Taken at Dusk (15 page)

“What?” Kylie spouted out, low on patience.

“I saw the way he was hanging around all day.”

“Please! He was hanging around me because he was shadowing me.” She met Miranda’s gaze head-on. “Okay, look. I’m gonna say this once. Perry’s in love with you. But if you don’t stop playing hard to get, you’re gonna lose your shot with him.”

“Amen, sister!” Della said.

Miranda’s face tightened and she glared first at Della and then at Kylie. “Since when are you two taking his side?”

Kylie closed her eyes in frustration. “Fine, he was wrong when he did that, but you admitted that you were a little wrong in kissing Kevin, too. It’s time to get past it or get over him.”

“You make it sound easy.” Hurt hummed in Miranda’s tone.

“It is easy,” Della said. “Just kiss and make up.”

Miranda ignored Della and stared at Kylie. “Like you don’t have issues with Derek.” She turned to Della. “And you with Lee.”

“That’s different!” Della snapped, her eyes growing bright as she immediately took the offensive.

No, it wasn’t different, Kylie realized. “Look. Truth is, all three of us are in the same boat. The sucky romance boat. And Della and I made a pact yesterday.” She glanced at Della, hoping she didn’t look upset that she was sharing this with Miranda. But hey, they were a threesome, right?

Thankfully, the vamp didn’t look pissed, and Kylie continued, “We’re moving on. I’m gonna get past the whole Ellie and Derek thing and give Lucas a chance. Della’s going to try to be nicer to Steve and see what happens. You want to join the pact?”

Miranda frowned. “But Todd Freeman called me this morning. He said he may come up here this weekend for a visit.”

“Who’s Todd?” Della asked.

“The cute warlock from her old school,” Kylie answered, and glanced back at Miranda. “Look, if you don’t want to forgive Perry, or can’t forgive him, then that’s one thing. But you can’t stay on the fence.”

“Yeah. Shit or get off the pot.” Della snickered.

“I’m not on the fence,” Miranda insisted. “Or a pot.”

“Yes, you are,” Kylie countered. “You still care or you wouldn’t be jealous.” So what did that say about her and Derek? Kylie pushed that question aside.

“But what if I blow Todd off and then Perry goes back to being an ass?”

“There are no guarantees,” Kylie countered. “Not with love or with life. But we can’t go through life never taking a risk. And that’s what we are all agreeing to do. Put our hearts out there. Take a chance with a boy. We might end up hurt, but we might not.”

Miranda stood there, her expression pinched as if considering the offer. “Okay, how about I make a pact to talk to Perry and try to figure it out?”

“Talking’s a good start,” Kylie said.

“Making out would be better.” Della grinned.

Kylie started back walking. Miranda and Della followed.

“So what’s the crazy shit problem you need to discuss with Burnett?” Miranda asked.

Kylie sighed. “I gave away a piece of my soul and I think I want it back.”

Chapter Thirteen

“What’s wrong?” Burnett called out from Holiday’s office a couple of minutes later when Kylie stepped inside the camp’s main offices.

The camp leader had set up an office for Burnett in the back of the cabin, but he apparently preferred using Holiday’s office in her absence. Not that Kylie blamed him.

Holiday’s office was small but nice. A tan sofa stood against one wall, leaving only enough room for a desk and a couple of file cabinets. Not that Holiday hadn’t added her own mark to the tiny space. Plants, different kinds of ferns, and even some herbs were stationed at every corner. The air even smelled like Holiday—a light floral aroma. And on top of the large metal file cabinet were several different-colored crystals. The light from the front window streamed into the room and got pulled into the crystals, reflecting rainbow colors on the walls.

Burnett quickly closed a few files that were on the desk and then leaned back in Holiday’s chair. Kylie couldn’t help wondering if Burnett wasn’t using her office simply because Holiday’s presence was so alive in the room.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again.

She just blurted it out. “Do you know anything about healing powers?” She dropped into the chair across from the desk.

“Not a lot, but some.”

“If I bring something back to life, do I lose a piece of my soul?”

His brow creased deeper. “What happened? Did someone get hurt? Did you have to—”

“Not someone,” Kylie answered. “A bird.”

