Trial by Fire (40 page)

The guys had left their shaving stuff scattered around the basin and Lily had to shuffle through their razors and soaps until she found a toothbrush. After washing her face and brushing her teeth she felt better. She still looked like death warmed over, but at least she was refreshed. Lily ran her hand through her hair and noticed that she was growing some pretty impressive red roots. They looked almost pink in contrast with the bleached white tips, and Lily thought it looked sort of cool. She wondered in an offhand way if Juliet would like it, and suddenly missed her sister desperately. Juliet, it appeared, was the only person in this world who
wasn’t
trying to use her.

Juliet?

There you are!

Are you okay?

Not really, Lily. I’ve gotten myself into a bit of trouble with Lillian.

What happened?

She’s going to hang three people on New Year’s Day. I tried to save them. I’m just glad you’re alive.

Lily felt Juliet leave her mind. An emptiness took her sister’s place. Knowing she couldn’t put this off any longer, Lily stood up and rifled through the different piles of boy’s clothes stacked around the tent until she found a dress. She slid it over the slip she was wearing and struggled to do up the laces herself. It was a gorgeous dress—beautifully tailored and embroidered with gold thread. She wondered who it had belonged to and where it came from. She wasn’t naive enough to think that Alaric’s tribe had bought it for her in a store, she just hoped no one had been killed for it. She dug in the clothes pile some more and found a cape that looked like it would fit a girl. She threw it over her shoulders and went out into the snow barefoot.

She could feel where her mechanics were. Lily made her way through the camp, turning heads wherever she went. Everyone who looked at her immediately glanced down at the three stones lying on her bared breastbone and hurried to get out of her way.

The camp was much larger than she’d thought. Lily had to walk a fair distance to make her way out of what she assumed was its center, where her tent was hitched, to find Rowan and the others, all the while heading toward the looming walls of Salem. As she felt her way through the grounds, Lily passed row after row of booths, tents, stalls, and stables. There were thousands, possibly even tens of thousands, of people camped here—and most of them were heavily armed.

There was urgency in the air. Lily looked up at the walls beyond the camp, and saw flashes of light. The great wall surrounding Salam bristled with soldiers. A chill ran down her spine. Lily had zero battle experience, but even she knew that the two sides were facing off with each other. A war was brewing.

Lily hadn’t seen much of the city while she was there, but she did know that it was modern, rich, and filled with resources. It also had a witch who could fuel her claimed with superhuman strength. As she passed through the camp, it seemed centuries behind. The carts and clothes were handmade. The children worked alongside the adults at the forges and the bakeries rather than attending school. Lily thought of the two sides of Rowan she’d seen—the Rowan who fit so perfectly in his sleek city apartment, and the Rowan who knew how to make do in a simple survival cabin in the woods. She remembered how happy he was when he was serving a huge meal to his friends at his stylish table, and how one jar of jam had been so important to him that he’d have rather starved than take it from another Outlander.

This camp was filled with Rowan’s people. They were a people who had never had any resources apart from the kind they found inside themselves, and as noble as that was, Lily knew they didn’t stand a chance if it came down to a fight. The Citadel was too strong.

Lily arrived at a huge armored cart surrounded by fierce-looking Outlander warriors. They had streaks of red and black paint on their faces, eagle feathers in their hair, and their dark wearhyde clothes were so similar they could have been uniforms. When she tried to pass, they stepped in front of her. They barely glanced at her or her stones. These were not the kind of men or women who were impressed by willstones and witches.

“I need to speak to Alaric,” Lily said loudly.

Half a second later Rowan appeared at the door. He looked her up and down with a funny expression. Her heart pinched at the sight of him, and then hardened. Why was it that every time she gave her heart to a guy, he almost instantly broke it?

Lily! You’re awake.

And I plan on staying that way. I’ve been asleep for too long.

Lily could feel confusion swirling around inside of Rowan as he picked up on her anger.

Is something wrong?

Lily didn’t respond. Rowan’s confusion turned to frustration.

