Page 178 of Grave Situation

I make a quick decision. “Come with me and Jaimin. As soon as we can be sure there aren’t any farmworkers wandering around, you and Zolan and your dragons can incinerate those bodies.”

It’s not that simple, of course. I find the housekeeper and the farm manager, both of whom have known me since I was born, and they immediately protest the fact that I want to set the whole estate on fire. Lindrin, the manager, tells me to run along and let him make arrangements to dispose of the bodies. Jaiminhas to pinch mehardto stop me from saying something that a longtime family retainer doesn’t deserve. We finally agree that the farmhands will pile the bodies in several big heaps that will become bonfires.

“It will be good for morale,” Mrs. Hickings, the housekeeper, says. “We’ve all been feeling low this past year with this nonsense going on, and then the news about Lady Tia. We can have a nice wake for her and get to know your friends!” She smiles at Jaimin. Her excitement when she saw his arm around my waist was palpable. I would bet real money I don’t have that she’s picturing children in the nu— “You know, the Welfort children from the village were orphaned last year.”

I pat Jaimin’s chest. “Have a lovely time.”

“We’re about an hour away,”Leicht tells me late in the evening, and I immediately reach out to Master.

“We’re close. Call the meeting.”

“Do you still want me to keep the reason a secret?”he asks. We spoke earlier, and since then, he’s been waiting.

“Yes. Just tell them you have an update.”If we’ve timed this right, Leicht will land after the councilors are all in the chamber, and they won’t know I’m back until I walk in.

I’ve spent most of this flight thinking. A lot has changed, and a lot of things in my life are going to be different. I’m not sure if I want that. Some I won’t have a say in—Tia being gone, and Leicht being bonded to me. But other things, like where I’m going to live and what direction my studies will take—those are going to need me to make decisions. I can share the weight of some of those decisions with Jaimin, but not all.

That’s for later, though.

As Leicht touches down in the grassy expanse behind the academy, Master reaches out to tell me all the councilors are assembled.

“On my way.”I slide off Leicht’s back and glance down at myself. I don’t exactly look impressive in my travel-worn and rumpled clothes, and I think there’s some blood droplets on my pants from the spatter when Coryn killed the high priest, but I don’t care. I’m not here to impress with my clothes.

“Just as well, since that’s never been something you were capable of,”Leicht informs me.“Go. I have my own council meeting to attend, and when I’m done, the dragon riders will support anything you say.”

I pat his foreleg and then head across the lawn to the Academy of Mages.

This is it. This is… everything. The moment I end the threat to the world. The moment I avenge Tia. The moment I fulfil my destiny.

I haven’t told anyone that I don’t know if I’ll survive it. The whole flight here, I focused on what the future will look like when I win—because I’m determined to win—but I can’t escape the nagging thought that maybe even if I win, I’ll die. After all, to end this, I need to kill a mage much older and more experienced than me, one who’s embraced forbidden and awful uses for his magic, and I’ve never been much of a fighter.

Anything to add?I ask the stone.

It stays silent.

That’s okay. Whatever comes, I’ll give it my all.

The hallways are deserted—much more so than they should be, even at this hour—and it’s a reminder that one of our own engineered this and sent thousands of mages into danger. Even so, the first startled glance comes within minutes.

“Talon?” It’s another level-2 mage. “When did you get back? What does this mean? Has?—”

“Sorry, can’t talk. I need to get to the council meeting.” I breeze past, my stride long and purposeful but not hasty. I can almost feel his startlement, and then he hurries after me.

“Wait, Talon?” someone else calls from off to the left, but I wave and don’t stop. “When did he get back?” I hear her asking the other mage.

“I don’t know. He’s going to the council meeting.”

“The council’s meeting?”

“They must be.”

By the time I get to the council chambers, I’ve accumulated a small coterie of mages trailing after me. I steadfastly refused to answer any questions, and they’ve been discussing possibilities. Some are close to accurate, while others make me wants to laugh.

The guards at the door see us coming—it would be hard not to—and straighten. Master told them to expect me, so when I stop in front of them, one is already reaching to open the door. The other eyes the crowd behind me.

“Master Samoine didn’t mention them.”

“They’re not coming in,” I assure him, and he nods.

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