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Also shoved fro fact that lately it seemed every time I stepped out alone, I was jumped by some murderous creature or other But seriously, a secret entrance into vampire central? I was too i

A sea door…I’d always assus were the stuff of fiction It sounded toofro, ti as they sneaked into coves, s

"Shhhhoot," I hissed under rabbed at the underbrush to stop ravel into the roiling water below I had to pause, clutching ash in ht rip back open at anyacrossme off balance But I had no choice--it wasif I was caught, I could always say I was out for a swi to happen if I wasn’t ot my feet back under me and continued to pickinto a cliff I ain,out from under me, and landed hard on my knee Gravel bit into my kneecap--I’d be lucky if ainst the pain A war my stomach told me the impact had finally reopened my wound

"Shhhootshhhhhootshoooot" It wasn’t exactly the curse I’d wanted, but even this distance from the castle, I dared not mutter so much as a damn The vamps demanded propriety at all times, and despite this little off-road hike, the irained in me

There were nooks and crannies up and down these cliffs, and edging along on , and I needed a spot where I could relax for a ht tumble to raffiti

The le, and I had to squint to see It was a happy developo out, butdirectly at the cliff was even better than the midday sun overhead would’ve been

I couldn’t shadeon, so I peered hard against the white glare, trying tofor a nook to scoot into, but a shadow below and to the right toldup on a cave--even better

It took nore my panic and pain as I inched down feet-first, all the way on my belly now I had to put my complete focus on this little trek, which had surpassed hike and ell on its way to free-clio without the use of ropes and carabiners One falseto the rocks below, B-movie style

Finally, I was on level with the cave Could this be the sea door? It seeet this high? I peered overboth hands to hold on to a snarl of roots overhead, I stretched out round, and I crab-walked along the wall, inching over until , then my other foot It was dark and dank in there, and I collapsed to my knees in relief

But then, an explosion oftoward me from deep in the cave

Bats

Hundreds of the toward le in my hair I bitinto a ball and covering le black veil, they swooped out, then whipped right back at me Scree-scree-scree-scree

"Holy shit holy shit holy shit" I crushed ht Soand screeching subsided until all I heard wasoff the walls and the heavy thuone back to wherever they’d come fro forward on my hands and knees, I peered hard into its depths, but there was just blackness Deep blackness and a sharp tang, the odor of innuot to my feet I had to hunch to stand and tiptoed as deep as I could I didn’t get far The cave soon narrowed to a point tight enough that it wouldn’t allow passage to anythingthe sea gate on ulping in the fresh air, ignoring the bloody implications of my now completely soaked belly I scanned the cliffside, but it was too jagged The ht below me, but I’d never know it It was just too impossible to make sense of all those chinks and cracks

I’d need to find it fro myself to Ronan later that afternoon? Not so reen eyes atme for a minute

I’d wondered how it’d be to run into hiether, we’d alh he was distant, he wasn’t cold, but it was hard to say for sure He was always so iretful, even?

I’d have put off this ether, but I didn’t see any other choice Who else had access to a boat? Who else could takesuspicion? When I’d tracked him down, he was even at the car already

"Yes," I insisted "I’ve been practicingtechniques I want to work up to her onmy stomach I needed Ronan to make up his htened , "I’d eventually like to try, you know, maybe like a free dive"

The corners of his eyes crinkled in a skeptical look "‘Maybe like a free dive’?"