CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
As the wave of energy left my body, I sagged and struggled to stay upright. I barely felt the raindrops on my skin. All at once, the overwhelming energy had completely evaporated, leaving me drained and depleted.
“Easy now,” Ty said, helping me to the ground.
“Ty,” I croaked, my throat both raw and dry, “where’s Maggie?”
“I’ll get her. Wait here.”
I leaned against the wall of the tiny building, breathing deeply. Had I done it?
Several minutes passed. I was too exhausted to move, but the sounds of bustling activity filled the air. Footsteps approached the building, and then Maggie’s face appeared.
“Styles?” she asked, her voice quavering.
“Maggie!” I winced a little as the movement caused a stabbing pain in my temple. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She knelt down and squeezed my hand. “All thanks to you. Ty was able to get everyone down. You saved us, Lainey.”
My brain was fuzzy on the details. I looked at Ty. “It worked?”
“It worked,” Ty said, his voice strained. His face was a hard mask, though he offered me a tiny smile. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay . . . I think.” I was exhausted, and every inch of me ached, but I was otherwise unscathed. I whipped my head toward the corn maze. A gentle rain was still falling, and the air was thick with smoke, but the orange haze was gone. “The fire?”
“Extinguished. Every last bit of it,” Maggie exhaled, breaking into a smile. “You really did it, Lainey.”
I looked to Ty for additional confirmation, and he nodded, though his face was still grim. A wave of relief rushed over me. “Are they okay? The people that were in the maze? Everyone else on the Ferris wheel?”
Maggie nodded. “I think so. I heard someone say there were injuries, but everyone was lucky.” She leaned over and squeezed my hand. “You saved them, Styles. It was so amazing. You conjured this huge storm, and in minutes, the flames were all out. They’re calling it a miracle.”
I sucked in a deep breath; the relief I felt was so tangible it was almost as if I could wrap my arms around it. I’d saved them, saved Maggie. Warmth spread through my body, and I smiled. “Well, it wasn’t just a miracle. It was magic.”
“Do you think you can stand?” Ty held out his hand. His eyes darted back and forth, and his shoulders were tense and rigid.
“The Scavengers. Are they still here?” I asked, allowing him to pull me to my feet. The movement unsettled my equilibrium and I swayed, but Maggie moved quickly to my side. “I got you, Styles.”
“Yes, I think so. We need to get out of here.” Ty peered around the building shielding us from view.
“Did they see me?”
Ty shook his head. “No, I made sure of that. But . . .” He stopped, listening to something too low for my ears to hear.
“The Scavengers are here?” Maggie squeaked, struggling to support my sagging weight.
Ty moved to my other side and wrapped a strong arm around me. I leaned against him, trying to relieve Maggie. “Yes. The fire was magical,” I explained.
“I can’t be sure,” Ty continued. “But there are three men that keep looking in our direction. One of them is wearing a black hat. I think the smoke is confusing them, but they keep sniffing the air.”
My heart nearly stopped. “They’re tracking me.”
Ty nodded. “I think so.”
“What are we gonna do?” Maggie squealed. “If we try to run they’ll see us.”
Lainey.
I jumped at the sound of my name, but I wasn’t afraid—I’d know that voice anywhere. Josephine. I turned, and there she was, standing a few feet away, her fierce gazed locked on my face.
“Is it them?” I whispered. “Did they find me?”
Josephine nodded gravely.
Lainey. Her voice inside my head was growing louder. Lainey! My name whispered over and over until it was as if Josephine was shouting in my mind.
I sucked in a breath and gripped the front of Ty’s shirt. “Ty, we have to go now!” I grabbed Maggie’s hand, yanking her close. “Josephine’s here to warn me. It’s definitely Scavengers.”
Ty’s face was serious, his features hard and focused. “Right.” He turned to Maggie. “We’ll have to try to outrun them.” He tightened his grip around my waist. “You ready?”
Maggie nodded, wrapping her own arm around me, my weight supported between them.
“Okay then . . . now!”
We began to run.
