Page 72 of Guiding Desire

“Coldis, Taros is unlikely to make his way back here before morning if we send him off on a booze run,” Senlas said.

“Did you just call me a lush?” Taros asked, his eyes narrowed. He lifted his hand, fingers splayed, and let five blades project from the skin.

“Yeah, a discerning lush who only showers the deserving with his attention,” Senlas said.

Taros blew a raspberry. “I’m not even that drunk yet.”

“You are,” Vin said.

“Nah-ah. Am not.”

More out of reflex than anything, Senlas lifted an arm to shield Orrey when someone approached their spot under the tree. He disguised it by running a finger down the short hair on the side of Orrey’s head, which had him flinch but then relax. Senlas smiled before focusing his attention on the two Guardians approaching.

“Looks like we finally found you,” Loquin, the head of the Ferrean team, said. He was bronze-skinned, blue-eyed, and black-haired, enough similarities to himself that Senlas felt the pinch of useless jealousy stir. “We’d hoped to chat after the parade, but apparently you imprinted, Guardian Senlas.” His eyes fell on Orrey. “That’s the one?”

“He’s mine,” Senlas said, putting his other hand over Orrey’s flat stomach, which had him gasp in surprise.

“Oh, hey, look who you found.” Loquin’s mission partner, Garyu, had dyed her hair the approximate shade of green her flames took. Her skin tone was darker than Loquin’s, and as a result, she looked stunning.

But the woman’s looks weren’t why Taros was letting out a surprised squawk. “You brought us a pitcher!”

Garyu looked at the drink in her hand. “I most certainly did not.”

Taros lifted a finger at her and let a blade pop free from his skin, which had Orrey’s eyes go wide. “You are on our blanket with a pitcher. That means you brought us a pitcher.”

Garyu sighed. “The logic of drunk people is no logic at all but wishful thinking.”

Loquin patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t be like that. Let’s share a drink. And congratulate Guardian Senlas and his imprinted. Apologies, Conduit, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Here in Argentea, one commonly offers their own name when asking for another’s,” Col said, sounding sobered.

Loquin chuckled as he glided to his knees and gave Orrey a small bow. “Apologies. You are of course right, Conduit Coldis. Pleased to meet you. I’m Guardian Loquin, A-classer and mission lead of the Ferrean team, and this is my colleague, Guardian Garyu.” He bent his head to Orrey, who returned the gesture with his mouth full.

“I’m Orrey Acton,” he said after hastily swallowing his bite.

“They messed up his testing,” Col said when both Loquin and Garyu frowned. “He was raised among regulars.”

“What’d I do wrong?” Orrey whispered to Senlas.

Senlas loved him asking and loved that he had chosen to ask Senlas himself rather than anyone else. He stroked Orrey’s side. “You haven’t done anything wrong, kitten, but you can introduce yourself with your title and your first name.”

Orrey frowned. “Why do Conduits and Guardians need special ways of doing everything? Please don’t tell me there’s a special way I am supposed to use the bathroom now.”

Garyu laughed out loud as she poured Taros and Col, then Karmine, Senlas, and Loquin and herself each a glass from the pitcher. “You seem to be taking it well. Even our Conduits are more wide-eyed than you, Conduit Orrey, and they’ve been Conduits all their lives.”

“You have Conduits on your team?”

“We do,” Loquin said. “But she means the ones we escorted to Argentea on their move from Ferrea to here.”

“Yes, we meant to introduce Orrey,” Col said. “But then we forgot.”

Taros nodded. “Because they forced me to fetch them all drinks.”

Loquin lifted his glass. “To getting lost while fetching drinks. Skies above know it’s when the best things in life happen.”

They drank while Orrey shoved the last bit of bun into his mouth. Senlas had to shift, given the thought of licking the molten sugar off his Conduit’s lips was giving him a hard-on, and he didn’t want to poke Orrey in the back with an erection.

“We heard about the bombings too,” Garyu said, her eyes focused on Orrey. “According to our Op-AI’s assessment, you saved lives, little Conduit.”