Page 100 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

“I can be, yes. Cormal and I are the most effective against carnalions, for example, though they’re thankfully the least numerous. The situations can be the most delicate, though, because they’re usually right in cities and towns.”

“Has one ever tried to seduce you?” Perian couldn’t help but ask.

Brannal hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “It’s very overpowering, like regular arousal but even stronger. Everything is hazy, and it’s all you can think about. The feeling of having your energy drained is distinctive. Thankfully, a strong shield is effective against it—as long as you realize what’s happening and aren’t overcome by the lust. I’ve seen multiple Warriors and Mage Warriors drained of all their energy and killed, and they never put up a fight.”

Perian felt bad about his casual thought earlier, faced as he now was with Brannal actually losing fellow Mage Warrior and Warriors, maybe friends. Perian’s father had always said carnalions were a lot like humans and didn’t try to kill people the way the other demons did, but that certainly didn’t sound like what Brannal had experienced.

“That sounds scary.”

“Carnalions certainly hide far better than any other demon,” Brannal said, looking as though he was making an effort to shake off the memories. “However, we don’t encounter carnalions terribly often. And I can be very effective against all the demons.”

“That sounds… very dangerous.”

Brannal eyed him. “All demons are dangerous, of course. But I’m one of the few people in the country who can form a full elemental shield, and that makes me one of the safest people, even in the midst of demons. I’m very good at what I do, Perian.”

Perian sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly, nodding. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what Brannal did. He’d known from the moment they met that Brannal was someone to be reckoned with, that he was a Mage Warrior. But maybe Perian hadn’t given a lot of thought to what it really meant to be Summus. The Queen had appointed him based on strength and skill, Brannal had said, and of course he actually needed to use that strength and those skills.

“This has made you really uncomfortable, hasn’t it?”

Perian stared at the other man without really seeing him for a moment, and then his words actually processed in his brain.

“No!” he exclaimed. “Well, uh, maybe? Mostly, I just started thinking about you and demons being in close proximity, and then I started imagining what usually happens to people when they’re in close proximity to demons, and the idea of you being hurt makes me really unhappy. But I do actually understand that is pretty much the entire definition of your job. It’s fine.”

Brannal just stared at him for a long moment. “I couldnotgo on patrol…?”

Perian really appreciated the offer, but he made himself give the man his best unimpressed look.

“And what, exactly, would you tell Cormal when he wanted to know why you weren’t doing your job?”

“I’m allowed to change things around. And you’re injured.”

“It’s a burn, it’s already healing, and I will be totally better in a few weeks,” Perian said dismissively.

Brannal eyed him carefully. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“I will totally miss you, I will be really annoyed if you get injured, and I will have so much sex with you when you get back.”

Brannal laughed. “That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.”

They actually made some inroads into their breakfast for a few minutes.

And then Brannal said, “I have a proposition for you.”

Perian waggled his eyebrows. “Do you?”

Brannal shook his head, but he looked entirely amused. “Not that kind of proposition.”

“Pity,” Perian said. “What kind of boring proposition do you have for me?”

“Onadal is always training new Warriors.”

Perian perked up. “Pretty people training? This sounds appealing already.”

Brannal laughed. “I can’t speak to the physical appeal of all of them, but I do have an opinion on who I hope will beoneof them.”

Given what Perian was thinking about, it took him a moment to realize what Brannal meant.

“You wantmeto train with the Warriors?”

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