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Worse, he’d probably end up making my life miserable. But if I kept on my toes and stayed sharp, I hoped I could avoid the sort of creepy overtures he’d tried in the past.
He appeared to be seriously considering it. I thought of all those locked cabinets and mysterious tomes. Could it be this easy? Aching cheeks or not, I kept my face frozen in a pleasant, girlishly expectant expression. He might’ve been skilled at the use of silence as a weapon, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve, too.
“Cariño, I admire your ambition. But I must reflect on such an arrangement before I agree.
”
“Of course. ” I tried to look innocently hopeful. If I could eventually get him to trust me enough to access his office when he wasn’t there…It was almost too exciting to consider. “Please do think about it and let me know. I would relish the opportunity. ”
“I’m certain you would,” he said, and his tone had an edge that gave me the chills.
It struck me just how dangerous this was. Forget his creepy attempts at flirtation. He could very well use this as a way to spy on me. I’d need to be careful—if he ever gave me access to his office, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to secretly watch my every move.
The clock on his wall chimed, a low bong-bonging announcing the dinner hour. “Uh-oh,” I chirped. “It’s six o’clock already. Sorry I took so much of your time. ”
It’d been perfect timing, actually, and I made a mental note—meeting at the end of office hours gave us alone time, but not so much alone time that I couldn’t find an excuse to escape.
Maybe I was overconfident from the successes of the last hour, but when he began to gather an unwieldy stack of books, without thinking, I stupidly asked, “Do you need me to help you carry those back to the castle?”
I instantly regretted it. I mean, duh. Subtle, Drew. What was I thinking? That now he’d just let me stroll wherever he went?
He peered at me, managing to look both suspicious and amused. “You know you’re not allowed in the keep. ”
“Yes. ” I laughed. “Kidding, kidding. ”
But as he locked up, his expression wasn’t humorous at all. He just gave a grim nod and left me standing alone in the hallway.
It was okay, though, because my mind was racing already. Eventually, I would find a way into that castle.
Surely there were deliveries. Laundry. Housekeepers. Something. I’d once spotted a janitor in the science building—surely there was a team of custodians in the castle, too. I was certain the vampires wouldn’t sully their pristine hands with such banal concerns as toilet scrubbing. I mean, not even we girls had to scrub our own toilets…aside from the odd bathroom hazing, of course. No, the cockiness of the Trainees suggested somebody else handled their domestic concerns. I vowed to find out.
Meantime, I’d just need to watch, and wait, and learn. If I kept a close enough eye, I’d spot my chance. Too bad someone was also keeping a close eye on me, which I realized the moment I stepped outside.
I zipped my coat. Tightened my messenger bag against my side. My eyes adjusted to the darkness.
And then he pounced.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Yasuo. I recognized him instantly, even in the darkness. I’d know that telltale silhouette anywhere—tall and lean, with wiry muscles and black hair that still managed to have a hip LA vibe despite the fact that we were on an island in the middle of the North Sea.
He tackled me, and I shoved him off easily. “What the hell?” I rolled to my feet, dusting off my arms. The attack had felt halfhearted, so maybe he didn’t really want to hurt me. Maybe he just didn’t know how to broach talking with me. I jogged back a step. “If you want to talk, just say so. ”
His only answer was the rasp of his heavy breaths.
“Earth to Yasuo,” I said uneasily. “Please, can we just stop for a second?”
But he still didn’t answer. He just stood there, trembling.
It was full dark now—most of January was—and I angled my body to let the moonlight hit his face. Something was wrong with him, and it wasn’t that he had that detached, vampiric thing going on, either. He appeared stricken, with glazed eyes that stared out to some distant place.
I stepped closer. “Are you okay?”
His attention snapped to me—it was like he’d forgotten I was there—and he leapt again. His fangs were bared this time, and I narrowly ducked out of the way of his gaping mouth.
I shrieked and stumbled back. “What the hell?”
He came again and kept coming, slashing his hands, pawing at me, diving for me, but I skittered backward, using quick left and right hooks to deflect his advances. I shouted, “What is your problem?”
