The Keep: The Watchers by Verónica Wolff Page B

announced, “Hey, dinnertime.” Chirpy didn’t come naturally to me, and I was sure I sounded like a complete moron, but it did the trick.
    Reluctantly, Carden nodded. “I will escort you back.” He was in full knight-in-shining-armor mode, his grim expression suggesting we were heading to battle instead of just the dining hall.
    I realized he never gave his reason for seeking me out. Wasn’t he worried the Tracer would figure out what was between us? Ronan was obviously beginning to put two and two together. Though Carden wasn’t stupid—maybe that was what he’d wanted.
    As we made our way back, I considered the good news and the bad news. First, I wasn’t nearly as alone as I’d feared. I did, in fact, have friends on this island. All good.
    But the bad news? Apparently, my allies were incapable of standing within ten feet of each other without looking like they wanted to draw blood.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    I didn’t get a warning. Just a tug on my hand, then
boom
. Carden swept me off the path, behind a rock. And then he kissed me. Hard.
    His body pressed mine against the cool granite. I’d been shivering before—the night was freezing and flurries had begun to drift down from the night sky—but no more. He was as cool and solid as the rock at my back, and yet heat blazed through me. My body—my blood—hummed in perfect recognition. This was where I belonged. With Carden.
    He pulled from me finally, and I drew in a shaky breath. I’d been nervous what he might say. Nervous he’d be mad to have found me with Ronan. Our conversation surely had looked like more than just a chat between student and teacher. It
had been
more than a simple chat. But this intense kiss? I hadn’t expected
this
.
    “Carden…what was…wow…” I gasped a laugh, trying to get ahold of my senses. Was this his way of taking my mind off the keep? Because it was working. “What was that for?”
    I couldn’t see him clearly, but I felt his eyes bore into me through the darkness. He swept the hair from my neck and leaned close, whispering, “To remind you.”
    His words were a hot tickle in my ear, and I shivered with pleasure. If this was Carden being jealous, bring it on. “Remind me?”
    “That you’re mine,” he growled.
    Ronan was my friend. He gave my belly the occasional flutter. But that was where it stopped. In our time together, I’d known Ronan to steal my nerves. My will.
    But Carden. He stole my breath.
    I swallowed hard, gathering my senses. “Ronan is the last person you need to worry about.”
    Recent concerns about my safety—about Yasuo—invaded my mind. Carden must’ve sensed it, because he asked, “And who should give me cause for concern?”
    “Nobody.” I forced the thoughts from my mind. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Anxiety was a constant on the Isle of Night—I wouldn’t let it come between us. Instead, I considered the powerful creature in front of me. Just the thought that this ancient vampire might’ve been jealous…because of
me
…It exhilarated me. Made me feel bold.
    I cupped his face in my hands and drew him down for a slow kiss…one that I led. “I don’t need any reminders,” I told him as I pulled away. How could I ever forget
this
?
    “I appreciate a woman who knows her mind,” he said with a smile, then darted in for one last quick, hard kiss. “Perhaps I simply enjoy reminding you.” His words were confident, but I heard a hint of relief in his voice.
    I’d never been much of a flirter, but seeing his smile gleam inthe darkness gave me the guts. Using my best coy voice, I told him, “Hey, feel free to jog my memory anytime.”
    He laughed, grabbed my hand, and tugged me around the other side of the rock. Leading us
away
from the path.
    I stopped short, looking back to where we’d been. “Wait. The dining hall is that way.”
    “Ah, but you won’t be eating in the dining hall this evening.”
    “I won’t?”
    “You wanted to know where I stay,” he said.
    As