Page 4 of Guiding Reason
“He seems fine. I mean, he’s concussed, clearly, but other than that, he’s fine. No need to do anything right now, but he said something…”
Senlas leaned in, and Orrey felt his Guardian’s powerTouchhim, run along his back and sides. “What did he say, kitten?”
“About how all imprintings are accidents. And it made me think. What was the test thing you did when you imprinted on me?”
Senlas’s brows rose. “At the Center? That was for buffering. It generally shows up in your blood after imprinting. No Conduitbuffers spontaneously without a Guardian’s touch, which is why you have a Guardian test little regular-born children like you and hope the tester isn’t an idiot who forgets to check they got everyone.”
Orrey rolled his eyes. “Not my point. Can we get Col tested while he is here? Just to make sure?”
Senlas looked for a moment like he wanted to object, but then Orrey felt something inside the Guardian shift with a clarity bordering on telepathy. “We can do that. They should have a blood sample from when they took him in.” He looked around. “Let me find Vin.”
“He was with Yamara last I saw to get some scratches and abrasions treated.”
“Right.” Senlas took Orrey’s hand and wrapped him in his power before walking back to the non-urgent care where Vin had last been.
Taros rounded the corner, heading their way from the elevators at a jog and very nearly collided with them. Orrey felt himself beingPulledclear.
“Oh, fuck, sorry, beautiful,” Taros said.
“I’m fine. Karmine and Lapatea?”
“I told Karmine to watch Lapatea. Told Lapatea to make sure Karmine got some rest back at the suite. I figure that takes care of the two of them.”
Senlas snorted before all trace of humor faded from his expression. “None of this should have happened. Karmine is still recovering, and Col…well. Shouldn’t have happened.”
Orrey watched as Taros’s face broke out in nervous blades. “Agreed, but it did. It’s chaotic downstairs and even more outside. So many got hurt. There are protectors, a lot of them, in the Grounds.
“When I left the Champions’ Tower, this Shoda champion was giving a speech to the other Guardian champions andtheir teams. Made them all head out to Starlit Stage to help in whatever way they can.” He looked at Senlas. “What are we going to do about Col? Maybe…maybe Orrey should go stay with Karmine and Lapatea while I get Vin?”
Senlas shook his head. “Orrey says Col is okay for now. I’ll have them check his blood sample. They would have taken one when he came in.” He leaned forward, whispered. “Lapatea said something about Pinota pretending he imprinted when he didn’t. And if Hyran works with them, then maybe this is what is happening here.”
Taros sucked on his bottom lip while a neat line of tiny spikes appeared on his forehead. “Right. If Hyran did that—”
Senlas nodded even as his power drew closer around Orrey. “Yeah.”
Orrey rubbed the back of his head, feeling his filthy hair sticking to his skin. “We should make sure everything is in order, but if Hyran was with Alesa and this Guardian Pinota—”
“Former Guardian, current Guardian insurrectionist,” Taros said. “Although I’m not sure about his status. Vin said he never saw anything like what you did to Pinota.”
“You took his power, didn’t you?” Orrey reached out from that place where his channeling lived, touched the power all around him in a caress. “I didn’t think nullification could be used like that.”
Senlas looked at him. “I didn’t know myself. I don’t think it’s anything that’s possible without a Conduit like you.”
“Ugh, you two. Makes me want to go out and find a Conduit too.”
“We’d cheer for you,” Orrey said. “Still, I think if Hyran were with Pinota and Alesa, he’d never have helped us the way he did, calling his mothers. He’d have told me that protectors had no place in the Grounds. Without his mothers, we wouldn’t have beaten the Guardian insurrectionists.”
Taros made a moue, his frown sharp with his power running wild. “I don’t like you being reasonable, Orrey. Just because his mothers are protectors doesn’t mean he’s nice suddenly. Don’t forget, Undora was murdered by someone, and Durgo isn’t currently in any condition to tell us who did that. Perhaps it was Durgo himself, perhaps it was someone else working for Pinota. And Hyran was there that day, dragged you into that apartment.”
“I know that. And I was just in there telling Col…follow my words, I asked whether we should take him back to Anandas.”
Senlas pinched the bridge of his nose, and Taros’s brows rose. “Why?” the panoplian asked.
“Anandas told me he can undo an imprinting.” Orrey was on his toes so he could whisper the last, not that there was any surveillance there in the clinic they should worry about. They were still technically in the Grounds after all.
Taros’s mouth fell open. “You—what?”
Senlas hummed. “The Hound offered Orrey, but Orrey loves me, don’t you, kitten? He turned him down.”
