Chapter 42: The Father, Part 1

NINE

With sunrise on the horizon, I stare at the gilded ceiling. I lie awake in a bed too big for one person, reliving the nightmare repeatedly as the remnants of whatever he put in the drink filter through my blood. And I'm alone. My sleep was disturbed the second Kade's side of the bed cooled. I don't know where he went. To Charlotte? Elizabeth? The thought turns my stomach, so I push it from my mind. The manor creaks and groans as the wind batters it, and the shadows of Kade's belongings wreak havoc on my imagination, taking it to scary places.

The locking mechanism to the door clanks. My heart leaps into my throat as a streak of fear blusters down my spine. I grip the heavy blanket, pulling it as tight to my chin as possible, and sink lower into the giant bed, not wanting to be seen. I squint in the darkness, desperate to make out the shadow. It has to be Kade, but I don't move until I'm sure. He steps into the room and closes the door without making a sound. He leans against the d