The magic that was spun by the Tariel family was magic unlike any other. The family emerged from under the darkest of stars, and from that their magic was shadowy, cold, and fatal. Whenever Elettra spun her magic, it was smooth and velvet-like in her hands; it was easy, and she could feel its brutality. But it was one thing to feel the strings of power move like rivulets through your fingers; it was an entirely other thing to inflict it on another warlock.
Elettra let her magic idly run through her fingers like hundreds of figure-eights as she and Portia searched for an empty compartment.
"Why is everyone so drab?" Portia said under her breath.
Elettra didn't want to deal with her sister's line of conversation. Haight people were drab. They were country people, and Elettra couldn't care a drop about it.
At the other end of the car Elettra spotted someone in black. It was boy a little taller than her with honey-gold hair and cool green eyes. He moved deliberately toward them, and for the first time in a while Elettra was tempted to let her magic slip from her fingers and rush toward him.
"Are you in this compartment?" His voice was smooth and cool, and when Portia turned around her cheeks reddened. Elettra's jaw visibly twitched.
"Not if you're joining." Elettra blocked the entrance to the compartment, but she could already feel Portia tugging at her waist from behind.
"'Letra! Let him in!"
Then Elettra slid herself into the corridor, shutting the door behind her much to Portia's ire.
"Unruly and rude as always, Elettra," Onyx Aster sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"I don't think there's a rule for letting you walk wherever you please."
"I'm sure there is one preventing me from seeing my betrothed," he nodded toward Portia, who pressed her face up to the glass, trying to catch her sister's eye.
"There will be plenty of time to brainwash my sister later."
A smile twitched across Onyx's face, and it only made Elettra's stomach churn.
"And no time to brainwash you?"
Elettra had kept a tight smile across her face, but now it dropped to a cold glare.
"There will be no opportunity--"
"--Lautaro isn't particularly interested in your..." Onyx pointed and surveyed Elettra's body "...type..."
"If only Lautaro were the real reason," Elettra rolled her eyes.
"I can't see you being chaste forever--"
"-- you'd be the last warlock--"
"-- admit it," Onyx was close, but then he took a step closer making Elettra press her back to the glass, an angry blush creeping up her cheeks, "we're a match-- peerless in every way, and it would be crazy not to be together."
"It's not that," Elettra's words trembled, much to her chagrin, "you just see money and title-- you couldn't give a wit about me, let alone Portia."
Onyx's lips parted, and Elettra had a sinking feeling he was about to directly contradict her when, suddenly, she felt a rush and sharp voice beside her.
"Now, I don't believe for a moment that this can be good," Taro looped his arm through Elettra's and faced Onyx with her.
Elettra felt relief wash over her, and tried not to smile out of gratitude-- Onyx still loomed over them.
"Your mother has instructed me to keep an eye on you," Onyx straightened his shoulders and looked directly at Elettra.
"I can easily--" Taro began, but Onyx cut in:
"You're one reason why I need to keep an especially close eye on the older Miss Tariel."
Taro's nostrils flared while Elettra tightened the grip on his arm. Onyx turned on his heels and retreated down the hall. Elettra and Taro waited till he was out of sight, and the two of them exhaled together.
"You alright?" Taro tried to catch Elettra's eye, but Elettra turned and slid open the car door.
"I'm fine," she muttered, but she was sure Taro hadn't heard her.
"Why did you turn him away?!" Portia's arms flailed at her sides-- so much so, violet wisps of magic spun around her fingers momentarily.
"Because he's a bottom-feeding animal!" Elettra was suddenly eye-to-eye with her sister.
Portia fumed, her cheeks still red. Elettra could see that Portia was at once intimidated and angry at her; she was deciding whether she should carry on her protest or sit down.
After a moment, Portia decided to sit down in a huff. Taro watched as Elettra sat down opposite her, both sisters sitting in thick, angry silence. Taro unbuttoned his coat and sat down slowly and gently next to Elettra.
"Lovely weather we're having," he said after a minute, but this was met with an angry glare from Portia, whose eyes were red with restrained tears.
Elettra just pressed her lips together trying not to smile. She always felt better with Taro around, even when he said the wrong thing at the worse time.
Then the compartment door quietly slid open, and a boy with a fair skin, large dark eyes, and messy mop of dark hair stuck his head through-- "we've been looking for you."
He nodded to Taro. He also wore a Starling-blue coat that seemed one-size too big.
"Looking for me or you got booted out?" Taro folded his arms.
The boy blushed and smiled, looking away smiling, "you ran from a fight."
