Page 46 of Grave Situation

It’s dark.

Too dark to see.

“I need a distraction so I can make a light,”I throw at Tia.

Mentally sending acknowledgment, she gives a ringing cry, drawing our attackers’ attention. “Come and get me, you bastards!” she shouts.

“Leicht’s coming, but in this clearing…”

There’s not much he can do.

Not wasting another second, I summon a tiny, dim light, barely a glow. I don’t need to attract attention right now, not until I know what I’m facing.

There’s a man in black clothing sprawled just inside the small tent, taking up most of the space, a dagger protruding from his chest. Dead.

In the far corner, Jaimin is curled up tight, whimpering. At first I think he’s frightened, but as he raises his head to look at me, I realize he’s in pain.

Gods’ turds. What happens when the healer’s the injured one? And how long can Tia fight them off without help?

“Where—”

“I’m unhurt,” he gasps. “Go. Help Tia.”

“Jaimin—”

“I swear, I’m fine.Go.”

I hesitate a moment longer, then throw a telekinetic barrier around him. It’s not much, but it’ll keep any other attackers off him—unless they kill me first.

Backing away from the tent opening, I stand and turn to assess the battle. My eyes have more or less adjusted to the moonlight, although the dark colors our attackers are wearing don’t help. I can do something about that, at least.

“Tia, cover your eyes!”

My sister immediately drops to the ground mid-stab, confusing her opponent, and I fill the clearing with light as bright as day. Our attackers cry out and try to shield their eyes, and I take advantage of the opportunity to begin blasting them with telekinesis. Tia’s on her feet in the next second, blades slashing, and just as the remaining men pull themselves together, there’s an earsplitting roar.

Leicht swoops low enough over the canopy that the backdraft from his wings whips the air, and in the moment of distraction, Tia slays the two gaping men.

Silence falls, and I suck in a breath. “Have we got rope?” I manage. “Those ones I hit are still alive… I think.” Some of them aren’t moving at all, so either I accidentally killed them, or they’re well and truly unconscious.

Tia gives me a pitying look as Leicht circles overhead, and then I gasp as she runs her sword through one of the fallen men.

“Tia!”

“What? Think this through, Talon. There’s no way we can transport this many prisoners, even if we had the right to do soand somewhere to take them. We can’t leave them alive here and risk having them come after us with better luck next time. These men are either extremely well-disciplined and equipped bandits who, for some reason, decided to kill us instead of bothering to steal the extremely valuable horses”—she points to where the horses are still hobbled, the packhorse tossing its head skittishly—“or they were sent here specifically tokill us.”

I hate when she’s right, and I flinch again as she beheads another one of the men, even though this one is stirring.

Then she stops, staring at him. She takes a step back and looks around the clearing. “Talon?”

“Yes?”

“Is there a man lying in front of my tent with his throat open?”

That’s a question I never wanted to hear. “Um…” Reluctantly, I look. “No?”

She nods. “That’s what I thought.”

“Why?”

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