Whispers at Moonrise

Chapter Twenty-seven

  Kylie, taken by surprise by Della's aggressive move, stood there a second before she realized Della could be in danger. With the vamp a few feet in front of the man, Kylie bolted out of the woods and stopped about three feet behind him.

  Della took a defensive step toward the man. He jumped back and slammed right into Kylie. He swung around, a growl escaping his lips, but the hood still obscured his face and prevented Kylie from knowing who and what she was up against.

  "Who are you?" Kylie asked. Feeling the sizzle of protective power, she went to yank off the hood from his head.

  He ducked and moved a few feet backward-closer to Della. "Stop this!" he demanded.

  "You stop," Della ordered.

  He pulled off the hood of his sweater. "Is this the way you treat your teachers?" Hayden Yates asked.

  Della, being Della, didn't back down. "If they go sneaking around in the shadows, dressing like some criminal, then yeah, that's the way we treat 'em. "

  Kylie held up her hand to Della, hoping to calm her, not that Kylie felt all that calm. Her power was on full alert, her adrenaline set on high.

  "Since when is taking a walk sneaking?" He used his teacher's voice.

  "Since you sneaked up on us," Della smarted off.

  Logic lessened Kylie's adrenaline. "I . . . we . . . You scared us," Kylie said.

  "I wasn't scared," Della snapped.

  Mr. Yates frowned. "Next time, try saying hello instead of attacking when someone walks up. "

  "That was hello," Della said. "If we'd attacked, you'd be bleeding . . . or dead. "

  "We overreacted," Kylie intervened, and then remembered that she didn't particularly like this guy. He seemed to be somehow secretive and his dark clothes and concealed face seemed to confirm it. However, Kylie's manners and respect for authority mandated she behave a certain way. "We apologize. "

  "We do?" Della asked sarcastically.

  Kylie motioned for Della to start walking.

  Della shot the teacher another frown before turning around. And the moment they were several feet ahead, Della whispered, "I don't like him. "

  "Me either," Kylie said, yet she couldn't put her finger on why.

  "You think he's working with Mario?" Della asked.

  "No. I . . . don't know," Kylie said. "Let's not jump to conclusions. "

  They arrived at the clearing where the office and dining hall stood. Kylie noticed the lights were on in Holiday's office. Then she noticed the dead silence. Not a bird or even the wind dared to make a sound. The fact that Della had stopped walking and her eyes glowed bright green told Kylie she wasn't imagining the sense of danger. Someone was here.

  "Everything's fine," a voice, a strange voice, spoke behind them.

  Both Kylie and Della swung around. The man, in his early thirties, wore a black suit. A quick check of his pattern told Kylie he was vampire. The way he held out his hands, palms exposed, told her he wasn't looking for trouble. Then again, he was a stranger and on Shadow Falls property. Who the hell was he?

  "It's okay. " His at-peace stance had little effect on Kylie, and even less on Della.

  "I'll be the judge of that. " The glow from Della's green eyes spotlighted her extended fangs.

  The man pulled his suit coat back and flashed the badge attached to his belt. "I'm Agent Houston, FRU, a friend of Burnett's. " The way he said "friend" seemed to mean something, though Kylie wasn't really sure what. "Burnett asked me to stand in for him while he went to pick up a suspect. "

  "Stand in for him for what? Suspect for what?" Della asked, or more like demanded.

  The agent's gaze shifted to Kylie, as if he knew she'd understand. And she did. Burnett had brought his man to watch over Holiday, and obviously he'd gone looking for Blake. But understanding didn't make this stranger her ally. Sure she trusted Burnett, but the badge Agent Houston had just proudly flashed did him more harm than good when it came to her.

  "I can't go into details," he said, "but you're going to have to trust me. Kylie knows. "

  Trust? Not likely, Kylie thought, but when his heartbeat didn't appear to be lying, Kylie looked at Della. "He's telling the truth. "

  "I know," Della said as if annoyed, but the color change in her eyes said she'd backed down. Or she had until she had Kylie alone, and then no doubt she'd verbally bludgeon Kylie for information. Della didn't like to be in the dark.

  "I'm going in to see Holiday. " Kylie looked at Della.

  "She's popular this morning," Agent Houston said.

  Kylie looked to the window and saw a male figure. "Who's in there?"

