As Kylie and Burnett took the steps up to the office, Kylie suddenly wished she hadn't come.
Behind the door, Clara continued arguing with her brother. "I think she might have been the one who sent the fog after me. She pretended like she rescued me, but maybe the witch was just-"
"You think who sent the fog after you?" Lucas demanded.
"Kylie!" Clara fumed.
Kylie's breath hitched.
"Kylie isn't a witch," Lucas said.
Burnett pushed open the office door; Clara and Lucas, positioned in the entryway, turned around. Kylie prepared herself for his reaction.
"I am for the time being." Kylie decided to expose her cards and worry how the game would be played later.
"You're what for the time being?" Lucas asked, unaware that Kylie had been privy to their conversation.
"A witch," she said.
Lucas stared at her forehead. Shock, confusion, and disappointment flickered in his eyes. "What ... Witches don't have speed. They can't run ... like you run."
"Confused the hell out of me, too," Clara said. "That's when I realized she probably cast a spell, and if she cast that spell, maybe she did it all."
"I didn't create the fog," Kylie said. Was Clara really already turning on her?
"So how did you know where to find me? And don't lie again and say you heard me. I wasn't close enough for you to hear my screams."
The accusation stung, but Kylie tried not to take it to heart. Clara had reasons for being suspicious. Witches weren't supposed to be able to run like lightning or have super hearing. Which validated Kylie's belief that she wasn't a witch.
But if her grandfather and aunt could turn themselves into fog, did that mean they belonged to the Wiccan species? She didn't think shape-shifters could change into fog, could they? Doubt pulled at her mind.
"Kylie isn't your normal witch." Burnett came to her defense.
Lucas glanced at Clara, to Burnett, then back at Kylie. An apology replaced the stunned disbelief in his eyes.
He continued to gaze at her, but spoke to his half sister. "If Kylie says she didn't do it, she didn't do it."
"You take her word over mine? Now I see our father's concern." Clara's tone rang heavy with accusation. "How can you call yourself a leader of our people when you stand up for a witch over your own kind, own blood?"
Lucas's jaw tightened. "My belief does not come from her words. I know the facts. Kylie has sensitive hearing. She could hear your screams from miles away."
"Witches don't have-"
"As Burnett pointed out, I'm not a normal witch." Kylie gazed at Lucas. Why couldn't he have simply declared he believed her? Was a were's loyalty to his pack so restrictive that his faith in her held no credibility?
Feeling Clara's stare, Kylie continued. "Apparently, my brain has a bad habit of showing different patterns."
"Then there's something seriously wrong with your brain." Clara's tone made her words even more of an insult.
Kylie waited for Lucas to correct Clara. When his gaze found hers, she could swear she saw an apology flash in his eyes, but he remained silent.
And just like that, she knew why. Because to do so would be putting her before Clara. Because Kylie wasn't a werewolf, she wasn't supposed to matter to Lucas. Or at least not matter as much as one of his own. The realization brought with it a wave of pain that caused her chest to clutch. She told herself she didn't need him to defend her, that she knew he cared, so what did it matter that he remained silent?
"My mind is fine." Kylie met Clara's eyes and then briefly glanced at Lucas. Yup. Kylie's mind would be okay; it was her heart she worried about right now. Because while it shouldn't have mattered, it did.
A lot.
"Why weren't you scared of what you saw?" Clara asked.
Unsure what Clara meant, Kylie paused. Had the girl seen more than Kylie knew? "Who says I wasn't scared?"
"Kylie's a protector," Burnett intervened.
Clara's eyes widened. "No shit?"
Uncomfortable at the girl's stare, Kylie suddenly wanted to escape. "I should go." She turned to leave.
Burnett gently caught her by the arm and, as crazy as it seemed, she felt empathy in his cold touch. He leaned in and whispered, "Not until you have a shadow."
"I'm here." Holiday stepped through the door. "I took a short walk to give Lucas and his sister a few minutes to talk." Her green eyes went to Kylie as if she sensed the emotional storm brewing inside her. Holiday motioned for Kylie to follow her out.
