“You really are such an asshole,” Brannal told him.
Cormal pressed his lips together unsteadily, nodding again.
Brannal let out a big huff of breath and stood up. “Come here.”
Cormal rose, not entirely certain if he was about to get punched—and then actually reeling when he was instead pulled into Brannal’s arms. He let out something that was definitely a sob and clutched at the man.
“I can’t forgive you, not yet,” Brannal said quietly. “Maybe not ever, not for what you did to Perian. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to completely trust you again. And if you harm him, you will not survive, do you understand?”
Cormal nodded, voice muffled against Brannal’s chest. “I understand.”
Brannal exhaled sharply. “If you continue to do better, I’ll… work on it, all right?”
Cormal nodded once more, pressing his face tighter into the man’s chest, clutching harder, like he was worried Brannal would suddenly take it back.
“I come bearing gifts!” Perian’s cheerful voice sounded from the doorway.
Cormal reluctantly detached himself from Brannal, then had to dig out a handkerchief and clean off his face, because he was a total mess. Again.
Perian had come with a loaded tray, and he set it down on the table by the window.
“Come, sit. Oh, and Brannal.” He gestured at Cormal. “Not at the table.”
Cormal was confused, but after a moment, the water began to trickle away from him and evaporate in thin streams until he was suddenly dry again.
He hadn’t even realized that he was making Brannal wet with that desperate hug, but of course, that water was gone now, too.
Perian and Brannal sat on one side of the table, and Cormal and Kinan the other. Cormal pulled out the chair and then pushed it back into place with Kinan on it. (He could sit down by sitting through the table, but Cormal knew he didn’t like to do that.)
“So all those same rules apply,” Perian mused, looking at Kinan. “Your body has those habits, but you still can’t touch anything?”
Kinan sighed. “Yeah.” He looked a little subdued, but he seemed to try to rally, saying, “But I can complain about it toeveryonenow, not just you and Renny.”
Perian laughed. “Oh, that must make it so much better. How is Renny?”
They got through the first several minutes of the meal serving themselves as Kinan told Perian all about his sister. Cormal chimed in with some of her better efforts to make his life miserable, and even Brannal laughed at the bucket of water to his head.
“Wow,” Perian said. “She’sreallypissed.”
“She loves you,” Cormal said. “Of course she’s pissed.”
Perian’s expression went soft.
Cormal continued, “Unless I can fix this, I’m expecting open warfare until the day I die.”
Perian snorted. “She’s a formidable opponent.”
“Mother has said she can begin some actual defense training in the summer if she’s still feeling well,” Kinan interjected.
“Yeah,reallylooking forward to that,” Cormal said dryly.
They all laughed.
It was a much better meal than Cormal had any right to expect. After they’d eaten, Cormal offered to go if that would make everyone more comfortable.
“Don’t be silly,” Perian chided. “I already asked Evalon, our housekeeper, to get a room ready for you, and they’ve brought your things in from the stables. We should talk more about trying to help Kinan, but maybe in the morning? It’s a bit of a loaded topic.”
“Of course,” Cormal agreed easily.
