ANDROMEDA

The frigid air hit my face, and though it was much colder than I’d expected, being outdoors gave me a sense of relief. And thankfully, I’d heeded Bethany’s advice and taken this strange puffy-looking coat to wrap around me. I didn’t recognize the material, but it worked to keep me from freezing my ass off.

The calm only lasted mere moments, however, as my senses were assaulted with sights, sounds, and smells so unfamiliar to me. And so many people! It was as if this place was in the business of breeding.

Everyone appeared to be bustling around, paying me no mind, so I didn’t feel threatened—just like a fish out of water. When I noticed Bethany was far ahead of me, striding at a swift clip, I rushed to keep up with her. I had no idea where she was off to, but I would keep her as my guide until I figured out this infernal new world.

As we moved along, I tried to get a sense of the direction we were walking in, in case I should need to make my way back alone. Still along the path my so-called dwelling was on, we passed two intersecting roads with more of those moving contraptions. Every so often, one of them would make a loud noise or someone would yell out from an opening where they manned the vehicle. I made the mistake of making eye contact with one male, who gazed at me through a glass panel. When he grinned at me, I snarled in return and then looked away.

Bethany paused at a green railing surrounding a set of stairs. When I looked over the edge, I could see the stairs took people down into the earth. This is it. Bethany is taking me to the dungeon where I’ll be imprisoned. I took a step back and narrowed my gaze at her, my expression indicating I would not be taken in by her schemes.

“What?” she said, sounding annoyed.

I shook my head and shot a quick look around. Then a sign above my head caught my attention: Franklin Ave. Station. Many were willingly heading into this dungeon. Maybe it is not a trap?

“Did you forget something?”

I shook my head again.

“Then let’s go, slow poke,” she said with her hand on the railing, obviously wanting me to follow her.

I winced and remained frozen in place. Maybe the others were simply fools. “You expect me to go down there?”

Bethany scoffed and began her descent, saying over her shoulder, “Geez, Andi, I know you hate the subway, but we don’t have time for drama.”

Drama?

I threw one last look behind me, then hesitantly followed my guide. Underground was even more crowded than the roads we’d just left. A slew of people surrounded me, some pressing into my back, others cutting between me and Bethany. Panicking, I shoved my way around them so I wouldn’t lose her.

“Hey!” a woman said as I passed. “Rude much?”

I ignored her and pressed on. If this was how it was everywhere in this new world, I’d rather stay back in that room every day and eat an egg and bacon sandwich, even if I had to put up with stupid, strange men like that Daniel.

When I caught up to Bethany, she’d briefly paused at a metal obstacle that blocked her path. It had shiny cylindrical arms jutting out from a waist-high box. Bethany had something in her hand and swiped it through a metal slot before pushing the arm out of the way.

When I came to it, I pushed but nothing happened. “This won’t move for me!” I called to her. Then I mimicked her hand movement and tapped the same spot she did with my hand. Nothing. “Move!” I shouted at it.

A voice came from behind me. “Come on, lady! Just go through.”

I turned and glared at the woman.

I don’t have my magic. Maybe Bethany has magic and used it on this contraption. “Bethany!” I shouted, and she turned to me. “I need your magic.”

“Did you forget your metro card?”

I scrambled for what to say. “I, uh . . . I believe I did.”

Her head cocked to the side. “Did you check your pocket?”

I reached into one of the pockets of the coat, and my hand touched on something thin and stiff. I pulled out the rectangle, yellow with a black stripe on one side. Slowly, I passed it through the slot as I had seen Bethany do. A small clicking sound followed, and when I pushed the mechanism, it turned.

I felt a small triumph as I moved through to join Bethany, but she didn’t seem to share my amazement as she turned her back on me and kept moving.

More people invaded my space, and it took effort not to throw every last one of them to the ground and step over them. A rumbling sound caught my attention, growing louder by the second, until a massive, snake-like thing came rushing by us all. I almost shouted “Look out!” but no one around me seemed to be affected by this monstrosity; in fact, they collectively pushed toward it. Were they hypnotized by it?

As this monster slowed to a stop, I took long, deep breaths to calm myself. Examining it, I saw that it was a slew of individual carriages all connected together. It’s going to take us somewhere. The whole thing was fascinating, and I wanted to ask Bethany how it moved without any animals to pull it. Is it some form of magic in this world?

An opening appeared in the carriage in front of us and some of the people inside exited toward us. I was practically whisked along with the crowd to enter the carriage. Thankfully, Bethany was too.

All around me people were sitting or standing. Those who stood, held on, and my heart raced when I realized why. A loud sound like a chime made me jump, and I grabbed on to the nearest bar. Then a voice boomed from somewhere I couldn’t see. “Stand clear of the closing doors, please.”

My grip tightened as the carriage began to move. Bethany was across from me, and I locked eyes with hers, feeling almost as vulnerable as when Kane had a knife to my chest.

“Why do you look like you’re going to have a panic attack?” Bethany asked.

“I . . . am not feeling well.” It was true and all I could think of.

“Well, you inhaled that breakfast sandwich . . .”

“I will be fine.” I managed a grin and hoped was believable. If we were going to be in this carriage for a while, I might as well get some information from Bethany. Whatever I could find out from her would help me survive, especially since she seemed to know this Andi person well. Maybe learning about Andi would give me a clue as to why I had become her, and that might help me get out of here and back to my own land.

I thought about what I knew so far, then said, “Why did you think that man, Daniel, would be right for someone like me?” The real me would never entertain such a weak and inferior male, although there weren’t many who could keep up with me.

Bethany stared back at me, a question in her eyes. “Really? You’re the one who wanted me to set you up. I told you I thought you’d be a terrible match, actually.”

“Then why did you make such a colossal mistake?” Maybe this one wasn’t so bright, not enough to be my guide.

Her mouth flew open. “Are you freaking kidding me? You were insistent that you were ready to move on.”

“I see. But . . . move on from what?”

“Why are you playing games, pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about? So you freaked out, Andi. Don’t be embarrassed.” She shrugged her shoulder. “Just means you weren’t ready.”

“Ready?”

“To move on! You know, from that stupid crush on the guy from the bookstore. Boy, you’re really off your game. So, you still like that guy, then?”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that one. Andi had some frivolous feelings for someone who liked books? I was saved from responding by another one of those chimes, and I knew that meant the doors would open again.

Bethany released her arm and started to move forward. I, however, still held on tightly, not wanting to be shuffled around once again.

“Our stop! Come on!” She shook her head. “It’s like your first day of kindergarten or something.”

Reluctantly, I followed Bethany out of the carriage and onto a platform where there were more signs everywhere, but the one right in front of me read, Wall Street.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we emerged from underground. Then, after a few short minutes of more walking, we stopped at our destination. I wanted to ask Bethany if she was taking me to her leader, but I didn’t want to alert her that I was an imposter just yet. We stood in front of a set of stairs that led up to a beautiful brick structure. The lettering above the door read, The Brooks Academy.