Broken Luna

but it wasn't the same girl who once dreamed of fairytale endings. No, that girl was gone.

er she hadn't used in years. When the l

ed it

gruff voice re

. "Make it clean. Quiet. I don

own and turned back to the mirror, satisf

l bed, her mind drifting between sleep and wakefulness. Maria

tside the door. The h

movement. Her gaze landed on th

wasn't

ed inside, closing the

slid beneath the blanket, fingers

of steel flashing beneath his coat. H

e another step, a sharp

let-" Maria's voice calle

Lindsay's finger jam

m. The assassin cursed under his breath, spun,

de, wide-eyed. "

t heaved. "Cal

ow, Maria grabbed her hand, squeez

w, where the night swallowed the fleei

there, someone

Brandon-or anyone-could

safe. Lindsay knew it the m

already swinging her legs

vously, glancing at the door

t her IV and grabbed her jacket from t

but nodded. "I parked

he sterile halls. Nurses tried to stop them, but Lindsay wave

r sat under a flickering streetlamp. They hurried across the

e leaned aga

rity. No

r her breath. "It

ed, scanning the lot

emerged from beh

e box

keys tighter. "We

ll cat

n wh

to the ambulance bay.

ted. "Steal

want to die

ed, weaving between parked cars, Maria righ

tepped out for a smoke. Lindsay didn'

aria yanked open the door, shoving Lindsay

ey

ere!" Lind

tossed the keys into Maria's ha

aria shouted as she

hot forward, tearing out of the lot just as the men reached

allow. She stared at her reflection in th

eel, eyes locked on

can't find me,"

a who se

tightened. "

ts faded into the night. Ahead

asn't ready t

till flashing faintly beneath the stars. Maria's hands stayed clen

wing," she said, v

the back, pressing gauze over the IV mark on he

e do we go? We can't go to

ifting her gaze. "Take the interstate nor

w. "You've had a safe

ips twitched into something between a s

f passing trucks. At dawn, they pulled off onto a narrow dirt road li

hing here,"

leaned forward. "Keep going.

the car, and Lindsay climbed out, fumbling with a key tucked inside her neck

by quiet woods. The air smelled of moss a

to the porch. "Co

nside, flipping a hidden switch that powered

stove, a worn armchair by the fireplace. Lind

und. "How long c

g as we

asked quietly, "Do you

ened. "If he doesn'

ing her friend carefully. "You're not j

I'm running from everything tied to him.

red the trees, whisper

lock down the per

the ceiling. Her body ached, but her mind spun with questio

unknown number. Her thumb hovered over the answer

again. This t

nk you'r

igna

nd the phone. Her chest rose

she whisp

ring into the growing light