“Yes,” I said carefully. “I know.” Every alarm in my head shrilled; every shield slammed into place. Why was he discussing this with me? He couldn’t seriously think I had anything to do with it.
“We are very curious as to Master McCloud’s whereabouts yesterday evening. Do you know, querida?”
He’d torn the ground from under me. He suspected Carden. Not only did Alcántara suspect him—I could tell by the look in those coal black eyes that he was after him, guns blazing.
But was this an investigation to discover if McCloud was guilty of murder, or was he also investigating whether he was guilty of being with me?
For all I knew, Alcántara had seen us talking last night, and this was a test to see if I’d lie for Carden. It was a stunt he’d pulled before. “Yes, actually,” I replied as calmly as I could. “We exchanged words in front of the dorm after dinner.”
He put a finger under my chin, like he needed a better angle with which to peer into my traitorous eyes. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, trying to sound blasé. “I’m certain. In fact, Tracer Ronan was there as well.” I cringed instantly. Why had I brought him into this?
Alcántara tilted his head as if to say he found all of this deeply fascinating. “What a compelling trio. Whatever did you discuss?”
“The importance of swimming,” I stammered.
“How peculiar.”
Relief set in. We were on to a new topic. “Ronan—I mean, Tracer Ronan—will be my swim instructor again this term.”
“I see.” He nodded. “Do you know where Master McCloud went after your little tête-à-tête?”
Every muscle in my body seized. Which was worse—Alcántara suspecting that Carden and I were close enough for me to know his comings and goings, or that Carden might have something to do with Watcher Angel’s death?
“I…I don’t know where he went.” And I didn’t. I didn’t know where he went, where he rested, how he spent his time. Carden had told me to keep my distance, and even if I wanted to defy him, I didn’t have the first clue as to how I’d find him.
“I cannot help but note that these unfortunate incidents have coincided with the arrival of McCloud,” Alcántara said, adopting a pose of elegant thoughtfulness. “I wonder if something happened to him in that dungeon. If our enemies poisoned his mind somehow.”
“I couldn’t begin to say.” My words hung, and Alcántara did nothing to fill the silence.
We stood frozen, locked there on the path, but footsteps coming from behind pulled both of us from the moment.
I looked over my shoulder. Who knew I’d be so glad to see my mysterious roommate?
“Hello.” Mei was calm, neither overly formal, nor overly casual. You’d have thought the vampires were an everyday occurrence in Long Island.
“Hey.” I edged from Alcántara to insert myself between them. I’d gathered I was supposed to protect Mei-Ling from outside forces, but at the moment, I wanted to protect her from this vampire the most. “You headed to dinner?”
Her eyes shifted from me to Alcántara and back again. Her expression remained flat, sizing us up like some young Chinese-American Terminator. “Yes.”
“Cool. I’ll be right there.” The perfect excuse to flee. “I saw on the board that it’s pasta night. A girl’s gotta get her carb on. Save me a seat.”
Mei nodded and walked on.
“You must look after her,” Alcántara said to the back of my head.
“So I’ve gathered.” Alcántara, out of everyone, saying I needed to look out for some girl? It was ludicrous. “But why?”
“Acari Mei has promise, and we’d like to nurture that promise.”
“I see.” My voice was calm, but my mind was racing. My suspicions had been correct—Alcántara had been the one behind her kidnapping.
“She has a great musical gift,” he went on, “but her extreme youth does not lend itself to the same physical adeptness as the older Acari.”
I wanted to snark, so why’d you kidnap her if she’s only fifteen? But I only nodded. “I understand.”
“We like to give every guest of the island a fair and equal shot.”
Yeah, right. Seeing as they’d killed her boyfriend, threatened her family, and simply plucked her from some New York suburb to take her for their own, these vamps had a pretty weird concept of protection.
He began walking again. “You are both so gifted, after all.”
I shuffled to catch up, thankful to see the dining hall peeking in the distance.
I’d been right. The vampires had stuck Mei-Ling with me so I’d protect her. But why? Did she know what she was doing here?
Before this went any further, I needed to get to know her better. And quickly, too. Because on the Isle of Night, watching out for someone just as easily meant offering your life for theirs.
CHAPTER NINE
He came for me in the night. I woke to his touch. Gentle pressure stroking up and down my leg.
I stretched, rolled onto my back. The pressure increased until I sensed his individual fingers splayed along the side of my thigh. A light grip, then release. Grip and stroke.
