Haunted Rayne

24 | Secret Hearts (part 1)

Cold fingers dug into Rayne Foster's bones as security guards dragged her through the labyrinthine corridors of the reformatory school. The building itself was starting to feel more alive these days—opulent but antiquated, as though the very walls exhaled the secrets of decades passed. No amount of upkeep could mask the gloom of the ages.

When the guards finally threw her and Lucas into Miss Wilson's office, the door slammed shut with a loud boom that echoed throughout the chamber. The air smelled of polish and lavender, undercut by something darker—old and stale, like the scent of money that had been buried for too long.

Heavy velvet drapes sealed off the windows, choking the room of moonlight. A sudden fluttering sound broke through the silence, wings beating frantically against the glass, something trying to find its way in. Rayne could hear the faint scratching of claws on the windowpane, just before it gave up and flew off into the night, leaving the room still once more.

Miss Wilson sat behind the desk, seemingly unaffected by the disturbance. Her posture was as rigid as the high-backed leather chair that cradled her. Her sharp features were lit by the glow of a brass desk lamp, her gray hair perfectly coiffed. Behind Rayne, the guard's fingers delved deeper into her skin as the woman scolded them.

Despite this, her pulse thrummed with something intoxicating, something that made her stomach flutter despite the looming threat of expulsion, despite the shadow people, despite everything! The memory of Lucas's touch—his fingers brushing her cheek moments before the door burst open—lingered like a spark in her chest. It was as though the whole world had been holding its breath for that one stolen moment, and now that it was gone, she was left with the dizzying aftermath of it all. They hadn't kissed, not really, but the possibility of it hung between them like a thread that hadn't quite snapped. Exhilarating.

She glanced sideways at him now, his shoulders brushing hers as the guard behind him pulled on his collar. Lucas's eyes gleamed with a daring light. The strain of his half-buttoned shirt revealed the curve of his clavicle, a sort of reckless charm that left her breathless. He smiled. And dammit, she smiled too.
The folly of it all—being hauled in for nearly kissing in the woods. She could feel a rush of giddy laughter bubbling up inside her, wild and untamed, like something out of a fever dream.

Miss Wilson's voice cut through, but even her words couldn't fully chase away the heady feeling that lingered in Rayne's chest. "A student has died," she scorned, "and yet, here you two are—fornicating in the forest!"

Rayne's lips twitched at the absurdity. "Fornicating? We haven't even kissed yet!" she blurted, half-defiant, half-laughing. She could feel the guard tighten his hold behind her, as though he was afraid she might try to bolt at any moment. "Hey, Lucian," she said, her voice teasing, "you wanna makeout?"

His cheeks began to pink, but the playful gleam in his eyes didn't falter. "I'm about to be expelled. Now or never, right?"

The guard yanked on his collar now, keeping Lucas away from her, but his words sent a thrill through Rayne's veins. Part of her wondered if the giddiness was some strange release, a perverse excitement at the idea of being expelled. Would it be easier? Safer? If they were forced to leave this place, would the shadow people lose their grip on them? Maybe they could run away, escape the darkness that seemed to be in every corner of this school, and just be free—free from fear, secrets, and the ghosts that haunted them.

But then a darker thought crept in, one that snuffed out the excitement altogether: What about their friends?

If they were expelled, who would protect them? The shadow people wouldn't stop hurting people just because Rayne and Lucas were gone. Hillary had already been taken, her body cold and lifeless, claimed by whatever was after them. Who would be next? Would it be Spencer? The weight of that reality extinguished the fire in her chest.