“I suppose you’re right,” I said after consulting the clock. “Do you have anything in mind? I feel like I have tried nearly all the food at Court already.” I paused, noticing that my dad’s phone, which I had placed on the table, was gone.

Had he come back home while I was in the bath?

Vlad folded the newspaper and put it neatly on the table as he stood. His dark-green eyes twinkled in a way that made my breath hitch as he said, “I might. Grab your coat. Let’s have a good dinner.”

Surprisingly, the place he had in mind was outside the Court, so we would be driving. I stood frozen, staring at his car. Both Bryan and Carlo had died in car accidents, and I was wary of getting into the vehicle.

“You okay?” Vlad’s voice broke through my thoughts as he opened the passenger-side door for me.

“Yeah. Fine, thanks.”

“Get in, it’ll be breakfast by the time we get there at this rate,” Vlad teased.

“Oh, shut up.” I pushed aside my hesitations and stepped into the car.

I didn’t think that coming and going from the Court during the Gathering was possible—this whole place was heavily guarded, and the Court Guards didn’t just open the gate on command to let people in and out as they pleased. But apparently I was wrong. Vlad handed one of the guards a letter and they let us out, no questions asked. “Whoa, how did you do that?”

“I have my ways.”

Vlad handled the road better than anyone I knew. It made me feel less nervous about being in a car. Without speaking, we stared at the road as a classic tune filled the car. The low, throaty growl of the engine hummed in the background. I could only contain my curiosity for another twenty minutes before it got the better of me.

“Where are we going?” It was dark outside and I couldn’t make out where we were. Not that I would be able to if it was broad daylight, either, considering this was my first time being here and I always had trouble with directions. Ferdinand Magellan could come back to life and teach me about circumnavigation and I would still get lost. I was that bad.

“It’s a secret.” He quickly looked back at the road.

“Oh come on!”

Something fluttered in my stomach, but I was completely sure it wasn’t butterflies. A loud growl erupted from the depths of my belly and I wished I could crawl under the seat and disappear.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.” As if my stomach had listened to him, it stopped embarrassing me further.

The road passed by outside the window. Hawke and Lincoln. Who were these people? Then there was the Faction, which Carlo and that woman in jail had mentioned.

“What’s wrong?” Vlad’s thumb reached out for the volume button on his steering wheel and turned the song down.