He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I can understand why the Guard hunt us. They’re corrupted with dark magic. But I’ve never been able to understand the Scavengers. To turn on your own kind like that . . . for nothing but money.” He shook his head in disgust. “It makes me sick.”
I nodded, not really sure what to say, so I squeezed Gareth’s hand in lieu of words.
“So,” he continued, “you’re not the only one who understands the severity of the situation. We’ve just gotten used to it, I suppose.”
“It makes me angry,” I said. “It just doesn’t seem fair. One dude has control issues, and a whole lot of people have to suffer for it.”
Gareth shrugged. “History is full of people like the Master, people determined to destroy and dominate for no real reason.”
“Yes, but it isn’t fair. And it isn’t right.”
“No, it isn’t. But unfortunately, that’s the way the world works.”
My stomach rolled with nausea. Was that really how the world worked? One man decided that another group of people didn’t deserve to live free, and that was it? There was nothing to be done?
“Why don’t we fight back? Why don’t the Supernaturals combine their powers or something?”
“You don’t think we’ve tried?” Gareth shook his head sadly. “Those with enough power to stand against him were exterminated long ago. Now our kind stays hidden, never grouping together to avoid unwanted attention. What can one or two Supernaturals do against soldiers like the Guard? Against the Master himself?”
“So everyone just stays hidden and hopes the Master doesn’t find them?” I asked. It seemed like no way to live. “That seems so . . . so . . .” I trailed off, not wanting to speak the word out loud.
“Cowardly?” he finished for me. I nodded.
“Well,” Gareth sighed again, “perhaps it is, but fear can be a powerful motivator—or a de-motivator in this case. At the end of the day, I think most of us just want to make it through to the next day.” He squeezed my hand. “Most of us have families that we want to keep safe. It just isn’t worth it to declare war on an adversary we have no hope of defeating.”
“So we just tuck our tails between our legs and run?”
“We do what we must to survive,” Gareth replied with a shrug of his shoulders, standing and moving back over to his pile of clothes. “Can we ask any more than that?”
I didn’t reply. I didn’t want to fight with him again right before he left, though I was tempted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He might be okay with the status quo, but now that this was my fight too, I certainly wasn’t. Was this how all Supernaturals felt? Just sit back and wait for the Guard to come after them? I shook my head. There had to be another way.
Gareth finished packing the small stack of clothing and toiletries into the duffel bag at the foot of the bed. “Well, I think I have everything I need. I should probably get going.”
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I clung to him, and he to me. Finality seemed to wrap around us in the moment, but I shoved it away with all my might.
“You have to promise me you’ll be careful,” Gareth said, squeezing me tighter.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just, please . . . whatever you do, come back home.”
“I promise, Lainey Bug,” he whispered against my hair. “I promise.”
When we broke apart, Gareth walked over to his closet and pulled a small leather sheath from the shelf. I recognized my dagger.
“I cleaned it for you,” Gareth said as he handed it to me. “And I sharpened the blade, so be very careful. I know we didn’t get to train with it for very long, but it would make me feel better to know that you have it.”
I took the small scabbard in my hand, running my fingers over the smooth leather. “Thank you. I’ll keep it with me.”
“Good,” Gareth said, grabbing his duffel from the bed. “Walk me to the door?”
We walked down the steps in silence, both of us at a loss for words.
I hugged him one more time and watched as he walked to his truck.
“You’ll be at Maggie’s till this all blows over, right?” he called out over the open door. I nodded. “Okay, good. I’ll call you when I can. Oh, and Lainey? One more thing.” Gareth smiled. “I love you. You know that, right?”
I flew down the stairs and into his open arms one last time. “Love you too, Uncle Gareth. . . . Thank you.” There was so much I wanted to say, but I hoped those two little words were enough.
When Gareth pulled back, his eyes were swimming with tears. “No,” he said. “Thank you.”
We embraced a moment longer, and then with one more smile, he was in the truck and driving down the dark street.
I watched until the red taillights of the truck disappeared from view. Trudging back into the house, I headed toward my bedroom to pack my own bag, trying to ignore the terrible feeling gnawing at the back of my mind.
Everything’s going to be fine. The plan will work. Gareth’s words swam in my head.
I sure hoped he was right.
“What about this one?” I held up the sweater for Maggie’s approval.
“It’s fine, but I think my grandmother has the same one in green.”
I groaned and threw the sweater over my head where it landed on the pile of already discarded clothes. “That’s it! I’m not going!” I flopped down on Maggie’s bed and covered my face with my arms.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Styles,” Maggie calmly called from the bathroom. “And could you cut that out? I’m trying to put mascara on, and you’re gonna make me poke my eyeball out.”
I uncovered my face to see the lights in Maggie’s bedroom and bathroom were flickering on and off. Yelping, I jumped to my feet. “Argh, not again!”
Maggie walked from the bathroom and put her hands on my shoulders. “Relax, Lainey. You have to relax.”
“I’m trying,” I said through clenched teeth. “But the more I try not to use my magic, the more it keeps happening! The freaking Scavengers could be right outside for all we know!”
“You’re just nervous. You need to calm down.”
I sighed. It’d been four days since Gareth left town. I’d spent hours poring over books about magic in Serena’s shop, but the distraction did little to quell my worry. Gareth had called once to let me know he was safe, but that was two days ago. Every time the phone rang and it wasn’t him, my nerves grew more frazzled.
It didn’t help that Ty was due to pick us up for the carnival in half an hour.
Date. The very word made me want to crawl under the covers and never come out. I’d been on a few dates before, and I’d had the sporadic boyfriend or two. But this felt . . . different, and it made me ridiculously nervous.
I groaned and covered my face with one of Maggie’s pillows.
“It’s just a date, Styles,” Maggie said. “Not an act of congress. It will be fine.” She hopped up and pranced back to the bathroom, fluffing her voluminous curls. “Besides, I’ll be there to back you up. You got this.”
I let out a breath. “Thank goodness for that.” I’d insisted Maggie come along—using my unstable magic as a feeble excuse for not being alone with Ty—but even her usual perkiness couldn’t alleviate the churning in my stomach.