It's time.

When my eyes snapped open, I realized the words were not in my head. It was Nalani. She hissed the words in my ear. "Get ready."

She turned away to wake Katz while I dizzily looked around the small cabin. In one corner were three unconscious Bishops. I assumed they were dead because they weren't bound. Spotting my trunk in one corner, I knew where Alistair took us. From my mental map of the train, the exit door should be just a few paces away from this cabin.

"Klyne and his men are trying to kill as many Bishops as they could," Nalani told me.

I snapped into action almost at the same time as Katz. He looked lost, probably because he did not know the plan, which I quickly provided in one breath. "First, we need your illusion spell. Empty the room," I breathlessly added, pulling Nalani closer. "How about the doors?"

"Klyne said we're using another way."

Katz blinked a few times, but confused or not, he still pushed himself to his knees and lifted his hands. I had seen many witches manipulate light and water before, most of them for entertainment. With the light and the particles of water in the air, they could create illusions. But nothing as good as what Katz could do. He created a barrier between us and the door. Millions of dust-like mirrors glinted as they caught the light and moved into position, almost like a curtain moving against the wind.

I watched, every muscle tense, as the tiny particles continued to move in fluid motion, slowly coming together like pieces of a puzzle. When they finally stopped, mirroring the wall behind us and reflecting it back to whoever may enter the room, Katz's shoulders relaxed. Mine did as well. We held our breaths for a while, listening to the sounds outside.

"Try not to move. This spell is sensitive to movement."

"Tell me again why we can't use the doors?" Katz asked.

"They're currently locked," Nalani whispered.

"What?" I hissed.

"The doors never opened. The Bishops who came out to inspect the tracks used another exit."

"Then how did they enter?"

"The other way. He didn't tell me."

"It's too quiet," Katz said, crouching lower, trying to hear.

"They could all be dead," Nalani said, voice hopeful. "They're trying to take out as many as they could."

"And when did that start?"

"Five minutes ago?" Nalani said with a grimace. "Taking me out of the metal cage took a bit of time."

Katz's jaw tightened. My eyes went to my trunk. We could take out Corey, use him as leverage. Force them to open the doors.

Before I could decide, it started. Someone shouted from the end of the train. "Ferals! Ferals!"

Doors slid open, and more shouts came. "The Omen's gone! Bishops down in the cabins!"

"She's gone!" Akiko shouted. I closed my eyes and focused on her footsteps.

"Check the cabins," Brenna's calm voice ordered as she joined Akiko and Spinett. "The doors?"

"Still closed."

"Good. Find out where their entry point is and lock it down. They could still be here. Why did the train stop?"

"A segment was broken," a Bishop answered.

"This is part of their plan. Bishops outside?"

"We sent five to inspect."

"They're dead. Contact the nearest Bishop station and ask for more men."

As the Bishop rushed off, Spinett asked, "They could be gone by now."

Brenna didn't answer. Their footsteps hurried down the aisle. "Search every crevice. Remember that they're with Katz. He's going to use an illusion spell."

A breathless Vivec approached them. "We can't find her."

"Mertha?" Spinett asked.

"Yes."

Just then, my apostles rushed and joined their group. "There are ferals on the front of the train, and also probably outside," Tiff said, breathless.

"They messed with the tracks, causing the train to stop before we woke up," Akira added.

"That information has already been provided," Vivec snapped.

"What should we do?" Lexie asked. "How can we help?"

"Search for the Omen," Brenna ordered them. "Consider it your top priority."

"She," Tiff quietly corrected. "The Omen is a she."

"It's not human," Akiko corrected. "Get the Omen before the ferals can take her away from us again."

"Go," Brenna said when my apostles hesitated.

"They're in on this," Azziz said, contempt in his voice as my apostles ran down the opposite end of the train.

"My brother will never betray the society," Akiko told him before she, too, walked off with Spinett.