"When I know the odds, and those odds were not in anyone's favor!" Taro shook his head.
A clamor of feet resounded from within the corridor, and boy said something to the group approaching. Suddenly, Elettra was watching a group of Starlings and several girls climb into their compartment. Portia stiffened angrily, and Elettra found herself being pushed against the window as they made room for what felt like two compartments of people. The throng were in the midst of a boisterous conversation about the Rooks-- another house near Haightford.
"You got into a fight with the Rooks?" Elettra whispered with some strain as she and Taro were pressed together.
"A slight altercation."
Elettra just sputtered with laughter, and Taro glanced at her annoyed.
"Slight?"
"Yes!" Taro paused as the other bodies settled into their seats. "Maybe a firebomb or two..."
Elettra bent her head in a laughing smile, and when she raised her eyes again, she saw in the opposite corner, nearest the door, the boy from the platform.
Locke was nestled in the corner; there were clearly too many people pressed onto his bench, but Locke managed to lean his elbow agains the sill of pane and look relatively composed. His dark blue eyes seemed darker, almost black and opaque against his stark, blonde features.
There was a glimmer of surprise in his face when their gaze met. Elettra froze. What felt like a moment stretched into an eternity.
"Did you really climb the Grey Peaks, Locke?"
Cecily Veremond's syrupy voice pierced through Elettra, and she was propelled back to reality. She immediately tore her gaze away from Locke and stared down at her gloves.
Portia leaned forward and whispered: "Are you alright?"
Elettra's cheeks felt cold, but she straightened her shoulders and inhaled deeply looking down at her furry muff. She whispered back: "Yes."
Locke seemed unaffected, and his gaze flickered over to the chocolate-haired girl with long lashes. Elettra felt her heart seize when she looked at Cecily who was only two down from her: she was beautiful.
"I really did," he teased. After a moment, "shortly before now. It was a three-month expedition."
Elettra could see everyone was looking at him, and knew it was safe to slowly let her gaze travel toward him, but she kept her face toward Portia in case she had to look away again.
"You don't seem to be one to be cooped up for long," the girl sitting next to him casually remarked. Elettra knew her as Sparrow-- a red-haired, freckly creature, who always seemed pleasant to be around. Elettra oftened spied her at school flirting heavily with the boy she was sitting next to-- Magnus. He was tall, wiry. He seemed almost immune to Sparrow. Or he was simply too stupid to notice that she liked him.
"I'm never one to be cooped up," Locke admitted smiling affectionately down at Sparrow.
Then his eyes slowly lifted to meet Elettra's, and Elettra felt a sudden rush of terror. She glanced around the compartment in a panic, not knowing where to look now.
But she could still feel his eyes on her. And if she didn't know any better, she could see from out the corner of her eye Locke smiling at her.
"Go on," Taro poked the tip of his boot at Locke's leg, "don't leave us in suspense: what were you looking for?"
Elettra knew the Grey Peaks well. Tariels knew where to find endangered creatures; it was apart of their family dynasty to care for magical creatures.
"The Red Lynx, I'd imagine," the words were no sooner out of Elettra's mouth than she realized what she had done: she drew attention to herself.
She wasn't even sure if she was correct.
But the Grey Peaks were desolate, and the only real treasure to be found were the Red Lynxes.
She had to look at him now. She had no choice. And Locke had tilted his head slightly as though he had finally heard something interesting for the first time. Elettra's cheeks burned.
"That's right." He muttered slowly and softly, letting the words hang as he stared at her.
"Nerd," Taro hissed at her.
The compartment door slid open with a loud Bang!
Onyx motioned for Portia to come into the corridor. And without hesitation, Portia lifted herself from the crevice that she occupied and hopped over feet and legs, and propelled herself into the corridor.
"Elettra." Onyx lowered his chin.
She was to go, too.
Elettra wanted to escape Locke's stare. She slowly pushed herself from her seat and straightened. She moved through the compartment, and Elettra felt Locke watching her every move.
Elettra closed the door behind her before Onyx grabbed her elbow and moved her away from the compartment.
"You're fraternizing with a bunch of misfits," he hissed.
"Careful," Elettra tried to keep her voice even as she glanced behind her; to her shock, Locke had pressed the side of his forehead against the window to the corridor and was staring at them, watching. She turned back to Onyx, "you're referring to my misfit-betrothed."
"I would kindly remind you your duty to your family and family-name."
"Are you going to admonish Taro, too? Or are you afraid of his firebombs?"
Onyx turned with a grunt, and Elettra had no choice but to follow him.
She knew Locke was watching her walk away. But she was too scared to look back again.
