Page 57 of Guiding Reason

Lai nodded but didn’t add on to demand grandchildren.

“I thought I made out a slight accent, Panosa,” Col said, sidestepping the topic. “Might I ask where you are originally from?”

“Cuprea, all my family. And as far as I know, no one ever had a Guardian, which makes me think moving for love was a wise decision.”

She gave Hyran a meaningful look. “Mama, I already said I was moving. You don’t have to push me over and over. Col, tell her.”

Col squeezed his hand. “He did. It was one of the first things he said to me, I believe, although I may have passed out for some of it. He also apologized profusely. I think you did a good job raising him.”

Both his mothers basked in the compliment.

“Our new son is a delight,” Panosa said.

Lai nodded. “And they look beautiful together, don’t you think?”

Panosa bobbed her head. “We’ll need photos. So many photos and vids. Once your cut is fully healed of course, Coldis. And by the way, Hyran, why didn’t he get stem cell treatment for that? It’s not very visible, but it might scar.”

“Mama, they couldn’t give him the required meds with the concussion medication, which he needed urgently. Excuse me for prioritizing his brain.”

“I very much like that you prioritized my brain.” Col patted his forearm, and it was Hyran’s turn to bask in his Conduit’s attention. “Protectors—”

“No titles, please,” Lai said.

Niyada slid the door open and poked her head back in, using the uncanny timing Hyran had come to dread when he was younger.

Col dipped his head at her. “Of course. I apologize, Lai. We really need to go though. There is so much to do yet, and my team will move back home soon. I have to prepare them.”

“If we could all meet before you return to Argentea?” Niyada asked, her screen in hand.

Col nodded and stood. “I will try. Perhaps we can meet at some restaurant to show people it’s fine to go to them and reward those that are open?”

“Whatever your preference is,” Panosa said. “And we will visit you in Argentea. I give you my word on that.”

Hyran wasn’t sure whether to read it as a threat to get to producing grandchildren soon, but he decided to ignore that.

They said their goodbyes, and it was Col who hurried to get out of the school and away.

Instead of going back to the wilderness, he hurried along it, his screen in hand.

“Col, wait, to get back to the Champions’ Tower, this way is fastest.” Hyran pointed at the wilderness, the trees and bushes soaking up the midday light.

“Yes. We’re not going there. Did you think I had forgotten the Judiciary? Hmm, I can’t reach Vinnie, but we’ll just do this ourselves.”

Hyran groaned. “I’d hoped you’d forgotten. Col, Alesa might not tell you anything, and getting a psionomancer to come over from Cuprea or Argentea might get us answers in a much more straightforward fashion.”

Col nodded but kept on walking away from the greenery. “Yes. I like that idea. We go get a psionomancer, escort them, and on the way there, we stop and talk to your friends in Lowvalley.”

“Wait, what?!”

The Conduit looked over his shoulder even as Hyran stumbled. “You heard.”

“I heard you, but—”

“You said you had ideas. To deal with the Op-AI situation? Tell me on the way to the auto-drive. And be concise.”

“Huh?” It dawned on Hyran that Col had found a lot more energy during the meeting than seemed right.He should be resting. He should be letting me pamper him.

But of course, that wasn’t Col. “That means now, Hyran.” Col held out his hand, an unarguably cute grin on his face, and Hyran took it, immediately feeling the comforting warmth of his Conduit’s channeling. “You need to keep up. If you want to join my team, that is. I didn’t think matching our speed would be a problem for a kinetomancer like yourself?”