She's A Natural

Chapter 4

First of all, I want to thank everyone who commented on my author's note, which as promised, I've deleted. For those of you who didn't read it, I haven't updated because I stressed out for exams, and then took off for Florida for 3 weeks with my best friend. But here's the update you've all been waiting for! Enjoy! :)

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I dozed for the rest of the train ride, which was quite stupid on my part. I never saw where the heck I was going. Getting back home would be next to impossible now. Then again, I didn’t exactly have a “home” to go back to, so the situation was moot.

Anyways, I drifted in and out of consciousness, dancing along that fine line of awake and asleep. Sometimes I caught blurs of activity on the train. The rough shape of what might have been a robust woman. A blur of colors that could have been a child dressed in neon. They became trees beside the haunted lake and bright birds the next moment.

Someone shook my shoulder. I rattled out of my daze, instantly observing my surroundings. I was still in the train, but unlike before it was close to empty, only a few stray people lingering in the glamorous cart.

“We have arrived at your destination, my queen,” the woman murmured, bowing her head to me. She wore a smart black pantsuit with gold trimmings, her hair pulled back in a professional bun.

“Uh, thanks?” I replied, slinging my backpack on my shoulder. I gave her a weird look as she backed away with her head still lowered in respect. “I guess,” I muttered and clambered off loudly. The train released a loud whistle and huffed down the track, into a gloomy looking tunnel, out of sight.

I looked around the train station, stumped. It was just as sensational as the last one that Nikolai had taken me to, but I had no more of a clue where to go than I did when I walked out of the orphanage. Maybe another man would come up to me and give me directions? Hopefully he would be more smooth about it.

I glanced around, part of me hopefully and part of me dreading another encounter with a crazy. No one came rushing towards me.

I shrugged, hiked my backpack up my shoulder farther, and began walking. Did I have any idea where I was going? Nope. But anything was better than standing around like an idiot. At least this way I might find Killian so I could demand some answers out of him.

I followed the crowd of people out of the station, keeping my head high but my eyes downcast. I didn’t need to draw any kind of attention to myself.

“Hey!” someone shouted. “My queen, please wait!”

Shit. Too late.

I groaned in annoyance, thinking about making a break for it but having enough sense to unwillingly slow my pace. I hope this guy had some good news.

Another man approached me, gazing at me in wonder. I stared back blankly, wanting to get on my way. I never was a very patient person.

“And you are?” I inquired once he was close enough to hear me, raising an eyebrow critically.

“Salvador, my queen,” he responded. I nodded in recognition. His Latino name matched his mocha skin, thick wavy black hair, and deep-set brown eyes. He was taller than me, but shorter than most men. What he lacked in height, though, he made up for in muscle. He was the kind of dude you backed slowly away from and ran for your life, praying he didn’t have a gun stuffed down his pants if you met him in a dark alley.

I tapped my foot when he didn’t say anything, continuing to stare into my eyes like a creep.

“Well?” I prompted, my voice coming out harsher than I’d intended it to, but it got the job done. He snapped to attention, scratching the back of his neck nervously.