Page 111 of Guiding Reason
Hyran, when he ran, experienced time differently than those who ran with him. He knew that. What went fast for everyone else slowed for him, made it possible for him to course correct, look where he was going, know what he’d passed while running.
When he moved at the same speed everyone else did, it was the rarest moments that things slowed and his mind went fast, went the speed of running without him actually using his power.
That happened now. He watched Col dash out of the house, and a million blades of potential grief dropped around Hyran without cutting him once.He’s fine. My Conduit is fine.Rose ranafter him. The young Hound who had been with them—Avan—turned toward Col and Rose.
The other Hounds used that opening to attack. Hyran didn’t understand what was going on, but they were attacking Avan, of all people. One of their own.
Hyran reacted. He saw the blade in the Hound’s hand, a knife—crude perhaps but sharp enough to kill.
He ran, stopped to shield Avan from the blade, which would have gone into the young Hound’s neck or torso. After what had happened to Col, Hyran didn’t even attempt to tackle the young Hound, just stood there, blocking the sharpness with his own body. Pain, immediate and sharp, bit into his shoulder. Avan’s eyes went wide, and Col, Col was running with his gun out.
That’s dangerous, sweet, and I don’t want you where danger can find you.
Blood hit Col in the face.That’s my blood, Hyran thought, and he felt bad all over again, felt like he’d messed up a second time when all he wanted was to save his Conduit. The expression on Col’s face was shock, but it lasted for mere moments. Then came fury. It was even shorter lived.
Beneath that, Hyran thought he glimpsed a core part of the man he loved. Col, when anger touched him, turned to ice. His face frozen in determination, he stopped, aimed, and shot.
38
AVAN
The three who’d come with sunfall were strange. Before Anandas, Avan had never seen anyone take out the earring of their family and then leave that hole bare. Anandas had done it for only long enough to visit with everyone after they’d walked the Winter Paths, and then he’d taken a ring for Rose and himself. Avan had always thought it was for poor Rose’s benefit.
These three all had taken out the earring for family and left a gaping nothingness there. Two spoke with a southern dialect and were decked out as if this was a Vashana though none had been sanctioned.
“This is a healer’s house,” Avan said, approaching them with care. “Neither of you look hurt.”
“A healer’s house?” one of the Southerners said. “We heard of a white-eared healer marching with city dwellers.”
Avan cocked his head. He’d used city dweller in the human tongue.
Avan straightened. “You are not a healer, but if you were, you would know the oath. It is to help those in need, all those in need.”
The third one, the one who hadn’t spoken a greeting, snorted.
“It needs not saying that a good healer doesn’t give his skills to city dwellers, but never mind that. Your ears are not so white that you can lecture me.”
But my fist is strong enough to humble you,Avan thought. He didn’t like the disrespect, liked it much less considering Anandas had left a recuperating city dweller in Avan’s care.
Avan lowered his chin. “True. But they are white enough to tell you to find what you seek elsewhere. Clearly, it is not healing, and that is all you’ll find here.”
The second Southerner smiled at Avan in a duplicitous way, the expression not reaching his eyes. He had very white teeth—one chipped. His expression said,I want to take, and I will take from you.Avan had no patience for such people, a trait Avan’s own father had chided him for while Rose praised it. Rose was quite a likable human in that way.
“You can’t know what we want, little four-wing sprout. Where is that healer who’s been helping the cities? He is your teacher? We have teachers too. Why don’t you come learn from us, hmm?”
Avan didn’t have to give an answer to that, because the speedling with that strange color hair arrived. He was carrying another human, that one with hair a touch more muted, but still unusual for humans.The cities truly must be wonders once you go beyond those fearsome walls.
The three fake Vashana warriors shuddered with surprise but settled quickly. Of course with the speedling arriving, Col came out of the house, his affection pulling him toward where he shouldn’t be.
Avan turned.Why can’t Rose sit on him? He threatens to sit on Anandas all the time, but the one time it would be useful, he does nothing.
There was a sharp noise, then the speedling hissed. He was there, in front of Avan suddenly, the weak human eyes wide to catch all the light they could.No, wide with pain. Wide eyes can be darkness, lust, or pain, Anandas said.
Avan saw the blood hit Col’s face, heard a small pop.
“Avan!” Rose reached him then, pulled him away by the wrist.
The yelling started, immediate and cruel. Avan’s ears hadn’t tuned to the human tongue enough to make out all the words that came rushing out of them. The one with the pretty hair was a skin shifter, turning his hands into blades that he used against one of the Southerners who was attacking, the second one with the chipped tooth.
