Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker 3)

“Is it?” she asked. “I can’t say the same.”

His mouth ticked up with a wry smile as his eyes narrowed. “Well, apparently you wanted to see me because you sought me out,” he reminded her.

“I came for the rest of my army,” she replied. The fire popped between them as the silence grew heavy. Finally, Alaric nodded in concession.

“From what Rowan tells me, you can bring all of your claimed from place to place with no need to travel. They’d all survive the journey if they travel with you, and I can’t promise them the same.” His poker face was flawless. “But would they follow you into battle?”

“We both know their loyalty is with you,” Lily replied, making a concession of her own. “So here’s what I’m willing to offer you. Your voice will be heard with all things concerning the Outlander braves in my army. You’ll be one of my generals and you’ll report to Rowan. I offer you this under one condition. That you let me claim you.”

Alaric barked with surprised laughter. When he realized Lily wasn’t kidding, he looked to Rowan for someone to talk reason to her, but Rowan shook his head once in answer.

“You lost my support when I found out about the bombs,” Rowan said.

Alaric smiled and nodded. “And that’s what this is all about.”

“It is,” Lily said. “I want to know where the bombs are, and I want them dismantled and disposed of properly. They are no longer an option in this war.”

“Bomb. Single. I only have one left that still works—and it does still work”—Alaric nodded to one of his painted braves—“even though you sent someone to try to sabotage it.”

“What are you talking about?” Lily asked, not even trying to hide her confusion.

There was the sound of a tussle as someone was dragged into the light of the fire. She saw Carrick pinioned between two braves. He was bucking against their restraints with real fear in his eyes as he was dragged before Alaric.

“Lily,” Carrick said, baring his teeth as he breathed her name. “At last.”

Lily could feel all of her mechanics step closer to her as she shrank into Rowan’s side. Rowan said something to Carrick in Cherokee, but Carrick only laughed at his half brother and shook his head.

“Don’t think I don’t know you and Lillian sent this uktena to undermine me,” Alaric said as he gestured to Carrick with a foul look on his face.

“I have nothing to do with Carrick,” Lily replied hotly. “Lillian and I don’t agree on everything. I came here with my own plans about how to deal with you and the bombs—sorry, bomb—and it had nothing to do with him. And where is the second bomb? I thought there were two.”

Alaric sized Lily up with a guarded look on his face. A thought occurred to him and he tipped his head to the side. “She didn’t tell you that she stole the other and kept it for herself, did she?” Lily stared at Alaric, horrified. He gave a bitter laugh. “I didn’t think so.”

Lily shut her mouth with a snap and reached out to Lillian in mindspeak.

Lillian. Do you have a bomb?

There was no answer. She stalked over to Carrick where he was still being held by two braves and slapped him hard across the face.

“Does Lillian have a bomb?” She slapped him again before he even had a chance to answer. Carrick’s face whipped to the side and came back to Lily wearing an indulgent smile. Her skin puckered as if something had slithered across it. “Answer me,” she warned.

“I don’t know. If she got one, it happened when I was following you,” Carrick replied. “But it sounds about right. Lillian plans to raze Bower City to the ground.”

I don’t think he’s lying, Rowan said to Lily in mindspeak.

He isn’t, she replied. Lillian told me herself that she planned on destroying the city, but I never thought she’d use one of the bombs to do it. Never. It’s the last thing she would do.

And Lily knew that was why Lillian was doing it. Lillian believed that in order to win, she had to cross the uncrossable line.

“You came here to gather an army and join Lillian, but the Outlanders are following Lillian to stop her,” Alaric said. “We want to live in Bower City, if we can get past the Hive.”

They don’t know the whole story about Grace. The thought came from Caleb, who was only now joining them at the fire with Juliet and Samantha in tow. He stepped into the light and spoke aloud.

“Sachem, there is no getting past the Hive,” Caleb said. “Not without Lily and Lillian and every single person they’ve claimed. The Hive is under the power of a witch named Grace Bendingtree. It’s bewitched. I’ve seen it myself. We can’t hope to beat her without a bewitched army of our own.”

Alaric heard what Caleb said, but his eyes kept darting over Caleb’s shoulder to the two women who stood behind him, his attention torn.

“Juliet?” he said, h