The inside of the train was even worse than the station.

After stepping on, Sebastian found himself wedged between a man clad in an expensive suit that reeked of aftershave and another man who smelled like he hadn't showered in days. The combination assaulting his nostrils was enough to make his eyes water.

Everyone was packed in like sardines. All the seats had been taken up before he could even blink. Makaela and Remy had snatched up two in front of him. Much to his chagrin, he was forced to stand, his fingers wrapped tightly around the metal support pole next to him. Gritting his teeth, he waited for the train to start moving.

"That was weird, right?" Remy said, his voice hushed. "I mean, with that girl."

"Yeah," Sebastian said dryly. "It was pretty weird."

He hadn't expected them to be saved by a stranger, much less an ordinaire. Remy's influence charm had been seconds away from working, but the impatient crowd behind them broke his concentration. They would've been done for if that girl hadn't paid their fare.

He supposed he should've been thankful.

Still, he couldn't see past the fact that she was an ordinaire. They were his natural enemy, a fact that had been beat into his head since the day he was born. His father would've had his head if he found out he even talked to one.

His face fell.

That was right. What his father thought didn't matter anymore. He wasn't even sure if he should've been referring to Thorian as his father anymore. The man certainly didn't view him as his son anymore. If anyone asked him, he only had one child now.

Since deciding to defect and save Makaela, he hadn't even thought about the implications of his actions. With how much influence certain members of the Order had within House Tenebris, he knew he could never go back. He was outcasted from his whole house, not just the Order of the Black Lotus.

As the floor beneath him vibrated, his stomach twisted.

The train was beginning its journey.

Sebastian glanced at Makaela. Her eyes were glued to the vandalized window of the train, her jaw working as she glared at nothing in particular. He tilted his head at her.

She hadn't spoken a word to him since that girl showed up.

He stared at her, trying to work out the meaning behind her sudden change in mood. While he was no stranger to dealing with women, as he had burned through his fair share already, they still confused him to no end. Though, he had to admit how cute Makaela looked when she was pouting. His cheeks reddened. He wanted to reach out and tuck one of her stray curls behind her small ears. He restrained himself, though. Something told him touching her was the worst thing he could've done at the moment.

Brows furrowed, he decided to just ask her.

"What's wrong with you?"

Her face twisted in anger. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you upset?"

It was a simple question. He wasn't sure what offended her.

Huffing, she looked away from him. "Nothing."

A lie, but he wouldn't press her any further. It was clear she wasn't in the mood to talk. Though, they still needed to discuss a plan of action once they got off the train. Trekking to Hodvekt wouldn't be an easy task. It would take all of their brains put together to come up with a solution to get across the continent before they got captured by the Order.

"We need to discuss our next steps," he told her after a while.

She sighed. "You're right." Her steely demeanor fell away a bit. "What do you propose?"

During the duration of their train ride, Sebastian had been drafting ideas. It was better than listening aimlessly to the rumbling, metal walls as they careened through the winding underground tunnels of downtown Montreal.

The journey from Canada to Washington would take them at least a week if they had to drive there. The problem with that plan was they had no car. Flying was out of the picture. Sebastian refused to step foot on those flying monstrosities the ordinaires called planes. They were unnatural; nothing that big belonged in the air, especially without the use of magic to protect it.

There was one person Sebastian knew of that could help them out. It was a long shot, though, both figuratively and literally.

"Have you ever heard of Las Vegas?" he asked the Lumaian magicians sitting ahead of him.

Excitement lit up Makaela's face. "Oh, I have! I think I saw it in a movie once. It's got a ton of casinos and hotels, right? There's even a replica of a pyramid there."

"Pretty much."

Sebastian had seen the pyramid before. It wasn't impressive.

"For beings without magic, the ordinaires have been able to do some wonderful things."

"Sure."

Wonderful wasn't exactly the word he would've used.

For centuries, they've been ruining the planet. Their wars ruined civilizations. Their lust for power and greed destroyed the lives of innocents. He remembered learning about how they unleashed one of the deadliest weapons ever created upon the island of Japan; House Doragon* was still reeling from the effects of the atom bombs.

Wonderful was the last word Sebastian would've used.

Remy rubbed his chin. "Wait, what's in Las Vegas?"

"The Rooks," Sebastian replied.

"Who are The Rooks?" Makaela asked.

"A crime syndicate run by Solaire's," Sebastian explained. "When your father was head of the council, he kept them in line. In his absence, they've built up an empire throughout ordinaire nations, specifically in America."

"Crime syndicate?" Remy frowned. "These are bad people then."

Makaela scowled. "Friends of your father's?"

