When I thanked Cailean for the tea, he said, “Just don’t pull something that daft again.”

“Can I walk you back?” Will asked.

I was grateful for the offer. The last thing I wanted just then was to be wandering the island alone at night. Besides, it would give me the chance to tell him about the other odd things I’d experienced at the lighthouse. So I gratefully accepted, and we began the trek back along the cliff path together.

Will listened quietly as I poured out what had happened, and once I’d finished he said, “The Strangers’ Room is a focal point somehow. I’m not sure why. Perhaps something happened there once, long ago. Something so awful that it echoes down the years to us.”

Before long, the lighthouse came into view, and when we were a short distance away I said, “Thanks. I can take it from here.”

Will nodded. “Call for that boat in the morning,” he said. “As soon as you can.”

It felt like everything had changed between us over the last hour. All my anger towards Will was gone, and 176I felt only gratitude. We had a shared understanding now and a shared fear of the lighthouse that was reaching up into the dark sky before us. We knew things about it that no one else on the island did, except Rosie, and that made me feel suddenly concerned for his safety too.

“What about you?” I asked.

He paused. “What about me?”

“Why don’t you call for a boat too?”

“Guga hunters have been coming to this island for years. Everything’s fine as long as no one goes into the lighthouse.”

“But you’re going into the lighthouse,” I pointed out.

“Right, but I’m not living there. And I’m not saying the words, so I’m not stirring anything up.”

I frowned. “What words?”

Will waved a hand. “Forget it. There are certain words you should never say inside the lighthouse, that’s all.”

“I still think you should just leave it alone,” I said. I didn’t like the thought of him staying here and poking about in the lighthouse’s dark corners. “You were right – it’s dangerous. You still might stir 177something up so why risk it? It won’t change what happened to your sister.”

“No, it won’t. But I don’t want it to happen to anyone else either,” Will replied simply. “And if I can put a stop to whatever’s going on here then it feels like making amends somehow, to Kenzie. It’s my fault that she died here.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry about me,” Will said abruptly. “I’ll be fine. Just get your family off this island. And try to forget Bird Rock, if you can.” He gave me a small smile. “It was good meeting you, but I hope we never see each other again.”