Lily turned and saw the painted streaks on his cheeks, identifying him as the other Tristan. He was holding out a bowl of some kind of salty, grain-based concoction that she’d been having for dinner while on the trail. She took the bowl and smiled up at him, struck by the thought that she hadn’t had much time alone with this Tristan. In fact, Lily almost felt as if he’d been avoiding her. He turned to leave her to eat her salty porridge alone, but she put out a hand and stopped him.
“Sit with me,” she said, offering him the patch of dirt to her right. He joined her, but was careful to leave a respectful gap between them. He was keeping his distance, and she couldn’t figure out why. “How have things been for you since … well, you know.” Lily tipped her chin at her Tristan, who was busy brushing down his horse.
“You mean since I met myself?” He gave a shaky laugh, and then furrowed his brow. “It’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s almost like my shadow came to life and started talking to me.”
“But it can’t be all bad. You two are spending a lot of time together,” Lily said. “It seems like you’re always together now.” She watched his face change with every racing thought and found that she was smiling to herself, enjoying how vulnerable his mobile features made him. It was something that both the Tristans shared. They both wore their hearts on their sleeves.
“It feels natural to be around him. Like I finally have someone who totally understands me.” Tristan looked Lily in the eye. “Rowan and Caleb were closer to each other than they were to me because they’re both Outlanders, and they’ve known each other longer. I’ve never had anyone. Until now.”
“My experience of meeting myself has been a little different,” Lily said, grimacing. “Do you two share memories with each other?”
“All the time,” he said, nodding slowly. “We didn’t decide to start doing it, it just happened that way. It’s easier, I guess. We don’t have to explain anything to each other. We just show it.”
“It must be strange to see his memories and see the world that he and I come from.”
“Yes and no,” he said, studying Lily’s face. “One thing is consistent, though. You’re everywhere in both of our versions of the world.” Lily felt her cheeks heat up and looked down at her porridge. He laughed playfully. “For me, it was more a worship situation. But not for him. He’s always loved you, you know. Even when he messed up.”
“I know,” Lily whispered. “Is that why you’re keeping your distance? Because of him?”
“Because I’m used to keeping my distance from you,” he said, his smile a little sad. “You’ve always been off-limits for me, but this time I don’t resent that. He loves you more.”
The way he said more made Lily think he meant more than anyone—including Rowan. Before she could ask him to clarify, the other Tristan got up and left her to stare at the mountains that were turning midnight blue in the gathering dark.
Two days later they began their ascent. Caleb assured Lily that the trail they were taking wouldn’t require them to be roped up, but he was already making allotments for lost pack animals and supplies. There was no doubt that the terrain was going to get steep and rough.
“And the Woven are different in the mountains,” Dana added as they dismounted and started their ascent. “More raptors. Remember to look up every now and again.”
Lily tilted her head back and scanned the skies. She’d never seen a raptor Woven, and she hoped she never did.