  "One of the new teachers," Agent Houston answered.

  Kylie tensed. "Hayden Yates?" She looked at Della. How had he gotten ahead of them? Della's expression matched Kylie's.

  "No," the man said. "A Collin Warren. He said he was the new history teacher. Is there a problem with him?" The agent's voice deepened as he took a small step toward the office.

  "No," Kylie said. "He's fine. " But right then, footsteps echoed from down the path.

  "You expecting someone?" the agent asked.

  "Not really," Kylie said, but she suspected who it might be.

  And she was right.

  Hayden Yates, his hood back to covering his head, stepped into the clearing. "Good morning. " He lifted his chin, his gaze on the tall FRU agent standing defensively.

  "You know him?" the agent asked Kylie.

  Mr. Yates squared his shoulders as if insulted.

  "He's a new teacher," Della said, but her tone said more. It said she didn't like him, and the agent picked up on it. He took another step toward Mr. Yates.

  Mr. Yates didn't back away. He held his ground, and she thought they might come to blows. Then Hayden's gaze shifted to her as if reconsidering his stance. "I mean no harm, just taking a walk," he told the agent in a resigned voice.

  Kylie still felt something . . . something not right, something not honest about the man.

  Hannah's warning rang in Kylie's ears. And the day I was at Shadow Falls, I sensed he was close. I felt him and I knew. I knew I went to Shadow Falls because of him.

  Could Hayden Yates be Hannah's killer? Could he have applied for the job here just to get to Holiday? It seemed unlikely, but Kylie wasn't taking any chances. And as soon as Burnett got back, she planned on sharing her concerns.

  * * *

  Kylie waited in the office's entrance for Mr. Warren to finish his conversation with Holiday. In a few minutes, both he and Holiday stepped out. Mr. Warren nodded politely and offered her a soft-spoken "Good morning. "

  "Morning. " Kylie sensed again that he was as shy and unsure of himself as she was. Maybe even more. Sort of a male version of Helen. And yet he'd chosen to teach. No doubt his love of history pushed him down this path. For that, she had to admire him.

  When he left, Kylie looked at Holiday and instantly went in for a hug.

  They held on to each other for a second longer than normal.

  "You okay?" Kylie asked.

  "I will be in time," Holiday said.

  Kylie heard Mr. Warren speaking to the agent outside. "Is this his first year teaching?" She nodded toward the window.

  "How did you guess?" Holiday sighed. "He was recommended by a friend of a friend. He's not so bad when it's one on one. I hope you guys don't chew him up and spit him out. "

  Kylie grinned. "Perry might consider it. "

  Holiday frowned. "Promise me you'll not let that happen. He really seems like a nice guy and I think he'll make an excellent teacher. I'd appreciate it if you'd sort of take him under your wing. "

  Kylie chuckled. "Again, Perry might do that. "

  Holiday's grin, while a little forced, surfaced. She glanced at the clock on the
wall. "You're up way early. "

  "Couldn't sleep," Kylie said.

  "Did Hannah come by?" Grief snuck into Holiday's voice and Kylie's own chest swelled with the emotion.

  "No. Sorry. " There was a pause. "Is that coffee I smell?"

  "Yeah, I . . . normally don't drink it, but this morning I figured I could use it. Grab a cup, and then I want to hear how the whole vampire transformation happened. "

  Oh, crap, Kylie thought as she went to collect her coffee. It was either time to come clean or to get busy burying herself in lies. She could probably come up with a story that Holiday would believe-a story that didn't include her sneaking out of Shadow Falls to meet her grandfather. But lying to Holiday of all people felt wrong.

  * * *

  "You did what?" Holiday asked, setting her coffee on her desk when Kylie started her explanation a few minutes later. "How many times do I have to explain to you that as a protector, you have no powers-zero-to protect yourself? You didn't even know the e-mail was from him. "

  "I knew," Kylie said.

  "How?" Holiday leaned forward.

  Kylie bit into her lip. "He was the fog. "

  "He was what?"

  "My grandfather and my great-aunt, they were the fog. They somehow transformed themselves into fog. "

  "How. . . " She let go of a deep breath and let the confusion settle around her, and then said, "You still can't just disobey rules. "

  "I was following the main rule. The one you've told me dozens of times. " She paused. "To follow my heart. "

  Holiday stared at Kylie as if debating the issue. "You could have asked someone to go with you. "

  "They wouldn't have met me. "

  "You don't know that," Holiday said.

