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There was a definite note of satisfaction in his voice, like he was pleased that the magic of the archmages had failed in this area.
“Get dressed,” I said. “We’re going outside.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said sardonically.
Wendel buttoned his shirt and shrugged on his long coat. I laced my boots, grabbed my sword, and hurried out the door. I glanced back just as he slipped his strange black dagger into the pocket of his coat.
In the hallway, a conductor stopped us. “Ma’am, sir, there’s no cause for alarm.”
“Gunshots?” Wendel sounded gleeful.
I held up a hand. “I’m a mercenary with the archmages, and it sounds like there’s been a problem with the Hex here.”
The conductor hesitated, but stepped aside.
“Impressive,” Wendel said. “You pull off the voice of authority well.”
I marched down the hallway and entered the swaying passageway between cars. I slid open the door and walked onto the narrow steel platform just as the train chugged to a halt, hissing and puffing diesel smoke.
Beside me, Wendel leaned over the railing. “So that’s why we stopped.”
I peered into the darkness. The headlights of the train illuminated a truck parked directly across the tracks. A scattering of people stood around the truck, the unmistakable silhouettes of guns in their hands. The beams of their flashlights and lanterns crisscrossed the chilly fog.
“Rebels,” I said. “Do they think they can hijack this train?”
“Apparently. Therearea lot of wealthy passengers on board.”
“And the archmage.”
“Oh?” He gave me a look. “Don’t tell me you plan to protect him from those?—”
“Wewill. You work for me now, remember? And you better be good for a fight, because it looks like they want one.”
He sighed a long-suffering sigh. “Whatever you say.”
One of the conductors hopped off the train and landed in the snow. He approached the rebels with his hands held high. His words were unintelligible to me. The rebels aimed their lights at the conductor’s face. Then their guns.
“What is he doing?” I muttered.
“Negotiating?” Wendel suggested.
“I count seven rebels. And it looks like all of them have guns.”
“Seven?” He shrugged. “Just signal when you plan to attack them.”
“What do you propose?” I stared sideways at him. “Show ourselves and get shot?”
“Who said anything about showing ourselves?”
After a shout, a gunshot cracked in the night. The conductor crumpled in the snow, blood spreading beneath him.
“That sounds like a signal to me,” Wendel said.
He leapt over the railing and hit the ground running.
“For fuck’s sake,” I whispered.
Wendel loped across the snow, straight into the darkness of the trees. I jumped after him. My boots fractured the hard crust of ice on the snow, and I dropped into a crouch, still hidden from the rebels.
