Jackie nodded, pretending to agree, and handed him the keys. They jangled in her trembling grip. “You drive. I’m too shaky right now.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe. Somewhere they can’t find you.”
“Joseph and the others will find us. You know that,” said Iain.
“No, they won’t. I found the tracking device and melted it. Neither of us has a cell phone. Unless they plant trackers in our clothes or weapons, we’re on our own.”
His tone was grave. “You won’t be able to call for help.”
“I know.” It was a risk she had to take. Even though there was a chance that something would go wrong and she wouldn’t know what to do, she wasn’t going to let Iain get thrown back into that dungeon again to await his death.
“This is reckless and dangerous. You’re risking your life for nothing.”
“For you. I’m risking my life for you, and that’s not nothing. Now shut up and drive.”
He let out a heavy breath and nodded. “This is a gift, and I won’t let you regret it.”
They got in and hit the road. Jackie tried to relax and regain some of the strength she’d used, but her mind kept wandering back to the one thing she didn’t want to think about.
Iain was going to kill himself. She knew that was his intention when she busted him out of the dungeon. As much as she’d hated the idea of being tied to him, the thought of not having him close to her seemed impossible, unnatural, and wrong. They hadn’t been together long, but in that time, she’d come to care for him. Everything he’d done had been with the thought of her in mind. He’d nearly died trying to help her find a normal life. He’d gone against orders and taken her to see baby Samson because he’d thought it would make her happy. He’d made love to her like no one else ever had, giving her the kind of pleasure that most women only dream about.
She didn’t care that they said he was soulless. She saw the man he’d once been—the man who put the safety of others above his own, and gave up his own desires so that others could have theirs. It was a good life. A noble life. And she was glad she’d been a part of it for at least a little while.
If she could keep him from killing himself, she was sure that she’d find a way to prove to him that he deserved to live. She just didn’t know how.
Weariness bore down on her. She’d used too much power, and her body wasn’t used to the strain. She needed to sleep, but feared that if she did, she’d wake up to find him dead.
“Rest,” he told her, as if sensing her thoughts. “I won’t leave you without saying good-bye.”
For once, she didn’t mind having him in her head so much. It wasn’t nearly the invasion of privacy she’d once thought. It was comforting.
When he was gone, she was going to miss that feeling almost as much as she missed Iain.
“Promise me,” she insisted. “Say the words.”
“I promise I won’t seek out my death until after you wake.”
The weight of his promise settled over her, reassuring her, making her body grow heavy. Despite her bleak thoughts, her eyes drifted shut and she eased into a light sleep.
Guilt weighed heavily on Autumn. Her whole family had been uprooted because of her. Her older brother wouldn’t even speak to her because he had to give up his leading role in the high school play. Her mother cried all the time, and her father never slept anymore.
She was ruining their lives.
Part of her wished the Sentinels had never rescued her. As much as she hated being a prisoner of demons, at least then her family had been safe. Now not only was she still afraid all the time, but she’d dragged everyone down with her.
They were moving to Dabyr. That’s what her father had called it. She’d heard whispers of the place, but no one she knew had ever seen it—not even her Gerai parents.
She stared out of the car window, curled up into the smallest space possible. The sun was going down soon, and as soon as it did, the fear would set in, crawling into the deepest part of her thoughts. Her brother said she was paranoid, but she knew better. She had the demons’ blood inside of her. It had changed her. She could feel them now, lurking nearby, eagerly awaiting sunset.
Especially him. The demon who’d broken into her bedroom was different. Stronger. She’d felt him before at the school play. She hadn’t seen him, but she knew how he felt—the chaotic way he made her veins vibrate. She’d thought it was all in her head, right up to the time he’d lunged for her.
Autumn’s mouth went dry and her palms sweated enough to leave damp spots on her jeans. She hugged her legs closer, trying to remember that the sun was still up. He couldn’t hurt her right now. They’d be safely inside Dabyr before dark. She didn’t need to worry.
Dad pulled into a gas station and started filling up the tank. They still had hours to go until they could stop, and after it was dark, she wasn’t getting out of this car until they were safely behind Dabyr’s walls.
“Mom, I’m going to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Mom took Autumn’s arm and pulled her close. Before her capture, Autumn would have been too cool to let Mom do that, but not anymore. She’d spent months crying for Mom, and now that she had her back, she wasn’t going to do anything to push her away.
Autumn took care of business and came out of the stall. A young man in a hoodie had Mom in his grasp, his hand clamped over her mouth. He pressed a funny-looking, long handgun against Mom’s ribs.
Shock rooted Autumn in place as she sorted through what was right in front of her, trying to make sense of it.