Page 96 of Guiding Desire
Either way, he decided to take Col’s points at face value, and said, “Then that’s good. Senlas and I are witnesses to intended murder. We could’ve just told the AI judges at the Judiciary earlier.”
Col’s face softened. “Yeah, well, no. Those laws don’t much apply to our kind, least of all A-classers and above.”
Orrey gasped. “That’s not right. The wording—”
“I know the wording just as much as you do. It still doesn’t apply, isn’t applied.”
Orrey shook his head, tried waking himself. It had to be another dream after all, everything since the bomb, since before the bomb.There are no people outside the walls, and Guardians aren’t vicious like that. They are the protectors to the city.
But once again, Orrey didn’t wake, and reality stayed in its newly twisted shape. Once more, he was forced to choose acceptance.
“This can’t be right.” And yet, Orrey’s mind accepted it readily enough, making the conversation shine in a different light. “But that means he and others are conspiring to—it’s not just about Alesa wanting you. They said they were working for another goal. They said there was a plan. And there is another person working with them.”
Col frowned. “Not too bad a summary, but I’ll have you train your memory from here on out. You need to be able to memorize things like that better. You never know when details will matter, little brother. Now, come on. I’d like to share information with everyone at once and lay out the route ahead.” He petted Orrey’s head again. “You are doing well. Fitting in, I mean. My urge to slap you is far less strong.”
“Excuse me? Why would you want to slap me, Conduit Coldis?”
Col stood, holding out a hand for Orrey to take. “Friendly slaps, if anything. To make you feel and better put into context the harshness of this world we live in. And don’t get formal over it, little brother.”
“No one ever told me they wanted to do that to me, so forgive me if I was uncertain as to how to act.”
Col chuckled but said nothing. He led the way out of the room and onward to the hallway, past a kitchen with old appliances, almost antiques themselves. Orrey couldn’t be sure, but none looked to be automated.
“I said, yes please.”
“Uh?”
Col had stopped, seemingly to admire a set of three curved swords.
“When someone said they would very much like to slap me, I said, yes, please. Looking back, it was the right thing to say, and I regret nothing.”
“How can you go from murder plots to that kind of thing?”
“What kind of thing?” said Karmine, who sat on a large cushion in what had to be the living space, eating berry stew right out of a container.
The living space opened to a large balcony on one side, making it look big despite the ceiling creating corners and spots that required the tall Guardians to duck unless they wanted a concussion. Taros, who was lying on the single, not very large couch, wearing rather tight combat pants, looked like he was suffering from one already. Vin and Senlas were out on the balcony, and Orrey found himself relieved when he saw his Guardian.
My Guardian. I suppose he really is that.
“Sex,” Col said. “Our new Conduit is confounded by the notion of sex and murder rolling off my tongue in the same sentence with such ease.”
Karmine shrugged. “Sex and murder have always been close. You could argue civilization is all about pulling the two farther apart from one another.”
“You talk, and I hate you all for it,” Taros said. “Even you, beautiful,” he added, glancing at Orrey.
Vin and Senlas came into the room, closing the balcony doors behind them. The presence of two more Guardians really made the space seem all the smaller. It wasn’t that unusual from Orrey’s old living situation at the protector housing, and thus, it was comforting.
Coldis took one of two chairs that looked like they’d been brought into the room just for extra seating. Vin took the other, and Senlas stole the pillow from under Taros’s head,Pullingit away with his telekinesis. Taros protested with a groan as Senlas plopped the pillow on the ground next to a low, round, solid-looking wooden table, sat, and patted his lap.
“Come, sit with me, kitten.”
Orrey did. He told himself that it was the right thing to do if Senlas asked for it in front of his team, that he couldn’t possibly have refused this, but deeper inside, another motivation lived.
He’d not drop me, Orrey thought, remembering what Senlas had told him the night before when he hadLiftedthem into the higher branches of an ancient tree.Maybe he can also guide me through this.
Warmth hummed between them when Senlas touched Orrey’s hand, almost as if to confirm and soothe a need in Orrey rather than the other way around.
“Huh,” Col said. “You said he was asleep. Not just from recovery alone then?”
