Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

5. The Most Important Step

After a full day of nonstop travel, the flat plains of the countryside—occasionally interspersed by hills, cottages, or forests far off into the distance—blended together into a perfect, green-tinted image. But even then, Elaine's eyes craved for some aspect of diversity. Just a tiny sliver of something new. 

Perhaps she'd gotten her hopes up too high? Was that even possible? A country girl leaving her town for the first time in her life, and she was already bored on just the first day of her journey alone. Page was located in the southern region of the country, close to the border that distinguished Incante from its much larger neighbor, Ekenthall.

From what she knew about Glyph Academy—there wasn't much—they still had quite a lengthy trek ahead of them. They'd have to venture further into the heart of Incante, near Beckam City but not too close to the Capital. Elaine counted four, maybe five more days of...of this, and her spirits dulled.

She slunk deeper into her seat, head resting on the back of a palm, a sigh drizzling out of her lips. At the very least, she'd get to travel in style. She'd heard from Father whenever he needed to purchase supplies for the shop out of town that train rides were the worst. And sure enough, it took a while for her to get adjusted to the constant jerking and minute bounces the locomotive made as it sped across its tracks. But those hiccups seemed all but trivial in comparison to the comfort she openly indulged.

Their booth was matted by a long strip of crimson that matched the color of the chairs aligned on either side of the cart. Ceiling lights kept the space well-illuminated, shooting white-colored rays out of hexagonal glass. Elaine had noticed that the temperature always remained at the perfect setting. Was the train, or rather, this booth equipped with one of those special arcanetech devices that regulated the climate?

There were also these strange tables—tiny circular platforms—imbued with an enchantment that made them hover in the air. Each carried with them a smorgasbord of cute, little snacks and treats. Elaine didn't recognize any of them, and she hardly cared. All it took was a snap of the finger and one of the tables would soar to her in a heartbeat, offering to her a miniature buffet.

She'd gotten sick during the first hour. So overwhelmed was she by the colorful collection of hors d'oeuvres that she didn't think twice about chowing down, stuffing her  face with foreign goods. Apparently, you weren't supposed to eat everything at once or your stomach would start to burn. If only Orion had issued his warning to her a bit sooner. If only.

Having grown annoyingly accustomed to the sights past her cabin's window, Elaine grabbed a tabloid resting in the empty seat beside her—she had caught Orion reading it earlier. On its front page, the newspaper's article concentrated on a recent kidnapping in the Capital. 

Another one? Elaine thought, frowning.

Lines of text molded around a particular photograph—the kind that was enchanted to move—displaying a bald, tan-skinned man with an angular face, a pair of bright green eyes, and a scar forking around his bottom lip. Elaine discerned the name "Douglas Cutter" numerous times amidst the text.

He looked to be the prime suspect responsible for the kidnappings, a member of the notorious Serpent Fang Syndicate. Elaine recognized their emblem imprinted onto his robust shoulder—a severed snake head bearing its knife-like fangs out of its unhinged jaw. Elaine winced as Douglas, no, the moving photo of Douglas, scowled directly at her from inside of the picture frame. This version was imprisoned, but the real criminal was still out there. Lurking in the shadows.

"It's only getting worse," said Raze, sitting across from her. He'd been so quiet she had entirely forgotten he'd ever been there. "A sorcerer with dark intentions isn't someone we can ignore. And Douglas isn't even the worst of his kin."