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“They can always fail the Gauntlet too,” Seer reminded him.
“And get to retake it,” Bishop reminded him back.
“There’s your number three.”
Bishop realized that was definitely their number three. “So worst case scenario they are allowed to do the Gauntlet Trials and retake the test if they fail.”
“Don’t forget the Gauntlet dice,” Seer said.
“I haven’t.”
“Will they all be competing together?”
Bishops pulse thundered as he turned over scenarios while wondering that. “The tests are usually determined by the Gauntlet Master.”
“There’s also Mah-Mah’s three requests.”
“Oh, I well know.”
“I think we need to consider a worst-case scenario plan of action.”
Bishop regarded him with hands on his hips. “Elaborate.”
Seer pushed up the front of his hat and faced the bayou now. “Whatever it is we fear them doing with right hand privileges needs to be eliminated prior to.”
He eyed him, connecting the dots. “Get Cherie’s son before she does something stupid is the first thing I’m seeing with that.”
“Yep,” Seer muttered, sucking his teeth while openly calculating.
Bishop considered his own crisis then realized there wasn’t any obvious threat he could eliminate with his Petite. “As Fate would have it, all my potential dangers lie in wait around the corner. Neatly hidden out of my sight and control. I don’t want heranywherenear the battlefield, yet the swamp, our home,isthe fucking battlefield. So, there’s that predicament.”
Seer turned to him and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “You need to remember what I told you about everything working out. The fears are already singing in your ear and you’re dancing to its tune. You need to stop. You need to take control of it and put it under your foot. You’re the leader of The Twelve and you’ve got what it takes to do any fucking thing you want. There are no devils too big, there are no mysteries too deep, and there are no darkness too dark. God’sgotthis. You understand?”
He let the power in the Seer’s words and conviction have him. He lowered his head, accepting his conviction with a nod before eyeing him for many seconds. “Thanks for being in my corner, brother.”
“Every step of the way.”
His conviction was sharp as stone, and it cut Bishop deep. But that’s what he needed. Something to cut through the darkness building inside him and tether him to the light.
“Maybe the women should come to the trial,” Seer said.
Bishop considered the edge in his tone, wondering what he was thinking.
Seer locked gazes with him. “The judgment dice will have to be rolled. They may get a needed glimpse of the dirty side of our business.”
“Fucking brilliant,” Bishop said in utter relief at that idea. “Maybe we’ll get to judge that one fuck.”
“Maybe even harshly,” Seer added with a gleam in his eye.
Bishop recited the first line in The Twelve’s Judgment Creed. “Vengeance is the Lord’s and the Dice are his Judgment.”
“And we are its ministering servants,” Seer added.
“Of both hellfire and mercy,” Bishop and the Seer finished together, followed by “Amen.”
****
Beth’s stomach waswrecked. Bishop returned after midnight and practically snuck in bed. He was still angry with her. And why? Exactly? He thought she had something to do with what Mah-Mah did at the meeting. She kind of did but she didn’t know what Mah-Mah had planned. And what was so bad about the Fate Roll? That seemed perfectly sensible. And fair to all. Just what on earth was he so damn worried about? And how long was he going to treat her like an enemy?
