Kylie turned, hiding what she could of her most embarrassing parts with her hands. The steam was so thick she could barely make out the figure. But a vague outline of a body stood behind the curtain of vapor.
All the scary tunes of horror movies with deadly shower scenes played in her head, but more than afraid, she was furious. Didn't ghosts have any sense of privacy?
"I'm in the shower!" Kylie demanded. "Couldn't this wait?"
No, it can not, the voice said. He is about to find me and it is going to hurt him so badly. He does not need to be alone.
The properness of the voice tickled some memory. Kylie knew this person, but from where?
No longer caring about her nudity, Kylie waved a hand through the air, the steam smearing like condensation on a mirror. When she saw who stood in the shower with her, her heart clutched. Not from fear, but from grief. And not for the woman who stood before her, but for her grandson-Lucas.
He's on his way to check on me now. Hurry. He can't be alone.
Kylie jumped out of the shower and ran to get dressed. As she fought to put clothes on her shower-wet body, her heart ached for Lucas, of how he would feel finding his grandmother's body. "Where do you live? Wait? Doesn't Burnett know?"
The vampire? Is this the person you imply?
"Yes," Kylie said, wishing that it didn't take so damn long to speak in a proper tone.
She nodded. Yes, he's been there.
"Della!" Kylie called out the girl's name.
There's a letter in my desk drawer that he needs to read. Make sure he gets it.
Della came running into the room in a flash. "What?"
He was right, you know.
"Who was right?" Kylie asked the spirit, ignoring the panicking vampire standing in her Mickey Mouse pajamas.
You are part of his quest, and he yours. I see things clearer up here. You see, you have been a part of each other's quests since you met all those years ago. You are the reason he will complete his life's mission and he will be there to save you when you need help to complete yours. But go now. Go help him.
"Is this a vision?" Della asked, staring at Kylie with uncertainty.
"Let's go!" Kylie shot out of the cabin. She was almost to Holiday's before she realized she was flying and that she must have turned herself into a vampire.
"I hope we're going to a pajama party," Della said in her sassy voice.
"Gotta get Burnett," Kylie answered as a few hot tears trickled down her cheek.They landed with a thud on Holiday's porch and hadn't taken one step when Burnett yanked open the door while still zipping up his jeans. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Do you know where Lucas's grandmother lives?"
He looked confused, his eyes still dazed with sleep. "Yes. Lucas called about ten minutes ago, he was going to check on her."
"We need to get there."
"Why?" Burnett asked.
"She's dead," Kylie blurted out as more tears filled her eyes. "He doesn't need to be the one to find her."
"Oh, hell!" Burnett rushed back to the bedroom with his phone. He looked at Kylie. "He's not answering."
"You stay here," he said to Della, and then he and Kylie took off. Her feet only hit the ground three times before she was in full flight beside Burnett.
In less than ten minutes Burnett finally started his descent. They stopped at a large one-story white brick house. It spoke of money and a love of gardening. The yard looked like something from a magazine.
Not that Kylie spent much time appreciating the landscape. Her feet had barely hit the manicured lawn and she was listening for life inside the house.
She heard deep intakes of air that expressed grief and sadness. "He's already here," she said to Burnett. "I'm going inside."
Burnett stepped in front of her. "No. I'll go in."
"No!" Kylie demanded, and started forward, her heart aching for Lucas.
"Kylie!" Burnett caught her arm. "When a were is distraught, especially this close to a full moon, he sometimes lashes out with anger. He can't control it. Especially with a vampire."
She brushed a few tears from her eyes. "You don't get it. He loves me. He won't hurt me. He would never hurt me."
Burnett hesitated.
"It's just like you and Holiday," Kylie said.
He exhaled and stepped back from the door. She moved into the house. It smelled like the lemon Pledge that Nana used to use. Everything in the house, from the antiques to the fancy oil paintings, spoke of wealth.
"Lucas," she called his name.
He didn't answer. She moved down the hallway where she heard the sounds of anguish.
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed. His grandmother's lifeless body was centered on the mattress.
"Lucas," she said again, and walked in.
He swung around. His eyes were the deepest, darkest shade of orange she'd ever seen.
"Leave!" he growled.
"No," she said. "You need me now." His grandmother had said so.
He bolted across the room and backed her against the wall. There was nothing but wild pain in his eyes. He growled, and for the first time she saw his canine teeth extended.
