Trial by Fire

“When did it happen?” she asked.

“Seven months ago,” he replied, his voice low. “I begged her.” Lily felt a flash of desperation and disbelief—his feelings when he pleaded for his father’s life. “But she’d made up her mind.”

Rowan opened up a memory for Lily to share.

… A courtroom. This farce of a trial is over and it devolves into a circus of people screaming and shouting around me. At the center of the chaos is Lillian. She just stands there—silent. She won’t let me in her head, won’t answer me, won’t acknowledge if she can feel my hurt. I send it all to her. I hope the hurt goes away soon and turns into hate. I let her know that, too. How I can’t wait to hate her …

The betrayal Rowan had felt—and how staggeringly empty it had left him when he’d lost both his father and Lillian in one devastating moment—knocked the wind out of Lily. It was nothing like what had happened between Tristan and her. There was no comparing their betrayals. “How can you even stand to look at me?” she asked breathlessly.

“That’s the problem. I should look at you and see her, but I don’t anymore. Not since we spent that night in the tree.” He shook his head, smiling at the memory. “You’d been in shock for days. I woke up the next morning, and you told a joke. You did that for me. To put me at ease so I’d worry less about you. You’re still the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, but you also admit when you’re wrong. You’re thoughtful and kind, Lily.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she said.

He lifted his hand and touched her face, his fingers cupping the curve of her jaw. “Because I want to trust you. I want you to be everything I loved about her and nothing I hated. I want it so badly that I know I shouldn’t trust myself enough to trust you. But I guess I’m doing it anyway, even though I know you’re not staying.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“You want to go home. And when you’ve figured out how, you’re going to leave us, aren’t you?” Rowan ran his hand down her throat. His fingers slid lightly over her neck and collarbone, just barely touching the platinum edges of her willstones. Every place he touched tingled and tightened. She didn’t have an answer. Rowan suddenly released her and went to his bedroom door. “You need salt,” he said. “And I’m a bad mechanic for ignoring it.”

Rowan took her hand and led her downstairs. She followed him clumsily, her knees still wobbly, not sure what had just happened between them. Caleb and Tristan were in the kitchen, about to sit down to dinner.

“Oh good,” Caleb said. “No one’s bleeding.”

“We worked it out.” Rowan smiled and pulled a chair out for Lily, then sat down next to her. Tristan looked between them, his face stony. He stood up suddenly, his food untouched. “Tristan?” Rowan said. “Do you still want Lily to claim you?”

Tristan turned back. “Oh, so now you’re okay with it?” he said sarcastically.

“Would you just stop?” Lily said through a laugh. “Rowan’s had a hard time trusting me. I get why now, and we’re figuring it out. But even though this is hard for him, it really is your decision, Tristan, and no one else’s. So, you let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” Tristan said, like he was on his last nerve. “I’m sick of being left out.”