Page 110 of Wilds of Wonder
I was. “Somehow, I missed that completely. I was so caught up with the rest of her fantastical story that that detail slipped by me.” I searched his face, desperate to know if we still had a chance. Hopeful that I hadn’t messed up our relationship so badly that there would be no repairing it. “The truth is, when I started rereading those notes, I realized you would never do any of those things to me that Gregory had. That I didn’t care what some stupid lake showed me. We are the ones in control of our fate, and I won’t let my past dictate my future.”
His lips quirked up, and my heart melted. “Oh yeah?” He stepped closer, his arms wrapping around me.
“Well, your sister and Driscoll might’ve talked a little bit of sense into me as well.”
“My sister can be very, very persistent.” He leaned down, trailing his lips over my jaw, and I shuddered.
“Now I know where she gets it from.”
“Mm,” he said.
“Marry me,” I burst out. The second time tonight my brain didn’t seem to have any control over my mouth.
Maverick’s arm’s stiffened, his lips frozen in place over my jawline.
I looked up to meet his gaze, swallowing as my stomach bubbled. “It’s okay if the answer is no. I hurt you. I didn’t believe in you. I didn’t believe in us. If you don’t want to marry me anymore?—”
He lifted me up and twirled me, his arms tight around my waist. “I asked you first,” he said, lips still twitching.
“Is that a yes?” I asked.
He stopped suddenly, arms hugging right under my butt, my hands now propped on his shoulders. I looked down at him with a question.
“Of course it’s a yes, Emory Von Lucas.”
My breath hitched. I’d been Emory Janey. Emory Growley. Neither names ever felt like me. But Emory Von Lucas. That didn’t scare me. It didn’t feel like I was losing a part of myself. It felt like I was claiming a part of myself.
I slid down his body until our foreheads met. “I can’t believe I get to be your wife. Do you think the frost queen will rescind your position once she knows you’ve married the white rabbit?”
He stilled, and I hoped he wasn’t already regretting this.
“That was beautiful,” a wobbly voice burst out.
Maverick and I jumped apart just in time for Driscoll, Annalee, and Aron to appear from behind the thick columns that stood in front of the balcony doors.
“Were you listening to that?” I asked.
“You’re getting married.” Annalee clapped and jumped up and down.
“Of course we were listening,” Driscoll said. “I’m the wedding whisperer. If there’s even a hint of a wedding happening, I’m summoned. I can help plan the entire thing. You have no idea how wrong you can go when it comes to dresses, colors, food...” He looked us up and down. “Especially you two. Knowing you, you’llwant to get married in some ancient, dusty tomb or in the middle of a volcano.”
Annalee rushed forward and barreled into Maverick. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Congratulations.” Aron nodded in our direction. “By the way, the lake we camped at? You are right. It does not show your future.”
I quirked a brow. This I wanted to hear.
“It’s a reflection of the worst parts of yourself,” Aron continued. “It shows you that which you fear the most. That lake actually wasn’t made by the curse. It was made long long ago in the Old World. By Spirit Frost. He and Spirit Star were feuding. Spirit Frost was angry and wanted to hurt Spirit Star. He knew the best way to do that would be to hurt her people, so he created a special mirror, one that reflected your worst fears about yourself, then flew high over the star lands and shattered the mirror. It fell into that lake, sinking to the bottom and coating all the rocks. Anyone who looks into the lake sees this ugly reflection of themselves.”
My mouth dropped open. So that truly hadn’t been a vision of the future.
“What a fascinating tale,” Maverick murmured.
It was. But all I could focus on was what a fool I’d been. How I’d hurt Maverick because of my own insecurities.
El clicked open the door, slipping outside and giving us a questioning look.
“They’re getting married,” Driscoll said. “At some point. If we survive all this and actually get out with our lives intact.”