Alone with Brenna now, Mertha's apostles waited for more orders. "If Aster's apostles get in the way, you know what to do," Brenna said.

I opened my eyes, jaw tight. "They blocked all exits."

"Klyne said he'll tell us when it's time," Nalani whispered beside me.

Katz signaled for silence, one finger over his lips, one hand held in front. I pulled Nalani behind me, fingertips on the floor for balance as footsteps came closer. Two Bishops. They swept the room quickly with their eyes, noted their dead comrades, then left. My hand tightened around Nalani's wrist when more footsteps approached. My ears recognized them before they even stumbled inside. As Tiff and Lexie looked around, Katz twisted his wrist slowly. He moved the blanket of mirrors over us ever so gently so as not to distort the illusion.

Nalani's hand tightened over my shoulder as we waited in utter silence. I was ready to put them to sleep, but I wouldn't if I didn't have to. There was simply no room for more bodies in the cabin.

Finally, a series of shouts erupted outside. Through the open doorway of the cabin, I saw a Bishop fly down the aisle, a feral bounding with a growl right after. "The door!" Another voice shouted, but it was too late. The hissing sound of the metallic door opening followed, along with more growls and shouts from vampires and witches alike.

It was distraction enough for Tiff and Lexie. They looked over their shoulder just as Akira walked inside, breathless. "It's empty," Tiff said. "But her trunk's here."

Just as when I thought they'd leave, Tiff's cat prowled into the room, slowly and cautiously, followed by Lexie's owl, landing on the dead Bishop in the corner. Both familiars stared straight at me through Katz's barrier.

"Miles," Tiff called, but the cat wouldn't leave. It was enough for Akira to pay close attention, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the floor, finally seeing the imperfections of Katz's magic. The realization hit both Katz and me at the same time as Akira did.

My apostle swiftly swiped his arm in front of him, disrupting the tiny particles of illusion and revealing us. I jumped to my feet, ready to put them to sleep, but Akira smirked, as if expecting the same thing.

I froze. Then my eyes jumped to Tiff and Lexie, who had theirs closed, as if expecting to fall to the ground asleep any moment now.

"Aster," Katz said, voice tense. "Do something now or I will."

When I didn't move, just stood there staring at my apostles. They were nothing but young, powerless witches. Nothing like Katz and me. So why couldn't I just order them to sleep?

I knew the answer. Somehow, a part of me wanted to pull them closer, close the door, and explain everything. A tiny part of me wanted to beg for their understanding. That this had nothing to do with them. But as I said before, I shouldn't care. Friends were never really my thing. They never stayed too long. All they wanted was a dose of my addictive dreams. I betrayed them as much as they used me. There was nothing in friendship.

When Katz straightened and moved his hand, I pushed him to the side before I could think clearly. Whatever he was going to do, it would have hurt them. "You can leave," I told Akira. "Don't try to stop us. It's much safer for you."

"We are apostles," Tiff said with disbelief. "We can't just walk away from—"

"You're not apostles if you don't have an Astral," I stonily said. Tiff and Lexie looked stunned. Hurt. Akira remained silent, face blank.

"I knew it," a voice said in the doorway. My apostles turned to Vivec's words. "You're all in on this."

Azziz turned and ran down one end of the train, shouting, "They're here!" Cansu walked into the room, lifting his hand. Whatever spell he was doing, it was rendering me immobile, stealing my breath out of me. Nalani clutched her hands in her throat. Katz bent over, gasping for breath that wouldn't come.

Two Bishops stumbled inside the already packed cabin. I heard Vivec order, "Take them." When they moved toward me, he said, "No, not them. These three," pointing at Lexie, Tiff, and Akira. "We'll take care of the rest." My apostles protested, but as the Bishops started pulling them toward the door, Lexie screamed and everything in the room moved with her. Vivec turned to face her, as we all did.

"No, no, no," Lexie moaned, eyes wide. The look of panic in her face reminded me of Mertha back in the Fog, when her realm started to rip apart.

