Page 6 of Guiding Reason
~Hyran
In a heartbeat, Hyran’s life had changed. He stood frozen, watching Coldis in that large clinic bed. The Conduit was clearly passing out, slipping into sleep, the medication doing its work. Hyran was relieved, at least about that. Everything else, heart and mind, was turmoil.
He remembered exactly when he’d first seen Coldis and Argentea’s Team Three. Coldis had been in a boat with a wounded Guardian and a Hound, and he hadn’t been scared.
At the time, Hyran had taken that as an indicator of duplicity. He still wasn’t sure exactly where Coldis and his team stood.They aren’t with Alesa, at least, that’s for sure. Probably not with Pinota, but I can’t be sure about that. They aren’t with whoever helped Durgo have Undora killed, at least the Conduits on the team aren’t.
What had irked Hyran since the moment he’d imprinted was that day by the South Iron River when he’d demanded Coldis give him his screen. The Conduit had just dropped it into Hyran’s hand of course, the gesture dismissive.
We could have touched that day. Things would have gone a different way, and I would have been better able to protect him. He’d have never gotten hurt, and he wouldn’t be in this bed, getting concussion medication and looking so small and vulnerable.
Hyran’s own screen vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled the device out.
His mama had written.
So it’s true? I should congratulate you?
Hyran hesitated, then typed at the highest speed his screen could handle.Yes, it’s true, and you shouldn’t.
You always look to the darkness instead of following the light, Hyran,she chided, and he could hear her in his ear, her accent slight but present.
I told you about the imprinted in my building who was found dead. I don’t want that for him. For either of us. Jealousy killed her.
Not jealousy. A person did that. Who forges your path, Hyran?
He sighed, whispered, “I do,” like she had always taught him. He typed the words out and sent them.
Exactly. It’s the Conduit who brought protectors into the Grounds? The Argentean?
No, but he’s on that team too. The team lead, actually.
What, you imprinted on the team lead?
Hyran sighed. He made for the bathroom, sliding the door almost closed, but leaving a crack so he could keep an eye on Coldis.
He called her, and she picked up right away. “You imprinted on the team lead from the Argentean team? The team you helped bring to safety from outside the walls?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“How is he? Your mommy said he was hurt when she saw him, and something about you behaving poorly toward a medic.”
“Concussion, but we’re at the clinic now. Earlier, what Mommy said, I’d just imprinted, and the medic… I’m sorry. They gave him hyperdecarin, high dose. He just passed out.”
“The poor thing. What’s his name?”
“Coldis Solara.”
Hyran had researched that name like he had the other members of the Argentean team when it had been announced they were outside the walls after an ambush, when contact with them had been lost.
Coldis had struck him as odd, too driven, too involved in a small but high-powered team, a team he seemed to have kept this small on purpose despite people wanting to join.
Thinking about the team made Hyran grind his teeth. Yes, he had his suspicions about them being connected to what was going on outside the walls, but on top of that, there was no way Coldis was not intimate with at least some of the Guardians on that team. After all, the three extremely skilled A-classers and the S-classer had practically grown up together. The S-classer, Senlas Warrak, didn’t concern Hyran as much because Senlas had imprinted himself, but the others…
It left three people. Three people Coldis might love, three people who might end like Undora, the Conduit Linar had loved even after she’d been imprinted on. Hyran had been friendly with both Linar and Undora because they were his neighbors. Yet Undora hadn’t had anyone else. No one was openly hostile. No one was friendly or made her life any easier either, and Hyran had seen the weight of that impacting Undora every day, smothering brightness and joy.
Jealousy stepped into Hyran’s mind easily, but it was nothing compared to the fear and pain. He’d seen where it had led Durgo, had seen where it had led Linar. The last he had heard, Durgo had been brought to the clinic as well, and he was worse off than Col.
Whether he deserved it for what he had done to Linar, Hyran couldn’t say. He knew that Coldis was a part of him now, was in his every waking thought and lived in his dreams. And he didn’t want to hurt the Conduit. A part of himself wished the imprinting hadn’t happened at all, especially if Coldis was in love with another. The very idea made Hyran want to curl into a ball and cry.
