Trial by Fire

Reluctantly, Lily climbed down into the hatch with her candles in a knapsack, already exhausted from a full day’s work. The stuffy air choked her and made her light-headed. The dark smothered her, making her feel weak. Luckily, they didn’t have to go far before Rowan put down a square of black silk for her to sit on and began setting up the candles in a circle around the square. He lit the wicks, and their warm glow instantly filled her with energy, soothing her fears.

“It’ll be over soon,” Rowan whispered in her ear. He brushed his lips across her cheek, startling her. Before Lily could even gasp, he’d disappeared down the dark tunnel after Tristan and Caleb.

Lily sat down in her circle of light, desperately hoping that Rowan’s brief show of affection hadn’t been an accident. She closed her eyes and touched her mechanics’ minds to let them know she was ready to start channeling energy into them.

Finally! I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.

The thought had come from Tristan, and Lily could feel his elation when she unlocked the particular pattern that had grown between his mind and his stone and filled him with power. It wasn’t as overwhelming as when she’d poured all that power from the fire into Rowan’s stone when they’d fought the Woven. She still felt a thrill, but it was manageable, and she easily resisted the temptation to posses him. As Rowan and Caleb echoed Tristan’s exhilaration, she reached out to Rowan for an explanation.

Rowan? Why doesn’t this feel the same as it did in the cabin, or when we were fighting in the alley where Elias died?

It isn’t the Gift. It isn’t warrior magic. The scale is smaller, and the bond between us isn’t as intense.

But it still feels good?

Of course, Lily. It’s amazing.

Rowan? Are witches addictive?

I don’t know. Is being close to someone addictive?

No. It’s necessary. Everyone needs to feel close to someone else.

Then witches are necessary.

Lily knew there had to be a flaw in his thinking—people got on just fine in her world without witches—but she was too taken with the idea to pursue it. In her world, she’d been loved—by her sister, her mother, and even her Tristan—but Lily had never been necessary.

As the night wore on, Lily felt the tons of rubble moving under the hands of her mechanics because she fueled them, felt the circle of minds wrapped around hers because she was the touchstone, and she knew that Rowan had been right. In this world she was able to contribute things that really mattered to people, like clean water and antibiotics. She was important. Just as Lillian had said she would be.




Lily? We’re through to the other side. I’m coming back for you.

Lily stirred. She realized that she was lying on her side in the dark, and she couldn’t breathe.

Hurry, Rowan. The candles have burned out.

Why didn’t you tell me sooner?

I think I passed out. There’s no air in here.

Esmeralda was supposed to leave the hatch open for you.

It’s shut. Please hurry. I’m cold, Rowan.

Cold?

Lily could feel a thrill of urgency race through Rowan. It pierced past the haze of fatigue that pressed down on her. Lily sensed Tristan and Caleb responding to Rowan’s alarm. They chased after him as he ran down the tunnel. Lily didn’t have the energy to give them any extra speed.

Lily heard a distant boom and the ground above her shook. Earth fell from the ceiling in a sheet. She felt rocks hitting her, cutting her. Then everything went silent.

Lily felt someone grab her. She screamed.

Rowan!

Lily, we’re cut off. There was an explosion aboveground that triggered a cave-in. We’ve been betrayed. I’m digging.

A strange man hovered over Lily in the dark. She could feel rough hands on her bare arms and legs. She was so weak she couldn’t even draw magelight from her stones.

“Lillian,” oozed a voice. It wasn’t totally foreign to her. She recognized it from Rowan’s memories.

“Carrick,” she whispered.

Rowan, help! Carrick—

Lily felt a web of ice wrap around her heart. Her body went rigid, her limbs wriggling with agony as Carrick ripped her willstones off her neck.





chapter 12