Page 94 of Moonlight & Mayhem

“Mayhem,” she warned.

He sighed. “My leg went numb.”

Fear hit her hard. “Which one?”

“My left leg.”

Moon crouched. “Can you feel this?” She pressed her fingers into his thigh.

“Barely,” he said.

“Damn it,” she breathed.

Mayhem caught her chin. “We don’t stop.”

“You’re getting worse,” she assessed.

“And getting me back to Baltimore won’t fix it,” he insisted.

Moon hated that he was right. “I need you beside me.”

“Good.” He smiled faintly. “Because I wasn’t planning on leaving.”

Moon stood. She kept one arm around his waist, and Mayhem looked down. “You know I can walk.”

“I know,” she said.

“Then why are you helping me?” he asked.

“Because I want to touch you,” she admitted. He stopped, and Moon immediately regretted saying it aloud.

Mayhem’s expression changed. “Say that again.”

“No,” Moon whispered.

“Moonlight,” he said.

“Keep walking,” she ordered.

His smile was enormous. “You like touching me.”

“I’m stabilizing your condition,” she insisted.

“You said that you want to touch me.”

“Touching you is a medical necessity,” she lied.

“Bullshit.” Moon elbowed him, and Mayhem laughed. The sound followed them through the trees, and for one brief moment, Moon wasn’t terrified. Then they reached Black Hollow and the laughter died. The settlement sat inside a valley surrounded by mountains. Old buildings lined one narrow road with cabins, a general store, a church, and the bell tower from the journal rose above everything. Moon stopped breathing. She had seen this place before—not in a vision, but in dreams she’d forgotten of a little girl running through snow and a woman calling her name while bells were ringing.

Moon touched her chest. “No.”

Mayhem immediately turned. “What?”

“I remember this place.” Morrigan looked back as Moon stared at the church. “I’ve been here.”

“You were four when Selene took you away,” Morrigan said.

Moon looked at her. “I remember the bells.”