2. ORREY
2
ORREY
OpenLog/entry
My team saved this city. I should be elated—I am—but the Op-AI is no more. Not all of my team returned. Conduit Coldis is in the clinic. I informed his office AI.
The others are bruised, except for Guardian Taros, who only stopped by the suite briefly to get a change of clothes for himself and Guardian Vin. Guardian Karmine allowed one of the hospitality guides to spend the night. The other is dead. There are so many dead.
Conduit Yamara, a former (?) League Conduit, has joined our team, that’s what Guardian Vin said. I have asked Butler Bot 20 about Conduit Yamara and his preferences, given that he lived in that butler bot’s suite before today, but Butler Bot 20 has not responded. We all miss the Op-AI. I understand.
Guardian Senlas and Conduit Orrey are a light. All of them deserve my utmost care, and I can only hope that Conduit Coldis will be fine and return home soon.
(From Butler Bot 35’s personal log.)
Let’s imagine the situation. I go out there and ask a Hound to undo the imprinting, something that every regular knows is a thing to be happy about. Then I would go back, no longer imprinted, something that we all know isn’t a thing that can happen. What then, little brother? How would that help?
Orrey leaned against the wall just outside Col’s room. He couldn’t help the words from spinning around in his mind and pulling their circle of dread tighter and tighter around his thoughts. He could tell Senlas was there before he even looked up to smile at his Guardian.
“Well?” Senlas asked. He’d only grudgingly waited outside, but of course his power had never been far. It was an almost gleaming thread in Orrey’s mind, brighter than these long clinic hallways.
“He seems fine. I mean, he’s concussed, clearly, but other than that, he’s fine. No need to do anything right now, but he said something…”
Senlas leaned in, and Orrey felt his Guardian’s power Touch him, run along his back and sides. “What did he say, kitten?”
“About how all imprintings are accidents. And it made me think. What was the test thing you did when you imprinted on me?”
Senlas’s brows rose. “At the Center? That was for buffering. It generally shows up in your blood after imprinting. No Conduit buffers spontaneously without a Guardian’s touch, which is why you have a Guardian test little regular-born children like you and hope the tester isn’t an idiot who forgets to check they got everyone.”
Orrey rolled his eyes. “Not my point. Can we get Col tested while he is here? Just to make sure?”
Senlas looked for a moment like he wanted to object, but then Orrey felt something inside the Guardian shift with a clarity bordering on telepathy. “We can do that. They should have a blood sample from when they took him in.” He looked around. “Let me find Vin.”
“He was with Yamara last I saw to get some scratches and abrasions treated.”
“Right.” Senlas took Orrey’s hand and wrapped him in his power before walking back to the non-urgent care where Vin had last been.
Taros rounded the corner, heading their way from the elevators at a jog and very nearly collided with them. Orrey felt himself being Pulled clear.
“Oh, fuck, sorry, beautiful,” Taros said.
“I’m fine. Karmine and Lapatea?”
“I told Karmine to watch Lapatea. Told Lapatea to make sure Karmine got some rest back at the suite. I figure that takes care of the two of them.”
Senlas snorted before all trace of humor faded from his expression. “None of this should have happened. Karmine is still recovering, and Col…well. Shouldn’t have happened.”
Orrey watched as Taros’s face broke out in nervous blades. “Agreed, but it did. It’s chaotic downstairs and even more outside. So many got hurt. There are protectors, a lot of them, in the Grounds.
“When I left the Champions’ Tower, this Shoda champion was giving a speech to the other Guardian champions and their teams. Made them all head out to Starlit Stage to help in whatever way they can.” He looked at Senlas. “What are we going to do about Col? Maybe…maybe Orrey should go stay with Karmine and Lapatea while I get Vin?”
Senlas shook his head. “Orrey says Col is okay for now. I’ll have them check his blood sample. They would have taken one when he came in.” He leaned forward, whispered. “Lapatea said something about Pinota pretending he imprinted when he didn’t. And if Hyran works with them, then maybe this is what is happening here.”
Taros sucked on his bottom lip while a neat line of tiny spikes appeared on his forehead. “Right. If Hyran did that—”
Senlas nodded even as his power drew closer around Orrey. “Yeah.”
Orrey rubbed the back of his head, feeling his filthy hair sticking to his skin. “We should make sure everything is in order, but if Hyran was with Alesa and this Guardian Pinota—”
“Former Guardian, current Guardian insurrectionist,” Taros said. “Although I’m not sure about his status. Vin said he never saw anything like what you did to Pinota.”
“You took his power, didn’t you?” Orrey reached out from that place where his channeling lived, touched the power all around him in a caress. “I didn’t think nullification could be used like that.”
Senlas looked at him. “I didn’t know myself. I don’t think it’s anything that’s possible without a Conduit like you.”
“Ugh, you two. Makes me want to go out and find a Conduit too.”
“We’d cheer for you,” Orrey said. “Still, I think if Hyran were with Pinota and Alesa, he’d never have helped us the way he did, calling his mothers. He’d have told me that protectors had no place in the Grounds. Without his mothers, we wouldn’t have beaten the Guardian insurrectionists.”
Taros made a moue, his frown sharp with his power running wild. “I don’t like you being reasonable, Orrey. Just because his mothers are protectors doesn’t mean he’s nice suddenly. Don’t forget, Undora was murdered by someone, and Durgo isn’t currently in any condition to tell us who did that. Perhaps it was Durgo himself, perhaps it was someone else working for Pinota. And Hyran was there that day, dragged you into that apartment.”
“I know that. And I was just in there telling Col…follow my words, I asked whether we should take him back to Anandas.”
Senlas pinched the bridge of his nose, and Taros’s brows rose. “Why?” the panoplian asked.
“Anandas told me he can undo an imprinting.” Orrey was on his toes so he could whisper the last, not that there was any surveillance there in the clinic they should worry about. They were still technically in the Grounds after all.
Taros’s mouth fell open. “You—what?”
Senlas hummed. “The Hound offered Orrey, but Orrey loves me, don’t you, kitten? He turned him down.”
“Yes. But if you want my honesty, I didn’t think I would end up loving you when you first touched me and wouldn’t let me get back to my work. So maybe Col had it right to tell me no. But maybe that also means we give Hyran a chance? A very small one where we make sure Col isn’t hurt?”
Taros locked eyes with Orrey. “You’re ordering us to stay out of that room unless there’s screaming, aren’t you. First you make us go get protectors, now this. When’s Col going to make sure you get the rank to back your attitude?”
Orrey looked away. “He said he wanted to do that. But as I said, he has a concussion. A rank is earned.”
“We don’t even know Col still has the rank to do anything. Hyran can’t take his rank, strictly speaking, but he can remove him from our team,” Senlas said.
Taros nodded. “I can cut him into pieces. Tiny little ones. No one will ever find him. That way, Col’s rank is safe, and Orrey here can get what he earned.”
Senlas hissed. “Yes, but no slicing while Orrey is here.”
Orrey crossed his arms. “If Hyran tries to take Col away from us, I might help Taros.”
They both looked at him. “You know, it’s like Col is speaking through this one,” Taros said.
“Col taught me most of the things I know about being a Conduit,” Orrey said.
“Right. Well, let’s do what my Conduit says for now, and give that Guardian a small chance. Because honestly, I have no better idea.” He nodded in the direction of the room Col was in. “You wait outside, we go get that blood test done.”
Taros nodded. “Will do. But if there’s screaming, I’ll cut shit.”
“Absolutely,” Orrey said and tugged on Senlas’s hand.
He could tell his Guardian was proud of him as they got into the elevator and went down. The wide grin on Senlas’s face said it all.