The sound of rushed footsteps on the office's porch filled the silence. The office's front door banged open.
A knock sounded on Holiday's door. "Come in," Burnett and Holiday said at once.
Lucas rushed in, his gaze shooting to her. His eyes, filled with worry, met hers with a touch of panic.
She felt that look of concern brush against her nerve endings. Nerve endings that felt raw, exposed. Real physical pain stirred in her chest.
"What's ... wrong?" His gaze shifted to the glowing sword, which she now held by her side, and his breath caught. "Damn!"
"Do you know anything about this type of sword?" Burnett asked.
Lucas moved in. He reached for her wrist, gently, but his touch shot tiny pinpoints of pain inside her.
Her focus shifted off the sword and on his touch.
He raised her hand and the sword. She heard him breathing, soft easy breaths that somehow seemed emotional. She sensed his mind wasn't only on the sword either. She bit her lip to keep the sigh from leaving her lips.
"And?" Burnett asked.
Lucas inhaled. "It's from the twelfth century." He turned her hand a bit to get a good look at both sides.
"More than likely a crusader sword."
"I pretty much knew that," Burnett said. "Any knowledge of why it would be glowing?"
Lucas looked up at her. "It has to be Kylie."
His thumb brushed over the bottom of her wrist. His touch was sweet and bitter at the same time. She wanted to cry. She swallowed again, praying to keep the tears at bay. But damn it! Even angry at him, even feeling certain their relationship was doomed, she loved him so damn much. The desire to lean against him, to beg him to hold her, was strong, but she forced herself not to give in.
"Yeah, we know that, too," Burnett said. "But why?"
Lucas's gaze continued to caress her. "That I don't know. I mean, I could guess."
"Then guess," Burnett said, lacking patience.
Lucas glanced at Burnett. "She's a holy warrior."
"No, I'm just a protector." Kylie pushed her Lucas issues aside to focus on the issue of the sword again. "I'm not a warrior. I don't even like war."
"But that is exactly what the sword says," Burnett said. "Holy warrior."
Lucas looked back at her. "Where?" He glanced down at the sword again.Kylie turned her wrist and showed him the inscription.
"Holy shit. You really are a holy warrior." He looked awed. Impressed.
There was a time she'd been thrilled to see that look in his eyes for her. But not right now. And oh yeah, she wasn't so impressed either. She didn't want to think of herself as Joan of Arc, or any kind of warrior. "You can't believe everything you read," she said.
Lucas looked puzzled by her reaction. "It's almost the same thing as a protector, but to me, it's even more amazing. There are legends written on it. I don't remember them all, but my grandmother has a book on them."
"But you've never actually met a holy warrior, right?" Kylie asked.
"You," he said again with a sense of pride.
"Before me!" she snapped.
"No," Lucas admitted.
Kylie turned to the others in the room. "Have any of you met a holy warrior?"
They all shook their heads no.
"Then there's my proof," she said adamantly. "They are just legends. They really don't exist." Face it, she didn't want to think of herself as a warrior. She was still trying to come to grips with being a protector.
Holiday moved in and rested a hand on Kylie's arm. "We didn't know chameleons existed until a few weeks ago."
"She's right," Derek said to Kylie.
Well, hell, there went that argument, Kylie thought, and tried not to panic.
Lucas, who still held her wrist, gave her hand a slight squeeze. "It's not ... a bad thing. Being a protector is practically the same thing. You have to fight to protect someone."
She looked down at the glowing sword and realized that Lucas's touch was warmer than the sword.
"Okay, so we're guessing she's a holy warrior, but what does this really mean?" Burnett asked. "Why has the sword just now appeared? Is it a rite-of-passage thing? Just timing? Or ... is it something else?"
The way he said something else made it sound bad.
And Kylie could guess what it was, too. And she didn't like it. Nope, not even a little bit.
Lucas glanced at her with sympathy. "I think she's being presented a weapon for a purpose. Yes, it could just be that she hasn't been ready to receive it yet. But I think it's more that..." A look of protectiveness crossed his face. She knew they were all thinking the same thing.
"More what?" Burnett and Holiday asked at the same time.
"It could be she's going to need it. The sword appears when it's time to prepare for battle."
"This is exactly what the elders said," Hayden spoke out. "If she's given a sword, it's because she'd going to need it."
"Is there a way we can find out for sure?" Burnett asked.
Lucas shook his head. "I wouldn't know. But..." He inhaled and met Kylie's gaze. "Do you know how to use one of these?"
"Why would I know how to use this? I don't even know how to use a potato peeler. And that's why this whole thing doesn't make sense. I am not a warrior."
"I've seen you fight," Derek said. "You're pretty amazing.""He's right," Lucas said. "You've got a holy warrior's heart, too." He looked back at Burnett. "But she needs to learn to use a sword."
And obviously she wasn't going to have a say in the matter. She frowned.
"Can you teach her?" Burnett asked.
Lucas's gaze met hers again.
No, Kylie thought, and she finally pulled her hand away from his. This was not a good idea.
"If she'll let me," Lucas said.
"Kylie?" Burnett asked.
Did she have a choice? Could she say hell no and the sword would disappear?
She didn't think so. She couldn't run from this.
She knew that. Knew it with certainty-if for no other reason than how the sword felt in her hand-as if it belonged there.
She nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do, but hating it all the same.
"Good," Burnett said. "First I want you to get me those books of legends from your grandmother and then your job is to teach Kylie how to use that sword."
Lucas turned and looked at Kylie. "I look forward to it."
And I don't, she thought, but kept those words to herself.
* * *
Ten minutes later, Kylie walked back to her cabin with Derek, her official shadow until Della returned from her meeting with her vampire sisters. Lucas was gathering supplies, and lessons would start tomorrow.