Burnett looked at Holiday. "Stay close. There could still be danger around."
"Exactly what happened?" Worry filled Holiday's green eyes.
"We'll talk later," he said. "I need to chat with Clara while everything is fresh in her mind."
Kylie walked out, her heart breaking at Lucas's behavior and her gut worrying about what Clara remembered. Yet one glance at Holiday and Kylie remembered her vision and Holiday's possible demise. Heck, maybe Clara was right. Maybe something was wrong with her mind. Perhaps the stress of everything had finally driven her loony.
Was becoming a witch the first sign of insanity? Or was it just part of being a chameleon?
Kylie followed Holiday to the dining hall to grab a sandwich. Lunch had come and gone and so they had the place to themselves. They barely talked and the awkwardness didn't feel right. When they walked out of the dining hall, Kylie's gaze went to the woods to see if the feeling had left, or if she sensed her grandfather and great-aunt calling her. But she felt nothing.
Holiday reached over and touched Kylie's shoulders. "Talk to me."
Kylie absorbed the calm that Holiday offered and faced her. "I hate prejudices," Kylie said, knowing that only one of the problems at hand, Lucas, could be discussed with the camp leader. If she told Holiday who was in the woods earlier, she'd tell Burnett. And both of them would refuse to let Kylie go to them if they returned. But she had to, didn't she?
"I hate them, too," Holiday said, as if she knew exactly what prejudices Kylie referred to. "If there was one thing I could change in the world, that would be it."
Closing her palm, Kylie fought the feeling of disappointment Lucas's stance with Clara had given her. "You would think after being the target of prejudice, the were society would know how unjust it is."
"I think-"
"Can I please have a moment with Kylie?" Lucas's voice came from behind them. Just hearing his deep tenor caused another wave of pain to wash over her chest. She couldn't think of anything, or anyone who would have stopped her from standing up for him if the shoe had been on the other foot. And yet ...
Kylie and Holiday turned around. The camp leader met Kylie's gaze, almost asking if this was what she wanted. She nodded.
"Fine, but don't go far." Holiday walked back to the porch and sat down on one of the rocking chairs.
Lucas took Kylie's hand and led her around to the back of the office. He didn't speak, and neither did she. He stopped by the tree, where they'd been earlier, and turned to face her. Not a word left his lips; he just stared.
What she wouldn't give to be able to read his mind. What was he thinking? Was he upset because she was a witch, was he sorry that he hadn't come to her defense? Was he realizing how hopeless this relationship was?
"Thank you for rescuing my sister," he said. "I'm sorry she's so ungrateful."
Kylie nodded.
He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. All she could see was his eyes, the blueness of them, the long dark fringe of lashes surrounding them.
"I hurt you." His voice came out even deeper than before.
She didn't deny it.
She continued to stare into his eyes and he didn't blink. The pain reflecting in his deep blue irises made her breath catch.
He closed his eyes and inhaled before speaking. "Have you ever known the right thing to do, but couldn't do it?"
She pulled back just a few inches. "Depends. What's the right thing to do?"
She posed the question even though she was afraid to ask. It wasn't the question that scared her, though. It was the answer. Because deep down, she sensed it. She had sensed it since his grandmother talked to her. She and Lucas had too many things standing in their way for them to make this work.
"I should let you go," he said. "I should put a stop to this ... to us. Because until things change, everyone will be against us. And yet..." His head dipped down ever so slightly and his lips met hers.
So much emotion came with that brief kiss. And while she didn't think she had any room in her heart for more emotion, she felt it move inside her. His pain was her own. His fear was hers. She closed her eyes, fought the ache radiating in her heart, and just savored his touch.
He pulled back and ran his thumb over her lips. "And yet, how can I let you go when you're the thing that keeps me going? When the main part of the reason I want change is you?"
