Frederick nods.
“Lakes drying to desert dust?”
He nods again.
“And you already showed me the black death.”
“Oil?”
I nod.
“How…” He trails off, shaking his head. “How do you know all this?”
“I’ve seen it.” His eyes widen as shock flashes within them. “I used to have these dreams, these horrible dreams. I never thought they were real until coming here.”
“You saw my world?”
I nod slowly. “I saw it dying. The poison ran through my veins. I choked on the air. I cried burning tears. I felt the ache of the Mother all around me.”
“The Mother? She’s your god, right?”
“She’s everyone’s god,” I whisper, returning my gaze to the scene on the other side of the window. We pass by shadowy trees so fast they’re hardly more than a dark blur. “She’s life itself.”
Frederick grips my hand. When I turn to find his eyes, there’s a conviction in them unlike anything I’ve seen in his face before, burning and powerful, rushing up from the deep like a geyser, exploding beneath a clear sky so each droplet reflects the light of the stars. The force of it overwhelms me. Fear grips my heart, because I know I’m not ready for whatever he’s about to say. I’m not ready for the promise in his eyes, whispering that we were destined to be in this moment together.
“Nymia—”
“What time is it? I’m starving,” Ella moans. The bed above us creaks as she rolls over, and a moment later her head drops over the edge, face dangling like a piece of fruit from a tree, hair swaying like scraggly leaves. Her gaze falls to the spot where Frederick is squeezing my hand, then rises to dart between our faces. She freezes. “Sorry. Did I interrupt something?”
“No,” I hastily reply and jerk my fingers free.
I don’t want to hear what the prince was about to say. I don’t want to know the dreams that danced across his eyes. I want to forget the passion in his voice as he fervently whispered my name. I didn’t come to this world for him.
I came for my sister.
She’s my choice, my fate.
The only thing that matters is getting her back.
“Do you want to find a snack?” I smile and meet Ella’s eyes. “I’m hungry too. And I could use a moment to stretch my legs.”
Ella blinks a few times, but then grins. “Sure.”
She reapplies the powder to my cheeks, hiding my sparkling skin, and then we make our way to a place Frederick, without a ticket or traveling papers, can’t follow—the dining car. Ella is silent as we traverse the length of the train. The absence of her voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand—she’s never quiet. While we’re waiting in line, she finally bursts.
“Do you fancy him?” she asks, tone a hair too casual.
“Who?” I eye the man behind the counter. He’s so old his hair has started to gray, but his smile is kind. “Him?”
Ella makes a face. “No. Freddie.”
“What?” It’s my turn to twist my features. “No, of course not.”
She purses her lips and stares at me for a prolonged second, arching a brow. Then she takes a deep breath, crosses her arms over her chest, and drops her gaze to the ground before mumbling, “Because I guess it’d be all right if you did.”
A soft snort escapes my nose. “Oh, would it?”
“Yes.” She snaps her face up, annoyed at my tone, then rolls her eyes. “Freddie and I? Well, I’ve decided we’d never work.”
“You have?” The smitten glances she always tosses his way would say otherwise.
“I have. He’s too—too—” She waves her hands through the air. I imagine the word she’s looking for is perfect. Instead, she sighs. “Anyway, I just thought you should know.”
Her voice is comically somber, as though all her dreams are crashing down around her, but she forces out a smile, putting on a brave face. I nudge her hip with mine and jerk my chin toward the display.
“They have chocolate.”
Ella grins. “Chocolate solves everything.”
We buy three bars along with some real food. On the way back to the cabin, Ella returns to her normal self, and I let her do what she does best, talk and talk and talk, about the food, about the snacks, about the passenger who was wearing that weird hat, about the annoying kids in the cabin next door, until I’m numb in the ears, and then I let her keep going.
I don’t want her to notice a bond between Frederick and me.
I don’t want there to be a bond between Frederick and me.
I don’t want to feel this way toward either of them.
