Trial by Fire

“Rowan Fall,” the woman purred. She held up her hand, making the air shimmer and bend as she dropped her ward to allow them to enter. “Do me a favor, precious. Try not to start too many catfights tonight.”


Rowan paused and leaned close to her, letting his lips barely brush her cheek. It was so blatantly flirty that Lily felt more puzzled than jealous. It wasn’t like him. The bouncer tried to wind her arms around his neck, but Rowan broke away with a cocky grin and led Tristan and Lily inside.

Bodies whirled around a huge, roaring fire that dominated the center of the room. Everywhere Lily looked, heads lolled and torsos writhed as people in varying states of undress spun in concentric circles around the bonfire. The music sounded almost tribal. It had a dark, driving rhythm juxtaposed against vaporous vocals that were mostly remixed whispers and sighs. In the background, Lily could hear chanting from people lurking in the dark. Many wore masks and little else. She looked up at the towering bonfire. There was no ceiling above it, just sparks floating up into the night sky.

Skirting around the edge of the circle of entranced revelers, they passed low tables surrounded by cushions and pillows. Lily peered through the veils draped over one such arrangement and saw a woman. She was sitting astride a young man, kissing him deeply. Her ungloved hand reached out to another man sitting next to them. She slid her hand up his bare chest and grasped his willstone. He threw back his head, his body shaking as he cried out.

“Oh my God,” Lily gasped, clutching at Tristan’s arm. “She’s hurting him.”

“Ah, a little,” Tristan began tentatively. “But trust me, he’s enjoying it. If she were really hurting him, you’d know.”

“Is she claiming him right now?”

Tristan laughed uncomfortably. “Probably not. Witches and crucibles don’t always claim a guy when they touch his stone. Remember—he has to allow her to claim him, and she has to want to take on all that responsibility. Claiming is a big deal. But touching stones can be just for fun between people who aren’t looking for anything more. Or it can be awful.” Tristan made an exasperated sound. “You have to understand some of this. You can’t be that innocent.”

Lily looked at the guy that the woman was straddling. He was definitely having fun. Then she looked at the guy who was separate from the couple. The woman barely touched his stone with her fingertips, and he was practically losing his mind.

“So, it’s like sex?” Lily hazarded.

Tristan stared at her disbelievingly, like she was missing an important point. “Rowan really hasn’t…?” Tristan broke off before he finished that sentence, and pulled Lily along. “C’mon. I think we’re getting a table.”

Rowan was at the bar, talking to the slender bartender who had big blue eyes and bright pink hair. They clasped hands warmly over the bar, apparently good friends, and the bartender pointed to a booth off to the side that had a reserved sign on the table.

“Caleb’s boyfriend, Elias,” Tristan said, waving to the bartender and going directly to the booth.

“Love the pink hair. Should we go say hi?” Lily asked, curious to meet giant Caleb’s itty-bitty boyfriend. She’d only heard mention of Caleb’s partner Elias in passing and, sensing that Caleb was an intensely private person, hadn’t wanted to pry. But she was curious—especially now that she saw how adorable Elias was.

“He’ll come over when he’s not too busy.”

“He’s really cute,” Lily said with a devilish grin.

“No idea what he sees in a meathead like Caleb,” Tristan said, grinning back.

Tristan and Lily sat down while Rowan accepted a bottle and three short glasses from Elias, then made his way to the booth. He hadn’t taken two steps when a scantily clad girl wrapped her arms around Rowan’s waist and pressed herself against him, nuzzling her face under his chin.

“And so it begins,” Tristan said, sighing.