Page 9

ALIX

T he moment Daemon and I strike our bargain, I feel calmer. I’ve always appreciated having a plan, and knowing that there’s at least a chance that in thirty days, I could put this whole thing behind me gives my adrenaline permission to chill out.

I get dressed in the pajama-like clothes that Odessa leaves for me and leave the bathroom, only to find myself alone. All the Fae have vanished, and if not for the castle and Sushi asleep on the bed, I might have wondered if I imagined them all.

God, I fucking wish I imagined them.

I’m pretty sure that meeting Daemon is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, which is really saying something. Apparently, falling into a literal fucking Fae trap was just the cherry on top of the sundae that was the shittiest week of my life.

I guess it’s true what they say: things could be worse.

As in, it sucks that your husband is a prick, but it could be worse. You could get kidnapped by your one-night stand.

I’m this close to being the punchline in a sad standup routine.

Sighing, I climb into the enormous four poster bed beside Nana’s cat. Someone has left a tray of food on the nightstand, and I lean over to inspect it. To my relief, almost all the food looks normal. There’s roast turkey, crusty bread, salad, and some kind of stringy purple vegetable.

I’m so hungry I don’t even care about all the folktales warning not to eat faerie food. I give Sushi some turkey, then eat everything except for the purple vegetables. When I’m done, I lie and stare at the golden canopy overhead.

I wouldn’t have thought I’d be able to sleep in a situation like this, but I guess sleep deprivation can defeat even the craziest of circumstances, because the next thing I know, I’m being shaken awake.

“Alix?” a melodic female voice says in my ear. “You need to get up.”

I blink my eyes open and immediately focus on Odessa leaning over me. She’s dressed in the same red and maroon dress as yesterday, but her long strawberry-blonde hair is tied back in a tight braid. In her arms is another enormous tray of food, much like the one from last night.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. I’m slightly startled that she doesn’t look as scary this morning. She’s still too beautiful to be entirely normal, but some of the uncanny valley seems to have worn off. I don’t know if that’s a good thing.

“What’s going on?” I ask groggily.

“You need to get up,” she repeats.

“Why?”

“We let you sleep as long as we could, but that means you don’t have long to dress and eat before we need to leave.” She places the breakfast tray in front of me and steps back. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want to eat so I just brought a bit of everything.”

She’s not exaggerating. There’s a plate piled with eggs, toast, and something I think must be fried sweet potatoes. Another plate is filled with sliced fruit, several of which I don’t recognize. My stomach rumbles loudly. At least they obviously aren’t planning on starving me.

“Oh, thank god, you have coffee,” I exclaim, reaching for a teacup filled to the brim with a liquid far too dark to be tea.

Odessa smiles with satisfaction and walks over to the wardrobe in the corner. “Usually Shar would bring you your breakfast, but I thought that might be overwhelming for your first day here.”

“Who’s Shar?” I ask through a mouthful of toast.

“You met her yesterday.”

Oh, right, the goblin woman. “Gotcha. So, where are we going?”

“We’re going to escort you to the Winter Palace. If it were up to me, I’d give you a day to adjust but Daemon wants to make sure the king knows you’re here as soon as possible. Or, that Isabelle is here, I guess.”

I nod dazedly. That makes sense, given what they explained last night.

Biting my lip, I stay silent as Odessa throws open the wardrobe. It’s stuffed to the brim with colorful gowns. I’m positive it was empty last night.

When would she have had time to fill it?

“Sorry, I don’t have anything all that comfortable by your standards,” she says apologetically. “Sometimes humans come here and influence our fashion, but there hasn’t been a lot of shifts in trends since the curse was cast.”

I laugh. “So you’re telling me there’s no polyester and I have to wear a gorgeous custom gown? How tragic.”

She returns my grin. “In my opinion, it is tragic. I’d love to show off my legs more, but to each their own, I suppose.” She pulls out a cap sleeve blue dress and holds it up, closing one eye as if picturing me wearing it. “How about this? It looks like something Belle would have worn.”

“Sure,” I say distractedly. “Honestly, pick whatever you want. It can’t be worse than the T-shirt I arrived in.”

Odessa’s violet eyes flash with humor, and she looks like she’s trying not to smile. “Actually, I’m glad you brought that up…”

She bends over and unearths some white stockings and a pair of brown leather shoes from the depths of the wardrobe. “Why?”