  "Yes, I do. They left when Lucas showed up. "

  "Wait, Lucas went with you? He knew about this?" There was a reprimand to her voice.

  "No. He and Perry followed me, but I . . . detained them and took off. When Lucas caught up with me, my grandfather and aunt disappeared. They don't trust anyone here because of the FRU involvement with the camp. Considering everything that's happened, you can't blame them for that. "

  "I can blame them if they encourage you to put your life in danger. " Holiday fell back into her chair with frustration.

  "They don't even know about Mario. And look at me. Nothing happened. I had to go. I had to know the truth. "

  Holiday closed her eyes and kept them closed. When her lids finally fluttered open, Kylie saw most of her frustration had faded.

  Her shoulders relaxed. "And what's the truth, Kylie? What did they tell you?"

  "My dad was right. I'm a chameleon. "

  "And what, exactly, is that?" Holiday asked.

  "I have a blend of all the supernaturals and I maintain the DNA from all. "

  Holiday shook her head. "But that's not possible. The dominant parent's is the only DNA that passes to the child. "

  "That's what makes us different. "

  Holiday leaned back in her chair, her expression one of bafflement. "That's . . . huge. " She tweaked her brows at Kylie's forehead. "So what constitutes the pattern you show?"

  "I don't know . . . exactly. He said it usually took years before a chameleon learned to control it. That it takes a while to learn to do it. But then he said something that led me to believe that I can change it according to the powers I need. "

  "So he changed you into a vampire?"

  "No, I . . . he said I must have done it instinctively. When I was trying to get away from Lucas and Perry, I just kept telling myself to move faster. So maybe that's how it happened. "

  "Have you tried to change it again?" Holiday arched a brow in curiosity.

  "No. " Kylie shook her head. "The last time you had me try to do something that I wasn't sure how to do, Burnett nearly wound up sterile. "

  Holiday chuckled. Seeing Holiday smile was so good that Kylie smiled back.

  "What else did your grandfather say?" Holiday asked.

  Kylie's heart gripped. If Holiday was vampire, she'd hear the lie forming on her lips. Telling Holiday that Kylie's grandfather wanted her to leave Shadow Falls seemed like giving Holiday a reason to dislike him-a reason to insist Kylie stay away from him. And she couldn't stay away.

  Taking a breath, she fought the guilt swelling inside her, because Holiday might not hear the lie in her heartbeat, but she could read her emotions. Squaring her shoulders, she met Holiday's eyes. "Not much else. Lucas showed up and . . . they left. "

  "Who left?" Burnett asked.

  Kylie inwardly flinched. She'd been so busy trying not to feel guilty, she hadn't heard him approach.

  "Did you find him?" Holiday sat up, tension pulling at her shoulders.

  Kylie had suspected Burnett had been looking for Blake, but it surprised her that he'd told Holiday. "Find who?" Kylie asked, to be sure she'd been right.

  "Blake," Burnett answered. "And no. " He looked at Holiday. "I've left messages at both his work and cell that we need to talk. "

  "Should I call him?" Holiday asked.

  "No," Burnett clipped. Shifting his shoulders as if to push off the stress, he looked back at Kylie. "Who were you speaking of when I walked in? Who left?"

  Holiday glanced at Kylie and she could see the message in the camp leader's eyes. She left it up to Kylie whether to tell him . . . or not.

  She appreciated that, and when she imagined Burnett's reaction to her disregard for the rules, Kylie almost went with the "not. " But realizing the position she was putting Holiday in by lying to Burnett, Kylie reconsidered. She didn't want to be the one to cause even a ripple of discontent between them. Not when her goal was to get them together.

  "You're going to be upset," Kylie said.

  "How upset?" He frowned.

  * * *

  It turned out Burnett had been quite upset. Kylie had been relieved when, an hour later, Derek showed up and the four of them left for the cafe to see if they could find out anything about Cara M.

  When Burnett and Holiday walked into Cookie's Cafe, Derek held her back and let the door close. "Is everything okay?"

  He'd obviously picked up on Burnett's cheerful mood. Although Kylie didn't know if it had everything to do with her, or the fact that he'd been unable to run down Blake.

