Page 2 of Triadic

Marit sniffed and reached for me. I wrapped my arms around them both, and the three of us held each other for a long moment.

"I guess I'd better report this to the instructors and get started on packing," said Wren, his words striking me like a slap.

Marit and I let him go at the same time, and in half a second, he was up and out the door of our shared room.

I flew from the bed as if it had burned me. I could not remain where the three of us had slept together and shared our bodies with each other for years. It was all too much.

"Corbi."

I turned around—how did I get all the way to the door?—and found Marit standing in the center of the room, his jet-black hair all mussed, his cheeks flushed and arms reaching out for me. I knew that if I were to go to him now, hug him and accept his comfort, I would cry like he clearly wanted to, his eyes red-rimmed. I would release the storm of emotions I was feeling, but I couldn't give in to that tide, or I felt like I would fall apart. I had to push it aside until after Wren left. I had to be strong for them both.

Instead, I spoke the forbidden words, my heart absolutely committed. There was no question.

Closing the door, I whispered my words softly to keep anyone outside from hearing. So softly, I was uncertain I had managed to say them at all, until I spotted his widened, pale-blue eyes. "I love you, Marit."

He froze, staring at me in astonishment. It hurt to breathe.

"I love you," I said again, terribly softly. "With all my heart. Wren, too."

"We can't tell him." Marit's reply was just as soft. "We have to support him on his path."

That shattered me, but I pushed it down, my voice hollowed out and shaking. "Okay."

He came to me, and I pulled him into my arms. We fit together perfectly, just as we had ever since we were boys.

"I love you, Corbi," he said, kissing my neck as I choked on a sob. "I've loved you ever since you found me and healed me."

I'd been training as a medic for a couple of years when one day, I'd run a supply errand in town and accidentally stumbled right into Marit getting violently ejected from his home, his monstrous father drunk and railing at him, my poor Marit black and blue. I'd kicked into survival mode, all but dragged him back to the monastery since Marit could barely walk, and healed him up. By the time his bruises had faded, Marit knew he wanted to live at the monastery and become a monk, and we were already well on our way to becoming good friends.

My own parents had sold me to the monastery; intelligent apprentices that could train in medicine weresomething people were willing to pay for. That betrayal had cut me deeply. But in the years with Marit, our friendship blooming and eventually including Wren, my Marit had shown me what love could be, and that I needed to heal myself as well. I had intended to forever hide my pain, but the care and affection that the three of us shared as a triad had eventually burrowed deeply enough to uncover those buried wounds, bringing them to the surface and forcing me to confront them, allowing the affection and care of our relationship to smooth away that pain.

"Shouldn't we tell Wren?" I protested.

I couldn't stomach just letting him leave. I wanted to cling to him and beg him to stay. I was so grateful that Marit had laid down such firm roots at the monastery alongside me. At least he would be here. But still, with Wren, a part of me was leaving, and I couldn't bear it.

"I don't know what the wise path here is for us," said Marit. "I too want him to stay, but he has been training and dedicating himself to the gods since the first day. We're supposed to cheer him on along his path, not drag him from it in order to stay with us."

"Then we could go with him," I suggested, grasping for any option that would keep us together.

Marit pulled back enough to cup my cheeks in his hands, his sharp eyes assessing me. "You'd be willing to give up what we have here—a home, and stability—and work as a traveling medic among people who can't even afford to pay you? Not only that, but I would lose my position here, and it's not like I'm easily employable on the outside. The war-torn area past Helvetica's borders needs farmers and strongmen, not librarians."

"I…" I saw Marit waiting and finally found the courage. "I love you so much that even if the monastery renounced me for loving you, I would accept it. Even if the gods called me to their service, Marit…I would take you with me if you wanted to go. I would ask the gods to let you go with me."

"I would go with you," said Marit, his sincerity bringing tears to my eyes as his own beautiful blues filled and shone. "I would not let the gods separate us. We have always known them to be kind, much kinder than these old and stodgy rules of the monastery make them seem."

"Th-thank you," I forced out, humbled in the face of his loyalty.

Marit gave a little smile. "Thank you for loving me."

Just then, Wren came back into the room, his eyes bright and smile wide. "Things are moving quickly. A guide is coming to take me there in just three days."

Three days.

Marit released me and went over to our dresser drawers, pulling one open and beckoning Wren over. But I couldn't let this lie. "Wren, how about we go with you?"

Everything stopped. Wren assessed me, clearly confused. "Why?"

Why?

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