The Black Lotus | Vol.1, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

15.

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?"