Splintered

Chapter Fifty-Three: Truths, Lines, and Sapphire Wines

All three men paused. Even Sable's stoicism wavered for a second.

"You're serious?" Festus asked.

"You said I..." The words were ash in her mouth, "earned it, right?"

Festus considered her closer.

"More than earned it, but are you sure that is what you want?"

"Absolutely," Hazel assured.

A toothy grin dawned when he realized she was serious, his eyes flooding with his signature mischief.

"Hell yeah, Seven. Let's do it. Give me a minute to see what I can find."

With that, her mentor ventured toward the front of the train.

"Marlowe..." Leo started.

"Drayton," Hazel cut him off, "Can you show me to my new room?"

Leo nodded after a grumbled agreement from Sable.

The replacement train sported numerous cabins as if it could easily hold thirty overnight guests. The largest suites were in the caboose, likely intended for only the richest or most influential.

A solitary chair was stationed outside the second-to-last compartment, giving away which was hers.

"Where's his?"

He stiffened and gestured to the massive oak doors across the wide hallway.

"There."

Snow would again be too close for comfort, not that her nights had been anything like it for a long time.

Without another word about it, Leo opened the door to her new quarters.

Like everything else, it was bigger and better than its predecessor. A king-sized bed, a two-seated round table, three overstuffed chairs, a cavernous bathroom, and finally a shiny silver refrigerator. The space was larger than her family's entire old log home in Seven.

As the door behind her closed softly, she realized Leo hadn't left. He was hovering, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Marlowe, you sure about this?"

She shrugged, "No, but doing what I thought I was sure of has only led to disaster. Figured I'd try the opposite, and see where it gets me."

Leo crossed his arms but didn't argue; instead, he continued to linger.

"Something on your mind, Drayton?"

"I need to talk to you."

Hazel's panic spiked, "Is it Bellona? I thought she was recovering?"

"No. I mean, yes." He faltered. "I mean, she is. Indira sends updates every hour. That's not it. I never thanked you."

Hazel scoffed, shaking her head, "No need."

"You saved my sister's life."

"Does it count as saving when I'm the reason she was in danger in the first place?" Hazel's gaze dropped to her feet.

"That's my fault, not yours," Leo commented. "Danger comes with the job. I know that. Bello does too. But I'm the reason she is in the service." His mouth twitched at some unspoken memory. "Bello has always followed in Percy and my footsteps, even when she was little; all she wanted was to be like us."

He paced to the windows. "But when she got older, we couldn't afford room and board anymore. Not with my and Percy's salaries alone. Not for both of them."

Hazel exhaled. "Your mother?"

Leo nodded, "So, I recruited her, knowing she'd jump at the chance. And now she's..." His voice cracked, and the thought faded from his lips. "She always wanted to be a sniper, you know."