“Oh. Holiday told me about that,” Burnett answered. He leaned forward. “However, she said you weren’t sure it was dead.”

“It looked dead,” Kylie said. “And I just want to know, did I lose a piece of my soul when I brought it back to life? And what does that mean?”

Burnett folded his arms on the desktop. “I’m not nearly as up on this as I’m sure Holiday is, but she wasn’t concerned. So I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Not happy with his answer, Kylie remembered the second thing she wanted to discuss. “I want a library card.”

“A what?” he asked.

“I want to be able to read the books that the FRU have in their library.”

He frowned. “It’s not a library, or not a normal library. Before you are allowed a book, it has to be cleared.”

“Why?”

“Because a lot of items in the collection are FRU documents.”

“What is the FRU hiding?”

He looked almost annoyed at her question. “We’re not hiding anything. But we can’t let normals get their hands on the books.”

She pressed a finger to her forehead. “Do I look normal to you?”

“We still have to be careful.”

“So you’re telling me I can’t check out the books.”

His frown deepened. “I will see about getting you a few books on healing,” he added, as if wanting to console her.

“What other kind of books do you have?” she asked.

“It’s not a library, Kylie,” he said with some firmness, and then settled back and didn’t speak. Finally the awkward silence brought Kylie to another question. “Any more news on the elderly couple who pretended to be my grandparents?”

His guarded expression slipped away. “I just got a call. The fingerprints we were able to pull belong to the owners of the car. I’m afraid it’s not going to help us. I’m sorry. But I can return these.” He handed her the brown envelope that held her father’s pictures. “You really resemble your father.”

The genuine concern in his eyes and his tone should have made her feel better, but it just validated her suspicions that he hadn’t been completely honest about the whole FRU and the library. What was the FRU hiding?

Kylie took the envelope. “Thank you,” she said. While she wasn’t going to start mistrusting Burnett, she would proceed with caution when dealing with him.

Kylie started to leave when Burnett looked at the door and said, “Come in.”

Lucas walked in. He met Burnett’s gaze head-on. “I’d like permission to walk Kylie back to her cabin.”

“That’s up to her,” Burnett said.

“Without her shadow,” Lucas said.

Kylie could see it cost Lucas a chunk of pride to ask permission. She recalled something Della said about werewolves hating to be submissive. And asking permission was a submissive gesture.

However, from the look on Burnett’s face, Lucas’s request had won him some respect and hopefully a few minutes to be with her. Burnett looked at Kylie as if to make sure it was okay, and she nodded.

“Just back to the cabin. And stay on the path.” Burnett looked toward the window. “Della takes over again when she gets to the cabin. You got that, Della?”

“Yes,” came her answer, and Kylie rolled her eyes a bit, wondering if Della was always listening in.

*   *   *

Della and Miranda were gone when Kylie and Lucas walked out of the office. The afternoon air was warm but tolerable. A few campers hung around the front of the lunchroom. Kylie saw Will, another werewolf, standing to one side, watching them. She also saw Lucas shoot him a frown.

“Come on.” Lucas started walking toward the path.

Only after they made the first turn and were out of view did Lucas reach for her hand. Right then, Kylie suspected that Fredericka wasn’t just blowing smoke about the pack’s disapproval of her.

She started to ask, but Lucas spoke first. “Are you okay?” He stopped and turned to face her. His blue eyes studied her with intensity. “For a second, you were scared of me this morning, and then you just ran off with Perry as if you were mad.”

She hesitated to tell him, but she wanted Lucas to be honest with her, so she needed to be honest with him. “It wasn’t you I was afraid of. Last night I was pulled into a dreamscape. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but you were there.”

“No, I wasn’t,” he said.

“I know it wasn’t you now. It was Red, Mario’s grandson. He appeared as you in the beginning.”

Lucas stood there as if contemplating. “He’s vampire. They don’t dreamscape.”

“Well, he did. I don’t know how, but he did.”

“Maybe it was a regular dream.”

She shook her head. “I know the difference now.”

“Did you tell Burnett?”

“No,” she said. “I … handled it myself. I know how to shut it off. If it happens again, I’ll tell him. Or I’ll tell Holiday.”

