"Hignd Territories? You want to drive all the way there yourself?"


    Archie stared at her, wide-eyed.


    He''d always thought his cousin''s wife had guts after all, she tangled with his arrogant, ruthless cousin and even managed to get the upper hand sometimes. Still, he hadn''t expected her to be quite this bold.


    "Come on, M," he drawled, stretching out her name, "that''s almost three thousand miles. Are you sure about this?"


    M nodded. "If you''re not up for it, you can just lend me your car-"


    Before she could finish, Archie jumped to his feet, cutting her off with a wave. His whole face lit up. "No, no, I''m in! I''ll drive! Let''s do this!"


    At neen, Archie was all adrenaline and restless adventure, itching for a chance to prove himself. M''s n was perfect-crossing nearly three thousand miles by car, right into the wild unknown. Just imagining it made his heart race. He was ready to hit the road right this second.


    But then-


    "You barely just got over a fever," Archie hesitated, worry flickering across his face. "Shouldn''t we wait a couple days, let you recover?"


    M shook her head. "We go now."


    Once she''d decided, there was no turning back.


    Besides, she couldn''t risk Lysander finding them. If he caught up, she''d be trapped all over again. She had to leave-immediately.


    Archie, oblivious to her worries, just grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "M, I have to say—I really admire you."


    Before, he''d helped her mostly because he thought she might be Daphne, theic artist he idolized.


    Now, though, his respect was real.


    Not everyone could make a decision like this, especially not someone who''d just been through hell.


    M shot him a look. "...Stop calling me cousin''s wife."


    "Got it!"


    Archie called out cheerfully, then dashed off to get ready, leaving her unsure if he''d even heard her.


    ...


    They were still close to Kingsford, and with Archie around, M kept a low profile. She handed him the list of supplies they''d need.


    Neither of them had ever attempted a road trip this long before, so most of their nning came from frantic inte searches.


    Unfortunately, they were stuck in the middle of nowhere; half the supplies they needed were impossible to find.


    Archie scratched his head but didn''t seem fazed. "Let''s just stock up on food and the basics for now. Once we get to Magnolia Harbor, we can pick up whatever else we need."


    Magnolia Harbor was one of the main gateways to the Hignds—if you needed gear, that was the ce to get it.


    M nodded. That was the best they could do.


    They had lunch at the farmhouse of the kind people who''d helped her. M had Archie transfer them six thousand dors as a thank you, and quietly reminded him not to mention they''d ever been there.


    She had money in her own ount, but she didn''t dare touch it-the risk of being tracked was too great.


    Thank goodness for Archie''s "blind spot" status. No one would ever think to look for her with him. In fact, M mused, even she wouldn''t have thought of it, considering that just a few weeks ago, she and Archie could barely stand each other. They were always at each other''s throats, bickering and squabbling.


    Now here she was, about to drive cross-country with him.


    Life really did have a sense of humor.


    "Hey, M! Ready?" Archie called from behind the wheel of the ck SUV, grinning from ear to ear.


    A vein throbbed in M''s temple. She gritted her teeth. "Stop calling me cousin''s wife!"


    "Okay, okay!"


    Archie gave a half-hearted reply, and before she could explode, he mmed the horn, let out a triumphant whoop, and shot off down the driveway.


    And so began the grand road trip of two absolute rookies.


    The sudden eleration mmed M back into her seat. She pressed her lips together, silent.


    For a split second, regret flickered through her mind.


    Archie really did seem like a disaster waiting to happen.


    Would she even make it to Sris City in one piece?


    She might be feeling lost and defeated, but she wasn''t suicidal.


    But she was already on the road, and honestly, she couldn''t think of anyone better


    to take with her right now. With a resigned sigh, M picked up the map and started plotting their route.