Delphine inched toward the boarding door. Another whistle sounded, warning that the train would be departing soon. Gripping the machine’s long silver handle like she could somehow stop the train from leaving if she had to, Delphine stuttered, “I couldn’t sleep.”
Cassia narrowed her eyes. “You couldn’t sleep so you decided to take a trip to…” She ripped the poorly hidden ticket from Delphine’s fist. Her heart dropped. Then twisted in her chest. It was just as she suspected. Throat tight, she finished, “Kastron.”
A tense beat passed between them. She took Delphine’s silence as a yes. Of course her brother had all their friends doing his dirty work while he… Cassia stopped. She processed the nervousness in Delphine’s eyes and remembered the fact she wouldn’tneedto take a train. Not if she was going to Kastron alone. Not if she really wanted to.
“Where is he?” Cassia asked, even though she already knew the answer. Without waiting for a reply, she gripped the silver handle and tried to step on the train. Delphine shoved herself in front of her.
“If I let you on, you have to promise to help. We’re probably only going to have one shot at this. A scout spotted one of those creatures close to the Elder Woods. Your father is planning to increase the protection spell around the city and basically lock everyone in. This might be the last train out for months.”
A shot at what?Cassia wanted to ask, but nothing would come out of her mouth. Delphine’s interference had let her body catch up with her brain. She stared at the long, shiny machine as fear poisoned her limbs. If she did manage to actually get on the thing, how much help would she be? She barely knew how to use her own magic now. Was she aDruid? And even if she did get on, there was a real possibility she would spend the entire ride fighting off a heart attack. Bridget had made sure she never wanted to be in a moving metal machine again.
And if her fatherwasclosing off the city, would they even be able to get back in?
Delphine hopped on the platform of the boarding door and held out her hand. “Are you coming or staying?”
The train whistled again, warning that it would be leaving within ten minutes. The high-pitched squeal snapped Cassia out of her spiral. Even though her hands were shaking, she gripped Delphine’s outstretched palm and pulled herself onto the thing she swore she’d never ride.
But that had been before Castor figured out her magic. Or what she was.
And now, anything seemed possible.
Heart pounding, she tried to ignore Delphine’s surprised stare as she followed her down the carpeted center aisle of the train. Every few seconds, she gripped the wall to stop herself from falling on her ass. Cassia took a deep breath. If she didn’t find a seat soon, she was going to vomit.
They passed compartment after compartment. The further they went, the smaller and less spacious the rooms became. Finally, Delphine stopped in front of one with a chipping wooden door at the very back of the train.
“Seriously, he couldn’t have sprung for anything nicer?” Cassia mumbled as Delphine slid open the door.
Eight eyes went from relieved to incredulous faster than Cassia thought possible when the others caught sight of her. She inventoried everyone present. On the left bench, Cade glowered at her. Next to him, Finn seemed to be holding back a laugh. Castor, on the other side of the tiny compartment… Cassia couldn’t bring herself to meet his curious gaze. And then there was Marin, quiet in the corner as she leaned her head against the train’s foggy window.
Everyone.
Even Marin.
But not her.
“Well… two princes, a Shaman, a guard, and a favored tournament contestant sneaking into first class in the middle of the night wouldn’t be very subtle, would it?” Finn joked, breaking the tense silence.
Cassia ignored him and kept her gaze locked on Cade’s fiery glare. Her throat tightened more and more the longer she tortured herself by not breaking away from the direct line of his clear, and growing, irritation.
“What the hell are you doing here, Cass?” he growled.
Delphine shushed him, then quickly slid the compartment door shut. “Despite the hour, we are not the only ones on this train. She spotted me going into the station and followed. You know I’m a terrible liar.”
“That’s why we all came separately,” Cade replied through gritted teeth. “The plan was very precise. Any deviations…”
“How?” Castor asked, interrupting his oncoming rant. “The staff entrance isn’t anywhere near the road… and weren’t you supposed to just pop in, anyway?”
Silence enveloped them as he waited for an answer. Delphine twisted her hands. A hint of pink flooded her cheeks.
Finn laughed. “She stopped to buy a ticket,” he said, patting Delphine’s cheek. “Our little rule follower.” After a quick glance around the crowded compartment, he shrugged and then nestled himself against the door on the floor. “Since this thing will get going any second, looks like I’m down here for the rest of the trip.” With a wave of his hand, he directed Cassia to the sliver of open seat next to Delphine, who had squished herself beside Castor. “You’re welcome.”
Wordlessly, Cassia inched a corner of her bottom onto the ratty cloth bench, careful not to press against Delphine too much. The last thing she wanted to be responsible for was pushing her closer to Castor, despite the sore lower back the position would give her.
“My uncle works at the station. You don’t know how many times I’ve heard him rant about people sneaking on the train without paying,” Delphine said, still a little flushed. “It comes out of the attendants’ pay.”
Cassia tried not to feel sick when Castor squeezed the other girl’s arm in support. His gaze cut to hers, telling her they both knew the reason for her mishap. She still was having trouble with magic. Forcing her gaze to the floor, Cassia channeled her attention to the betrayal swirling in her stomach. Anger was good. Anger would keep her traitorous thoughts at bay.
“You knew about this earlier,” Cassia hissed, glaring sideways at Castor. “And you didn’t say a word.”