“Because I should have told you last night. You can’t tell anyone what happened before you got here. No more announcing to strangers that you might have slept with their husband.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean?—”

“I know,” she soothes, “but really, it’s best if you just act like Daemon is as much of a stranger as the rest of us.”

“He is a stranger,” I mumble. “And I really wasn’t planning to say anything.”

“Good. Because Fae males are more possessive than human men. I don’t want to know what King Thorne would do if he found out you slept with his br—er, I mean, his captain—” She flushes, embarrassed at stumbling over her words.

“He does realize it’s been sixty years since he saw Nana, right? What was he expecting her to do all this time?”

“I know it seems odd, but trust me. Males can be really jealous and irrational over their partners.” Odessa grimaces. “Just be careful, that’s all I’m trying to say.”

Alright then. I guess I’ll have to watch what I say. That shouldn’t be difficult. It’s not like I was a social butterfly back in Chicago, and I can’t really see that changing here where I have even less in common with everyone else.

I finish my breakfast, then dress in the blue cap sleeve gown, a brown belt and matching shoes. Odessa helps me tame my curls into a low ponytail, then looks thoughtfully at the dark windows. “You’ll need to wear a cloak since it’s still raining. Here—” She pulls a long red cape out of the depths of the wardrobe. “That should do it.”

I take the cloak, then follow her gaze toward the window. It looks like midnight. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Late morning,” she sighs. “I know the rain seems gloomy, but we’re actually very lucky. If the sun was out, we’d have to wait until nightfall to leave.”

“Because of the curse?”

“Exactly.”

In A Kingdom of Thorns , all the fairies turn into animals in the daytime and back into themselves at night. It’s presented in the story as more of an inconvenience than something dangerous, but the way Daemon talked about the curse makes me think it’s a bigger issue here than in the story.

I want to ask more questions about the curse, if only to check that Nana didn’t leave any important details out of her book, but Odessa is clearly stressed about the time. She keeps tapping her foot and glancing at the door as if she’s expecting someone to come bursting in at any second.

“Are you ready?” she asks briskly.

“Sure.” I throw the cape over my shoulders, feeling a bit like I’m playing dress-up. “As ready as I’m going to be, I guess.”

Odessa smiles at me a little wistfully. “It’s actually incredible. If I didn’t know better, I really would think you were Belle.”

I snort a nervous laugh. “Let’s hope you’re not the only one.”

She doesn’t return my smile, her face falling slightly with worry. It does absolutely nothing to improve my confidence. I feel more optimistic about this plan than last night, but that isn’t saying a lot.

Putting aside the very real possibility that this is some kind of Buffy season 6 fiasco and I’m really in a hospital somewhere, there are just so many ways the plan could go wrong. I was definitely paying attention when Daemon said that King Thorne will kill me if he finds out who I am. No fucking pressure.

No matter how much I need the money, I’m probably crazy for agreeing to this plan.

Odessa and I venture out of the bedroom and make our way down the long white marble hallway I sprinted down only last night. We pass several of those goblin-like creatures going about their own business and I manage not to stare or react.

“This place is huge,” I muse as we reach the top of the sweeping stone staircase.

“I know. Would you believe the Winter Palace is even larger?”

I open my mouth to answer, but never get the chance. At that moment the sound of raised voices echoes toward us down the long stone hall. I recognize one of the voices immediately as Daemon’s.

I glance at Odessa. “What’s going on?”

“Probably nothing.” Odessa blows out an annoyed breath through her nose. “Just Daemon being Daemon. He can’t help but take charge of everything and everyone.”

“So he’s controlling?” I didn’t really get that impression yesterday, but given that I also missed that he was literally a magical being from another world, my opinion should be taken with an entire ocean of salt.

“No, not controlling…” Odessa looks like she’s trying to find the right words to explain. “He’s just charismatic. He can’t help but pick up followers. Like I can already tell those men he brought with him from Dyaspora worship him and will do anything he asks.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Not exactly.” Her worried tone doesn’t match her words at all. “It’s just complicated. The king doesn’t like anyone in the court to get too popular, and he’s always been wary of Daemon.”

Huh. I guess that makes sense if this is an absolute monarchy, but the more tidbits I hear about the real King Thorne, the less I want to meet him.

We reach the top of the stairs and look into the wide entrance hall. My gaze flies to the group of red jacketed men waiting near the door, and I immediately pick up the gist of what they’re saying.

“How fucking long does it take to get dressed?” Daemon complains.

