The shadow went away.
Dawn came and turmoil came with it. Arguments thundered over her like a storm cloud. Alaric came to her cage, opened it, and shook her limp body. He was demanding she tell them where the missing thing had gone. He leaned close to her. There was rage in his eyes and he said he wanted her dead before she got to the other bombs. Rowan pulled him away. He said Lily couldn’t be responsible. Look at her, he shouted. Alaric calmed down and said that it didn’t matter anyway. They’d make another copy of the missing piece as soon as they found Hakan. Rowan looked at Lily for a long time after Alaric went away. His face suddenly changed and he rubbed something off her cheek. Blood, he whispered. He looked around, frightened, and then locked her back in her cage.
Lily’s eyes grew dim.
She felt arms lifting her, carrying her away. Everything was dark. Maybe she was dying. She felt a deep, dull pain as if someone were moving the bones around in her body, and then she recognized the warmth of her willstones against her skin. She had her willstones back again. She drew in a gasping breath. She saw Tristan’s face. Her Tristan, and everything came back into focus. Tristan attached her willstones around her neck for her.
“She’s alive,” he said, his hushed voice breaking with relief. She felt water in her mouth and swallowed it, but it wasn’t enough. She gulped the water down frantically, tasting a hint of herbs that eased the pounding in her head. She heard another voice whisper to Tristan, and the canteen was taken away. Her eyes slid shut.
Lily realized Tristan was carrying her. Una’s and Juliet’s faces appeared nearby. They were running through the camp. It was dark out, but Lily could still see some guards watching them pass as they stole away from camp. No one raised the alarm.
Far off, on the other side of the camp, Lily could hear the sounds of a skirmish. Terrified, she listened for the howls and screeches of Woven, but all she heard were human voices fighting with one another. She could feel some of her claimed dying, and clutched at her chest with each heartbreaking loss.
When they got to the edge of camp, Lily saw Caleb, Breakfast, and the other Tristan already mounted and holding the reins of five fresh horses. A handful of braves were with them, speaking in hushed tones. They left as soon as Lily arrived, each of the braves pausing a moment to touch a hand to their chest in a gesture of respect as they passed her.
Her Tristan passed Lily up into Caleb’s arms. Caleb’s face was bruised and swollen. So was the other Tristan’s. They’d both been in a terrible fight. She tried to ask what had happened.
“Later,” Caleb whispered, holding her in front of him on his horse. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”
Her mouth was so dry. She looked around. “Where are we going?” she croaked.
Everyone exchanged frightened looks. Lily noticed Juliet’s eyes were red and swollen with crying. “West, like you wanted,” Juliet replied.
CHAPTER
13
They rode all night. No one spoke for fear of the Woven. Lily clung to Caleb, wishing she were back in the cage without her willstones. At least then she wouldn’t have to feel anything. Now that she was no longer numb she had to face what had happened.
When she’d made her choice and told everyone that she had been in contact with Lillian, she’d known it might mean she would lose Rowan. Deep inside, Lily had always wondered how he could look at her and not think of Lillian anyway, and when she’d openly admitted that she agreed with Lillian, Lily knew she would be giving him up. She might even have to fight him.