"Why don't you girls walk ahead?" Kylie's mom said as soon as they got outside the dining hall. "I know Sara is dying to have some girl talk."
Kylie wasn't fooled. Her mom obviously was dying to discuss something privately with Holiday. Probably about Kylie having two boyfriends.
As Sara and Kylie started walking, Sara squeezed Kylie's arm. "Two guys? You've got two guys in love with you? Start talking, girl."
"Did Kylie's dad come this morning? I'm so worried about their relationship." Her mom's words seemed extra loud.
Kylie stopped and looked back. They were well over a hundred feet away and there was no way she should be hearing this. But she was. The sensitive hearing was back, and this time she was grateful.
"Yes," Holiday answered. "He did come. They seemed to have a good visit."
"Kylie?" Sara said. "Come on, tell me what's going on."
Kylie looked back at Sara and started walking again. "I ... it's hard to explain."
"Good," her mom said. "I'm a bit concerned about Kylie and, well, the boys. I've read when a girl has issues with her father, they find themselves having ... acting out with boys."
Well, at least Kylie now knew it wasn't just her. Her mom couldn't say the word sex to anyone.
"Do you supervise them and make sure there isn't anything happening that shouldn't be happening?"
"Well, try," Sara insisted. "Talk to me. I'm dying to know."
"Know what?" Kylie asked, failing miserably at keeping up with two conversations.
"Have you lost it yet?" Sara asked.
"Your daughter has a good head on her shoulders," Holiday answered. "I don't think you need to worry about Kylie."
"Lost what?" Kylie asked Sara, and then suddenly she knew what Sara was asking.
Apparently, the two conversations going on at once were about the same thing. Sex. "No. I haven't lost it." Annoyed at Sara's question, she remembered how close she and Sara had once been. They had told each other everything-no secrets. Sort of like she now did with Della and Miranda.
The awkwardness of having her old life cross paths with her new hit again. And in about fifteen minutes, Della and Miranda would meet them at the cabin. How awkward was that going to be?
Probably very.
"But they're so hot," Sara said.
"Yeah. They are."
"So which one do you really like?"
Both. The truth echoed in her head. Kylie inhaled. "Lucas," she said.
"Yum." Sara grinned, then shrugged. "Now, can you please tell me what you did to heal me?"
Kylie recalled the advice Holiday had given her. Just deny it. "I don't know what you're..." She started hearing the conversation between Holiday and her mom heat up again.
"Can I ask you a strange question?" Holiday asked her mom.
"I guess," her mom said.
"Do you have any American Indian blood in your family tree?"
"Why would Holiday ask that?" Kylie muttered.
"Why would who ask what?" Sara looked at her strangely.
Kylie shook her head. "Nothing."
"So start talking," Sara said. "And don't even try to deny it. I remember clearly how you rubbed my temples and how hot your hands got when you did it. And I felt it. I felt something happening inside me."
Sara came to a sudden stop and caught Kylie's hands in hers. "They're not hot now. So do you only get hot when you heal people? But why was ... What's his name-Lucas-why were his hands hot?"
Kylie pulled her hands free, trying to remember what lie she'd given to Sara about her reasons for rubbing her temples.
"That is a strange question," her mom said. "Why would you want to know that?"
Sara let out a frustrated breath. "And don't tell me it's because your mom used to do it. Because I asked her about that on the ride up here, and she denied it. Said she couldn't remember rubbing your temples to help your headaches."
"Shh," Kylie said to Sara, not wanting to miss Holiday's answer.
But Sara didn't get quiet. Instead she let out a bloodcurdling scream that could have awakened the dead.
And she continued to scream. The sound pierced Kylie's eardrums. She went on instant alert, but she didn't know why. Her gaze started flipping from side to side, trying to find the source of danger.
Was it the eagle again? The evil-eyed deer? Was there another sinkhole, or had Perry gone unicorn again? Kylie was prepared for just about anything.
Tense to the max, she didn't know if she should prepare herself to fight or run. Then something butted up against her jeans-covered calf.
She glanced down.
Okay, she was prepared for about anything but Socks. Her skunk/cat was supposed to be locked up at Holiday's cabin. And just to make matters worse, her mom and Holiday came running to see what was wrong.
Within two seconds, her mom started screaming with Sara, while Kylie glanced back at Holiday.
"It's probably rabid," her mom screeched. "Get away from it, Kylie. Get away!"
