Page 32 of Guiding Reason

“Well, I don’t see them joining me for some coffee and buns here.”

Hyran scratched his neck, groaned in frustration. “You’re something, Coldis Solara.”

“What a compliment. How will I get used to such sweet words from my poetry-loving Guardian? I need to go out there and talk to them. We need to find that woman.”

“And why is that?”

Col looked at the door. “Later. I’ll tell everyone later. I can’t handle that now. I think I might need that break after all, but I’ll channel you first. Were you on medication before?”

Hyran nodded. “Yeah. Undora would channel me sometimes, and there are Conduits on my team.”

“You might have been told to keep on taking channeling meds and reduce them slowly after imprinting, but you don’t actually need to do that. I’m really good at channeling.”

“I had noticed.”

“I had to do so much emergency channeling with the lot of them.”

Hyran sighed. “That team of yours who would kill me if I hurt you?”

“That team. That family. Hyran?”

“Yes?”

“You’re attractive. I like your eyes. No idea how you manage that hair with your speed, but it looks impressive. Red hair is a rarity.”

Heat rose unbidden, and when Col took Hyran’s hand, it was everything Hyran could do not to lean in and hope for a kiss from his Conduit. But then he felt the pleasant rush of Col’s channeling, something unique and precious.

“I braid it, normally, but there were supposed to be cameras. It’s full of tangles probably.”

Col looked up at him, pink tongue slipping out of his mouth to wet his lips. “If you want, I could check.”

12

COLDIS

“If you want, I could check,” Col said, and realized he meant it.

Hyran wasn’t greedy, not so far, and considering how the last day had gone, he had likely endured more than most other Guardians might have stomached, so much so that he reminded Col of Vin, who’d been coasting near overload for days at a time to help Col fine tune his channeling when they’d both still been in school.

And if Hyran had asked Col to go berry hunting, then Col wouldn’t have outright rejected the Guardian, that much he knew about himself. After the day he’d had, Col also knew he would feel better after sex, which was how it always was for him.

“You can do anything you want with me,” Hyran said, voice low and soft as if he were sharing a secret.

Col stopped himself from thinking, leaned forward—it was always an awkward angle if one wanted to kiss a Guardian—and fused his lips with Hyran’s.

Kisses are for lovers,Col thought to himself. He and Taros barely kissed though Vin would peck him on the cheek. It felt natural to kiss Hyran. It felt good. Fresh, like a pond newly frozen over or a tara leaf just picked and sliced for dessert.

Hyran broke their kiss. It must have cost him self-control. Col admired it even if he didn’t care for it right then.

“I should shower. I’m filthy. I never even changed after the attack.”

“Shower after,” Col said.

Hyran cupped Col’s neck. “Are you sure? I want you to enjoy this, truly.”

“If you don’t mind my candor, I just want to feel. I will enjoy this so long as you let me feel. Let me feel you. I can handle everything else.”

Hyran stared at him, his green eyes like a pyromancer’s flames. “Tell me what you want. Give me an order, I’ll obey it.”