Page 34 of The Secrets of Roan Island

“I need to”–Ruby covers a yawn with her delicate hand–“pack.”

“Already taken care of,” Mrs. Darning says with a grim nod.

Ruby’s chin drops, her head sagging.

My own eyes feel heavy, my body loose and slow. Horror barely breaks through the numbness coursing through my muscles. “You–”

“You’ll thank us later.” Darning catches Ruby just as she slumps, easing her to the ground.

“No...” I fight against the drug, but it’s useless. She must have put ten times the normal amount in my cup in order to affect me this strongly. I have just enough energy to crawl to Ruby, but I lose consciousness the moment my fingers brush hers.

18

Ruby

My eyes feel gritty when I open them, heavy and sensitive. Every muscle in my body aches as I roll, groaning. I push myself up from the uncomfortable floor, my fingers deep in a plush rug.

I glance around. Messy tables. Haphazard paperwork. Stacks of books. Still in the secret library, then. Only I can’t remember falling asleep. Can’t remember laying down on the carpet. I wrack my brain trying to recall the last thing I do remember. I yawn and stretch, wondering what time it is, wondering how long I’ve been asleep. Then I remember why I’m down here.

Noah.

The research.

The book.

Shemaiah’s warning.

I look around, and there, near the book I’d been holding, is Noah. He’s sprawled on his stomach with one arm stretchedtoward me. His dark hair is unruly, but he looks peaceful. I’ve seen so many different versions of him, I’m unable to decide which has been my favorite. The austere version? The companionable one? The untethered scientist? The maniacal kisser? Impossible to choose since I’ve enjoyed them all.

“Noah?” I crawl toward him. “Are you alright?”

I remember Mrs. Darning. The tea. “I think we were drugged.”

Noah’s eyes flash open, completely black.

I lurch away but can’t bring myself to run. I need to be sure he’s alright. Maybe it’s an aftereffect of the drug? “Noah?”

He lifts his head, sniffing the air. “Ruby Rose. You smell so good.”

I scramble back, but his hand shoots out and misses my ankle by a skim of sharp, long fingernails. Wait, were his nails always that long? They’re more claws than nails. “Noah?” I whimper.

His unnerving eyes lock with mine. He blinks. Once. Twice. The black recedes, but his pupils remain dark and blown out. As he stands, I swear he’s grown taller, more muscular.

He looks toward the grandfather clock in the corner and curses.

It’s late afternoon.

“It’s fine, Noah.” I get to my feet. “I’m sure I can get another boat tomorrow. This will just give me more time to–”

“You don’t understand, Ruby.” His voice is a low caressing growl as he turns to face me. “I want—I can’t—too close.”

His tormented expression matches the intensity in his gaze, and I watch as the black once again takes over the white of his eyes. My pulse echoes Shemaiah’s warning.Run. Run. Run.

Noah groans. “I want to taste you.”

My heart trips, then races as I step backward and stumble into a bookshelf. “Noah? What’s happening?”

He cages me against the shelves. “Let’s play a game.”

---