“You keep company with ancient vampires, and yet you’re afraid of a wee winged rat?” He chuckled one last time.
“I didn’t say I was afraid. ” I squirmed low in my seat, embarrassed.
We were quiet after that, and I suspected it was the one brief mention of ancient vampires that’d made him serious again.
Was he thinking about Carden? And what did it mean that, for a moment, I’d forgotten about him?
The cove where he stored the boat came into view, and Ronan swerved off the road, bumping along the rocks and pulling the truck to a stop.
He didn’t open the door, though. Instead, Ronan turned in his seat to face me, and dread shot through me to see how his expression had gone from serious to totally grim. “Why are we here?” he asked skeptically. “And don’t lie to me, Annelise. I know you’d rather set your hair on fire again than—what was it?—do deep-water breath-holding free-dive prep exercises?”
I gave him an overly innocent grin. “I’ve been practicing. ”
He stared at me, silently challenging me to speak the truth.
It was a look I was powerless against. “Fine,” I said. “I’m looking for something. ”
He raised his brows, waiting.
“Fine,” I repeated, emphasizing the word. “I’m looking for a sea gate. I heard there was some sort of door carved into the cliffs. ” The coastline was jagged, an uneven ribbon of small coves and inlets, and I pointed north, back toward campus, to the cliffside jutting between Crispin’s Cove and the sandier beaches. “Back that way. ”
He gave me a startled look. “By the keep?”
“Is that where the keep is?” I asked innocently.
“Annelise,” he said in a tone stern with warning.
“C’mon, Ronan. I just want to see it. I heard the vampires have things delivered to them during that celebration you were talking about, that Up Helly Aa thing. ”
“I made a mistake telling you about that. ” He pinned me with his eyes. “So what does that have to do with this gate?”
“Apparently, boats pull up at high tide to deliver things. ”
“You’ve been busy. ” He leaned back, looking tired all of a sudden.
“Am I right?”
“You must forget about this whole business. ”
“So I am right. ”
“Aye,” he admitted. “You’re right. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Boats come delivering things. Or people. ” He’d leaned against the headrest, but he slowly turned his head back to me. “Please have a care. ”
“I will. I just want to see the door. That’s all. I promise. ” I crossed my heart. “Seriously, I’ll be safer if you show it to me. I almost broke my neck this morning trying to hike down to it. ”
His knuckles went white, gripping the steering wheel. “You climbed the cliffs beneath the vampires’ castle?”
“I said hike. It was more of a hike. ”
“I see. ” His eyes narrowed. “Fine,” he said, mimicking our earlier exchange. “I’ll show you the sea gate. But in return, you’re going to have your swim lesson, too. ”
“What? No way. ”
“Yes way. ” He got out, and I followed him to the back of the truck.
“It’s going to be dark soon,” I protested.
“All the better for t