Once all my bags were loaded, I stepped out to take the handbag I’d ‘forgotten’—an excuse to wait one last minute. But when I came back out, my eyes widened. Amelia was sitting there on the bench, right next to my bag.
Surprise flickered through me, but then I remembered that her brother was leaving today as well. She must have come to see him off.
“Hey, Amelia,” I said, scanning the space for her brother. He was nowhere in sight. He must have already boarded. “How are you?”
“I feel good,” she replied, rising to her feet.
I nodded, reaching for my bag. “That’s good.”
Her eyes searched my face, frowning. “Have you been crying?”
I swallowed, shaking my head quickly before forcing out a chuckle. “It’s fine. Thank you for everything. I’ve got to leave now.”
She nodded, then spread her arms wide. “I think I deserve a little goodbye hug.” She pouted. “My brother wouldn’t give me that.”
Smiling faintly, I stepped into her embrace, patting her back the way I wished someone would do for me. But Amelia’s arms only tightened for a brief moment, and before I could pull away, a sharp sting pierced my side, liquid pouring into my veins.
Stunned, I shoved her back, clutching the side of my stomach where the needle had punctured me.
I looked down at her hand, betrayal carved across my face as she calmly pocketed the syringe, her usual sweet smile widening her lips, only now it was creepy.
Dizziness blurred my vision. I shook my head, trying to focus, but her smile only warped further. She stepped closer, and I stumbled back, hand outstretched to stop her, but the ground tilted beneath me.
I staggered.
Oh, no.
“Don’t fight it, Sanora. Just sleep.” Her voice crawled through my skull like a whispering parasite. I shut my eyes, trying to control my breath, willing the drug out. But it was useless.
I was falling.
“Catch her, twin brother,” she said. “We don’t want attention on us.”
And then I felt myself collapsing into arms I could only assume were Merton’s.
He hadn’t boarded the train.
Amelia had just injected me.
They had schemed against me.
They’d played me nicely.
For what?
Why were they doing this?
Why?
Who sent them?
My mind broke apart, and I surrendered to the wave pulling me under.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
SANORA
A cave.
