by Joshua King
"When will it…"
The sound of a train whistle behind me was not something I wanted to hear at this hour of the morning, but Millie just gestured blankly toward it as I tried to swallow my heart back down from where it had jumped into my mouth.
"Enjoy your travels."
Glaring at him, I turned away and handed each of the group one of the portfolios as we made our way toward the train.
"The snowball rolls?" I muttered to Aurora. "What does that even mean?"
"I think he was trying to say things tend to build up… or get stuck to things."
"But am I the snowball? Or is the situation the snowball?"
"If you're the snowball, I guess that makes the rest of us the random little bits of stuff that get stuck to it while it's tumbling down the hill."
"I don't think I like that metaphor."
It didn't matter. Millie's window was dark when I glanced back over my shoulder so even if I had decided to say something to him about his choice of analogies, I couldn't. Maybe we were all he had come to the train station for that morning. Or maybe he was at the good part of his book and just didn't want to be interrupted again.
The train whistled again, and I resisted the urge to give it a hard kick directed right at its shiny black side. That wouldn't have gotten my day off to the best start. We climbed up onto the antique-looking train and a young man with braids tied together into a ponytail that stretched down to his waist glanced at our credentials. He nodded as he handed them back to us.
"Just this way," he said, gesturing down the red carpeted aisle of the nearest car.
He guided us all the way through the car and over the small metal platform that connected it to the next. Continuing on, we went deeper into the train, walking past seats that became increasingly luxurious. What had started as essentially leather-covered benches in the first car became individual seats covered in soft fabric and then larger, more heavily padded seats covered in velvet. Passengers of all kinds were scattered through the cars, seeming to represent nearly every species I had come into contact with since being in the Underworld, and possibly a few more. Some looked like they had been on the train for quite some time. One particular woman was leaned back in the corner of the chair and train wall, her mouth open as she slept. Around her, her personal belongings had leaked out of pockets and sagging carry-on bags of various sizes, so the vacant seat and floor were covered with discarded food wrappers, articles of clothing, and gadgets I didn't recognize. Others were just getting onto the train and settling into their seats. A few flashed us angry looks as we pushed past them, and others gazed curiously at Aurora. It was obvious many of them recognized her, but there were varying levels of familiarity in the looks. She didn't acknowledge any of them, and I couldn't help but wonder how many she actually recognized herself.
Finally, we had passed through three more cars and the young man leading us stepped into the last one. Rather than being filled with rows of seats, this car had plush couches along either side and a large table in the back corner mirrored by what looked like a bar on the other side. He gestured at a door on the other end of the car.
"This is your lounge. Sleeping and bathing accommodations are through that door. I hope you will be comfortable. My name is Xander. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
I stopped him before he stepped back out of the train car.
"Xander, do you know where we're going? Or how we will know when we get there?"
"I will let you know when we are nearing your destination."
"How long will that be?"
"I will let you know. Enjoy your trip."
I turned a stunned look at the rest of the group as the man left the car and closed the door behind him.
"Seriously? We have no idea where we're going or when we'll get there, and he wants us to just sit in here and wait for him to let us know?"
"To be fair, he might not know where we're going or when we'll get there, either. We still don't know how much Malakan has told the other people who are helping us along the way. Xander might just have known we were going to be on the train and where to put us, but still could be waiting to be told when we're supposed to get off."
Bex didn't seem put off by the prospect. Just the idea of being inside the train and not walking through the woods was enough to make all of us feel more secure, so I went with it. At least the train knew which direction it was going. Now that we were on it, I was sure we were doing what the mage wanted of us.
"I am in desperate need of a shower. I'm going to go take advantage of those bathing accommodations Xander talked about, then I'm going to sleep. The stone shelter out in the woods was a nice touch, but it wasn't exactly the most comfortable of resting places."
Leaving the rest of the group in the lounge sprawled across the couches and, in Stephana's case, digging through the bar, I made my way into the next car. Rather than being the same size as the others, it looked like two cars without the juncture between. The front section contained four beds and two wooden wardrobes I was surprised to see being hauled around in a passenger train. I walked past them through another door into a large, luxurious bathroom. Another door on the opposite side of the room told me that there was a second bedroom area attached to the back of the bathroom. They were truly incredible. I had been in hotels that were nowhere near as comfortable as this train. Stripping off my dirt caked clothes and tossing them aside, I turned on the shower. Hot water streamed down from four heads attached to the walls so, when I stepped in, I was surrounded by the soothing warmth and invigorating massage of the water droplets on my body.
I had no idea how much I needed that shower until I stepped under the water. As soon as I felt it rinsing my skin and taking some of the knots and tension out of my muscles, I knew I would stay right there for the entire trip if I could. Various bottles of shampoos and body washes filled niches along the walls, and I scrubbed myself clean until I was convinced that I'd removed a layer or two of skin along with all the dirt and sweat. By the time I convinced myself to get out of the shower and walked with a towel wrapped around my waist back into the bedroom, the women were tucked into bed. Ashe was in the one closest to the door, and I slipped under the thick gold blanket to stretch out beside her. I was awake long enough for her to sense I was there in her sleep and roll over to put her head on my chest.
