When The Sky Bleeds ✔️

Chapter 26

Sunlight pierced through the gauzy curtains, its harshness a stark contrast to the confusion that clouded my mind. I blinked sluggishly, trying to focus on the ceiling above me as I registered the pulsating ache behind my eyes. As I gazed upon the minute cracks lining the ceiling, it dawned on me that my vision was flawless, akin to that of a magnifying glass. My olfactory senses were so heightened that I could discern the specific ingredients in every dish being prepared in the kitchen below, and my sense of hearing was all-encompassing. The rhythmic thumping of Lily's heart pulsed incessantly in my ears from where she lay in the bed next to me.

"Callum?" I called out to him in my mind, hoping for a response.

Silence greeted me.

I tried again, louder this time. "Callum?"

But there was still no reply.

With a jolt of panic, I shot up from the bed, only to be met with a sudden burst of speed that propelled me into the dresser across the room with a painful crash. The impact left me disoriented and gasping for breath.

"Desmond," I croaked, his name a bitter taste on my lips. The realization hit me like a wave—a nauseating, dizzying tide—that I had been drugged. And not just any drug; vitalisyn. It had left my pupils grotesquely dilated as I caught my reflection in the mirror on the wall. Panic fluttered in my chest, a caged bird desperate for escape.

I stumbled, clawing at the reality of betrayal. There was only one person who knew I hadn't swallowed that cursed pill—Desmond. But why?

I found him training on the beach, his figure unmistakable against the morning light, Omen by his side as he faced off Bree with her bull. They both were moving at an inhuman speed as they sparred. His back was turned, but he must have sensed my approach, stiffening before turning to face me.

"Castiel!" The accusation thundered from my voice.

"It appears someone has awoken in a foul mood," Bree crooned.

"Leave, Harlowe,"

"Why should I heed the demands of a mere recruit?" she challenged.

"Do you feel it?" I inquired.

"Feel what?"

"The tingle on your skin? The bristling of every hair? Give it a few more moments, and you will taste metal on your tongue. These are all unmistakable signs that you are being targeted by lightning–" I paused. "Or a mere recruit."

With a smack of her lips, she left begrudgingly. But not before giving me an obscene gesture and her bull snorting in protest.

When she was out of earshot, I asked, "Did you drug me?"

"What are you talking about?" His facade crumbled, revealing a flicker of genuine concern, but I wasn't buying it.

"Don't play innocent with me." I advanced, trembling with rage. "You were the only one who knew I didn't take it."

He crossed his arms defensively.

"Let's try to calm down," he suggested condescendingly. "You're clearly worked up."

"Do not presume to tell me what I need to do, Castiel."

"Are you going to let me talk?" Desmond's voice rose, a dangerous edge creeping into his usually controlled tone. "Do you really think so low of me? That I would do something like that?"

"Wouldn't I?" I shot back, my words slicing the air between us. "Your past is far from pristine."

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek as his eyes darkened. "That's a low blow, even for you."