Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker 3)

The bright wall of fire arrived just as Lily played the vibration of her particular Salem in her willstone, and with the ocean of energy her opponent unwittingly gave her, she gathered up her coven and jumped them across the continent.

Carrick picked his head up from the carnage long enough to realize that every person in a uniform was running away. That could only mean one thing. They were going to attempt a massive salvo to end the conflict, which would make Lily stronger, but not Lillian. Lillian wasn’t present to harvest the energy.

Lady, I need more strength, he called to his witch.

I can’t help you anymore, Carrick, Lillian replied, exhausted. I suggest you run.

During the fighting, Carrick had somehow worked his way back to where he had started and found himself near the wreckage of the helicopter. He leapt behind it for some cover and felt himself being pulled down.

“Hold him,” Simms barked.

Miller and the helmsman wrestled Carrick to the ground just as he felt the last of Lillian’s strength bleed out of him. The helmsman pulled a pistol from a holster on his hip and pointed it at Carrick, ending the struggle. Carrick sat back and showed them his hands. They were covered in blood.

Simms stood and looked up at Lily, who was soaring above the battle, her arms flung wide and her delicate feet dangling.

/> “I’d duck if I were you,” Carrick warned.

A second later a roar erupted from the back of the police barricade . . . and was silenced. The flash of the salvo fell back onto itself just as the sound did. Then, in the absence of noise, thunks and pings could be heard as the projectiles that had been launched at Lily simply fell out of the air—robbed of their momentum. There was a great whooshing sound, as if the wind were inhaling, and then Lily and her coven vanished.

Silence. For a moment, everyone present just stared, and then the moans of the injured and the gasps of the amazed started to swell up in a clamor. Simms turned on Carrick and crouched down in front of him. She was pale under the wash of gore down her face.

“You’re going to explain this to me,” she said, her voice quiet and shaking. “And after you explain, you’re going to tell me where she went and how to capture her.”

Carrick narrowed his eyes at her. “Tell me why I should.”

Simms gestured at the helmsman, and he cocked his pistol. “You aren’t going to be arrested or put on trial. There’ll be no jail cells or opportunities for you to vanish into thin air like the rest of them did. You’ll just die right here, right now,” she promised. “Or you can explain.”

Carrick smiled at her appreciatively. “This universe doesn’t suit you. But I know one that does,” he told her, and then began.

CHAPTER

9

Lily fell out of the sky.

“Catch her!” Rowan shouted.

Caleb was closest and managed to get under Lily before she hit the ground. He made a basket out of his thick arms and Lily landed with much less of a smack than she would have without him. He went to stand her on her own two feet, but picked her back up as soon as he saw how wobbly she was.

“Tired?” Caleb guessed.

Lily nodded, and the world swayed uneasily. But at least it was her world.

“Where are we?” Caleb asked.

“My backyard,” Lily answered. She dropped her head on his shoulder and let out a long sigh. “It worked.”

“Lily?” Juliet called.

Lily picked her head up and saw her sister’s anxious face poking out of an upstairs window.

“Juliet,” Rowan said, cutting her off before she could ask questions. “We need to come inside.”

“Yes, of course. Holy crap.” There was a thump as Juliet bumped into something in her haste, and the window closed. Lily could hear her sister scrambling down the steps as she raced to meet them. The coven trudged to the side door. Now that Lily wasn’t fueling them, the minor injuries they’d incurred and general fatigue from the fight were catching up with them.

“Get in, get in,” Juliet said urgently, holding open the door and waving them through. “Are you okay? What happened? How did you get here so fast?” Juliet asked in a rush.

Lily burst into tears and wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck. Juliet startled and then went with it.