by C. C. Hunter
Chapter Forty
Looking down at her clothes, Kylie realized she wore army fatigues. She was . . . she was in Daniel Brighten's spirit body again-just like in the dream. Did that mean she wasn't dead?
She looked back at her own body and saw that Derek was fighting off two more vamps to keep them away from her. Del a swooped in to help. Remembering she could help them as Daniel's ghost, Kylie took a step toward them. But just like that, she realized she was back in her own body. She pushed herself off the ground, determined not to just lie there. Moving, however, caused her a ton of pain. Someone else suddenly appeared and fought beside Derek and Del a. Kylie squinted at their newest al y. Sky?
Floodlights flared to life. The night's darkness, along with several of their attackers, scurried away like rats. Burnett, along with a few other FRU-looking people, seemed to come at them from al sides. They grabbed a couple of the vamps and locked them in handcuffs at both their wrists and ankles.
Derek rushed over to Kylie. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, although her body was hurting in places she didn't know could hurt.
"What the hel happened?" Burnett demanded of Derek. He reached for Derek as if prepared to slap a pair of cuffs on him.
"It's my fault," Kylie insisted. "I made him do this. "
"She did not," Derek insisted.
"No, it was my idea. " Del a surged forward.
"No, they're al lying. It's not their fault. " Sky moved in.
Everything seemed to go silent for a long moment, and then Derek spoke up. "Sky planted the blood that you guys found that led back to the camp. She helped those rogues take the animals. But she came to our defense in the end. "
Kylie knew Derek had learned this from his mind meld with the lions. The lions had talked to him, just as she'd hoped they would. A tiny bit of happiness about being right swiveled through the chaos of the moment, and she let herself savor it.
"He's tel ing the truth. " Sky held out her arms to be cuffed.
Burnett put the cuffs on her. "Why?" he asked, staring at her as if disgusted.
"They. . . " she said looking at the captives, "have my sister. Threatened to kil her if I didn't help them get the camp shut down. " Sky glanced at Kylie. "I could do it when that was al they wanted, but this . . . They promised no one would be hurt. I don't know how the lion got in your cabin, Kylie, I swear. I was told to take the witches out for a hike. I knew they were planning something, but hadn't thought . . . They said no one would be hurt. " She shook her head and looked back at Burnett. "I was only trying to save my sister. "
"They? Who are 'they'?" Burnett growled, and looked at the two vamps cuffed on the ground. One of them growled at Burnett and fought against the handcuffs. Two of the other FRU men subdued him.
Kylie suddenly realized the red-haired vampire, the one who'd first grabbed her, had gotten away. And for some reason that thought sent chil s down her back.
"The Blood Brothers," Sky answered. "The vampire gang. "
"And why did they want the camp shut down?" Burnett asked.
"They feel as if the camp is corrupting potential members," Sky answered. "And from what they said, they aren't the only ones thinking it. Most of al the rogue gangs are starting to rebel against the camp. "
"Do you know where they're keeping your sister?" Burnett asked, and Kylie heard the slightest hint of sympathy in his voice for Sky's dilemma.
"No. But my father's hired someone to find her. "
Holiday came rushing forward. Her gaze shot to Sky wearing cuffs. "What are you doing?" she asked Burnett.
"My job," he answered, and started walking Sky away.
Holiday shot forward. "You let her go-"
"He can't, Holiday," Sky said. "He's right. I screwed up. I'm sorry. "
"What are you sorry for?" Holiday asked.
Sky looked back at Derek. "Tel her," she said.
Burnett looked at Holiday almost as if to say something, and then he nudged Sky to start walking. Holiday looked back at Kylie, Del a, and Derek. "Someone better start talking. And fast. "
* * *
Holiday had a doctor rush to the camp and go over everyone inch by inch. Other than a few scrapes and deep bruises, they were pronounced fine. It was after two in the morning at that point and Kylie's muscles ached like a bad devil and she wanted nothing more than to go to bed. But apparently Burnett had other plans.
