Chapter 35

Why was he underneath the train?

The question bothered me even as one of Nico's men escorted me back into the private car, which was at the caboose now, thanks to the shift in direction. Adler brought Gideon to the passenger car where medical supplies were stored to treat his superficial injuries.

My focus remained on the platform, however, waiting for Nico and the group to appear at any moment. I thought I'd heard the bells of the tower, but the night had been silent since, and I didn't quite know what to make of it.

Through the windowpanes—now empty of glass thanks to the crossfire—my silent pleas were answered.

Nico appeared in front of his men, Luther at his side. His face flashed with concern as he assessed the train, the bullet holes branding the cars. All the tension in his gaze melted when he met mine. I blinked, and he was gone, appearing at my side—inside of the car.

I jumped, my nerves still on edge. He didn't use his time bending skill often, and it always startled me when he did. His arms wrapped around my waist in a desperate embrace, and I forgot the rest of my worries as my hands connected with his neck, assuring myself he was safe at last.

We had done it.

"Finally," Aramis hissed behind me. "At least we can leave now."

"You got him?" I asked. "Regulus."

Nico nodded as his head burrowed into the bend of my shoulder. He was cold all over, like he'd been exposed to the winter weather all night, though for once, he had no holes in his chest. The blood on his shirt belonged to someone else.

"We heard gunshots," he said. "Is everyone alright?"

"We lost some men, Nico. Adler did his best to collect the bodies."

He released me and stepped away, glancing at the men moving a limping Mirth remnant to the car in front of us. "Guess we'll be adding more families to the payroll, then." He mouthed a curse as his focus went distant. "Fuck. Aright, I'll go signal Marcus then. He kept his head low?"

I scoffed. "The engine is the safest place to hide from bullets. He's fine, if the steam from the chimney is a sign."

"Good. Stay in here. The other car looked like a mess."

He opened the door leading to the platform to wave at our driver. As the train moved again, he jumped back into the passenger car, most likely to check on his cousins. Aramis went to the gangway door, as if guarding it.

While I brushed shards of broken glass off a chair, I kept my eyes and ears trained on the marshaling yard in case the Watch returned. But the smoke was clearing now. The moonlight illuminated all the empty spaces between the lines of tracks, and there was no one in sight.

As we picked up speed, Aramis paced near the door.

"Are you okay, brother?" I asked him. He was acting strangely—stranger than normal, anyway.

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "Do you hear that?"

"What—" But he cut me off with a finger to his lips, demanding I listen. A rattling sound, like something on the train was loose. The train horn wailed on repeat without pause.

I stood then. The air in the room was churning with the speed of the train. We were coming up to the viaduct. There was no need to go this fast. Leaning out of the window to look ahead, I saw the peaks of the steel framework of the bridge coming up.

I ducked back inside, my jaw quivering from the cold. "Why aren't we slowing for the bridge?" The Industrial Station wasn't far from the viaduct. If we wanted to stop there, we were going much too fast already.

Something wasn't right. I headed toward the door to investigate further, but my brother blocked the way ahead. "Aramis, let me through."

He didn't move. The rhythmic chug of the axel around the wheels shifted in pitch as we crossed the viaduct, gaining instead of slowing.

"Aramis!" I made to slip past him, but he stepped in my path. "What are you doing? I need to get to Nico. I need to go check on our driver!"

"There's no time." He pushed me, forcing me back a few steps. "We need to uncouple before it picks up too much speed."

With that, he turned and opened the gangway door and slammed it shut behind him. I lunged for the handle, which he had locked somehow, and was about to let my dark fire burn my way through the door when a screeching sound betrayed his idea. By the time I'd summoned enough power to destroy the door between us, Aramis had already pulled the cut lever, separating us from the rest of the train.

We'd made it across the bridge, the station in sight in the distance. But the Iron Saint barreled on into the night, with everyone I loved still on board.

And no working brakes to stop it.