A gothic mystery by Devae Hickman

Some rooms never empty. Some ghosts never check out.

When Lila Merren’s truck breaks down in the desert, she stumbles upon a faded turquoise relic called the Moonlight Motel — a place she’s seen for years in her dreams but never believed was real.
The neon sign hums like a heartbeat, the pool is filled with desert sand, and behind the desk waits Elias Vale, a man with silver eyes and a kindness that feels centuries old.

Each night, the motel shifts a little closer to the impossible: humming walls, vanishing footprints, and a lullaby that follows her into sleep.
Each morning, Elias’s secrets shine through the cracks in the sunlight.

Lila came looking for answers.
But the motel has been waiting for her.

✨

The vacancy sign flickered once, twice—then steadied in a low red hum that pulsed through the fog like a heartbeat. Lila sat in her car, hands gripping the wheel, the world outside reduced to silver and shadow. Somewhere behind the office window, a bell jingled, though no one stood there. She could smell the sea even this far inland, sharp and cold as memory. When she finally stepped out, her reflection shimmered faintly in the glass, but the face looking back wasn’t quite her own. The motel breathed, soft and slow, as if it had been waiting for her.

☕ Coming Soon — Pre-order Opens Soon

📖 A haunting blend of mystery, romance, and desert gothic