Page 141 of Grave Situation

My head is spinning with this new information. “The champion,” I say. “Peiris, what was the prophecy, again? The bit you said about the godsborn.”

“With the companions will they find the godsborn and journey to the birthplace,” they recite again.

I look around the group. “I’m not the only one thinking it, am I? This godsborn has to be the stone’s champion we’ve been looking for.” And a god, which, in light of Peiris’s revelation that only gods can kill necromancers, is ahugerelief.

“That does make sense,” Peiris agrees.

“So is the ‘birthplace’ it refers to the birthplace of the godsborn or the necromancer behind all this?” Jaimin asks.

“Or the zombies,” Coryn adds.

“Probably not the zombies,” I explain as kindly as I can. “People would notice if someone was bringing a lot of dead bodies to one place. It’s more likely the necromancer travels to the bodies and raises them there. If they’re even still raising them at all, instead of letting the zombies do the legwork.”

“Unless they’re the caretaker of a graveyard,” Arimen points out excitedly. “Oh! Or maybe they run a mortuary.”

Another stab behind my left eye. Why?Whyam I the one who has to deal with excitable young adults? First at the academy and now with Arimen.

Thankfully, Jaimin is here. “Those are all options we can consider when we’re looking for the necromancer,” he says diplomatically. “For now, let’s focus on where we’ll find the godsborn.” He turns expectantly to Peiris.

Who looks just as expectantly back.

My stomach sinks. “The stone said you knew where we’re going next,” I prompt.

“Yes.” Peiris nods. “To the birthplace—of the godsborn, by the way. That was explained in another part of the prophecy. It hasn’t been made clear yetwhywe have to go there, but I always assumed it had something to do with the godsborn connecting with their full power.”

“Wait.” Coryn scratches his head. “I’m confused. Somebody needs to explain this to me.”

“It’s simple enough,” I say through gritted teeth. “The stone is a hunk of stupid rock that likes to play games with us.”

“Talon!” Arimen scolds.

Coryn shakes his head. “That’s not nice, Talon. The stone is trying its hardest to help us. Have you been petting it? Maybe it needs some pets.”

Jaimin’s hand squeezing my leg stops me from saying anything I’ll regret later. “The stone told us that Peiris wouldknow where we’re going next—and they do. We need to go to the birthplace of the godsborn. Unfortunately, we don’t know where that is, where the godsborn is, orwhothe godsborn is. So…” He spreads his hands.

“So we know nothing,” Coryn finishes in dawning awareness.

“That’s not true! We know we’re going to get to meet a godsborn!” Arimen chirps. “Do you think they’ll like me? Will I get totalkto them? I need a haircut!”

Peiris blinks. “Why?”

“I’m sure you’ll get to talk to them and they’ll like you,” Jaimin says before Arimen can speak again. “And I’ll cut your hair if you want me to, but the longer length suits you.” His face is absolutely straight, and I wonder if he’s just good at maintaining his composure or if he’s really thought about hairstyles that suit Arimen. I study our young friend’s face, trying to remember if it looked better or worse when his hair was shorter, then give up.

It's not like I’m the best judge when it comes to hairstyles, anyway. I should ask Jaimin to cut my hair, too, if I want to keep the promise I made to Tia. And I can’t believe I’m thinking abouthairat a time like this.

“Let’s ask the stone what it thinks,” I say abruptly. “Maybe it can give us more information now that we’ve met Peiris.”

~No~

My jaw drops. “I didn’t even ask yet!” How rude.

Peiris, on the other hand, has that awestruck look people tend to get when the stone speaks to them for the first time. “That was the wellspring. The wellspring letmehear its voice,” they murmur.

Delightful.

“Why don’t you update your master?” Jaimin suggests, his mouth quirking like it always does when he wants to laugh at me. I’ll make him pay for that later.

I leave him explaining to Peiris that I’m a telepath and have been updating my master—and thus the academies—as we’ve traveled, and go to sit on my bedroll so I’m not distracted by their chatter. Master immediately responds to my telepathic knock.

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