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"This, I don’t know" For once, he looked taken aback This hadn’t been the direction he’d expected our little chat to take

"You don’t know," I repeated flatly But there was soht have so If not about Eirls You know, the ones who disappear all the time You’re a vampire You say you’re not one of them--"

"I’m not one of Alcántara’s lackeys," he interrupted with a growl

"Fine Still, youbetween us for a er is misdirected Trust me on this Trust me, too, when I say I cannot tell you what occurs inside their keep"

"So you do know" Suddenly I was so tired So sick of all these secrets "Why won’t you tell me more?"

"For your own safety" His ansas quick and sharp "I know not what happened to your friend Do I think she’s dead? Yes Do I know of dark doings at Alcántara’s hand? Aye, this island is full of darkness Would you have me secret you inside the castle, tour you around, introduce you to the one truth? I cannot, because there isn’t one There is no lone truth, no single secret revelation Will I tell you ? Take the risk that Alcántara ive hiain"

"Sorry, Carden, but that’s just ridiculous It’s dangerous enough just being here Wouldn’t knowing the Directorate’s secrets be a good thing? Like, forewarned is foreare that is difficult even for ainst them" He had such a pained look on his face as he said it, like he truly did want to protect hts "If there was one truth to share that would help you, one thing I could say that would safeguard you, believe hten you I wouldn’t hesitate; I would risk e But there are only secrets and horrors in that castle, and I beg you to stay away"

"Then why don’t you leave?"

"I’m bound to you," he said with a quick smile But then he paused and looked blindly into the distance "Aye, we could flee this island together, but…other things hold erous for you," he added before I could interrupt "And there is no running from those Some truths you cannot escape"

I understood a little soht Alcántara and his cronies were powerful--there would be no disappearing where they were concerned, only death "I guess we could run, but we’ll never be able to hide, huh?"

His eyes ht had returned oncelike that"

He was so old-fashioned I believed he truly did earnestly wish to guard ry I studied him for arin threatened along the hard line of his mouth I’d surprised hiht chivalry was dead"

"You cannot blaain "When I can"

"You do realize I’ve done a pretty decent job of protecting ht?"

"Call it " Then he quickly added, "As you need it, of course" His expression grew panicked, scrairl "That is, if you allow it"

His fear ofthing I’d ever seen I leaned in to hi him with hed then, loudly, and his burst of good huood "A ht"

It was full dark, and I looked up, studying his strong profile The whitehis jaw, and his slow in the darkness He was all-powerful and yet he was there, with entleers? Drinking the blood of innocents? Who knehat they did in the keep All I kneas that Carden McCloud wasn’t in there doing it with the down the Vampire Directorate, but maybe he did, too "Why aren’t you like them?"

"To be Vampire…it should not demand that one be evil"