We run through open fields because there are no trees or houses or anything for miles to hide in. We’re easy targets, but I don’t let that slow me down. If anything, it is motivation to keep running.

“Damn, Sis; I can’t go any further. I need to catch my breath for a second.”

Felix slows his pace behind me until he’s completely stopped. I curse under my breath and stop as well. I walk over to him, and tears pool in my eyes.

“Please, we have to go. We can’t-” I stop when his arms wrap around me.

I freeze and wince as he puts pressure on my side, but the pain is forgotten for a moment when I concentrate on him. I almost forgot what an embrace from someone who cares about me feels like. It feels foreign when I lift my arms to embrace him. It feels good. We stay in the embrace for several seconds until he pulls away and looks at me.

“Okay, now let’s run some more.”

He kisses the top of my head, and we run. When we finally make it to the edge of some woods, I shake my head.

“They’ll expect us to be in there. Maybe we should stay in the open,” I say breathlessly as I sit down.

He sits down beside me and wipes sweat from his brow. He nods as he catches his breath.

“Okay.” I can tell he is hesitant but doesn’t argue.

I pull my knees to my chest and put my head in my hands as I breathe through the pain. I lift my shirt to look at the stitches which are still intact, just red and swollen. I pull my shirt back down and look at Felix.

He lies back in the grass. “What’s the plan, Sis?”

I want to bitch at him about lying down, but I can’t. I know we need a short break.

“Stay here? Run some more? Hell if I know. Right now I just need to be able to breathe so I can think.”

He turns his head to look at me. “I can’t believe I’m looking at you right now.”

I lie back in the grass beside him and look at the sky. “You shouldn’t be with me. I’m trouble, Felix.”

“You’ve always been trouble. I knew what I was getting myself into when I ran with you.”

I turn my head to look at him. “No. You have no clue what you got yourself into. And what about Mom? You know we can’t go back to our house.”

“What about Mom?”

I raise a brow at him. “She will freak.” He shakes his head and looks at me seriously.

“How can she when she’s dead?”

I sit up. “W-what?”

“She killed herself a few weeks after Dad died.”

I look at him and blink. I should probably cry, show some sort of remorse, but I don’t think I’m capable of anything at this moment except figuring out a way to get Felix and I out of this shit alive. I don’t have time for emotions that won’t change a damn thing. Mom is dead, and tears won’t fix it. I lie back down in the grass and close my eyes. I feel the side of my shirt lift up and smack Felix’s hand away.

“What happened?”

“I was stabbed. Can we talk about something else?” He wants to argue so badly but doesn’t.

He sighs heavily as he nods. “Like what?”

“Something normal.”

He lies down beside me and looks at me. “There’s one problem.”

“And what would that be?”

“Nothing is normal. Not anymore. And honestly, I don’t think it ever has been.”

I laugh. “If you could define normal, what would it be?”

He thinks for a second and grins. “Mom’s lasagna.”

“Hell yes. And that Oreo dessert she would make with sugar and that white fluffy stuff.”

“Cream cheese.”

I sigh. “Heaven.”

He laughs and nods. His expression then turns serious. “So, not even a hint as to how you were stabbed and what has been going on all these years?”

I stare at him. Where do I even begin? I run my hand through my hair and shake my head. “Not yet. I just want to focus on figuring out our next move.”

“Can I say something without you getting pissed?”

I half-grin. “Maybe.”

“I really think being out in the open is a bad idea. Yes, they will expect us to be hiding in the woods, but it’ll still make it harder for them to find us.”

“I guess nowhere is safe. Let’s go.”

We stand to our feet and start walking. I feel something rubbing against my leg and feel in my pocket. The syringe. I pull it from my pocket and show Felix.

“What is that?”

I shrug. “Not sure. When I compelled the white suit to give me his weapon, this is what he handed me.” I put it back in my pocket. I tug a little at the suit I’m wearing. It fits tight but not as tight as it did on the guy that was wearing it. One thing’s for sure, it’s uncomfortable.

“So, you really have mind control?”

I look at Felix in his eyes. Poke yourself in the eye. He pokes himself in the eye then curses. I laugh.

“I’m still in shock myself.”

He rubs his eye. “Seriously? You couldn’t have me do something, I don’t know, less painful?”

I laugh again. “Sorry, it was the first thing that came to mind.” My smile fades, and I stop walking.

Felix stops and looks at me funny. “Why are we stopping?”

I run my hands over my face. “Daaammmmiit.”

“What?”

I curse a few more times then look at Felix. “We lost Kyle along the way.”

“Oh shit. Should we go back?”

I shake my head and start walking again. “No. We can’t. It just dawned on me that he wasn’t with us. That’s all.” I look at Felix. “How far are we from Dandux?”

He hesitates before responding. He’s probably trying to figure out how to feel about me switching subjects and moving on like Kyle being left behind isn’t a big deal. But it’s not. Not when you’re running for your life. Literally. He rubs the back of his neck and catches up with me so he’s right beside me.

“It took about thirty minutes by car. Did you know there are such things as cars?”

I laugh coldly. “And guns, and street lights, and a bunch of-” I look at him oddly. “You said by car. They don’t have cars here.”

He nods. “Oh yes they do. I didn’t know they did until I was brought to the Constable Headquarters by one.”

“Sneaky bastards,” I mumble then look around.

It’s getting dark so it’s hard to see anything ahead of us. “If there are cars here, then there has to be a hidden road somewhere. We need to get to Dandux so I can go talk to Sage’s parents. I found out something about Sage, and I need to try to dig through her room to see if I can find anything that might help. I have a feeling she knew a lot about the Constable.”

The way Kyle, Marah, and Dex acted that night in Kyle’s room at the mention of Sage was strange. Something is up, and I’m going to figure it out.

“Okay. Let’s rest here. Then when morning comes, we can try to find Dandux. And what exactly happened to Sage? The Constable told her parents that she drowned in the river near her house.”

Images of Sage’s body, lifeless and mangled on the fence post, creeps into my mind. I don’t answer him. I don’t want to talk about it right now. Plus, I don’t want to waste time. There’s no telling what they’re doing to Kyle right now. We need to do what we have to so we can get back to help him. But Felix is right. We’re no good in the dark. We’ll just get lost.

I point to a spot ahead of us that is thick with trees. He doesn’t push the topic of Sage as we walk over. I sit down and lean against a tree.

“You sleep first, and I’ll keep watch. Then when I can’t stay awake any longer, I’ll wake you up.” Felix nods and lies down.

“This is so fucked up, Oreo.”

I smile a little. I haven’t heard my nickname in a very long time. It’s refreshing.

“You have no idea.”