Page 49 of Grave Situation

“You werenot,” I insist. “You took one down and looked after yourself. I only managed two, and I wasn’t dealing with incredible pain afterward. Let’s face it, without Tia, we’d have been in trouble.”

As if on cue, my twin calls, “Talon, come and deal with this.”

I help Jaimin to his feet, and we walk over to where she’s piled the five human bodies. It’s grotesque. “Can I use ordinary fire?”

“Can you make it hot enough to burn them completely, fast, and without spreading into the trees?” she counters. “I’d ask Leicht to do this, but I don’t want to set the whole eastern forest on fire.”

Damn her. Without another word, I set the bodies alight.

“What do we do now?” she asks as we watch the blaze. I rub my tired eyes.

“Can you ride?” I ask Jaimin. He nods immediately.

“Yes. I’ll feel better as time progresses.”

I’m not sure how much I trust that answer, having already heard that he put himself through unbearable pain for the sake of our mission. “Tia, how far was the next village?”

Tia winces. “About five or six miles.”

Jaimin and I both glare at her. “Do you mean that if we hadn’t stopped early, we would have made it there last night?”

“Yes,” she admits. “This is my fault. I wanted you to get more experience camping. This was a good opportunity, because it’s not too far from help and the campsite is excellent.” She shakes her head. “I also know better than to camp without someone standing watch. My commander would kill me.”

I don’t bother to forgive her. She can feel guilty for a while longer. This is good news, though—we can make it to the village within a few hours. Even if the innkeeper won’t open for us this late, at least we’ll be around other people who’ll hear us if we call for help.

I check in with the stone, realizing suddenly that it’s been silent since it woke me. At least…It was you who woke me, right?

~Yes~

Is riding for the village a good idea?

~Yes~

I frown.Are there more zombies in the vicinity?

~No~

That’s something, at least.

“Here’s the plan,” I say aloud. “I checked with our friend”—I pat my chest, where the pouch sits under my shirt—“and even though there aren’t any zombies around at the moment, our best option is to head for the village. If we can, we’ll get a room right away. If that’s not possible, we’ll find a stable or barn and hole up until morning, and then get a room. I need to report this attack to my master, and Jaimin needs some rest.”

“I’m fine,” he protests immediately.

“Yes, I know. But I’m in charge, and I say you rest. You can sense zombies, so you and the stone are our only chance of getting an early warning of attacks. We also need time to reevaluate our plans. Tia, did you find anything on them?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing but a few coins on the humans. I didn’t get a chance to check the others.”

I shudder at the very thought.

“Their weapons are in good shape, though, and excellent quality. I’ve put some aside to take with us. We need to get you both armed better.”

“How did they get here?” Jaimin asks suddenly. “We’re at least a mile from the nearest farm, even.”

“Closer to two,” Tia confirms slowly. “Hold on.” Her eyes go distant, the way they do when she’s talking to her dragon. “Leicht says there are no horses nearby.”

A chill races down my spine. “Is he sure? Maybe they’re hidden in the trees.”

She shrugs. “Maybe? It’s dark and we’ve been burning things. There’s a chance he just missed them.”

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