"Lexie!" Tiff said, reaching for her.

Lexie pulled away from the Bishop holding her and ran to one corner and shouted, "Go! Leave!" She shouted as the bed, my trunk, and the two dead Bishops inched toward her. A powerful energy sucked them toward Lexie.

"She can't control it," I said, pulling Nalani up. I watched the bed slowly disappear as the veins in Lexie's neck engorged. She was trying so hard to stop herself. "We have to go!"

"No one leaves this room!" Vivec shouted with no fear in his eyes. He walked closer to Lexie. "Whatever you're doing, stop it now."

However, Katz was ready. With a wide wave of his arm, he manipulated the particles of water with light and created an illusion of a giant wolf pouncing on the Bishops. It was as harmless as it was real, but the initial instinct of the Bishops was to protect themselves. To do so, they had to let go of Akira and Tiff. And when they did, I ran and pushed them out of the cabin, Nalani and the two familiars at my wake.

"Go!" Lexie shouted once more.

I turned, stunned as the bed finally gave in and flew toward her, disappearing into thin air. Her hair and clothes moved strongly with the energy that swirled around her, like sails against a strong wind.

The only person left in the room was Vivec, and when he tried to turn toward the door, perhaps realizing Lexie was not in control, it was too late. Her energy was pulling him in and before we knew it, Lexie's owl swooped into the room as if it knew what was going to happen next. Then, together with Vivec, it disappeared with Lexie.

Katz took the opportunity. He sent a blow across one Bishop and landed a kick against the other. At one end of the train, I finally glimpsed Alistair running toward us. His group of ferals holding off Bishops. On the other end were more witches, all running toward us, all of them nameless to me. I couldn't put them to sleep.

Alistair easily handled the two Bishops with Katz and turned to us after, as if he had not just twisted someone's neck a second ago. "We have to leave now!" he hissed, pulling Nalani away.

"Lexie..." I heard Tiff murmur, fear and worry in her eyes. Beside her, Akira and Cansu were equally stunned.

Alistair leaped upward, straight through an opening in the roof of the train. "Your hand! Now!" he shouted at Nalani, his arm reaching down.

Nalani didn't hesitate. She reached for her brother's hand and was whisked upward in a snap.

"Don't let them get away!"

Tiff and Akira snapped their heads toward me as Katz was pulled up next.

"Aster!" Alistair shouted from above, snapping me back to my senses. I stared at my apostles, words useless now. I couldn't stay. But it was hard to leave them like this. Not when they didn't know what happened to Lexie. But Evensen's words echoed in my head.

Run and never look back.

"I'm sorry," I finally said the words I couldn't before. Then I turned and jumped up to catch grab Alistair's hand.

I landed on the metal roof, cold blowing my hair to the side. Then I ran. I ran toward Alistair who was leading us along the tail of the train. Once, I slipped, but I didn't stop.

My eyes were on Nalani, her entire form glowing as the intensity of the moment grew stronger. Then, running past me was Bellatrix, her fur golden in the wake of the sunrise. That was when my tears finally escaped. She told me to run faster. The border was just up ahead.

From the corner of my eyes, however, I saw Tiff and Akira running on the ground alongside the train. Not following me, no. Behind them were Cansu and two more Bishops. Not running with them. Running after them. To my surprise, Bellatrix stopped and jumped down, landing perfectly on one Bishop and then pouncing on the other.

"Bella!" I shouted, looking over my shoulder to where Alistair, Nalani and Katz were headed. On the other side of the train, two vehicles were driving away. Ferals. Two more followed. Bishops. Somehow, in a way, Alistair and Evensen's plan was going right. But not on this other side of the train.

The first thing I did was put Cansu to sleep. He fell to the ground while shouting for my apostles to stop.

As one Bishop tried to throw Bellatrix off his arm, Tiff's cat attacked the other.

