“Can’t touch anybody. There’s a difference,” Meria said. “But he can touch you. And that’s a pretty big deal.”
“I refuse to let it be.”
“Good luck with that,” Eve said.
I glanced back at the two men. They were deep in conversation, but there was still an intense awareness sparking on the air. I was aware of Dain in the same way I’d been aware of a cute guy at the mall when I was a teenager.
Lore, though…
That was something else entirely. As if we were two planets, pulled together by gravity so strong we couldn’t fight it.
The train rumbled to a stop, and I looked out the window to see a beautiful station covered in pristine white snow. The platform was protected by an open-air structure with a sharply peaked roof made of ornately carved dark wood. Beneath it, a contingent of six fae waited.
The queen was immediately obvious, and somehow familiar. She was so beautiful that it almost hurt to look at her, and her ice white gown sparkled so brightly that I wondered how she managed to stand beneath the weight of that many gemstones. But when she moved toward the train, it flowed effortlessly around her. Her pale blond hair was swept up in a graceful bun, and her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Whew,” Eve whistled. “Has she got her shit together or what?”
“No kidding.” I watched, awed, as she climbed onto the train. She’d be entering the car we were sitting in.
When she appeared, a wave of magic rolled over me like a cold snap of air that smelled of fresh snow.
As she glided through the train car, she moved with such grace that she appeared to be floating. She passed right by me and my friends but stopped at the king’s table.
As she inclined her head toward him, I realized why she’d looked so oddly familiar.
She was a female version of Lore. Cold, beautiful, precise.
I couldn’t hear their murmured conversation no matter how hard I tried.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“Queen of the Mountain Fae,” Eve said. “Notoriously ruthless, and possibly interested in your crown.”
“Wait, what?” I felt my jaw slacken. “She wants Lore?”
“We tell you she wants to be queen of another kingdom, and you assume she’s got the hots for your man?” Eve asked.
Ah…shit. That had been exactly what it sounded like. “He’s not my man.”
“Sure, he’s not,” Meria said.
Unable to help myself, I glanced at him.
He’d looked away from the queen and was staring right at me, the faintest frown on his face. He’d heard.
I turned back to my friends and hissed, “Be quieter! He heard that.”
“Good,” Eve whispered. “It would do him some good to shake up his life. Everything has been the same for too long, with him always in control. He needs a challenge.”
“Whatever, let’s get back to the queen who wants to expand her kingdom.” That had to be her primary interest in my crown. Lore looked too much like her. Dating her would be like dating himself.
Although, judging by her impeccable attire, she might be pretty vain. Perhaps she wanted to date herself, and he was the next closest thing. The fact that he could help expand her territory was just a bonus.
“All right, suspect number one is the Queen of the Mountain Fae.” I looked over at her just in time to see her slap Lore across the face.
“And with a bang,” Eve said.
“What the hell?” Unwelcome anger surged inside me. How dare she do that? And why the hell did I care? Lore deserved it, no doubt. I’d had plenty of reasons to want to hit him.
But that was me, and this was her.
“Someone is feeling a little territorial, hmm?” Meria murmured.
“Oh, stuff it.” I watched the queen stalk away, determined to get to the bottom of this.
By evening, two other contingents had arrived. I’d spent the rest of the day in the sitting room of our car with Meria and Eve, enjoying the view. No one else was in the room. Whether they were in their private quarters or one of the other public cars, I had no idea.
I couldn’t help but think of Lore, of course. And the ice queen.
I shook the thought away and looked out at the view, trying to distract myself. Every time we transported to another realm, sparkling silver magic filled the air outside the train. There was a slight lurch, and we were suddenly in another location.
We went from the snowy mountains of the Canadian Rockies to the deserts of Southwestern America. The last kingdom for the day was one in French wine country. We arrived as the sun was setting in a brilliant display of oranges and reds. It lit up the rolling hills of the vineyard like a painting.