Chapter Thirty #2
Arvus added, “Your participation is not in any way required for our affection or our time. You can still come back with us and stick with our original plan of not revealing what you are to others. We’d be very happy with that.”
“So happy,” Molun agreed.
Trill smiled at them, these two Mage Warriors who’d welcomed him with open arms and were now giving him an out even when he knew how much their prince needed him.
His eyes drifted to the prince in question, who was looking at him kindly.
“They’re right,” the Prince assured him.
“You’re in no way obligated to assist further.
Either of you,” he added, widening his attention to Yannoma.
“You’ve both been invaluable, and I swear that I will be advocating for your rights from this point forward regardless of what you decide to do next. Please ensure your safety.”
Trill inhaled slowly and then exhaled. He was pretty sure Yannoma would say he should think about this more—or rather than he should reject it out of hand.
But he’d always known that while he and Yannoma had many similarities, this wasn’t one of them. He didn’t know if the Prince would succeed, but Trill liked the world he envisioned.
He swallowed and then said, “Prince Kinan, I would be happy to keep trying to help. If you can get the Queen to agree, I’ll go with you and help in any way I can. I think we’ll need all the energy we can get.”
Perian might be stronger than he was, but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be helpful to have more, not if the Prince and Perian had both been as depleted as they were last night.
Prince Kinan smiled at him. “Thank you. I’ll be certain to word my letter such that it includes you but doesn’t expose you. No names until my mother agrees. I don’t want to put you in unnecessary danger.”
“Thank you,” Molun said, before Trill could, and Arvus squeezed Trill’s shoulder in a comforting gesture.
They all wanted to make sure that he was safe, and that was a novel feeling. Trill liked it very much.
This just left Yannoma, who was looking at them all like they were complete idiots.
But then she surprised him.
“Prince, if you truly can secure guaranteed safe passage for everyone here, if you truly mean to fight for us, then I will go as a representative of my people.”
Trill knew he was gaping at her, but he couldn’t help himself. She smirked at his expression.
“We may not have a lot of fellow feelings, but I am not insensible to the fact that this is a larger attempt to collaborate and protect us than has happened in centuries. If most humans have been taught that we are senseless demons who do nothing but kill people, then one of the best ways to show that is not true is with a real, live example.”
“It could be dangerous,” Perian blurted out.
Yannoma eyed him with amusement. “I daresay it will be. Will it not be for you?”
Perian blew out a breath. “It’s way easier to risk my life than the lives of people I care about.”
Brannal leaned over to kiss Perian’s temple. “Welcome to my life.” He gazed at Yannoma. “As the Prince pointed out, the castle has the benefit of numbers, so I cannot positively guarantee any outcome, but I can promise that I will do my utmost to protect you should you choose to help us.”
“I will as well,” Cormal agreed solemnly. “My shield might not be as impressive as Brannal’s, but it can still keep people out for quite a while.”
“Mine, too,” Molun and Arvus said almost as one.
The Prince was smiling. “Then that’s settled. I’ll write to my mother. I don’t think she’ll delay overlong to respond, but she may need some time to consider.”
It was likely to be at least four days before they got a response if they posted the letter today, but Trill agreed that it was better than showing up and surprising her. He really hoped that the Prince could write a compelling letter.
Prince Kinan looked at Perian. “Could I trouble you for writing supplies?”
“Of course,” Perian said, rising from the table.
“I’d be happy to be your scribe,” Cormal said, and the Prince smiled at him.
They went off with Perian, and Trill found himself blowing out a breath and leaning up against Arvus beside him—which resulted in Molun on his other side cuddling up to him as well.
“Have I mentioned how much I hate waiting?” Molun asked.
Arvus and Trill laughed.
“Mage,” Yannoma said, “the letter has not even been written yet.”
“We could go horseback riding,” Arvus suggested.
“Or I could ride you,” Molun said with a grin. “Trill and I could take turns. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Very fun,” Trill agreed. He eyed Yannoma. “Um.”
“Ooh, what?” Molun wanted to know.
“I will be all right for a few more days,” Yannoma told him. “The Fire Mage fed me well, and there is enough ambient attraction that I will survive.”
Trill had kind of been hoping to be a little more subtle about this, but Molun and Arvus both looked between the two of them.
“Oh,” Molun said, blinking, “of course.” He and Arvus exchanged glances, and Arvus gave a little nod.
“Uh, neither of us are particularly attracted to women, but as long as it’s not weird for Trill, we don’t mind putting on a show if that makes the energy more direct for you.
We would prefer not to be seduced like you did with Cormal, though. ”
Yannoma was staring at them intently. “You… would not mind.”
“As Molun said, as long as Trill is comfortable and no one will be injured, we’re happy to help.” Arvus’s face was calm. He smiled a little. “How can we change things between us if we don’t change things between us?”
Trill was… surprised. As much acceptance and understanding as Molun and Arvus had shown him at every possible occasion, there still seemed to be part of him that expected that they would come across something that was too much. And yet, so far, every occasion demonstrated the exact opposite.
