How to Make a Sinner Sleep

22 | insomnia; nightmares that follow

The insomnia came expectedly, dragging out his nights into painful, delirious moments of conscious. The shadows blended together and moved with the sway of his mind, creeping closer in the dark.

His eyes felt heavy, a painful force shutting his eyes that were unable to find rest. Because every time he closed them, all he felt was the weight of blood coating his hands.

The relieved smile of an abuser, freed from his sin of living.

Kaden curled up in his blankets, tugging his knees in to make himself feel smaller, more secure. Arlo had been delivered to Reed for an examination—the man had insisted, and Kaden couldn't disobey.

The child had peered at him fearfully, shying away from the other, tucking his small body behind Kaden's legs. Reed had calmed his malice, stretching out a hand with surprising patience.

"Trust me, little boy. I'll return you to your big brother in a week."

A strange, softer voice that stirred memories in from Kaden's youth, making him feel conflicted. He stood straight and tall in the doorway, coaxing Arlo to go.

He was scared what Reed might do if Arlo kept refusing.

Eventually, Arlo had been successfully pried away from Kaden's legs, the clingy boy tearfully waving goodbye as Kaden smiled, patted his head and left. By the time he returned to his room, carefully opening the door, it was late into the night.

A few hours before sunrise, guessed Kaden as his head throbbed painfully.

Lux had been surprisingly quiet, watching from the outside windows as their shadows moved. He had followed closer after spotting Arlo, gaze unreadable.

He had only said, in a low voice, "You're used to this."

Kaden, holding Arlo's hand, glanced at him coldly. "What did you expect? There's a reason I don't go denying all rumours made of me."

He decided Lux was annoying, and abandoned the mysterious royalty on the dreary streets. Expecting the man to follow behind like a leech, Kaden glanced back once, but Lux was already gone.

He wanted to slip in some sleep, to rest his weary mind, but it refused to come. Blinking in a daze, he buried his head in his knees.

And the more exhausted he felt, the more his sight blurred to form hallucinations, shapes that approached and circled where he sat in the dark. Lying under the bed, peering from the corners.

He also heard whisperings in his ears—were these an effect of his blessing by the Watcher of Delusions? He hadn't put in any effort into mastering control over his abilities, so it was possible that the madness trickled out in his weakness.

For three more nights, he continued to remain awake like this, a dead stare at the wall that blurred with the world surrounding.

The dark circles underneath his eyes were prominent and terrible, making his entire being seem lethargic. His head drooped during lessons, and his mind wandered at random times.

Noah had even stripped his rights of holding a knife, after he slipped and sliced through his finger, only foolishly staring at the bright trickle of red.

He'd been about to tell the dragon, "Don't worry, it's nothing." But his mouth had clamped shut under the vicious gaze of the other, daring him to keep speaking.

Niklas had frowned seeing his sickly pale. "Are you ill? Don't come, go back, go back. Get to bed, lock yourself in—I don't want to see you until you're better!"

Kaden managed to scoff. "I'm fine."

"Clearly, unless you wanted to dress up as a corpse, you're not."