“Can you reach it?” he asked.
“Not yet. Just a few more inches.”
The glow from the light-rails illuminated the grate. Cold metal chilled my fingers as I grabbed a metal bar. I pushed. Tried again. It gave an inch. I pushed harder, and the grate moved aside with a screeching sound.
“Got it.”
“Can you climb out?”
“I’ll try.” I reached for the lip of the opening. Dirt and grime crusted my fingernails as I grabbed for something to hold on to.
Kull lifted me higher. I grabbed a handful of grass, threaded my fingers through the roots, and pulled myself out of the tunnel. The smell of fresh air washed over me, and the whooshing of carriages from the light-rails buzzed through my ears.
Glancing around, I tried to get my bearings. I stood near a tree on a grassy hill overlooking the city. Golden spires reached for the nighttime sky, encircled by the city wall.
At least we’d made it out of the city.
I reached for the tree and tied the rope around the broad trunk. Luckily, it fit all the way around. “All set,” I shouted as I lowered the rope into the tunnel.
Kull grabbed the rope first and hoisted himself up. As soon as he reached the top, Heidel followed. When she crawled from the opening, Kull untied the rope from the tree.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked me.
My heart fluttered as he stared at me. I’d never realized what an intense gaze the man had. I felt one part fear, another part something else. Respect, perhaps? I supposed having a reputation like his did that to people.
“No, it wasn’t so bad.”
He winked at his sister. “It pays to trust me.”
Heidel didn’t react as I’d expected. She locked her gaze on the light-rails, and her voice turned grim, as if she spoke of something she didn’t care to remember. “You’ll not feel so confident once we reach the Borderlands. There are creatures there that even you can’t defeat, brother.”
Chapter 12
We approached the light-rails. Carriages whizzed past with blinding speed. Behind us, the city lit the dark sky. Glancing back, I wondered if the elves had noticed their captured prince was missing. I wondered how long Euralysia could cover for him.
Because the rails were fueled by magic, the carriages knew when a passenger needed a coach. So, we waited by the rail. Although I’d never been fond of elves or their technology, I felt impressed as I watched the light-rail hugging the countryside, dipping and rising with the curve of the land in a bright ribbon of energy.
Warm night air brushed my cheeks. Trees with silvery leaves lined the rails. They fluttered as the carriages whizzed past. Heidel leaned against a tree and stared ahead. With her eyes unfocused, she seemed lost in thought.
Kull stayed at my side. “Euralysia was taken with your skills in magic.”
“Was she?”
“Yes, with your Earth magic. How long did you live in Earth Kingdom?”
The wind rustled the tree leaves, causing their glossy, silver backs to flutter in the wind. I’d forgotten how beautiful this place could be at night.
“I lived on Earth for half my life,” I answered Kull, “but I was born in Faythander and raised by the sky king. He wanted me to learn the human ways, so he sent me to Earth now and then. I spent a summer in Washington when I was ten.”
“Washington?”
“It’s in the United States, if you know where that is.”
“Is it near France?”
“Sorry, no.”
“But you remembered Earth Kingdom without a memory charm?”
“Yes, because my mother is human and my father is elven.” The subject of my parents always seemed to come up no matter how much I wanted to avoid it.
A soft purring echoed ahead of us. A light coach sped across the rails as if it were flying and stopped as it approached us. I didn’t understand the mechanics of the light-rails. If someone explained it to me, I could probably comprehend the magical aspects, but the mechanical portion baffled me.
The carriages arrived whenever there was a need for traveling, almost with a mind of their own. I couldn’t complain, though it was a bit disconcerting, knowing a mechanical/magical hybrid could read my mind.
The coach reminded me of a huge, golden bubble with windows that glowed like Japanese lanterns. Sliding doors whooshed aside without sound to reveal overstuffed couches the color of champagne lining the walls to form a semicircle.
I stepped inside, and the others followed. Soft, ambient light radiated around us. After getting situated, the doors swooshed closed and locked with a click. The coach sped forward, sensing our destination by literally reading our minds. Like I said—creepy.
Heidel focused on her brother. “We’ll take this coach to the edge of the Borderlands. The light-rails stop at the boundary between the goblin lands and ours.”
“Fine,” Kull said, closing his eyes and leaning his head on the seat cushion. “Wake me when we’re there.”
“But what if we get lost? Or worse, what if the coach gets ambushed? We’ll need you awake so you can save us,” Heidel said with a mocking tone.
“Olive will save you, little sister. She’s handier with magic than you are with the sword.”
“I doubt it,” I spoke up.
“Have you seen my sister with a sword, Olive? You might wonder why she has so many scars. It’s from fumbling about like a cissikin learning to walk,” he said.
“Cissikins hop, not walk. And he’s lying,” Heidel put in. “I’ve beaten him so many times that I’ve wounded his pride. I’ve made him shed so many tears he’s
