Perian elbowed Brannal in the ribs. “Ha! I told you he had feelings for you.”
Kinan stiffened, but Cormal only smirked, appreciating the moment of levity. Brannal didn’t look particularly amused.
Making himself continue, Cormal admitted, “I’ve known for years that you didn’t feel that way about me, but maybe part of me just kept hoping. It was an easy pattern to stay in, anyway, because you weren’t interested in anyone else… until you suddenly were.”
Perian said, “And itwassudden, wasn’t it? It took you by surprise.”
Cormal nodded. “And as soon as I could assign another reason to it? I latched right on.”
Perian was nodding. “I do remember, actually, how worried you sounded in the corridor. I was so confused.”
Cormal nodded, pressed his lips together for a moment, and then made himself speak. “Itrulythought you were going to feed on an injured man. That Brannal was in danger. And I couldn’t let that happen.”
“Again,” Perian said, eyes suddenly intent. “That’s what you said, isn’t it? You wouldn’t let it happenagain.”
Cormal stiffened. Nodded. This was not, at all, a secret that he’d intended to reveal, but maybe they couldn’t understand unless he told them the whole truth. And maybe he was tired of carrying this burden.
His chest ached. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “So many people died in the last demon attack—”
Brannal exploded to his feet, and wind gusted around the room. “Perian isnota demon!”
Perian rose much more calmly and laid a restraining hand on Brannal’s arm. “That’s not strictly accurate, is it?”
Brannal’s expression was still angry. “You know what he meant.”
Sternly, Perian said, “I know he’s talking about an attackby demonsthat killed a lot of people. Are you going to sit down, or am I going to have to make you sit down?”
Cormal watched in fascination as Brannal huffed but then sat down. Perian did as well.
It was Kinan who said, “How much sex does this ‘making’ typically take?”
Perian shot him a gleeful look, and Kinan laughed. The tension in the room went down a little bit, and Cormal was absurdly grateful.
But he was just putting off the inevitable.
Swallowing thickly, Cormal made himself face Brannal squarely. “Brannal, I lied to you. I lied to you for years. I lied to everyone.” He glanced at Kinan. “I lied to you, too. I’m so sorry.”
Kinan looked concerned. “What are you talking about?”
Cormal made himself look at Brannal again. “Every time I told you I had no idea how those wraiths could have gotten into the castle.”
Brannal went rigid across the room, and out of his peripheral vision, Cormal could see Kinan stiffen at his side.
“Cormal.” Brannal’s voice wasterrible. “Are you saying that you—”
He frantically shook his head. The words stuck in his throat, but he forced them out, though they were barely a whisper. “Not me.”
He and Brannal were locked in a staring battle for a long, infinite moment.
“Yourfather?” Brannal breathed, sounding stunned.
Cormal nodded, releasing a breath that felt as though it had been trapped in his lungs for years. “A couple days before Kinan’s party, I was looking for my father. I don’t even remember why anymore. He wasn’t in his rooms or his office, so I kept searching. You know how he had workshops for his ‘experiments’ down in the lower levels of the castle. I found him there, and I caught… just a glimpse. I could barely believe it. And he was so angry. He said it was Summus business, that it was perfectly safe because he had everything under control. It was to help the king, and I’d better not breathe a word of it to anyone. And Ididn’t.” He gritted the words out, hating himself. “I saidnothing. I know I should never have listened to him regardless, but I swear I didn’t know there were so many.” He realized his hands were clenched into fists, and he made himself release them, his fingers aching. “And then, of course, it was too late.”
“You could have said afterwards,” Brannal snapped.
Cormal nodded. “I should have. But I was a coward. He’d been Summus forthirtyyears, and everyone admired him. And now he was dead. Was my last act towards my father going to be to reveal that it was all his fault?” Cormal grimaced. “I should have. I know I should have. But I didn’t for one day. And then two. And then it was a week. A month. A year.”
Brannal was staring at him like he could see all the way inside of Cormal and found him desperately wanting. “I spent a year hunting for how those wraiths got in.”
