Trial by Fire (Worldwalker 1)

Tristan turned back. “Oh, so now you’re okay with it?” he said sarcastically.

“Would you just stop?” Lily said through a laugh. “Rowan’s had a hard time trusting me. I get why now, and we’re figuring it out. But even though this is hard for him, it really is your decision, Tristan, and no one else’s. So, you let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” Tristan said, like he was on his last nerve. “I’m sick of being left out.”

“Okay. But later?” Lily asked plaintively. “I’m starving.”

After dinner, Lily claimed Tristan. She was much gentler than she’d been with either Rowan or Caleb, even though the urge to take him over completely was strong. She didn’t grab him or break off contact too soon. She tried to allow Tristan his privacy as she had tried with Caleb, but some kind of memory exchange seemed to be part of the process. Lily saw several of Tristan’s formative memories, some of the many women he’d been intimate with, including something currently with Esmeralda. But mostly she saw Lillian and Rowan. She wondered if Rowan knew how much Tristan both admired and resented him.

He knows.

Then why did you let me claim you, Tristan? Why not find another witch so you don’t feel like you’re always second to him?

Because you need me, Lily, and so do Rowan and Caleb. I can be a selfish person sometimes, but in the end I’d rather help my friends than help myself.

I know. That’s probably why I’ve always cared about you. No matter what universe we’re in.

* * *

Gideon kicked off his shoes and dropped down into his chair. The meeting with Roberts, Bainbridge, and Wake had not gone as he’d hoped. Gideon had told them where the other Lillian was hiding. One raid, and they would have the physical proof they needed that there were other universes and that Lillian had learned how to access them, but they’d balked. Roberts had sputtered like a fool, saying that they would need Coven approval for a raid, and if they were wrong, they’d hang. Gideon wondered how long that petulant old man would be alive and debated whether or not it would be useful to try to help him along with dying.

“You’d think they’d want to at least try to capture the other Lillian,” Gideon said, disgusted.

“Not necessarily.” Carrick stood by the window, looking out. “Being able to access other worlds may mean that the people no longer need witches to get them what they need. But if they no longer need witches, they may decide they don’t need Councilmen either. They’re afraid.”

Gideon cocked his head at Carrick, studying him. Whatever the Outlander lacked in formal education, he made up for with keen intuition. He certainly had an uncanny understanding of what people feared.

“Whoever holds the most power is the one in control,” Gideon countered. “And there is no greater power than this.”

“But you still need a witch in order to do it,” Carrick reminded him. “And the problem with witches is that they tend to do the controlling.”

A very good point, but Gideon hadn’t given up yet—wouldn’t give up until he solved this problem. Too much was at stake. If he could find a way to control just one witch, he might not need the Council or the Covens. With the ability to access other worlds, the possibilities were endless.

“The Council will never back us,” Gideon said. “We need to move without them. Get in touch with the traitor.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let’s do it tonight.”

* * *

Caleb didn’t want to wait until morning to start work on the tunnel. With three witch-powered mechanics hauling rubble and shoring up the braces, Rowan figured they could have the rest of the tunnel dug out before dawn. It was decided that arriving in the Outlander caravan outside the walls would be safer at night, and the sooner they got out of Salem the better. Esmeralda had already needed to call in a few favors to hide the extra supplies they required, and no one wanted to tempt fate another day.

Reluctantly, Lily climbed down into the hatch with her candles in a knapsack, already exhausted from a full day’s work. The stuffy air choked her and made her light-headed. The dark smothered her, making her feel weak. Luckily, they didn’t have to go far before Rowan put down a square of black silk for her to sit on and began setting up the candles in a circle around the square. He lit the wicks, and their warm glow instantly filled her with energy, soothing her fears.

“It’ll be over soon,” Rowan whispered in her ear. He brushed his lips across her cheek, startling her. Before Lily could even gasp, he’d disappeared down the dark tunnel after Tristan and Caleb.

Lily sat down in her circle of light, desperately hoping that Rowan’s brief show of affection hadn’t been an accident. She closed her eyes and touched her mechanics’ minds to let them know she was ready to start channeling energy into them.

Finally! I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.

The thought had come from Tristan, and Lily could feel his elation when she unlocked the particular pattern that had grown between his mind and his stone and filled him with power. It wasn’t as overwhelming as when she’d poured all that power from the fire into Rowan’s stone when they’d fought the Woven. She still felt a thrill, but it was manageable, and she easily resisted the temptation to posses him. As Rowan and Caleb echoed Tristan’s exhilaration, she reached out to Rowan for an explanation.

Rowan? Why doesn’t this feel the same as it did in the cabin, or when we were fighting in the alley where Elias died?

It isn’t the Gift. It isn’t warrior magic. The scale is smaller, and the bond between us isn’t as intense.

But it still feels good?