Page 59 of Guiding Desire

“Kitten. Your parasol.” Senlas handed it over, and Orrey took it with a small smile, one of the ones Senlas was growing fond of.

“Thank you. It’s just a short walk.”

“Use it. Remember how your face is still healing, side effects of being in an explosion. And I only have so many burn patches.”

Satisfaction curled through Senlas’s chest when he saw Orrey open the parasol and smile that smile again.

“I’ll stay with Coldis and find you soon,” he said, turned away, and walked off with Col, leaving Senlas unhappier than he would ever willingly admit.

The auto-drive took him through to the East Courtyard, one of the three biggest and where they usually held this annual pain of an event.

The East Courtyard had never made sense to Senlas. For one thing, it wasn’t a regular courtyard. Yes, it was a green space between buildings, and yes, some berries grew here as well as large tara bushes by the pond.

More than anything, the East Courtyard appeared to be the proto version of Meridian Park. Like the park, it had a few paved pathways, but most people preferred the winding gravel paths.

There were no benches here, only Meridian Park had those, but when they’d all still been in school, Col had designated Senlas as the Bearer of the Blanket, and the lot of them had spent their study and recess periods out here together a lot, lazing on the ground and sharing food and conversation.

The auto-drive stopped next to several others, and Senlas waited in the vehicle before getting out, watching the bonfires the fire users had created. Next to them stood ice sculptures, courtesy of hydromancers and pagomancers. Groups had gathered on blankets and pillows or even folding chairs dotted around everywhere. Children were running every which way, and games of four logs had broken out on the fringes.

Senlas leaned his forehead against the window. “What the fuck do I do if he likes this sort of thing?” he asked the empty vehicle.

Probably the same thing I am doing with the radio,he thought, and hesitantly got out, hopeful that his frown would at least be a signal to the children to stay well away from him. After three steps, he stumbled.Fuck, what if he wants some of those?

Senlas straightened, ran both hands through his hair.Perhaps I can tell him I can’t because a Hound kicked me in the nuts real hard out there? Fuck. Can’t do that.A particularly noisy group of children ran past, the youngest with something orange sticking to their face, maybe glimpid pudding.

Senlas shuddered. “No, it’s fine. I can definitely lie about my balls.”

“What’re you talking about?” Vin said, coming toward Senlas from behind two school-age Conduits, who jumped a little when he spoke. “Sorry.” The Conduits hurried off.

“Scaring children now?”

Vin shrugged. “Better than looking terrified when seeing them. Does he want one? Have you set a date for artificial surrogacy and the melding of both your juices?”

“Ugh, no. And why do you have to make that sound so dirty.”

Vin sneered. “Because you look even more terrified imagining it. Come on, we found the Ferrean Conduits. Karmine is already being charming.”

Senlas nodded and followed Vin, who was much better than the average person when it came to navigating crowds. “Orrey is with Col. They’re looking at statues in the Rock.”

“Sure.”

Senlas cocked his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Means I heard you.”

Senlas rolled his eyes. “I hate when you’re being weird.”

“I’m always weird, Sen-Sen. You should ask me to promise not to tell your Conduit you were considering pretending to be infertile back there.”

“I wasn’t—it was a lapse in judgment, and if there is fairness in the world, he doesn’t want to procreate.”

Vin sighed. “Col will never be an uncle. Shame.”

“You three make him an uncle then. Fucking Hounds and Hunts, we need to change the topic. It’s bad enough Orrey’s still not back.”

Senlas pulled his screen from his pocket but found that he couldn’t activate it, his hand and fingers having frozen.

“Before youThrowthings or people at me, consider this is doing you a favor,” Vin said, stepping over an abandoned blanket.