Chapter 2.18: Into the Winter and Snow

"The train was moving so fast against the ice! I thought we would topple right over the track at one point."

The heiress overheard the comment among numerous travelers who had ridden the same train cart. Some had gotten off briefly at a nearby rest stop to eat, shower, and piss. This happened while new passengers came in from the freezing snow. Her face was blank as she looked out the frosty window and held her head in her hands. She was on her way to meet up with an ally and she didn't know how to feel. A million thoughts were running around her brain, creating scenarios to later dissect and bury. It didn't help that Liliko'i was fast asleep across from her, sprawled over two seats with loud snores, leaving her mouth. The blonde had kept her mouth shut about the bracelet, refusing to voice a single comment on the matter. This left more worry to fill the dark-haired teenager's mind as she waited. She should be happily celebrating her step toward her revenge. But Leila watched hail rain with a heavy heart.

'This could be a trap. Quincy could be on the royal family's payroll.' The heiress sighed and tapped her long, pedicured nails on her chin. 'Doesn't matter now that I have zero allies to fight with me.'

It was hard not to feel depressed with such a reality sinking in. Leaning back in her seat, the dark-haired woman watched as the train began to pull off. They had a lot of ground to cross before reaching the border. That's where she'd meet up with Quincy, who requested all guests to be by nightfall. The brat had a boat that would take them the rest of the way. She wondered how they'd make it with so much ice in the water. But for now, she focused on making it through the train ride. Part of her was a tad bit excited about exploring more of the book world. It still shocked her to see and feel how real everything was. To embark into a new country that the series barely mentioned was nerve-racking. Leila did some research, and the nation was very cold. She could only describe it as being a possibly mini Russia environment-wise. Culturally, the community was pretty much unknown.

The island's population was very small, with most of its adult population in recent years moving away. It was only during the tourist season it well paid the entire nation. They filled every house to the brim with visiting family members who worked in the sea or offshore. Then there would be the rich teenagers who came to spend their holiday skiing and camping out in a cabin. This was the perfect place to hide out from any spies from both sides that were fighting over her. Leila just had to hope she didn't come into contact with any trouble. Fighting was something she didn't feel ready for yet after nearly losing her life. Especially with her powers becoming a nuclear reactor, she was unsure of how much she could genuinely contain. If the jade-eyed woman lost control, there would be no strings or bribes the strange islanders would accept. And she wasn't interested in making the resort into a bloodbath.

"Excuse me!" A shrill voice brought the brooding woman out of her thoughts. Her nose scrunched up as she looked at its owner, who scowled. Angry brown eyes glowered at her like she was an impudent child. "Miss, your sister cannot sleep on the seats like that. She'll have to pay for the second one if she continues."

Leila glanced at the fiery-haired stewardess before sighing. She didn't have a problem paying for the extra seat, as she was filthy rich and tired. But the tone the older woman had was downright uncalled for. She also could see from her expression that the stewardess was pretty sick of working. The heiress couldn't blame her, as she had seen the disrespect from the other riders. They had looked the redhead up and down before bossing her around like she was one maid. With the pregnant girl sleeping with her shoes on the chair cushion, the lady probably was at her wit's end. Leila decided to hold her tongue and be sympathetic. Instead of waking the blonde up, she reached into her pocket for her wallet. She took out a fat wad of cash and handed it to the ginger.

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The heiress bowed her head in a show of apology at first until she snatched away rather rudely the cash. Then she had to clench her teeth while speaking. "Sorry. My sister-in-law is going through a rough pregnancy and didn't get much rest before boarding. I'll just pay for the seat to avoid waking her up and causing a ruckus."

A look of confusion came onto the redhead's face as she gave Lili a quick look. She pursed her lips, pocketing the cash as she asked the heiress a question. "She's tiny to be pregnant. How far along is she, exactly?"

Leila found herself subconsciously agreeing with the ginger, even if she was being snippy. "She's someone that doesn't put on too much weight, no matter her appetite and her plate size. But my sister-in-law told me that she's maybe a few months along."

"Wait– she's a few months along?"

The assassin expected to hear snark but heard her voice crack with a noticeable tremble. The ginger looked like she was about to pass out suddenly, making the assassin stop in her tracks. She didn't know what she said, which caused her reaction. But she found herself becoming suspicious of it. When the nervous, sweating woman noticed that Leila was giving her a look, she hastened away. Her eyes looked down at the ground as she forced a tense smile.

"Well. You can tell her I said good luck with the morning sickness," To the dark-haired woman's confusion, the stewardess was acting nervous. Having suddenly discovered that Liliko'i was pregnant made her sweaty and anxious. "Enjoy your trip, Miss."

Leila barely had a chance to open her mouth before the ginger scurried away. She was left feeling confused by the sudden change in behavior. The stewardess had gone from snidely snatching the money to freezing and running off looking pale. All she could think was that the woman felt embarrassed for nearly cursing out at a young pregnant woman. Or once she realized the teen intended to pay up she felt embarrassed for jumping to conclusions. Either way, the heiress didn't plan on holding a grudge. Dealing with assholes who treated you like dirt for 24 hours gets to a person. As long as the stewardess kept to herself, the jade-eyed girl would make sure to stay out of her way. And maybe slip her a tip once her train ride came to a stop.

'Still, that was strange.' The dark-haired teen's thoughts stayed suspect as she began to move on. Her body jostled briefly as the train started to chug forward and the outside became busy with chatter.

The teenager shrugged off the situation, deciding that for now, she would focus on the trip. Liliko'i would be waking up soon and they'd have to chat about what was next. Thankfully, the train gave them privacy with the area the pair sat in being closed with a door. Like a miniature cube, the place allowed up to four people to sit and store their baggage. A small coffee table that was rectangular sat between the two women. On either side was a pair of cushioned seats that had cubbies beneath and above for the aforementioned baggage they brought along. The heiress found herself recalling videos of bullet trains she watched as a child. The train cart reminded her of them as soon as she boarded and was escorted to their designated seats. Leila put her legs under herself and leaned on the rapidly cooling, ice-dusted window right at her side.

The jade-eyed woman decided it would be best to rest herself. Leaning over, she pushed the switch on the door down, which locked it. From what was described, this would keep anyone from coming in and out. The doors were flimsy, but the heiress couldn't do much about it. The train was high budget but was still a train. If anyone tried to come in, she would wake up straight away and confront them. Both she and Cleo tended to be light sleepers. The training and experiences she had gone through instilled a natural sense of paranoia deep in her subconscious mind. And even if she woke up with them already inside, she made sure to sleep armed. With this in mind, the teenager let out a small sigh and let her eyes close.