It had been two hours since the Aether Rail left the academy station. The train was now far from Ardentia, gliding smoothly through the forest as it headed south toward the contest venue.
So far, it had stopped twice—once to refill its Aether pods and once to replace the operator managing the flow system. The hum of energy beneath their feet was steady, a soft vibration that almost lulled everyone into sleep.
Madame Russel had come to check on the students once, but by now, nearly all of them were fast asleep.
Emma turned her head and found William dozing beside her, his head tilted slightly against the backrest, arms folded across his chest. His golden hair fell over his forehead, damp from the earlier bath, and his lips were parted just a little. A faint snore escaped him every now and then.
She smiled faintly. His sleeping face was disarmingly cute.