  Looking up at the glass door and seeing Burnett staring back at them, she recalled some of their earlier conversation.

  "The FRU is not the enemy," he'd insisted, when Kylie reminded him her grandfather had a reason to distrust Shadow Falls.

  "You're not the enemy," Kylie had said. "But I'm still not sure about the FRU. And while I know you don't want to admit it, you wouldn't have hidden my grandmother's body and wouldn't be keeping some facts from them if you completely trusted them. "

  Burnett hadn't argued with that, but Kylie pointing it out hadn't done much to improve his mood. He was obviously torn between his loyalty to Shadow Falls and his loyalty to the FRU. Not that Kylie worried. She trusted him. Getting her grandfather and aunt to trust him was another matter.

  Derek cleared his throat to get her attention. He wore his favorite jeans and dusty green T-shirt. "Did something happen?"

  "Not really," Kylie whispered to Derek, slightly bothered by how close he leaned into her, brushing her shoulder with his. Or was she bothered by how aware of his touch she was? Pushing that thought aside, she reached for the glass door.

  But she got the craziest feeling that someone was watching her. She swung around, but Derek blocked her view of the street.

  "Is something wrong?" he asked.

  "No. " She still shifted to see around him. But the brief sensation she'd gotten was gone. Were her grandfather and aunt close by? She glanced all around, left and right. The old houses lining the s
treet had been turned into gift shops, and an old red caboose now served as a concession stand. What she didn't see was anyone peering back at her. No one. Nothing.

  So she turned back and walked inside the cafe packed with a chattering crowd.

  The smell of bacon flavored the air in the old house that served as a cafe. She didn't find the smell the least bit tempting. The downside of being a vamp. The room held wall-to-wall tables, filled with hungry people who looked like vacationers. The sound of forks clinking against plates echoed with the voices.

  Only one table stood empty and Holiday led the way. A server came out of the back, carrying a tray of food that smelled like cinnamon rolls.

  "Is that the same uniform?" Derek asked as they sat down.

  "Yeah. " Kylie's heart lightened with hope that this would lead them to the killer.

  Another waitress, Chris G. , according to her name tag, stopped in front of their table.

  "You guys ready to order?" Before they spoke, she waved at another table. "One minute. "

  "Actually," Burnett spoke up, "we're here hoping to get some info on a Cara M. , a waitress who-"

  "Oh. " She walked away.

  "Oh, what?" Burnett frowned as she took off. She stuck her head through the door and called out, "Hey, Cara, someone wants to talk to you. "

  Burnett, Holiday, and Derek all turned and looked at Kylie.

  "She can't be alive," Kylie said. "Trust me. She's dead. "

  Then a pretty blond, with a name tag that read CARA M. , walked out of the back. "She looks alive to me," Derek said. "And even kind of hot. " He blushed.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Kylie opened her mouth to speak, but didn't have a clue what to say. Or do, for that matter.

  "Hi, Cara," Derek spoke up, glancing at Burnett as if making sure it was okay to take the lead. Burnett nodded and Derek continued. "We wanted information on a Cara M. "

  She pointed to her name tag. "I'm Cara M. M for Muller. "

  Kylie studied the waitress's face and tried to compare it to the spirit. It wasn't her. Was it? Kylie played emergency recall in her memory but could only envision her long blond hair and blue eyes. Which this girl had, but . . .

  "I'm sorry," Derek said. "We were under the impression that Cara M. no longer worked here. "

  "Well, I'm still here. Been here since I was fifteen, over two years. Why?"

  "Is there another Cara M. who worked here?" Kylie tried not to stare, but feeling desperate to discover the truth, she couldn't stop herself.

  "No. " The girl looked at Kylie. "What's this about?"

  Kylie noticed that the waitress's name tag had come unpinned and barely clung on the uniform. "What happens if you lose your name tag?"

  Cara cut her eyes toward the back of the restaurant. "The manager has a freaking cow. "

  "And what would you do to prevent him from having a cow?" Kylie leaned forward.

  "What do you mean?" Cara asked.

  "She means, do you ever loan your name tag to one of the other girls?" Derek asked.

