Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker 3)

Let Juliet speak to them, Caleb. She’s a lot less threatening than you.

She’s a lot less threatening than a kitten. And I wouldn’t send either to meet a bunch of strangers.

Caleb shot Lily a half smile, and she felt him relax some.

As the foreigners approached, it was clear that they were not hostile. The two women and two men who approached were unarmed. They were dressed in flowing kimonos or tunics and adorned with jewelry. They joined Lily’s coven with concerned looks on their faces.

“Do any of you need medical attention?” asked the handsome woman who seemed to lead the party.

She’s an Outlander, Caleb whispered in Lily’s head. But her paint is from no tribe I know.

The woman’s face, hands, and bare shoulders were decorated with painted stripes and dots. She was in her late twenties and had the kind of cut-glass features that would only look more attractive as she aged. Strands of her silky black hair were braided with multicolored thread and eagle feathers, and her arms jingled with gold bangles. Lily noticed that the brief kimono she wore was made of silk. She couldn’t recall seeing anyone else in this world wearing silk before. Lily’s eyes went to the smoke-colored willstone around the woman’s neck and stayed there. It was not as large as Lily’s smoke stone, but it was onyx black. She felt Tristan brush against her mind and allowed him entry.

That’s the darkest willstone I’ve ever seen, Lily. It’s even darker than Una’s.

Warrior black.

What do you mean, warrior black?

Just keep your guard up, Tristan, because trust me—this witch can fight.

Lily had a theory about willstones that wasn’t common knowledge, not even among highly trained mechanics like Tristan. Having three willstones, one of every color, had given Lily a unique understanding of how they worked and she’d noticed that each of her willstones seemed to be better suited to different types of magic. Her medium-size pink stone seemed to glow brightest when she performed healer magic. The small golden stone excelled at kitchen magic. It was Lily’s smoke stone, the largest and most powerful of her willstones, that came to life when she performed warrior magic. Lily quickly hid her pink and golden stones but allowed her larger, if not quite as dark, smoke-colored willstone to show on her breastbone.

“None of us are seriously hurt,” Juliet said cordially in reply to the strange witch’s question. Juliet’s eyes narrowed at the woman’s stone as she noticed it, and she smiled broadly to cover her hesitation. “But we need water . . . and salt for our witch.”

Juliet stepped aside to give the strangers a

clear view of Lily, flanked on either side by Una, Breakfast, and Tristan, with giant Caleb looming behind her.

Nice one, Juliet.

Just a little reminder that we aren’t completely helpless, Lily. I hope you don’t mind.

Of course not.

“Certainly,” the foreign witch replied unflinchingly. Her eyes skipped to Lily’s willstone and away again as if the huge jewel were of little notice. She waved a hand and the three people accompanying her stepped forward with brightly glazed ceramic jugs of water. “My name is Grace Bendingtree. I’m the governor of Bower City. Welcome.”

“Thank you, Governor Bendingtree,” Juliet replied in a voice that even the smoothest politician would envy. “We’re honored to meet you.”

“Please, call me Grace. We don’t stand on ceremony here,” she said with a wide smile as she watched Lily’s party drink thirstily.

“I’m Juliet Proctor. This is my sister, Lily, and her mechanics—Caleb, Tristan, Una, and Stuart.”

They tipped their heads in greeting as their names were spoken and Grace faced each in turn, meeting their eyes with an open and accepting gaze.

“Welcome,” Grace repeated warmly. “You look like you could all use some food and a lot of rest.”

“Thank you,” Juliet said, accepting the governor’s invitation. For just a moment, Juliet’s brow creased, and if Lily didn’t know her every expression so well she would have missed the apprehension she saw there. “Is it the custom here for the governor to risk coming outside the walls to welcome everyone into the city?”

“When they arrive as you did, definitely,” Grace said with laugh.

Her three attendants nodded hesitantly. Their confused faces made it apparent that this must have been such an unusual situation that they barely knew how to react.

“It’s so rare that the Hive brings anyone anymore, and even rarer that those people survive,” Grace continued sadly. “You must be very strong.” She addressed them all, but her dark eyes lingered the longest on Lily, and softened as if she knew that Lily was suffering. “And as for the risk of coming out from behind the walls—you’ll see for yourself that things are quite different here from what you’re used to.”

Grace gestured for Lily to walk beside her, but Lily deferred and urged Juliet to take the lead. Lily wanted to observe without having to think of something to say.

“Are these your mechanics?” Juliet asked politely, tipping her chin in the direction of Grace’s silent attendants.