Page 79 of Grave Situation

“We’ll be currying the horses later,” Jaimin warns as we steer them that way. Joy. One of my favorite jobs.

We make our way around the bend and find that the trees are even more sparse here, allowing us to see where the road breaks free of them entirely into the fields.

And to see the score or so of people riding hard toward us, all of them dressed in white robes accented with blue.

Fuck.

“Are those priests?” Jaimin demands incredulously, reining in. We stop beside him. “Since when do priests ride like that?”

“Uh-oh,” Coryn says, and Jaimin instantly turns to him.

“What uh-oh?”

“Talon made a priestess mad,” he reminds him. “And then we raced out of Lenledia before she could call the convocation.”

“Gods’ turds,” Jaimin swears, shocking us both. “I was so focused on the zombies that I’d forgotten that.”

“Master was supposed to smooth things over.” When I last spoke with him, he said the temples had been placated. “There’s a chance they might not be looking for us. Maybe there’s a religious crisis somewhere that they need to get to.”

“What even constitutes a religious crisis?” Jaimin wonders, and I snicker.

“So we’re waiting and hoping they ride past?” Coryn checks, and I nod.

“Yes.”

We sit, trying not to be tense, and I send Tia a quick update. Just before the riders reach us, I spot Leicht in the distance, winging toward us. That’s a relief. The trees are thin enough here, and wet enough, that he’s a real threat to any attackers without also being a threat to the Queen’s Forest.

My hopes of avoiding confrontation are dashed when the riders begin to slow. They’ve seen us, and for whatever reason—probably my arrest—they want to talk to us.Anything you want to tell me that could prove helpful?I ask the stone.

It merely pulses a feeling of anticipation. Does that mean it’s expecting something to happen soon or that it’s excited about me getting arrested? Because I could live without that. I’ve heardthe food isn’t all that good in prison cells… and that temple food sucks even for the priests.

The front riders rein in fifteen or so yards from us. Coryn draws his sword halfway but waits. I take my cue from him.

The cluster of priests parts, and a man rides forward from the back. Even if he wasn’t wearing his rank on his robes, I’d guess he’s the one in charge. Who else would have their horse’s mane and tail braided with gold thread andjewels? I mean… jewels on a horse to ride hard through the country? How fucking pretentious. Surely Wasianth doesn’t know one of his high priests is this much of a waste of space?

If he does, I might need to revise down my opinion of the gods.

“Which one of you is Talon Silverbright?” the senior priest demands. His robes proclaim him to be a bishop.

“Who?” I ask, seizing on that delightful opportunity. “I’m Pat Miller, good sir.” Some of the priests look confused, but the senior priest smiles thinly.

Just as Leicht swoops overhead.

“Dragon!” I shriek, cowering down like I’ve never seen one in my life. My hopes that the priests would be terrified and flee are dashed when they… don’t. A few of their horses startle, but that’s the extent of it. So they really do know who we are, then, and they came prepared.

“Charming,” the bishop says. “I was told you thought you were clever.”

Ouch. “I haven’t been told anything about you at all.” I resist the urge to add that Iamclever. Definitely more clever than an idiot who decks his horse out in jewels.

“I am a Bishop of Wasianth,” he declares, then pauses.

I wait. If he thinks I’m going to make some gesture of obeisance, we’ll be sitting here in silence for a while.

He doesn’t continue, just looks at me expectantly. Leicht swoops overhead again, and Tia tugs at my mind.

“I’m trying to outwit a bishop here, Tia.”

“Gods help us all. Want Leicht to set them all on fire?”

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