“Will I see you again?” James said. There was still so much he wanted to know.
“If you ask the right questions, you will find me.”
“What does that mea—”
James was cut off by a massive boom of thunder as a lightning bolt cracked directly overhead. The trees around them bent against the wind, their leaves shaking. James could see the sheet of rain moving quickly toward them. It was only seconds away.
“Always remember you have a choice, James,” Takarta said.
James looked at the old man, and a million questions floated through his mind.
The rain wall hit, and for a moment, all James saw was water and flashes of lightning. Next to him, Takarta stood and raised his hands toward the sky. James squinted up through the gale. As lightning forked across the sky, he thought he saw the outline of a face with black, smoldering eyes stretching across the clouds.
Then the world collapsed, and James saw no more.
Chapter 42
James returned to the world with a flash of pain.
His whole body hurt, every inch screaming in agony. He immediately wished he could go back to the jungle, that place of peace. But it wasn’t possible. He was back.
He opened his eyes and heard a scream.
He was lying in a crater, surrounded by stones and debris. The sky was clear above him. He looked down and saw his arm, mangled in a way that made him nauseous, but still holding the stone, now completely clear like a dead lightbulb. That was all it was now, he supposed.
“James!” a man’s voice said above him, and it took him a moment to register whom it belonged to. It had been so long since he’d heard it. So much had happened.
Derek crouched next to him and put a hand gingerly on his shoulder. His eyes shone with tears. “You’re okay. Just don’t move.”
“Derek,” James said. His voice was hoarse, thin. Even to him, it sounded like the voice of a dying man. “You’re here.” He stared up at his brother, afraid he’d disappear when he blinked, that it was just a hallucination. But no, he could feel his brother’s hand on his shoulder. This was real.
“I am. I’m right here,” Derek said. “Everything’s alright.”
“How...” He turned his head and saw Katie standing slightly back, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. “Katie.” He smiled, despite the pain. “You did it. And is...”
Just then, Rocky came jogging up with Auri in tow.
“You’re awake!” Rocky said. He fist-pumped into the sky like he just scored a touchdown. This made James smile wider. Then he grimaced in pain. “How do you feel?”
“Like garbage,” James said. “And very confused.”
Auri knelt next to him and placed a hand on his chest. She closed her eyes, and the pain in his body immediately lessened, though it was still significant. After several moments, she sighed and leaned back, opening her eyes. “That’s all I can do for now. We’ll need to realign the bones in your hand and arm before I fix them.”
James nodded, grateful. He held out his good hand to Rocky. “Help me up.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea—” Katie began.
“I’d rather talk to you standing than lying here like a dead man,” James said.
Rocky nodded and grabbed James’s free hand, hauling him to his feet. James’s body screamed in protest at this, but he ignored it. Pain felt as familiar as an old friend now. And just as easy to ignore.
Rocky draped James’s good arm over his shoulder to support his weight, and for the first time, James got a good look at their surroundings. The earth here had been completely decimated, stone and dirt strewn everywhere.
He wanted to hear Katie and Rocky’s story: how they got past Calico and rescued his brother and the Supers. He was sure it was an exciting story indeed, but he knew there’d be time for all that later.
“I want to see the temple,” James said. With Rocky’s help, he limped around the curve of the hill, Derek walking at his side, the other two trailing them. He was relieved to see that the temple was still in one piece. It’d be a crime to destroy such a beautiful landmark. And it was beautiful; he saw that now. Not just for the secrets it held, but for what it represented.
In front of the serene temple, the scene was chaotic. Several local police cars had pulled in between the black SUVs. Bodies in black suits littered the ground. James saw no sign of Roche or Banks.
Lychnus spoke to the police officers. He towered over them, his hair and beard long from his imprisonment. He glanced up, saw James and the others, and detached himself from the police officers.
“James,” he said, touching him lightly on the shoulder. “It is great to see you up and well.”
“Thank you,” James said. “I’m glad to see you free.”
“All thanks to these two here.” Lychnus nodded toward Katie and Rocky. He smiled warmly, his blue eyes glittering, and it struck James just how different he was from his brother. The warmth seemed genuine, while Calico’s never had; James saw that now. Calico’s friendliness always felt like that of a salesman. “We will have much time to share stories, I am sure, but the time is not now.”
James felt grateful for that. He was exhausted, and in pain, and didn’t feel like explaining what had happened in the cavern.
“But,” Lychnus said, “I must know, for it is of utmost urgency. Did Calico get the stone?”
James looked down at his mangled arm, which he hadn’t even noticed was still carrying the dead stone. Lychnus followed his gaze and let out a sharp breath.
“May I?” Lychnus said, and James nodded, though he felt a twinge of reluctance. Lychnus leaned down and pried the stone from James’s fingers, careful not to touch his arm.
He held it up in front of him, a curious expression on his face.
“I saw it