"It's okay," Holiday spouted, but obviously she wasn't heard over her mom's wailing.
Kylie followed her mother's orders and stepped back. But Socks wasn't having it. He followed and pounced at Kylie's tennis shoe.
Sara squealed and darted across the path and hid behind Kylie's mom. Socks, suddenly frightened by the ruckus, shot back across the path and scampered up Kylie's leg. Unsure what to do, she held the scared pet with caution.
"Drop it! Kylie!" her mom screamed. "Drop that vermin this minute!" Then she bolted forward as if to knock the animal from Kylie's arms.
"Mom, it's okay," she said, though it was anything but.
Socks hissed, then swiveled in Kylie's hold and buried his pointed little nose in her armpit. Kylie didn't completely panic until Socks lifted his black-and-white fluffy tail straight up in the air and aimed it at her mom.
"No!" Kylie swung around and started talking sweetly to Socks. "Don't do it. Don't do it," she whispered.
"Everybody, step back," Holiday said, speaking more forcefully this time. "The skunk's not rabid. He's my pet."
Kylie looked back over her shoulder to see her mom gawk at Holiday in sheer horror. "You have a pet skunk?"
"Yes," Holiday lied, and almost sounded honest. "I know, it sounds kind of strange."
"Kind of?" her mom asked, eyes still wide with shock.
Kylie pulled Socks closer and continued to whisper what she hoped were calming words close to his ear. But who, she wondered, was going to whisper calming words to her? This, was exactly why merging her old life with her new was such a bad, bad idea.
"Well, that went well," Holiday said an hour later as they watched Kylie's mom and Sara drive out of the Shadow Falls parking lot.
Kylie, her chest so tight that she thought a few ribs had cracked, looked at Holiday in shock. "You're kidding me. I'm practically told I'm not good enough for Lucas by his grandma. My dad's miserable. My mom thinks I'm having sex with two boys. And she thinks you're an idiot who keeps a skunk as a pet."
"I had to come up with something," Holiday said. "He must have snuck out when I left and I didn't see him."
"Don't forget that it couldn't have gotten any more awkward between Sara and Miranda and Della. They barely spoke to each other. And..." Tears filled Kylie's eyes. "And if I ever wondered if you really kept things from me, I know the truth now. What's this crap about you wanting to know if I'm part American Indian?"
Holiday's face flashed with guilt. "I was going to tell you. Honest. There just hasn't been time."
"Yeah, you're always going to tell me something after the fact." Kylie batted at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sick and tired of all the secrets around here, Holiday. I'm tired of being kept in the dark. I'm tired of not knowing what I am. It's not fair, and I'm not going to tolerate it anymore."
It was Wednesday night. The last few days had passed by in a blur. Kylie had gone into a frenzy trying to dig up her family tree. Holiday had explained that there was an American Indian legend about certain descendants of an Indian tribe having been touched by the gods. And that these mere humans would carry the gift with them for generations.
If Kylie had that blood running in her veins, it would explain how she could be a protector and still be half human. Kylie didn't know why it was so important to her to find out her heritage. It wasn't as if it would get her any closer to discovering what she was. But it might explain why she seemed to have certain gifts. Then again, maybe it was because it was the only lead she could work on right now.
The ghost showed up three or four times a day but still wasn't talking. Lucas showed up two or three times a day, too. And they weren't doing much talking, either. But on the plus side, they were doing a lot more kissing.
She hadn't said anything about what his grandmother told her. Partly because he already seemed so tense-no doubt because of the approaching full moon. And the other part because she was afraid of his answer.
She was afraid he'd tell her his grandmother was right. That he could never consider marrying her if she wasn't a werewolf.
Yeah, it still seemed stupid that she'd worry about it at this point in their relationship. But then, Kylie kept coming back to the fact that being girlfriend and boyfriend was supposed to be all about finding that one person you'd spend your entire life with.
Should she live for the day or plan for the future? And should she start something when she knew it wouldn't and couldn't last? Could she risk giving her heart to someone who could never truly be hers?
Earlier that night, when Lucas came by, they'd sat on the porch, kissed, and stared up at the moon. "You don't feel anything when you look at it?" he'd asked her.
He no longer tried to hide the fact that he wanted her to be were. And it was getting harder for her to pretend that it didn't bother her. Not that it changed how she felt about him. Everything from his smile to his blue eyes to the way he kissed-it all captivated her. The time she was close to him was about the only time she really felt at peace.
