“Where are we?” Alexei asked.
“Le Havre,” I replied. “It’s a main travel point for all of Europe. It’s one of the stops for the underground train that goes from London to Paris.”
“I’ve picked the scent back up,” Arthur said quickly. He jogged ahead. We crossed a few roads before coming to some kind of train station. I could tell Arthur was on the verge of losing it as we burst into the building.
The station was still open at this time of night. Late trains were coming in from multiple countries. Inside, we followed the scent to a boarding dock… where it abruptly disappeared again.
“They took a train. Dammit!” Arthur punched a concrete pillar, and a piece of it broke off.
“They boarded the Malovian Railway,” I said. “They must’ve. It’s the only train that goes directly to Malovia from Le Havre, and the departure screen lists Dolinska as the arrival.”
“They took the Malovian Railway this late at night?” Alexei questioned.
“The train occasionally makes midnight stops,” I said. “It’s unusual, but not unheard of, especially at this time of year when spring is turning into summer and fae are traveling.”
“If that’s the case, we can portal ourselves onto it,” Kiara said quickly.
“But we don’t know where it is on its route,” Alexei said.
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve all been there before. So long as I can picture one of the main cabins, I can portal us onto the train,” Kiara said confidently.
“But we don’t know for sure if thestrygaare taking her to Droga. It’s just a guess,” Arthur argued.
“And if we portal ourselves onto the Malovian Railwayand she’s not there, we’ll expose ourselves. Droga will know where we are for sure,” Alexei added.
“We’ll have to take the gamble,” I said. “Another portal—”
Kiara was already on it. She gestured for us to follow her to a deserted hallway of the train station. After checking for security cameras, and seeing none, I gave Kiara a nod. Another portal bloomed in front of us, and my stomach dipped as we were magically transported from one place to another.
The train lurched underneath my feet as I stepped onto it, and I fell forward, smacking my head against one of the windows. I gave a groan and rubbed my head as the others came through behind me. I recognized the interior of The Malovian Railway almost immediately. We had landed in an empty cabin. I was relieved for a moment… until the smell of blood filled my nostrils once more.
The stench was so overpowering it made me want to vomit. They were definitely on this train. My brother-in-law went for the handle of the cabin without hesitation.
“Arthur,” I hissed, but he was already moving with no regard for secrecy. He was being irrational.
I couldn’t blame him. I wanted to rip these vampires to pieces for putting their hands on a defenseless baby, but if we were careless, it’d put her in more danger.
I grabbed Arthur’s shoulder and held him back. He whipped on me like a cornered dog, teeth clenched as he shoved me back. I hit the wall and fell onto the seat. Alexei moved to block the door, boxing us in the empty cabin.
“Let me through!” Arthur yelled.
“Keep your voice down. We don’t want them to know we’re here,” Alexei whispered.
I got back up— rather painfully— and said, “We need to be cautious.Strygacan read minds.”
“Can all vampires do that?” Alexei asked fearfully.
“No, butstrygaare demonic and come from fae blood, which makes them more powerful. Hybrids are always more dangerous. They aren’t your average vampire, which means we have to becareful.” I shot the last word at Arthur.
“I don’t care what they can do. I’m getting my daughter back,” Arthur raged.
“I’m aware, but letting them know we’re here is going to put her in more danger,” I said.
“Here.” Kiara performed a spell, and I felt a glamour settle over my skin. “That’ll mask our scent, at least until we find them.”
Arthur didn’t wait for us to discuss things further. He pushed Alexei out of the way and strode into the hall. Knowing he wouldn’t hold back, we went after him.
There were vampires all over this train. I couldn’t tell where Kalina was, because the smell of blood was so overpowering. We crept by each cabin, though most of the train seemed empty. I didn’t think anyone else was here, save for the vampires.