Sebastian's mouth twitched as he struggled to hold his tongue. He knew how it sounded. Her question wasn't baseless either. He had been introduced to The Rooks via his involvement with the Order of the Black Lotus. In tandem with the moving of magical substances, creature trafficking, and brothels they operated, they also ran a nightclub in the heart of Las Vegas-open to both ordinaires and magicians.

It was likely the only place in the world where the two groups could mix without ever noticing the existence of the other.

The Eldenarian Council had been trying to shut it down for years. But the leader of The Rooks was a crafty individual.

He also owed Sebastian a favor.

"Look," he began, "now isn't the time to question me, alright? Just trust me."

Makaela rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you," he told her. "Now, there's this guy. Jasper Blackwell. He's a very influential Solaire. He also owes me for when I fought in his underground dueling ring. Someone like him will have a jumpkey. We can use it to take us straight to Hodvekt, cutting our trip almost in half."

"A jumpkey?" Remy rubbed his hands together. "I've been meaning to get my hands on one of those. Read plenty about them but it's better to study magical items in person, you know?"

"I don't."

"Right..." The boy wagged a finger at him. "Not much of a scholar, are you, Sebby?"

Sebastian crinkled his nose. "Please...don't ever call me that again."

"That's fair."

He rolled his eyes. Emile would've loved the kid. The library was likely their favorite place and they never stopped talking about things Sebastian didn't care about. They'd be a match made in heaven-except for the fact that Emile had been killing off his housemates for the better part of a decade.

Sebastian tried not to think about the purge often.

He couldn't imagine something like that happening to House Tenebris. House Lumai was once the most prosperous of the seven houses. Helmed by their gracious leader Pierre Moreau, they boasted not only some of the most skilled casters but some of the best scholars of the magician community as well. Every Lumaian magician Sebastian ever had the pleasure of meeting felt like they carried the sun's light with them. Most would've never dreamt of hurting anyone.

Perhaps that's why it was so easy for the Order to wipe them out. They were weak. Naïve. Shades fed off weakness. They sought it out, and once they found it, they eradicated it.

He shuddered at the thought of the dark magicians murdering the lightweavers in cold blood.

"So..." Remy leaned back in his seat. "Las Vegas, huh? That's still quite a ways from here."

Makaela glanced at Sebastian. "Any ideas for how we're supposed to get there, Sebby?" A glimpse of a smile could be seen on her plump lips. Sebastian found himself staring at them. After she caught him, her smile grew. Clenching his jaw so hard he feared he'd break it, he averted his eyes down to his boots.

"Er, no," he coughed out. "Not really."

His brain was all out of ideas.

"Well." Makaela's voice went flat. "That's just-" She froze.

Sebastian tensed. Her eyes had gone beyond him, having settled on something else. He saw the fear rising in her golden irises. Leaning forward slightly, he lowered his voice.

"What do you see?"

"Three people," she whispered. "Don't look now, but they don't seem like they belong here."

Kind of like us.

"What do they look like?"

"All three of them are wearing black. Two men, one girl. The girl has red hair. One of the men is older. Short, grey hair. The other-"

"Dark brown hair. Kind of tall, right?"

She lifted her brow at him. "How'd you know that?"

He slung a curse from his tongue, his free hand balling into a fist deep within his pocket. Shades. "They must've tracked us onto the train." Stealing a peek over his shoulder, he got a decent look at the three dark magicians wading through the crowd of people in the moving train. They hadn't spotted him yet, but they would soon.

Just as he suspected. Yuri, Ulrich, and Kylian. The Rabbit, The Vulture, and The Owl.

The trio were knights, trusted members of the Order. They had been a part of his father's hit squad the night before. Unfortunately, they all had survived the battle. The same couldn't be said for Makaela and her family.

"What do we do?" Remy said as he slid lower in his seat, his head dipping beneath the plastic headrest. "We've gotta get out of here."

That was easier said than done.

The train wouldn't stop for another few minutes. There weren't many places they could hide on a moving train. However, there were multiple train cars. If they could move from car to car until they arrived at their stop, they stood a chance at evading the watchful eye of the Shades hunting them down.

Nodding, Sebastian told the others his strategy. They were on board.

Makaela and Remy slowly rose from their seats, raising the hoods of their coats as they did so. One by one they moved through the train car, their movements staggered as they attempted to move as naturally as possible. No one paid them any attention as they moved.

Keeping his head low, Sebastian approached the door of their compartment. Through the side of his hood, he peeked at the Shades. They were stood right where he had been standing moments before.