And I especially don’t want to hear whatever he’s dying to say. As soon as we step through the door, I see the same words from before burning in his gaze, deep and powerful, but thankfully a complete mystery to me. I’d like to keep it that way.
So, for the next day, I use Ella as my human shield. When she sleeps, I pretend to sleep too. When she’s bored, I take her on a walk. When she’s hungry, we go get food. I won’t let Frederick catch me alone again, not when we’re so close to the end. I won’t let him distract me.
He knows what I’m doing, of course.
I see his frustration mounting. He yearns to spill his secrets, to open his heart, to let me in on this discovery of his that’s clearly changed his whole perception of the world.
But I won’t let him.
And Ella, it seems, is on the same page. She keeps it light. We play games. She comments on the view, on the people around us, on the train. She makes Frederick tell more stories from his past, often requesting tales involving his siblings. While he tells them, her eyes glaze over with a far-off look. I know her thoughts slip to Omorose on an almost constant basis. I can practically see the swarm of nerves buzzing beneath her skin. The closest she comes to talking about her sister is during our last night on the train, when the rest of the world is fast asleep and the moon is so high overhead I can’t even spot it through the window.
“Nymia?” she whispers, breaking up the monotonous hum of metal wheels and the occasional snore drifting down from the top bunk. We decided to share so Frederick could have a good night’s sleep. I’m pretty sure he saw right through my generous offer.
“Yes, Ella?”
“Will she like me?”
I don’t need to ask who. Instead, I roll over and find her gaze across the rumpled sheet. For a moment, I’m reminded of other midnight conversations from a lifetime ago, on a bed of moss, not a mattress, beneath the moon, not metal, yet somehow so similar—filled with confessions that were easier to spill in the dark. “She loves you.”
“I know,” Ella murmurs. “But will she like me?”
I know what she means. I’ve had the same thought—when Aerewyn sees me again, will she like who I’ve become? I don’t think I want the answer. “Just be yourself.”
“I thought I was annoying?”
“You are,” I tease as the edges of my lips quirk. “But in a likeable way.”
Ella rolls her eyes. “I’m serious, Nymia.”
“I am too. You’ll see. It’s impossible to dislike you.”
I should know.
I’ve been trying my best to do just that since the moment we met, but nothing seems to stick. Things were never supposed to be this complicated, or this hard. But at least it’s almost over. I made my decision a long time ago. Now all that’s left is to see it through.
When Ella falls asleep, I roll back to the window—wide awake as the oath burns beneath my skin. With each mile we’ve raced west, closer and closer to Omorose, the buzz in my blood has mounted, from a dull trickle to a heavy thrum. Tonight, the hum surges even louder, so charged I’m surprised my body doesn’t shake from the pressure. By the time we arrive in Denver the next morning, the whisper has become a roar, shouting that I’m so close to the end.
I don’t realize how close until we step off the train.
Since they don’t check tickets upon
arrival, there’s no reason to use my magic or hide Frederick. Instead, we meld into the crowd, blending with the rest of the horde making its way down the crowded platform. As a mass we trickle slowly through the station. With each step, my blood pounds like thunder in my chest and my heart races. When we step through the door and onto the street, my body flashes so hot I freeze.
“Ella!”
All three of us turn toward the sound. A lone figure races opposite the pack, swerving between bodies as she makes her way closer. Her auburn hair flares red in the sunlight. Her rosy cheeks are pinched in a smile. Stars dance deep within her umber eyes.
“Ro Ro?” Ella whispers, voice shaky and unsure.
“Ella!”
“Ro Ro!” she screams and jolts forward.
My body goes weak and I sway on my feet, grabbing Frederick’s arm to keep from toppling over. He eyes me curiously, but in this crowd, there’s nothing he can say. The two sprinting girls rush closer and closer, on a collision course. The moment they crash together, something within me snaps. I bite my lips to keep from crying out as the torrent vanishes, leaving me eerily still. Just like that, the blood oath fades.
