“Lizzy!” Forgetting that she was dressed only in flimsy pajamas, she ran. She ran faster than should have been physically possible, but it seemed the body was capable of unusual feats when driven by fear. Stones and tiny pieces of shell ripped at her bare feet, but she didn’t even notice, and then she hit the soft sand and it acted like brakes, slowing her strides and throwing her off balance.

She stumbled, regained her balance, dragging air into her screaming lungs as she tried to reach Lizzy. She could smell the sea, hear the crash of the surf and the shriek of gulls, all of it combining to unleash dark memories that merged the past with the present.

The world closed in. She saw the child through a tunnel and knew she had to reach her.

And then she grabbed her, holding her tightly, vowing that this time nothing was going to make her let go. “Don’t ever, ever do that again.” Her legs shaking, she dropped to her knees in the sand with the child against her. “Never, do you hear me? Tell me you hear me. Tell me!”

“I hear you. I wanted to see the sea.” Lizzy’s voice was muffled, and Emily squeezed her eyes shut because she wouldn’t care if she never saw the sea again.

Her limbs were shaking, and a horrible queasy feeling gnawed at her stomach.

“You must never go to the beach without asking me.”

“You didn’t want to.”

“Beaches are dangerous places, do you understand me?” She released Lizzy enough to look into her face, and it was only when she saw the girl’s eyes widen and fill with tears that she realized she was shouting.

Shouting and shaking.

Oh, God, she was losing it.

She should never have come to Puffin Island. She could have been anonymous in a city. A city would have been a better choice.

“Emily.” Through a mist of panic she heard Ryan’s deep baritone, calm and steady. “Emily? What happened?”

She couldn’t answer. There was a weight on her chest, and she couldn’t breathe. Was she having a heart attack? Something terrible was happening to her. Through the mists of panic she felt his hand, firm and reassuring on her shoulder, and he was easing her away from Lizzy, telling her that everything was fine, that everything was going to be all right, that she had nothing to worry about.

Which showed how little he knew.

She had everything to worry about.

She shouldn’t be here, doing this. She was the wrong person.

Now that she was sure Lizzy was safe, she tried to stand up, but her legs were wobbly and unfit for their purpose. Fortunately Ryan must have realized because he drew her into his arms and held her, enveloping her with his strength as his body absorbed her shudders.