Page 77 of Under a Wicked Moon
Or did she?
She pressed her mind to remember.Come on. Something. A tidbit. Who is this guy?
Nova’s surprise at meeting him had seemed genuine. But she’d realized her sister would do whatever necessary to protect her,even pretend to meet someone they both already knew.
Lacerating pain as if someone shoved a knife through her forehead had her grabbing a tree branch for support.
“You good?” Ky called.
“Fine.” No, she wasn’t fine. His comfort level with her and his willingness to follow where she led to do fairy business came off too trusting for someone who looked like he could take on an adult bear if it charged him. If he knew her, then why pretend to be introduced to her? What was he hiding? And why did she intuitively trust him?
She tugged her jacket tight to ward off the whip of the wind. Probably should zip it, but she found it restrictive when moving up and down the rocky terrain. The purple fabric of the puffy jacket her sister gave her yesterday caught her off guard. Did she like purple? Was this her color or even her style? On a daily basis she got caught up in the frustration of being unable to remember crap like this. Each day she got better at not pushing her brain, not inducing the headache. However, she’d discovered she wasn’t a person who gave up simply because of a little pain.
“Something wrong with your coat?” he asked.
Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip. “Do I like purple?”
His eyebrows dipped low. “I don’t know. Do you?”
Desperate for him to fill her in if he knew her, if he could answer questions like this, she flexed and relaxed her hands while she stared at him. He didn’t seem to be getting the hint she wanted him to talk.
She tried toreadhim. To see if he seemed to be having familiar thoughts of her, or something. Anything. But got nothing from him. Absolutely nothing. What did that mean?
When he stayed silent, she started moving again.
Time to focus on why they were here. She breathed deep to gather the feel of the woods into her. The will-o’-the-wisps were here the last time she’d been on this side of the stream.
One popped out on the trail ahead whispering,“This way.”She brushed past Ky to follow it, heart pounding and body jittery.
When he didn’t immediately follow deviating from the path, she grabbed his hand and towed him behind her. His hand felt warm against hers. Strong. And right.
How could this feel so comfortable? It seemed beyond familiar.You are safe.
That voice. She’d heard it in her dreams.
Oh my God. It was his voice.
She did know him from her past. Didn’t she?
Not remembering sucked.
Nova refused to tell her anything, and even admitted she didn’t know much. Vivi had been told about the trigger words and why she needed to leave the past in the past, but she felt like she’d left too much behind. If Ky had known the old her, he might be able to fill in some details on who she’d been. Maybe he could help with little things. Safe things. Like favorite colors or foods.
Crossing the stream behind her required jumping from rock to rock. When he slipped, landing in a wet splash, laughter fluttered out of her at his embarrassed flush. He held up his now wet foot. She asked, “Need some help, big man?”
“I hate wet socks when it’s cold like it is out here.” He shook the soaked foot. “I’ll survive.”
“I’m sorry. Come on. We’ve got to be almost there. You can take off your socks when we arrive.” She sprinted up a hill, trying to keep up with the blue moving ball of light. An abrupt halt when the will-o’-the-wisp disappeared had him bumping into her.
He caught her before she fell, but the collision caused her to drop the small backpack with the crowns. As she retrieved it, she blurted, “You have broad shoulders. And take up a lot of space.”
His brows quirked upward.
He was so sexy that it distracted her from her goal of getting him to admit he knew her from before.
Everything about him, from his longish dirty-blond hair to his strong, sculpted arms to the demanding light in his blue eyes, was sexy.
“I already lost my memories. Do you think I’ve gone crazy to be talking to little blue lights?” Why couldn’t she catch her breath around this man every time she looked at him?