He stands with his back to the staircase, speaking to Kastian, who leans against the wall, looking serious. He’s not actually yelling as I’d thought—the echoes have simply amplified everything tenfold. Beside them, Fox stares into space, entirely unconcerned with whatever’s happening around him. At their feet, Jett sits on the floor, his back against the wall. All four are dressed in uniform, heavy swords hanging from their belts.

“Calm down, we’re here,” Odessa calls down the stairs.

Daemon’s back stiffens, and he turns to look up at me. Our gazes connect and my jaw goes slack.

I am such a fucking idiot.

I have no idea how I didn’t realize that there was something weird about Daemon from the beginning. He’s just so inhumanly handsome, even while glaring at me like I’m the cause of all his problems. It feels unreal. And worse, somehow he looks better today than I remember from last night. Maybe my brain superimposed an uglier face onto him so I could process the fact that I’d been abducted, coerced, and thrown into a possibly fatal bargain with a supposedly fictional character. Too bad my brain couldn’t do me the solid of holding on to that delusion.

For a long second, our eyes lock. He leans forward, as if he’s going to step toward me. Then, he shakes his head and his expression turns sour. “Finally,” he barks.

“Oh, shut it.” Odessa scowls, giving him a very sibling-like glare of annoyance.

In return, Daemon’s scowl deepens. “If the rain stops before we get on the train, I’m blaming you.”

“Train?” I blurt out before Odessa can respond. “You have trains here?”

They both turn to look at me and Daemon raises an eyebrow. “Of course.”

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” I grumble. “How should I know what technology you have? I’m honestly just grateful you have indoor plumbing.”

His eyebrows furrow. “Why wouldn’t we have indoor plumbing?”

I wave my hand vaguely in the air. “Because it’s a castle? You’re dressed like it’s 1750…do you see where I’m going with this?”

He gives me a withering stare. “I know humans don’t believe in magic anymore, but I would have thought that meant you’d improved your education.”

I reel back. “Hey! I have over $200,000 in student loans that says otherwise, buddy. I am almost unnecessarily educated.”

“In history?” he asks, a slight sneer appearing on his face.

“Well, no, in music, but?—”

“That explains it. Even in your world, those things were invented long before you seem to believe, and many of the largest advancements of humanity came from Fae intervention.”

I frown. He’s probably right but he doesn’t have to be an ass about it. “I liked you better when you were just some guy in a bar.”

I mean it to be a throw away comment, and one that I expect him to have some quick retort for, but instead his face falls slightly. His eyes shutter, and he takes a step back. “So did I, Peaches.”

There’s a long awkward silence in which I remember we have an audience. My cheeks heat.

Odessa clears her throat. “Right, well, to answer your question, Alix, yes, we have trains. That’s the fastest way to reach the Winter Palace, so unless you want to be on the road for a week or more, it’s the only option.”

“And here I was thinking we were just going to fly.”

“Fly?” Kastian repeats, looking curiously at Daemon beside him. “Who said anything about flying?”

I raise an eyebrow at Daemon. “Yesterday, you?—”

“Let’s get moving,” Daemon cuts me off sharply, clearing his throat pointedly and marching toward the door.

“Alright, then,” I mutter under my breath. “I guess we’re leaving.”

Odessa looks apologetically at me. “I think he just really wants to get to the other palace to see King Thorne.”

I huff a sigh. I mean, maybe, but I’m pretty sure it’s just that the nice guy from the bar really was an act. I’m dealing with a first-class asshole, and I’m stuck with him for an entire month.

It could always be worse.

DAEMON

Alix practically skips down the rainy train station platform, her cloak streaming behind her and her head swinging back and forth every few seconds. Her mouth is open, and she seems unable to decide what to stare at first. It might be endearing, except that she’s drawing so much fucking attention to herself.

“I don’t know what she finds so interesting,” I grumble.

Kas shrugs, as if to say he doesn’t know but neither does he care. “Is there something I’m missing here?”

I glance sideways at him from under the hood of my rain-drenched cloak. “Like what?”

“Like why you’re being a complete asshole to the one woman in Ellender standing between us and Dyaspora.”

I press my lips together in frustration, my eyes instinctively finding the red-hooded figure several paces ahead of us. I watch Alix for a long moment, just to make sure she isn’t listening, of course. “I wasn’t trying to be an asshole to her.”

Kas laughs. “Then I’d hate to see you try.”

I scowl, knowing he’s right.