The sense of peace that filled me when I woke up the next morning was reassuring, but I couldn't help but wonder if it should be. I felt oddly at ease, like another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place and I could be sure of my steps. At the same time, that's probably how the pastry chef feels in every romantic comedy about a wedding right before they start down the steps they are inevitably going to slip on and land somewhere inside the absurdly overdone cake. Deciding to lean towards the feelings of confidence rather than anticipating my face in buttercream, I got out of bed as carefully as I could so I didn't disturb Ashe, got dressed, and walked into the lounge. Brielle was already sitting at the large table, a delicate tea cup held between her hands. Xander was unloading a huge cart of food onto the table. I noticed one couch was draped with white garment bags.
"What are those?" I asked, nodding toward the bags.
"The arrangements for your accommodations included providing fresh clothing," Xander told me. "Enjoy your breakfast. If there's anything else you'd like, just let me know."
"And you still don't know how long we'll be traveling?"
"I'll let you know when the time comes."
The door closed behind him and I sat down across from Brielle. An intoxicating smell was coming from her cup. It didn't smell quite like coffee but had the same effect of waking me up and making my mouth water. Taking my own cup from the assortment sitting in the middle of the table, I poured a steaming blue liquid from a silver pitcher. I stared down at it.
"Do I even want to know what this is?" I asked.
"Just try it. You'll like it."
"I know a lot of people who have
gotten themselves in some very uncomfortable situations by following that exact advice."
Brielle smiled at me and took another sip from her cup. The edge of mine was just getting to my lip for an experimental sip when Bex, Aurora, and Ashe came into the room.
A few seconds later, Stephana came in, her hair wild as she yawned.
"Sleepy?" I asked.
"I'll never get used to the idea of sleeping on something that moves."
"That might prove problematic since we don't know where we are going or how we're going to get there."
"Well, if Malakan has a red-eye on a dragon up his sleeve, just tie me down so I don't notice it as much."
She dropped down into the chair next to me and reached for a pastry from one of the platters spread across the table. The cup finally made it to my mouth, and I tipped some of the blue liquid into it. The taste wasn't anything like I expected, but it gave me a jolt like several shots of espresso put into my bloodstream via IV. I'd take it.
"Does anyone have any idea of where we are or where Malakan might be taking us?"
"I've been through the portal before," Brielle said. "A few years ago. I only traveled to a village, though. I didn't take the train."
"The note didn't say anything else about where he might be or where we might be going next?" Aurora asked.
"No. I don't understand why he's being so secretive."
"It's getting riskier with every note he leaves. There is always a chance for someone else to find it. He doesn't want anyone else to know where you might be going, or that he's interacting with you. Remember, as far as most people know, he's dead. We're not near Solan City anymore, but I can't help but assume that if Malakan went to such extents to make people there think he's dead, he's not going to just forget about spreading that news throughout the rest of the Underworld. Especially in the places where he's traveling. He has to be vague to protect all of us."
I sighed.
"You don't have to be so logical about it. All right. Let's go through Malakan's notes again. Everything he left us. Maybe there's something we're missing or something that will make more sense to us now that we've gone further."
Not wanting to disturb any of the elaborate breakfast still occupying the majority of the table, we spread everything we'd gotten from Malakan out in the middle of the room and sat around it. Concentrating on scouring through every word and every item Malakan left made it easier to ignore the blue of the drink and soon I'd downed two cups and was feeling like I could blink at the speed of a hummingbird's wings. Despite heart palpitations and seeing the world around me like I was watching an educational film through a neurotic film reel from the 1940s aside, all the energy didn't do me much good. Even after going through every detail and tossing around all the ideas that came to mind, nothing stuck. We still didn't know why Malakan was sending us on the world's most confounding scavenger hunt. There were no new details or revelations. Nothing had any particular impact on Brielle. We didn't even know how long we would be riding the rails or what we would find when Xander finally gave us the heave-ho. All we could do was keep riding, try to enjoy surroundings much more luxurious than what we'd had recently, and figure out what came next once we got there.
15
Another night passed and then another. Every few hours Xander would show up in the sleeper car to bring us food or drinks or bring back the laundry he had taken with him. We always hoped it would be news he was bringing us, but the constant flow of sumptuous snacks helped to take the edge off the frustration and I quickly started to get used to the feeling of clean fabric against my skin and being able to bathe whenever I wanted to. That was a throwback to my life before the Underworld I didn't think I was ever going to get over. Hopefully, it wouldn't be long until I could live like that here. The last of a plate full of pieces of fruit encased in clear, vibrantly flavored gel slid down my throat just as the rest of the group returned from their tour around the train. I didn't know why they bothered to go. I was positive it looked the exact same that it had the day before, and the day before, when all of us walked up and down the snake-like row of interconnected cars. The only thing that could have significantly changed up the experience for them was if there had been an influx of new and interesting passengers.
