Page 97 of Guiding Desire

Senlas shook his head. “He started channeling. He can take in a lot, but he’s a sensitive.”

“Ahh,” Taros said, rolling on his side. “Had a feeling.”

“It’s called jealousy,” Vin said.

“Which is offensive, seeing as how I have emergency channeled all of you in a row on many occasions,” Col said. “Anyway, that’s good. Taros, if you can give commentary, you can eat. I need you sharp.”

Taros chuckled, reached for one of the containers. “Sharp, huh?”

Col rolled his eyes. “I’ll just go straight into it then. Alesa has been fattening his team with Conduits. He’s been sleeping with an S-classer. Ragot, I’m pretty sure. If not him, then Pao.”

“Ragot’s more likely between those choices,” Senlas said.

“Why?” Orrey asked.

Taros perked up after devouring half a pancake. “Alesa prefers men, and Pao is in a relationship with four C-classers already.”

Orrey nodded. If he’d been following Guardians even a little bit, he might’ve known some of the names, but as it was, he had to follow as best as he could, learn the rules of this society at speed.

“Ragot is a healer,” Col said to Orrey. “He specializes in maternity care. I looked into it, and he’s overseen thousands of deliveries and is routinely called in when one is particularly difficult. He is in large part responsible for the unusually low rate of maternal mortality Argentea has and for the equally high success rate of in-vitro fertilizations combining multiple parents’ DNA.”

“There is a joke about the head of the Agri Team fucking him in there somewhere,” Karmine said.

“You’re disgusting,” Vin said.

Karmine shrugged. “Said it was there. Didn’t make it.”

Col gave them a single sideways glance, which shut them up. “I also reviewed Alesa’s career, his assignments, all of that. An absolute rule follower. Exacting. Well-liked among B- and C-classers.”

Orrey’s eyebrows shot up, and Col smiled.

“No, not so much among A-classers, little brother,” the Conduit said.

Senlas nodded, and his chin lightly touched the top of Orrey’s head. “He always liked shining in the brightest light, and there’s something about how he speaks with Conduits when he thinks no one is listening.”

“Something I experienced first-hand on more than one occasion,” Col said.

Vin’s ice-blue eyes locked on Orrey’s. “He tried to force Col to channel him once. We don’t do forced channeling. It disgusts me to know he did that and still walks around out there.”

“He wasn’t walking so well when I kneed him after the fact,” Col said. “But yes. He is problematic.”

Orrey filed the information about forced channeling away. Senlas had done it before, and now, Orrey understood why he’d asked for consent.

“And as lead of the Agri Team, he is in contact with other cities a lot,” Col went on. “So much so that I can’t see anything unusual in the activity. As for his movements, he’s mostly in the Grounds or outside the walls to supervise planting, harvesting, push back against the odd Hound attack on the fields that are farther out.

“Oh, and the makeup of his team is interesting too. You’d think he’d have more A-classers than he does, but he actually focuses on Bs and Cs, some Ds, and he lets the latter make guard runs along the fields. A bit unconventional, but they give him good leadership reports for it consistently. It helps that he’s been able to clear new fields as well and provide stable harvests to keep the city fed.”Senlas had been loosely holding on to Orrey, but all of a sudden, he wrapped him tightly in his arms. “I think I get it. That’s why he was so upset about me all of a sudden.”

“Huh?” Taros said, his mouth full of pancake.

“He’s looking to get influence in order to implement rule changes,” Vin said.

Karmine pointed his spoon at Orrey. “Hah! Makes you a complication.” He frowned. “But an imprinted S-classer would mostly have influence to change and optimize rules for Conduits and other Guardians, and—wait. You said he spouted acid about the complacency of minds around here?”

“I’m feeling very complacent of the mind right now,” Taros said and rubbed his eyes.

“That’s because you cannot hold your liquor,” Senlas said.

Orrey pushed against Senlas’s tight hold. “In fact, I’m not following either.”