I sucked a breath in through my mouth. Arched my back. I felt languorous, like a cat. I wanted that hand higher. Lower. Something.
Why was he teasing me like this? I wanted him to peel away my blankets. Why didn’t he?
The frustration made me angry. My body pulsed now, needing him. I tried to speak. I wanted to tell him. Why couldn’t I—?
I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. My heart pounded, its pulse echoing through my body until I throbbed with it.
Carden—where was he?
I widened my eyes and looked around in the darkness. Mei-Ling was in her bed, her breathing deep and even. The clock read 3:02. It was the middle of the night. A dream.
No Carden.
I flopped back, breathing like I’d just sprinted a mile. It was only a dream. I pulled the covers tight under my chin, but it didn’t make me feel any less vulnerable.
I measured my breathing, forcing myself to calm down. A dream, stupid. Carden was out there somewhere, but he wouldn’t know I’d dreamed of him.
Would he?
No, he wouldn’t. It was a silly notion brought on by the vivid sensuality of it. There was a simple explanation: I was coming off the bond and it was giving me fever dreams.
I rolled onto my side, clutching the blankets snugly at my chest until I felt cocooned. It was no good, though. I’d never feel safe.
My throat felt so dry it ached. Hunger clawed at my belly. I curled into a fetal position around the cramping.
My bedside clock ticked. No digital readouts for us, just old-fashioned clock faces with glow-in-the-dark hands, and I watched their slow progress. Tick: 3:12 a.m.; tock: 3:47. Time crawled, but I was too jangled to sleep. And way too uncomfortable.
I tried to think peaceful, meditative thoughts to relax, but it was no good. My mind raced.
Mei-Ling. I needed to help her, but I couldn’t get a bead on the girl. Did she hate me? Or was she just too proud to accept my help? Maybe it was that she somehow knew more than the rest of us about the island, and her stoicism was actually disdain.
Was she shy and longing for a friend? I could think about it all night, but I wouldn’t be figuring that one out anytime soon. So around 4:14, my mind skittered on to the next topic.
The killer. Who was killing girls on the island? A rogue vampire? A Draug? A clever and vengeful Acari?
But all the girls had been drained, and only a few creatures could manage that. Could Trainees do it? Or had one of our vampire enemies come from another island to terrorize us?
Whatever was going on, I had the sinking suspicion that I was getting pulled into the drama. Alcántara was overly curious about Carden, and to know Carden was to discover our bond.
I had to find the killer.
And why not? I was a walking, talking weapon. In several short months, I’d learned sabotage, secrecy, and worse—I’d become one of the world’s most elite killing machines.
I lay there with the thought, trying to muster up fear for my own safety. Investigating the murders would be stupid and dangerous. But it would be even more dangerous for me if something were to happen to Carden. We were tied together now, whether I liked it or not. The need clawing at my belly told me as much.
I rolled onto my side, curling into that empty feeling. At the very least, looking into the murders would be a good distraction.
Planning soothed me, and the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake. I peeled open my eyes. My alarm was ringing. Mei-Ling was saying, “Acari Drew. Wake up.” I’d have sworn I’d been awake just fifteen minutes ago.
My head was throbbing. A dull ache, like a caffeine headache. Or a Carden one.
I moaned. “All right, all right.”
I remembered my dream. It came back full force, bringing with it the ghost of a throbbing between my legs. I threw back the covers. The room was freezing, but I embraced it. Anything to get rid of this heat in my body.
Carden had been right. I needed to stay away from him. I needed space. We needed to sever the bond, because any more dreams like that and I’d be walking in my sleep to find him. I had no doubt I’d be able track him down with my eyes closed.
Scowling, I swung my feet onto the floor and tried to push away the last of my sleep and focus on my day. Monday morning. I’d survived my first weekend of the fall term, and, man, it’d been a rough one. But I had a plan now, and plans were good.
But dressing myself was a struggle. My hands trembled, my body clamoring for Carden. I fumbled with my bootlaces, and it took forever to get them tied. My head felt ready to split in two, my headache a steady pulse in my skull, pounding out my need for him. “I’m going for breakfast.”
Mei studied me. “You’re not going to shower.”
I couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question. I scraped my hands through my hair, willing the throbbing to subside. “No shower. I’ve got expeditionary-something class today. Sounds dirty.”