Whispers at Moonrise (30 page)

Not from her grandfather or aunt.

She stared at her stepdad’s e-mail address and accidentally clicked it open. Then she accidentally read it.

Hey, princess, I’m looking forward to seeing you Saturday. Miss you. Miss your mom.

All the emotions over her mom and dad’s divorce came hurtling back. She jumped up so fast the chair slammed against the floor and broke into four different pieces. “Screw it!” she bellowed. Throat tightening with emotion, she stomped over and yanked open the fridge. She waited to feel the cool air hit her face.

It didn’t feel cold, because she was too cold. She was a freaking vampire!

She swatted a tear from her cheek and looked back to the computer. What if her stepdad started asking questions about her mom again? Kylie sure as heck didn’t want to be the one to drop the bomb that her mom was dating.

Then again, he was probably going to find out Saturday anyway. She’d already gotten an e-mail from Mom asking Kylie if she minded if Creepy Guy—the one who wanted to take her mom to England and bang her senseless—came to parent day.

Kylie had been a breath away from e-mailing her mom back and saying,
Hell yes, I mind.

But was it fair to rain on her mom’s parade? Shouldn’t Kylie be content that her mom was happy? Kylie just wished her mom could be happy back with her stepdad. Wished life could go back to the way things were before.

For a second, she remembered how things had been. Her thinking she was nothing but human, her not knowing things such as vampires and werewolves existed.

Her having never known Derek. Her never reconnecting with Lucas.

Her, without Della or Miranda.

Suddenly, Kylie Galen’s world before Shadow Falls didn’t seem so desirable. Well, except having her mom and stepdad together.

Kylie heard Della’s mattress shift and her footsteps pad against the floor. Kylie did another swipe of her face, hoping to hide the watery evidence. Vampires didn’t cry.

“There’s some B-positive blood that I brought you behind the milk,” Della said.

“Thanks.”

“How are you feeling?” Della asked.

“Fine. Why?”

Della moved in some more. “Because usually when someone starts ripping apart furniture, they don’t feel so well.”

Kylie stared at the broken chair and didn’t reply.

“Actually, I’m just surprised that you didn’t have any symptoms during the turning stage. I’m glad you didn’t, because believe me, it’s not fun.”

Kylie reached for the blood. “You know, this probably won’t last.”

“The blood?” Della asked. “I can get more.”

“No, me being vampire. I’m not really vampire. I mean, I’m only part vampire.”

“You look full-blooded,” Della said, and then, “How do you change it?” She moved to the kitchen table.

Kylie opened the bottle and suddenly the idea of drinking the blood turned her stomach. Had she already changed into something else? Oh, great! If so, she couldn’t wait until breakfast when everyone would have another field day making fun of her.

Closing the cap, attempting to hide her nausea from Della, she said, “I don’t understand how it works. How to make it happen, how to make it
not
happen.”

She faced Della. “Am I still vampire?”

Della nodded, and Kylie saw from the girl’s expression that she could tell Kylie had been crying.

“Go ahead and say it,” Kylie said. “I’m supposed to be a badass now that I’m a vamp.”

“I don’t care if you’re badass,” Della said with sincerity.

Frustration welled up inside Kylie because she was being a bitch, because Della was being nice, but mostly because she couldn’t go running to Holiday for answers this time.

Holiday didn’t have the answers. And the people who did, her grandfather and aunt, didn’t want anything to do with Shadow Falls and were now “undeliverable.”

A chameleon alone will not survive.

And right now, Kylie felt very alone.

More tears flowed and Kylie swiped at her cheeks. “I hate feeling like a freak,” Kylie bellowed out. “I hate feeling as if I have no control over my own body.”

Her thoughts went to Hannah. And to Hannah’s concern that someone was out to hurt Holiday.
And I’m tired of people dying.

“Your grandfather didn’t tell you how to … handle it?”

Kylie let go of a deep sigh. “He said it would take years for me to learn.”

“So you’re going to go around changing from thing to thing without being able to control it?”

“That’s the way he made it sound. I don’t know.” Kylie dropped into a chair.

After a pregnant pause, Della asked, “What did you think of your grandfather?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, did you like him, not like him? Was he some old fart with one foot in the grave?”

