His silence heightened the intensity of his scrutiny.
“We’re never getting out of here, are we? At least not without some divine or royal intervention.” I sighed, and then I did something so uncharacteristic that Gregor’s grandson grew stiff as acalimbor. . . I gave the faerie a one-armed hug. “You might not believe this”—I inhaled the musky, mineral scent at the hollow of his collarbone—“but I’m glad you’re alive.”
He didn’t hug me back. Didn’t even pat my shoulder. “That is . . . hard to believe.”
I absorbed his body’s heat a moment longer before paring myself away. “Just as hard to believe as you saving my life.”
“How is that difficult to comprehend?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I obviously would rather be in bad company than alone.”
Ouch.Supporting my aching arm with my gloved hand, I turned away from him and stepped back into the train. “We should get going,” I said coolly.
He didn’t move off the platform, and although I kept my gaze affixed to theCLOSEbutton, I sensed his eyes scraping across my profile.
Bad company.Because his company was oh-so-awesome. “In one second, yourbad companywill be on her way someplace else.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw his brow twitch.
“Now or never.” I rested the tip of my index finger atop the button.
Eyes still duct-taped to my face, he climbed aboard. “Amara . . .”
I pressed the button, and the doors snapped shut. His mouth, too. And then I pressed the second button and sat on the bench before the rattling carriage could break or dislocate another part of my beat-up body.
15
The Inn
During the entire magical train ride, I kept my lids cinched tight in exhaustion, in pain, and in annoyance. My bones rattled, awakening bruises I didn’t even know I had—in my ankles, thighs, and abdomen. As for my elbow . . . the pain there was so raw it made sweat bead along my hairline and drip down the column of my neck.
“What’s wrong with your arm?” Remo asked once the train stilled. “Is it broken?”
I tried to see if we were back in Frontier Land, but the windows were still obscured. “It feels like it might be.”
He held out of his palm. “Let me see it.”
When I made no move to show him my arm, he sighed and hoisted it up. I winced and tried to pull it away, but that simply angered the throbbing.
“Your elbow’s swollen.” His fingers trekked down to my wrist just as the train door let out a short squeal and slid open.
There was no brick station and nolupa, which meant we’d landed in another cell. Awesome. Just awesome. I couldn’t wait to see what this one had in store for us.
“So, do we have a welcoming committee? Rabid wolves? Mutant mice?” Remo asked.
The only thing in my line of sight was a red bench and the white corner of a big sign painted with block letters. I made out an A and N.
“Is the sky still white?”
Pain radiated up my forearm. I shot my gaze back to my hand, which Remo had twisted so that my palm faced up.
“So? Is it?”
My breaths came out in ragged spurts. “What?”
“The sky? Is it white?”