Kylie and her partners in crime-for some reason, Helen, Perry, and Miranda had al confessed to being part of Kylie's plan-were told to wait in the dining hal . Holiday and Burnett walked in. Kylie saw the shadows of pain in the camp leader's eyes; no doubt Sky's betrayal had cut deep. Burnett started the dialogue, or you could cal it the chewing down. He referred to what they'd done as stupid and foolish. He told them they were lucky that none of them had been kil ed. Yada yada yada.
And he was right.
But Kylie would have done it again in a heartbeat.
She sat there and took her punishment like the rest of them. Yes, she knew sneaking into the park hadn't been without some risk, but she hadn't planned on going to war with a vampire gang. Al she'd wanted to do was get Derek to the animals so he could possibly get some answers. Which, by the way, had worked. Not that Burnett mentioned that in his ass-chewing.
"Did you even realize that they had outnumbered you by five? I can't believe. . . " He continued his rant, reminding them they were supernaturals and they were supposed to be smarter than that.
A question popped into Kylie's mind and before she could stop herself, it slipped out of her mouth. "Are you stil going to close down the camp?"
Burnett, not happy about being interrupted, frowned. "If this is the kind of behavior we can expect, we have no choice. "
Enough. Enough. Enough.
When the word scraped across Kylie's mind the third time, she stood up. "We did the only thing we knew to help. "
She hadn't a clue where her assertiveness came from, perhaps exhaustion, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.
"You seem to have forgotten that we didn't plan to get into an out-and-out brawl with a vampire gang. Al we wanted was to get Derek close enough to communicate with the animals and find out what the hel had been going on. "
"You should have come to us," Holiday said.
While her heart went out to the camp leader, Kylie had a point to make. Since she'd already pissed Burnett off, she might as wel keep going.
"Why should we come to you?" Kylie asked. "You didn't trust us enough to tel us what was going on. Yes, we know you're the camp leader, but we're not in kindergarten here. You say we're here to learn how to cope in the outside world but then you try to shield us from anything that might be the least bit unpleasant. And let's say if we did come to you with this, I don't think you'd let us do it because you'd be worried it could be dangerous. And then there's you. " Kylie pointed to Burnett.
"That'l be enough," Burnett snapped.
Not hardly. "Even if Holiday had agreed to let us do it, there's no way you would have let Derek in the park because you thought we were al suspects. "
"Ditto," Derek said.
"Amen," Del a said.
"You go, Kylie," Miranda snapped.
Everyone else in the room nodded their heads in agreement.
"That's not important," Burnett charged.
"Yes, it is. " Holiday held up a hand to silence the tal , dark, and menacing vampire. "Kylie's right. I don't like it, but she's right. "
Holiday took a deep breath. "I have the tendency to be a tad overprotective. " She looked at Burnett. "And you have a tendency to be . . . wel , a jerk. "
Burnett's expression was a cross between shock and anger.
"I'm just being honest. " Holiday glanced back at Kylie and the rest of them. "And to answer your ques
tion, Kylie, Burnett has already informed me that thankful y the camp wil not be closed down. "
Everyone in the room let out a yelp of victory.
"As a matter of fact. . . " Holiday glanced at Burnett as if almost asking permission to continue. He frowned but nodded. "As a matter of fact, Burnett has also just informed me that my request to turn Shadow Fal s Camp into Shadow Fal s Camp Academy has been granted. "
"Like a ful -time school?" Kylie asked.
Holiday nodded and Kylie saw her gaze seek out Del a. "We're hoping this wil help al eviate some of the strain of the newly turned supernaturals who find living with normal parents impossible. It wil al ow them to maintain contact and hopeful y prevent these families from completely severing relationships. "
Kylie grinned and glanced back at Del a, who appeared as if she might start crying.
"And," Holiday continued, "while it's true, I did just cal Mr. James here a jerk, and true, he is one, I'd also like to point out that tonight his boss informed me that . . . contrary to what I thought, he's been a supporter of the school. His boss said he's been our advocate al along. So like it or not
-and for the record, I don't like it-he is deserving of our respect. "
Burnett had his arms crossed over his chest, staring holes at Holiday. Kylie suspected the camp leader didn't glance at him just to piss him off.