Molun turned to Trill. “Does it make you uncomfortable, honey? We should have asked first. Sorry.”
Trill knew they hadn’t meant to put him on the spot. The thing was, he wasn’t ever ashamed about having sex. And he’d been helping to feed Yannoma for years. But he appreciated their solicitude.
“I’m not uncomfortable at all,” Trill assured them. “I always want to have sex with you.”
As expected, this made Molun grin wide, and Arvus caressed his arm. Trill felt a little bit as though he was getting the hang of this.
Yannoma said, “I am capable of showing more restraint than I did with the Fire Mage. I will not harm any of you, and I would not take so much energy that it impedes Trill’s ability to feed.”
Molun’s eyes lit up. “Hey, I’ve been wondering, how does that work? You and Perian need food and sex energy? Can the one replace the other? How long can you go without one or both? Is it the same for everyone?”
Trill couldn’t help but grin at the enthusiasm.
“Perian is the only other child of two worlds I’ve met,” he reminded them. “We’ve not exactly discussed it exhaustively, but I think it’s safe to say that Perian is a lot stronger than I am.”
Arvus slung an arm around him. “We like you just as you are.”
Trill really was coming to believe that.
“From everything I’ve been taught, we cannot survive on either just food or just sex energy. Unlike carnalions, we derive a percentage of our energy from food. We can go days, even weeks without feeding, especially if we’re well-fed to begin with.”
Molun’s head had tilted to one side, a frown furrowing his brow.
“Doesn’t Perian go months without feeding?
Or didn’t he?” A grin blossomed on his face.
“I mean, it’s super clear that Brannal is having sex with him constantly now.
But Perian made it sound like he came to town infrequently and that was the only time he had sex. ”
It was Yannoma who said, “I believe he may have adapted to his circumstances. His father was determined to give him the best possible life with the fewest possible dangers. It was a large part of why he picked this location and this set-up for his staff. From what I understand, very rarely, children of two worlds demonstrate few characteristics of carnalions. Regardless, they appear entirely human until sometime in puberty, and they feed solely from normal food until that time. As they mature, their need for sex energy develops. If they cannot get it, they can become sick.”
Molun was nodding. “Perian mentioned that. His father brought him to the city and to one of the houses of pleasure.” He made a face. “The, uh, one that burned down.”
A shadow passed across Yannoma’s face, but she nodded.
“Borian was smart, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his son.
He evidently found this other carnalion.
While he chose not to reveal the truth to Perian then, the carnalion must have taught him what he needed to do to survive without his realizing it.
” She considered for a moment. “From the time his carnalion needs developed, he was presented with a feast and famine reality. I believe Perian may have developed an… excellent storage capacity, if you will. He became able to take in a lot of energy and store it for a considerable amount of time. When it completely faded, he would need to seek out more sexual relations once again.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense.”
They all started at the new voice, and there was Perian at the doorway, Brannal behind him. Perian smiled faintly.
“Kee and Cormal are working on the letter. I did start to feel both restless and a bit lethargic before I came back to town. I always assumed I was bored, especially after my father died. But that makes a lot of sense, if it was a drive to survive.”
Brannal squeezed Perian’s shoulder, and Perian leaned back against him.
Yannoma said, “It might also explain a little of what happened with your prince. I have not encountered many children of two worlds over the years, but to my knowledge, you are the first to have ever taken in as much energy as you say you did before you tried to bring the Prince back. It is likely something that has never been attempted before.”
Perian made a bit of a face. “Are we going to need to do that again?”
She shrugged. “Honestly, I’m still a little astonished you were able to help him the first time—and were permitted to do so. I cannot say for certain, but I would recommend being as full of energy as possible.”
“But I can’t get filled up like that,” Trill said a bit anxiously.
Molun immediately leered at him. “But we’re willing to have sex with you constantly, honey. Please don’t worry about it.”
Perian started laughing. Brannal rolled his eyes. But everyone looked so… fond.
Arvus’s tone was serious, but there was a twinkle in his eyes, “If we need to have sex with you in the middle of the attempt, that’s what we’ll do.”
Molun was grinning widely. “Even if it needs to be in front of the Queen, I promise.” He made a face. “But, er, I might need to draw the line at the Princess.”
They all made faces.
Perian snorted. “Yeah, last I checked, she still thought I was old and gross, so I’m pretty sure we’ll be all right.”
They all laughed.
“Seriously, though,” Perian managed to continue once they’d settled down, “it’s going to be a few days before we hear back from Kee’s mother, so we can practice.
We can finish healing Molun’s leg so that he’s totally better and I get more practice with physical healing, and we can work on your being able to heal without touching anyone, Trill. ”
Predictably, Molun pouted, and Trill kissed him and assured him that he always wanted to touch him.
“That sounds like a very productive way to pass the time,” Brannal said. His eyebrow rose. “You will also be pacing yourselves, feeding regularly, and not overextending, right?”
“Right,” Perian and Trill agreed, because Trill might have just met Brannal recently, but he knew what the only correct answer to such a question was.
Perian winked at him.