  The waitress leaned closer as if afraid someone might hear. "The boss hardly notices. But I don't understand why you want to know this. " She smiled at Derek as if . . . well, as if he was some cute guy and she was some cute blonde. Which she was. Which he was. A frown pulled at Kylie's lips.

  Holiday touched the girl's arm. No doubt to send her some calming emotion in hopes of encouraging her to answer. "Have any of your waitresses just . . . disappeared?"

  Kylie saw Burnett tilt his head, listening for a lie, and Kylie did it as well.

  "They quit all the time. The owner can be a real jerk. " Cara spoke the truth.

  "Has anyone just left? Never officially quit?" Holiday asked.

  Cara paused. "Yeah, there was a girl like that. A Cindy something. Can't remember her last name. "

  "Did Cindy ever borrow your name tag?" Burnett added his voice to the conversation.

  "Was Cindy a blonde?" Kylie tossed out her own question.

  "Yes," Cara said to Burnett, and then focused on Kylie. "And yes. Why?"

  Between Holiday's casual touches on the girl's wrist and Derek's flirty smiles, the girl answered all their questions about Cindy. Before she walked off, Burnett asked if her manager or the owner of the restaurant was here.

  Cara grew nervous. "Did I do something wrong?"

  "No," Burnett assured her. "But can you let her know I need to talk to her?" He pulled out his wallet and flashed his badge. Kylie wasn't even sure what the badge meant to humans, but it didn't seem to matter.

  Cara's color paled. "Oh, shit. Did something happen to Cindy?"

  Yeah, Kylie thought. Something happened. Something really bad, too.

  * * *

  Before leaving, Burnett had the name Cindy Shaffer and a copy of the resume she'd filled out with her emergency contacts. When he sent the info to FRU via his phone and asked for the driver's license, they answered within a few minutes. When he showed Kylie the image of a smiling young blonde, tears filled Kylie's eyes. It was her. And Cindy Shaffer would never smile like that again.

  While Burnett spouted orders over the phone for someone at the FRU to contact the Shaffer family, Holiday ordered some cinnamon rolls. They arrived, hot and covered with gooey white icing. Derek ate two, Holiday nibbled on one. Kylie and Burnett picked at their pastries with even less enthusiasm. Even with Kylie's stomach grumbling, she couldn't stomach the taste. That, and she kept seeing the image of the smiling Cindy.

  "Are you drinking your meals?" Holiday asked Kylie in a low voice.

  "Not regularly, but I'll start. " She didn't look forward to it.

  Burnett paid for the breakfast. As they walked toward the car, Kylie got the feeling again that someone was watching her. She swung around and saw a male figure disappear inside one of the stores. She'd barely gotten a glimpse of a shoulder and arm, but she recognized those appendages.

  Kylie shot across the street.

  "What is it?" Burnett's feet ate up the pavement right beside her.

  Kylie stopped in front of the store. Her gaze flew to the large carved wooden sign that read PALM READER. She reached for the door. "I thought I saw someone. "

  Burnett grabbed her, his eyes now green in protective mode. "Who?"

  Kylie heard Derek call her name from the other side of the street. "Let me find out. " She rushed inside the store.

  Burnett rushed in with her.

  The first thing Kylie noticed was a voodoo doll hanging from the ceiling with pins in it. The second was a foul odor. She slapped her hand over her mouth and nose. Even while wanting to gag, she searched the room for the man she'd seen enter the building. When the place looked empty, she glanced back at Burnett.

  "Garlic. " He frowned. "Just breathe it in; the reaction will fade. It doesn't kill us. "

  "Can I help you?" a voice asked from behind a counter in the corner of the room.

  Kylie forced herself to pull her hand from her mouth and looked at the woman dressed in a brightly colored, loose-fitting dress that had con-artist-pretending-to-be-a-clairvoyant written all over it. But just to confirm her assessment, Kylie checked her brain pattern. Human-but shady looking. Definitely a con artist.

  Kylie tilted her head to the side to hear if anyone else was in the old house. Not a sound. No one breathed inside these walls but the three of them, and Kylie still wished she didn't have to breathe. The smell crawled down her throat. She focused on the door. Where had the man gone that she'd spotted rushing inside? Noting that the backdoor stood slightly ajar, she tuned her ears to listen for anything outside. If he'd left out the backdoor, he was gone now.

