Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Cassia gave the bartender another mocking smile as he glared at her from across the room.
She saluted him with what was leftover of her drink, then downed the potent liquid in one gulp.
Fire exploded in her throat as she slammed the glass on the sticky table.
Not long after Castor and Finn had disappeared due to her father’s bidding, she’d headed straight for her favorite club in Astraeus.
Unable to stop feeling like she wanted to crawl out of her skin.
Unable to sleep. Unable to do anything but replay the memory of magic soaring through her bones.
“Another?” the older man asked tiredly, already heading for the near empty bottle.
Cassia ground her teeth together. For an establishment that advertised being open all night, he sure seemed inconvenienced by her presence.
Granted, she was the only one left in the place, but it wasn’t like she wanted to be there.
She’d nearly smashed a window when she’d discovered her usual haunt boarded up.
Permanently. Just like every other bar and restaurant she tried until she stumbled across the seedy one she was stuck in now.
She didn’t pretend she didn’t know why. Even though her father constantly told the city they were safe from what was happening at the border, the majority clearly didn’t believe him.
“You know, if you showed a little enthusiasm instead of mumbling under your breath every time your only customer ordered, this place might not be so dead,” Cassia snapped, slurring her words just a little too much for her taste.
She stumbled to her feet and pulled out a handful of gold coins. “Forget it. I’m done.”
“At only one in the morning? I’m shocked,” the man deadpanned. “And we have plenty of customers. At reasonable hours.”
Not bothering to walk the money over to him, Cassia left the coins sprawled on the table. “Then change your damn sign.”
Wind almost knocked her over as she stormed into the night.
It cut across her face, leaving her cheeks stinging as she tightened her long black coat around her shoulders.
As she turned in the direction of the palace, Cassia paused to stare up at the dim buildings towering around her.
Months ago, they’d lit up the night sky and captivated the attention of everyone on the street.
Now, each one almost seemed lifeless. And she was alone on an abandoned avenue. A shiver ran down her spine.
To her left, a whistle sounded from the train station, alerting patrons in the station that it was leaving in five minutes.
Cassia glanced over at the silver monstrosity.
She’d never been on it, nor did she want to after her experience with machines in the human realm.
If she ever needed to leave Astraeus, a horse would do just fine.
Bristling at the thought, she was surprised to see it operating so late. Would anyone even be on it?
Cassia caught sight of a figure at the ticket counter. Well, apparently someone was a fan of riding late night death traps. When the figure kneeled to pull out a ticket from the dispenser, their hair fell away from their face. Cassia froze.
Delphine?
What the hell.
Feet already moving, Cassia watched as Delphine rushed inside the station.
Before the other girl could get out of sight, she hopped up the steps and slid through the closing glass doors without bothering to stop at the counter for her own ticket.
No matter what, she wouldn’t get on. She just wanted to know what Delphine was up to.
Because there was only one reason she was sneaking on a train in the middle of the night.
Practically sprinting to keep up, Cassia managed to grab Delphine’s shoulder seconds before she reached the train’s nearest boarding door.
Flinching at her touch, Delphine whipped around.
Shock radiated from every inch of her skin.
Catching her breath, Cassia leaned against her knees and silently thanked whoever was listening that Delphine had decided to walk instead of using her special ability.
Not that she seemed to be using it much lately anyway.
“What are you doing here?” Delphine asked, dark eyes worriedly roaming the space behind them.
“What are you doing here?” Cassia countered. “It’s the middle of the night.”
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’t need to 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 a Druid? 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 father was closing 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.