“Thank you, Jasmine.” I opened the little door which led from the old, unused pantry to the tunnel which ran underground and led to the service road which bordered our property.

Jasmine had discovered it when we were little and looking for a way to sneak out without Papa knowing. He had always focused on the front and back doors, but never on the old tunnel. He might have forgotten it even existed.

But I hadn’t, and good thing. It was unlit, but I knew it by heart. We had gone through it that many times. How we hadn’t gotten ourselves killed or at least seriously hurt was beyond me.

I threw myself at the old, rusted door at the other end to get it open. Its hinges screamed in protest and sent nauseating shivers down my spine, but I was on the other side of the property. Nobody at the house would be able to hear.

The sun was bright overhead, and I felt exposed as I stepped out onto the road. I could’ve waited until night, but the thought of spending another minute in that mansion was too much to bear.

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to say goodbye to my room if I waited any longer. It was hard enough already. I would miss it so much—it was more than a room at the top of a tower. It had been my special haven for as long as I could remember. The potions and salves I didn’t feel comfortable traveling without were in a canvas apron, just as they were when Jasmine needed me. That apron was then wrapped in several layers of clothing to keep the bottles safe and tucked into a backpack. It was all I felt comfortable carrying with me.

I couldn’t afford to let anything weigh me down.

Of course, there was the problem of money. I’d kept a stash inside a locked box for years. My “just in case” money. I never thought I would have a reason to use it. There was a bank card in my wallet, too, but I wasn’t sure if I could use it and hope to stay untraceable.

Knowing George, he’d monitor my account activity. I wondered if I should take everything out right away, someplace close to home, and run the risk of carrying a good deal of cash around with me. Which was worse, getting robbed or getting tracked by my uncle?

And Bradley. He’d be furious. I wondered how far he was willing to go to find me. He’d try, too—he was too heavily invested in the life he saw for himself as my husband. I remembered the monster who lived under his human skin and shuddered in disgust. The memory was enough to get my feet moving faster.

We were around three miles away from a main road. That wasn’t much for me—I had always been a walker. I hated staying cooped up inside for long, like all of the fae. Within a half hour, I heard faint traffic noises and sped up to a trot. I just had to get there. I’d be in much better shape once I was there.

I wished I could’ve taken a car, but I could never have made it away without somebody noticing. How was I supposed to get around? Hitchhiking came to mind. Could I do that? Did I have the nerve? I needed to make up my mind, and fast. I didn’t want to run the risk of somebody driving up from the house and catching me. The more miles I could put between me and my clan, the better.

Sadness struck my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

Time for a pep talk. No. There’s no time for this right now. You can cry your eyes out later if you want to. Now’s the time to get the hell out of town. I focused on that inner voice, the voice that kept urging me to hurry. Don’t wait. Go, go now, don’t even stay around until tonight. I figured I had half a day before I’d be missed at dinner.

There were four corners, where the road I had traveled crossed the main road. It was four lanes wide, a trucking route, and the massive vehicles almost knocked me back as they sped past. There was a gas station to my right, a convenience store to my left, a fast food restaurant across the road. Where should I go?

The restaurant seemed my best bet, not just because I needed somewhere to sit for a minute. I hadn’t eaten all day and sure wasn’t thinking about it when I’d left. Food had been the last thing on my mind. But the smell of hamburgers, which clung to the air even over the stench of diesel fuel, got my mouth watering.

There were several trucks in the parking lot. I wondered where their drivers were headed, and if any of them would be willing to give a girl a ride. I couldn’t admit I had run away. They’d ask too many questions. Then again, I didn’t have a broken car to use as an excuse for needing a ride.

I decided not to offer a story unless I was asked for one. I could pretend it was all too horrible to talk about. I wouldn’t even have to pretend. The bruises along my jaw would speak for me.

The girl behind the counter made it a point to pretend she didn’t notice them. Was that what people did, out in the world, surrounded by other people? When they saw something they knew was wrong, did they pretend they hadn’t seen anything? What a way to live. I ordered a burger with cheese and every topping I could get for free, then added an order of fries. I would need my strength.

I noticed one of the truckers sneaking looks at me from behind his newspaper. No, he was not the right man to ask for a ride. He wanted to give me another type of ride. It was written all over him.

Two men sat together, laughing over a story about what one of them had met up with on the road. They wore wide-brimmed caps with two differing logos. Different companies? I took a table near them and listened in. They sounded good-natured, friendly. Honest.

