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"It’s not that I’ry" Between Carden’s unexplained absence, Alcántara’s unwanted interest, and Yasuo’s fury, anger wasn’t exactly what I felt "I’m sad Lonely, maybe Confused and scared, definitely, for sure But it’s not quite anger I don’t know…I’-to-kill- His eyes were all wonky, and he didn’t seem like hiave a slight nod that toldabout loneliness and uncertainty "It’s only out of concern that I…that Kenzie and I," he quickly arew tight Kenzie and I Did Ronan ever take any responsibility for his own actions or feelings?

"You must be prepared," he warned "Yasuo won’t be satisfied until he feels he’s exacted revenge"

My mood spun on a dime "Alcántara is the one who killed Ee on him How is it I’m the only one who seems to want to knohat happened to her? Because if she wasn’t dead when she was taken fro…" Emotion stabbed me like a stiletto in the chest, and I sucked in a breath, needing to gather the guts to finish the thought "If she wasn’t dead," I continued slowly, "he should want to knohat happened to her Hell, as a vampire Trainee, he’s the one with the ticket inside the bowels of that castle He’s the one who can find out"

"Maybe he knows already," Ronan said evenly

"Then et this foolish idea," he snapped

"Foolish idea?"

"That there’s so in the castle for you to discover There are all kinds of night my look, "I don’t knohat they are Certainly, you could break in and satisfy your curiosity, but you’d bring the knowledge to your grave because we’d never see you again" Soht, like pain

Ronan cared, and at the etting stronger But Carden--Master McCloud, I th and power is--"

"Don’t," Ronan interrupted "Annelise, you will please refrain fro vampire politics to me"

"It’s not politics," I said, but my protest eak His jaw had tensed at thea fine line here "It’s survival"

"Survival" He sneered "I’ll see you in class, Annelise" He stopped and turned to head back the e caht you were going to the dining hall"

"I’ve lostthere

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As it turned out, an early dinner wasn’t a good idea In fact, it proved to be a very, very bad idea

I’d shoveled downa roll to snack on later, and was back out the door before too many other kids even had a chance to show up Head down, hands ja on the very outer edge of the path headed back to the doruy voices greeted ot louder More specific "What’s her problem?" one shouted, and another folloith, "Bitch is scared"

Then I heard Yasuo "She’s too good for us Isn’t that right, D?"

Crap It wasn’t just any group of guys It was Yas and his pals

I walked faster, an to release a pent-up breath, I felt theboys--shouldn’t food be the hed nervously, still not daring a gli hall, if I were you Food goes fast on casserole night"

"You’re much tastier," the Trainee na, quarterback types, which apparently translated in life as on the field "What do you think, Dan? What would you rather eat? Cafeteria slop or Acari slut?"

Redheaded Danny laughed hard and shouted an answer, but betweenextra deep in the hood of my coat and his thick British accent, his words just sounded like oi oi oi oi

I picked up my pace, but felt a hand swipe at the sleeve of my coat Daer some pack instinct They’d simply chase me back to the dorm and eat me alive

I was out of options I stopped short and spun on them "What?"

They were a huddle of about a half-dozen boys, staring at aped (Toby-My-Trainee), and others goggled as though mine were the first breasts they’d ever seen (Colin, Dan)