| 42 | Escape

[ S E R A P H I N E ]

We're still on the road. We've been in this car for more than two hours now.

I frown at the numbers on my phone as the soft glow of dawn blankets the tinted windows, the bluish hue above us matching the accents on the dashboard. The silence makes my ears more sensitive to the steady hum of the engine and the sound of tires against asphalt.

My heart starts beating faster when Fico speeds up. We're about to pass another border.

I still don't know where exactly we're headed. I just know we're going to Rome. I stretch my back until I feel a subtle crack below my neck.

Beside me, Dominico remains asleep with his head tilted back, his nape pressing on the headrest. The bags under his eyes tell me he hasn't been sleeping much.

The apprehension keeps rattling my insides, but I sit still and try not to disturb him — he needs all the rest he can get. The urgency in his voice during our conversation in his house won't leave my head.

I swallow the lump in my throat a