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He scribbled, “STOP IT,” flashed it at me, and shoved the paper into his pocket.
Ronan’s back was turned, listing on the board the body’s myriad pressure points. The topic was super-cool, and I regretted not paying attention. But Ronan might’ve been divulging the secret to the Vulcan nerve pinch for all I cared, and I wouldn’t lose my focus.
I tried again, flashing Josh the corner of my notebook. “I lost something. Is it in the castle?”
He looked at me then, and this time his anger was gone. Instead he wore a tired, feeling sort of expression. He’d known what—or rather, whom—I’d meant. With a sigh, he wrote back, “You’re going to get us in trouble. ”
I gave him a hint of a smile, knowing I had him. “Pretty handwriting for a boy. Now…CASTLE?”
J
osh watched, making sure Ronan wasn’t about to turn around, and he scrawled in his notebook, “We’ll talk later. Not like you to not pay attention, nerdbot. So stop. ”
Ronan turned to face us, and I felt my cheeks go bright red. I had been just about to flash Josh my notebook. I stared blindly at the board, trying my best to appear completely engrossed. When Ronan turned around again, I quickly flashed what I’d written to Josh. “Don’t split your infinitives. I won’t stop till you promise. ”
Josh scribbled something, flashed it quickly, then flipped to another page. “Fine. I promise. Now STOP. ”
I practically jumped on him the moment class ended. I glanced around to ensure nobody was in earshot, making it a point not to catch Ronan’s eye. We were among the last out the door, but still, I knew to be discreet and slowly said, “So…I need you to help me find something…”
Find Carden.
He gave me a quiet nod. So he would help. “Let’s get out of here. ”
I was relieved, but I also felt a little thrown, too. I’d expected jokes and evasions. “Aren’t you going to make a joke? No that’s what she said?”
“We have all day,” he said with a reluctant grin. “There. That’s what she said. ”
His humor didn’t annoy me. If anything, it broke the tension. I patted his shoulder. “There’s the Josh I know. ”
We made our way down the path to the dining hall, and out in the open, we were able to speak a little more freely. “I just have a few questions for you. ”
He laughed. “So I gathered. ” When I didn’t speak, he said, “So? Shoot. ”
I was still getting used to the concept of friends, and his openness and willingness to help made me wary. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I assume this is about Master McCloud. You’ve got a thing for him, right?”
I stopped short. “How did you know?”
He shrugged.
“Seriously,” I pressed. Had other people guessed, too? “What gave it away?”
“I’ve seen you. Don’t worry,” he added quickly. “I don’t think other people would’ve noticed. Me, though…I see all, D. ”
Had he been watching me? Why? All of a sudden I was skeptical, and it made me nervous. “Why would you help me?”
“Let’s just say I’d like to shake things up a bit. ” He paused just long enough for me to wonder what he’d meant by that. “Frankly, having the most badass Acari on the island owe me?” He tapped his head. “That’s just smart. Come on,” he said, urging me forward again. “I’ve got an idea where they’re keeping him. ”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“But we’re headed away from the castle. ” I stopped. Josh had taken a path that forked away from the top-secret vampire quarters. “I thought you were going to get me into the keep. ”
“Shhh. ” He looked around, looking half-amused, half-scared. “Are you nuts? I can’t get you in there. They’d have both of us for breakfast. ”
“But I need to find Card—Master McCloud. ”
He narrowed his eyes on me. “Carden, eh?”