  "Uh. . . " Kylie pushed words around her gag reflex, but before the words spilled out, she noted the hand-painted sign hanging over the register.
br />   NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO SERVICE. AND UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, NO COLD-HEARTED VAMPIRES.

  She glanced at Burnett and back at the sign.

  He frowned.

  "You need a reading?" the woman asked.

  "No. " Kylie ignored her desire to heave. "A man just walked in. I thought I knew him. "

  "Yeah. The bell rang, but I was in the back; when I got here the person had vanished. Probably a spirit. I get them all the time. "

  Kylie put out her feelers for ghosts. No deadly cold filled the space. And who could blame them? The stench of garlic probably scared them off, too. She eyed the woman again, who Kylie now had down as a complete nutcase. A stupid nutcase if she thought a sign and some garlic would actually keep vampires away.

  The woman noticed Kylie's attention to the sign. "Don't be too quick to judge. I see them around here all the time. They have a different smell about them. "

  "Seriously?" Burnett asked in mock disbelief. "You believe in vampires?"

  "You aren't the only non-believers," she said. "But I have proof. The Native Americans drew pictures of them on the cave walls on my grandmother's property. "

  "Interesting stuff for fairy tales. " Burnett glanced at Kylie. "You ready?"

  As soon as they walked out, he bit out, "Who the hell did you think you saw?"

  She didn't consider keeping it from him. She'd been going to tell him, she just hadn't had the time. "What do you know about Hayden Yates?"

  "The new teacher?"

  She nodded.

  "I personally did an extensive check on all the new employees. Why? Do you think I missed something?"

  "I think he gives me bad vibes. "

  "Bad vibes?" Burnett asked.

  Kylie nodded. "And this morning before the sun came up, Della walked me to Holiday's office and we caught him following us. " She stopped talking, realizing that wasn't altogether true. "Maybe not exactly following us, but he was walking around. And Hannah insists whoever killed her is close to the camp. "

  "And that's who you think you saw?"

  She nodded.

  He frowned. "But Blake, Holiday's ex, has been in the area, too. Hannah could have meant him. "

  Burnett wanted Blake to be guilty, and Kylie wasn't sure he wasn't, but . . . "I know, but I'm just . . . Maybe I'm making more out of it than I should. "

  "Or not. " Burnett snatched his phone from his pocket and dialed. "Della," he said into his phone. "Find Hayden Yates at the camp. "

  "Can I whup his ass, too?" Della's voice echoed from the phone.

  "No, don't let him know you're checking on him. I just want to know if he's there. And do it now!"

  "I'm already on my way," she smarted back.

  The line went silent for a second. "Okay . . . I'm at his place, peering though his window. He's reading the paper, sitting on the sofa. You sure you don't want me to kick his ass? Did Kylie tell you we think he was following us?"

  "Yes. "

  "Is that an affirmative on whupping his ass?" Della chuckled.

  "No," Burnett said, missing the humor. "Thanks. " He hung up and met Kylie's gaze.

  "I don't think he could have made it back to the camp in that time," Burnett said.

  "I know," Kylie said. "So maybe it wasn't him. "

  Burnett frowned. "But to be safe, I'll do another rundown on him. "

  Kylie appreciated that.

  "Where the hell did you guys go?" Derek stopped beside them.

  "I thought I saw someone. " Kylie spotted Holiday moving across the street.

  "What happened?" she asked.

  "Kylie thought she recognized someone. " Burnett motioned for them to cross the street. "We should get back to the camp before the parents start showing up. "

  Oh, great! Now Kylie had the whole parent issue to deal with.

  Holiday looked at her watch. "We'd better hurry. "

  They moved across the street to get in the car. All five of them.

  Yes, five.

  Burnett hit the clicker to unlock the doors. Holiday popped in the front seat. Kylie stood by the back door when Hannah leaned in and whispered, "I call window seat. "

  Hannah, Derek, and Kylie climbed in. As soon as Burnett got settled behind the wheel, his shoulders stiffened and he swung around. The look, the sheer panic in his gaze, told Kylie she wasn't the only one hearing and, more than likely, seeing Hannah.

  * * *

  Burnett drove in silence, but kept looking back in the rearview mirror. Kylie shivered from the chill of Hannah's presence.

  Have you figured out anything else? Kylie spoke in her mind.