"It's me, Lucas," she said, feeling his fingers dig into her forearms.
She felt the instant he came to his senses. He dropped his hands from her arms, shifted away from her,and pressed his head against the wall.
She went to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face between his shoulder blades, and held him.
"She's gone," he said, his voice hoarse with grief.
"I know." She hugged him tighter.
He turned around and pulled her to him. They stood there for the longest time, just holding on to each other.
"I'm so sorry," Kylie whispered, and she felt his pain, remembered with clarity how she'd felt when they told her Nana had died.
He released her, and then met her eyes. His gaze was still bright, but the wildness was gone. The dampness on his cheeks wasn't a sign of weakness, but a sign of devotion, of the love he felt for the only real mother he'd known and then lost.
"I knew she didn't have long, but I wasn't ready yet. I thought I had another year, maybe two."
Kylie reached for his hand. "I'm so sorry. I know how it feels."
He exhaled and looked back at the bed and her body. She heard his breath come short. She pulled him out of the room.
When she stopped, he met her gaze. "How did ... how did you know?"
"She came to see me. Told me you might need me."
His eyes filled with more tears. "Even in death, she was watching out for me."
He fell back against the wall and let out another low growl. "I'm going to miss her so damn much. She was my grandmother and my mother rolled into one. She was the only one who cared about me when I was a kid."
Kylie moved to him. He folded his arms around her and held her. She finally pulled back and looked at him. "She said there was a letter for you in her desk drawer."
"I'll look." He ran a palm over her cheek. "I left a message on my uncle's phone. He and the other family members might be here any minute. I need you to go."
"I want to be here," she said. "I want to be here for you, Lucas."
"I know, and if it were my choice you could stay. But the were custom to prepare one for death is closed only to blood relatives." He reached down and kissed her. "And even if it weren't the custom, you are a vampire right now. I can't chance you being hurt. Please understand," he said. "Because if anyone lays a finger on you, I'll kill them."
She nodded. She didn't like it, but she understood. "Will you be okay?"
"Thanks to you," he said.
"I didn't do anything." She pressed a hand to his chest, knowing his heart was breaking.
"You came." He stopped as if remembering something. "God, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you when you first came in?"
"No," she said.
He pushed the sleeves of her T-shirt up and no doubt saw bruises on her arms. "Damn it! I did." He closed his eyes in more pain.
"It's nothing but a couple of bruises." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently, hoping to ease his pain. "I'm fine, Lucas. Look at me."
He opened his eyes. She smiled. "I'm fine."He let go of a shuddering breath, then tilted his head up and sniffed the air. "Is that Burnett outside?"
She nodded.
He frowned. "He shouldn't have let you come in. He knows it's dangerous."
"He tried to stop me. I insisted. I knew you wouldn't hurt me."
"But I did," he fumed, and glanced down at her arms.
"This is nothing. It will be gone tomorrow."
He looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Kylie Galen. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do."
She smiled. "I love you, too."
The shadow of pain in his eyes changed for one second. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Did I hear that correctly?"
She looked up. "Yes, you did. And you also need to know that while I want you to get on that Council really badly, it's not going to change anything between us."
"I wasn't going to let it." He kissed her again and then set her back down. "I wish I didn't have to send you off."
"I know," she said.
He walked her to the door, his hand holding hers, and she could tell he really didn't want to let her go.
As soon as they opened door, Burnett met them.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Burnett said.
"Thank you." The way Lucas spoke, the manner in which he held himself in front of Burnett, was him hiding his pain. And yet he'd let her see it. He hadn't hidden from her. He trusted her that much. For some crazy reason that endeared him to her all the more. Tears tightened her throat again. He needed her just as she needed him. Which meant she couldn't die.
Lucas looked at Kylie. "Tomorrow is the full moon, then there are ceremonies. I probably won't see you for several days."
She nodded, again not liking it. She wanted to be with him in his time of grief. But she accepted that this was something she couldn't change.
Burnett looked over his shoulder and then back at Lucas.
"Someone's coming."
"Go," Lucas said.
"Is it just Lucas, or something more?" Holiday asked the next morning.
Kylie looked out at the falls. She had gone into Holiday's office at first light and asked if they could come here. Burnett as usual waited outside.
"I just needed this," Kylie said. She'd woken up this morning worried about Lucas and worried about ... what the ghost had said. That if she fought and lost, people she loved would suffer.
