Page 25 of Bull Moon Rising

I eye the doorway, but it’s empty.

Class after class heads toward the book and signs their names in, receiving their official fledgling pin from Rooster as they do. As the room clears out, the smirks and nudges become more obvious, and they’re all directed toward my students. I know what they see when they look at the bench for Magpie’s house. They see four women in varying degrees of softness—led by Aspeth, who has her chin in the air as if she rules the place—and a slitherskin (who is still wearing his house, much to my irritation). We’re a joke to them.

I can’t even be mad at the snickers they make. I look at them and I see another year that we won’t have a passing class. I see another chance for commissions going up in smoke. I look at them and I wonder which one is going to peel off first, ruining the season for the others. A passing class must have five.

“The fledgling class of Master Magpie,” Rooster calls out.

My students get to their feet, and despite the fact that the room is nearly empty, the whispers grow louder.

Raptor grunts. “Mmm. I’m starting to get it now.” I huff, torn between amusement and sheer annoyance at Aspeth again. She’s wearing her guild uniform, but it doesn’t fit her the way it fits the others. Her ample backside pulls the fabric tight, outlining her rump right down to a dimple in one plump cheek. When she turns to the side, her tits strain against the guild blouse, and Raptor makes another fascinated sound. “Maybe you can gag her when she talks.”

I elbow him. “That’s my wife, you clod-brain.”

“Rut her good, my friend.” He claps me on the back so hard that I stagger past him and the other Taurians remaining at the back of the hall.

They chuckle as I move forward, crossing the long hall to stand at my students’ side.

“Guild Master Magpie?” Rooster calls again, searching the room as he stands behind the massive book. “Is Guild Master Magpie here?”

I clear my throat, moving to stand in front of the podium. “Guild Master Magpie is sick. I’ll sign the book in her place.”

Rooster’s lip curls at me, as if he’s offended by the sight of a Taurian standing in front of him. “You’re not a guild master. Where is Guild Master Magpie?”

“Like I said, sick.” His lips thin further, and I have no doubt he’s thinking of the last two classes, when I presented them, too. I continue on. “I’ll present her class and she’ll be here for graduation.”

Even if I have to haul her bodily in front of the guild itself, she’ll be here.

He takes a deep breath, as if considering, and then holds the feathered quill out to me. I sign the book with Magpie’s name, the quill ridiculously small and fragile in my too-large Taurian hand. I manage not to snap it, and then turn to hand it off to the first student in line.

It’s Aspeth, of course.

“I assume all these females have chaperones?” Rooster continues in that haughty voice of his. “You can provide proof of this?”

“They do and I can.”

He eyes us and then gestures for Aspeth to sign. I’ve never seen a student so giddy to put their name in the book as her, only to pause over the book itself and then look at me. “What’s our last name?”

NINE

ASPETH

Ifuss with thesash on my shoulder over and over again, just for an excuse to touch it. Right now the sash is plain white, but I envision the day it’s covered in pins representing the artifacts I’ve brought to the guild. Small circles for minor artifacts, and the four-pointed stars for the major artifacts. I imagine Magpie’s sash must be absolutely encrusted, and the weight of it on her shoulder must bring so much pride.

I cannot wait to meet her. It’s going to be glorious.

Glancing up, I eye the others in our nest. Lark looks bored and slightly hungover, slumped on a bench. Gwenna sits properly on the bench in front of her, frowning as the brown-skinned priestess at her side folds her hands and goes through yet another prayer. On the far side of Gwenna, the strange child-sized lizardman slitherskin sits, swinging his tiny feet, the massive shell of his house on his back. I haven’t heard him say two words since we arrived, but maybe that’s normal? I genuinely don’t know.

Our teachers are nowhere to be seen. There’s still no Magpie, and now we’ve lost Hawk, too.

I purse my lips, trying not to frown. The other nest groups haveabandoned the hall, along with their teachers. I’m not sure what we do now. Do we follow them out? Wait for instructions? Gwenna looks at me, curious, and the priestess does, too. It’s clear they’re looking to me for answers.

All right, then. “I’ll go find our teacher.”

“Yourhusband,” Gwenna says, pretending to study her nails. “You’ll go find your husband.”

“Right. Yes. That.” My face gets hot. It’s jarring to think that I’ve just married a stranger, but I don’t want anything to come in the way of the classes here. “My husband,” I say confidently, lifting my chin. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

Lark tumbles back on the wooden bench, lying flat and flinging an arm over her eyes. “Wake me up when you find him.”

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