I’m glad you’re awake, but don’t go through the camp alone again. Call to me first and I’ll come to you.

Why?

The Woven like to pick off loners and strays.

Lily’s stride hitched and her skin crawled.

But this camp is huge. They can still get inside?

Outside the walls of the cities, no one is safe.

“Let her pass,” Caleb ordered.

Tristan joined Rowan and Caleb at the doorway, smiling brightly. Lily could sense Caleb and Tristan’s happiness at seeing her up and about, but she took no comfort in it.

The Outlander warriors stepped out of Lily’s way. She took a few steps toward the carriage, but didn’t enter it.

Lily? What’s the matter with you?

Lily ignored Rowan. “Alaric!” she called. Confused thoughts from Caleb and Tristan ate away at the edges of her anger. It was hard to stay mad at them when their thoughts were laced with so much concern.

Alaric limped out of the war carriage, his face inscrutable. “My Lady of Salem,” he said smoothly.

“Lily,” she replied sharply. “My name is Lily. I’m not the ‘Lady’ of anything.”

“What can I do for you, Lily?” Alaric said politely.

“You can tell me what you want from me.” She glared at Rowan. “And
he
can tell me whether or not you’re lying in mindspeak.”

“I want you to help my people,” Alaric said immediately.

Lily looked at Rowan.

He’s telling the truth.

“And how do you want me to do that?” Lily asked Alaric.

“By going to other worlds to get me the technology my people need to survive if necessary,” he responded. “But I’ll take whatever I can get from you. Clean water, antibiotics, whatever you’ve got.”

Lily didn’t need Rowan to confirm what Alaric just said, but he did anyway.

He’s telling the truth.

And what about you, Rowan? Were you ever going to tell me the truth?

“I’ve never lied to you,” Rowan yelled out loud.

“But you didn’t tell me the whole truth, either. Did you?” Lily yelled back. “You weren’t looking for the shaman so I could find my home. You were looking for him so I could learn how to steal things for you.”

“Don’t you
dare
tell me what my motives were,” Rowan said warningly.

Like a slap across the face, Lily got a memory from Rowan.

… the meeting with the Outlander elders, right before the camp got raided by Gideon’s men. The elder from Huron says there could be an answer to all the Outlanders’ problems on other worlds and that the girl could get those answers. The elder from Choctaw is so hopeful. He says that the fighting and dying and running from the Woven could end tomorrow if the girl can get the power source they need from the farworlds. The elder from Cherokee, the wiry woman with the mane of gray hair, cuts them all off. She says that first they have to find the shaman and then they have to find a way to get the girl on their side. She looks at me, and I know what she wants me to do. She wants me to seduce Lily. The elder wants me to tell Lily I love her so she’ll follow me anywhere. How I want to. But this girl is an innocent. I can’t. I won’t. I’m scared she’ll break my heart—again.

Rowan’s mind skipped ahead.

… Gideon has just left. Lily is standing there, swamped in my robe, trusting me to protect her. How can I protect her if she can’t give me the strength to do it? Gideon is coming for her. I can either lose her or train her. Everyone wants a piece of her, and I can’t stop them unless I make her a powerful witch—the witch everyone wants me to make of her so they can use her. I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore, but I know I can’t lose her. How the hell did that happen so fast?

The memory changed again.

… making blueberry pancakes for Lily. She’s sitting on the island behind me, so fresh and lovely it hurts. She has no idea Tristan, Caleb, and I are fighting in mindspeak. Neither understands what my problem is. The way Caleb sees it, Lily would have to learn from the shaman to get back to her home, so what’s the problem with us training her? Tristan adds that if she wants to help us rebels, she will. If not, it’s not like anyone could make her do it so what was the harm? I ask them sarcastically if they also think I should do as the elders want and sleep with Lily to seal the deal. Tristan offers to do it for me, whether it seals the deal or not. I nearly hit him. I take a breath and flip the pancakes. I tell them again that I won’t have any part of it. If the shaman shows up, I’ll stop training Lily. I won’t trick her into fighting this war for us.

