Page 63 of Red Dreams

I glance back at the cottage, torn. Ethan needs me. But something behind Cassie’s cold affect, a dent in her steel, pulls at me. Sighing, I follow her into the lighthouse.

The stairs are narrow and steep, the metal railings flaking with rust. Cassie’s form flickers through the gaps ahead of me, her footsteps light and quick. We climb in silence, the only sound the wail of the wind and the distant crash of waves.

At the top, the watch room is a circle of shattered glass and peeling paint. Cassie stands at the center, her face tilted up to the domed ceiling where faded murals fight to stay noticeable. There’s a section that’s brighter than the rest, probably an attempt by my father to bring it back to life, but he never finished, and I still can’t tell what the mural’s meant to be.

The beam of the lighthouse sweeps over Cassie, casting her in stark light and shadow.

“I'm staying here,” she says, her voice flat.

It's not a question.

I open my mouth to protest, but the sheer relief that she won’t be in my home stops me. She looks almost small againstthe vast expanse of the sea, but I know how vindictive and petty she can be. It’s probably best that she starts here, in an abandoned lighthouse that belongs to no one and whose gloom and doom matches hers.

“Okay,” I say softly. “Okay.”

I leave her there, a solitary figure in a solitary tower, and make my way back to Kaden and Ethan. The wind howls as I stumble down the lighthouse stairs, the metal railings cold under my hands. Outside, the storm now rages. Dressed in the simple black sweater and pants, I know I’m going to suffer, but the alternative is to stay here until the storm passes.

With Cassie.

I’m outside in an instant, crossing the rocky terrain toward the cottage, when a particularly violent gust of wind nearly knocks me off my feet.

A jagged bolt of lightning rips across the sky, blinding white. The thunderclap that follows is deafening, shaking the very earth. In that instant, I'm back in the suite, tied up, naked, and beaten by boots and fists.

I freeze, paralyzed, my breath coming out in choked gasps. The metallic scent of blood fills my nostrils. My vision blurs, the cottage and the rocks and the sea bleeding together into a swirl of colors. Another flash of lightning and I flinch violently, a whimper escaping my lips.

I stumble and fall, my palms scraping against the sharp rocks. The pain jolts me back to the present, but only for a moment. The next bolt of lightning sends me spiraling into another flashback, this one of me being torn from Kaden’s arms and thrown into a van, mocked by fully clothed men while they ogled my naked body. Touching me where I didn’t want them to. Threatening to do worse.

I curl into a ball, my body shaking with sobs. The memories keep coming, each one more vivid and terrifying than the last.I'm drowning in them, suffocating under the weight of my own trauma. The wind moans like it’s grieving and knows my pain. Each gust feels like hands on my skin, harsh and bruising.

Then, through the haze of fear and panic, strong arms wrap around me, lifting me off the ground. I thrash and fight, but the arms don’t loosen and hold me close to a wet, solid chest.

“Wraithling.” Kaden’s voice cuts through the chaos. “You’re safe. You’re safe now.”

I try to bury my face in his chest, but he shifts me in his arms so I have to look at him. Rain streams down his face, carving lines through the devil’s beauty.

“No one will ever hurt you like that again,” he vows. “Not even my own blood.”

Lightning splits the sky again, and I flinch. Kaden tightens his hold.

“Look at me,” he says. “Show me those gorgeous eyes that haunt my dreams.”

I do. I keep my attention focused on his scar—the only flaw in a face designed to distract. I wouldn’t even call it a flaw, actually. It’s just … him.

Kaden shields me from the worst of the wind and rain, using steady strides to get us to the cottage’s porch. Once inside, he gently sets me on the worn sofa, his hands lingering on my arms. I look up at him through wet lashes.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I don't know what happened. I just ... I couldn't...”

He brushes a strand of wet hair from my face. “Breathe. In and out. Slowly.”

I try to obey, but my lungs feel like they're filled with ocean water. I choke on a sob, my fingers tangling in my hair, tugging painfully.

Kaden's hands cover mine, gently untangling my fingers. He guides my hands to his chest, pressing my palms against the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

“Focus on me,” he says. “You seem to be awed into silence every time you look at my face, anyway.”

That gets a small smile out of me.

“You're okay,” he murmurs. “You're home.”

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