Page 49 of Guiding Desire

“Yes, but, well. Senlas mentioned he doesn’t like people touching his grinder.”

Vin shrugged. “I won’t tell if you don’t. If you’re hungry, you can help yourself to whatever is in the fridge. Karmine cooks, and that lazy sack of grain is still asleep.”

Orrey took in the large kitchen, bigger even than the communal one at his protector unit.

“Or I could make something.”

“That’s another hypothetical.”

Orrey didn’t read that as an objection, and doing something useful would make him feel like he contributed.

He looked in the fridge. There were more fire berries, but a selection of other fruit and already sliced vegetables. A quick search of the cabinets revealed a generous spice selection and a porridge mix of beans and grains, something Orrey felt confident he could handle.

“Is everyone’s breakfast preference sweet or spicy?” Orrey asked Vin, who was filling the coffee maker with his freshly ground beans.

“He who cooks gets to pick,” the Guardian said, then turned toward Orrey, lower back leaning against the counter and arms folded. Watching.

“I’ll make some porridge then,” Orrey said.

“Sure.”

Orrey had no idea how much would be enough, but he figured about the amount he’d make for his roommates. He roasted the porridge mix in the pot before adding spices, warming mi blossoms, powdered carra, fis for color, and some arin to bring out the sweet flavors. Once the smell of that filled the kitchen, he added the liquid, one part water, one part of the grain milk he found in the fridge. He set everything to auto on the simmer setting for thirty minutes.

“You do that often,” Vin said, and Orrey nearly jumped. He’d forgotten the Guardian was even there.

Orrey tried covering his shock by clearing his throat. “We take turns cooking at my place. Or at my old place, I suppose.”

Vin nodded. When he pushed off the counter, he moved smoothly, opening a cupboard above Orrey’s head and pulling out two mugs. He filled them, handed one to Orrey, then grabbed a plastic bowl from another cabinet.

“Come on.” Vin walked out of the kitchen, jerking his head in afollow memotion.

“I—yes,” Orrey said, balancing his mug in his hand so it wouldn’t spill while catching up with the Guardian. Who began noisily slurping his own coffee while he walked.

Orrey was uncertain about whether to make conversation. Walking behind Vin, he got a different sense of the man than he had earlier, not that there had been many interactions. When everyone else was there, Vin didn’t much stand out. He’d been quiet mostly while the others had tried catching Orrey up with that show yesterday, not that he’d retained much of all of the details of who’d slept with who.

He said, “Did you all just stream the rest of that Guardian show?”

“No. It’s ongoing. We haven’t caught up.”

“Ah.”

Vin slurped. Maybe he had a sensitive mouth and couldn’t tolerate hot beverages.

The corridor, past the guest bedroom Orrey was using, split into two. The right led to more doors and a balcony he could see behind the sliding glass door at the far end.

The left was shorter, leading to a staircase that spiraled down. Beyond it, the transparent wall offered yet another gorgeous view.

“Whoa, is that the city wall?” Orrey asked.

Vin’s head snapped to the window, reminding Orrey of a kas bird who’d spotted prey. “Yes. Clear day today. Good for the cookout.”

“There’s a cookout?”

“Yeah. Say you want to come.”

“I want to come?”

“No, say it to Senlas.”