Page 66 of Guiding Reason

“Do I what? Oh, Taros!”

The panoplian approached, smile as sharp as his skin got. “Anything new?”

“Yes, in a way. But I have things to do first—Orrey needs a rank he can use, you all need to get back to Argentea, and Hyran and I need to go on a mission.”

“Huh?” Taros said.

Hyran didn’t like the way Taros’s gaze flicked to him.

“Details later. Where is everyone right now?”

Taros counted them off on his fingers. “Orrey and Sen are somewhere with the Agri-Team, Karmine is being dragged all over the Grounds so Lapatea can show him all the sights Toso loved best, and Vin and Yamara went off somewhere.”

Col crossed his arms. “Somewhere? They can’t just run off without telling you where to. And then not answer when I call.” He looked off to the side. “Although maybe they can.”

Taros rolled his eyes. “I mean, Vin was talking about weapons and got all ruffled when Yamara said he’d opted out of learning to shoot. Vin said the butler bot is barely even scared of weaponsafter he has been keeping ours here. He was just blabbering like that. I bet they’re off shooting.”

“Good idea.” Col looked back and forth between Taros and Hyran, who both stood frozen, feet a shoulder’s width apart. “How about we head up to the suite together?”

“I came down here to chat with Hyran. Can you go up first?”

Hyran bared his teeth. “You don’t tell him what to do.”

“He didn’t. He just asked nicely.” Col patted Hyran’s forearm.

“Just a chat,” Taros repeated.

Taros had changed out of the Kashana neck robe he’d worn earlier in the day, Hyran now realized.Is he wearing fucking combat pants?His purple hair was tightly braided, out of the way.

Col just shrugged and walked away from the both of them without looking back.

“Either of you make this team look like idiots, I will personally get you each a demerit.”

Taros beamed. “Absolutely. Hyran?”

“Yes, understood.”

“You two are idiots, but by all means. I’ll be upstairs eating snacks and telling the butler bot exactly how stupid you are. Bye.”

As if by unspoken agreement, the two of them waited until Col had made it up the stairs, on top of which he looked back. Hyran smiled at him. Col rolled his eyes and continued into the building.

Hyran focused his entire attention on Taros. “You wanted to chat?”

“I wanted to kick your fucking ass.”

“I did nothing to you.”

“You piss me off, that’s what you do.”

Hyran grinned at the panoplian, wide and toothy, like Hounds liked doing.

“Not my fault that you’re sensitive, little Taros. And you can’t take me.”

“Do you really think you’re the first kinetomancer I’ve seen? Fucked one once. I might compare notes with Col later.”

“You leave him out of this, Taros.”

Taros leered. “You fucking touching him brought him into this, Hyran. He might want other things than a Guardian in life. You wouldn’t even have the first idea of what he wants.”