He frowned. “What did the freak do in the dream? He didn’t…”

She understood what he was asking. “He only put his hands on my waist. Then I realized he wasn’t hot like you are.” For the first time, she wondered why Red hadn’t tried to do more. Then again, she should just be happy he hadn’t. The thought of kissing him was too much.

Lucas pulled her against him. “I really want to catch that slimy vamp.” He wrapped his arms around her. She stood there for a few seconds, her cheek pressed against his chest, absorbing his embrace. Finally, she lifted her face and looked at him.

He pressed his lips against hers. It wasn’t the really hot kind of kiss, but it was nice. Nice enough that she let her feelings about how he was always followed by Fredericka slide away.

“So you’re not mad at me?” he asked.

“A little,” she admitted.

He looked perplexed. “About what?”

She didn’t have a clue how to say it but then just blurted it out. “Every time I see you walk up, Fredericka is with you.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve told you nothing is happening there.”

“I know, and I believe you, but she’s so … smug.”

He half grinned. “She’s a werewolf; smugness is instinctual.”

“I don’t care. I don’t like it.”

His half smile faded. “She’s part of my pack. I can’t kick her out without just cause and major consequences for her.”

The fact that he cared about Fredericka stung, but then she realized she wouldn’t want bad things to happen to Derek. But it wasn’t just Fredericka causing this problem.

“Your pack doesn’t want you with me, do they.”

He looked a little shocked. She almost repeated what Fredericka told her, but she didn’t want to come off like a jealous girlfriend.

“It’s stupid,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what they want.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“No, it doesn’t,” he said with firmness. “I refuse to let anyone dictate who I like or see. Besides, you might end up being one of us.”

“And if I’m not?”

“It still doesn’t matter,” he said, but the conviction in his voice had lessened.

“What will happen?” she asked.

“Nothing. Because I won’t let it happen.” He touched her cheek. “This is my issue. Let me deal with it.”

*   *   *

Thirty minutes later, Kylie walked into her chilly bedroom—yep, she had a ghostly visitor, but Kylie was determined to ignore her. She had to mull over her conversation and suspicions concerning Burnett and her conversation with Lucas. His pack’s attitude was his issue, but it involved her. She also wanted to spend some time looking at her dad’s face. As crazy as it sounded, she hoped staring at the pictures would somehow bring him closer to her.

“Someone lives and someone dies.”

Kylie frowned. Okay, ignoring the spirit was probably going to be harder than she thought, especially since the so-called message the ghost was delivering was supposedly something the death angels had sent Kylie.

Ditto for Holiday’s aunt, when she dropped in the day before.

“Who lives and who dies?” Kylie turned around to see the ghost woman hovering behind her. She had hair again, long dark hair that hung around her shoulders.

“They didn’t say. But they did say that it isn’t your fault.”

“What’s not my fault?” Kylie demanded.

The spirit shrugged.
“They never explain anything. They just tell me to give you the message.”
She nipped at her bottom lip.
“They scare me.”

Kylie dropped onto the bed, and that’s when she noticed something else about the ghost. She was pregnant. The pink maternity shirt clung to her round belly.

Suppressing her frustration, Kylie motioned to the woman’s baby bulge. “You’re pregnant.”

She glanced down and dropped her hands around her middle.
“How did that happen?”

Kylie shook her head. “If I was at home, I could give you a pamphlet to explain it step by step. A sperm meets an egg and so on. My mom gives me one of those every few months. But basically, it means you had sex with someone.”

The spirit’s expression grew puzzled.
“Sex?”

“Please tell me you know what that is, because I’m too young to have to give you the whole sex talk. I haven’t even heard it yet. I’ve just read the pamphlets.”

“I know what sex is. I’m just … Who did I have sex with?”
she asked.
“I can’t remember.”

“I wouldn’t know that.”

The spirit moved closer, and so did her chill. She dropped down on the bed beside Kylie, her palms still stretched across her belly. Closing her eyes, she sat there in silence. Kylie sensed she was searching her mind, trying to remember.

Kylie pulled a throw over her shoulders to ward off the chill. After several silence-filled minutes, the ghost opened her eyes but continued to stare down at her round middle. Her hands started moving tenderly over the child she carried within, as if to show it affection.