Page 74 of Guiding Desire

“I won’t.”

Another drag from the water bottle. “Tell me. Who do you protect?”

Orrey sighed, and even in the firelight, Senlas saw color rising to his neck. “Senlas. I protect Senlas.”

Senlas’s mouth fell open and remained so while their two Conduits were singing. It didn’t even sound half bad. Vin shook his head, exasperated, but with a subtle smile on his face. Karmine made fire form and reform in time with their singing, and Taros swayed to the rhythm, humming along, trying to snag the pitcher from Col’s fingers but failing. Senlas listened, enraptured like he very rarely got. It was his Conduit singing after all, and Orrey’s voice was the sweetest melody to Senlas’s ears.

18

SENLAS

Theyleftnotallthat much later. Senlas could see Orrey’s eyelids grow heavy. Instead of getting Orrey to voice his exhaustion, Senlas asked him to go home, saying he’d have work to do early the next day. Not exactly the truth but close enough.

Senlas found them the quickest way he could manage away from the East Courtyard’s crowd. That happened to be a shortcut he’d used ever since he was a student.

“It’s dark,” Orrey said when they came to a stop in front of the large 3D-printed door Senlas wanted.

“I know the way, kitten. It’s fine.” He squeezed Orrey’s hand.

“Why kitten?” Orrey asked when SenlasFeltthe tumblers in the lock andOpenedthem.

The door swung inward. Behind it, the Colonnade threw faint shadows, the starlight barely able to paint the outlines. SenlasLockedthe door behind them.

“Don’t you like it when I call you kitten?”

Orrey considered that as they walked. He’d drifted closer to Senlas, uncertain of the path but trusting enough to follow into the darkness regardless.

“It’s not terrible. I assumed pet names would come later in a relationship and that they’d maybe be negotiated. Do I look like a cat to you?”

Senlas laughed, the columns slicing the sound into tiny echoes. “I wish you had cute cat ears, but no. I was thinking more of your claws, kitten.” He leaned in. “And you’re soft, like a kitten’s fur. The parts of you I’ve had were soft. I keep imagining what it’ll be like to be inside you.”

Orrey tsked. “Do you have to talk like that?” His voice sounded huffy.

“I think I do. Or do you really not like me showing you that I want you?”

Senlas saw Orrey’s auburn hair catch glimmers of starlight as he shook his head. “It’s not been a week, and I’ve become a Conduit, been in a bombing, learned that people live outside the walls, and had sex with a Guardian. No one’s life should change as fast as that.”

Senlas grunted in agreement. “You’re right. I’m not sure if this’s clear to you, but if there is anything that I can do, anything that will make adjusting easier for you, tell me. I’ll do it.”

He nodded. “My family wants to do a little…not sure. Dinner thing? With you and Col. Maybe the rest of the team. Is that possible? They just want to celebrate.”

“Of course. I didn’t think, but do they want to see you? Make sure you’re okay?”

Orrey shrugged. “They wouldn’t mind.”

“Ah, kitten. We’ll visit tomorrow.”

They walked the rest of the Colonnade in silence. Senlas decided to cut through another building, one of the ones used for Conduit training. It would get them closer to one of the smaller entranceways to the rest of the city. Since Senlas had had a drink, he wasn’t going to drive, and even if, he didn’t want to drag Orrey all the way back to the clinic.

Orrey seemed lost in his own thoughts as they entered the Conduit training building, the C2 as everyone called it.

Like many buildings on the Grounds, this one was older, made from stone and lacking transparent walls. Faint lights brought out crown molding and faces carved into the stone by lithomancy or other powers. Simple tools could have been used to make them, for all Senlas knew.

They walked past training rooms, some with their doors closed, some ajar, when Senlas heard the voices. Orrey did too, and his reaction aligned closely with Senlas’s own. He remained quiet and pressed against Senlas’s side.

“It’s a fucking threat, that plain-facedthing,” the first speaker said. Senlas recognized him as Alesa.

“Oh, it’s always drama with you.” That second speaker, Senlas didn’t recognize. They sounded female, soft. Young.