Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 199

As she undid the buttons of his shirt, a round, reddish scar suddenly appeared just below the left side of his chest.

It was only the size of a dime, but it immediately caught Celestine's attention.

She stared at the scar, her mind drifting.

Memories that had long been buried—stirred up earlier by the sea—came rushing back with startling clarity.

Celestine shivered.

She was eight years old the summer her father took her out fishing on his boat.

She'd been drawn away by seashells on the shore, wandering off in search of treasures until she found herself at a deserted, rocky stretch of coastline.

She'd been delighted to discover a rare, pinkish-purple shell, but when she looked up, she realized she had no idea where she was. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Panic fluttered in her small chest.

She tried to retrace her steps, hoping to find her father, but instead stumbled onto a hidden outcropping, shielded from view by jagged rocks.

Beneath those rocks, chained up, was a boy—maybe a few years older than her, with striking gray eyes and mixed features.

The sight startled Celestine. Her mouth fell open.

There was someone here!

She thought at first he might just be bathing, but then she noticed the multitude of cuts and bruises on his skin.

Waves kept crashing over his head, again and again. He looked to be in pain, but he never tried to flee.

When the tide finally receded, she saw that heavy chains bound his wrists and ankles to the rocks.

She drew a sharp breath.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she quickly used her watch to send her dad her location.

Then she darted into the thicket at the edge of the beach, searching until she found a patch of wild aloe.

She cracked open a stalk; the cool, slippery gel inside would make a good lubricant.

Hugging the aloe to her chest, she tiptoed back to the shore.

The boy had just been battered by another wave and was wincing in pain. When he opened his eyes and saw her standing there, surprise flickered across his face, quickly replaced by worry.

They chased them relentlessly, cornering Celestine and the boy at the edge of a seaside cliff.

Celestine was shaking so hard she could barely stand.

This time, it was the boy who grabbed her hand. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.

Then, before she could protest, he pulled her with him as he leapt off the cliff.

Celestine nearly fainted from terror. She would've rather been chained up in the water than jump to her death!

But instead of dying, they landed in a hidden sea cave below.

The cave was pitch black, and Celestine was terrified. The boy used his own body to shield her from the fall, breaking her landing.

He told her stories she'd never heard before, anything to distract her from the dark and the cold.

They spent three harrowing but unforgettable days together in that cave—the hardest and most extraordinary days of her young life.

At last, her father returned with a rescue team and found them.

But just as they were being pulled to safety, the kidnappers, who'd been lurking, seized their chance and opened fire from the shadows.