Page 38 of Guiding Reason
“They always have more camera bots,” Taros said.
“This is much better than watching them destroy Starlit Stage,” Yamara said.
Vin looked at him. “We can watchMy Secret Guardian.Orrey and I have been watching it. I can summarize for you.”
Yamara cocked his head. “There is nothing to summarize. The goal of that drama is to see everyone fuck everyone else and maybe show off some powers when there is no channeling happening.”
Vin frowned. “Would you like to watch a few episodes?”
Yamara locked eyes with Orrey. “I very much would. But perhaps you could help me in my room first, Orrey?”
The petite Conduit was on his feet and walking toward Orrey before he could formulate a response, much like during their first meeting downstairs by the pool.
“You’re not going to ask me about whether it’s worth going outside the walls again, are you?” Orrey asked when they were a few steps down the hallway.
Yamara looked back at him, face passive. “I think I would have been fine. I know how to survive. What I don’t understand is this team.” They arrived at the door in the very back, and Yamara slid it open, beckoned Orrey to follow. “Conduit Coldis is in there with his Guardian,” he said and pointed to the door on the right. “I think that is odd too. The Guardian has his own place. Should have brought his Conduit there.” Yamara closed the door behind Orrey.
The room was small, but it had lots of windows, taking advantage of the curvature of the Champions’ Tower. The bed had a headboard that functioned as a divider to the room with some seating on the other side of it.
Yamara motioned Orrey to follow him to the moldable furniture and sank onto one. So did Orrey, noticing a bag marked with golden and indigo patterns, much like Yamara’s hair.
“I got the butler bot to pack for me. It’s mostly clothing.”
Orrey nodded. “I forgot you lived here before. In the Champions’ Tower I mean.”
“Yes. I lived. In a way. Your Guardian signed the request to have me on your team. Will Conduit Coldis withdraw it or remove me before we go to Argentea?”
“What? Why?”
“The news streams are talking about my former team one way, about yours another. Would Conduit Coldis remove me if he still is the team lead?”
“If—of course he is.”
Yamara shrugged. “If you say so. I have some candies. Do you want them?”
Before Orrey could answer, Yamara was on his feet and rifling through the bag. He pulled out a round box and handed it to Orrey. It was stamped with leaves and flowers, red, orange, and green, the packaging suitable for a special occasion.
“You don’t have to give me candy, Yamara. And Col won’t remove you. Nor will Senlas.”
Yamara nodded. “Keep the candies. They’re good. I don’t want them. I do want to leave this city.”
Orrey groaned. “That you made clear. Can I ask why?”
Yamara froze on his way back to the moldable. “No.”
“Okay. I didn’t mean to be intrusive.”
“You’re my friend. You can ask. I can choose not to answer. It’s friendship.”
Orrey looked from the candy to Yamara, who was pulling his legs up onto the moldable with him. “That seems fair. Look, there are dumplings outside, and Vin has a weird passion for that show.”
Yamara nodded. “I was outside there ever since they came back. Earlier. Since before the hospitality guide left with the pyromancer. They haven’t asked for channeling yet. I was waiting. I offered, even. That’s why I was asking about being removed from the team, because if they don’t want me, then…”
He shrugged and looked out the window. For all the violence, Ferrea, at a distance, still looked the same.
“Maybe they didn’t want you to push yourself? I’m not really sure myself how to know when to channel, and it’s not like they’d come to me for it.”
Yamara gave Orrey yet another emotionless look, and yet again, Orrey wasn’t sure what that meant.
