“You must be careful,” he continued, slowing his pace. He lowered his voice and looked around to make sure we were alone. “Vampires have their own agenda. You must always be wary. And if you ever need help, you can come to me. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
I swallowed hard, the ache in my throat too thick. I’d already ignored careful and had flown right past too late. “Thanks,” I said, mustering a weak smile. “But there’s nothing to worry about between me and Carden.”
Guilt crushed my chest. I’d assumed the worst of Ronan, and now, by underplaying my relationship with Carden, I was lying to him, too. “I’ve been staying away from him these days anyway,” I added, consoled that at least that part was true.
Then I thought of a problem I could bring to Ronan. If anyone could give me insight as to why the vampires had abducted Mei-Ling, it’d be him.
“There is something I do need help with,” I said. “My roommate. I don’t get why she’s here. They took her, you know.”
“I know,” he said, his voice tight.
“I thought only girls who’d hit rock bottom ended up here. Your hoodoo-juju powers aside, it was me who walked up the steps into that plane.”
“What you say is true.”
“So now they’re kidnapping girls for their little Watcher army?”
“Mei-Ling is the only one,” he said.
“But she’s just a kid from Long Island. What can she do for a bunch of vampires?”
“She’s not entirely helpless.”
I stared hard at him. “You sure are being mysterious.”
After a moment, he conceded, “She tried to fight back.”
I pictured Mei-Ling. Slim. Young. With a name meaning beautiful, delicate. The image of her fighting back made me ill. She’d had some fancy school and parents who loved her. She shouldn’t have had to learn to fight back.
I flashed back to those times I’d tried to fight back at fifteen—and I’d only ever faced off against my father. Mei had been up against Tracer Otto.
I made a mental note to kick his ass someday. Him and so many others…It was getting to be one long list.
“How’d she possibly fight back against Adolph?” I sneered, using my pet name for the detested Tracer Otto.
“Caution, Annelise.” Ronan cut me a look, then glanced around to make certain no one was close enough to overhear. “Otto came for her after school. As I understand it, she stabbed him in the throat with her violin bow.”
I chuckled, surprised and more than a little amused. “Go, Mei, go. Maybe she’ll last more than a week after all.”
Ronan smirked. I got the impression he wasn’t the biggest Otto fan. “She caught him by surprise.”
“Fighting spirit or not, she’s just a regular kid. She’s not saying much, but I’m sure she must be terrified. How’s she even going to make it through the week? Once the other Acari get wind of her, they’ll chew her up and spit her out.”
“I believe her placement with you was intentional,” Ronan said evenly.
I stopped short. “What?”
“You are how she’s going to make it through the week. I believe that’s why she was placed with you.”
“Wait, you’re saying they put her with me on purpose? Why me?”
Ronan shook his head, frowning like I was a puzzle to be muddled out. “Have you heard how you’ve been speaking? Have you heard your own outrage? All you have said to me is true. Other Acari would’ve met a younger girl, sensed weakness, and struck. But not you. Look how you’ve reacted.”
He was right. The moment I saw how young and scared she was, I went into protective mode. Apparently I had some shreds of humanity left inside. I guess that was heartening. Heartening and stupid. “Are you saying the vampires hoped I’d bring her under my wing? Why would they care whether or not she’s safe?”
“I don’t know for certain,” he said quietly. “What I do know is, it would probably serve both of you well should you use your best efforts to help keep her alive.”
“As in, if something happens to her, I’m toast?” As if I didn’t have enough on my mind. He’d paused but began walking again, and I did a little jog to catch up.