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“Wait, you’re saying they put her with me on purpose? Why me?”
Ronan shook his head, frowning like I was a puzzle to be muddled out. “Have you heard how you’ve been speaking? Have you heard your own outrage? All you have said to me is true. Other Acari would’ve met a younger girl, sensed weakness, and struck. But not you. Look how you’ve reacted. ”
He was right. The moment I saw how young and scared she was, I went into protective mode. Apparently I had some shreds of humanity left inside. I guess that was heartening. Heartening and stupid. “Are you saying the vampires hoped I’d bring her under my wing? Why would they care whether or not she’s safe?”
“I don’t know for certain,” he said quietly. “What I do know is, it would probably serve both of you well should you use your best efforts to help keep her alive. ”
“As in, if something happens to her, I’m toast?” As if I didn’t have enough on my mind. He’d paused but began walking again, and I did a little jog to catch up.
We reached the dorm, and I bobbed up and down on my toes as we stood there. I was chilled, and it wasn’t entirely due to the weather. “So, tomorrow. Did you have to make our class at seven in the morning?”
“I have many students. ”
“Couldn’t you have made them get up at dawn? What are we doing that can’t wait till, I don’t know, nine a. m. ?”
“It’s time to bring your swimming to the next level. ”
Not this again. “What else is there? You already taught me how to swim in the sea. ”
“Now we’ll acclimate you to its rips and undertows. Ejya has a low-tide break. And tomorrow, low tide is at seven fifteen. Meet me here. I’ll drive us. ”
“Wait, wait, wait. ” I put up my hand. “What do you mean, a low-tide break?”
“Tomorrow, we surf. ”
Gooseflesh shivered up my arms. I dreaded the water, but I told myself surfing was cool. I tried not to whine or moan, and my voice sounded strained with the effort. “What on earth will surfing teach me?”
“Surfing has many lessons to teach. ”
“You’re talking like Yoda again. ”
He surprised me by laughing. “Try it, Annelise. You’ll learn about balance. Fear. Patience. Inconsistency. Unpredictability. ”
A feeling seized me out of the blue, a shiver rippling across my body. I sucked in a breath.
Ronan’s gaze strayed over my shoulder, focusing hard on a spot behind me, and a muscle in his jaw pulsed. “And it will teach you trust,” he added, his voice heavy.
I knew who I’d find when I turned. I’d felt him coming even before Ronan had seen him. Carden.
I braced. But I could do all the loin-girding in the world and I’d never be prepared to face my blood-bonded vampire.
Yes, my vampire.
I tried to be cool as I peeked over my shoulder, but what I really wanted to do was fling myself into him.
Carden’s eyes were pinned on me, but his words were for Ronan. “Tell me, Tracer. How is it that every time I see you, you are with our Acari Drew?”
“I’m her teacher,” Ronan said tightly.
“Yet she always seems so distressed in your presence. Odd, that. ” He stepped closer, close enough to cast me in shadow.
Easy on the testosterone, guys. I glanced at Carden to give him a quelling look, but what I saw stole my breath.
Like a peacock spreading his wings, Carden had plumbed some serious vampire mojo. It wasn’t that he’d changed his appearance in any way, but suddenly he radiated power. He seemed about ten feet tall, all broad-shouldered, fierce Vampire.
Carden reached toward me, and I fought to stand upright. It felt as though there was an invisible cord connecting me with the vampire. I felt its pulse low in my belly. I fought not to sink into him.
I inhaled with a hard sniff, gathering myself. It was the blood bond. What I felt for Carden wasn’t true attraction.
