Reluctantly, I had to admit that I felt safer with the knife close. Although Maveryck had only just given me the weapon, it seemed as though the dagger had always been with me, and its presence helped distract me from the noise of the station.
The building was exponentially larger than I had envisioned. We walked on moving staircases that brought us to one path and then to another. After wandering the station for what felt like hours, I was certain Maveryck had gotten us lost, although he assured me he knew where to go.
In one area, a glass-domed ceiling loomed overhead, making the cacophony of voices echo. My heart rate spiked as we approached yet another gate.
I was prepared for the unfamiliar, but this was nothing like the last time I visited Earth Kingdom. The crowds seemed to press in against me, and I couldn’t help but feel their eyes on me—as if they watched me—as if they knew I didn’t belong here. Was the wraith lurking among them? Was it hiding in plain sight?
“Are you coming?” Maveryck asked as he stood near the gate.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I can do this anymore. This is nothing like home. I feel like I’m going to suffocate if I keep going.”
He stood without speaking as the crowd passed us on either side to enter through the metal gate. If I turned around now, where would I go? I would be more lost than I was now. I felt like screaming, but doing so would bring us unnecessary attention.
He took a step toward me and took my hand, his fingers surprisingly warm and gentle. With that one small gesture, I felt my tension begin to ease.
“We’re almost there,” he said. “You can do this.”
“I’m not sure.”
“But I am sure, and I know you can do this.”
I inhaled deeply while staring at the gate that seemed so far away. “It’s all so unfamiliar. If I were in the woods back home, or the mountains—”
He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze, and then he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. If we’d been back home, I would have shoved him away without hesitation. But since we were here, in a place that felt so strange and different from anything I was used to, I decided to let him stay close to me. For a minute at the most, anyway. Just until I felt I could breathe again.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why is this so hard? I’ve fought goblins and wraiths, battled my way through a dragon’s lair, beaten beasts of prey, and overcome magical spells. Why is navigating through Earth Kingdom’s train station so difficult?”
“Maybe because you understand dragons and goblins. You know what they are and where they come from. Many times, the things we fear aren’t the things that can kill us. What we fear most are the things we don’t understand.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, gently caressing my face.
The familiar scent of his cologne enveloped me—a scent that reminded me of amber and rich mahogany—reminding me of last night when he’d kissed me. I felt his eyes on me, so I met his gaze.
Sparks of purple danced in his irises, and I could have gotten lost in his eyes. He said he didn’t wield powerful magic, so why did I feel like he was casting a spell over me? Something inside screamed at me, telling me this was wrong, but I couldn’t look away. I wanted to be with him again, my longing an emotion so powerful I could hardly control it or make any sense of it whatsoever.
He was just too damn pretty—and that was the problem.
“I’m ready,” I said, finally looking away. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ve had it with this place.”
He squeezed my hand, making my heart race even more. When we passed through the final gate and found the train terminal, we waited in yet another line as we boarded. But once we entered the train, I breathed a sigh of relief. We were finally out of the terminal.
The train had two levels, and Maveryck led me to a staircase where we ascended to the second floor. I was surprised to find elegant tables with white linen cloths interspersed among the seats. Vases of red carnations sat atop each table, and beyond the flowers, the windows gave us views of the enormous station.
Maveryck took a seat in one of the booths, and I sat across from him, peering out the window. A long line of people still filed inside the train, and I scrutinized each one, thinking anyone could be the wraith in disguise—the man with the hat, another man wearing a coat and dark glasses, another with shoulder-length, white hair…
The train slowly moved forward. As it did, a man wearing a white suit and apron placed several small loaves of crescent-shaped bread and chocolate-covered fruit on the table.
I swear, Maveryck and his expensive tastes. I was surprised we weren’t eating on golden platters.
As the train left the city, ancient-looking buildings built with crumbling stones stood along the streets, and green countryside sprawled all the way to the horizon.
“I was like you once,” Maveryck said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I eyed him. “Excuse me?”
“There was a time when I trusted no one.”
Where had this come from? “Who says I don’t trust anyone?”
He smirked. “It’s a little obvious.”
“Fine. Perhaps you’re right and I don’t trust anyone, but I have my reasons. Do you?”
“Yes, actually.” He took a sip from his glass. “In a way, my distrust was learned. My brother and I were always in a constant struggle for power and dominion, so I never learned to think of him as a friend. We sought to find one another’s weaknesses, to best each other. Brutality and
