The first thing I felt was the cold.
Then the sound. Faint chirping. A flutter of wings.
And then, sharp, tiny jabs pecking at me.
I cracked open an eye to see a small, speckled bird tilting its head curiously at me. Another hopped closer, pecked at my boot. A third perched on the edge of the desk, staring as if I were part of the landscape.
I blinked.
Everything ached.
My tongue felt like sandpaper. My back was soaked in sweat, and the crusted blood on my coat tugged uncomfortably at my skin with every breath. I tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Pain lanced up my side, old and fresh wounds layered together like pages of an over-read book.
The ranger's tower was still. Quiet. The sun had dipped low, casting golden slats through the slanted windows. Shadows were long now.
I blinked again.
Evening.
No. No no no—
The train.
I'd promised to meet them—Elliot, Anthony, Anika. If I missed it…
