Fighting the pull to move back into her body, Kylie swung around and flew back the way she'd come. The speed prevented her from breathing.
Someone called her name. Not Lucas. It was the old vampire.
The clouds were thick. Wasn't Lucas just through the layer of fog? She felt herself being yanked back. She was about to wake up. "Lucas, I'm in the Houston Tunnel System. Under the Toyota building. Can you hear me?"
"What are you doing?" the dark, rusty voice growled. Kylie jerked her eyes open. The old vampire stared at her. She remembered she couldn't lie. "Dreaming."
"What kind of dream? I felt the energy."
"A disturbing one. I ... used to have night terrors when I was younger."
No lie there.
He appeared resigned to believe her, but remained suspicious. Was there something for him to be suspicious about? Had Lucas heard her?
"I have some old friends interested in meeting you. For your own wellbeing, I hope you will be on your best behavior."
"Who are they? And why do they want to meet me?"
"I think, Kylie Galen, that you are even more special than you know."
"How am I special?"
He didn't answer. "If you can tell me that you will not try to escape, I will release the chains."
The thought of having the heavy metal bracelets removed sounded like heaven. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but they would have been a lie.
"We both know that if there is a way to escape I will take it. Your job is to make sure there isn't a way."
He laughed. "I appreciate your honesty."
"Enough to unchain me?"
"Not that much," he said.
She met his aged gray eyes. "I see no way to escape the room. Unless you believe I have the power to overtake you when the door is open.
And since I can't break these chains, are you saying that your powers are weaker than this metal?"
He studied her. "You are very intelligent, my child. Dare I worry that you are as cunning as you are smart?"
"If I was that smart and cunning, would I be here?"
"Let's compromise." He closed his eyes and the metal bracelets around her arms and one from one ankle disappeared. Her right ankle was now attached to a long heavy chain.
Shocked at his ability, she stared at him. "What are you?"
He smiled. "See, I am already winning your respect."
"You misread curiosity for respect," she countered.
His eyes tightened, but a slight smile crept from behind his anger.
"What are you?" she asked again.
He folded his aged arms over his chest. "What's wrong, dear? Are the similarities frightening?" With that, he disappeared into the thin, cold air.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she yelled, and stood to see how far she could get with the chain attached to her ankle.
No nearly far enough.
Kylie tried to fall back asleep, to get back to Lucas, but she couldn't.
She could only hope her message had gotten through and that he'd already phoned Burnett and they were on the way here now. How long would it take?
What if they didn't come? What if her message never got through? She attempted to pull the chain free, but her strength wasn't there. What was it with her strength? Why did it come and go?
Kylie started pacing, dragging the chain as she went. She couldn't reach the thick door, though it wouldn't have mattered if she had.
When the vampire had disappeared, so had the doorknob. Opening it would have been impossible. Still she paced and tried to come up with a way out, with or without any help from Burnett. She glanced back at the door with its missing knob. What the hell was he? And what had he meant by that whole similarity crap?
The chain clattered against the concrete floor. She remembered she hadn't phoned her mom before she left Sara's house and she hoped like heck that she wasn't worried. Turning again, pacing toward the right wall this time, Kylie was surprised to hear voices. Was the old man back with his friends? She stopped moving and listened.
It wasn't the old dude's voice, but that of the rogue. Oh, great, was he planning on visiting again? Her body tensed and she looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. Before her gaze swept the room, she heard the rogue's voice clearer.
"Who are you and what are doing snooping around here?"
Where were the voices coming from? She hesitated and moved closer to the wall. Suddenly, a loud thump sounded as if something heavy had been tossed across the room.
Or someone?
Her heart stopped. She moved even closer to the wall trying to see if the voices were coming from behind the wall. Another clatter echoed and she felt almost certain that it was.
"You will tell me!" the rogue hissed.
Fear filled her gut. Who was the rogue talking to? Was it ... was it someone who'd come looking for her? Her thoughts and heart shot to Lucas.
"Unchain me and fight like a man!" Lucas's voice roared.
