After a few blocks of running, I slowed down and tried to figure out where I was. Cars rushed by and somewhere in the distance, I heard the sounds of construction workers hammering away. It was like the whole world kept going, but for me, everything had changed. How was it that none of these people knew what was hiding around them in plain sight? How had I avoided finding out sooner?

A VW Bug that looked like it had been teleported here from the 70's pulled over to the curb next to me. Chills ran down my spine, and I spun on my heels, heading the opposite direction. I couldn't see any of Terra's cronies driving a car like that, but the last thing I needed to do was drop my guard.

"Ara, turn around and get in the damn car."

My heart pounded, and a rush of cold fear rose through me. I should run. Get away from here. But the voice was oddly familiar, and curiosity beat out reason. I glanced behind me to see a woman standing by the driver's side door.

"Now, Ara," Gia swept her arms toward to the passenger side. "Let's go. I don't want to have to fight those drooling fleabags that follow Terra around."

For a second, I hesitated. Could I trust Gia? She had healed me when Miles smashed my jaw, but she wasn't a member of the circus, and my aunt had said she was bad news. Though Aunt Kay felt that way about all the Fae, too. Screw it. I ran to the car and jumped into the passenger seat.

The car peeled away from the curb, a cloud of dark gray exhaust left in our wake. The car lurched as Gia shifted gears. It had been a long time since I drove a stick. I sure hoped she was better at it than I was.

"What the hell were you doing?" Gia asked.

I scoffed. That was not the question I expected her to ask me. "Excuse me? Did you think I was running for my life on purpose?"

She glanced over at me, and for the first time, I could see the fine lines around her mouth and eyes, signs that she had seen a lot in her life. She wasn't as young as she looked. "How am I supposed to know? Last I saw you, you were safely tucked away with the Sayges, then you're up in Terra's lair. I know Brenon pissed you off, but you can't seriously think that running to Terra is the answer."

"How did you get me running to Terra out of all of this?" I asked. "Can't you see that I was running away?"

"Yes, now you are. But you showed up there with Tristan. Didn't look like he had to force you to go there. I've never seen him bring someone back to Terra without them covered in blood. I think he enjoys being unbalanced."

I blinked a few times, trying to process her words. Tristan had let me go. He'd helped me, even. He didn't have to do that. He could have passed me right off to Terra.

Gia stopped at a stop sign, then reached across me and pushed down the lock on the door. "You trying to get on Tristan's good side now? I mean, last we spoke, you didn't even seem to know what magic was, now you're working with Tristan. You playing Brenon?"

"No." How did I explain this to her? She obviously didn't like Tristan. Would she throw me from her car if she found out I was his daughter? Wait. "You just locked me in."

"No, I locked the door because we're about to get on the highway and that door is a little loose." She shrugged. "Now, quit dodging the questions. Just explain the Tristan thing."

I let out a long breath. "I found out last night that he's my biological father."

Gia accelerated, the car lurching every time she pushed it into gear. I strapped on my seatbelt as the door next to me rattled.

"Didn't see that one coming," Gia said. "Wow."

I looked down at my hands and started picking at the polish that remained from Goldie's makeover. A twinge of sadness pulled within. I wondered what Goldie was doing. What they were all doing.

"So, did he know he was your daddy?" she asked.

Raising my eyebrows, I turned to her. "Please don't ever say it like that again. And no. He didn't seem to know. He took me to Terra and asked her about it. I guess she knew and kept it from him. He was pissed."

"Oh, that is something we can use," Gia said. "I wonder how she'll keep him on a leash now that she's shown her cards."

"What is it between those two?" I asked.

"Not really sure. Best I can figure is that they had a fling centuries ago and that somehow, she was willing to give Tristan something he wanted. He's never been very predictable since I've been around."

"How long is that?" I asked. "That you've been around?"

She laughed. "Longer than I care to admit."

"Why are you here? How did you know?" Realization struck me. Gia had mentioned that she knew I was with the other Sayges, then she said she saw me arrive with Tristan. "Wait - are you spying on me?"

"Yes," she said matter-of-factly.

"Why?"

"My deal with Brenon wasn't just about healing you. That's way too simple a favor for what I owed. My payment is to keep you safe until Terra is either gone or done hunting you, whichever comes first."

"Brenon asked you to spy on me?" The idea was both incredibly violating and slightly comforting at the same time. He'd been worried about me. But he'd made that deal before we even did anything intimate. I pressed my lips together, recalling the last moments with the Circus. He'd been planning to use me against Terra somehow the whole time. It made sense that he'd have a backup plan in case I ran off from the Circus or if my year expired before he needed me.

She gently bumped my arm with her elbow. "Who do you think let him know when Terra got hold of you the first time?"

"Well, I don't like it, but I suppose I should thank you." It was difficult to determine my feelings. Without her following me, I'd have likely died in Terra's holding cell.

"You're welcome," she said.

"What could you possibly owe Brenon that would require you to pay him back this way? What if it was years before you had to stop following me around?"

"Years I have," Gia said. Her voice sounded distant, the confidence drained. "If not for Brenon, I wouldn't even be alive. I wasn't happy about oweing him, but I'm glad it's finally time to pay my debt. It's been hanging over me for far too long."

"What did he do for you?" I couldn't help it. The warmth and affection I had tried to bury were seeping to the surface. Thinking so much about Brenon was driving a sense of longing inside me. I didn't want to feel that way. I wanted to stay angry at him, stay as far away as possible from him, yet I hoped he wasn't as bad as Evangeline made him seem.

"I had to flee my home when I was young. It was long ago, when Tristan would go on random sprees with some of the other creatures that enjoy causing mayhem. My whole village was burning, and I ran. I ended up at the Circus. It was still early days then, the big tent and the lights drew me in. I could see it because I was Sayge, but I didn't belong. Brenon took me in. I traveled with the Circus for a few years while I got back on my feet. When I was old enough, I went out on my own. He asked me for a favor one day in return. It's the least I can do." Gia was quiet then, eyes focused straight ahead.

My lips twitched as I took in her words. The man who was responsible for half of my genetic make-up was the cause of Gia's despair. And Brenon was the hero in all this. He'd taken Gia in, and she seemed grateful. "Did they ever try to hurt you?"

"The Circus?" She shook her head. "Sayges are basically human, but we belong more in the realm of magic than humans. There was no risk of me breaking that curse. It would be impossible for a Sayge to do."

"So you lived with Brenon for a while?" The words came out before I thought them through. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked back down at the chipping polish.

"Not with Brenon, but with the Circus, yeah. For almost three years. Then I felt like I could handle things on my own."

The clicking of the blinker sounded, and I looked up at the exit we were taking. "Where are we going?"

"Well, considering Terra's after you, there's really only one place I can think of."