The city stretched closer with every passing mile, but to Amira it felt like they weren’t moving at all.

The sleek black car purred steadily along the asphalt, tinted windows cutting out the world beyond. She sat stiffly in the backseat, pressed as far against the door as she could manage, her eyes fixed on the blur of roadside trees.

Anything to avoid looking at him. Her lips still tingled and she hated herself for it. Every time her mind drifted, she felt the ...