The gravel parking lot was fairly empty. I glanced around, desperate for a cop or anyone who might be able to help us, but now that the fire was out, the authorities were herding people back toward the main entrance, taking down statements and checking for injuries. Most people were moving back toward the carnival grounds, while we were moving away.
Flashing red and blue lights illuminated the sky. Ty stuck close to the tree line, trying to stay hidden in the shadows of the parked cars. My head was throbbing, and though he and Maggie were trying to be gentle with me, the jostling from the running wasn’t helping.
We stopped behind a large pickup truck, all of us out of breath. “It no use. I can hear them behind us. They’re too fast,” Ty said. He peered out from behind the truck and swore. “We’re out of time.” He grasped Maggie by the shoulder. “Think you can get Lainey to the car?”
I could see from the hard lines on his face what he was planning. The protection of my hands, my blade, and my life . . . is yours.
“No,” I said, gripping his shoulder. “No knights on a white horse, remember? We do this together.”
“It will give you a better chance of getting away.”
“Yeah, and it will give you a better chance of getting hurt . . . or worse.”
“Well, we have to do something,” Maggie said. “No offense, Styles, but you’re kinda heavy.”
“I can help you.” I ignored her and turned to Ty. “I’m not gonna let you face them alone.”
“Um . . . Styles?” Maggie piped up. “I’m not saying to send Pretty Face to his doom or anything, but, um . . . you can barely stand up.”
I opened my mouth to protest, to declare that I was okay, but the argument died in my throat. “I’m fine, really,” I tried, but I was fooling no one.
“Remember, being my Calling means I stand beside you,” Ty said, his eyes shining with gold. “But in cases where you can barely stand—”
“I’m fine,” I broke in, stronger this time.
“But in this case,” Ty continued, unconvinced, “it means I give you a head start.”
He stared at me with such intensity I knew there was no other choice. “Okay.”
Ty looked to Maggie. “You got her?”
Maggie nodded and readjusted her arm, supporting my full weight now.
“You’ll only get one shot,” Ty said. “Get ready.”
My erratic pulse was booming in my ears, but the vertigo was dissipating. I tried to steady myself as much as possible. Beside me, Maggie tightened her grip.
We waited, pressed against the cool metal of the pickup. Peering over Ty’s shoulder, I nearly choked when I saw the man in the black hat from earlier. Two other men I didn’t recognize, one with long, stringy hair and the other with short, cropped hair, flanked him on either side. They were trying to act casual, but the leader was muttering under his breath, pointing directly at the truck we were crouched behind. They were getting closer.
Lainey! Josephine’s warning was louder than ever. Lainey!
With a mighty roar that mirrored Josephine’s cry, Ty launched into action. Darting around the shed, he flung himself at the closest Scavenger, slamming into him and knocking him to the ground. The man grunted, but Ty jammed his fist into the man’s throat, breaking off the sound. He slammed his other fist into the man’s jaw. A spray of blood splintered the air.
I bit back a scream as one of the other men dove forward, grabbing Ty by the arm and wrenching him free of his fallen comrade. They fell to ground, rolling together. The man was growling and snapping at Ty like a feral dog, his hand tearing at Ty with what looked like long, sharp claws. I lunged forward, but Maggie’s arm pulled me back.
“Lainey, we have to go!”
“No, we have to help him!”
“You’re not strong enough! You need to—”
Maggie’s voice cut off. Her eyes were wide, her skin ashen. I tore my eyes away from Ty and saw what Maggie was seeing: the Scavenger that hadn’t yet joined the fight—the one in the black hat—was slinking toward us, his face twisted in a savage grin.
I lifted my hands, but the effort left me panting. “Run!” I shouted, willing my legs to move. My body was still weak, though, and we fled through the rows of parked cars, tripping and stumbling the whole way.
Behind us, someone laughed, and I said, “He’s toying with us, Maggie. We’re not going to make it.”
Maggie didn’t answer, but she yanked on my wrist, trying to pull me along even faster. We didn’t even have time to scream when a solid mass came out of nowhere, colliding with us in a tangle of limbs and snarls.
I was wrenched from Maggie’s hold and slammed into the ground face-first. I sputtered and coughed as the heavy weight on top of me forced the air out of my lungs.
