Making sure that the sheet was wrapped tightly around the blood, I picked it up and flung it over my shoulder. I took one last look around the bedroom to see if there was anything else I could possibly bring with me before heading toward the door.

“Where you going?” Marilyn asked, standing up and padding toward me. “What are you doing? Why don’t you want to stay the night with me? I answered all your questions.”

Ignoring her, I freed her from the sheet I’d tied around her before hurrying to the front door. I pulled it open and raced along the terrace toward the elevator leading up to the very top floor. Emerging beneath the trap door that led straight up to the desert, I climbed up the final set of stairs and pushed upward hard against the ceiling. It didn’t budge.

Dammit.

As I remembered it, it had been a witch who’d opened it before.

I tried pushing against it once again with all my strength, and to my relief, this time, there was a crack and one of the doors pushed open. I winced at how much noise I’d made, but it couldn’t be helped. I climbed up through the roof. A wave of heat engulfed me as I emerged in the desert. Beyond the boundary in the distance, the sun had already risen. Hence the need for all these extra layers and the umbrella to cover my skin.

Fortunately, I could run fast. And I had some blood to keep me going for a while. I just had to hope that there would be some settlement or sign of civilization not too far away.

Although I cursed myself for coming here in the first place, I could hardly blame myself. I’d been at the end of my tether, unable to see how I could stop attacking humans in broad daylight even while trying to keep myself stranded in the middle of the ocean in a submarine.

But now, even that situation seemed preferable to staying here. Everything about the atmosphere felt wrong. I couldn’t stand to stay here even a moment longer.

It was a hive of my parents’ enemies. My enemies.

After I’d taken the first steps away from the trap door, a sudden burst of pain shot through my right arm. It was emanating from my tattoo. I stopped, momentarily stunned. I pressed my left hand hard against my bicep, trying to soothe it. But that only made it more painful. I continued walking. The pain only increased until I was clenching my jaw against the pain and forcing myself forward with all the willpower I possessed.

Despite the agony and the heat of the almost-midday sun beating down beyond the boundary, I continued racing forward as fast as I could.

Just keep going.

I was sure that I had run at least one mile already. I remembered how Jeramiah had said to stay within five miles of the boundary to avoid hunters. I would have to hope to slip by them silently. Because staying wasn’t an option.

After what felt like five miles, I was about to brace myself for the hunters when I slammed into an invisible barrier. I staggered back, staring in horror at the patch of sand I’d been unable to walk past.

My tattoo prickling more than ever, I moved further up and tried to pass through in a different spot. Still unsuccessful, I tried several more areas even further along and in different directions.

Each time, my attempts were in vain.

I was trapped.