A Seeker Betrayed

19. Candidate

Gamman had barely slept. He'd spent the previous evening playing, doing an erotic scene with his friends and the young ken named A'Gahtay. After they'd returned to the apartment in the hills of Crater District he had sat up and reviewed export records for hours. He had at least caught a few hours of rest until Sia Aya showed up, just before dawn.

He sighed and stood there next to his younger brother, who was, regrettably, a full hand taller than he was, and tried to read the mood in the room. Aya was clearly agitated and Shamahan was somewhere between chagrined and ready to ignite. Lord Andyne was on his back, in the sunlight, waiting his turn. Gamman wondered what he had missed.

He responded to Aya's question. "I did. He said he'd get with you later and to convey his regrets about last night. What happened, exactly? You didn't tell me you'd been here and left."

Sia Aya narrowed his eyes and brought the full weight of his glare to Gamman, who instantly flushed with heat. The sia said, "That reminds me, why are you playing around with Shamma's workmate ken?"

"A'Gahtay?" He was confused for a moment, and then it dawned on him to ask, "You were watching last night?"

"Yes. You know, I was surprised. Shamahan and A'Gahtay need to be strengthening their connections any way they can. Having you in the mix, whether it's just sex or if it's something more, is going to make it harder for them to work together. So lay off."

Gamman was having trouble getting past the news that Aya had been watching them at Kiyiya last night, and Aya continued. "Do you understand? No more playing with A'Gahtay Ken, at least until Shamma's done with his candidacy."

He felt his brother straightening up, increasing his height, and Aya seemed to take notice too. The elder sia turned his attention to Shamahan. "And you..." he forcefully jabbed a finger in his direction, "need to take your training seriously. Precisely because I am thinking of the future, we're starting your candidacy now. Today. The reason I called the two of you up here today is to make sure we're on the same page."

Gamman felt his brother startle. "What?"

Lord Andyne finally opened his eyes, and as he did, the windows dimmed and the intensity of the sunlight dropped dramatically. "I understand you have misgivings, Shamahan, but we're promoting you into candidacy, starting now."

"Misgivings?" He dropped the title from the lord's name, which was an insult and a good way to start a fight. "Andyne, what a way to say it." There was a low growl of rage in his voice. "Did Sia Aya tell you what my misgivings are?"

"He did." Lord Andyne's eyes were distant and unfeeling. "I already knew you were asking around about graduating as a lord, instead of as a sia. But at this late date, I can't suddenly switch you over. You have to do the candidacy for sia, as a seeker. After that — after you pass, and preferably after you have worked with Gamman for a year, you can switch over if you have to."

"I don't want to work in the Jitae — how many times do I have to say it?"

Andyne retorted, "Don't be stupid. You're fully integrated. If you don't take a title now, the only way you can live here is as a ken. Do you really think you're going to spend your entire life abroad?"

"Overseas, I'll have freedom to live and work without tapping into the Tharig at all hours... so you're just going to force me into candidacy now?"

Referencing his father, who was also a seeker, Andyne replied, "Geldan won't forgive me if I don't."

Shamahan rolled his eyes and turned to the other man. "Aya, we've talked about this."

"We have. And you agreed to finish out training and use your skills where they are needed before you take a break from it."