Sometime between when I realized that Alix isn’t Isabelle and when I saw her coming down the stairs, my mood darkened. I can’t shake the bitterness simmering in the back of my mind.

Aside from the last ninety years in prison and the impossible situation Thorne has put me in, being back in Vernallis after all this time feels unsettling. For so long, this city was my home. Even after inheriting the lands and title of Baron Ashwater from the man who pretended to be my father, I spent most of my days here, leading Thorne’s armies through peacetime drills. Now, I feel like I barely belong.

But none of that explains why I can’t seem to stop myself from taking my mood out on Alix. I just find her…aggravating.

I feel Kastian’s eyes on me and I glance over to find him scrutinizing me as if he can read my mind.

“What?” I bark.

He sighs, shaking his head slightly. “Nothing. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I’m doing exactly what you all wanted me to do,” I snap. “I’m doing what Thorne ordered me to do. What else do you expect?”

At that moment, Alix’s voice rings out over the sounds of the platform and the pitter-patter of rain. “This is incredible! I can’t believe it’s all been real this whole time.”

I suck in a breath, taking in the scent of rain and roses that always lingers in the air. “It’s a train station,” I grumble. “Take a fucking breath.”

“It’s a magical train station,” she says pointedly.

“No, it’s just a normal one,” I correct. “It’s no more magical here than our castles are. The only thing different from your world are the passengers.”

Alix stops walking and pushes the hood of her red, rain-drenched cloak back. Raindrops splash against her cheeks and get caught in her eyelashes as she raises a brow at me. “Can you just let me have this one? Hello , it’s a faerie train. This whole place is giving Hogwarts Express.”

I have no idea what that means, and I shake my head, willing myself to be patient. In fairness to Alix, she might be drawing attention but she’s not the only one.

Being large and imposing, our group is drawing enough stares all on our own. Alix walks in the lead, even though she clearly has no idea where she’s going. Kastian and I trail behind her, taking it in turns to redirect her away from dangerous-looking strangers, open grates, and once the tracks themselves. Jett and Fox take up the rear, with Odessa walking between them, her face entirely hidden by the hood of her green cloak and carrying Alix’s enormous gray cat in a picnic basket.

To our right, an enormous scarlet and black steam engine waits for passengers to board. I glance at the clock on the nearby ticket office. It’s still early, but the rain is saving us from only being able to travel at night. Still, if the clouds clear…

I swallow angrily and raise my voice to be heard over the noise of the train. “We’re boarding now. There’s no fucking chance I’m letting us miss it.”

My friends turn and file toward the open doors to the nearest train car, but of course Alix doesn’t seem to hear me. I follow her gaze and realize she’s staring at a group of trolls, clearly awestruck.

The trolls are gathered around a rickety market stall, using the shabby awning to shelter from the heavy rain. Their skin is mottled and scaly, their faces twisted into leering expressions as they converse in their guttural language.

“I take it you’ve never seen a troll before?” Jett asks her, hanging back from the others to talk to Alix.

She shakes her head. “Of course not. They’re in Nana’s book, though.”

“What does it say about them?”

She swallows. “It says they attack humans and eat them.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snap before I can stop myself. “There are many species of Fae, and most of them don’t look like us. I’d try not to stare.”

Alix turns around and scowls at me. “Why?”

“Because it’s fucking rude, that’s why.”

A slight pink flush rises on her cheeks, but she doesn’t drop her gaze from mine. “I guess you would know a lot about rudeness.”

I open my mouth to retort, but Jett beats me to it. He throws one arm over Alix’s shoulders. “Ignore Ashwater, Princess,” he says, grinning at me over the top of her head. “I won’t let anything eat you.”

A hot spark of annoyance ripples in my chest, and I dig my nails into my palms beneath my cloak. I step forward and grab her roughly by the elbow, steering her away from Jett and the trolls, and toward the open door of the enormous red steam engine. I don’t want him or anyone else touching her. It looks bad, she’s supposed to be here for Thorne.

“Look,” I mutter in Alix’s ear, “I know this is the first time you’re seeing any of this, but Isabelle has been to Ellender before. You have to stop being so obvious or this will never work.”

Alix tries to pull her arm from my grip and fails, then tilts her chin up to glare more intently at me. “I never promised you I was a good actress.”

“You could at least try.”

“I will when we get to the other palace, or wherever we’re going, but you’re going to have to help me.”

“With what?”

“You promised you’d explain everything I don’t know, which is basically fucking everything, so you’d better get started.”

