Page 40 of A Touch of Gold and Madness

Griffin snorted, and once again, his breath danced across my skin. “No. Just get up. We need to get moving before we miss the train that’s scheduled to hit Macon in a few hours.” He sat up and fell back on his heels, releasing the hold he had on me. “And before you think about attacking me again, don’t forget who has the advantage. I’ll just chloroform you and drag you along if I have to.” He said it so nonchalantly that I just gaped at him in horror.

I dropped my head back to the floor in defeat. What did he want with me if not to kill me or hold me hostage? And why did he seem so familiar, aside from our initial meeting at the speakeasy?

I may have lost this battle, but I wasn’t giving up on the war. I’d wait until my body healed fully, and then, when he least expected it, I’d make my move. Until then, I’d play along with whatever game this psychopath played.

Bide your time.

“Fine,” I said, looking at the drooping ceiling. “Let’sgo.”

“Be ready to run and jump.” The infamous Elemental murmured to me, not taking his eyes off the train tracks in the distance.

He’d let me keep my duffel bag but made me hand over my weapons and keep the bracelet intact. And because I had yet to see his gold-covered skin and wild metallic eyes, I knew he was glamoured, too. I almost got away with keeping a small knife, but he hadn’t been fooled and made me give it to him as we exited that decrepit home. Well, I might’ve gotten away with it if I hadn’t launched it at his head before he snatched it out of the air, stopping it from lodging between his eyes. He’d laughed. And I’d stood staring with an open mouth—shocked, angry, and deflated.

What was worse was that I was impressed by his reflexes.

With no other options at the moment, I was stuck with Griffin. At least with him close, I stood a chance of killing him. Running would only put me at a disadvantage with the Guilds and militia rebels hunting us down. Sticking with him had somehow turned into the lesser of the other evils in this world. What an ironic twist my life had taken.

I adjusted my duffel on my shoulder when the sound of the train roared in the distance. My body was still weak and aching, but I had to push through. Most importantly, I would show no weakness to this asshole. Well, no more than I already had.

The train announced its arrival, and Griffin ushered me to hide inside the tree line. My heart pulsed, and all lethargy faded away with a spike of adrenaline. I nearly died the last time I pulled this stunt, but I didn’t let that unease take root as I focused on staying hidden and making the leap.

As the train hauled past, Griffin launched into a sprint in its direction with me right on his heels. He didn’t hesitate to vault through the air at full speed with ease, landing crouched inside. I was right behind him as I made the jump a foot closer. I wasn’t nearly as graceful as he was, thanks to my short legs, but I made it inside with a hard thud and a roll.

I plopped onto my back to catch my breath, even with my duffel still strapped to me, and took in the empty metal container. I glanced over to see Griffin squatting by the opening of the train car. A few black strands hung around his lean, defined face. He wasn’t even winded.

“Take a nap; you need it. The chloroform is still in your system with your magic suppressed,” Griffin said, his head bowed and hands clasped together.

My brows furrowed, trying to figure out his endgame. But he was right. If I was to make this brief journey and kill him at some point, I needed to rest. I was still drained, more so now that the adrenaline had worn off.

I nodded and sat up to take off my duffel to use as a makeshift pillow. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep. Exhaustion claimed me before dark thoughts could consume me.

A firm hand jostled me awake. My eyes were heavy and burning as I sat up in a panic and slowly registered my surroundings. Crystal-blue eyes framed by thick, black lashes captured my focus and held me back from leaping to my feet.

His large palm remained on my shoulder. I broke his penetrating stare to look at the tan hand that touched me. It was so tempting to break it. Faint white marks scarred his skin and small, intricate designs inked themselves permanently there. I mentally slapped myself in the face.

“Don’t touch me,” I snapped and met his gaze again.

He said nothing; he just held my glare in a challenge. As soon as I shifted to remove his hand from my body, he stood and looked out the opening of the moving train car. “Be ready to jump in a few minutes.”

I stood up and tossed my bag onto my back again. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” He turned around and took a step toward the edge of the container. Griffin observed the landscape for a moment before he looked at me over his shoulder. “But I’m gonna need you to be on your best behavior. Think you can manage that, Princess?” A one-sided smirk smeared across his face.

Before I could retort, he jumped.

Moving to the spot Griffin abandoned, I quickly scanned around, gauging the speed and landscape before I followed suit, leaping from the train seconds later.

I bounced off my feet before rolling across the sharp gravel, careful to protect my head with my arms. When I came to a stop, I looked around and spotted Griffin’s dark form approaching.

I brushed the dust and stray debris from my clothes as I pulled myself to my feet while fixing my cowl. “Where are we?” I asked as he closed the distance between us.

“In Macon, about thirty miles south of where we just were. We’re close to our destination.” Griffin’s perceptive gaze scanned the area for any threats.

“And where is that destination exactly?”

In response, he turned his back on me and walked away. I reigned in my temper at the blatant dismissal. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth together. But after taking a deep breath, I followed suit, jogging to catch him in stride.

“Speakeasy.”

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