Page 20 of Faerie Marked

True to his normal everyday routine, I heard Uncle Will shut the door to his office with a soft snick. “Tavi, I’m off for work.” His voice echoed up the staircase with a deep rumble.

“Okay.” I poked my head out of my room. “Have a nice day and I’ll see you when you get home.”

“Are you sure you can’t come in to the office for a few hours?”’ He peered up the staircase at me, apparently trying to determine if my claim of feeling sick was true or not. “I know your internship with us is coming to an end soon but we can still use you. Come on.”

He wanted to keep an eye on me, I knew. To make sure I didn’t do anything to jeopardize his arrangement.

I shook my head, and it wasn’t a stretch to look as miserable physically as I felt emotionally. There were too many things on my mind to think straight and I hadn’t slept for more than a few hours at a time. “Sorry, Uncle Will. This weekend has been a little stressful for me and I can’t seem to shake this headache. I’ll make it up to you,” I said, lying straight to his face. “I’ll put in extra hours tomorrow.”

He looked as though he wanted to argue further. Todebateme, one of his favorite pastimes. He sighed and drew his briefcase tighter against his hip, looking dapper in his double-breasted suit coat and crisp black pants. Ready for battle.

“I do wish you felt better, Tav. I know we haven’t gotten a chance to speak since our dinner and there are certain things I want to discuss further, when you’re back to normal.” His eyes darted around without landing, fingers tapping out an erratic rhythm on the leather briefcase. Too many things onhismind as well. “Things I believe will ease a little bit of thetensionI’m sure we all feel with this new dynamic.”

Tension? Nah, try disgust, nausea, dread. “I wish I felt better too,” I told him, and at least it was the truth. “I’ll make it up to you.”

The repetition did the trick.

“Sweet girl, I know you will. Come here.” Will stepped forward and opened his arms. I went down the steps willingly, leaning my head against his chest and breathing in his familiar expensive scent.

Close enough to how I remembered my father. Tears pricked my eyes. I didn’t have many memories of the man outside of a few moments of clarity. Big shoulders, boisterous laugh, and his scent. One he and his brother shared. And now Uncle Will was the only family I had left.

Was I really leaving? Could I do this?

“Take care,” I choked out. Holding him a little longer and squeezing tighter. “Have fun at work.”

William chuckled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is a goodbye. You must really feel poorly.”

I tightened my hold again. “I do.”

“Well, get some rest.” He ran a hand over my head for a brief second. “Have Cook make you anything you like. Although I know it’s cliché, chicken soup really does help. I’ll see you when I get home.”

“Thank you for everything.”

He kissed my hair and walked out the front door like any normal day. Except it wasn’t a normal day, not for me, and once I followed through with my plan, things between us would never be the same. If I ever saw my uncle again.

I stared after him for a long time, long after the door closed and I lost the sounds of his car driving down the road. Uncle Will would never forgive me for this. I knew it. The act of betrayal would cut too deeply for him to accept me again if I decided to make amends.

This truly was goodbye.

The walk from the house would take me some time. I’d leave my car here, taking only what I might need for the academy and nothing more.

My bags were packed, the vials secured. I’d stuffed them at the bottom of my wheeled suitcase along with clothes and snacks and memorabilia I couldn’t live without. It hurt to leave the laptop at the house, just as it hurt to leave the phone, but both of them were too easy to hack and track. I refused to take the chance and leave a trail.

If I disappeared, I did it for good. A trick I’d learned from Jason had me clearing my internet search history so Uncle Will wouldn’t be able to find out about the academy website no matter how hard he tried.

Vanish completely.

Under any other circumstances, running away from the protection of the pack would be foolish. But the time had come. I gathered my things closer, tightened my grip on the suitcase, and breathed in the familiar scents one last time.

No turning back, Tavi.

I took one last look around. I’d come back to this place one day, if I could.

Part of me knew it was just a pipe dream, though. I wouldn’t be allowed to come back. The pack would never allow it. The betrayal would cut too deep.

Now. I had to gonow. I couldn’t even say goodbye to Cook and the others—not when I knew they would go straight to my uncle and tell him I was acting squirrelly. He would turn the car around without hesitation. Catch me in the act and punish me. Lock me up, most likely.

I couldn’t take the risk.

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