I let go of her arm and drag a frustrated hand through my rain-soaked hair. She’s right, of course, but being her personal Encyclopedia isn’t exactly what I had in mind. I was hoping I would be able to avoid her as much as possible once we arrive at the palace. I envisioned pawning her off on Odessa to keep an eye on, and possibly retreating back to the Ashwater Estate as soon as Thorne returns it to me.

“Come on, let’s just get inside,” Odessa says, nudging Fox out of the way to step up behind Alix. “We can talk about this more once we’re alone in a compartment.”

Amenable as usual, Kastian jumps up onto the short steps of the train car, and turns to offer a hand to Odessa to help her up. She averts her gaze as if she doesn’t see him and hauls herself up by the metal railing, stepping around him to disappear inside.

Kastian looks at me, nonplussed. “Did I do something?”

I shake my head, cursing under my breath. I can’t believe I didn’t realize this would be a problem. I step up onto the train steps and clap him on the shoulder, giving him a consolatory look. “Sorry, mate. I forgot to mention that Dessa is from Hydratta, and she’s not as oblivious as Thorne.”

He blanches and looks a bit green. “Fuck,” he mutters, before disappearing into the train car after my cousin.

“Why does it matter what kingdom she’s from?” Alix asks.

I hold out a hand to help her up. “Don’t worry about it, Peaches.”

Alix looks at my hand, weighing her options, before placing her fingers in mine. I pull her up onto the train and she stumbles, bringing us chest to chest. For a long second, I don’t move.

“Excuse me,” she says breathlessly.

I drop her hand and step back, wiping my fingers on my jacket as if to remove any trace of her. “Right, go on ahead.”

Spotting our military uniforms, the conductor doesn’t even bother to ask for tickets. We’re directed to the nearest empty compartment near the front of the train.

Alix sits next to the window and immediately clears a patch of condensation with the back of her hand and presses her nose to the glass. Odessa and the cat sit next to her, and I take the spot across from Alix, leaving Kastian to squeeze in next to me facing Odessa. She glares at him, and he averts his gaze, pretending not to notice.

“We’re going to find another compartment, Ashwater,” Jett tells me, indicating Fox beside him. “The big guy here isn’t going to fit.”

I nod in agreement. “Don’t go far. If something happens, I don’t want to have to go looking for you.”

“What could happen?” Jett says easily. “We’re not in Dyaspora anymore, you can relax.”

I grimace. I will never truly relax until my brother is dead and I’ve pissed on his fucking grave, but I know that’s not what Jett means. He’s noticed that I’m more on edge than usual, but until we see Thorne and know if he believes Alix is Isabelle, I can’t calm down. There’s too much at stake.

Jett shuts the compartment door with a snap, leaving only the four of us inside. An awkward silence fills the compartment, and I’m relieved when the whistle sounds and the train starts moving.

“Where is this palace?” Alix asks.

“North,” I grunt.

Odessa rolls her eyes at me, scolding me with her gaze for being rude. “It’s on the north-west corner of Vernallis,” she explains. “It’s much colder there, hence why it’s called the Winter Palace. Before the curse, no one really went there because it’s so cold, but now…” She breaks off awkwardly.

“Wait a second,” Alix says, looking confused. “Where is Vernallis?”

Odessa blinks at her. “Um, here? We’re in Vernallis.”

“I thought this was Ellender?”

“In Isabelle’s book, some of the city names are wrong,” I blurt out, knowing exactly why Alix is so lost.

Alix raises her eyebrows. “Wait, you read it?”

I avert my gaze. “Yeah. Last night.”

I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night, my racing thoughts keeping me company well into the morning. I’d had hours to devote to understanding how Alix must view our land. It turns out that the book that the real Isabelle wrote was oddly compelling.

Unfortunately, it’s mostly bullshit.

The magic seems correct, as are the descriptions of the Summer Palace and the servants, but the truth of the story ends there. Appearance aside, the characters are nothing like the real people who obviously inspired them, and worst of all, the details of the curse on Vernallis have been so sanitized that it’s no wonder Alix was willing to bargain with her life to break it.

She thinks we’re living in a fucking dreamland.

“In the book, there are four Fae kingdoms,” I explain. “Ellender in the west, Hydratta in the south, Solistine in the east, and Thermia in the north. Ellender is the largest kingdom, and it’s ruled by the Fae king, Thorne. In reality, Thorne’s kingdom is called Vernallis, and Ellender is what we call the continent as a whole.”

