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She stepped inside as though this sort of thing happened every day. “Only if you’re boring.”
The moment he crossed the threshold, a faint warmth brushed over his skin. The sounds of the train faded until all he could hear was the soft creak of wood beneath his boots. She opened the carved door, and beyond it lay a private cabin. It was larger than the entire train car should have allowed, furnished with two plush sofas facing one another, a small dining table, shelves lined with books, and wide windows through which the passing countryside could still be seen. A teapot rested on a sideboard, steam curling lazily from its spout despite there being no visible heat source.
He slowly turned in a circle. He had fought monsters larger than houses without blinking. But this…this was unsettling.
“The train…” he began carefully.
“Isn’t actually this big,” she finished.
“No.”
“It doesn’t fit.”
“No.”
She grinned, looking entirely too pleased with his reaction. “You can thank magic for that.”
“Of course I can.” He let out a long sigh.
“You’ll get used to it.” She dropped onto a sofa and stretched out comfortably.
He remained standing for another moment, taking in the impossible room before finally shaking his head with an amused huff. “I sincerely hope I don’t.”
Once the initial surprise wore off, he found himself relaxing beside Ria. Through the wide windows, the occasional burst of orange from the trees stood out against the darker evergreens. Neither of them felt the need to speak as the autumn colors slipped by outside. They simply watched the scenery.
Ria reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Here,” she said, holding it out to him. “I know you need to know.”
“What’s this?”
A video was already playing. Korinnae sat in the living room back in Queens, completely engrossed in another board game with Ligaya, while Cerberus—still wearing his Velvet Harmony shirt—sat nearby with his arms folded. Korinnae laughed at something Ligaya said and reached over to move a game piece.
He frowned at the phone. “What kind of magic is this?”
“No magic,” she laughed.
“None?” He looked at her skeptically.
“Just human technology.” She pointed toward the screen. “There are cameras around the house. They’re connected to my phone, so I can check on them whenever I want.”
“So…we’re watching what’s happening there…”—he looked back at the moving image—“…while we’re here.”
He stared at the tiny screen for another moment. “Humans invented this?”
“They did.”
“And they willingly place these devices throughout their homes?”
She nodded. “Lots of people do.”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know whether to be impressed…” He watched Korinnae dissolve into another fit of laughter as Cerberus reluctantly rolled the dice. “Or deeply unsettled.”
She grinned. “Welcome to the Upperworld.”
He handed the phone back, still trying to make sense of it all. “I’ve fought hydras that made more sense than that little rectangle.”
That earned him another laugh as Ria swung a leg over his lap and settled against him. The warmth of her body seeped through his clothes as her hands slid down his chest. Even through his shirt, her palms felt hot. Asterion tensed at the contact, already wanting more.
“Getting your power boost?” He smirked. “You’ve barely used any magic since we left the city.”