His entire muscular system stiffened as if he were hit with a stunning spell. Whipping his head around, he prayed to Mauvorin that they hadn't spotted him. He needed to move. Fast.

Makaela and Remy were well ahead of him now. The former peered at him, her eyes beckoning him toward her like a lighthouse in the middle of the sea. He shuffled forward, keeping his hands hidden in his pockets.

The glowing, purple mark in the center of his palm couldn't see the light of day. Not in there. It would only bring unwanted attention, not to mention it was a dead giveaway of his identity should the Shades ever get close to enough to see it.

Sebastian hated hiding his mark. He didn't have to do it often, thankfully, but he always felt embarrassed beyond measure when he did.

That mark was him. It was the reason why he could cast as well as he could. He sported it with pride-at least, he used to. All magician children born into one of the seven houses received their house mark at the age of eleven. It arrived at the exact moment they were born, burning itself into the skin of their hands spontaneously. The occurrence was a revered moment within the magician community. It signaled the beginning of a magician's journey into magic.

But if Sebastian wanted to stay hidden, so would it for the time being.

Once making it into the next train car, he noticed how empty it was compared to the other. More seats were open and barely anyone was standing up. One more train car was left. Makaela and Remy were already making their way toward it.

Sebastian was starting to think they would've been better off hiding within the crowd.

It was too late to fix his error now.

With his feet feeling heavier than cinder blocks, he trudged through the compartment and joined up with his companions.

"Did they see you?" Makaela asked him. She stood on her tip-toes so she could look over his head.

"I don't think so."

Remy peered around him. He gulped. "Um...I think they did." He pointed a trembling finger at the train car they just exited.

Sebastian spun around.

The trio of dark magicians moved toward them, carefully stepping around ordinaires as they went. Their black robes had been swapped out for black civilian clothes, but they still looked just as menacing as ever.

Sebastian cursed again.

That was a horrible idea.

He retreated deeper into the subway car with Makaela and Remy at his side. They were alone now. There was no one around to see anything. Within seconds, the Shades arrived at the other side of the compartment.

Kylian, the brown-haired Shade who usually donned a vulture mask, pulled the door closed behind him. He reached out, performing a quick locking charm. The bolt slid into place, the deafening click echoing through Sebastian's ears like a gong.

Ulrich, the senior Shade among the group, stepped forward. Swiping his hands through the air, wisps of translucent magic left his palms. They spread to the windows and the circular glass pane on the door. As Sebastian looked at them, he realized he couldn't see through them anymore. Only his reflection met his eyes.

His heart dropped.

A mirror charm.

No one on the outside would be able to see what went on inside of it.

A grin stretched across Yuri's red lips. Her bright crimson hair trailed behind her like a flaming cape.

"Told you that you couldn't hide forever."

Sebastian summoned his vayrir instantly. Makaela did the same and joined him at his side. Remy remained behind them both, quaking with fear.

"How cute," Yuri mused as she clasped her hands and held them to her heart like a mother watching her child. "You caught us off guard yesterday, I'll give you that."

Ulrich lifted his sharp chin, his dark eyes narrowed. "But I'm afraid you no longer have the element of surprise on your side."

Makaela tightened her arm around the bag hanging from her shoulder. Sebastian had almost forgotten she was still carrying it. His eyes widened. That's what the Shades would be after. He couldn't let them get what was inside.

He flipped the dagger in his hand, bending his knees slightly as he waited. "Let's get this over with."

"Gladly," Kylian said with a grunt. Surging forward, he threw out his hands and unleashed a wave of shadow energy.

Sebastian didn't have much room to work with. He threw himself into a row of seats, narrowly dodging the attack. His shoulder collided with a metal bar and sucked in a breath. Massaging his clavicle, he got back to his feet.

Yuri sprinted through the train car, quickly closing the distance between her and Makaela. Springing into the air like a cat, she flung her shards of black light at the girl. Makaela dispatched them with a shield charm before returning with an attack of her own. Armed with her vayrir-a bronze sickle sword-and a spear fashioned out of pure light, she charged the red-haired Shade.

Ulrich set his sights on Remy. The boy cowered behind an isle of seats.

Sebastian threw a bolt of shadow magic at the older man, hoping to draw away his attention. It worked, but now he had two magicians to deal with. He could've handled Kylian alone in a duel but having to manage Ulrich as well would've been difficult, even for him.

His survival depended on handling them both.

So that's what he would do.

The two of them moved in as one, their vayrirs-an obsidian sword and halberd, respectively-clutched in their hands. Two long weapons. One small space. The ends of Sebastian's mouth curled upward.

They had just made his job a whole lot easier.

