Page 62 of The Wild Moon
“There’s no way Fred is your real name, right?” I asked. “Is it supposed to make you seem less threatening? Because it doesn’t work. Just so you know.”
Fred stared at me.
“Whatever,” I said, turning back to Aaron. “It’s just camping and exploring out there. What’s so dangerous? You keep saying this. I grew up in the country. It’s fine.”
“Growing up in a farm town is different than where we’re headed,” he said. “No cell reception. No other humans for hundreds of miles. It’s rough territory, and it’s very easy to get lost and killed out there. We go as a team. As much for our own protection as yours.”
“Okay,” I said, not fighting it. If Aaron wanted to bring his frat brothers with him, I wasn’t going to argue. “Then, let’s do this.”
Aaron nodded, and without a word, the others got up, filing out the back door. I followed. Waiting were two large, beefy-looking pickup trucks packed to the brim with supplies. The white one had a trailer attached to it, though it was empty.
Everyone but Aaron went to the white truck and climbed in. Aaron went to the slightly smaller black pickup, a new-looking Ford.
I hopped into the black pickup as well, taking the passenger seat.
“Are they that afraid of you?” I quipped as I got in and buckled up.
“I told them to let you ride alone with me,” Aaron said quietly, firing up the engine with the push of a button on the dash. “I figured you would be more comfortable that way.”
I frowned. That was uncharacteristically nice of him. Was he hoping for road head or something? It wasn’t going to happen, and he had to know that. So I waited for the catch, but Aaron was done speaking. We pulled out, leaving the rundown building and my dad’s little pickup behind.
Two days until the Wild Moon. Two days to find something my father hadn’t found in years of searching.
I was so screwed.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“What’s that?”
I looked up to find Aaron glancing over at me, his eyes flicking between the road and the book in my lap.
“My father’s journal,” I said, trying not to let myself get distracted by those damnable blue eyes of his.
They have no business being that intriguing.
Bright. They were bright, not intriguing. That’s what they had no business being. They were like the sky but with an electric glow to them. Were they contacts, maybe? I couldn’t rule that out, but I was positive I’d never seen someone with eyes quite the shade of his.
So much for not getting distracted. I fell for the trap again.
We were hours outside of Kellar now, human civilization well behind us. The meadows had given way to forests, and we were slowly climbing higher into the foothills at the base of the mountains. Another hour, or maybe two, and I figured we’d be into the mountain range. It was hard to tell. The damn stone giants were incredibly deceiving in size.
“His journal?”
“Yeah. He gave it to me as a shi–a gift,” I corrected, almost making a huge mistake. I was feeling too at ease around Aaron. I couldn’t afford a slip. Not now. “He meant to, at least. He never got the chance before he disappeared.”
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said with uncharacteristic kindness. “I liked your father.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But I still think he’s out there. Somewhere.”
Aaron very clearly didn’t state the obvious, that the odds were incredibly unlikely. I appreciated that from him. I wasn’t dumb, I knew it was unlikely, but I wasn’t ready to give up hope. Not yet.
“Your card was under the front cover,” I said quietly. “I think he wanted me to come to you. That, combined with the last entries. It’s like he was telling me I needed to come out here myself. To find something. You’re positive he didn’t find anything last time?”
“Nothing that he told us about,” Aaron said.
“I see.”
“What does his journal say?”
