Page 11 of Guiding Reason
The tears bent Col almost double. Hyran’s arms came around him, pressing Col to the Guardian’s chest.
“He didn’t die. He’s fine.”
“He’s not fucking fine. He’ll be scarred forever, and his right eye is at only about eighty percent of the left!”
“He survived.” Hyran paused. “What would he think if he saw you right now?”
Col craned his head to look up at the Guardian. “Did you seriously just recite one of the recommended questions from the protectors’ Victim Interaction Manual to me?”
“I—you know that? I…just wasn’t sure what else to say. This is new to me, Coldis. All I know is that I don’t want you hurting, and if having him here can make you stop hurting, then—”
“Oh, don’t be such a Hound-fucking idiot. I just wanted to shower and couldn’t get the damn shirt off.” He lifted his arm to demonstrate.
“You need to finish the medication, Coldis. That’s urgent care. The needle has to stay in, but we can peel the shirt back. I can hold it up for you. You just have to be careful.”
He sounds like Vin,Col thought, then,I want Vin for this.He knew he couldn’t have Vin, of course. Newly imprinted Guardians wouldn’t tolerate another Guardian helping their Conduit shower. Col knew that rationally, knew that it was a streak of luck Hyran hadn’t yet gotten into a physical altercation with his team in the first place.Even more curious then that he should offer to get Karmine for me.
“Fine. You can help.”
“Just stand up by yourself,” Hyran said.
Col was about to complain that he had been doing that and needed no help with it when Hyran released him and moved, his body blurring where his kinetomancer speed worked.
He unbuttoned Col’s shirt, then slowed to ease it off him. Col let him, mostly because he was quick, because he didn’t try to draw it out.
“Do you need channeling?”
Col glanced at Hyran, whose hands had stopped moving now that Col’s shirt was out of the way, held above the IV holder by Hyran, the line going through the sleeve. The Guardian was staring at Col’s abdomen, at the waistband of the clinic pants.
“What?”
“Channeling. That thing Conduits are good for.”
Col sat back down on the stool and peeled the ugly socks off before doing the same with the pants. They were the same unflattering yellow they’d been given when they’d arrived here in Ferrea.I’ll have to avoid that shade for a while after all this is over.
“You are not just good for that, Coldis.”
“I assure you, Guardian, I am excellent at what I do. My teachers were always very impressed, and my team never had any complaints, except the usual.”
Why am I riling him by talking about my team? Has to be the medication. I know it’s not, but that’s what I’ll blame.
“Fuck them if they think you’re only for that. You’re not, you’re…”
Hyran swallowed thickly as Col set the shower to just above body temp and turned it on. He wanted to stick his head under it so bad, but getting the rest of himself clean would have to suffice for now.
“I am what?”
“You graduated with the highest cumulative score of your cohort and went into extra schooling where you completed a course load fit for two people. You’re interested in data and coding. You’re not just for channeling.”
Col turned and let the water run over his side and back, let it soak into his skin.
“How do you know…ah. The Argentean Op-AI sent you everything about me. Of course.”
Hyran stood just outside the reach of the water, holding up Col’s shirt and looking everywhere, just not at Col. Col felt very nearly offended. He was sure he wouldn’t have taken offense normally, could tell his reactions weren’t measured and his emotions a mess, all over the place. That didn’t help, and it didn’t change the small frustration Hyran’s ignorance caused.
“No.” Hyran said. “I mean, maybe it did. I haven’t checked. I thought you and your team were working with Alesa. I thought Alesa was working with someone from the outside, and so I put that together when I saw you with that Hound and the outsider, that day we first met. I didn’t know about Pinota at the time.”
Col snorted. “We’re not with Alesa. Alesa wanted to kill my team.”