Her chest swelled with regret. She'd gone to him for help and ... "Why? You would only fight like the dog you are." A loud thud followed, and Kylie knew Lucas had taken a blow.
Her muscles tightened. A surge of energy shot through her. She grabbed the chain with one hand and yanked it out of the concrete.
Then, turning to the wall, she charged at it with her shoulder. Only a flicker of a second before she hit did she consider how it might hurt.
Oddly, she felt nothing. Chucks of concrete fell around her. She knocked the big pieces from her face and then, realizing she stood on the other side of the room, she stared through the cloud of dust. Lucas lay on his side, still chained to a chair, much like the one she'd been in moments earlier. She saw his face, a bloody mess, and his eyes were closed as if he was unconscious.
Or dead.
She breathed in raw fury and looked around for the rogue. When she saw him, the shock on his face didn't surprise her. She charged him, but right before she had her hands on him, he disappeared.
"So you are not so powerless." The old vampire's voice boomed around her although she could not see him. The concrete wall behind her reformed and she sensed it grew thicker this time.
"What are you?" she hissed, knowing no ordinary vampire could build a wall back up.
"Did I not ask you the same thing?" he answered.
She ran to Lucas. A hand to his chest told her he was still alive. She yanked his chains off and dropped beside him on her knees. The gravel on the concrete floor bit into her skin.
Remembering she possibly had the power to heal, she moved her hands over him, then remembering what she'd done for Sara, Kylie pressed her palms around his head.
"Talk to me, Lucas. Please." The memory of him saving her from the bullies and of him looking up at the sky for elephants filled her mind and tears filled her eyes. "Please be okay."
She tried to think positively, tried to think about her hands sending warmth into his body. She didn't know if this was how it worked, but for Lucas's and Sara's sake, she prayed it was. Her heart filled with hope when the swelling on his face disappeared.
"Now talk to me," she whispered, and she began to lean down. His eyes shot open, panic marred his expression, and he swung his fist.
She tried to catch it but whatever power she'd had was gone. She did manage to avoid the punch to the face. Instead, his fist slammed against her shoulder. Pain exploded. The blow knocked her clear across the room.
"Christ!" He lunged to his feet. "I'm sorry." He picked her up and cradled her tenderly against his chest. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. Thankful he wasn't vampire and wouldn't know she lied. Her shoulder throbbed like a bad toothache. "Down," she managed to say.
He complied but her knees buckled and he had to catch her. "I'm sorry."
She looked into his blue eyes. "It's okay." He hadn't meant to hit her. "I don't think it's broken."
"Did you get..." She stopped talking, remembering the old vampire was probably listening.
"Burnett?" she mouthed the name, and looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
He nodded and she prayed he'd read her lips correctly and this meant Burnett and the FRU were coming.
Her shoulder pounded. Her legs shook. She leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the cold concrete floor. Lucas sat down beside her.
She shivered and he must have felt it because he put his arm around her.
His body oozed heat. She leaned into him to soak up his warmth.
"You are so hot," she said.
"It's about time you noticed," he teased.
She would have smiled if her energy hadn't felt spent. In spite of the pain, she felt safe.
"It's a werewolf thing," he said. "Our body temperatures run hotter."
"What time is it?"
"After midnight," he answered.
She remembered her mom who must be panicking by now. Then feeling too exhausted to think, Kylie closed her eyes and leaned closer into his chest, careful not to move her shoulder.
He shifted her into his lap. His warmth surrounded her. She felt him moving a hand through her hair. "You've got something in your hair," he said.
"Probably concrete, from when I ... came through the wall," she said.
"What wall?" he asked.
She recalled he'd been unconscious then. Did he even know she'd healed him?
"That one." She nodded. "He put it back together, though."
"I think I hit you harder than I thought."
She didn't have the strength to argue. "So tired."
"Rest." He pulled her closer. "Soon," he whispered.
Was he saying that it would be over soon? God, she hoped so.
"Kylie. It's time."
Lucas's words stirred her awake some time later.
