Page 84 of Guiding Reason
“Do you really think this is okay?” Orrey once again looked at the bagsFloatingbehind them. It was a strange procession, a Conduit, a Guardian, and five bags of food, probably the strangest thing to be seen walking down the wide street that ran from the center of the Grounds toward the Champions’ Tower.
“We’re celebrating you becoming a third rank.” Senlas sounded final. He wasn’t even so much as looking at Orrey this time around.
Orrey bit his lip before he said, “I didn’t earn this. You know that. Col just made sure I’m more useful in this mess of a situation, and I could barely do anything today.”
Senlas stopped, pinched the bridge of his nose, and turned toward Orrey. The building lights around them were flickering on, and illumination bots flitted around to dispense light where needed.
“We had this conversation ten minutes ago at the restaurant, kitten. You deserve this, and your rank doesn’t determine your usefulness.”
“Right. I didn’t want you grumbly at the restaurant because that placewasreally fancy. I didn’t think it would be quite this extravagant when you asked Guardian Liolo about a ‘nice restaurant.’ Who would have thought the lead Guardian of theAgri-Team knew a place like that? But regardless, you know this is an unearned rank for me.”
Senlas sighed. “Kitten, you make exactly no sense today. I love you very much, so that’s fine. My imprinted rose from overlooked Conduit to third rank operative, and I will celebrate that with fancy food, sure as the damned noise before a Wild Hunt.”
Orrey blushed, wrapped his arms around Senlas’s and leaned against his Guardian. “I didn’t deserve it. And it’s not a time to be celebrating, Sen.”
“My thinking is, we’ll stop by Shoda’s place, let him douse you in a nice ice bath until you regain your senses. Yeah?”
“And it’s so much food. Fancy food.”
“I’m hungry. Everyone will be hungry. We have a kinetomancer around now, and Lapatea looks like he’s missing fancy food.” Senlas cleared his throat.
Orrey looked up, sensing something shift in his Guardian. “What?”
“Just… Can you do me a favor and see if you can talk to Col again? Doesn’t have to be tonight. To make sure he’s fine with everything.”
“You didn’t seem all that concerned yesterday.”
Senlas hummed. “No, because I remember all too well what it was like, finding you. Do you remember how irritated I was when Col touched you, right after I imprinted? And I mean,Col.He’s my brother. And he’s a Conduit. I wouldn’t have been able to go to your protector housing with you, for instance.”
Orrey frowned. “But you said you would, that day.”
Senlas tensed. “Did I? I don’t remember that.”
“You said it would make the other protectors uncomfortable if you were there.”
Senlas looked straight ahead, where the Champions’ Tower stood like a bright beacon in the oncoming darkness. “Well, itwould have. If we’d gone there. If they had come near you. They would have been very uncomfortable.”
Senlas turned and took Orrey’s hand. They resumed walking toward the Tower.
Orrey skipped. “You lied to me! Hah! Now you have to make it up to me.”
“I do? Interesting. How? I’m already looking forward to it.”
Senlas grinned at him. Orrey couldn’t help it. He grinned right back.I love the way his blue eyes look with only the illumination bots around.
Noises from ahead drew Orrey’s attention. On one half of the lawn outside the Champions’ Tower, people had gathered, and a white fog hung in the air.
“What’s that?” Orrey asked.
A metallic bang from their right distracted them both. Orrey relaxed into the power he immediately felt all around him, Senlas’s power, ready to defend him at any cost.
The Guardian placed himself between Orrey and the danger. All Orrey saw, apart from Senlas’s back, was a building, not nearly as tall as the Champions’ tower, but looking like it was all apartments.The Agri-Team will make sure this garden gets harvested as well, but it can’t be them already,Orrey thought, the plants and crops around the building reminding him of what they’d spent the day working on.
“Protectors?” Senlas’s voice lost most of its tension, but his power kept its hold on Orrey.
Someone waved at them from the garden in front of the building. “We came here to collect this one.”
Orrey peered around Senlas, pushing against the power sheltering him. That was something he could do now, and it still surprised him.
