by Linsey Hall
Maximus rose. “Where can we get the ingredient?”
“Unfortunately, it no longer grows in the wild. It’s a rare flower called the Mungeris Mitzeria. It is red with yellow tips and a green center. Only one research lab has a sample of it. They grow it in their greenhouse.”
“Where’s the lab?” I asked.
He grimaced. “It’s in the Swiss Alps. It won’t be easy. Difficult to find, even harder to get into. And out of.” He held up his hands when it was clear I was going to say we didn’t have a choice. We had to get in, even if it meant risking it all. “I know, I know. You have to do it. Just be careful.”
“It’s in the middle of the mountains?” Maximus asked.
“It is, in an all-magical city called Interhorn. The whole place is owned by the research lab, though most people don’t know that. They keep a low profile.”
Maximus stood. “Can you show us on a map so that we can use a transport charm?”
“I wish I could. But they control entry to the city. It’s partially a vacation destination, so that makes it a bit stupid, but the only way in is via train from Geneva. I think they keep such tight control because they’re worried about theft from their lab, but I don’t know that for sure.”
I glanced at Maximus. “Then we’d better get a move on.”
Connor pulled out his phone and fiddled with it, then looked up, his eyes bright. “You better hurry. The last night train into Interhorn leaves in an hour. Catch it at the train station on the edge of town in Geneva, in the supernatural district.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a quick hug, then turned and followed Maximus out of the shop. As I walked, I touched my fingertips to my comms charm and spoke briefly to Bree, asking her to let Jude know where we were going.
As soon as we were on the street, Maximus looked at me. “Ready?”
I nodded. Everything was easier in an all supernatural town. You could use a transport charm and disappear into thin air without worrying about humans seeing you.
He dug into his pocket and hurled a transport stone on the ground. Glittery silver dust exploded upward, and I stepped forward, letting the ether suck me in.
12
The ether dragged me through space and spit me out in the cold chill of Switzerland in the late winter. Immediately, I started shivering. Scotland was cold in the winter. So was Oregon. But definitely not Switzerland cold.
My gaze fell on one of the brightly lit shops that was on the bottom floor of an ornate old building. Winter parkas gleamed in the light.
“We’re close to the train, right?” I asked.
“I think so.”
I pointed toward the shop. “Let’s make a pit stop, then, because it’s freaking freezing.”
“I’ll conjure you one.”
“Thanks.”
His magic swelled, and he created me a warm puffy coat and pair of gloves. “Do you want a hat?”
“Not now, thanks.” I took the coat and gloves. “Thanks. Don’t you need one?”
“No. My demigod powers make me impervious to a lot.”
I supposed if he was impervious to sword blows, then the cold definitely shouldn’t bother him. I shrugged into the coat and inspected our surroundings. Street lamps sent a golden glow over the road, and the buildings had a distinctly romantic air to them, with ornate woodwork and glowing windows.
We hurried toward the train depot, dodging around human tourists and slipping into the all-supernatural district of town. It was hidden from human eyes by a glamour, but it wasn’t hard for us to spot the glowing blue entrance through an alley.
I stepped out into the magical part of the city, immediately spying two vampires and a couple demons.
The demons were bold to be walking around in the open—they weren’t even supposed to be on earth—but they weren’t my problem right then. We had bigger fish to fry.
Across the street, the sign for the train depot stood tall over the entrance. We hurried over and bought two tickets in a sleeper car.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about a few hours of sleep,” I said.
Maximus nodded. “I wouldn’t hate it myself.”
The train billowed steam as we approached, and I wondered about the old-fashioned nature. But then, it was a tourist train, so maybe that was part of the appeal.
Then it began to move, slowly pulling away from the station.
Crap!
“Come on!” I sprinted forward, running for one of the sets of stairs that led onto the train.
A porter waved us forward, his jaunty blue cap perched on his head. “Hurry! No stopping now!”
I raced faster, running alongside the train until I reached the handrail and steps. I grabbed on and swung myself up, leaping onto the stairs and racing up to leave space for Maximus.
The porter grinned, a young kid with bright eyes. “That was close.”
“Sure was.” I glanced back.
Maximus swung up onto the car, not looking the least bit winded.
The porter directed us to our private car, leading the way through the antique hallways lit with gas lamps. It was like stepping back in time.
I grinned as we stepped into the train car, spotting the big window with a wide view of the passing city and the two bunk beds.
“We’ll arrive in six hours.” The porter handed us some papers. “Please sign these.”
I took a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it. “What is it?”
“A waiver. If you experience grievous bodily injury or death on this trip, you will not sue us.”
“What?” My jaw almost dropped. It had been so sweet and charming up until now.
“Bit of a dangerous journey, I’m afraid. No guarantee it’ll be difficult, but we could encounter some trouble.”
“Of what variety?” Maximus asked.
“Avalanche, monsters, demons wanting to waylay the train and rob us. The usual.”
“For you, maybe.” I scrawled my name on the page and handed it over.
Maximus did the same, and the porter left. I shucked off my jacket and my boots and gave Maximus a look, remembering our near-kiss from earlier. We were in a room with a bed. Two beds, which made it a bit better, but it still felt…intense.