His finger swept over her chin, a sweet touch that nearly brought tears to her eyes. "I'm begging you. Please be patient with me. Trust me when I say that you have a place here." He took her hand and rested it on his chest. "I have to behave a certain way or it will get back to my father and the Council, but it's not how I feel." He paused a moment. "Please don't give up on me, Kylie Galen."
She could feel his heart beating. She could feel it breaking, too, right alongside her own. "I don't give up easily." It was the truth. If she was a quitter, she wouldn't still be at Shadow Falls.
He wrapped his arms around her, leaned against the tree, and pulled her flush against him. They stood like that for the longest time. Not talking. Not making promises. And Kylie couldn't help but wonder if it was because they both instinctively knew those promises wouldn't hold.
He finally pulled away. "I should go help Clara get situated."
Kylie loosened her hold around his waist. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to give him back to Clara or to Fredericka or to his father. As selfish as it was, she wanted him all to herself. Or maybe it wasn't that she didn't want to share him. Maybe she just didn't want to share him with people who were trying to keep them apart.
"Do you want to come with me?" he asked.
Clara would love that, Kylie thought. Not. "I'll let you two have some time alone."
"Thanks," he said as if he'd hoped she'd refuse. He smiled, but beneath the smile was a touch of disappointment. "So you're a witch. I never would have guessed."
"I'm a witch right now," she said.
He looked confused. "You think it will change?"
"Yes. Maybe." What did she believe? "I changed from that strange pattern to human."
"Yes." He stared at her pattern. "But this is a true supernatural pattern." Lucas's attention shot over his shoulder and he growled. Derek came around the office.
Derek's green gaze met hers. There was no apology in his eyes for interrupting them. Even his posture seemed to say he had a right to be here. "I need to see you, Kylie. It's important."
"About what?" Lucas asked.
Derek didn't look at Lucas. The fae's gaze never left Kylie, and while he answered the question, he spoke to Kylie. "It's about your ghost."
"Since when did you become a ghost expert?" Lucas asked.
Derek looked at the were for the first time. "Since I found out Kylie needed help with them." His implication hung in the air. He supported her when Lucas didn't.
Lucas heard it as well. His eyes tightened and turned a light orange.
Before trouble started, she placed a hand on his back. "Go help Clara."
He didn't look happy, but his expression told her he wasn't planning on arguing.
Yet his next move surprised her. He leaned down and placed an affectionate kiss on her lips. The kiss seemed more about letting Derek know she was his girl than for her pleasure, but she didn't completely blame him.
There had been a time or two she would have loved to kiss him like that in front of Fredericka.
"What is it?" Kylie asked Derek as soon as Lucas moved around the office and was out of earshot.
Derek stared after Lucas and then back at her. "You're disappointed. What's disappointing you?" he asked, reading her emotions right on the mark.
"Nothing." She refused to talk about this with Derek.
"Is it Lucas?" he asked.
"Let it go," she insisted. "I'm with Lucas now."
Though for how long? The question whispered through her head.
A frown pulled at his lips. "I know. I screwed up and didn't realize that I loved you until it was too late."
She held up her hand. "Don't say-"
He reached out and laced his fingers with hers. The press of his palm against hers came with a soft warmth, a sense of calm, and endearment. She frowned at how tempted she was to just hold on, but knowing her emotions were completely out of whack right now, she pulled her hand from his. He was her friend. Just a friend.
"It's okay." He dropped his hand into his pocket. "I accept that it's my fault. And you don't have to tell me you love me." His gaze met hers. "But I can read you, Kylie, and I know you don't want to admit it, but you care about me, too."
"Stop it," she said. "I care about you like a friend."
"No." He continued to stare. "It's more. But don't worry. I know you care about Lucas, too. And that's my cross to bear because I pushed you right into his arms. And as long as you're happy, I can accept that. But if you're not-"
"Please stop." Kylie wanted to start singing "la la la" and cover her ears. And if it wouldn't have been so childish, she would have done it. Instead, she reminded him of the real matter at hand. "Didn't you say you had information about my ghost issue?"
