“Barely two.”
“Hours.”
Jono snorted and quit arguing. There was no winning with Wade when it came to food.
He kept his senses dialed up as they walked, gaze skimming the area ahead of them. The walk to 34 Street-Penn Street Station was an easy one that Wednesday morning. The humidity was high already at half past ten in the morning, settling into another hot August day, but it didn’t bother Jono or Wade.
Summer in New York City reminded him of the sweltering days growing up in London. Despite the heat, Jono had dressed in dark jeans and a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, sunglasses firmly on his nose. He wasn’t one to show up to an important meeting with their allies in casual clothes if he could help it, no matter his job as a bartender. Wade, on the other hand, was dressed like a typical teenager.
Halfway to the subway station, they ducked into a bodega to pick up half a dozen egg and sausage sandwiches with cheese. Jono kept an eye on the people who entered the bodega and those meandering outside, while Wade practically vibrated in place as he waited for his order to come up, not paying attention to anything except his food. Once he had his bag of sandwiches, they started on their way again.
As promised, Wade finished all six of the sandwiches before they even made it to the subway. He brandished the empty paper bag at Jono, cheeks bulging as he rapidly chewed the last of his food.
“See?” he mumbled. “All done.”
“You’re ridiculous. Toss your rubbish in the bin and let’s get below,” Jono said.
Wade did as he was told before following Jono down into the subway. The morning commuter rush was over, and the ticketing level wasn’t too crowded for a summer day. Jono tagged his MetroCard on the sensor pad to get through the turnstile, Wade following right behind him. They headed for the stairs that led to the C train platform, going at the pace of the small crowd.
Despite being underground, Jono kept his sunglasses on, scanning the area when they finally arrived on the platform. A discreet sniff brought with it the general stench of the subway—piss, garbage, sweat, and the metallic taste of old magic he only got when below.
The protective wards encasing the New York City subway were embedded in the tunnels and the tracks, lining the platform edges and walls with discreet power most people never looked twice at, if they could even see it at all. The magical anchors were invisible until activated by whatever they perceived as a threat.
Pickpockets never triggered them; neither did fights between mundane humans. Only when magic was slung about, or artifacts brought into the fray, did the wards wake up. The fringe of the veil could be found underground in places, and most of humanity had learned to guard against what lived in the shadows.
Wade fidgeted beside him on the platform, eyes glued to the screen of his mobile as he played a game. “Do I need to sit in with you during the meeting?”
“You aren’t wandering downtown, if that’s what you’re hoping for,” Jono said.
“What if Sage’s office is out of Pop-Tarts?”
“Then you starve.”
“That’s cruel and unusual punishment.”
“You know the rules. No running off on your own right now.”
Wade scowled down at his game. “Ugh.”
Jono ignored Wade’s sulking, too busy keeping an eye on everyone else around them. He kept his guard up, not trusting the people scattered on the platform. Jono didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, but that didn’t mean they were safe. Yesterday had proven Estelle and Youssef were now eschewing indirect, under the cover of darkness attacks in favor of direct hits targeted for maximum damage.
The C train rolled into the station with a rumbling engine and the squeal of brakes some ten minutes later. Faces of people inside the train flashed by as it came to a loud stop. The doors slid open, allowing passengers to exit and enter the cars. Jono and Wade stepped into a car, and he guided Wade toward the middle, sliding past other passengers who barely shifted out of their way.
“Excuse me,” Jono muttered politely.
Wade elbowed people aside and ignored the dirty looks thrown at him. Jono despaired of him ever learning manners.
The benches in the train car were all filled, so they were relegated to standing, holding on to the overhead bar to help keep their balance. The train started up again with a rattle on the tracks, lurching forward. Jono swayed a little where he stood, scanning the train car, gaze flicking over faces. Nothing seemed or smelled out of the ordinary as the train headed downtown, but he didn’t trust the sense of ordinariness. Wade kept his eyes glued to his mobile, playing his game with one hand.
The train car was almost too warm, even for Jono, though Wade was obviously fine. Almost every subway he’d ever ridden didn’t have air-conditioning, but the stifling heat was manageable for short periods. With no delays, it wouldn’t take long for them to get to their stop downtown.
The train rolled through two more stops, with people getting on and off, the shift in scents washing through the enclosed air. The busker who came on board at the last stop was very clearly fae going by scent, even if his glamour was that of a human. Jono had gotten better over the months at sniffing out fae due to their alliance.
Jono picked up hints of magic users and other people of the preternatural bent in the car they were on. Nothing worried him until they left the 14thStreet Station and the shadows of the tunnel beyond the windows sparked with magic when they shouldn’t.
Jono tightened his grip on the overhead bar, going tense as he stared into the dark, emergency lights occasionally streaking by. The smell of magic got sharper, tickling his nose. Few others seemed to notice the shift in the air—Wade, whose head snapped up, the fae busker, and a teenaged girl at the other end of the car. Everyone else was minding their own business, and all Jono wanted to do was get off the bloody train.
“Something feels weird,” Wade said as he put away his mobile.