Maggie screamed my name, but I couldn’t move or speak. My right arm was pinned underneath my chest, but my left arm was down at my side.
The dagger! The dagger Gareth had given me was tucked into the waistband of my jeans; the hilt was stabbing me in the hip. If I can just reach the dagger! I squirmed and twisted, reaching for the metal that was just out of reach.
My fingers were inches from the hilt when the Scavenger yanked me to the side and onto my back, what felt like claws digging into my shoulders. I screamed as the man’s face came forward revealing a pair of round yellow eyes. He laughed, his breath hot on my cheek.
“Now, now, love. Don’t be like that,” he sneered, tracing the lines of my jaw with a grimy finger. “My God, you smell delicious.” Inhaling deeply, he shoved his nose into my hair. I squealed and tried to pull away, my fingers still clawing for the weapon at my waist.
Over the man’s shoulder, Maggie’s face popped into view. Before I could scream at her to stop, Maggie let out a yell and launched herself on top of the man’s back, pulling hair and kicking anything in reach.
I gasped under the weight of them both, and black spots appeared before my eyes.
The Scavenger was roaring as he swatted at Maggie while trying to keep me pinned beneath him. With an angry growl, he threw himself backward, sending Maggie flying through the air at an unnatural speed. She slammed into a car with a sickening thunk and collapsed on the ground. She did not get up. She didn’t even move.
“Maggie!” I screamed, but the Scavenger slapped me hard across the face.
“Quiet! I’ve had enough of these games.”
My cheek immediately began to burn and puff, and my eyes watered. There was a putrid smell of rotten meat stinging my nostrils, and as I tried to move, a snarl ripped through the air. Teeth grazed my skin, and I screamed.
When my eyes cleared, I found myself staring into the face of the largest wolf I’d ever seen. I screamed again.
Then the weight that was pressing me to the ground lifted, and large hands pulled me roughly to my feet. The man in the black hat gripped my arm so tightly I was sure it was going to break. His yellow eyes were glowing now, and his lips were curled up into a snarl revealing a row of sharp canines. Lycan! My mind supplied the word.
I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp, but the man growled, tightening his grip. With my other hand free, I yanked the dagger from my waistband and, with the last bit of strength I had, rammed it into his gut.
Blood sprayed from the wound, and the Scavenger screamed, releasing me.
Circulation returned to my arm, and I cried out from the pain of it. I staggered backward, clutching the bloody dagger in my hand. The Scavenger was doubled over, his hand clenching at the wound as blood ran down his fingers.
The dagger was shaking in my hand, but I gripped it tighter and lunged at the Scavenger, angling it upward toward his throat.
The tip was inches from driving home when the Scavenger twisted at the last second, the dagger slicing his cheek and jawline instead.
With a roar, he leapt at me. One hand clamped around my throat while the other pried the dagger from my fingertips. He tossed it on the ground and roared again, rivulets of blood dripping down his face. The gash, from hairline to jaw, was deep, but looked like it was already beginning to heal.
“Stupid bitch!” he spat, both hands now at my throat. He growled and pressed his fingers deeper into my skin. I clawed at his hands, desperate for air. My chest was on fire, and I couldn’t see anything but a swirl of black and red.
Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I heard a warlike cry, and Ty was there, his face contorted with rage. He slammed into my captor, driving his fist into the man’s face. There was a loud crunch, followed by another spray of blood that spattered over my face. The Scavenger screeched in pain and released me. I dropped to the ground like deadweight, choking and coughing.
Ty leapt on the man’s back and wrapped his arms around the Scavenger’s head, entrapping him in a tight headlock. The man was transforming again, his features snarling and snapping. But then it was over—the muscles in Ty’s arms tensing as he jerked the Scavenger’s head to the side with a sickening snap.
The body hit the ground. The body of another Scavenger, the one with short hair, lay a few feet away. The third was nowhere to be seen. Ty was panting, and blood poured from the split knuckles on one of his hands. Another trail of blood dripped down his face from a cut above his eyes, but that appeared to be his most serious injury.