I’ve fulfilled my promise.
I’ve returned Ella safely to her sister.
Now I’m finally free to bring my sister back to me.
“Are you all right?” Frederick whispers.
“I’m fine,” I snap as I drop my hand from his arm and straighten my shoulders.
Turning my heart to stone, I will the past few weeks away and pretend they never happened. I bury them. I bury everything, until I’m right back where I started—determined and focused on the task ahead. In the back of my mind, plans begin to spin. I can’t do anything here. It’s too crowded. There are too many witnesses. In this world of human technology, I’d never get away. I’ll have to wait. But I should do it before we get to the mountain village. It’d be difficult to escape from so many shifters unscathed.
“Nymia!”
Ella’s voice slices to my core.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain.
I have to stop thinking of her as Ella. She’s Aerewyn’s prison, Aerewyn’s captor, Aerewyn’s executioner. A human thief, nothing more. One of them.
“Nymia!” The laughter on her lips opens a cavernous void inside my chest. “Come on! What are you doing?”
I open my eyes and find hers across the crowd. Her tan skin is wet with tears and her cheeks glisten in the sun. I’ve never seen such a wide smile on her lips, matched only by the one Omorose is wearing by her side. They hug each other around the waist, connected at the hip, the way sisters should be.
I want that.
I need that.
“Coming,” I croak, forcing the word up my dry throat.
Frederick reaches for my hand, brushing his fingers over mine before I pull away and quickly jaunt forward. His gaze burns a hole through my back. I can practically hear the howl of the thoughts churning like a storm inside his mind.
“Sorry,” I say when I get closer. “I was…overcome.”
Omorose grabs my shoulders and pulls me in for an awkward hug. Well, awkward on my end at least, as I stiffen and keep my arms still. She’s so wrapped up in her joy, I don’t think she notices how one-sided the affection is.
“Thank you,” she whispers fervently into my ear. “I never thought I’d see her again. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Ro Ro, you have to meet Freddie.” Ella tugs on her sister’s arm, which finally prompts Omorose to let me go. “Freddie, meet my sister, Omorose. Omorose, meet His Royal Highness Prince Frederick of Wales. He helped us escape London.”
“Did he?” Omorose teases, arching a brow as she reaches out to shake Frederick’s hand. It’s a side of her I haven’t seen before—playful and kind—a side I don’t think I let her show me. “I can’t wait hear all about it. A pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” He inclines his head, meeting her amused smile with one of his own. Then he glances briefly around, as though checking to make sure no one else is listening. “Might I ask how you knew we’d be here today? On this train?”
“It was the blood oath. I felt you guys getting closer, and the charge grew so quickly, I knew you had to be on the train. Didn’t you feel it, Nymia?”
I nod, but keep silent.
“Blood oath?” Frederick asks. He’s too curious by half.
“Let’s just say I didn’t totally trust her at first, so I made her swear to bring Ella back safely. Faeries can’t break a promise sworn in blood. You didn’t tell them?” She turns to me. So does Frederick, though I can’t help but notice his gaze is sharper, far more scrutinizing. Maybe he knows me better than I thought.
“I didn’t think it was important.” I shrug.
“It’s not,” Omorose agrees and takes her sister’s hand before squeezing it gently. “All that matters is that you’re here now. Which means…” Omorose turns back to me. “The oath is fulfilled.” She smiles and shifts her tone to something humorous, almost self-deprecating. “You’re free to go. You don’t need to stick around us humans anymore.”
She’s turning our former frustrations into banter, almost like a private joke, but I’m not laughing. Panic bubbles beneath my skin. I need a reason to stay for a little while longer, one that won’t raise suspicion. Then I remember.
“I need to speak to the shifter prince before I go.”
“Cole?” Omorose frowns. “Why?”
“The humans have a way to track magic,” I murmur, low enough so only the four of us can hear. “Even my kind of magic.”
Her eyes go wide.