Kylian swung his halberd. Sebastian crouched beneath it. The blade dug into the wall of the subway train. As Kylian tried wrenching it free, Sebastian swiped his dagger at Ulrich. The older Shade sidestepped the strike before expertly jabbing his sword at him. Sebastian spun out the way, entering the man's blind spot for a split second.

His father's words rang true in his head.

No mercy for your enemy.

Kylian wasn't just a Shade. He was a part of House Tenebris. He was a Tedorof. Kylian was family.

To his father, that wouldn't have mattered. A killing spell would've been summoned and Kylian would've been dead. Threat neutralized. It would've been the smarter play. But was Sebastian like his father?

A stunning spell left his palm. Kylian's body stiffened like a board before falling to the ground.

Sebastian had his answer.

Kylian finished freeing his weapon. With both hands on the long handle, he forced the point forward toward Sebastian's chest. He jumped backward, drawing in a breath as the blade sliced through his shirt and narrowly missing his flesh.

"You almost killed me..."

"That was the point, little prince."

He glared at the Shade, eyes burning with malice.

This time, a blasting spell left his hand. Kylian's body ripped through the charmed window and onto the train track below. His screams died in a split second, followed by a sickening crunch. Blood splattered onto the walls inside as air rushed in through the hole in the glass.

Sebastian stared out into the tunnel, his expression stiff.

Perhaps he was like his father after all.

Behind him, Yuri had Makaela pinned to the wall. Her closed fist was pointed at the lightweaver's face, shards of black magic wedged between her knuckles. Eyes wide, Sebastian took a step toward her. He was forced to stop after seeing Yuri press her fist closer to Makaela's face.

The girl struggled beneath the forearm trapped against her throat, but it was clear she didn't have any leverage. Sebastian raised his palm. He felt the vitalae pool at his violet mark.

They were at a stalemate now.

Yuri blew a piece of her red hair out her porcelain doll-like face. "I'd be careful about your next move if I were you." Her blue eyes flickered to the bag on the ground near Remy's feet. He had yet to move from behind the seats. "The Illumio. Give it to me. Now."

"And if we don't?" Sebastian tested.

Yuri smiled wickedly. "Wanna find out?"

"Don't do it!" Makaela shouted. The Shade moved her hand closer. The shards of darkness were just inches away now. The girl paled as beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Sebastian looked to Remy. The boy was petrified.

They couldn't give Yuri the ring. Under no conditions was his father to acquire the artifact. But he couldn't let the Shade kill Makaela either. She was the Light. What would happen to the prophecy-to the world-if she was put out?

He shook his head. "Sorry. Can't do it."

"Huh," Yuri said, surprised. "Wasn't expecting that. Oh well." Just as she prepared to drive her fist down, Sebastian lurched forward.

A loud thunk echoed through the train car.

Yuri hit the ground, eyes closed.

Sebastian stopped, his hands trembling as his eyes shifted to the right. Holding her bruised throat, Makaela did the same. Remy slowly came out from his hiding place with his eyes wide.

Stood where Yuri had just been was the ordinaire girl from earlier. A fire extinguisher was clutched tightly in her hands. Behind her, the train car door had been opened. However, the mirror charm was still up.

How?

The girl stared down at Yuri's unconscious body with shock written all over her face. She lifted her gaze to the trio of young magicians before her.

"Hey, again," she breathed out. "So, I just knocked a lady out with a fire extinguisher and I'm pretty sure I saw you guys throwing light from your hands."

Yep," Remy said with a nervous smile. "That about sums it up."

"Are you guys those freaks I've seen on the news?"

Freaks?

Sebastian glared at the girl.

Dropping the fire extinguisher, the girl stepped forward. "Alright." She pointed an accusatory finger at them. "You guys need to start talking. Now."

Sebastian and Makaela exchanged an apprehensive look.

This was bad. Really bad. Not only did an ordinaire just witness them dueling in a subway train, but she was also demanding them to explain what was going on. Were they to tell her, they would be in violation of several Eldenarian Council decrees. The Eldai would have their heads if the Order didn't get them first.

"Either you start talking," the ordinaire said, "or I go tell the police once we get to the next stop." She glanced at the digital screen built into one of the walls. "Which is in a few seconds."

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut.

This cannot be happening.

Sighing, he opened his eyes. Makaela threw him a look that told him "don't". Remy did the same. The last thing he wanted to do was out the existence of magic and magicians to an ordinaire, but he didn't see what other option they had. They couldn't risk her telling the authorities. They had too much attention on them as it was.

They could figure out a way to wipe her mind later.

For now, they would tell her the truth.