Page 47 of Bad Moon Rising
He glowered at her. “I said stay in the car. It’s not safe out here.”
“Why? Are there dangerous spirits that’ll jump out of the fields to slice my throat?” She marched right up to him, not the least intimidated. “The attitude is cute, but it’s not getting that gate open.” She waved her hands at him. “Open it and then we can drive up to the house. Hope they don’t have an attack dog. There is that humongousDanger. Keep Out.sign right there.” She pointed to the right.
“I highly doubt anyone’s at home. I don’t smell dogs. Do you? We can’t get through this without removing the protective spells.”
“The coin helps?” She trailed off as she stared at the wooden fence. “I feel cold and… Why do I want to leave? Whatever this is really doesn’t want us here. Well, tough. If this is the key to my past, then it can shove it.”
Boldly, she touched the gate.
“No,” he ordered. “Back away.”
She rattled it hard, but it didn’t open. “I don’t— Oh, no.” Gripping her head, she dropped to her knees with a moan.
Roman lunged forward, careful not to move too close to the gate, and tugged her a few feet backward. “You okay?”
After a few more seconds, she removed her hands from her face. “Well, it didn’t make me miraculously remember. Just hurt. Like a bad headache.”
“Maybe you should stay in the car.”Like I told you.
She cocked her head and stared at the gate for a moment before managing to get herself upright without help. Obviously, she was still shaken by the protective ward on the gate. “What happens to you once we get the gate open and go through? What happens when we face what’s up the road at the house?”
He didn’t like the possible answers to her question. Worst-case scenarios pinged around inside his head.
She put her hands on her hips. “What if the people living here are my family and they’re home?” She stared at him as if trying to gauge his expression, which he worked hard to keep stoic. “Are you going to drop me off and go find some hole to hide in until the curse kills you?”
He’d considered this.
It wastheworst-case scenario.
She asked, “Had it occurred to you whoever wiped my memory wanted this? Wanted us right here, right now. That whoever it is wantsyouto wipe me out? Or maybe the plan is to end up with you dead?”
“I’ve considered many angles on this. I swear on my soul what I said before holds.” He gritted his teeth against the renewed agony the curse sent through his body, not just limited to his arm and chest this time.
“Damn it. It’s hurting you again.”
Burning pulsations surged up the nerves of his arm the longer they stood here. Shaking consumed his entire upper body as he fought against the intensity of the agony.
She stepped into him, her body pressed against his while muttering words he couldn’t hear over the escalating pain.
He cradled his numb arm.I can’t do it. Won’t do it.His body lit up like someone set him on fire.
And then it all abated like the tide on a beach going out with a slow ebb.
Nova stood back. She chewed on her lip and stared at him for endless moments. “Better?”
Yes. It was. The agony had receded to a faint electric feeling across his skin. He nodded. “Thanks.”
She took a step toward the gate and wavered. He caught her.
“I’m good. That took a bit out of me. I want to know what’s on the other side of the gate. My gut is telling me something about this gate, but I’m not sure what.” She touched the post that held the gate’s hinges. “There’s writing there. It says:Who comes so late to Candle Gate?”
He listened to her repeat the phrase over and over while he looked at the complex spells through the coin again. Lace-like patterns of light wove around the gate and the trees immediately surrounding them. These were intricate. He needed a witch or mage to undo these. Slim chance Dom would do a house call. As well, no way he’d pay Dom’s price. Maybe for Nova… Dom might make an exception, not that he had a way to contact him out here in the middle of nowhere. They’d have to drive back to town, which was thirty minutes, and use a payphone.
“I know this from somewhere. Like a song. I remember songs, which is so bizarre.” She rubbed her forehead, muttering the phrase a few times and then singing them. “Hurts…but I can almost remember. It’s right there.” She groaned and fell to her knees gripping her head. “Remember. Come on. Don’t let me down.”
She held up a hand when he stepped close. A brisk breeze whipped around them, worming its icy bite through clothing. She shivered. Then her whole body progressed to shaking. “I can do this. It’s…it’s right there.”
“We’ll find another way in. Maybe we can approach by water.” He couldn’t see the house from here to gauge how far it was from the nearby bay. The driveway looked to go on for a while and wound into hills.
