Page 25 of Widow’s Walk

“It’s not safe,” Sully repeated, this time with a little more bite.

Rhiannon stepped closer to him. “You don’t understand. The widow’s walk is the heart of this place. It’s where she watched. Where she waited. I need to go.”

Sully stared at her, his jaw tightening.

Amy cleared her throat and stepped forward. “We’ll be careful,” she said. Her voice was softer than she intended. She glanced at Sully. “You’ll be there to make sure it’s safe enough, right?”

Sully’s eyes flicked to hers, and for a moment, she thought he might argue. Instead, he exhaled sharply and nodded. “Fine. It’s your house. But just stay where I tell you.”

“Understood,” Rhiannon said, unyielding.

They climbed the narrow staircase, the creaking wood protesting under their weight. Mason followed close behind with his camera trained on Rhiannon and his face alight in anticipation. Amy trailed just behind Sully, her heart pounding as they ascended.

The air grew cooler as they neared the top. When they reached the small door leading to the widow’s walk, Sully stopped and turned to face them.

“This is where I remind everyone that this is a bad idea,” he said.

Amy nodded, resting a hand on the doorframe. “We’ll be careful.”

Sully cautiously pushed open the door and stepped out first. The widow’s walk stretched out before them, the wooden planks weathered and gray, iron railings leaning at precarious angles. Beyond, the sea shimmered under the moonlight like liquid silver.

Amy followed, her breath catching as she took in the view. The wind tugged at her hair, the salt air sharp and bracing. It felt exposed up here, vulnerable, as though they were standing on the edge of the world.

Rhiannon stepped onto the walk, her movements graceful despite the uneven boards beneath her feet. She walked to the edge, her scarf billowing behind her like a ghostly banner.

“This is where she waited.” Rhiannon’s voice carried over the wind. “Not for her husband to return from the sea, but to come back from the dead.”

Amy’s breath caught.

“She knew he was gone,” Rhiannon continued softly. “She was there the moment it happened. But she couldn’t stop being afraid. Couldn’t stop watching. She came here at night to search the horizon. Not for sails, but for shadows.”

Her eyes swept over Sully, standing near the door and deliberately out of the cameras’ sight. “I believe the locals call her the Woman in White. She’s been seen over time.”

The words settled over Amy, heavy and cold. Sully’s face was a mask. Mason’s camera whirred softly as it captured Rhiannon, her figure framed against the vast expanse of the sky and sea.

“She was afraid of him,” Rhiannon whispered. “But she loved him. Even in death, she both loved him and feared him. I understand now. The evil spirit outside the mansion’s walls she has been guarding against is her late husband.”

Amy wrapped her arms around herself, the wind biting through her sweater. The image of a woman standing here, night after night, searching for something dark and unknowable, sent shivers through her.

“She’s still here,” Rhiannon said, turning to face Amy. Her eyes were shadowed, but her expression was calm. “But she’s not just guarding the house.”

“What is she guarding?” Amy asked softly. Her voice was barely audible over the wind.

Rhiannon’s gaze lingered on her, and for a moment, Amy thought she wouldn’t answer. Then, finally, she said, “You. And all who dwell here.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and impossible to ignore.

Amy took a step back, as her heart thundered.

Rhiannon turned back to scan the horizon. The wind whipped around them, rattled the loose railings. The house listened, waited for something to happen.

Sully finally spoke, his voice cut through the tension. “That wind is picking up,” he said firmly. “We need to get in before someone gets hurt.”

Rhiannon lingered for a moment longer before nodding and turning back to the staircase.

They made their way back down the stairs in silence. With every step, Amy tamped down a fear that she’d stepped into something far out of her control.

Chapter 10