Page 26 of Grave Situation

~Yes~

Well, shit. Figuring out who it is could take a while.

“But not one of the councilors assembled here?” Master Cranch confirms what the stone said earlier.

~No~

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’m tired, I have a lot to do, and I can feel Tia waiting at the edge of my mind—and wow, is she furious. A drawn-out guessing game could take hours.

“Someone I know personally?”

~Yes~

Okay, that narrows it down to… a lot of people.

“In the City of Knowledge?”

~Yes~

Better. At least it’s not my father. That would have been a terrific journey.

“Within the three academies?”

~Yes~

“An initiate?” I’m half hoping for a no on this one—one of the guards or cooks would make for a useful traveling companion.

~Yes~

So much for that.

“Another mage?” I know more mages than anyone else, so that would make the most sense, especially given Tia’s already coming and the type of journey we’re going on.

~No~

I’m a mage. Tia’s a dragon rider. “A healer?” Please don’t tell me the stone is into that kind of hokey unity-of-three kind of symbolism.

~Yes~

I bite back my groan. No need to offend the healers in the room. Master, knowing me as well as he does, smirks in my direction. “A healer you know personally? That will narrow down the list.”

“Yes.” I try to sound happy about it. “But I’m not sure I trust myself to think of every name right now. Could I make a list this evening and come back with it tomorrow?” I’m asking the councilors, but it’s the stone that answers.

~Yes~

Accompanying that is the firm sense of dismissal. Jaws drop, and I cough lightly to keep from laughing.

“It seems as though we’re done here for the day,” Master Cranch says dryly. “We all have enough to be getting started with, I think. Remember, apprentices and other masters only for now, until we can agree on the phrasing of the formal announcement. Would the other chairs please join me in my office so we can work on that?”

Hearne and a tall woman from amongst the healers agree, and then people begin standing, conversation breaking out. Master Samoine snaps closed the box with the stone in it and puts it in his pocket, turning toward me.

“Hey!” The shout cuts through all the other noise in the room. “What are you doing? Put that back.”

It’s Master Janssen, a man I barely know because Master Samoine considers him to be completely intolerable. He’s pushing forward, pointing accusingly.

What…?

“Put the stone back,” he insists. “It’s not yours. The councils should decide fairly who gets to look after it.”

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