Page 117 of Wilds of Wonder
We ran deeper into the tunnel, the man becoming visible again as he limped his way forward.
Emory lunged forward and grabbed the man’s arm.
He erupted into sobs. “It’s my fault. This is all my fault.” His gaze landed on Emory, on me. “You’re going to die. Both of you. Everyone in this world. She will make sure of it.”
“Who?” Emory asked.
He gripped his head again. “Get. Out,” he bellowed.
I touched her arm. “Emory, let’s just get him back and try again for the bolt a little later.” We were running out of time, but this man was unraveling, and I was afraid he’d do something dangerous, turn on us if we didn’t get him to safety.
My gaze flicked upward.
That’s when I realized a key detail we’d been missing. Emory must’ve noticed at the same time.
“There won’t be a later,” she said, raising a shaky finger to point to the space in front of us.
There wouldn’t be. Because the lightning bolt was gone.
Chapter Fifty-Five
EMORY
Aron paced in front of us, his shirt off while Driscoll sat on the bed, now fully clothed, though they’d been naked when we burst in on them, and Driscoll had made it clear he was starting to think I was doing this on purpose. We’d brought the raving man with us, and he sat in the corner, shivering, still crying. Snot dripped from his nose, and he’d folded himself into a huddle, rocking back and forth, muttering to himself.
“You broke my sex toy.” Driscoll gestured to Aron, who was still pacing, shooting horrified looks at the man. “Are you happy? I finally find someone kind and amazing who actually likes my brutal honesty and gives it back tenfold—also is hung like a horse—and now he can barely function!”
Maverick’s arms were crossed, and he rubbed his jaw as his gaze stayed on Aron.
“Aron?” I asked, stepping forward.
He whirled on me, blue eyes wide. “It shouldn’t be possible. He disappeared over fiftyyears ago.”
“Who?” I threw out my arms. “This isn’t making sense. Please explain what’s going on.”
Aron pointed to the man. “That is El’s father.”
We all stilled, our gazes turning on him.
“He must’ve survived the Wilds all this time,” Maverick said, striding toward Aron and putting a hand on his arm to stop his pacing. “Weirder things have happened.”
Aron nodded, his eyes crinkling like he still couldn’t believe it. “I’ve never met him, but I’ve seen paintings of him in this castle. The king held him in high regard. I’m sure that’s him.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Wait, so El is Bellamy?”
At the sound of her name, the man began wailing louder.
“Yes,” Aron said. “And if the lightning bolt is gone, then so is she.” He hesitated. “I should have said something sooner. Now I regret not speaking up.”
I stilled. “Said something about what?”
Aron frowned. “I didn’t remember anything about it until you mentioned the bolt on our first night together. It bothered me because it seemed so familiar. Then I started having flashbacks to dreams. Dreams I had in my wolf form of that bolt before I left the Wilds. I think that’s why I left. To find the bolt.”
“And you think El is the one who made you have those dreams?”
He nodded slowly. “I think maybe she kept part of that vision in the lake to herself. I think she may have seen that bolt. Maybe have known it was the weapon she needed to help save her brothers.”
“She wants that bolt to kill Spirit Shadow,” I guessed. “She lied to us because she knew she’d have to fight us for it. She knew we wanted it for our own purposes.” I gasped. “That’s why she suggested we get married. To delay us.”
