Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker #3)(50)

“Is everyone in this world so generous?” Caleb asked disbelievingly.

“Not everyone,” Breakfast answered. “But I guess that’s surfers for you.”

Tristan looked around. Several cute girls looked back. “I like California,” he decided.

Lily and Rowan shared a knowing grin and then caught themselves. It was easy to forget that they didn’t belong among these carefree people—that they didn’t belong together anymore.

“So I asked my friend, and he said you can all crash here tonight,” Miller told them as he rejoined the group.

“We really appreciate that,” Breakfast said. “I’ve got to hit an ATM at some point, though, and pitch in for the drinks.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just tell me where you all got those necklaces.” Miller couldn’t take his eyes off Lily’s willstones. “What kind of crystals are those?”

“I grow them,” Rowan said. He’s got talent, he added in mindspeak for the coven. He’s drawn to Lily.

That’s probably why he stopped to pick us up, Una added.

“You grow crystals? No way,” Miller said, looking admiringly at Rowan. “You know, we should go surfing in the morning. I’ll take you to our break.”

Rowan looked pained. “I’d love to, but I don’t have a board,” he said.

Miller shrugged. “You can use one of mine. I have extra wetsuits, too. You can’t go in the water up here without one.”

“Miller, do you have a landline?” Lily asked, saving Rowan from having to decline. “I need to check in with my sister back in Massachusetts. Let her know I got in okay. I’ll call collect.”

“No you won’t,” Miller said, shaking his head. He put down his beer and gestured for Lily to follow him. “The guy who owns this place is a trust fund baby. He won’t even notice.”

Miller took Lily into the kitchen. There were a bunch of people attacking a fondue set on the center island, laughing, making a mess. They looked so happy. So free. Lily watched them with a smile, imagining Juliet’s bright laugh chiming out of the mix. Miller got the landline receiver out of a drawer and pulled open a sliding glass door that led to a wraparound patio.

“It’s quieter out here,” he told her, handing her the phone.

“Thanks, Miller. I won’t be long.”

He stayed with one hand on the open door. “So, you and Rowan—” he began leadingly. “Are you two, like, together?”

“Yes,” Lily answered, just to make things easier. It didn’t even feel like a lie, and she had to remind herself that it was.

“Cool,” Miller said, backing off. He stumbled a little, his feet suddenly awkward.

Lily closed the glass door behind her and saw Miller lingering on the other side of it for a moment, reluctant to leave her. He finally stalked off, frowning to himself like he wished he could go back and do that whole conversation over again.

Lily’s hands shook while she dialed her home phone number. As usual, Juliet sensed that Lily was going to call and picked up before the end of the first ring.

“Lily?” Juliet said.

“Jules—” Lily’s voice broke and more tears came.

“Are you hurt? What happened?” Juliet asked, her voice high and breathy with worry. Lily tried to say something and failed. “You shouldn’t have called—”

“Juliet. I need money. A lot of it,” Lily managed to choke out. “I’ll wire it,” Juliet said. “Can you just think where really hard and not say it?”

Months had passed since Lily and her coven had left Scot’s body in the snow, but she should have guessed that no amount of time would make the FBI agent assigned to her case back off.

“Simms,” Lily said, naming the Rottweiler of a special agent.

Lily looked through the glass and watched Miller pacing back and forth on the edge of the kitchen like a caged cat, and it clicked in her head. Simms would never let Lily’s case go. She probably didn’t even understand why she chased after Lily the way she did, but Lily understood. Simms was either a latent mechanic or a crucible.

“It’s far, Jules.” Lily pictured what she’d seen that day. She spent a long time concentrating on the different images and all the associations that she could make for this place. Several minutes passed before Juliet responded.

“Got it,” she said. “Aw, I always wanted to go there.”

Lily laughed and sniffled at the same time. “I really miss you.”

“I miss you, too, but you need to go. The cash will be at the Walmart,” Juliet said. “Be safe.”

Lily hung up and stared out at the varying shades of darkness that still couldn’t quite smother the beauty of the view. The house was built on the edge of the bluff, and the surf brushed and sucked at the rough rocks below, filling the air with a muffled shushing. Midnight water winked back at the moon. Lily could smell the redwoods seasoned with salt from the ocean. She didn’t know what to do.

The sliding glass door opened behind her. Lily turned, expecting to see Miller there, but it was Tristan. She smiled at him. “Shouldn’t you be in there breaking hearts?” she teased.

Tristan smiled back at her joke, but looked away. “I think I’ve gotten tired of all that,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the deck next to Lily. “It’s one thing to know that you run around with a lot of girls, and another thing to actually meet yourself and see you doing it.”