The Blood of the Soul

Invisible

A/N: This little chapter from Mia's point of view is dedicated to anyone who's ever felt invisible, especially when it comes to family. It's not easy when the people who should love you unconditionally pick and choose parts of you to love, and even harder when they try to control you and silence the parts of you they don't like. As someone who's been there, please know that the world needs those parts of you and that when you find your people, they'll love all every crevasse of your soul with abandon.

The thing about trains was that they were boring.

Li had been so worried about someone noticing her, but honestly? No one on the train was paying attention to anyone else. Everyone had their noses in their phones or laptops or were focused on the people they came with.

Mia popped a headphone in so she could listen to music and curled up against a window toward the back of the train. Li's little lessons had become habit now—find a spot with easy access to the exits where she could see as much of her surroundings as possible.

The foggy cities and rolling country flew by to the soundtrack of Taylor Swift, and Mia couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut that her brothers weren't okay. She wasn't entirely sure when she'd started thinking of Theo as a second brother. It had just sort of happened.

She picked up the same vibes from Theo that she did with Li—that slightly broken, tragic type that made him fiercely protective. He was safe.

Most of the train ride went by quickly. Only two more stops left, and then her mom would pick her up. Mia distracted herself by sketching images from her memory—the boy from the train station with a pink stuffed bunny, the cat-like eyes of the reptilian demons who'd taken her, the cabin her dad took her to every summer. When she ran out of ideas, she started sketching things around her that she could see—funny shaped suitcases, falling down barns out the window, the glasses sitting crooked on the bald man's head as he studied her on his way to the bathroom.

Mia quickly looked away, but that didn't stop the shiver that ran up her spine. She might have ignored it except that Li's voice came back to her—trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is.

As soon as the bathroom lock clicked into place, Mia shoved her sketchpad into her bag and slipped it over her shoulder, tiptoeing past the bathroom and into the space between the cars. She shivered against the cold air and her hair stood up on end before she could find the handle for the next train car. As soon as she found the stairs, she wound her way up the steep steps.

Most of the train had emptied out on the first few stops, and she slipped into the nearest empty seats. When she was sure that no one was watching, she focused on that swirling, chaotic energy that brimmed just beneath the surface of her skin, and channeled that energy into a single word.

Being invisible was odd—almost like wearing noise canceling headphones. She could see and hear everyone else around her, but it was like the rest of the world was muted. Colors were dull, scents faded, and conversations harder to hear. It was sort of easy to forget that no one else could see her.

The train slowed to a stop as it pulled into the station right before Dover. She just had to make it ten more minutes, and then she'd be safe. Mia dug out the weapon Li had gotten her—he called it a tactical whip and had said it was perfect for her because she didn't need to be strong or big to protect herself—and clutched the handle hard enough that her knuckles turned pale.

But when the bald man appeared at the top of the stairs, Mia still froze. She couldn't tell if he was a demon or just a creep, but it couldn't be a coincidence that he'd managed to follow her up here. She hadn't left a trace at all, and he'd still been in the bathroom when she'd left—