Ashe and Aurora stayed quiet as they came in, telling me that was not the case.
"How's our little loner?" Stephana asked, leaning down to kiss me.
Brielle walked past and I reached out to take her hand, pulling her in for a kiss. The other two women followed suit, and all settled onto the couch and floor around me. Bex walked over to the lounge bar and took a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator.
"You know me," I teased. "Rugged and solitary."
Stephana looked around to the other three women.
"Clearly."
We laughed and I glanced back out the window to the world rushing by. Very little had changed in the time we'd been on the train. For all I knew, we were actually just going around in a circle and eventually they'd drop us off at the same station and send us back into the woods.
"I've been thinking a lot about the Sanctification," I admitted.
"What about it?" Aurora asked.
"Well, kind of just that. What is it? What am I going to have to do?"
"None of us know," Bex said. "At least not details."
"Why not?"
"Because we're not warlocks. The Sanctification is one of the most closely-guarded secrets in the Underworld. You probably realize it's not a ceremony that happens very often. ArchWarlocks aren't usually replaced frequently."
"Aurora? You probably know more about the warlocks than any of us because of your time with Malakan. What do you know about it?"
"Not much," she said apologetically. "Like Bex said, the details are kept fiercely protected. It's not a spectator sport. The point of it is to prove the worth of the next potential ArchWarlock. While it is usually hereditary, that's not always the case. If the current ArchWarlock doesn't have a child or the hopeful isn't Sanctified, there has to be a replacement. I do know that one of the main reasons everything about the process is kept so secret and most people don't know anything about it is because it's extremely personal to each warlock who goes through it. The point of the process isn't just to make sure that person can do certain spells or successfully run through an obstacle course or anything. It's much more than that. Sanctification is at its core about worth and strength, and each person shows that differently. The process is overseen by a specially chosen mentor. Obviously Malakan will do that for you."
"So, we don't know what exactly the process is going to entail. It's a pop quiz sort of situation. I guess I can deal with that. But what did Malakan mean when the note said it might not take me the full year? I thought that was part of the point."
"I don't understand," Brielle said.
"A warlock wouldn't be able to come into full power until their 30th birthday. When it is time for the ArchWarlock to relinquish their position to their successor, the successor has until they turn thirty to go through the process of the Sanctification. I just turned twenty-nine, but the note in the portal suggested it doesn't have to be a full year until I take power."
"You didn't just turn twenty-nine," Bex said.
My eyes swung over to him.
"Dude. You came to my birthday party."
"That's not what I mean."
Realization sunk in.
"He's right. That was a celebration of the day I was born, but I didn't change ages. I'm never going to change ages again. There's that tricky little detail about having to be alive in order to age, and since Aurora so kindly relieved me of that obligation, I'm never going to get any older. I won't turn thirty."
"Which means you don't have to wait a full year to take power," Aurora said.
The curve of her lips was reflected in the powdery awe of her voice.
"If we're right about that, I want to get through this process as fast as I possibly can. The sooner I can get Sanctif
ied, the sooner I have access to all my abilities and power."
"What will that mean?"
Brielle chewed on her bottom lip as she processed everything we were talking about and tried to understand the fight she'd been thrown into.
"What will what mean?"
"When you take complete power. When you have the power of both the vampires and the warlocks, what are you going to do? Are you going to try to rule over this entire area of the Underworld?"
"I already told you that's not what I intend to do."
"Has that changed now that you know it could be a possibility so much sooner? When you are at the helm of the two most influential species in the entirety of the Underworld, will you want to take power over all the others -- those in the woods, the water, and the rural areas beyond the cities? Not all of the species have the ability to rule themselves. Others don't want to even if they could. How are you going to handle that?"
"I haven't really thought it through that much. I don't even know how big the Underworld is, or how much of an area I would influence."
"That's probably something you should know," Aurora pointed out.
Ashe rushed into the bedroom and came back with the paper and pens and pencils we'd found in the warlock’s cottage in the woods.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"We are going to draw a map of the Underworld so you can see it. That way you know what you're really dealing with."
The other five went to work sketching out what quickly started to look like a world map. They muttered and whispered to each other, adding details and adjusting shapes of landmasses until they looked accurate. Occasionally one would jot down a label or make a note. I laughed.
"What is it?" Ashe asked.
"It looks like we're finally getting started on my manual."
She grinned and went back to the project. I tried to watch as much as I could, taking in everything they were drawing and attempting to reconcile it with what I'd already experienced. Finally, they were finished and sat back to display their work to me. Aurora leaned forward and outlined an area with a red pen.
