Moon - New Moon Part 19

"Because it's forbidden. Falcone thinks I wouldn't dare come here."

"It's cursed or something?"

"It's from the old religion."

"You mean... Christianity."

"Yes."

"What religion do you have now?"

"There are a lot of... sects. Lots of G.o.ds. People pray to the ones they believe will help them."

"You spoke of the Great Mother. If you believe in her, do you believe she's the only G.o.d?"

"I hope she is."

He wanted more facts. About this whole d.a.m.n world. But that couldn't be his priority.

He took a step toward the edifice. When she didn't move, he said, "It will be dark soon. We need to find shelter and clothing."

She shuddered. "I don't want to go inside. A wolf can travel at night."

"Yeah, but I've got to rest after that fight."

She grimaced. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking. You've been out of bed less than a day."

"I'm not afraid of a building, especially not when it's a good place to shelter," he said. This time he took the lead, ushering her toward a side door, not allowing her to hang back.

Inside, he looked around and found a table that held several oil lamps, which he recognized because he'd seen them in a museum display. They were shaped a little like gravy boats, with an elongated body and a handle. But instead of a pouring spout, they had a smaller opening where the wick came out. He picked one up and shook it, hearing the oil slosh inside. "Too bad there's nothing to light them with," he said.

Rinna gave him a quick look, then took one of the lamps and held it in front of her. As she stared at the wick, a flame sprang up.

He blinked. "How did you do that?"

"That's one of the talents I discovered in school."

"Did it get you into trouble?"

She made a small sound. "No. I told you, all the children in the school had psychic talents. Actually, that's why we were there-to find out what skills we possessed and develop them to the fullest."

"How old were you when you first changed form?"

"Eight."

He looked at her in surprise. "You didn't have to be... s.e.xually mature to do it?"

"No. Morga was my guide."

"Who was Morga?"

"One of my teachers. She was strict, but she taught me a lot. Without the school I never would have..." She let the sentence trail off.

"Wouldn't what?"

"Wouldn't have found out everything I can do," she answered, but he suspected she had changed what she was going to say. She was telling him more than she had previously, but she was still hiding information from him.

"Can you light another lamp?"

She handed him the one she was holding, then picked up a second vessel and sparked the wick.

Logan held his in front of himself as he walked toward another door and pulled it open.

He was thinking how strange it was to step naked into the sanctuary. In the shadows, he couldn't see much. But he caught the feel of the ma.s.sive high-ceilinged room. There were no chairs or pews inside, only a great expanse of open floor.

Some light came in through the elongated windows. They had retained much of their stained gla.s.s, but the wind whistled through a number of holes in the gla.s.s and in the ceiling high above the stone floor.

A whirring sound made Logan's head jerk up. Beside him, Rinna had gone rigid.

He turned and pulled her close, cursing himself for putting her in danger.

Were they under attack again? What?

Then he saw a large flock of pigeons flying upward and out through holes in the high windows.

"Sorry, I'm jumpy," he muttered.

"Both of us," she whispered. "I feel ghosts here."

"You believe in ghosts?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

"I'm not sure."

He draped his arm around her shoulder, feeling her skin quiver. He wanted to turn her toward him, bury his face in her thick hair and breathe in her wonderful scent.

But because he wanted her to feel comfortable with him, he kept his touch light and his gaze on the building. His mother had tried to cultivate his belief in religion. His father had scoffed at what he called superst.i.tions.

Logan had gone with his father's teachings because they seemed to make more sense to his werewolf mind. And since he'd first changed from teenager to wolf, he hadn't been inside a church. But even in its ruined state, the cathedral conveyed a feeling of majesty.

Rinna's reaction was quite different, Beside him, she drew in a sharp breath.

"What?"

"So many people gathered together in one place," she murmured, her voice hushed.

He also kept his voice low. "You don't do that?"