Trial by Fire

To a witch and her mechanic, they do. Give it to me, Lily. Give me the Gift.

Lily didn’t have to struggle to recall Rowan’s pattern. It was right at the forefront of her mind. Already changing the energy she’d harvested from the firearms, Lily unlocked Rowan’s stone with his pattern and started channeling force into him. She shared Rowan’s thrill as their bodies filled with power. His back arched, his willstone beamed with light, and he launched himself at the soldiers surrounding Caleb.

“Witch!” someone screamed in terror.

I’ve missed you.

Lily didn’t know if the thought was his or hers. All she knew was that she was fighting with herself not to take Rowan over completely. She had to remind herself over and over that she didn’t own Rowan. You can’t own a person, no matter how close to him you feel, she kept chanting inwardly.

Don’t give in, Lily. Please let me keep myself.

Rowan wove his way through the four soldiers surrounding Caleb, catching their attempts to hit him with their cudgels. His return blows came so quickly that the soldiers seemed to fall down on their own as he moved past them. Then he turned to face the rest of the soldiers still blocking the end of the alley.

The soldiers ran. Only one man among them rode forward on his horse, a dark-eyed Outlander who appeared to have been in command of the now scattered soldiers even though he didn’t wear a uniform. Light from a street lamp struck his face and Lily thought for a moment that he looked familiar. Rowan stopped, his arms falling with uncertainty to his sides.

Lily suddenly saw from Rowan’s perspective. This time she was more prepared, and immediately went along with Rowan as he relived one of his early memories …

… A boy, maybe sixteen. He’s skinny and he’s got bruises everywhere. I’d feel bad for him if he didn’t pick on us little kids. Dad says I’m to stay away from him, even though we had the same momma before she died when I was just a baby still. Dad says Carrick’s father did things to him—things that turned him bad. Dad says there’s no help for him now. I don’t know my half brother at all, except for his name and gossip about the things he’s done, but I know he’s always hated me. It won’t matter. Dad says I’ll go to the Citadel soon and never see him again.

And I haven’t until now, Lily.

The man who had once been that bruised sixteen-year-old boy looked Lily in the eye and smiled. Now that Lily knew who he was, she noticed how much he looked like Rowan.

Rowan. He knows who I am. He recognizes me.

Lily felt fear thrill through them. Rowan stepped in between Lily and the man, trying to shield her from his view.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Carrick,” Rowan said.

“Then you’ll lose,” Carrick replied. Rowan took a threatening step forward, his willstone still blazing with power. Carrick wheeled his horse around, his face twisting with scorn, then he rode away.

“Rowan!” Tristan barked. “We have to get out of here!”

Lily ran over to Tristan, who was still trying to help Caleb stand. Rowan went to Elias and began picking him up, but then stopped. He looked up at Caleb, his eyes wide with compassion.

“I’m so sorry, Caleb,” Rowan said. He lowered Elias’s body back down to the ground.

Caleb’s bloody face seemed to crumble. He made a small sound and took a step toward Elias. People from the bonfire started spilling into to the alley.

Rowan rushed forward to intercept Caleb, catching him in a bear hug and pushing him back. “He’s gone, Caleb,” Rowan said, holding his friend tight. “We have to leave him. You know we have to leave him.”

Tristan and Rowan forced Caleb to turn around and started hurrying him down the alley. Lily went after them and nearly tripped over one of the soldier’s dead bodies. She stared down at the corpse, frozen. He was young, and his cheeks were still pink with life. She’d killed four men, using Rowan as her weapon.

Lily!

She shook herself and started running.