This freedom that gripped me invoked dozens of new possibilities. I was alone out here. I could keep walking until the sun rose and see how far I’d gone. Maybe I could get far enough away that David would never find me. I didn’t know why that was appealing; after all, he was my father, and Hexen Manor was my home. It was safe there. This wilderness was treacherous and could kill me instantly, yet… I wanted it so much more than the sequestered life I currently had.

When something moved ...