My heart thudded hard against my chest as I watch my brother and Conner go head to head. My brother somehow turned evil, had ambushed us and brought the darks here to our secret home within the mountain. Everyone was fighting around me, my hands rose above my head with a globe of blinding white light and I released my fury.
"Scarlet?" Someone was shaking me and I could feel my hand knocking hard against them. A crash sounded and I sat up taking a lungful of humid air. My bookshelf was collapsed on the ground and along with it Brooke. "A little warning next time?" His chuckle was forced as he got up, wincing.
"I'm sorry," I rolled onto my side, my back facing him. "I'm so sorry," I whispered with tear-filled eyes. The mattress sunk in under Brooke's weight and I slid into his rock hard chest. I could feel his heartbeat into my back and his warm breath on my hear.
"Don't be sorry," his whisper made goosebumps rise on my arms even as my wings kept them warm. Closer, I dared think. Rolling to face him, I placed a wing over us, protecting us from the nightmares. His arms came around me, our eyes meeting and for the first time, I saw him smile. There were laugh lines the crinkled at the corner of his eyes as if he used to laugh all the time, but some kind of pain stole that away from him as it had so many of my warriors.
"You aren't as terrible as you want everyone to think you are," my voice was strained, hoarse from the screaming.
"You're right," he replied. "I'm so much worse." I didn't say anything after that, only let the beat of his heart sway me to sleep.