Page 113 of Guiding Reason

“Taros—”

“That’s Rose’s organics manipulation. Phytomancy. They aren’t all dead.”

Rose moved to Hyran’s other side and helped drag him toward the house. “They aren’t. This way, we can still talk to them, but this one comes first. He needs healing.”

“I thought Avan isn’t really a healer yet. We need to—fuck. There is no way we can get Hyran back home quick.”And this time, it’s my fault. Just like it was my fault the first time we were attacked.

Rose grunted and said something in the Hound tongue. “Avan can fix him. I want Anandas back, and when he is like this, he cannot run.”

Taros hooked Hyran’s good arm over his shoulder, his blades back to fully controlled. “Oh, excuse your Darkling-fucking ass for the inconvenience when my brother is bleeding and almostunconscious because you had some fucking Hound friends over for fucking tea.”

Rose’s face was grim. “They are not friends. They don’t get tea. Shut up and help move him.”

Col looked back. It was too dark to see much, the bunched roots were thick shadows on the garden path. One of the Hounds hopefully bleeding onto the dirt hissed, and Col saw his yellow eyes gleam.

If my Guardian didn’t need me, I would kill you,Col thought.

In that moment, Hyran groaned, and Col did his best to keep up with them. He reached for Hyran’s hand.

“I’m here. Hear me, Hyran. I’m here. I’m your Conduit. I’ll take care of you.” He active-channeled. Hyran needed it. The emergency meds had taken the edge off, at best. “I’m here. Don’t leave me, Hyran, I need you.”

“Come, come.” Avan held the curtain to the little house open, beckoning them all inside.

I can’t believe this is happening all over again. This is like Karmine all over again.

“Tell me he’ll be fine,” Col said, looking at Avan, then Rose.

Rose opened his mouth, closed it, tried again. “I don’t know.”

When he was a child new to the city and still alone, Col had cried. He’d imagined that one of his eyes cried about the place where he was, another for the place he’d lost.

Today, he just cried for the Guardian he’d barely even gotten to know yet. Not the Guardian he’d chosen, but the one who’d run to save his life.

“Oh, fuck,” he said, holstered the useless gun.

Taros snorted. “Don’t sound like that. He might hear. What if he teases you with it, huh? And don’t cry, okay?”

Col nodded.He’s right. I can’t cry.

Inside the house, the fire danced, and as they laid Hyran down, his eyes opened just a crack. They shone in that bright, bright green.

Col leaned in close as they turned him on his front so Avan could get to the shoulder. There was so much blood there, so much. Col looked away, looked at the braids Hyran had done earlier that day. In one, he’d dropped a strand, had created a small fault in the neat weave at the back of his head.

Col took a breath to steady his voice. “I expect you to join my team, Hyran. You’re lucky you got stabbed now while you’re still technically on your silly Ferrean team. My Guardians don’t get stabbed without a reprimand. There is a form I’ll make you fill out, and then I’ll yell at you.” He paused, focused on breathing. Taros’s hand came to rest on his shoulder. “You open those eyes and look at me while I yell at you, do you understand, Guardian? Hyran? Do you hear me, Hyran?”

Col sagged to his knees, still holding Hyran’s good hand, still channeling. He was going to sit there, wait there for Hyran to answer him. Hyran had to open his eyes and answer. He was Col’s Guardian, and that was the least a Guardian could do. He had promised. Col was going to hold Hyran to that promise just as soon as his Guardian opened his eyes.

Journalist Mikan from the Ferrean Flicker here. We have created a special channel for all updates about Ferrea’s own, Guardian Hyran Panosa Mana, and his imprinted, Conduit Coldis Solara of Argentea’s Team Three. Follow us here and here. Like all of Ferrea, we’re sad those two won’t make a home here, but we are excited to bring you all the updates about where they will go and what adventures they will find. Just like you, we are excited and cannot wait to hear from them again.