“Okay,” she says slowly, her skeptical gaze falling on me. “So we’re in Vernallis. Fine. But I still don’t really understand how I got here.”

“There are dozens of gates between our world and yours. There’s a gate in the mine in Ironhill.”

“Wait…seriously?” she asks. “But that mine has been burning for decades.”

“So I discovered. I have to wonder if the fire was created by the gate itself, or started intentionally to prevent anyone from using it.”

“So, did you kidnap Nana using that portal?”

I shake my head. “I have no idea how Isabelle made her way here. I was in Dyaspora.”

“Belle found her way here on her own,” Odessa interjects. “Her father was a miner, and accidentally traveled through the Ironhill gate where King Thorne took him prisoner. Belle followed, and agreed to be the king’s prisoner in exchange for her father’s freedom.”

“God, I have so many questions to ask as soon as I get home,” Alix muses.

“You know what I just thought of?” Kastian interrupts, evidently following his own train of thought.

I turn to look at him. “What?”

Kastian scrutinizes Alix as if he’s seeing her for the first time. “Are we sure she’s not related to King Thorne?”

I blanche. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I mean…” Kas tilts his head, his eyebrows raising. “The king is in love with her grandmother.”

“ Possibly in love,” I correct, quickly. “We don’t know that’s why he wanted her.”

“But we do know they knew each other,” Odessa chimes in, looking as panicked as I feel.

I turn to look at Alix, horror washing over me like a chill wind. No. No fucking way… She can’t be related to Thorne, because then she’d be my…great niece? Alix doesn’t look anything like Thorne, but then again, neither does his other…

My stomach roils, and I’m positive I’m going to be sick.

“Woah…” Alix puts up both hands. “You guys really need to work on finishing your sentences. I never have any idea what you’re talking about.”

Kastian, the consistent voice of reason, leans toward her. “Is there any chance King Thorne is your grandfather?”

She chokes, coughing on what seems to be a giggle. After a moment, she can’t hold it in and descends into laughter.

“This isn’t fucking funny,” I snap.

“It really is, though,” she gasps. “First, Ellender is real, now you think I’m part Fae? What in the Wattpad is going on here?”

“It is possible,” Odessa says.

“No, it’s really not,” she says, still trying to contain her laughter. “Look, even ignoring the fact that I am definitely not magical in like, any way, the math doesn’t work. My mom wasn’t born for almost ten years after you’re saying my Nana came here.”

“Who’s her father?” I ask, needing to be completely sure.

“Not that it’s your business, but he was just a regular guy from Ironhill. He pursued my Nana for ages before she finally agreed to marry him, and then they were pretty miserable together. Nana likes books and gardening, but Grandpa was really into hunting and wasn’t a super nice guy overall. It’s not surprising, really. The women in my family have terrible taste in men.”

“I’ll say they do,” Odessa agrees, shooting me a look.

I tip my head back against the seat, so relieved I don’t even care that my cousin is insulting me. Alix doesn’t know Thorne is my brother or how I just felt my entire life flash before my eyes, but everyone else here does. Kastian gives me a conciliatory clap on the shoulder.

“I need some air,” I mutter, pushing to my feet.

The moment I stand, I can acutely feel the movement of the train. I sway on my feet and frown, suddenly aware of how fast we’re traveling. Gazing back at the window, I spot a dark shadow whip past the glass.

“What are you looking at?” Kastian asks.

I shake my head, peering out into the darkness beyond the window. “Nothing…” I mutter. “But how fast do you think we’re going?”

Kas frowns. “Hell if I know. Why?”

Alix frowns and presses her nose to the window again, peering outside. “Now that you point it out, it does seem like we’re going really fast. I didn’t notice because high speed trains are all like this, but aren’t we on a steam engine?”

As if in answer, Alix’s enormous cat begins clawing at the sides of his basket, letting out a sound more like a howl than a meow.

“I’m going to go ask the conductor,” I declare, throwing the door to the compartment open. Suddenly, the train lurches dangerously. Stumbling, I throw an arm out to catch myself on the doorframe. “What the fuck?—”

There’s a loud screeching sound, like metal grinding against metal, and the train car jolts again.

Odessa shrieks, her voice mingling with other screams echoing down the corridor from other compartments.

Without thinking or taking a single moment to figure out what’s going on, I throw myself at Alix, shielding her with my entire body.