Trial by Fire

Wait, Rowan. My sister is down there. I have to Gift Dana to get them out of here.

Lily took the last of the heat from the smoldering wreck of the bomb, turned it directly into force, and channeled it into Dana’s stone. She felt Dana’s elation at this new and much more intense level of power and had to fight to stay focused.

Get my sister out of here, Dana. Don’t wait for me.

Alright. Good luck, Lily.

With its energy source almost completely spent, the witch wind grew weak and began buffeting Lily unevenly. Lily looked down as she was being tossed about violently and saw Dana pick up Juliet, throw her over her shoulder, and climb up the wall in a few fluid movements. She heard Rowan in her head.

I’m coming.

Rowan jumped and snatched Lily out of the air. He landed once, rebounded, and leapt over the Citadel wall, holding Lily on one side and the exhausted scientist on the other.

As they sped through the city, knocking stunned and frightened people out of the way, Lily heard Lillian’s voice in her mind.

Give them back! They must be hanged, Lily.

No, Lillian. I won’t let you do this.

You don’t know what they’re capable of. You don’t know because you haven’t woldjumped on your own. You haven’t seen the cinder worlds yet. Do you have any idea how many of them there are? I won’t let this world burn, too. Think of it, Lily—a few lives to save an entire world, a beautiful world. I know you agree with me. I know what you believe, and I know you’re strong enough to do what has to be done, no matter how hard it is. Deep in your heart, you ARE me.

No, Lillian. You’re wrong.

Am I? I didn’t want to do this, but I don’t have a choice anymore. I’m going to show you a version of your world I found on a spirit walk a month before I found you.

Lily tried to block it, but Lillian shoved the memory into her head so forcefully, Lily went board-stiff in Rowan’s arms.

… My spirit arrives to empty streets and abandoned cars. It’s a cinder world—yet another Earth that has been devoured in a holocaust of ambition and stupidity. Houses are burning down at the end of the block, and if the wind off the water picks up, the rest of the neighborhood will go up in flames as well. I can feel a version of myself down below, beneath the ground, even though she hates it down there. She’s with Juliet. I tell myself to get out of here. This is just one of millions of wasted worlds, but the pull to see what’s happening to them is strong, even though I’m sure I will see nothing but heartbreak.

I send my spirit through the poisoned air and down underground to find them hiding in the cellar. They are skinny and covered in sores. They won’t live much longer. If they’re lucky, the fire will suffocate them in a few hours. Better that than—

Lily finally managed to shove Lillian out of her mind.

“Lily!” Rowan squeezed Lily, trying to snap her out of it, “What happened? You’re shaking.”

Tears blurred Lily’s vision. She buried her face in Rowan’s neck to try to blot out the horrid image of herself and her sister suffering. “Lillian’s going to come for the scientists,” she whispered to Rowan.

“I know,” he replied, and launched them over the outer wall and into the dark forest.





chapter 15



Gideon followed Lillian through the carnage in the courtyard. The wounded had been taken inside to be healed, but the dead still lay where they’d fallen, waiting to be dealt with. Lillian stood among the bodies, her pale face unmoving. The hem of her long gown was dark with blood.

“You’ll lead the army out,” Lillian commanded in a flat tone.

Gideon smirked at her. “You’re joking. I’m not a soldier.”