Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker #3)(22)

“You’re very curious,” Rowan said. His tone was not approving.

“Who wouldn’t be?” Toshi said, shrugging. “It’s got to be one hell of a story. Did you think there was a settlement or some kind of fort that you were heading for?”

“No one back east has any idea that there’s anything out here—and certainly not a city,” Tristan said.

He’s pumping us for information. Don’t say another word, Rowan said to all of them in mindspeak.

He’s just curious, Breakfast countered. It’s totally natural.

He’s a spy, Rowan insisted.

Takes one to know one, I guess, Caleb said. Lily felt how Caleb’s words stung Rowan.

“Are we going to see Grace today?” Lily asked, changing both the spoken and non-spoken conversations.

“Dinner. Tonight,” Toshi said cheerfully. “She’s sorry she can’t spend more time with you.”

“We’re sure she’s a busy woman,” Juliet said.

“Is she going to explain what she really wants from Lily yet, or is this dinner still part of her charm offensive?” Rowan drawled.

Toshi froze for a moment before recovering. “I’m sure Grace and Lily will have a lot to talk about. But about what, I couldn’t guess.”

“Thank you, Toshi,” Lily said. “If you see Grace, tell her I’m looking forward to speaking with her, too.”

Lily waited for Toshi to leave before turning to Rowan. “Not very friendly,” she said.

“Oh, so you’re looking at me again?” he replied. “Nice to know Toshi’s dimples haven’t completely blinded you.”

“He doesn’t have—” Lily started to argue and stopped. She turned away.

“No, you started this. Now finish it,” Rowan said, standing and crossing to Lily.

“That’s close enough,” she said, halting his stride for him. Rowan came up short like he’d run into a brick wall, one foot still raised.

Possessing him was a mistake—Lily knew it as soon as she did it. Not just because it was wrong, but because of what it did to her.

She saw the edge of his skin before she dove into it. The perfect, golden-smooth dewiness of it over stripped sinew and muscle—the sun-soaked softness over strength that was Rowan. She’d forgotten how strong he was. How perfectly his body responded to her desires and carried them out for her. Every dream of grace in motion she’d ever had he could give her. If she wanted to jump off a cliff into wild waves, or run up thin air to the very stars, his body was the vessel for that dream.

And if his body was her wonderland, his bright mind surpassed it. Only Rowan could corral her harrowed thoughts. Only he had a many-roomed mansion of ideas for her to barrel through, manic and crazed, to pick over feverishly as was her fashion, and pull snapshot memories from the walls. Only Rowan could let her run free inside him with no need to worry if she’d do damage.

He let her take all of him because he was the only one strong enough to survive her rough use.

Only Rowan. And he knew it. He knew how desperately she needed a place to put her frantic, frenetic energy, and he knew he was the only one who could survive her. He welcomed it.

Their eyes met, and Rowan won. She wanted him more. More than anything or anyone. All it took was a moment inside of him to make her feel like she’d be lost in his labyrinth forever.

She released him, letting go like she’d grasped the biting edge of a hot knife, and he put his foot down hard. He was panting from shock. He didn’t think she’d actually possess him, and from the stunned looks on the rest of her coven’s faces, Lily could see that none of them thought she would do it, either.

Stupid, she thought. Maybe Lillian heard her.

“You made your point, Lily,” he said in a raspy voice. “Don’t worry. I won’t come near you again.”

The finality of it stung enough to bring her back to herself. There was no apology in her when she addressed them all in mindspeak.

Call Toshi a spy if you want, but the truth is, we’re the strangers. We’re the threat. Grace wants to know more about us, and she’s using Toshi to get that information for her. I would do the same. I haven’t told him anything, and neither should you, but I have learned a lot from him.

Lily replayed the memory of her conversation with Toshi in the scent bar so they could all see for themselves how he reacted to her questions about the law against claiming.

Now, can we all move past the idea that I’m naive enough to spill my guts to a pretty boy and start dealing with the fact that we’re in a city that’s being controlled by the Woven?

You think he’s scared to talk about it because of the Hive, Tristan said in mindspeak.

She looked at him and smiled. Now that he knew she wasn’t smitten with Toshi he was on her side again. What other reason can there be? They’re everywhere and they’re always listening, she replied.

But can they understand us? Caleb was looking at the floor, thinking deeply, as he asked this question. At the ball, the Warrior Sisters didn’t stand down until they sensed that Lily was calm. Saying it wasn’t enough.

The Sisters didn’t look like they understood anything Lily was saying, Una added, agreeing with Caleb.

We don’t know what they understand. We need more information, Juliet said. Toshi could have a dozen reasons for not wanting to talk about the laws here. We’re just assuming that it’s because of the Hive.