Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker 3)

Lily closed the glass door behind her and saw Miller lingering on the other side of it for a moment, reluctant to leave her. He finally stalked off, frowning to himself like he wished he could go back and do that whole conversation over again.

Lily’s hands shook while she dialed her home phone number. As usual, Juliet sensed that Lily was going to call and picked up before the end of the first ring.

“Lily?” Juliet said.

“Jules—” Lily’s voice broke and more tears came.

“Are you hurt? What happened?” Juliet asked, her voice high and breathy with worry. Lily tried to say something and failed. “You shouldn’t have called—”

“Juliet. I need money. A lot of it,” Lily managed to choke out. “I’ll wire it,” Juliet said. “Can you just think where really hard and not say it?”

Months had passed since Lily and her coven had left Scot’s body in the snow, but she should have guessed that no amount of time would make the FBI agent assigned to her case back off.

“Simms,” Lily said, naming the Rottweiler of a special agent.

Lily looked through the glass and watched Miller pacing back and forth on the edge of the kitchen like a caged cat, and it clicked in her head. Simms would never let Lily’s case go. She probably didn’t even understand why she chased after Lily the way she did, but Lily understood. Simms was either a latent mechanic or a crucible.

“It’s far, Jules.” Lily pictured what she’d seen that day. She spent a long time concentrating on the different images and all the associations that she could make for this place. Several minutes passed before Juliet responded.

“Got it,” she said. “Aw, I always wanted to go there.”

Lily laughed and sniffled at the same time. “I really miss you.”

“I miss you, too, but you need to go. The cash will be at the Walmart,” Juliet said. “Be safe.”

Lily hung up and stared out at the varying shades of darkness that still couldn’t quite smother the beauty of the view. The house was built on the edge of the bluff, and the surf brushed and sucked at the rough rocks below, filling the air with a muffled shushing. Midnight water winked back at the moon. Lily could smell the redwoods seasoned with salt from the ocean. She didn’t know what to do.

The sliding glass door opened behind her. Lily turned, expecting to see Miller there, but it was Tristan. She smiled at him. “Shouldn’t you be in there breaking hearts?” she teased.

Tristan smiled back at her joke, but looked away. “I think I’ve gotten tired of all that,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the deck next to Lily. “It’s one thing to know that you run around with a lot of girls, and another thing to actually meet yourself and see you doing it.”

Lily nodded. “When I first met Lillian, and I’m talking about that first second I laid eyes on her, I hated her. Probably because I saw in her all the things that I disliked in myself. I’ve never hated anyone that much.”

Tristan looked at her sharply. “You’ve never talked with me about meeting her.”

“I’ve never talked with anyone about it,” Lily said. “It’s almost embarrassing to see yourself so clearly. To know—not just think—but to know that you aren’t as great as you thought or maybe just hoped you were.”

“That’s it,” Tristan said, nodding. “I always hoped I’d be a better person than I am, but after meeting the other Tristan, and sharing his memories . . . well. I know how flawed I am. More flawed than anyone knows. Even you.”

Tristan took a breath as if he was about to tell Lily something, but a sharp sound from around the corner of the wraparound deck made Tristan jump. As he stared into the dark, trying to find the source of the sound, the sliding door behind them opened.

“Did you talk to her?” Una asked. Caleb was right behind her, and they stepped outside to join Lily and Tristan

.

“Yeah,” Lily said, her mind back on Juliet. “Money’s on its way. Someone’s waiting for us back there, though.” Lily sent them all an image of Simms.

“We can’t fly, then,” Una said. “She’ll be all over us as soon as we try to board a plane.”

“We can take a bus. Or rent a car under a fake name,” Lily suggested.

“I like the rental car idea better. It’s more private,” Una replied.

“See what Breakfast can get out of Miller. Maybe say one of us needs a fake ID to buy alcohol or something,” Lily said.

“That’s shouldn’t be too hard,” Una said, a wry smile dimpling her cheek. “He’s practically got Miller asking him to marry him.” Her eyes unfocused as she passed Lily’s request to Breakfast in mindspeak.

“I think Miller’s more interested in Lily,” Caleb said.