I was frozen on the ground, numb and unable to move.
“Lainey?” Ty knelt down, inching toward me the way one would approach a wounded animal. He reached out a hand. “It’s over now.”
His fingertips grazed my cheek, and I launched myself at him, nearly knocking him over.
He groaned, but wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. “I’ve got you.”
The warmth of his skin and the beating of his heart beneath my cheek brought tears to my eyes. I blinked them away, but gripped him tighter.
I closed my eyes, only to jerk them open a second later. “Maggie!” I wrenched myself away from Ty and stumbled to where Maggie lay unmoving in the grass.
“Maggie, can you hear me?” I tried to shake her awake.
“Looks like she hit her head,” Ty said, examining her.
“Will she be okay?”
“I think so, but we should get her somewhere she can rest.” He gingerly scooped Maggie into his arms. “Come on, before anyone notices us.”
I picked up my dagger, wiping it on the grass, and followed Ty.
People were starting to flood the parking lot. Given the general scene of mayhem that surrounded the corn maze, no one had seemed to witness the fight in the parking lot. My head was pounding and my limbs were like lead, but I forced myself to focus on Ty’s back, to keep moving.
By the time we made it to the car, my last ounce of energy had evaporated, and I slumped against the cool metal of the door, gripping the handle to keep from toppling over. After laying Maggie in the backseat, Ty helped me inside and ran around to throw himself into the driver’s seat, slamming the keys into the ignition. The back tires squealed on the gravel road as he tore out of the parking lot and onto the dark road.
My eyelids drooped despite my best efforts, and the gentle hum of the engine and the movement of the car as it sped down the road were making it difficult to stay awake. Every cell in my body was depleted, and even though I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet, the only thing I could focus on was how much I wanted to close my eyes. Instead I forced my mind to go through the ordeal again, frame by frame. Now that the shock was wearing off, the details were crystal clear.
“He got away, didn’t he?” I finally asked. “The third Scavenger.”
“Yes,” Ty answered, his voice strained. “He was a Shifter, and he kept changing form. I thought I had him, but then that one in the hat had his hands on you and I . . .” His cheeks turned pink. I wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or guilt.
“We’re alive,” I said, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “That’s what matters here, okay?”
Ty nodded, but the muscles in his back were still tight under my hand.
“We should probably get off the main road,” he said, his eyes flitting to the surrounding area. “He may still be tracking us.”
“What about Maggie? Should we take her to the hospital?”
“Serena’s place is probably safer.” Ty leaned over and trailed a gentle finger down my sore neck. “Too many questions at a hospital.”
I nodded, but a thought struck me and I gasped. “Serena!”
“What?”
I didn’t answer. I pulled my purse into my lap and starting digging around for my cell phone. “Why didn’t Serena warn us that the Scavengers were so close? Her vision would’ve changed, right?” I glanced over at Ty, whose face had paled.
“Yes,” he answered. “She would’ve seen it. So why didn’t she call?”
I stared at the phone in my hand. “She did.”
I flipped the phone over so he could see the screen. Twenty-five missed calls. “I must have accidentally put it on silent,” I whispered as a feeling of dread washed over me, but then an icon in the top left-hand corner of the phone caught my attention. “She left voice mails.”
With a shaky hand, I pressed the voice mail button and placed the phone against my ear. The first few voice mails were what I expected, Serena urging me to call her back. But as the voice mails progressed, Serena’s tone grew more and more frantic. By the time I got to the last one—left only a few moments ago—I felt like I was going to throw up.
I listened carefully and hung up the phone.
“What did she say? Lainey, what is it?”
I gripped my cell phone tightly as though it were the only thing keeping me anchored to earth. “The vision changed,” I whispered, my voice eerily calm. “Serena saw me die.”
“I still think we should take you to the hospital.”
Maggie plucked a fresh ice pack from the table and applied it gingerly to the knot on the back of her head. “No way. I’m fine. Just a bad headache. I promise, I’m okay.”
“You really scared me back there,” I said, trying not to yell. “What were you thinking? Jumping on that guy’s back like that, huh? He could’ve killed you!”
