Page 53 of A Storm in Every Heart
“I was born in Hydratta, you know,” I tell the emissary, hoping that will make him realize that I’m not interested in a meticulous overview of the entire kingdom. “My father was amerchant who spent the majority of his time at sea, but our home port was in the capital of Hydratta.”
Elio looks sideways at me. “And your mother?”
“She passed away shortly after I was born.”
“Sorry,” he says shortly.
I flatten my mouth into a thin line and tighten my hold on my reins. “It’s fine. I don’t remember her.”
I’m sure the emissary realizes what my mother was—what I am—and perhaps it’s the reminder that scares him into silence for the rest of the ride to the train station. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for the reprieve. It’s going to be a long few days traveling alone with Elio.
When we arrive at the station, I’m pleasantly surprised to see it busy and bustling. I’d wondered if last year’s crash would deter the Vernalli citizens from traveling, but it seems not. The train platform is full of Fae, and even the occasional other creature—pixies, dwarfs, and trolls to name a few.
The enormous red steam engine still bears the colors and crest of the last King of Vernallis, but the guards patrolling the station are dressed in blue jackets to reflect their loyalty to the new regime. We leave our horses with a couple of Daemon’s guards, instructing them to return the animals to Storia, then go searching for an open compartment.
“I don’t care for traveling by train,” Elio confides as we walk down the thin aisle, peering into full compartments along the way.
“I don’t either,” I admit. “I was on the train that crashed last year.”
The emissary looks up at me in surprise. “Were you? How did you survive?”
“Oh…just lucky, I guess,” I lie, my heart thudding as I remember the accident—remember Kastian grabbing me and flying us out of the speeding train.
I shake my head violently. I shouldn’t be thinking about that—now, or ever. Mostly because of Kastian, but especially not when I’m about to ride the train again and my anxiety is already high.
We finally find an empty compartment near the back of the train. I sit on the red leather bench seat and I tap my fingers on the window, looking out onto the busy train platform. I wish I’d thought to bring something to do—anything, really.
“The last time I traveled from Vernallis to Hydratta was by carriage,” I say, just to fill the silence.
Elio sniffs. “Did you travel through the swamps?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
He nods. “I’d never travel the swamps if I could avoid it. We’ll be taking a ship to the island.”
I nod in agreement—that’s what I assumed we’d be doing.
While it is technically feasible to travel to Hydratta by land, it’s not the easiest route. Although Hydratta is often called an island, it is actually linked to the continent of Ellender by a land bridge that stretches several miles. However, that area is swampy and dangerous, making ocean travel the preferred option.
Across the seas, there are two methods of getting to Hydratta: The traditional path takes around two days, while the quicker route can be navigated in just one night. However, the latter is fraught with danger due to the sea monsters and sirens that lurk in those waters.
At the thought of the sirens, an involuntary shudder travels through me.
I’m fine,I remind myself.There’s no need to go anywhere near the water.
Now that Elio has exhausted his monologue about Hydratta, he seems to have little more to say to me. If anything, he seems anxious, and I have to wonder if his dislike of traveling by train is more of a phobia than he let on.
We sit in uncomfortable silence as we wait for the train to start moving. I almost wish I’d waited for Jett to come with me—I don’t regret leaving, but it would have been nice to have someone to talk to.
The thought of Jett sends my mind spinning back to this morning, then to why I left so abruptly, and inevitably to last night.
I grit my teeth and close my eyes, as if I can physically force the memory of Kastian out of my mind. I can’t think about that because I can already feel the floodgates beginning to crack. I’d been doing so well channeling my frustration into hatred this last year and convincing myself that this version of Kastian was not the same one I remembered…only now, I wonder if he hasn’t really changed at all. The only thing he’s missing is his memory of me.
I lean my head against the back of the seat and close my eyes, trying to ignore the lingering thoughts and emotions swirling in my head and focus instead on my mission. This is my first genuine opportunity to contribute to the kingdom, and I should be considering how best to gather information about Hydratta, while remaining diplomatic.
What feels like twenty minutes goes by, and finally I sit up. “Shouldn’t we be on our way already?”
Elio wrings his hands in his lap. “I’m sure we’ll be leaving shortly.”
