a little bit easier to breathe.
“You’re not going to let me out, are you,” Perian said.
It wasn’t really a question. Brannal was looking at him from the other side of bars. He’d rescued Perian, but this was… definitely not a reunion.
Brannal’s face was pained. “Cormal has told everyone that you’re a carnalion.”
“I see.”
He was pleased by how evenly his voice came out. There wasn’t really anything to be said to that, was there?
Because they were Mage Warriors, just like Cormal had been yelling, and there was one thing that Mage Warriors did with demons.
“I’ll speak to the Queen,” Brannal told him.
Perian nodded, because what else could he do? He could only imagine how the Queen was going to react. A carnalion, who had been spending time with her daughter? He could probably count his remaining days on one hand. Maybe it would have been kinder if Brannal had just left the fire to finish its work.
Brannal whirled on Cormal.
“Ifanythinghappens to him while I’m gone,youwill pay for it!”
Cormal’s face was tight with anger, but he gave a stilted nod.
Brannal hurried off, and Cormal glared at Perian, but thankfully, he didn’t actually say anything. He stepped back, as far from Perian as he could get, crossed his arms, and continued to scowl.
Perian was locked in a dungeon, and Cormal didn’t desire him. What would be the point in even trying? He cuddled deeper into his blankets, closing his eyes because the darkness behind his eyelids was at least a little bit better than thealternative.
Cormal had told everyone he was a carnalion, and not only was life as Perian knew it over, it was possible that his life was over, period. He also couldn’t get warm, and he was afraid that he knew why that was now, and why no blanket in the world would help. He pulled them closer around him anyway, tried to curl up in them, tried to tell himself that it was fine.
It was definitely, positively, beyond a shadow of a doubtnot fine.
It took a long time before he fell asleep.
He woke, once again, to the sound of yelling.
But this time, it was Renny.
“I want to see him! I don’t care! I hate you! Get out of my way! I’m the Princess!”
“It’s dangerous! You can’t go near it!” Cormal argued.
“Get out of my way! I’ll haveyoulocked in the dungeon!”
There was the sound of a pained grunt, and then little feet running, and Perian opened his eyes to find that Renny was standing in front of him, gripping the bars and staring at him with a tear-streaked face.
“Perian!” she cried. “Oh, Perian, I’m so sorry. I’ll make mother let you out, I promise I will!”
“It’s all right, Renny,” Perian told her. “I’m all right.”
She scoffed at him, and yeah, all right, that hadn’t been his best effort.
Cormal was suddenly standing with Renny, trying to pull her away with one hand, a fireball in the other.
“Leave her alone!” Cormal yelled.
