girl’s eyes and patted her arm hastily. “It’s all right,” she said. “Everything important about that place I took with me.” Which wasn’t true, Piper thought, an image of Micah coming into her mind, but she didn’t want the girl feeling guilty about things that weren’t her fault. “Right now I’m more worried about the wolf—er, the man from the caravan.”
That part was definitely true. Despite the soft bed and the incredible pillow, Piper hadn’t slept well. She’d told Anna not to worry, but all night her dreams were filled with the man and the look in his eyes when he shoved her against the wall. Piper didn’t know how far he’d go if she kept getting in his way. And now he’d be awake and looking for them. It was only a matter of time before he figured out they’d left town on the 401.
Anna stared at her hands. “I tried to remember some more this morning. There were little bursts and pops, things that looked familiar—like this.” She pushed up the robe sleeve and looked at the dragonfly tattoo. “I remember it hurt when I got this. I remember the pain but not the reason they put it on me. Reaction, not reason—what does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Piper said. “What about the man? He said he’s your father. Is that true?”
A sickened expression came over Anna’s face. “He can’t be.”
“But you don’t remember?”
“If he’s my father, I don’t want to remember.”
“Anna, you have to try,” Piper insisted. “He’s not going to stop looking for us.”
“But … we’re safe on the train, aren’t we?” Anna’s voice rose in panic. “He can’t get to us here. A train moves at an average speed of forty-five miles an hour, but a human man, even running, moves at an average speed of—”
Piper shook her head. “Anna, think. This train carries a ton of cargo. It’s going to stop. In fact, I think we’ll be making a whole lot of stops between here and Noveen. The 401 spent hours just at the scrap town station loading and unloading cargo for the Consortium. And what if we have engine trouble? All of that will slow us down. Meanwhile, that man will be looking to catch the first express train he can find—one on a different track that doesn’t carry freight—and then he’ll be moving a lot faster than us.” Judging by his clothes, Piper thought the man had more than enough coin for several express tickets. “Eventually, he’ll catch up and try to head us off at one of the bigger towns.”
“Then we need to get off the train!” Anna cried, jumping up from the sofa. “Hide somewhere so he can’t find us. Fight-or-flight all over again, and it’s always flight!”
“Fine, it’s always flight, but then what?” Pipersnapped, losing patience. “Where will we find shelter? It’s winter, for goddess’s sake, and you’re wearing a bathrobe. The money and food I have won’t last us a week. This, right here”—she spread her arms, encompassing the private car and the tray of food—“is a miracle, and this train is our best chance to make it to the capital. But if you can remember anything at all about the wolf—who he is and what he wants with you,
anything
that might help us—you need to tell me.”
Once she was done, Piper immediately regretted her outburst. She’d spent all this time trying to reassure Anna, to keep her calm, and now she’d ruined it because she couldn’t keep her own fear of the wolf in check.
Piper’s heart sank as Anna shrank into herself, clutching the sleeves of her robe until the fabric threatened to tear. “I’m sorry. I wish I could remember,” Anna said in a choked voice. “I tried. When I woke up, I tried to remember why he scared me so much, but it’s like there’s a wall around him that I can’t get through. I just know his voice. In my dreams, I hear it all the time. He’s dangerous, and he’s not … normal.”
Piper laughed without humor. “Yeah, I definitely picked up on both of those
That part was definitely true. Despite the soft bed and the incredible pillow, Piper hadn’t slept well. She’d told Anna not to worry, but all night her dreams were filled with the man and the look in his eyes when he shoved her against the wall. Piper didn’t know how far he’d go if she kept getting in his way. And now he’d be awake and looking for them. It was only a matter of time before he figured out they’d left town on the 401.
Anna stared at her hands. “I tried to remember some more this morning. There were little bursts and pops, things that looked familiar—like this.” She pushed up the robe sleeve and looked at the dragonfly tattoo. “I remember it hurt when I got this. I remember the pain but not the reason they put it on me. Reaction, not reason—what does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Piper said. “What about the man? He said he’s your father. Is that true?”
A sickened expression came over Anna’s face. “He can’t be.”
“But you don’t remember?”
“If he’s my father, I don’t want to remember.”
“Anna, you have to try,” Piper insisted. “He’s not going to stop looking for us.”
“But … we’re safe on the train, aren’t we?” Anna’s voice rose in panic. “He can’t get to us here. A train moves at an average speed of forty-five miles an hour, but a human man, even running, moves at an average speed of—”
Piper shook her head. “Anna, think. This train carries a ton of cargo. It’s going to stop. In fact, I think we’ll be making a whole lot of stops between here and Noveen. The 401 spent hours just at the scrap town station loading and unloading cargo for the Consortium. And what if we have engine trouble? All of that will slow us down. Meanwhile, that man will be looking to catch the first express train he can find—one on a different track that doesn’t carry freight—and then he’ll be moving a lot faster than us.” Judging by his clothes, Piper thought the man had more than enough coin for several express tickets. “Eventually, he’ll catch up and try to head us off at one of the bigger towns.”
“Then we need to get off the train!” Anna cried, jumping up from the sofa. “Hide somewhere so he can’t find us. Fight-or-flight all over again, and it’s always flight!”
“Fine, it’s always flight, but then what?” Pipersnapped, losing patience. “Where will we find shelter? It’s winter, for goddess’s sake, and you’re wearing a bathrobe. The money and food I have won’t last us a week. This, right here”—she spread her arms, encompassing the private car and the tray of food—“is a miracle, and this train is our best chance to make it to the capital. But if you can remember anything at all about the wolf—who he is and what he wants with you,
anything
that might help us—you need to tell me.”
Once she was done, Piper immediately regretted her outburst. She’d spent all this time trying to reassure Anna, to keep her calm, and now she’d ruined it because she couldn’t keep her own fear of the wolf in check.
Piper’s heart sank as Anna shrank into herself, clutching the sleeves of her robe until the fabric threatened to tear. “I’m sorry. I wish I could remember,” Anna said in a choked voice. “I tried. When I woke up, I tried to remember why he scared me so much, but it’s like there’s a wall around him that I can’t get through. I just know his voice. In my dreams, I hear it all the time. He’s dangerous, and he’s not … normal.”
Piper laughed without humor. “Yeah, I definitely picked up on both of those
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