I hoped my judgment was good as I finished my burger much faster than I should have, then stood and went to them. My legs shook under the calf-length dress I wore.

“Excuse me,” I murmured, hoping I wasn’t attracting attention. Especially not from the other man, the one who hadn’t stopped looking at me since I arrived.

Both men looked up with a suspicious expression. They probably thought I was trying to beg for money.

“Yes?” the older of the two asked. He was somebody’s grandfather, I guessed.

“I was wondering if either of you could give me a ride out of town.” My eyes moved back and forth between them.

“Where are you lookin’ to go, honey?” The younger man eyed me up appraisingly.

I wanted to shrink until I disappeared. I wasn’t used to men looking at me that way.

“Honestly, either direction. As long as there’s someplace inexpensive for me to stay nearby.” I looked down at my arms, crossed over my stomach. Purple bruises stood out against my pale skin.

Was I actually using what Bradley did to me to earn sympathy? I guessed it was as good a thing to use as any—otherwise, it was pain for the sake of pain.

They both cleared their throats. “You need some serious help?” the older trucker asked. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Is he around here someplace?” the younger one asked.

“No, no, it’s not like that. I’m alone. But I need to get further away.”

“Say no more, little lady.” The older man stood, wiping his hands on stained coveralls. “I have to drop off my load around ten miles down the road, but I would be happy to leave you off there or even further away. I’m heading west the whole way out.”

West. That would put me closer to Jasmine. And Smoke. “That sounds great. Thanks so much.” I grabbed a soda and my fries, which I hadn’t touched yet, before hurrying after him. I hoped he was as kind as he looked.

He had to help me into the cab of the truck—it was too high up for me to climb by myself. His hands stayed on my waist and didn’t stray. A good sign. I didn’t want to imagine what the third trucker would’ve done if he had the opportunity. His tongue had nearly dragged on the floor.

My savior climbed in behind the steering wheel. “I’m Hal, by the way.”

“Aurora,” I replied without thinking. My instincts wouldn’t let me give my real name.

“Nice to meet you, Aurora. I don’t like to see pretty young things like you getting’ taken advantage of. Got two daughters of my own, and three granddaughters.”

“That means a lot.” I was right about him. Relief flooded my veins and allowed my body to relax for the first time in days. I would be all right, after all.

“Where do you plan on goin’ when this is all said and done?” he asked as we pulled out onto the road. There was a long, wide trailer behind us. I wondered what we were delivering.

“I’m not sure yet,” I said. “I’ll get as far as I can, then settle down someplace. Get a job.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a nurse.”

“Oh, well, you can get a job just about any place. That’s a plus.” He looked over at me with a smile. “A smart girl, able to get through nursing school. I never could understand how a smart girl could stick around with a scumbag who’d do something like that to them.”

“I would rather not talk about it.” I turned my face away.

Even though I was lying, it wasn’t entirely a lie. Bradley had hurt me worse than I thought it was possible to hurt. Even though Hal wasn’t talking about him specifically, I couldn’t help but remember every painful minute.

We made the rest of the ride in silence. I breathed a little easier with every passing mile. I would be all right. Once I made it to the mountains, I would be fine. They were closer with every turn of the wheels. I wished I knew exactly which one I could find Smoke in. I had the rest of my life to find out, I guessed.

“How old are you, honey?”

Honey. A flag went up in my head. “Twenty-six.” I looked twenty-six. That was my biological age. In reality, I was much older. Old enough to know his question wasn’t entirely innocent.

“You’re around my younger daughter’s age.”

“Is that so?”

“I was just thinkin’, as I was drivin’ along, that her room at the house is still the way she left it. Bed, posters on the walls, the whole thing.”

“That’s nice.”

“It’s just that I don’t like the idea of a pretty little girl hitchhiking. Men will wanna take advantage of you out there.”

“I appreciate the offer. I truly do.” His left hand was bare. No wedding band. Divorced? Never married? “What would your wife think about that?”

“No wife. Haven’t had one for a long time. She got tired of living with a trucker, never seein’ me.”

“I see.” I saw just fine.

It was a relief when we turned into the parking lot of a warehouse complex. I had to leave him behind. We were ten miles down the road, at least. It was a start.

He left me in the cab while he went inside to settle business.

The moment he was out of sight, I jumped down to the ground with the backpack pulled tight against my chest and dashed away into a wooded area behind the warehouse to wait for him to leave.

Time to come up with another plan.