"That said," Holiday motioned for the door, "it's very late and since tomorrow is parents day, we have to be up and at our best in the morning, even if we have to fake it. "
* * *
Miranda, Del a, and Kylie walked out together. "Chan wasn't there," Del a said. "I would have smel ed him. "
"I know," Kylie said.
"Who's Chan?" Miranda asked.
"I'l explain it later," Del a said, and then she looked back at Kylie. "When Sky said that she didn't put the lion in your room, she was tel ing the truth. "
"I thought she was," Kylie said. But something about that whole incident stil didn't read true. Not that she'd ever real y find out. They started toward their cabin when Kylie saw Derek. "You two go," Kylie said. "I want to say good night to Derek. "
"Do you smel those hormones?" Del a asked Miranda.
Kylie frowned at Del a as they walked away and then she turned to find Derek.
"Hey, wait up," Kylie cal ed to Derek.
He turned around and started moving toward her. When they met in the middle, he was smiling. "I liked how you stood up to Burnett and Holiday,"
he said.
Kylie shrugged, unsure where she'd gotten the courage to do it, but lately she found herself speaking her mind. She didn't think it was altogether a bad thing, either.
"And I liked how you stood up to the vampires earlier. What did you do? They kept dropping. "
He grinned. "Apparently, I have the ability to shock their systems with emotional overload. It was pretty cool, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was," she said.
He studied her. "Your ghost was there, too. Wasn't he?"
"Yeah," Kylie said, not real y ready to share the whole out-of-body experience thing.
Their gazes met, held. "It worked didn't it?" Kylie said. "You communicated with the animals. That's how you knew about Sky, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You were right. "
She thought she heard something in his voice-like regret. "Are you upset that it happened?" Like flies on a bad banana, guilt buzzed around her chest. He'd done it for her. "If you are . . . I mean, I'm sorry that-"
He reached out to put a finger over her lips. "You don't need to apologize. I'm glad I did it. To be honest, it felt right. Tonight felt right. " He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and left his hand there. "We did good. We make a good team. "
"You've saved my life twice now. Three if you count the snake. " She looked up at him, at his soft smile. His hand touching her neck felt so good. So right. Without thinking, she moved up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
He wasn't the one who started the kiss.
Nope. She did that.
He wasn't the one who deepened the kiss.
Nope. She did that, too.
He wasn't even the one who moved in closer.
Nope. That would be her.
Not that he seemed to mind.
But he was the one who moved his tongue inside her mouth. Deep inside her, she heard a little voice say, "Oops. "
She pul ed back. They were both breathing hard. She wasn't sure either of them had breathed this hard when they'd been fighting rogue vampires.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Wow. "
Kylie inhaled, stil trying to catch her breath, trying to clear her head. She stared down at her shoes, because looking him in the eyes right now seemed too much. She hadn't meant that to happen. Or had she?
He ran his finger under her chin and tilted her head up. Damn. He was going to make her look at him. Then he'd probably ask the question she couldn't answer.
"What was that, Kylie? Just a thank-you for saving your life . . . or was it more?"
Yup, that was the question she was afraid he'd ask. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Maybe just a weak moment. "
He laughed. "Do me a favor. " He leaned closer.
"What?"
"Whenever you're feeling weak, come see me. "
She went to give him a thump in the chest, but he stopped her. He brought her hand up to his lips, his green gaze never shifting from her eyes, and he gently kissed the top of her hand. The moisture of his lips sent a shiver, a wonderful kind of shiver, al the way down her spine. For some unknown reason, that second kiss wreaked more emotional havoc than the first had. And that's when she noticed how beautiful the sky was. It appeared . . . enchanted. The stars twinkled like something out of a Disney movie. Was Derek doing this? Was he using his gifts and making her see things differently? And did it matter if he was? She didn't have the answer. "I should . . . should probably go. Tomorrow is parents day. "
"I'l walk you to your cabin. " He arched a brow.
"I'm not kissing you again," she blurted out, before she thought about it.
