Page 109 of Guiding Desire

Senlas nuzzled Orrey’s neck, though Orrey tried to remain unfazed. “On the plus side, only he was naked.”

“Not a plus,” Senlas said. “More like a constant fucking bother.”

Is that what it’s like when you have siblings?Orrey wondered. Then wondered some more, looked at Taros.

“What, beautiful? Want me to help you vex your Guardian?”

Orrey shook his head. “No. I was wondering—and apologies if this is forward or intrusive—but do you have a sibling?”

“I do. A sis—oh, Hounds’ cocks.Brother. He’s my dear, self-importantbrother, less fortunate in overall looks and talent.”

“He’s a Guardian Games competitor on the Golden Fife team.”

“One of the ‘golden five,’” Taros said, rolling his eyes.

“So he was the one who wanted to recruit you?” Orrey asked.

Taros snorted. “Fuck no. That would’ve entailed him and me being on the same team. I mean, we’re related, and he’s a…I guess, he’s a human being, but you all are my family.”

“The Blue Robes team leader tried recruiting Taros, and I only know these two teams because of this whole, painfully stupid story. And Targun isn’t that bad, although he is obnoxious.”

“Targun. Even the name he chose”—Taros looked at Orrey—“it’s to annoy me. Our mother calls me Tar-Tar. Do you know what she calls him now? Guess.”

Orrey looked at the tiny, tiny blades that had appeared on Taros’s face, on his forehead and under his eyes. They were like needles the color of Taros’s skin, pretty in their evenness, but the way they reflected the light let Orrey know they were also deadly sharp.

“Uhm. Gun-Gun?”

“You see?” Taros said to Senlas as if this were an often-recurring conversation. “He gets it too. But no, Orrey of the beautiful behind; our beloved mother, who wants to let both her sons know she loves them equally, has decided to call him Tar-Two. And that little water-spouting fiend suggestedIshould be Tar-Two. Because I am the younger! The audacity!”

Senlas rolled his eyes. “Not another fucking rant, Taros.”

“It’s not a rant. I have to tell your Conduit. What if he runs into fucking Tar-Two and gets all wrapped up in his fucking charm? This is for his own safety.”

“I was never really into Guardian Games. I’ll just tell him that.”

Senlas chuckled. “Kitten, I wish it were that easy, but honestly, Targun doesn’t really shut up. Or shut down.”

“Run. You see a Guardian decked out in Golden Fife everything, wearing fucking awful pants that do nothing for his ass, you run.”

“Uhm, sure?”

Senlas pulled him close. “And while you’re running, you tell him you’re a follower of the Blue Robes. Just like me.”

“I…will try to scheme with you to the best of my ability.”

“Oh no.” Taros shook his head. “We’d never scheme. It’s self-preservation. You’ll see. Senlas, one block.”

“Yeah, aware.”

Orrey wasn’t quite prepared for the rapid shift in topic, but when the vehicle stopped in front of the hospital and the three of them filed out, it didn’t escape his notice that both Guardians made a point of keeping him between them, their eyes scanning their surroundings, not maybe in an immediately obvious way, but in that way Orrey had been taught too, eyeballs moving, left to right, scanning up as well as ahead.

The appointment was only a partial relief because this final laser treatment might have removed the stem cell grafts, but it left Orrey’s face itching. The physician massaged a salve into Orrey’s skin for that and handed the rest of the tube over to Senlas, the procedure to be repeated twice daily.

“And you are free to shower again,” were the most amazing words out of the physician’s mouth, lifting Orrey’s spirits considerably.

FortheremainderofCovenant week, they all fell into a routine, albeit not a carefree one.

Col and Karmine were absent a lot from Vin’s place, their temporary gathering place on the Grounds. Taros, when he was there, lounged on the couch most of the time, studying his screen intently. Senlas was not much different, screen casting the members of the Ferrean team from the larger screen in Vin’s office and chatting with the Op-AI.