“No, he wasn’t … that old. And he seemed nice. He looked like my dad. But reminded me a little of Burnett, serious and stern.”

“But?” Della said, making it sound like a question.

“I didn’t say ‘but.’”

“Yeah, but you looked like you were thinking it.”

Kylie exhaled. “If I tell you something, will you not say anything … to anyone?”

“Cross my cold heart,” Della said. “And promise not to cry. Especially if I look half as bad as you do when I do it,” she said, as if attempting to coax a smile out of Kylie.

Kylie didn’t smile. She couldn’t. “He wants me to go live with them.”

Della’s eyes widened and the humor quickly faded. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”

“No,” Kylie said. “I don’t think so.”

Right then, she heard her grandfather’s voice again.
Come with us. We’ll help you understand everything. You need to learn who and what you are, Kylie.

“Don’t think so?” Della repeated Kylie’s words. “That sounds like you’re considering it.”

“No,” Kylie said.

And she wasn’t, she told herself. She really wasn’t.

Although she might not have much of a choice …

Chapter Twenty-six

Kylie slipped into bed early that night. Having hardly slept the night before, she’d hoped she’d sleep like the dead. Well, not like the dead, but sleep like a hungry vampire, slightly turned off by the idea of drinking blood, who was mentally frazzled.

No such luck. She lay staring at the ceiling, petting the purring Socks, and worrying about Holiday and wishing Lucas would call. Right then, Socks crawled up on her chest and started giving her kitty kisses on her chin.

Kylie stared at the kitten. “If and when I turn into a werewolf, are you still going to love me? Remember I loved you when you were a skunk.”

The kitten meowed with what Kylie hoped was a
yes
.

“Do you think Holiday knows we love her?” Kylie asked.

Talking to Socks did little to ease the worry from her heart. Giving in, she reached for the phone. She wasn’t even sure who she was going to call, Lucas or Holiday.

Holiday answered on the third ring. “Hey, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m … worried about you, thought maybe I could come over for a while.”

The line went silent. “I … appreciate it, but I think I need to be alone.”

“That’s fine,” she assured Holiday, although she’d ached to hug Holiday and offer her some comfort.

“Has she come to see you again?” Holiday asked.

“No.” Kylie ran her finger under Socks’s chin.

“If she does … tell her to come see me? Tell her I’m not mad anymore, I just … need to see her.” There was so much grief in Holiday’s voice that tears stung Kylie’s eyes.

“I’ll do that.” Silence, painful silence, filled the line. The only thing Kylie could hear was Holiday’s grief. “Holiday…”

“Yes?” Holiday’s voice shook just a little.

“I love you. I know that sounds sappy, but you and Shadow Falls mean so much to me. I don’t know if you understand how much good you do for everyone who comes here.”

You are one of us. We share the same blood. A chameleon alone will not survive.
Her grandfather’s words echoed in her heart again.

“I belong at Shadow Falls,” Kylie said, and then flinched when she realized she’d spoken her thought aloud.

“Of course you do.” Holiday sounded confused. “Are … you okay?”

“Fine,” she lied. “Just worried about you.”

“Don’t worry,” Holiday said. “And Kylie, I love you, too. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

Holiday hung up. Five minutes later, melancholy still had her in its grips when Burnett called and asked if she’d spoken with Holiday. “I did,” Kylie said. “I asked if I could come over, but she said she wanted to be alone.”

“She told me the same thing,” he muttered.

“Then we should respect her wishes,” Kylie said.

Burnett exhaled. “Do you think she still loves him?”

While the question was a complete conversational U-turn, Kylie followed it perfectly. The fact that Burnett trusted her enough to show his vulnerability surprised her. The realization made her feel slightly guilty for keeping things from him. But she didn’t have a choice, did she?

“No,” she said, certain that Holiday loved Burnett. But it wasn’t Kylie’s place to say it.

“I’m going to have to bring him in to interview him,” Burnett said.

“I know,” Kylie said. “But you can’t mistreat him or assume he’s guilty just because he used to be with Holiday.”

“You think I’d do that?” Burnett asked.

“Yeah,” she said honestly. “I saw the way you looked at him this morning.”

He remained quiet for a second. “Have you spoken with Hannah again?”

