Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Author:Josephine Angelini
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Gideon let himself into Rowan’s building and climbed the six flights of stairs. Rowan hadn’t changed the outside wards, but Gideon was certain he’d changed the ones on his apartment. He’d had Carrick check them.

Gideon knew he wasn’t supposed to do this. It had only been a few hours since the meeting with the Council members, and he still hadn’t managed to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth. They were so frightened of Rowan. So scared of any miscalculation around the Witch that they would let the discovery of the century slip through their fingers.

The Council simply didn’t have enough imagination to understand how important this other version of Lillian could be. She could change the balance of power in this world if Gideon could prove she existed.

Gideon knocked at Rowan’s door and waited, ignoring the impulse to call to him with mindspeak. Not that it would work anyway. He and Rowan were no longer stone kin. Rowan had smashed his stone when he’d left Lillian and had been using a new stone for the past year, one that Gideon wasn’t in tune with. Gideon touched the willstone at his throat, his skin crawling at the thought. He’d seen another mechanic suffering after his stones had been smashed, and Gideon could only imagine that it was like cutting off an arm or putting out an eye. After the guy had recovered, he’d bonded with another willstone, but it took weeks before he could do more than moan. Gideon had always known Rowan was strong, but to smash his own stone? That was something Gideon would never even consider.

He knocked again. He knew Rowan was home. He also knew that there was a girl with him. In all the years he’d known Rowan—and even during this past year when he hadn’t had any contact with him at all—Rowan had never taken any girl but Lillian home with him. True, Gideon’s spies had reported that Rowan was with a dark-haired Outland girl, but hair was easy enough to dye. Gideon knew she had to be this other Lillian that he needed. He felt it. And the Council would thank him for this later, even if he were going against their wishes.

The door opened. Rowan appeared to have just taken a bath. He wore only a pair of loose, drawstring linen pants, his hair wet, and there was a patch of stubble and shaving milk on his neck, still waiting for the razor. Gideon smiled, repressing the urge to hit the handsome bastard. He just kept getting better looking every damn year.

“Hi, Rowan,” he said smoothly. “Bit late for a shave, isn’t it?”

“Gideon,” Rowan replied, his expression stony. “What are you doing here?”

“May I come in?”

“What are you doing here?” Rowan repeated. He angled his shoulders to block the door.

“I’m trying to help you.” Gideon sighed heavily. “There’s a rumor going around.”

“A rumor,” Rowan prompted blankly.

“Something that might get back to Lillian, make her ask questions.” Gideon searched Rowan’s eyes for a flicker of fear, or the uncertainty of a lie, but he saw nothing.

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