She needed to feel the warm energy from the falls telling her it was going to be okay. She didn't want to die, she wanted to be there for Lucas through all of life's ups and down. But she especially didn't want to die knowing she'd let the people she loved down.
Holiday looked at her. "What's wrong, Kylie?"
Kylie forced a smile and fought the tears from rising in her throat. She felt it here. The peace, theacceptance that all would be well. She just didn't know if she'd be alive to see it herself.
"Haven't you ever just needed to come here?"
"Normally there's something picking at my sanity. So what's bothering you?"
"It's everything," Kylie said. "I'm worried about Lucas. He was so upset, Holiday. He cried. And I don't think he can do that in front of his father or his family. He needs me, but I can't be there because of some stupid were rule! And I'm worried about my mom, I still don't trust John." I'm worried about leaving everyone I love and if they will be okay.
The ambience of the falls seemed to enter her chest and calm her. That along with Holiday's touch on her forearm.
"It'll be okay." Holiday hiccuped. "And if you want, I'll have Burnett do another check on John."
Kylie inhaled. "No. You're right. It's going to be okay." She had to believe it. She had to.
"Have you told your mom how you feel about him?" Holiday asked.
"Yes, and she thinks I'm just upset because she won't go back to my stepdad." Kylie dipped her toes in the cool water. "I actually called her before I came to see you. Woke her up and everything. She's staying at his beach house-using up her vacation days before she quits her job to go work for him. It's as if he's sucking her in. She's practically living with him; now she's going to be working for him."
Holiday gave Kylie's arm another squeeze. "As much as we wish we can make our parents behave, they are as bad as we were when we were in our terrible twos sometimes. My mom actually dated a stripper after the divorce."
Kylie looked at Holiday and chuckled. "Okay ... enough about bad stuff. What do you want me to wear to the wedding?"
Holiday got that giddy look in her eyes. It happened every time someone mentioned the wedding. "You can wear shorts for all I care. You're my maid of honor. You should wear what you want."
"I have a paisley dress in pastel colors that I think would work."
"It sounds perfect," Holiday said. "Oh, did I tell you I invited Blake to the wedding?"
"You mean, Blake, the ex-fiance?"
"That would he him," Holiday said.
Kylie made a face. "Does Burnett know?" She envisioned Burnett ripping off some of Blake's limbs for showing up.
She grinned. "It was his idea. He said he wanted the man to see it so he'd realize I was off the market."
Kylie grinned. "That sounds like Burnett."
"Of course, Blake declined. I think Burnett scares him a bit."
"That goes to show you, you only fall for smart men," Kylie said, and giggled.
They lay back and stared at the roof of the cave. "I know you're young, but Burnett and I were thinking, we'd like to make you the godmother of the baby. I mean, it is because of you that we got together."
Kylie grinned. "I would be honored."
After a few minutes of silence Holiday spoke again. "I got the college forms you asked for. Burnett or I can help you guys fill them out whenever."
After another moment of peaceful silence, Holiday sighed. "Can you see it?"
"See what?" Kylie said.
"I just got this glimpse into the future. You finishing college in about five years and coming back to Shadow Falls to work here.""You'd hire me?" Kylie asked.
"In a snap," Holiday said.
Kylie grinned. "Since you have it all figured out, what am I going to take in college? What kind of work am I going to be doing here?"
"Psychology, of course. You'll make a great counselor."
Kylie grinned. "You know, that's exactly what I was thinking about." Kylie paused. "When you look in the future, can you see if Miranda and Della and I will get into the same college?"
"If you guys want that, it'll happen. Heck, maybe we'll hire all three of you. Miranda would make an excellent teacher. With her own disabilities, she'll know how to work with other students with problems.
And Della, heck, she'll be working with Burnett on security."
"I like your idea of the future." Kylie paused, then asked, "Will Lucas be here?"
"You bet." She sighed. "He'd be working with Burnett at the FRU and here part time."
"I love him," Kylie said.
"I know."
"Wow, none of this 'you're too young to be in love' talk?"
Holiday sighed. "You are young, but damn it, you have an old soul, and sometimes that just makes you wise before your years."
Holiday reached over and patted Kylie's hand. "It's really going to be okay."
Yeah, Kylie thought. She really liked Holiday's glimpse into the future. All she had to do was stay alive.