"Navin!" the other Bishop shouted, finally giving me a name. I looked at the other Bishop and silently chanted his name in my head. As I blinked, he fell to the ground, asleep. The cat transferred to the remaining Bishop.

"Aster!" Nalani shouted for me, the distance between us growing wider.

"Miles, Bella! Move!" Tiff shouted, and the two familiars jumped off the Bishop just in time as Tiff threw something on the ground and followed it with a crystal. It blew the other Bishop away, but it wasn't as effective. The Bishop quickly regained control. When he lifted his free hand, I knew some magic was going to go down. Then, the white miracle happened. Akira's dog appeared, pouncing on the Bishop, locking its jaw around his wrist. Bellatrix and Miles joined, hissing with fury. "Run!" I ordered my apostles as I jumped down the train. But they didn't. They remained motionless, perhaps unsure of where to go.

"Get them!" I heard someone shout. I turned and found Azziz running toward us, more Bishops at his wake. "They're all apostates to the society!"

The shot echoed in the air, freezing me for a breath. Then the Bishop fell to the ground along with the three familiars. My head snapped to the left, and I found two of the Bishops running alongside Azziz holding weapons in their hands.

"Bella!" I rushed to her side. When she jumped on four feet, alert and well, my eyes jumped to the Bishop, then realized he was alive. Before he could move, I grabbed his neck with one hand and pressed my weight on it. I had seen men die before, but never in my own hands. Yes, I had tortured some, but for good reason. But killed them? No, not really. This might be my first.

As the Bishop gripped my wrist and fought for his life, Akira moved and drew a long line on the ground. A bullet flew past his head as he bent. He was making a barricade between us and the enemies. "That's useless, Akira! Go!" I shouted at him and Tiff as I tightened my grip around the Bishop's neck. Akira ignored me, focusing on his chant as he drew a circle in the middle of his barricade.

The next bullet bounced against the invisible barricade and fell to the ground.

"He's hurt!" Tiff gasped, suddenly beside me, concern on her face. "Akira! He's hurt!" She gathered the limp body of the white dog in her arms, but it was too heavy for her. Akira turned away from his barricade and joined Tiff, kneeling beside the dog.

The moment the Bishop stopped moving, I jumped to my feet. "You either stay here and face that," I said, pointing at Azziz and the Bishops, "Or you run," I told my apostles. "It's your choice."

Confused, with a dying dog at their feet, I left them. I had done what I could. Giving a silent order to Bellatrix, I ran away toward the end of the train.

Run and never look back.

I did, my vampire blood pushing me faster and farther. But then, I stopped. The bloody cat followed Bellatrix, and my fool of apostles had no choice but to follow. They couldn't trust me, but they surely trusted their familiars. Akira's footsteps were heavier, his breathing harder in my ears. He was carrying his dying familiar.

From the other end of the train, I could see Alistair, Katz, and Nalani all waiting for me. And behind us, running past the invisible barricade, was Azziz and a dozen more Bishops, all determined to stop us.

"Aster!" Nalani shouted. I ran faster, so did Akira and Tiff.

When we reached them, they had already jumped off the train. Katz didn't say a word and turned toward the nearest border. Nalani ran with him. Alistair, to my horror, was carrying the limp body of Mertha Krall over his shoulder.

"What in the bloody hell are you thinking?" I demanded.

"I should ask the same thing," he sneered, throwing Akira and Tiff a look.

"I thought you weren't coming," I said.

"Plans changed," he said. He didn't explain and ran faster toward the border.

I slowed down. "Does he know about this?"

Alistair stopped, his breath even despite the luggage on his shoulder. His eyes bore into me. "He told me there's no use for me here. He said to go and never come back." As he turned, Alistair was grinning. "Run, witch."

Akira and Tiff stopped, catching their breaths. The three of us stared at the approaching enemies.

Run and never look back.

Gritting my teeth, I turned and ran toward the border.