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“I told you that most were already here,” he answered from right in front of me. “Vampires make them wherever they go, since it’s the only way to get around in the daylight.”
“Sounds like a lot of work,” I muttered.
He paused. “I doubt they did it all on their own.”
“What does that mean?”
“Humans.” He sighed. “They entrance them to do their work. Probably how these tunnels were made.”
My stomach turned. His words were a reminder of why the Clovers fight. Vampires would always try to control. To use humans in whatever way they wanted.
“We’re here,” he said.
A second later, there was a click, and light flooded into the tunnel. Zan stepped out first, and I followed, relishing the warm sun. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings as Zan closed the door of the tunnel behind me.
My ears pricked up at a new noise, and I whipped around, suddenly recognizing my surroundings. The stairs leading toward the beach were to my left, and I swallowed thickly as I turned to look at Zan.
“We’re at the beach,” I said slowly.
“We are.”
Hearing the waves, I moved toward the stairs until the ocean came into view. The beauty of it stole my breath. Seeing it at night was nothing compared to witnessing it in the sunlight. The water sparkled from the light hitting it. Waves crashed onto the beach, the water washing over the sand before drawing back into the ocean.
It was massive, going on for as far as I could see, and I stared at it in awe, not realizing that Zan had come up beside me until his shoulder brushed mine. Even his touch couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sight in front of me.
For most of my life, my world had been as large as Project Hope. Then I was able to experience the forest outside of it. But seeing this? It only proved how much I hadn’t witnessed. The world was full of mysteries that I wanted so badly to explore.
“It’s much better in daylight, isn’t it?” he murmured.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed out. “Why’d you bring me back here, Zan? The last time we were here…you found out I was human.”
“I remember,” he mused. “You stabbed me in the lung.”
“Why are we here?”
“You wanted to see it during the day.”
I finally turned my head to look at him, but he was staring out at the ocean. It was taking everything to control my heartbeat as I tried to figure out his statement. Did he really bring me here because he remembered my words from the last time we were here? Or was he trying to get me to let my guard down?
“You might be trying to hide your emotions,” Zan said, meeting my gaze. “But I can see it on your face.”
“See what?”
“The distrust. Relax, Kali. I don’t have a hidden agenda today.” He adjusted the backpack he had grabbed before we left Impulse and headed down the steps. “After everything that’s happened, we need a day to get away from it all.”
“You come here to relax?” I asked, even though I already guessed the answer.
“This is where I go to enjoy the sunlight without having to worry about other vampires.”
I followed him down the stairs, excitement growing despite myself. It was impossible to worry when I was surrounded by smells and sights that were overwhelming everything else. The salty air was just as addicting as it was the first night Zan brought me here, and I filled my lungs, relishing the taste of freedom. It was a stark contrast to the stale air in Project Hope.
My gaze veered to the cliffs, my attention dropping to the large rocks piled near them. If Tim was telling the truth about the bag of weapons, then that’s where they’d be. Before Zan could realize what I was focusing on, I returned my eyes to the ocean.
I hopped off the last step, going rigid when Zan moved in front of me. He raised an eyebrow before his gaze trailed down my body. Then he crouched down and began untying his shoelaces before kicking off his shoes and socks.
“Your turn,” he said with a grin.
I pursed my lips. “No.”
