Paxton finally looks up at me and he looks puzzled. Ethan and Gilbert also look at me with wide eyes.
“I was the one that took all the stuff,” I say. “Survival instinct.”
Paxton looks to be at a loss for words, but he just shakes his head and shrugs. “Well, if one of you is responsible, then all of you are, and I can’t have you in my town.”
“You’re throwing us out?” Gilbert snaps.
“Gabe will take the three of you away from here just before dawn,” he says.
It didn’t work. What can I do to make him just take me away instead of the three of us? “Why would you punish them for something that I did?” I ask.
“Because for all I know, you’re covering for them,” Paxton answers back. “Better safe than sorry.” He waves for his guards to come in.
I look back at them as they approach and Gabe stands near the door. He seems angry. I suppose he doesn’t like it when people steal from his town. A firm hand grabs my arm and I snatch it away. “I can walk without you holding me,” I say.
Ethan walks behind me and when I look at his face, I can tell his mind is racing. This all seems so abrupt. Setting my vision aside, it makes no sense. Why would they think that we broke into their storerooms? There is no proof. It isn’t fair. But I have already confessed to no avail. I don’t know what to do now.
“Wait!” Gilbert yells out. “I have valuable information. I will tell you if you let me go.”
I grit my teeth when he says me instead of us. Here I am trying to save his life and he only thinks of himself.
Paxton tells the guards to hold off for a moment. “What is it then?”
“You asked me if I had any special abilities.” My stomach lurches when he says this.
“Yes?” Paxton says.
Gilbert points at me. “She’s got them,” he says.
“Shut up!” Ethan yells. He grabs Gilbert by the shirt and tries to shove him but the guards are already wedged between them.
“She can see the future,” Gilbert continues. “I don’t know how she did it, but she somehow used that to break into your storerooms.”
Paxton stares at me for a long moment. My eyes go to Ethan who is glaring at Gilbert.
“Is it true?” Paxton asks. “That you can see into the future?”
If I say yes, he might keep me here. If I say no, he’ll make me leave. “Yes,” I say.
He continues to stare at me until he sits back down and rakes his fingers through his hair. He seems conflicted, and I wish I could tell what he is thinking. This whole situation feels so random to me. We barely got into Crestwood before they decided to kick us out for something we didn’t do.
Finally, Paxton looks up at the guards and nods. “Take them away.”
“What was that about?” Ethan snaps at Gilbert.
We have all been brought to the same room where we were questioned a couple of days ago. We sit, waiting for Gabe to take us away. Ethan seems like he wants to tear out Gilbert’s throat. I’m not as angry as I should be, mostly because I’m still trying to figure everything out.
“I was just trying to buy us some time,” he says and looks at me. “Besides, you admitted to it.”
“I didn’t actually steal anything,” I say. “I was just trying to…” I let out a deep breath and look away from him, “to fix the situation. I thought that if I could take the blame then we wouldn’t all get kicked out.”
“Fine idea that was,” Gilbert says.
“It’s more than what you did,” Ethan says. “At least she was thinking about someone other than herself.”
“And what did you do, Ethan? You just sat there, quiet as usual. I didn’t see you try to do anything about it.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” I say, though I didn’t know I said it out loud until both of them are looking at me, waiting for an explanation. “Just that, maybe we were trying too hard. He saw the desperation and wanted us out regardless.”
“Nah,” Gilbert says. “He seemed pretty set on getting us out of here. Something’s fishy if you ask me. Wakes us up in the middle of the night, gets us out of here before dawn — before anyone in the town might think to question the reasoning.” A door opens on the other end of the room and Gabe stands ready to take us out. “Isn’t that right, Gabe?” Gilbert sneers.
“What?” he says. He looks like he hasn’t gotten any sleep in days.
“Something weird is happening,” Gilbert says. “You know we didn’t steal anything, don’t you?”
“Not right now,” Gabe says. “You can say what you want to when we’re in the car, but for now, keep quiet.”
The rain pelts us hard as Gabe leads us to a large SUV parked just inside the town gates. Streams flow into the storm drains next to the sidewalks and I have to sidestep a few puddles before we’re inside. Gabe drives, Gilbert sits up front, and Ethan and I sit in the back seat. Even though the heat is on in the vehicle, I can still see vapor every time one of us breathes.
“I’m not going to need to cuff any of you, am I?” Gabe asks. He gets no argument from us.
The gate opens in front of us and Gabe eases on the gas until we’re on the road. As we pass through the gate, I can’t help but feel sick at the thought of leaving already. The vision of Gilbert had seemed like an impossibility, but it was becoming a reality now, and so far I have failed at altering it.
I never see the sun come up because of the grey clouds above us, but the light still manages to illuminate the road ahead of us. We drive in silence for almost ten minutes before Gabe finally pulls the SUV over and stops on the side.
“What, you’re just going to drop us off here?” Gilbert says.
“Yes,” Gabe answers. “You were correct earlier when you said something wasn’t right.” He turns in his seat to look at each of us. “I don’t know what’s happening in Crestwood, but it’s not good. I’ve been trying to investigate it, but things have gotten a little dangerous.”
“With Paxton?” I ask.
He nods. “Not just him though. He answers to someone else. Goes by the name Shadowface. I’m trying to figure it all out.”
“Sounds dark,” Gilbert says, rolling his eyes.
Gabe ignores him. “Anyway, I think this Shadowface might have something to do with you leaving. I don’t know what it’s about, but I have it on good authority that you’ve got some raiders on your trail.”
“Scarecrow,” I whisper. I can feel my hands begin to tremble.
“Yeah, well, I’m supposed to drop you off at a warehouse just a few miles from here so this guy can capture you. He says you all have something of his.”
Ethan and I both look at Gilbert immediately and we can see the blood drain from his face.
“Do you still have the cylinder?” Ethan asks.
Gilbert reaches into his pocket and pulls it out. His lips move like he wants to say something, but the words can’t seem to form.
“Well,” Gabe says, “whatever that thing is, you took it from the wrong guy, and it’s my job to deliver you to him.”
“How do you know all this?” I ask. “Did Paxton tell you these things?”
“Did any of you hear about a banishment from a couple of days ago?” Gabe asks.
“Yeah,” Ethan says. “But we didn’t want to ask too many questions.”
“I didn’t hear about it,” Gilbert says.
“She has a special ability like you, Waverly,” Gabe says. “Or was that just something this jerk came up with?” He points a thumb at Gilbert.
“No,” I say. “It’s real.”
“Yeah, well,” Gabe says. “This girl overheard Paxton talking with the raider. She has some crazy ability to hear things from far away or something, I don’t know. I’m looking to get to the bottom of it all.”