Page 86 of Guiding Reason
Orrey gaped. The little flower was intricately made, shimmering where the ice broke the light into colors. “I’d love to accept it, but it’ll melt.”
“Ice is meant to melt when it finds warmth. You still honor the gift if only for a minute.”
“Then I’ll accept it gladly.”
Orrey could tell that Senlas wasn’t enjoying this too much, but he liked that Orrey did.It’s strange to know that about someone else. But it doesn’t feel strange, not even a little bit.
Shoda handed Orrey the flower, and the screens and cam bots caught the exchange. Applause broke out from the small crowd as well, and Orrey’s screen buzzed with the comments directed at it from the event.
“Sen, can you—”
But his Guardian had felt the request even before Orrey had put it into words.
The ice flowerFloatedbetween Orrey and Senlas, beautiful, light-catching, glistening with melting but safe for a few moments longer this way.
“Thank you for this, Shoda,” Orrey said.
“And thank you for accepting it. I have to go back to judging the ice. Enjoy your evening, Senlas, Orrey.”
Shoda was gone as quickly as he’d appeared. Orrey watched his flower as they crossed the lawn to get to the Tower. They passed a few of the sculptures on the way, but there was hardly any time to look at them. The people around them were far too interested in watching them, and Orrey didn’t enjoy that.
Senlas sensed it, and before long, they had left the relative cool of the competition crowd behind. The evening was warm and pleasant, by far too warm for the ice to last long, and right on the steps leading up to the Champions’ Tower, all that was left of the ice flower Senlas had beenHoldingwas a single drop, glistening and round.
Orrey poked it with his index finger, and Senlas let it explode into fine mist.
“My flower is dead.”
“No, your flower turned to air and light. Ready to celebrate, third rank?”
“No.”
“Good.”
They returned to a relatively busy living space. The ice sculpture competition was on the screen though no one seemed to be actively watching. Lapatea and Taros sat at the table, examining the contents of a few boxes, presumably from the gift pile.
On the couch, Karmine was spread out, feet up, looking at his own screen.
Hyran was rapidly shuffling papers or printouts on the floor between the dining table and the sunken couch, and Vin was leaning against the wall to the hallway with the bedrooms, clearly trying to not be too obvious while keeping an eye on the last room on the left.
Col looked up from a nest of pillows on the floor, close to Hyran, a larger screen balanced on his thigh. “You’re back. Finally.”
Lapatea stood. “And you brought food. Is that from the Glass and Iron?” His eyes widened, taking in the logo on the bags, Ferrea’s single arrow framed in a square. “Not even I can count on getting a table there whenever I want one for guests.”
“We have to celebrate,” Senlas said before Orrey could stop him, thenLiftedhim off the ground. “Do you all see this Conduit? He’s mine, and as of today, he’s a third rank operative.”
“Will you—stop! Put me down, Sen.” Orrey was trying to be firm, but then it didn’t matter, because they all started clapping.Clapping.Even Vin did. Only once they were done did Senlas put him back on the ground.
“Congratulations, Orrey. So well deserved.” Lapatea was trying to be happy for him, Orrey could tell.
It’s strange for someone to whom excitement came so easily to be struggling to find it now.
“I—Col just made sure I got assigned that rank.” Orrey was feeling even more guilty at the sight of Lapatea’s white scarf.
“The Op-AI isn’t Col’s office AI.” Vin was close all of a sudden. Orrey hadn’t noticed him approach. “Tell him, Col.”
“Yes,” Col said. “My office AI is far more biddable. It wouldn’t have thought about awarding you this rank and considered all your merits like the Op-AI did.”
Karmine picked up one of the bags from the Glass and Iron and peered inside. “Col’s right, beautiful. The Op-AI doesn’t just hand out ranks like Boop-Beep hands out candy. You deserve this. And you deserve the celebration too. Taros, get your clothes off.”