She felt Lucas jump up with her in his arms and she became instantly alert. Loud noises came from behind the wall and, in one easy leap, he had them against the back of the room, away from the noise. Before she could insist Lucas put her down, the front wall collapsed and Burnett and several other FRU personnel hurtled though the cascading concrete.
Burnett rushed forward. "Is she okay?"
"Fine," she said, embarrassed that Lucas held her like a child. "Put me down."
"Her shoulder," Lucas said. "I think it's broken. My fault. I did it ... accidentally."
"I'm fine." She went to move her shoulder to prove her point, and winced.
"They're here!" someone screamed from down the hall. Lucas, Burnett, and the other men ran through the rubble that had once been a wall. She stood alone in the cloud of dust their hasty departure had created. The sound of men fighting in the distance reached her ears. Feeling useless, she started to follow, hoping her strength would return, but she hadn't taken one step when she felt the rush of air move past her. The young, evil-eyed rogue stopped beside her and before Kylie could do more than scream, he had her in his arms. Forgetting about her shoulder, she struggled. Pain exploded in her arm, but she continued to fight. But his hold was strong, and her own strength spent. "No!" the deep rumble of Lucas's voice filled her ears. "Put her down," Lucas demanded.
"She's mine," the rogue hissed.
"Over my dead body," Lucas roared, and his eyes deepened to a burnt orange.
"That will be my pleasure," the vampire roared back, his gray eyes now glowing red.
Realizing her opportunity, Kylie jabbed the palm of her hand into the rogue's throat. He dropped her, and she had no more than hit the ground when she saw Lucas attack. The sound of fist pounding into bone filled the room. In horror, she watched as Lucas was thrown across the room.
She felt her own strength returning, but before she got to her feet, Lucas was back, holding the vampire by the throat. The sound coming from the vampire's throat left Kylie with no doubt that Lucas's hold was crushing his airway.
"Drop him!" The voice of the old vampire filled the room and made the air heavy. "Drop him or she dies."
While Kylie could see no one, she felt a hand close around her throat. She clawed at the invisible force that choked her and tried to pull air into her lungs. None came.
She saw Lucas's gaze shoot to her. Dark sparkles started filling her vision, and right before everything went black, she saw Lucas drop the rogue, who then disappeared. No wind, no air. Obviously the old man's magic had taken him away.
Still attempting to gasp air into her lungs, she collapsed to her knees. Lucas pulled her up.
Burnett suddenly appeared at their side.
"He came back for her," Lucas said.
"We need to get her away," Burnett said, and reached out and took her in his arms. "The FRU are following them."
"I'm going with them," Lucas said.
"No," Kylie said, forcing the words out of her bruised throat. But she wasn't in the room anymore. The wind hit her face so fast she couldn't breathe. Burnett readjusted her, and buried her face against his chest, a chest that wasn't near as warm or comforting as the one she'd just been sleeping against.
When he came to a stop outside a single-story building, Kylie raised her head. "Where are we?" She touched her neck.
"A clinic," he said, and moved her hand to check her neck.
"I'm fine. Put me down."
"Not yet. You might be fine, but Holiday would have my ass if I didn't have a doctor check you out."
She remembered Lucas. "You should have stopped Lucas from going after the rogues..."
"Couldn't have stopped him," he said. "Werewolves are too damn stubborn. But Lucas can take care of himself."
"He got captured," she said.
"Only to get inside to you," he said.
The realization made her gut clench. "He could have been killed."
"He wasn't." The lights came on in the building and Burnett moved in.
Kylie read the sign on the door as he carried her inside: PROTECT YOUR PETS AGAINST HEARTWORMS. "Wait. You're taking me to a vet?"
Kylie looked around the small office with pet pictures posted on the walls and noticed the smell of animals.
"A vet and supernatural doctor," he said.
A man walked out of the door from the back. "In here," he said.
Burnett introduced her to Dr. Whitman as he carried her though the door. A big orange cat followed them into the back. When Burnett placed her on an examining table, the cat jumped up beside her. "I'm fine," she told Burnett and Dr. Whitman.