“I’ll take the top.” The words contained only the slightest croak, and I was quite proud really. My blush, however…
That was one for the record books.
Fortunately, he said nothing and only nodded.
Was he thinking of it, too? I swore my skin was pulled so tight from the tension that I might burst. I did my best to ignore it and climbed onto the top bunk. Though my mind raced with the knowledge that Maximus was right below me, my body knew just what to do when it hit the softness of the bed. The rumble of the train lulled me, and I passed out in moments.
When the shouts came, I was having a delightful dream. One moment I was lounging on a beach, and the next, I was bolt upright in bed as someone shrieked, “Abominable Snowman!”
I leaned over the bed to look at Maximus, who sat upright also. “Abominable Snowman?”
“It can’t be.” He climbed out of bed and put on his boots.
I jumped down and followed his motion, zipping up my new warm jacket and grabbing my gloves. I threw my bag of potion bombs over my shoulder and headed out into the hall with Maximus. Most people stood in the open doorways of the compartments, though a few staff were running toward the back. We followed. The bar car was full of people with half-empty glasses and frightened eyes. The bartender had picked up a massive metal weapon.
“Is that a flame thrower?” I asked as we hurried past.
He nodded, gaze grim.
Maybe it really was the Abominable Snowman.
A roar rocked the car as we passed through, coming from the outside. I picked up the pace, wanting to see the monster. We hurried through a darkened car, and I looked out the window. Moonlight shined on massive mountains as the train zoomed through a steep valley. I’d bet a crate of double chocolate
cookies that the tracks were perched on some kind of precarious bridge.
We made it out onto the back deck of the caboose just as the monster roared again. My eardrums rattled. I blinked in the darkness, my vision adjusting enough to take in half a dozen guards standing on the deck of the caboose, throwing fireballs at an icy monster that lumbered after us.
“It’s an ice giant,” Maximus said.
“Ice giant, Abominable Snowman. Six of one, half a dozen of another, really,” I said.
He nodded.
The ice giant was at least one hundred feet tall, and agile as it raced along behind us, leaping over little valleys and massive boulders. The train was speeding along on top of a wooden bridge that was fifty feet tall. The monster towered above, reaching out with its hands to swipe at the caboose. He missed by about twenty feet, but he was gaining on us.
My heart thundered as I envisioned him making contact with the train.
“More fire!” shouted the commander of the guards. “It’ll smash us to bits if it reaches us.”
“It’s just not slowing down!” shouted one of the mages.
All six of them hurled massive fireballs that lit up the night with an orange glow, but they only exploded off the monster’s side, not doing much damage.
“It’s the big beast,” shouted the leader. “Unstoppable.”
One of the mages next to me cursed. “The only time I sign up for this job and it’s the big one that wakes.”
“Does this happen often?” I asked, icy wind whipping against my face.
“No. Something is always waking in these mountains to chase the train. But this guy? He’s rare.”
The mages threw another round of fireballs at the ice giant, whose blue eyes gleamed in the light. He had massive fangs made of ice, and no doubt he saw this train as a moving snack car. He just had to smash us off the tracks, then pick up the people as they ran away. If they could run, after a fall like that.
I looked at Maximus. “We need to help.”
He nodded, then shouted to the leader. “Does it have a weak spot? Your fire isn’t working.”
“It does, but it’s on the head!” The leader looked at him with wild eyes. “The very top! No one can reach it, so we’ll try to drive him off with our firebombs.”
“They’re really not working,” I said.
“You want to try?” he demanded, his tone of voice making it clear that he thought I wouldn’t accept his challenge.
“Heck yeah! Where’s the weak spot exactly?”
“Right on top of the skull, in the middle, but good luck, lady.”
I grinned at him. “Thanks.”
“How do you want to do this?” Maximus asked.
“I’ve got a powerful stunning potion I can slam onto his head. As soon as he reaches out close enough, I’ll jump on his arm and climb him.” Even to my own ears, it sounded insane.
Maximus just grinned. “I like how you think. Race you to his head?”
I nodded. “What do I get if I win?”
He looked thoughtful.
Before he could respond, the leader shouted, “Incoming!”
I spun to face the back of the train. The ice giant was only about thirty feet away and gaining. He raised his arm to swipe at the caboose.
I turned to the leader. “If we stop him, you have to slow the train so we can catch up. No leaving us behind.”
“If you stop him, I’ll make you Queen of Switzerland.”
“I don’t think that’s in your power, but I’ll be happy if you stop the train.”
He nodded sharply.
Maximus looked at me. “Ready?”
“Now or never.” I tightened my bag of potions so it stuck to my back, then pulled on my new gloves and opened the back railing of the caboose, giving myself a platform to run and jump from.
The giant swiped out with his hand, and I raced for the edge of the caboose, then leapt off and grabbed onto his wrist. Fortunately, the giant was made of very craggy bits of ice. It gave me some good handholds to grip.
I clung to his forearm, stealing a quick glance below to see Maximus racing along the tracks and jumping onto the giant’s hip. The train sped away as the giant roared and flailed, clearly realizing he had two stowaways. We probably felt like rats to him.