  Hannah ignored Kylie's question. Instead, she stared at Derek. "He's cute. "

  "Damn, it's cold in this car. " Derek draped his arm around Kylie. The warmth of his arm did feel good, and being this close, close enough to get a good whiff of his natural scent to chase away the scent of garlic, didn't feel so bad, either. And for that reason, she shifted away and cut him a warning look that said, "Don't push your luck. "

  Sometimes she thought he forgot she wasn't really with him anymore. Not that it wasn't easy for him to forget, with Lucas never hanging around her . . .

  "You should definitely choose him. " Hannah leaned into Kylie's shoulder. The icy feel of her touch caused Kylie's spine to stiffen. "And speaking of romance, the bozo in the front seat better watch himself. If he hurts my sister-"

  "I won't," Burnett muttered.

  "Won't what?" Holiday and Derek asked at the same time.

  "Nothing. " Burnett slammed his jaw so tight he had to have cracked a few teeth.

  Hannah leaned forward and stared at Burnett in the rearview mirror. The mirror frosted over. "If you break her heart, I swear, I'll neuter you in your sleep. "

  Burnett's jaw tightened some more. Holiday gaped at the rearview mirror and then stared wide-eyed at Burnett. A second later, she swung around and gave Kylie the befuddled look. "Is it her? Is Hannah here?"

  Kylie froze, literally from Hannah's icy presence, but also from not knowing what to say.

  When Kylie didn't answer, Holiday stared back at Burnett. "Can you see her? Can you see ghosts? How can you do that?"

  "We've got a ghost in the car?" Derek's voice rang a bit high-pitched.

  "Had a ghost in the car," Hannah said. Her teary-eyed gaze stared at Holiday, and then she vanished, leaving the saddest of sad moods to fill the car like smoke.

  * * *

  The moment Kylie spied her mom and John, her mom's creepy new boyfriend, walking into the dining hall, holding on to each other like a couple of horny teenagers, Kylie found herself envying Hannah's ability to vanish. Why did her mom think bringing John was a good idea? And if she had to bring him, couldn't she keep her hands off his butt while she was here?

  Yup, Kylie's mom had her right hand tucked into the back of John's jeans pocket. And frankly, the man didn't even have a nice ass!

  Surely her mom wasn't getting serious about him and felt these visits were needed for Kylie to get to know him-before . . . before they did something stupid, like get married.

  The thought scared the crap out of Kylie. Inhaling, she told herself she was overreacting; as Nana would have said, she was making a mountain out of a molehill.

  Then again, her mom hadn't answered Kylie's question about them having sex. And chances were, her mom wasn't about to answer that inquiry today, either.

  Kylie's mom turned around and spotted her on the other side of the dining hall and smiled. Kylie waved, hoping her mom would do the same, freeing her hand from John's ass, but nope.

  Taking a deep breath, Kylie faked a smile.

  Her mom grinned up at John, and the man swooped down and kissed her. Kissed her . . . with tongue, and right there in front of all o
f Kylie's campmates.

  "Just shoot me," Kylie muttered.

  "I think they're cute. " Holiday leaned into Kylie as if reading her emotional overload.

  "And I think I'm going to puke. " Kylie swore she was going to have a sit-down, serious chat with her mom and find out exactly what was going on. When the kiss kept going, Kylie decided again that yup, she'd love to vanish. Just up and disappear.

  "Take some deep breaths and calm down," Holiday said. "You're exploding with panic. "

  Kylie looked at Holiday. "My mom's French-kissing a guy in front of everyone," she muttered. "Of course I'm panicking!"

  "Shit!" Holiday snapped.

  "Shit, what?" Kylie asked, alarmed at the panic in Holiday's voice.

  "Oh, Kylie," Holiday murmured. And then she looked across the room and waved down Burnett, her arm motions serious.

  "What is it?" Kylie looked to the door, thinking someone unwanted, possibly Mario, had walked in.

  No Mario.

  "Damn it to hell and back!" Holiday whispered. "Kylie, where did you go?"

  "What do you mean? I'm right here. Standing right next to you. " Kylie looked down at her feet, but she saw only the floor. No sneakers, no legs. No Kylie.

  "Oh, shit!" she muttered, and while she hadn't thought about it in quite a while, she remembered her dad telling her that they would work things out together. Was this it? Was this what dying felt like?