"Her shoulder," Burnett said. "And her neck."
When the doctor reached for Kylie's shoulder, she flinched. "I'm just bruised." She looked back at Burnett. "I've got to get back to my mom's. She's probably already at the police station."
Burnett picked up the phone and walked to the other side of the room. Dr. Whitman moved Kylie's shoulder and studied her. Kylie flinched a bit, but she knew it wasn't broken. His eyebrows twitched as he looked at her forehead. "What are you?"
"Beats me," she said, and looked at his brain pattern. He was part fairy. The cat walked across Kylie to rub against the doc's side. She suspected he could communicate with animals the way Derek did, too. The thought of Derek had her heart remembering how much she missed him, but she pushed it away.
"Well, the girl's right. Her shoulder isn't broken," Dr. Whitman said as Burnett moved back over.
"Told you so," Kylie couldn't resist saying. "Now, would you please drop me off at my mom's house?"
"Thank you," Burnett said to Dr. Whitman, and motioned for him to leave the room. Once they were alone, Burnett turned back to Kylie.
"I'm going to get you home. But first I need to know what happened tonight."
Kylie told him everything she remembered from the time the rogue had landed on her car, to right before Burnett burst through the concrete walls. She informed him that the rogue who'd killed the girls in Fallen was the grandson of one of the Vampire Council members. As well as the fact that it had been the vamps who'd been watching the campgrounds off and on all summer. Most of what Kylie had to say turned the vampire's eyes bright with fury.
"So, what's the deal with him wanting me to marry his grandson?" she asked when she was done.
Burnett shrugged. "In the past, our grandparents chose our mates."
"Even if the mate wasn't willing?"
"Afraid so." Burnett's expression filled with remorse. "You were right, Kylie. This was about you. I should have listened. I won't make that mistake again."
She nodded, sensing how hard it was for him to admit he'd made a mistake. "The old man, he's weird. His brain pattern says he's a vampire, but he's more than that."
"I know the man you are talking about. I've met him during my visits with the Council. He's vampire, but you're right, he's strange."
"He's more than vampire," Kylie said. "He put the wall back together after I broke it down."
"Maybe he had help from someone with other powers."
"I think it's more," she said.
"Maybe," he said, but Kylie could tell he didn't agree. "Okay, I'll get you home. And I'll have someone watching your house so you'll be safe."
He picked Kylie back up. "Hold on." She knew this time to bury her head against his chest.
In seconds, Burnett set her down in front of her house. "What do I tell her?" she asked.
"Don't know. I've never been good dealing with parents," he said. "But be creative."
"You're not a lot of help." She bit down on her lip. "Oh, crap, my car."
"We found it when we were looking for you. Someone will get the window replaced and have it back here before daybreak."
"Thanks."
He nodded. "I'm glad you're okay, Kylie. We'll go over everything again tomorrow evening when you come back to the camp. And call Holiday the first chance you get. She won't sleep until she talks to you." Kylie reached up and hugged him. He looked unprepared for the show of affection. "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," he answered, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation as much as the hug.
She looked around at the darkness. The silence didn't even scare her because she knew Burnett was the one who caused it.
"I've got two men watching the house," he said as if he'd misread her expression.
"I believe you." She watched him leave. Then she went to the door.
When she realized she didn't have her keys, she found the spare her mom kept inside the fake dog poop behind the azalea bushes.
She barely got the door open when her mom flew at her and wrapped her arms around her.
"Oh, God. I was just about to call the police. Where have you been, young lady?"
Her mom's hug squeezed her shoulder and made it hard to breathe. Pulling back and trying to mask the pain in her voice, Kylie said, "I forgot to call. And then ... I was so upset over Sara that I just needed to think."
Tears filled her mom's eyes. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. The power went out. I fell asleep on the sofa waiting on you to get home. I woke up fifteen minutes ago and when I realized you weren't here, I called Sara's house.
Her mom said you'd left, but she didn't know when."
Luckily Sara's mom had already gone to bed when Kylie left so she couldn't have known what time Kylie really left. "Well, I'm fine."