I clung tightly and began to scramble up his arm, grabbing tightly to knobs of ice. He flailed, trying to shake me off, but I held tight. If I fell, I was dead. All around, mountains loomed tall in the moonlight.
My heart lodged in my throat as his other hand slammed down on his arm, almost squishing me. I scooted around to the back of his bicep, then scaled higher.
When I made it to his shoulder, adrenaline was pumping so hard through my veins I thought I might be able to fly.
Honestly, this was probably the dumbest thing I’d ever done, but damned if it wasn’t fun.
Below me, Maximus was almost to the shoulder. His eyes burned with intensity as he scaled the ice giant, who was now stomping around and shaking, trying to break us loose.
As fast as I could, I climbed up his neck and onto his head. The weak point in his skull was obvious. While the rest of his body was covered with a thick coating of ice, the top of his head looked like snow.
I yanked my potion bag around to my front and shoved my hand inside, searching for the round blue potion bomb that contained my most powerful stunner. The Murder Bomb. My hand gripped it, and I raised it high, then slammed it down on his skull, careful to withdraw my hand right before it smashed. I didn’t want to get any of the liquid on me.
Maximus appeared at my side just as the liquid started soaking into the giant’s skull. The beast roared, flailing, then began to fall. He jerked sharply as he crumpled.
I lost my grip, slipping off the giant’s head. A scream burst from my throat as my body met open air.
A strong hand gripped my wrist, yanking me to a stop.
Maximus.
I scrambled for a handhold, clinging to the giant’s neck. I panted, holding on tightly.
But he was falling fast, and my safe position was going to last about a fraction of a second more.
“We have to jump!” Maximus shouted.
I searched frantically for the tracks, hoping to jump onto them, but we were too far away. The giant smashed onto the ground and began to roll.
Crap!
I leapt off his neck before he rolled over and crushed me, then scrambled upright in the snow. About twenty feet away, Maximus rose, his body covered in white.
The giant began to tumble down the mountainside, shoving piles of snow in front of him.
“There!” I pointed toward the tracks, which were about a hundred yards away.
The train was still moving.
“Hey! You jerks!” I waved my arms.
“They might think we’re dead,” Maximus shouted. His magic swelled on the air, the scent of cedar crisp against the snowy air. A flare gun appeared in his hand, and he pulled the trigger, firing the glowing light into the sky.
The train’s brakes screeched, and the thing slowed.
“Thank fates for your conjuring.” I trudged as fast as I could toward the train tracks, the deep snow coming up to my thighs.
Every muscle in my legs burned as I went. Maximus clearly went slower to allow me to keep up with him, and I wasn’t going to complain. Last thing I wanted was to be left out here with the Snowman who would wake up eventually.
We reached the tracks and began to climb the wooden trusses that supported them. I climbed hand over hand, and was panting by the time I reached the top of the tracks, every muscle trembling. Maximus, who’d gotten to the top first, reached down and helped pull me up.
I flopped onto my belly, but gave myself only a moment. The train was stopped on the tracks in front of us, but it wouldn’t wait forever.
“Come on.” Maximus pulled me up.
Snow whipped against my face as I jogged along the tracks. “What do I win?”
“What do you mean?” Hi
s voice sounded suspiciously innocent.
“Don’t play dumb. We were about to make a bet when we had to go after the Snowman. What would I have won if we’d finished? I did reach his head first, after all.”
He frowned. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
“A lot of things.” Most of which he couldn’t give me, in fact. I wanted my magic back. To pass the Academy. To get rid of the darkness inside me.
Pretty much the only thing I wanted from him that he could give me was a kiss. And that wasn’t something I would say out loud.
“Let me think about it.” I reached the back of the caboose and climbed on.
The six fire mages stared at us.
“Not bad,” the leader said. His dark hair blew in the snowy wind, and he gave us an appraising look. “You sure you’re just tourists heading to Interhorn?”
“Yep.” I grinned and flexed my right arm. “I work out.”
He gave me a skeptical look, but I slipped by him and headed toward the main part of the train. The clock showed that it was nearly eight a.m., so we’d arrive pretty soon. At least I’d gotten plenty of sleep.
Maximus and I made our way toward the dining car and found an empty table. It didn’t take long to order a breakfast of eggs and toast, and we ate fast.
When I finished, I looked up. “So, what’s our story when we go through the border? The guard seemed to think we were tourists. We could go with that.”
He nodded. “On vacation for a weekend.” He frowned. “Is it the weekend?”
“I think it’s Thursday.”
“Early weekend. Then we’ll slip through and find the research lab.”
“I like this plan. Should be easy.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it’d been a dumb thing to say. Things that should be easy never turned out that way.
13
I hadn’t been wrong. Passing through the border wasn’t easy. The lines were horrendously long through the cutesy little station. Decorative wood carvings were everywhere, along with gleaming fairy lights and the scent of hot chocolate.
But beneath it all, the scent of bureaucracy filled the air. The guards were highly regimented and the lines kept in meticulous order.