I’m not lying. I did want to tell Cole about this, and I do want to protect as many magical creatures as I can. But I also need to keep Ella close, and I need to make sure they don’t suspect I have ulterior motives.
“We’ve been wondering why they kept so many patrols on the mountains. Maybe they still sense the magic. Maybe they know it isn’t gone. Maybe…” She trails off and snaps her head up. “Cole will want to hear about this right away.”
I nod.
“I’m guessing you’d like to come too?” she asks Frederick.
His response is immediate. “Most definitely.”
“Well, follow me then. Cole and I came on a motorcycle, but with so many people, we’re probably going to have to hike instead. It’ll take a few days, but we don’t really have the proper supplies—”
“Not to worry,” Ella buts in, and nudges her elbow into my ribs. “Nymia’s absolutely brilliant with magic. Just wait until you see what she can do to a campsite.”
Omorose turns toward me curiously, confused I’m sure, because I never showed her my power. But she doesn’t ask. I’ve earned a little bit of her trust—an advantage I’ll use when the time is right. “Well, I guess that settles it. Let’s go.”
We follow her down the streets to meet up with Cole, and then we keep going, using public transportation for as far as it will take us until we get outside of the city and can slip into the woods. Surrounded by nothing but trees with only the birds to hear, we finally tell them about our journey—the ball, the plane, the trek to the railroad station, everything. While Ella and Omorose walk a few steps ahead, getting reacquainted, Frederick helps me explain the device he used in London to track our magic. We give it to Cole so he can experiment with it when we get back to the village. Frederick explains some limitations, mostly the shorter range of distance it’ll track. Apparently, my magic was never picked up by the satellite feeds that day in London when the prince first spotted me in the crowd, only on some of these small locally used devices. When Cole asks questions, I let Frederick answer, but I try to remain as attentive as possible. I need to stay involved. I need to keep up appearances.
Yet in the back of my mind, all I can think is, Soon.
Soon, I’ll have Aerewyn back.
Soon, nothing else will matter.
As the sun sinks low in the sky, shadows stretch
across the forest, making it difficult to see, so we make camp for the night. Frederick gasps when Cole transforms into his wolf form to speak with the shifter pack that’s been following us all afternoon. Ella smiles, clapping gleefully as her older sister looks on with a note of pride. I turn my attention to the damp grass beneath my feet and sink my magic into the dirt, willing life to grow. Four plump mossy beds rise, then an array of fruits and vegetables we can eat for dinner. In the foothills of these mountains, the air is crisper than it was in New York, so I grab a few petals and stretch them into silky blankets.
While I work, Ella begs her sister to explain how she met the shifter prince. Omorose begins their story on the night she ran away from the military base she called home—she was tired of living her life in hiding, surrounded by people who would kill her if they discovered her power, and she hoped the mysterious beast in the mountains might provide sanctuary. It doesn’t take long for Frederick, ever curious about magic, to be drawn in by the tale, listening as she explains how the prince who once terrified her became the man who stole her heart. I can’t help but notice that she skips over the part where I destroyed his kingdom by stealing his people’s magic, leaving them as animals and him alone for more than a decade.
It’s a kindness I don’t deserve.
Especially now, as I use the opening their rapture provides to call forth a few poppy flowers and crush the petals in my palms. With a little added heat from the Mother sun, they melt into a milky liquid—a calming serum. The priestesses used to give me a small sip to help me relax after I woke from a nightmare. If the dosage is high enough, it’ll put even the biggest beast to sleep. While they’re distracted, I grab the water bottles from Omorose’s pack, take a long sip from each, then slip the liquid inside. Thankfully, the bottles are opaque and made from metal, so I doubt anyone will notice the discoloration. I put the waters back, pull a few carrots from the dirt, and then join the conversation, offering up food.
By the time Cole returns, it’s dark.
Half the food is gone, and half the water is too.
Chasing Midnight - A Cinderella Retelling (Once Upon a Curse Book 3) Page 17