He stuffed both his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Good news, at least I think it is. But I guess some of it could be bad news, too."
"What?" She hoped it was more good than bad. She could really use some good news.
"I don't think your ghost is Holiday."
"But ... how ... what makes you think that?"
"I did some research on the Internet. Simple stuff." He hesitated. "I found out that Holiday has an identical twin. Her name is Hannah."
I think my name is Hannah or Holly, or something like that. The spirit's words echoed inside Kylie's head. "A twin? Why hasn't she ever mentioned her?"
Derek shrugged. "It seems a little odd, doesn't it? I mean, you would think she'd have said something about having an identical sister."
"Yeah." Kylie couldn't deny it hurt that Holiday didn't feel she could tell Kylie things, when she shared everything with Holiday.
"Do you still think this ghost is from the future?" Derek asked.
Kylie considered it. "No. She's dead." Just as the other girls were in the grave she'd seen in her vision. And just like that, Kylie's angst about Holiday not trusting her faded and Kylie's heart filled with sympathy. Kylie couldn't imagine losing a sister, let alone a twin. Was this why Holiday hadn't ever mentioned her? Did grief over her twin's death keep Holiday from ever talking about her sister?
Derek let out a deep breath. "Okay, here's something else that's weird. I couldn't find any death records on her. None. That's why I said this might be bad news."
"What are you saying?" Kylie asked.
Derek frowned. "Holiday might not know her sister is dead."
A knot of grief formed in Kylie's throat. "So I have to tell her."
"If you want, I could do it," Derek offered. "Or we could do it together."
Genuine concern filled his expression. She appreciated his offer, more than he would ever know, but she couldn't let him do it. As much as she dreaded being the bearer of bad news, Hannah had come to Kylie, and she should be the one to tell Holiday.
Then Kylie remembered something else Hannah had said. I think I came to you to help someone.
What exactly did Hannah need Kylie to do? Was telling Holiday about her death enough or did she need more?
Derek ran his hand down her arm. "Have you made a list of all the diners you've gone to recently?"
"Diners?" Kylie asked, unsure of what he was talking about. Unsure of why a simple touch could seem so wrong.
"You said one of the girls in the vision was wearing a diner uniform that looked familiar to you."
"Yes, I mean I remember, but no, I haven't had time to do it." She took in a deep breath. "I'll get to it as soon as I get back to my cabin. I'll e-mail it to you."
"E-mail me the description of the uniform and the girls, too," he said.
"Hey." The sound of Holiday's voice had the knot in Kylie's throat doubling. She turned to face the camp leader and a chasm of empathy and hurt opened in her heart. And yet Kylie couldn't help but admit the relief of knowing that the dead girl wasn't Holiday.
Holiday's green eyes softened. "Something happen?"
For the life of her, Kylie didn't know how to tell her. "No," she lied, but for a good reason. The last thing Kylie wanted to do was just blurt out the news. Then it hit her, maybe she should talk to Hannah first. Perhaps she needed to know exactly what it was Hannah needed before she moved forward.
Holiday nodded, but disbelief flashed in her eyes. "Burnett got called to the FRU office and he insisted we hold off going to the falls until he comes back. I was hoping you could help me set up a few things in the dining hall. We're having a welcoming reception for the new teachers later this afternoon."
"Sure," Kylie said, and she met Derek's eyes briefly.
"Good luck." He mouthed the words and then he reached out and touched her, sending a much-needed current of calmness through her.
"Thanks," she whispered to Derek before she turned to join Holiday. They took a few steps and Holiday glanced over at Kylie with suspicion.
"Boy trouble?" Holiday asked in a low voice.
"Yeah," Kylie said, and it wasn't even a lie. While her heart was aching for Holiday, Derek's earlier words echoed in her mind and left a trail of uncertainty. I can read you, Kylie, and I know you don't want to admit it, but you care about me, too.
And the worst part was, he was right.
