Lillian will be fueling everyone who takes the field for her. None of these people have ever faced a witch’s army, or even seen what someone can do with a witch’s strength inside of him. It’ll be a slaughter.
“No, it won’t be,” Lily said, disliking Rowan’s defeatism. “If Lillian is going to fuel her army, I’ll fuel everyone who fights for the sachem.”
Rowan stopped dead and grabbed Lily by the shoulders, his face flushing with anger. “No, you won’t! You are not ready for the pyre. You’ll die.”
“The pyre?” Lily asked uncertainly. Rowan let go of her and stepped back.
“Firewalking,” he said. “You don’t stand in front of the flames, you go into them.” His voice dropped. “In order to get enough energy to fuel an army, we have to burn you, Lily.”
She stared at Rowan, her thoughts turning over rapidly. “Lillian can do it? She can firewalk and live?”
“She started with little things, like holding her hand over a flame for five minutes.” Rowan paced in a circle, dragging his fingers through his hair. “And at first, she hurt herself. A lot. I had to heal her over and over again. It took years for her to be ready for the pyre.”
“But she was young, right? She hadn’t come into her power yet, had she?”
Rowan stopped pacing and looked at Lily, his eyes sad. “Just once in your life, please listen to me. You’re not ready to firewalk, Lily.”
Lily looked around at the camp. Men and women were focused and united as they prepared themselves for war. They had their scientists back and the promise of an independent future if only they fought for it. She could feel their optimism, their hope for a better life for their children, and she knew Rowan was right. They had no idea what they would be facing. Lillian’s bewitched army would mow them down.
“If I don’t go to the pyre, are you still going to fight?” she asked.
He looked away.
Answer me. Are you going to fight, even without my strength?
Yes.
Even if that means you’ll die?
Yes.
“Then what difference does it make if I die on the pyre or not?” she said, taking his hand. He looked baffled for a moment, and then his face changed suddenly to pleading.
“Don’t do this for me,” he said.
“I know. And it’s okay, Rowan,” she replied. She thought about Lillian, and how she was so willing to hurl herself across the universe and into the unknown for this man. She smiled at him. “I get it now.”
“There you are!” Juliet called out, relieved. She ran over to Lily and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Rowan before he could protest any further. “We have to get you out of here. Lillian’s having a pyre built on the wall. The sachem told me he wants you and the scientists to hide in the woods.”
Lily paused. She looked over Juliet’s shoulder at all the people who would die tonight without her.
“Where is the sachem?” Lily asked. “I want to see him.”
“I’ll take you.”
Juliet led Lily and Rowan a short way through the camp. When they joined up with the sachem, they found all three of the scie
ntists were with him, along with Caleb and Tristan. Lily also recognized a few of the faces from outside the sachem’s council carriage. She nodded at the elders in greeting.
“Lily. We all want to thank you and your mechanics for returning our scientists,” one of the elders said. When she came forward through the crowd, Lily saw that it was Dana.
“Just a simple tanner, huh?” Lily replied, shaking her head.
“I was once,” Dana said through a grin.
“I’m just glad we all made it out,” Lily said. She grimaced suddenly at the irony of the situation. “For what it’s worth.”
Dana nodded, her eyes glinting with understanding. “It was worth a lot. Outlanders are used to dying, but if we die tonight, at least this time it will be for something we believe in.”