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

“Eyes up. Someone’s coming,” Una said sharply.

The coven turned and saw a small party approaching from the direction of the city gates.

“Do we have any weapons?” Caleb asked, his hand going to the empty sheath hanging from his belt. Tristan’s arm flexed to look for his knife as well, and he shook his head at Caleb, his eyes anxious.

“Easy, boys. We’ve still got our witch,” Una said after coming up empty for weapons herself. She turned to Lily. “How much juice you got left?”

Lily grimaced. “Nothing,” she replied. “I need salt.”

“They might be peaceful,” Juliet said optimistically. Everyone looked at Juliet sideways.

“Because peace is something we’ve had so much of since coming to this world,” Breakfast groused.

“There’s no reason to go on the defensive. It’s not like they’re charging toward us with weapons drawn,” Juliet persisted, squinting in the direction of the approaching group.

Juliet. Always making the best of a terrible situation, Lillian whispered to Lily.

Yes, Lily agreed, feeling something beginning to thaw inside her as she watched this other version of her sister.

Juliet smoothed her charred linen shirt, tucking its tattered hem into her dusty wearhyde riding pants. She squared her narrow shoulders, making Lily smile. Juliet never looked more delicate than when she was trying to look tough. “Let me handle this,” Juliet said confidently.

Caleb looked like he wanted to argue, and Lily realized that if she was going to lead this coven, she had to start taking control—first and foremost, of herself.

Lillian. I need to allow my coven in, so you must leave me now or they may sense you in my mind. I’ll reach out to you again when I can.

Yes, Lillian agreed. We both have a lot of work to do.

Lily caught the edge of Lillian’s cold determination as they stared at the emissaries from the foreign city before Lillian severed contact. Lily turned her attention to her coven and reached out to Caleb in mindspeak.

Let Juliet speak to them, Caleb. She’s a lot less threatening than you.

She’s a lot less threatening than a kitten. And I wouldn’t send either to meet a bunch of strangers.

Caleb shot Lily a half smile, and she felt him relax some.

As the foreigners approached, it was clear that they were not hostile. The two women and two men who approached were unarmed. They were dressed in flowing kimonos or tunics and adorned with jewelry. They joined Lily’s coven with concerned looks on their faces.

“Do any of you need medical attention?” asked the handsome woman who seemed to lead the party.

She’s an Outlander, Caleb whispered in Lily’s head. But her paint is from no tribe I know.

The woman’s face, hands, and bare shoulders were decorated with painted stripes and dots. She was in her late twenties and had the kind of cut-glass features that would only look more attractive as she aged. Strands of her silky black hair were braided with multicolored thread and eagle feathers, and her arms jingled with gold bangles. Lily noticed that the brief kimono she wore was made of silk. She couldn’t recall seeing anyone else in this world wearing silk before. Lily’s eyes went to the smoke-colored willstone around the woman’s neck and stayed there. It was not as large as Lily’s smoke stone, but it was onyx black. She felt Tristan brush against her mind and allowed him entry.

That’s the darkest willstone I’ve ever seen, Lily. It’s even darker than Una’s.

Warrior black.

What do you mean, warrior black?

Just keep your guard up, Tristan, because trust me—this witch can fight.

Lily had a theory about willstones that wasn’t common knowledge, not even among highly trained mechanics like Tristan. Having three willstones, one of every color, had given Lily a unique understanding of how they worked and she’d noticed that each of her willstones seemed to be better suited to different types of magic. Her medium-size pink stone seemed to glow brightest when she performed healer magic. The small golden stone excelled at kitchen magic. It was Lily’s smoke stone, the largest and most powerful of her willstones, that came to life when she performed warrior magic. Lily quickly hid her pink and golden stones but allowed her larger, if not quite as dark, smoke-colored willstone to show on her breastbone.

“None of us are seriously hurt,” Juliet said cordially in reply to the strange witch’s question. Juliet’s eyes narrowed at the woman’s stone as she noticed it, and she smiled broadly to cover her hesitation. “But we need water . . . and salt for our witch.”

Juliet stepped aside to give the strangers a clear view of Lily, flanked on either side by Una, Breakfast, and Tristan, with giant Caleb looming behind her.

Nice one, Juliet.

Just a little reminder that we aren’t completely helpless, Lily. I hope you don’t mind.

Of course not.

“Certainly,” the foreign witch replied unflinchingly. Her eyes skipped to Lily’s willstone and away again as if the huge jewel were of little notice. She waved a hand and the three people accompanying her stepped forward with brightly glazed ceramic jugs of water. “My name is Grace Bendingtree. I’m the governor of Bower City. Welcome.”

“Thank you, Governor Bendingtree,” Juliet replied in a voice that even the smoothest politician would envy. “We’re honored to meet you.”