Page 148 of Grave Situation

Jaimin’s chuckle is the only thing in the world that could have enticed me to open my eyes. For the first time all day, the worn, worried look is gone from his face as he smiles down at me.

“Seriously? You’re going to eat in the tub? The water will get cold.”

I smirk. “You’re forgetting about my special skills—and I’m not talking about that thing I do with my mouth.”

“Would you really use magic to heat the water just so you can wrinkle up like a prune?” he demands skeptically, hands on hips—but his mouth still has that quirk I love so much.

Sighing, I admit, “Probably not. But after so long without any kind of bath, much less one as nice as this, it’s hard to think about getting out.”

He laughs and goes to sit cross-legged on the bed. Virk recommended this inn, and we were able to get very nice rooms for us, stabling for the horses, and, after a quick visit to the market, all the supplies we’ll need. We then paid a visit to the taproom downstairs, where Wat and Virk joined us for more rounds of ale than I’d planned, but it was quite the productive hour. Finally, we were able to get the kind of local news that weeks of travel through muddy fields and abandoned hills denied us. I was surprised by how quietly ready to deal with whatever comes people seem to be. There have been increased patrols from naval boats up the river, visiting villages like this, and Wat reported that inland, they’re seeing dragons fly overhead almost daily. The speculation about what the danger actually is has spawned a lively betting ring, but the news of zombies doesn’t seem to have spread yet. I decided to leave it that way—there’s nothing they can do to defend themselves against zombies, not really, so knowing would only lead to panic.

With all the expenses of the day, I was worried about making our money stretch, but Peiris came to the rescue there, too, pulling out silver to pay for everything. It also helps that we don’t need to pay for mooring, thanks to Virk and Wat.

I have my suspicions about Peiris. As soon as I have time to think about it properly, they and I will sit down for a talk, and I’m not going to let vague answers slide.

Meanwhile, there are worse things in the world than a warm room in a nice inn, with a private bathtub and a big bed to share with Jaimin. Well, relatively big. The room is a very good size forsomething in a village inn, but he’s still less than six feet away from me right now.

“Is this plan to live in the bath why you told me to go first?” he asks.

“Of course. There’s no way I could selfishly loll in the tub if you were waiting for your turn.” I’m a little hurt that he’d think that.

“If the tub was a little bigger, we could have shared it,” he suggests. The images that rise in my mind’s eye steal my breath.

“We’ll get a big tub when we get back,” I declare. “Then we can bathe together all the time. Even when we’re not dirty.Especiallywhen we’re not dirty.”

He laughs and flops back onto the mattress. “Really? Where are we going to put this shared tub? Your room at the academy?”

I roll my eyes. “Your rooms are bigger and nicer,MasterKahwyn. We lowly apprentices are lucky to get rooms the size of closets.”

“Which are close to your masters, and that’s why you have them,” he reminds me. “Apprentices aren’t permitted to live in other housing.”

I’m not the kind of person who feels insecure all that often, so it takes me a moment to recognize it. Does… Does he not want to live with me when this is over?

“Ask him!”Leicht snaps in exasperation.“Don’t try guessing. You don’t have the brain for it.”

“Could you stop listening to private conversations?”I picture a closed door between us and am immediately rewarded with the sense of distance I get when he gives me privacy. Huh—guess that’s how it works.

He’s right, though, damn him. I wish he’d stop doing that. “Don’t you want us to live together?” I ask abruptly. There isn’t a polite way to introduce the subject, and diplomacy isn’t my forte, no matter what he thinks.

He sits up again and stares at me incredulously, then sighs and glances away. “Of course I do. I just don’t know how we’ll make it happen. Your master?—”

“Master will help us work this out,” I state confidently. “Not that I think there’s going to be a problem. You’retheJaimin Kahwyn, plague slayer, and if we survive all of this, I’m going to be the mage who sacrificed everything to find the godsborn who saved us all. Nobody at the City of Knowledge will deny us anything ever again, much less the simple request to share rooms.”

Jaimin snorts. “Oh look, you’ve found your ego again.”

I grin smugly. “It’s this bath. My ego doesn’t like mud, and it got a bit downtrodden tramping across fields for?—”

Master telepathically hammers for my attention, and my foot slips on the floor of the tub, sending me under the water in a flailing, sputtering mess. When I splash my way upright again, Jaimin is laughing uncontrollably, and Master is still pounding for attention.

Coughing, I glare at my lover.“Is there an attack at the City?”I can’t think of anything else that would make Master act with such urgency.“Do I need to send Leicht back?”Even as I ask it, I realize that Leicht would already know if that was the case. The dragons have some kind of group link that he won’t tell me too much about. He just makes dramatic statements and then refuses to answer my follow-up questions.

“No, there’s no attack. I must speak with Jaimin, now.”

I’m getting very tired of this.“I’m in the bath, Master.”And Jaimin’s still laughing himself to tears.

“Then get out and go find him and take him somewhere private. I must speak with him, and we cannot be overheard.”

Despite the warmth of the water, chills go down my spine. This can’t be a good thing. “Jaimin,” I say, and my tone has him instantly sobering.

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