I will. Promise that you won’t stay away forever.
Lily stared at the pile of logs in front of her, unable to answer her sister. She didn’t know if she would ever be back.
“Let’s do it,” she said, nodding at Rowan.
She approached the unsteady heap of wood carefully. This pyre was much smaller than the one that had fueled her in battle and, thankfully, it lacked the intimidating stake jutting up from the center. Instead, Rowan had ordered that one long birch log be laid across the top. The pyre was still large, and Lily’s legs were clumsy with fear as she climbed onto it.
Or was it excitement that was making her stumble? Now that she smelled the wood sap and saw the white, splintery guts of the split logs, she remembered the power of the pyre as sharply as she remembered the pain. It coiled in her like lust.
“You won’t burn for long. Remember, you don’t have to last through an entire battle this time. Just long enough to worldjump,” Rowan said, helping Lily lie down on top of the long birch log. His hands shook and his eyes were wide. “If it’s too much—”
“It won’t be,” Lily whispered. She guided his mouth to hers and kissed him. As he kissed her back he pushed her arms over her head and bound her wrists tightly to the birch log beneath her. When he pulled away he kept his eyes locked with hers. “Tristan. Tie her feet,” he said.
Lily felt Tristan strapping down her ankles with the bungee cord while she and Rowan stared at each other. She could feel Rowan’s need and fear mirroring her own. On the pyre they were always one.
Tristan and Rowan moved back and Una stepped forward, a makeshift torch blazing in her hand. She looked at Lily with a mix of fear and pride in her eyes while she touched the torch to the logs under Lily’s body, setting them aflame.
The heat came on much faster this time. As soon as Lily smelled the smoke she felt the fire. In seconds she was screaming.
Lily! How can I help you?
You can’t, Rowan. In fact, you have to go.
Lily pushed him out of her mind. She knew that having him there would only make her focus on this world, rather than allow her to spirit walk and find the world she was seeking. In order to do that, she needed Lillian—and Lillian was always easy for Lily to find when she was in pain. Lily still hated her for what she had done, and when she wasn’t burning she knew she would remember that, but her hatred seemed to vanish when it was just the two of them, clinging to each other on the raft.
I’m here, Lily.
You’ve won, Lillian. I’m coming back.
This isn’t a contest between us. You could have gone to your authorities and revealed your magic. You could have cleared your name and had the police hunt Carrick for you. But you didn’t choose that. You chose to be known as a murderer in your world. You chose your world’s safety over the safety of you and your coven—the good of the many over the good of the few, even if one of those few is you. You will be thought of as a murderer and a villain in your world. Like me.
I may be you, Lillian, but I don’t make the same choices you do.
This choice proves otherwise. The reason I killed the shaman and the reason I hunt the three scientists is because they did exactly what you won’t—what you’re willing to leave your world in order to avoid doing.
What are you talking about?
Do you really think three Outlanders, no matter how intelligent, would have the ability to invent and to build nuclear devices out of thin air?
Explain.
In a moment, but you must worldjump now, Lily, or you’ll die. Gather your mechanics and find me in the worldfoam. I will be your lighthouse.