The memories ended, and Lily stood, looking into Rowan’s offended eyes.

“But you’re the only person I told about the shaman in the oubliette. That he taught me how to spirit walk,” she said, feeling chastised. “Why did you tell Alaric about that if you didn’t want him to use me?”

Rowan smiled at her, shaking his head. “You told
everyone
about the shaman when you were delirious.”

“I did?” Lily looked at Tristan and Caleb.

“You wouldn’t shut up about him,” Tristan said.

“You kept trying to make us go back for his bones because you hadn’t learned how to worldjump yet and you needed to bury him,” Caleb added, his nose wrinkled with distaste.

Lily turned to Alaric. “I don’t know how to worldjump. Not completely. I can send my spirit to other worlds, but I have no idea how to get my body there. So I doubt I’ll be of any use to you,” she said bitterly, happy to ruin his plans to manipulate her.

“We’ll find someone else to train you,” Alaric replied with a shrug.

“I can’t believe you!” Lily said, shocked by his audacity. “You’re just going to bald-faced admit that you want to use me to raid other worlds?”

“If it comes to that, yes,” Alaric replied heatedly. He spread his hands wide to include the camp. “I want you to help my people, and I don’t care if you feel like I’m using you. I’m doing it so
they—
” Alaric jabbed his finger angrily in the direction of the camp, “—don’t
die.
Which is far more important to me than your feelings.”

As hurt as she was at being misled, she honestly couldn’t fault Alaric for his intentions. Even on her brief walk through the camp she’d seen how much these people needed help. “You still should have told me. If you want me on your side, you can’t keep things from me.”

“I need your help, Lily,” the sachem said pleadingly. “
We
need your help. Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll try to give you an honest answer.”

Lily felt the skirt of her plundered dress between her fingers. No matter how much she sympathized with the Outlanders, was she really ready to raid other worlds for Alaric? She looked at her guys and could feel how much they wanted her to at least listen to the sachem. She sighed. “I’ll listen. But I’m not promising anything.”

“Fair enough.” The sachem gestured for Lily to join him inside the carriage.

Thank you, Lily.

I’m trying, Rowan, for your sake. But I don’t trust Alaric yet.

Lily couldn’t help but think about Lillian, and what she was willing to do for Rowan’s sake. She felt him put his hand on the small of her back as she climbed the steps and knew it wasn’t just to help her up. They were still tightly connected after sharing his memories and he wanted to touch her. She wanted to be physically near him, too, and she pressed herself against his hand.

It was her first time inside one of the Outlander carriages. Lily looked around at the scaled-down furniture and how everything seemed to either fold up or have multiple functions. Beds served as couches, and tables could easily be stowed into the walls. There were papers all over the place—maps and designs and lists of names. Lily saw a glass box on a ledge by the window. The inside of the box crawled with crickets. She looked at Rowan, her lips pressed together with mirth.

Dinner.

With a little salt, they’re not as bad as you’d think. Crunchy.

I’ll stick to pickles.

I don’t blame you.

Rowan? Did you grow up in a place like this?

Yes. Except ours was much smaller, and we shared it in shifts with another family. They worked nights and we worked days.

But it’s so small.
Lily widened her eyes at him, and he smiled and shrugged.

We were poor, Lily.

Lily sat close to Rowan, pressing her leg against his. Whether Rowan had intended to win her over for the Outlanders or not, she couldn’t help but think the elders had won. A part of her knew she’d do anything for Rowan, and she wondered how deep
anything
went.

“Now then,” Alaric said briskly when they were all seated. “What would you like to know, Lily?”

“I guess my first question is, why are you parked on Lillian’s doorstep and not hiding in the woods somewhere?” Lily asked.

“No point in hiding anymore,” he replied, throwing up his hands. “Not when Lillian is about to hang three of my best scientists.”

“Okay. What’s this really about? Lots of people have been hanged. Why are these three scientists so important?” Lily asked, leaning forward and looking the sachem in the eye. “You have God knows how many Outlanders ready to go to battle against a force that can crush them. For what?”