Page 106 of Guiding Reason
He stood next to the healer. The light was almost gone, sunset just around the corner, and the illumination in the Old House wasn’t very bright, was too bright, shining a light on the suffering within. The town had always been small, but now there were five people on the tables in the Old House, still battling for their lives, and the three children, all of them sitting with their backs against the wall next to the door, their eyes unfocused.
Li, Sinex, and the mechanic’s daughter were the only ones who had gone through this massacre unscathed.Or unscathed on the outside at least,Hyran thought, recalling what the town had looked like when he’d first come here, the people suspicious, but reasonable. Kind, once he’d gotten to know them. The younger ones so curious about his life behind city walls.
“I said, will you bring him, ma?”
The healer was squeezing Hyran’s shoulder, his yellow eyes sharp.
“Who?”
“The dead boy in the field.”
Hyran nodded. “Yes. Of course. His name’s Tomo.”
Anandas nodded. “Once he is with the others, we have to ask for succor and bring the children to Thistletown.”
Hyran blinked. “What now?”
Anandas pointed at the door. “First, the boy. Bring him to where the others rest.”
Hyran nodded and walked out of the house just as Taros came in. He’d found food somewhere, squatted by the three survivors to get them to drink and eat.I should have thought of that.
The run to the field was short. Tomo was where Hyran had first found him, dull, all the life gone out of him in rivers of red. He’d been around nineteen or twenty, intelligent. He’d listened to Hyran talk about Ferrea and asked one question after another.
“You mean you have bots that do things for you, clean and make food, ma? There are rules for how many children you’re allowed to have unless you have a power, ma?”
It was those bright eyes, brown, always wide open and waiting to see what life held for him that Hyran couldn’t get out of his head, the way Tomo had smiled when Hyran had gifted him those stupid shoes.
Hyran sagged to his knees, strength going out of his legs, something that never happened, not to him, not when he could run or move. The field, sheltered between the trees, was quiet but for insects, the earthy smell of the mushroom cultures hanging in the air and barely covering that other stench. Death, before it was the right time for it.
Hyran didn’t cry, or he thought he didn’t. “I think I should drink something. Don’t think I did. Kinetomancers always should drink plenty of water.”
Tomo did not respond nor stir from where he’d fallen. Hyran pulled out his screen. There was no word there from Col, which probably meant everything was fine, but all of a sudden, that didn’t matter, and Hyran needed to hear that voice. He needed his Conduit, not here, not here of all the places, but knowing he was well. Hyran made the call, and it took a while to connect, given they were out here.
“Hyran? Are you on your way back? How are…what’s the status out there?”
Hyran let out a breath. “Col, sweet, you’re fine?”
He didn’t respond right away. It had Hyran worried all over again.
“Of course I’m fine. We’re having even more tea. Rose wants to make dinner so it’s ready when you get back. He hates the idea of letting us stay here, but I think Avan made some sort of point and told him to suck it up.”
Hyran’s jaw dropped, and he looked at the screen to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.I should really hydrate.“Avan? Avan, Wilan’s first Conduit?” Then it clicked. “Shit, Col, I’m running there now.”
“No! Stop.” Hyran froze, moved the screen closer to his ear again. “This isn’t a distress code. The other H—Darkling here is called Avan. It’s a coincidence, nothing else.”
Hyran sighed and got back to his feet. “Okay.”
“Uh, Rose wants to know when you’ll be back. Is Anandas there? Can you let them talk for a moment?”
Hyran shook his head. “No. I’m at the field. I…I’m getting Tomo. He said something about succor. Anandas I mean. I can call again when we’re…when I…”
“It’s okay. You’re doing so well, Hyran. Do something for me right now, yes?”
“Anything.”
“You have an emergency dose of channeling medication on you. A little metallic box with a red circle on it. Where is it?”
“Pants pocket, why?”