"I didn't hear the car pull in," her mom said.
Think quick. "I parked it on the street." She hoped Burnett was right and the car would be returned by daybreak.
Kylie faked a yawn. "You know, Mom, sleep sounds really good right now," she said, wanting to get to her room and call Holiday. But she'd have to use the home phone because her cell was back in the car.
"Okay, but we'll talk about Sara tomorrow."
Yeah, Kylie thought. They also needed to talk about her going to Shadow Falls for the next school year. But she decided to worry about that later, too. She hurried to her room and dialed Holiday's number. "Have you heard from Lucas?" she asked when the camp leader answered the phone.
"Yes," Holiday said. "He's fine. But ... last I heard, the people responsible for taking you weren't captured. Burnett is watching you, though. Don't worry."
"I know," Kylie said.
"Are you okay? I wish I could I touch you and calm you down."
"I'm fine," she lied.
"If you close your eyes and imagine the falls, it will help push away the panic."
"I will," Kylie said, and this time she wasn't lying.
Sunday morning, the ringing telephone woke Kylie at almost ten. She sat up, reached for the phone, and actually looked around, hoping she'd see the ghost. Hey ... after over a month of seeing her first thing in the morning, she sort of missed her.
Pushing the talk button, she recalled her conversation with Holiday from last night. It had worked; imagining the falls had taken the edge off her panic.
"Hello," Kylie answered.
"Are you okay?" Della and Miranda's voices exploded at the same time over the line.
"I'm fine." Kylie leaned back on the pillow. "How did you find out?"
"When you didn't answer the damn phone all night, I called Holiday," Della said.
"Spill it," Miranda said.
Kylie gave them the short version and promised she'd tell them all the gory details later. Then she asked about their weekend. Miranda moaned and groaned about the event, but ended by telling them that she'd taken second in the competition.
"And the bitch Tabitha took fourth," Miranda said with pride.
"How are you, Della?" Kylie asked.
"What does this tell you?" The sound of a toilet flushing filled the line.
"Gross," Miranda said.
"I think my parents are shocked that I haven't shown positive yet." After a few more minutes of chatting, they said good-bye.
Remembering the car, Kylie scrambled out of bed and looked out the window. Burnett had been true to his word. The car sat on the street outside the house, looking as good as new.
If only everything else in her life could be fixed as easily.
"You're up," her mom said as Kylie walked out of her bedroom a few minutes later. Her mom had a towel wrapped around her head and wore her bathrobe as through she'd just gotten out of the shower. "Give me a minute and I'll fix us breakfast."
Thirty minutes later, Kylie was having pancakes and eggs with her mom. They talked about a lot of things but mostly about Sara. Kylie's mom told her that Sara's mom had called to make sure Kylie had gotten home okay.
Her mom picked up her plate and carried it to the sink. "Sara's mom said that Sara's was feeling good today, too. She's supposed to go to the
doctor tomorrow to talk about her options. I sure hope it works out." Kylie stood and helped clear the table.
"She doesn't need options," a voice whispered behind Kylie. "You did it." The temperature in the room dropped a good twenty degrees. "I swear that air-conditioner has been acting up for a month now."
Her mom shivered and went to check the thermostat. Kylie wondered if her mom's AC was really out, or if it had been Daniel causing the cold. Kylie turned and saw the ghost. She looked healthy and young.
Beautiful.
Kylie suspected that Sara would look just like her when she hit her thirties.
"Thank you. I knew you could do it."
"You don't have to thank me. She's my friend."
"Did you say something?" Her mom stood in the kitchen doorway. The ghost smiled and faded.
"Yeah," Kylie said. "I said we need to talk about school." Kylie went and gave her mom a big hug. Her shoulder hardly hurt now. When she pulled back she just spouted out the words before she lost her nerve. "I know it's hard for you. I know you love me. But I need this right now. I really need this."
He mom touched Kylie's face. Then tears filled her mom's eyes. She breathed in.
Then out.
"Baby, I'm sorry. But I just can't let you go."