“He could’ve killed you. I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Maggie reached over and squeezed my hand. “We’re in this together, remember?”
“Like Batman and Robin?”
Maggie grinned. “See? Now you’re catching on, Styles.”
I reached over and hugged Maggie’s shoulders. “Seriously, though, if you do that again, you might just find a few of your precious comic books with pages missing.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Wanna bet?” I smiled but fixed my eyes on Maggie’s face. “Maggie, you have to promise me that you won’t take unnecessary risks me for me, okay? Things are going to get dangerous—more than they already have been. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
I started to protest, but Maggie clamped a hand over my mouth. “Like I said, you’re my best friend, Lainey, and we do this together. I’ll be more careful, I promise.”
“I know you will, but it’s not a good idea. If something happens to—”
“Together, Styles. Batman and Robin. You and me.” Maggie’s face was set in a determined line, and I’d seen that look before—I was more likely to convince a mule to take a bubble bath than talk Maggie into leaving.
“Fine. Batman and Robin.” I sighed. “Now, will you please lie back and try to rest?”
Maggie snorted. “We both know there’s no time for that.” She peered around my shoulder where the sound of heated discussion was coming from the office in Serena’s shop. “What have I missed?”
“A whole lot of nothing. If you’re feeling all right, you should join us.”
“I’m guessing we still don’t have a plan.”
“No. All we’ve really managed to do is argue back and forth about what we should do next.” I wiped my face with my hand, kneading at the tension in my temple. “Despite the visions, Serena thinks the Master still doesn’t know I exist, but she said the power I used at the carnival is enough to raise suspicion. The third Scavenger got away; he will have reported back to the Master by now. We need to act now.”
“But it’s not like the Scavenger knows who or what you are.”
“No, but he has my scent. The Master is cunning. It won’t take long for him to figure out that there’s another DuCarmont witch to contend with. He will come for me. I think it’s just a matter of when at this point.” I sighed. “Serena is spooked enough. She thinks we should go into hiding.” The words settled in the pit of my stomach like rocks, and I frowned. “We can’t get in touch with Gareth. I keep calling, but his phone goes straight to voice mail. It’s freaking Serena out—that and her vision.”
“Well, what do you want, Lainey?”
I stopped chewing on my bottom lip and stared at Maggie. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“I think you do,” Maggie said. “You’re just afraid to say it out loud.”
I shrugged. “I’m absolutely terrified of what the future might hold for me . . . But I keep thinking about Josephine, and my mother, and all of the other Keepers who came before me. They didn’t run.” I looked down at my hands and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to run either. I’m through with being afraid and refusing to accept that this is my destiny. When I saw what the Master did to Josephine . . . it sparked something inside of me. I’m afraid . . . but I’m more afraid of failing myself.”
I reached for Maggie’s hands, needing her to believe it too. “And I know this is right. I can’t walk away from this.”
“That’s my girl, Styles.” Maggie grinned at me. “So what now?”
I bit down on my lip again. “I think I have a plan. But it’s absolutely crazy and it probably won’t work.”
Maggie scoffed. “You know, I think all great ideas are a little crazy.”
I cracked a smile and helped Maggie up from the couch. “Come on.”
We walked arm in arm to the office where Serena and Ty were still arguing.
“I have a plan,” I said, interrupting the conversation. Ty and Serena turned to face me. “I know what we need to do.”
“What we need is to get you someplace safe,” Serena said. “Something’s wrong. The vision I had . . .” She shook her head as if to shake the image from her thoughts. “I promised Gareth I’d look after you while he’s gone. We need to get you far away from here.”
“No.”
“What?” Serena stared at me.
“I said no. I’m not going to hide, Serena. It doesn’t matter where we go, or how long we run. Eventually the Master will find me.”
Ty reached over and grabbed my hand. “You know we’ll protect you, Lainey. I will protect you. No one will hurt you.”
“I know,” I said softly, “but I’m not gonna run from this. I know who . . . what you are, Ty, but you can’t protect me from my destiny. I’m not going to let you or Serena or anyone hide me away from the world again.” I took a breath, my voice stronger now. “I’ve always wanted to find out who I really am, to go out and see the world, to make my own discoveries—sure, it’s not how I always pictured things to be, but this is it. This is my time.”
