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Juni finds a car parked close by She mutters a quick spell and the doors open Another spell and the engine fires She set in

Sitting nu about the last twelve hours Studying the blood caked to randparents, if he recognised me behind the mask of the beast If not, will Dervish tell him? Will he hate me or understand? I think hate If I was in his shoes, I’d despise the

Running away is wrong I’ve killed Bill-E’s grandparents, let Juni wreck her relationship with Dervish, and nohat? Drive off into the sunrise, find a sweet little cottage where we can settle down and live happily ever after? Play a warped ame? Let Juni tie rows round? Madness I should call an end to it now, make Juni stop, hand

But instead I sit quietly, staring at the blood or out theI try to tellit because of Juni, that I don’t want to hurt her But that’s a lie I’ killed I don’t want to let h I know, for the safety of everyone I love, that I should

The car co her temples, eyes closed I look around We’re in a car park Hundreds of cars A roaring overhead My gaze lifts and I see a plane come in to land It clicks-we’re at an airport

"Juni?" I ask quietly

"Yes," she says, not opening her eyes

"What are we doing here?"

"We have to get out They’d find us if we stayed We need to go soht take three or four flights before we’re really safe"

"But I don’t have a passport Luggage Clothes Money"

Juni lowers her hands, opens her eyes and so back to pack a suitcase?"

"Of course not But how?"

She rubs her fingers together "Magic"

Inside the airport Nobody pays us any attention, even though we’re bruised and cut all over, covered in blood Aspell Not that difficult to perfor spell One of the first tricks any wannabe et cleaned up Says she’ll meet me by the main departures board in fifteen minutes Tellsat ed The hopeless expression of the lost, the damned Dervish has often said I’le out of any sticky situation But so free What’s the point of being alive if you have to live withas this?

I run hot water and splash it overaway the worst of the blood The sink’s soon a streaky, pinkish mess I squirt liquid soap into my hands, clean around the sink, then set to work onoffet rid ofaround in justall that’s happened, but so for Juni Nervous Shivering, not fro her to take charge, be a responsible adult, talk e how she’s acting more irrationally than me I always assumed a ardless of the pressures Juni’s provingwith every bad call sheup beside h but not desperate Her eyes are no match for my wild pits of fear

"Juni, this is crazy, we should-" I begin, but she puts her fingers to htly

"Just go with it," she whispers "I know it’s wrong I knoe should and would do if things were different But they’re not So let’s give ourselves over to madness and see where it takes us"

Before I can think of a suitable argulances at the departures board, then leads me to one of the sales desks I stand behind her as she requests two one-way tickets No es hands Instead, a quick spell and the sales assistant is s her where to check-in, wishing her a safe flight and pleasant holiday

Queueing for check-in I don’t knohere we’re going-I wasn’t paying attention at the sales counter I think about asking Juni, but can’t be bothered What does it ht on to another plane at the next airport anyway And another after that Throw the La until we’re safe

We nudge forward Soon we’re at the front Juni handles the practicalities No passport? No worries! Not when you use a Juni Swan Confusing Spell!

Just over an hour’s wait once we breeze through security We spend half of it shopping, replacing our ruined clothes and shoes I suggest buying extra clothes to change into when these are dirty, but Juni says we can restock at the next airport It’ll give us soht

The new clothes feel stiff The ju into my stomach, the shoes pinch But I don’t complain A bit of discoht

Sitting on the hard airport chairs Juni works healing spells, e Her fingers are gentle on my flesh, her voice soft in my ear Warmth as my cuts stitch themselves closed Nice

We’re called to board and shuffle on with the rest of the passengers A large plane We’re twelve rows froes over just before takeoff, so we both have more roolistening in the early dawn light I catch her slass Turn and smile back She holds out her hand and I take it

"All alone now," she says

"Yes"

"I’ely exhilarated"

"Me too" I give a sickly grin, lying through my back teeth I’usted with ines howl We’re pressed back in our seats Arrivederci, terra fir altitude My eyelids flutter shut My brain and body screa myself the pleasure-I want to stay alert in case Juni needsbattle

"It’s OK," Juni says, touching my cheek "You can sleep I’ll watch over you"

"But what if you" I ily

"I’ll be fine," Juni says "We both will Nothing can hurt us now Not here"

She’s right We’re thousands ofThe Lambs can’t touch us, not until we land And with Juni’s cunning, I doubt they’ll catch us then either No need for the unease I’ive myself over to my body’s demands and sleep just for a few