“Not yet.”

“It would be
helpful
if she could tell us more,” he bit out.

As if Kylie didn’t realize it. “It’s a shame they don’t always cooperate.”

“If she shows up, ask her to … come talk to me.”

“Are you sure?” Kylie recalled how he’d reacted to the whole ghost issue.

“Hell, no, but I’ll do it if it will help Holiday.” The line went silent again. “Before I forget, Derek’s going to come to your cabin and walk you to the office at six in the morning. We’ll go to the café … to see if we can find anything out on Cara M. I’ve checked and there isn’t a Cara M. listed as missing. Do you think maybe you read it wrong?”

“No, I’ve seen it several times.”

“Okay,” he said. “We’ll go and see what we can find first thing in the morning. Then we’ll have to rush back here before the parents start showing up.”

Oh, joy, Kylie thought. She had almost forgotten that was tomorrow.

As soon as Kylie hung up with Burnett, she heard a tap at her bedroom window. She expected the blue jay, but was wonderfully surprised when she saw Lucas pushing open her window.

“Why can’t you people use a door?” Della called out from the living room.

“’Cause I didn’t come to see you,” Lucas called out, and smiled at Kylie.

His smile did all kinds of wonderful things to her mood. He moved in, sat on the edge of the bed, and then leaned down and kissed her. It was warm, soft, and, she sensed, purposely short.

“I can’t stay long.” His gaze lingered on her lips. “No matter how much I want to.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“My dad summoned me again.”

She frowned. “I don’t like your dad,” she said, and then felt bad for having said it. “Sorry, I didn’t—”

He put a finger over her lips. “I don’t like him very much, either.” Then he smiled. “I have to go, but … maybe later, you can dream of me.” A sexy twinkle filled his eyes.

She frowned. “I tried last night and couldn’t. I think it’s because I’m vampire.”

He frowned. “I knew being a vamp would be the pits.”

Kylie rolled her eyes.

“I heard that,” Della shouted.

“Can you hear this?” Lucas shot a bird toward the door.

Kylie jerked his hand down. “Don’t get her started,” she muttered to Lucas, and then called out, “Go to bed, Della.”

Lucas exhaled. “I need to go.” He leaned down and kissed her again.

The kiss was the last thing Kylie thought about when she drifted off to sleep. She tried again to dreamscape, but nothing happened. So instead, she just dreamed. Dreamed how it could be when she understood everything about who and what she was. Dreamed of when Lucas was free of trying to appease his pack.

*   *   *

Kylie woke up the next morning around 4
AM
. The room was cold, so she knew someone else was here, but they never manifested, which was just rude—like playing Peeping Tom. Sitting up, she whispered, “Hannah, is that you?”

No one answered, but the cold somehow felt different.

A shiver ran down Kylie’s spine. She pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and sat there, breathing in the cold air. Was this one of the girls buried with Hannah, or was this someone new? It felt new—unfamiliar. Had someone from the graveyard followed her back? As always, when a new spirit appeared, Kylie pretty much went back to feeling anti-ghost.

Kylie listened to her clock mark off two minutes before the cold faded. Socks moved from under the bed and leapt up onto the mattress and curled up into a tight little knot on her lap. “You’re a little anti-ghost, too, aren’t you?”

The kitten let out a muffled meow that seemed to say,
Hell, yes.

Kylie pulled Socks closer and then settled back into the pillows, half hoping to fall back asleep, half trying to dreamscape again. No such luck.

Her mind ran from seeing her mom, stepdad, and mom’s new boyfriend to Hannah and the trip to the café she’d be making in a few hours. Would they learn who Cara M. was? Would that help them figure out who killed them?

Sitting there, Kylie recalled how Hannah had gone all weird on her when the new teachers had walked into the dining hall yesterday. Did that mean anything? “Hannah, if you can come for a chat, I’d appreciate it. And your sister wants to talk to you and so does Burnett. You’re a very popular ghost.”

The room remained silent and warm. Realizing if she stayed in bed she’d just let herself get caught up in angst, she tossed back the covers and got up.

Maybe Holiday was already at the office. And hopefully, Della wouldn’t bite her head off for wanting to head out early. She’d have to call Derek and let him know she was already at the office.