Page 21 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

They’d run into enough people through the course of the day for something to have been made clear to Perian—never mind that little trick with the earth earlier.

“If I said that I wanted a drink of water, could you produce one?” Perian asked.

Being able to control all four elements was extraordinarily rare, but Perian had heard of one person who could do it.

Brannal looked chagrined. “Oh, I should have asked earlier if you were hungry!”

It had been a while since lunch, and they’d spent quite some time walking and talking and exploring the castle.

Perian laid a hand on Brannal’s arm.

“You’re missing the point.”

“Am I?”

“Air, fire, earth, and—?” he prompted.

“Ah.” Brannal rocked back on his heels.

“Well?” Perian demanded. “Am I wrong?”

Brannal stared at him for a moment, and then he held out his cupped hands, and Perian watched as they filled with water.

Perian stepped closer, then leaned in to cup Brannal’s hands with his own and sip.

It was hard to figure out what to concentrate on: the warmth of the other man’s skin, the intimacy of the moment, or the fact that Brannal wasSummus.Perian was sleeping with the leader of the Mage Warriors!

Or perhaps, more pertinently, Summus of the Mage Warriors was currently summoning water out of nowhere just so that Perian could take a drink out of his hands. Perian used perhaps a little more tongue than was strictly necessary, and he caught Brannal’s shiver.

This was, naturally, when they were interrupted.

“My, my, drinking out of your hand like an animal. I see the training is going well.”

Even if Perian hadn’t recognized the voice, the message would have been enough to tell him who it was.

Brannal dropped his hands, the remaining water disappearing before it hit the floor.

“Did you need something, Cormal?” Brannal demanded.

Hadn’t Cormal been the one to summon Brannal due to the nest of wraiths? Brannal hadn’t been showing Perian around forthatlong. For that matter… Perian squinted at Cormal suspiciously. Had that wraith report really been sorted wrong? Or had it been a convenient excuse to demand Brannal’s presence?

Cormal raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression we weren’t all chained to our offices.”

Well, Cormal had Brannal there. Thankfully, Brannal didn’t seem bothered.

“Perian will be staying for a while. I’m showing him around.”

One of Cormal’s eyebrows rose. “He’s going to see more than the inside of your bedroom?”

Brannal’s jaw clenched. Perian tacked the biggest smile on his face and made sure to beam at the other man.

“Oh, yes, I don’t like to restrict myself to only the bedroom. I’m happy to have sex inmultiplelocations.”

Cormal shot him a scathing look and flounced off. Brannal looked bemused.

“Really?” he asked.

Perian shrugged. “It’s pretty clear he’s jealous.”

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