Trial by Fire

“Why does he care?” Rowan repeated, frustrated. “You have no idea what you mean, do you?” His eyes searched hers.

Lily shrugged. She supposed her importance must have something to do with her being a copy of the Salem Witch. But Lily had no idea how to do anything even remotely witchy, at least not without Rowan telling her how to do it, so she didn’t really see how that could benefit anyone except maybe Rowan. In Lily’s estimation, she was just an odd glitch in the cosmological equation. She wasn’t important. She was weird.

“Gideon’s coming for you, Lily,” Rowan continued in a hushed voice. “He’s not going to stop just because I wouldn’t let him into my apartment.”

Rowan was scared of Gideon—as scared of him as he was of the Woven.

“Can you hide me from him?” she asked.

“Not forever. You need to be able to hide yourself. To defend yourself.” Rowan’s shoulders slumped and he seemed to give up. He suddenly moved to the kitchen. “I didn’t want to do this. But I can’t leave you helpless.”

Lily followed him. He took a velvet jeweler’s envelope out of his backpack, untied the strings and unfolded it, revealing a few dozen ovoid stones of varying sizes. They were such a dull gray color that at first Lily didn’t recognize them for what they were.

“Willstones,” she said, frowning. “But they look … I don’t know. Dead.”

“Because they’re unkeyed. There’s no mind inside them yet. Do you still want one?” Lilly nodded, and Rowan regarded her seriously. “There’s no going back after this. It will change you forever.”

Lily was imagining herself back home, trying to explain her glowy necklace to Tristan, when she realized she hadn’t thought about her own Tristan in days. Their failed attempt at a relationship seemed so far away after what she’d been through. She met Rowan’s eyes. “I’m already changed forever,” she said.

Rowan looked away, his mouth a grim line. “Okay.”

He took a butter knife out of a drawer, picked up the velvet envelope, and led Lily down the hall to his bedroom. Straightening the mussed comforter, he directed Lily to climb onto the bed and get comfortable. Rowan sat opposite her and used the butter knife to separate the willstones on the velvet between them.

“Hold your hand about a foot over them, palm down,” he directed. “Pass your hand over them slowly, one at a time. The stronger your talents are, the more this ritual affects you. This is going to be very hard, but whatever you do, don’t pull your hand away.”

Lily did as he said, and immediately felt a thrumming in her hand. “I feel something.”

“Stay relaxed. Let it happen,” Rowan replied. He leaned forward, watching her intently. “I’m right here, Lily. You’re safe.”

Lily looked up at him, his reassurance worrying her, and she wondered how strong the sensation was going to get. The stones began to shiver on the velvet, and the thrumming in Lily’s hand became heat. She moved her hand over the array of stones slowly as Rowan had instructed. The heat grew to a burning itch under her skin. It spread up her arm, crawling under her skin like a disease.

“Is it almost over?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“I know it’s hard. I’m right here.” Rowan’s voice was low and soothing. She felt the string between them tighten, as if he were pulling her closer to him without moving. “Breathe slowly, Lily. In and out.”

Lily realized she was panting. Sweat broke out on her upper lip. She tried to slow her breath and relax as Rowan had instructed her, but the sensation was alarming. It was worse than pain. It felt as if she were being invaded. “I think something’s wrong, Rowan,” she gasped. “I don’t think it’s supposed to be like this.”

“You’re growing another limb made out of crystal. The rest of your body will try to stop it like it’s an infection, but it isn’t. Fight the instinct to pull your hand away.”