Page 176 of Their Lethal Pet

Is the mystical energy there, too?I ponderwhile watching the train doors open just outside the compound gates.Did the magical strand do something to Serapina as well? Make her disappear soon after she arrived?

It’s on the tip of my tongue to inquire about footage inside the compound—Alina’s disappearance wasn’t immediate, suggesting Serapina’s won’t be now either—when a group of humans step off the train.

None of them are the woman I saw depicted in Alina’s mind, but I immediately recognize the woman from the photos.

“She was switched before she arrived,” Orcus says, the words the same ones forming in my mind. “Who had the authority on that train?”

Cain doesn’t immediately reply, his focus on the screen as he brings up old train records and routes.

“All humans selected on the Day of the Choosing from Nightingale Village ride the train to Monster City, but they’re separated early on so the official Offerings can be properly groomed.”

Flame snorts at the term, his version ofgroomingno doubt different from Cain’s.

But the Elite City King doesn’t comment. He just continues to scan records while explaining how the high-speed trains operate in this region.

I don’t really care how many stops they make or the fact that there are over a dozen tracks that stop in various villages between here and Monster City.

“There’s only one track that doesn’t stop between the two cities,” he says. “Which means all the others have to go back the way they came—through each of their respective villages.”

“So Serapina went all the way to Monster City but didn’t participate in Monsters Night. Then she went all the way back to her village and beyond it to Chicago,” Orcusreiterates, applying Cain’s explanation to the current mystery at hand.

“Is it possible a supernatural snatched her while in Monster City?” Flame asks.

I fold my arms while I wait for the answer.

“No.” That comes from Helia. “I would have sensed it.”

I eye the female with interest. “How?”

She shrugs. “That’s a conversation for another day. I’m more interested in seeing the footage from the Day of the Choosing. Did she even get on the train?”

Cain uses his device to drag the train routes aside and begins searching through an archive of Choosing ceremonies.

My eyes are instantly drawn to Alina’s form in the crowd. It doesn’t matter that she’s covered in a veil. I still know her on sight. And it’s not just her curves I recognize, but her.

She stands absolutely still as a woman wearing a similar bridal gown approaches the stage. Her blonde hair definitely doesn’t match the redhead in those photos.

We all watch as she’s eventually escorted to the train, just like Alina would have been a few weeks ago.

An aristocratic male—one I recognize from last week—is waiting on the train and selects two numbers. They’re apparently associated with humans because some guys in all-white military gear step forward to take the pair to another part of the train. Then the remaining humans are sent to an area with a communal shower and not much else.

Cain fast-forwards a bit to Serapina finally removing her veil to resemble the face I saw in Alina’s mind. He freezes it there and looks at Orcus.

“That’s her sister,” he says. “What happens next?”

“She’ll shower and then be escorted to the cargo hold. Unfortunately, that area isn’t typically monitored by surveillance equipment. We rely on the Village Protectors to guard the cargo.”

“You mean you rely on humans to act humanely when given power over others of their kind,” Orcus corrects him. “Because that’s been proven to work so well for you.”

“We don’t interfere?—”

“I’m not interested in debating morals or hearing excuses, Helia,” Orcus interjects. “I just want to know who had access to thatshipmentso I can find out how and when Serapina was switched. That’ll help us determine where she is now. Because whoever has her might have Alina.”

I agree with his plan. However… “Before we get into the identities of those on the train, I want details on exactly where that train stops,” I say. “And I want to know where the Nightingale Compound is.”

Because I want to see if that magical essence is haunting any of those areas. If it is, then it’s entirely possible that no one on that train swapped out Serapina. Instead, a being of power similar to a Mythos Fae did.

And that being likely has our pet. Or, at the very least, will give us a good lead on where our pet might be.