Page 9 of Discovered Magic
“I know who he is,” she said with an impatient wave. “Did he convince you to do this? The man’s a wildcard. Do you know he?—”
Wilder captured her hand mid-flutter. “Liz. Please.”
“Okay. Fine. Tell me.”
And so he explained about Abbie and Castor’s relationship, the dream that wasn’t a dream, and how Abbie’s newfound father intended to help uncover her whereabouts.
“Wow.” She looked as stunned as he’d felt when the Traveler first opened Ebba’s door. “That’s a lot to take in, but if anyone can alter time and save her, it would be him.”
“I thought the same, and I have to try.”
Shaking her head, Liz said, “I can’t believe this. But let me get this straight. Ebba channeled Abbie in some alternate timeline? Which you believe is, what, the Wild West?”
Her brow was furrowed as she tried to fit the pieces together.
“Something like that,” he replied. “It’s possible, under the high-stress fall, her powers manifested. If they did and she doesn’t know how to control them, she could be stuck in the past.”
“But why wouldn’t she have found a way to contact you? Left a note for you to find or something?”
He smiled wryly. “Ebba asked much the same thing.”
“Because she’s smart. And what did you answer?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember how you answered her, or you don’t know how to answer me?” she asked tartly, raising a brow.
“My kid sister, always the wiseass.” He sipped his coffee as he considered her question with a clearer mind. “If Abbie’s timeline is similar to ours and two years have passed, it’s possible she made the best of a bad situation and moved on. Maybe she met someone and created a life there if she couldn’t get back.”
“Oh, Wilder.”
“Yeah. I may have to accept she doesn’t love me anymore, but I can’t rest until she tells me herself.”
Liz covered his hand with hers and squeezed. “You forget, I’ve seen you two together. Abbie isn’t a woman who would move on easily. You’re made for each other.”
“I’ve always thought so. But maybe not. We don’t know what she’s gone through. Despair does strange things to a person.” His voice held a catch, but he wasn’t embarrassed by his intense emotions. His sister would understand. She had fallen in love with Rafe while on vacation, only to have him disappear one morning. It had taken four years for the two of them to reconnect, and their romance hadn’t gone smoothly. She knew what loss and separation felt like.
Hell, their mutual enemy was the one responsible for taking down the Thornes’ magic the day Abbie fell, making it impossible for Wilder to save her.
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But for a good ninety-five percent of us, it works out.”
He met her sorrowful gaze and could tell she believed he fell into the pitiful five-percent category.
“Do you have anything stronger to drink?” he asked.
“I do, but I’m not giving you a crutch to lean on. It’s taken until now for you to visit my home, and you’ll remain sober, brother mine.”
“Nag.” He turned his hand over, weaving his fingers with hers. “Thank you for caring, sister mine.”
“You’ve always looked out for me, growing up. Of course, I care.”
“Would you like us to join in your search?” Rafe asked. He’d been quiet and thoughtful the entire conversation, as was his way, but he was always willing to assist whenever he could.
“While I appreciate the offer, I’m going to let Castor take the lead on this one. She’s his daughter, and if all else fails, he can cast a blood-to-blood location spell.”
“Those are always useful,” Rafe replied dryly.
Wilder chuckled. Once again, he was surprised by how much lighter he felt. Perhaps it was finally taking action after so long, or maybe his once-inherent optimism was returning. Either way, the burgeoning hope felt good.