I smiled at him, my own version of the half smirk he was always flashing me. “Besides, once the Master figures out who I am, he’ll never stop hunting me. I refuse to spend my life hiding.” I took a deep breath, bolstering my courage. “Therefore . . . I propose an alternative.”
Serena looked uncertain. “But Gareth said—”
“Let her talk,” Maggie said, moving to stand beside me. “It should be Lainey’s call.”
I squeezed Maggie’s hand. “It’s simple, really. If the Master gets ahold of me, he’ll force me to unlock the Grimoire, right? For the spell Lane DuCarmont stole from him?”
Serena nodded. “Yes. The dark magic has made him incredibly vulnerable. He needs that spell.”
“Well, isn’t it obvious, then?” I couldn’t stop the grin from forming on my face. “We have to steal back the book.”
Serena’s laugh made me jump. “You’re joking, right?” When I didn’t respond, her smile faded. “Lainey, you can’t be serious. Stealing the Grimoire from the Master? It’s suicide. He’d kill us all.”
“The way I see it, if the Master unlocks that spell, we’re dead anyway. We can’t just sit back and hope he never finds me. He may have already figured out some other way to unlock the Grimoire. Some other form of black magic, for all we know.” I moved to Serena and grabbed her by the shoulders. “If that spell is the one thing that’s keeping the Master from completely conquering the Supernatural realm, then we can’t let him have it. We’ll steal the book and destroy it. He’d never get the power he needs.”
Serena shook her head. “It’s not that simple. You can’t just destroy the Grimoire. It’s infused with generations of DuCarmont magic. The effort alone would kill you.”
“Well, we’ll hide it, then,” I said. “Put it someplace that he can never find it. As long as the Master possesses the Grimoire, I’ll never be free to live my life, and there’s a good chance he’ll figure out some other way to open it. If the Master gets ahold of that spell . . .”
“He’d be unstoppable,” Serena whispered. “More powerful than anything our world has ever known.”
“So don’t you see? Stealing the book is the only way.”
“But Lainey, you’d be putting a target on your back. Gareth would never agree to this.”
“Gareth’s not here. I’m deciding this. Besides, I already have a target on my back. I’m the last DuCarmont Keeper, and it’s my job to guard that book. My mother died protecting it, and now the job belongs to me. I have to get it back. My death is . . .”—I let out a breath—“inevitable.”
Serena flinched away at my words, but I gripped her tighter. “You’ve seen it. If I do die, I want to know I died fulfilling my destiny. Or at least giving it my best shot.”
“We’re not sentencing you to death just yet, Lainey,” Ty said, his voice low and serious. “The vision can change.”
“I hope you’re right, but if it doesn’t, I need to know I’ve done everything in my power to keep the Master from getting his hands on that spell. Or else Josephine, the others, my mother—everything they have done has been in vain.” I stood a little taller. “I’m the Keeper, and I’m going to get that book back.”
Ty’s eyes were pulsing with gold—his Praetorian senses on high alert. “Lainey,” he said, “we can find another way.”
I reached for his hand. “You told me that I have a choice in all of this. That I’m the one who chooses my own path, my own destiny.” I gave him a small smile. “Ty, this is what I choose. Are you with me or not?”
He stared at me for several long moments. Then, with a deep breath, he nodded, leaning forward to whisper in my ear. “My hands, my blade, and my life. Yours.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”
“We’re really going to do this?” Serena asked, sinking down onto the couch. “I don’t know. I don’t think this is a good idea. Gareth—”
She looked at me, her eyes wide as she choked on the words.
Then all sound cut off from her throat, and her entire body went rigid.
“What’s happening?” Maggie asked, her voice shaky.
“I think she’s having a vision,” I said, my own heart pounding in my chest. I reached for her, but Ty held me back.
“Don’t touch her,” he said. “It can be dangerous to interrupt a Seer’s Sight. All we can do is wait for it to pass.”
I nodded, and we all stood frozen, waiting for Serena to come back to us.