He laughed. "I bet you wil . "
She knew he was right, but . . . "Not tonight. "
"I figured that. Good thing I'm patient. "
* * *
Derek's kiss and maybe everything that came before it had helped Kylie not think about seeing her mom-about what she would or wouldn't say about seeing her dad making out in the middle of town. Then there was the other question she had to ask. The question that made Kylie's entire insides twitch.
The question Kylie hadn't let herself think about.
But now, standing in the dining hal , waiting for her mom to arrive, Kylie wondered if she shouldn't have been thinking about it. Face it, some things just weren't meant to be blurted out.
Her mom walked in and Kylie saw her scanning the room for her. Kylie took the second to just notice her mom. Like her brown hair, her brown eyes. Like how Kylie didn't look anything like her. Except for the nose. She'd for certain gotten her mom's little ski-lift nose.
"I almost didn't find you," her mom said as they sat down at one of the least crowded tables. Her mom's butt wasn't on the seat when she said,
"You haven't been getting enough sleep, have you, Kylie?"
Was it some kind of mother radar or something that made a mom know these things? "Just restless," Kylie lied. Her mom leaned over the table and whispered, "You aren't having those dreams again, are you?"
"No," Kylie said.
Her mom cut her eyes in that don't-lie-to-me stare.
"I swear. "
"Okay," she said.
"Hel o, everyone," Holiday said at the front of the hal . "I know I don't normal y address you on these visits
but I've got some news I'd love to share. First, I'm sorry to have to tel you that due to family issues, Sky Peacemaker, my co-leader of the camp, has to take an unplanned leave of absence. "
Kylie had to admit, Holiday managed to explain it without real y lying.
"However," Holiday continued, "we are in the process of looking for a replacement. Until then, we have a temporary-just temporary-
replacement. And I'd like you to meet Mr. Burnett James. He comes highly recommended. "
Kylie wondered if Holiday knew how tel ing the second "just temporary" was? The fact that she was going to have to work with Burnett was no doubt eating her alive.
"My second news. . . " Holiday then went into her spiel about the camp becoming a boarding school. Kylie watched her mom as Holiday did her dog and pony show. She half expected her mom to stand up and applaud and scream out, Freedom at last, freedom at last.
Oddly enough, her mom was able to hide her excitement. Kylie felt a shot of guilt scratch across her conscience. How unfair was it that Kylie wanted to sign on ful -time to the school, and yet she was going to be pissed at her mom for wanting the same. After Holiday finished, Kylie looked back at her mom and said, "You want to take a walk? There are some paths through the woods that are nice. "
Her mom looked down at her feet. "Sure. Luckily I wore tennis shoes. "
Kylie decided to take her mom to a less woodsy trail that ended by the creek. It wasn't as nice as her and Derek's spot, but stil pretty. She went by the cabin to get a blanket for them to sit on.
Her mom meandered around the cabin. "This is sparse, but nice. "
Socks came running out of her bedroom and attacked her mom's shoelaces. "Oh, it's sooo cute. "
Her mom picked up Socks, Jr. , and held it up to her face. "Whose kitten is it?"
"Uh, mine. "
Her mom looked surprised. "Okay, but don't you think you should have cleared that with me first?"
"I . . . yeah, I guess I should have," Kylie said.
Her mom continued to stare at the feline. "Do you know what cat this reminds me of?"
"Socks?" Kylie said.
"Yeah. Do you remember her? We had that cat when you were born. Your dad got it for me the day we had our first sonogram. He was so excited, he. . . " Her mom stopped talking and blinked as if to chase the memory from her mind. "Yeah, cute kitten. " She put the feline down as if she half blamed the kitten for bringing on a painful memory.
Kylie saw the emotion in her mom's eyes, and she wished she could punch her dad. She swal owed the knot forming in her throat and went to grab a blanket.
They walked in silence, and then her mom asked, "You are cal ing your dad now, aren't you?"
Kylie almost lied, but then said, "The phone works both ways, Mom. If he wants to talk to me, he can cal . "
"Honey, men aren't always good at-"
"It's not men we're talking about. It's Dad. "
"I'm sure he didn't intentional y forget about coming to see you. His work sometimes can be chal enging. "
"Real y?" Kylie asked. "Is that why you barbecued his shorts on the gril?"