Kylie remembered telling Holiday she needed a touchstone, something that felt completely right. Lucas had become her touchstone. In some ways, he was like the falls. When she was close to him, when she felt his warm touch on her, all her problems seemed so much smaller.
But when he wasn't close, those problems came back to sit on her shoulders and eat away at her sanity. Eventually, Kylie knew they needed to talk about the whole bloodline issue. And even his question about her going out. Although she got the feeling he assumed she'd said yes. Looking back, she realized that considering their conversation that day, he might even have reason to believe it. So she'd let that one slide, but the bloodline issue wasn't that easy to drop.
But for now, she decided to just let it be.
"Hey!" Della's voice snapped Kylie back to the present as she walked out of her room. "Is Miranda back yet from her make-out session with Perry?" She plopped down at the kitchen table behind where Kylie sat at the computer desk.
"Not yet." Kylie glanced back. Della looked bored or depressed. She'd been extra quiet lately. Ever since Parents Day.
"What are you doing?" Della asked.
Worrying. "My mom finally got me my great-grandmother's maiden name. I thought I'd put it in the database on that genealogy Web site and see if I get anything."
"Why don't you just put a feather in your hat and call yourself an Indian?"
Kylie frowned. "That's not nice."
"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm in a pissy mood."
"Why?" Kylie stood and grabbed two diet sodas from the fridge and then dropped back down in the kitchen chair.
Della took the drink Kylie slid over to her and popped the top. It fizzed and she pressed her lips to the rim of the can to catch the overspill. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Kylie asked.
Della made a little hiccup noise, and Kylie realized that the vamp was crying. She stopped herself from going over there and hugging Della, because she knew Della hated that.
"Della? Tell me what's wrong." And instantly, Kylie got tears in her eyes, too.
Della swiped at her cheeks. "I miss it. It's just like Ellie said. I miss being normal. I miss living with my family. I know I'm lucky to be here. Lucky to have you and Miranda as my best friends. And I'm happy that you've got Lucas and Miranda has Perry, but it just makes me miss Lee, and it hurts so bad sometimes. And I know I should try to go for Steve, but I'm not ready." She hiccuped again and more tears slipped from her dark lashes onto her cheeks. "I miss it. All of it. I miss being human."
Kylie started crying in earnest now. Not just for Della, but for herself. "I know," she said. "I miss it, too."
The next morning, Kylie woke up staring at the back of Della's head. Because Della was the only one with a full-size bed, they had ended up going to Della's bed and talking until they'd fallen asleep. Something moved at Kylie's back and she quickly rolled over and stared at a yawning Miranda.
"What are you doing here?" Kylie asked.
"I thought it was a spend-the-night party and I wanted to come," she said. Then she popped out her bottom lip. "You two didn't even wait up on me."
"You were late," Kylie said, and yawned.
"I know." Miranda grinned. "We had such a good time. We went swimming at the lake. Just the two of us. It's almost a full moon and it was so romantic."
"You went skinny-dipping?" Della asked, and rolled over, sounding half-asleep.
"No. But he did. Only because he thought I was going to." Miranda giggled. "I wore my bathing suit under my clothes, because he said we were going to the lake. And when I started pulling my jeans off, he thought I was taking it all off and he took his off and dove in really fast."
Kylie and Della started laughing.
"But I didn't see anything. Plus, he made me turn around when he got out and pulled his shorts back on."
The three of them stayed in bed, giggling, until they were almost late for breakfast.
It was a good morning. Not quite as mind-easing as being with Lucas, but Kylie had to admit that Della and Miranda were becoming her touchstones as well. Right now, she felt capable of facing another day of problem solving.
But the good mood took a nosedive when they walked into the dining hall and everyone turned and stared at them.
No, not at all of them. Just at Kylie. Or rather, they gaped at her forehead while tightening their brows. Obviously, her pattern was doing something weird again.
"Damn!" someone said. There were several gasps, a couple of whispers, and a few people even dropped their forks. Then came the dead silence-the kind of silence that screamed disbelief.
Della and Miranda both turned toward her and tightened their brows.
Miranda's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, my!"
"Shit," said Della.
"What is it?" Kylie asked.
Della swallowed and leaned in. "You finally opened up. Your ... your pattern is readable."