Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(27)

-obviously the witches of the group. Stil feeling the tingle of Lucas's gaze, and needing something to get her mind off both him and her exboyfriend's lookalike, she started moving toward Miranda. Hopeful y, Kylie had learned enough floater skil s from Sara to get her through the next few months. Because face it, why should camp be any different than high school? Belonging to a group and fitting in just wasn't in her cards.

* * *

Kylie's pil ow didn't smel right-didn't feel right, either. Nothing felt right. She'd been the first to leave the campfire. When Holiday stopped her on her way out to ask how she was doing, Kylie had been tempted to hit the leader with a deluge of questions. Couldn't I just be a bit loony instead of gifted? And if I'm truly gifted, how do I find out what I am? And ... What's the real chance that camp could be closed down by those black-suited dudes? Oh, and can I do anything to make sure that happens? Okay, she wouldn't have asked the last two questions, but not from a lack of wanting.

More than anything in the world, Kylie wanted to go home-back to her own miserable life, back to her own miserable world. Nevertheless, standing in front of Holiday, Kylie recal ed the supersonic hearing of some of her campmates and put her questions on hold. According to her schedule, which had been handed out at the campfire, she'd have an hour counseling session with Holiday before lunch tomorrow. Before that, right after breakfast, Kylie was to show up for the daily activity of Meet Your Campmates Hour. Supposedly each camper was to be paired up with someone for an hour to get to know a little about each other, their gifts, and the culture of their species. Now, wouldn't that be fun? Not.

Sure she was curious, yet it would be kind of be nice to figure out what she was, or hopeful y what she "wasn't" before investing in what everyone else was. And if she could prove she wasn't anything but human maybe she could go home.

She rol ed over for about the hundredth time, knowing part of the reason she couldn't sleep was the fear that she'd have another night terror. Good God, she didn't want to have to explain that to her cabin mates.

The sound of her stomach grumbling fil ed the lonely darkness. Was there anything to eat in the fridge? Slipping out of bed, wearing a pair of navy boxers with hearts and a pink tank top, she moved to the door.

The door creaked when she stepped out of her room. The eeriness seemed to bounce against the log wal s. Kylie gazed at the two closed doors leading into the other bedrooms. She'd heard Del a and Miranda come in and listened to see if the two of them were stil planning to kil each other. Hey, if she was going to have to wake up to a bloody mess, she wanted to be prepared.

Fortunately, the two of them had exchanged a non-combative conversation. It seemed al Miranda wanted to talk about were the boys. Derek included. Not that Kylie minded, of course.

A couple more steps and Kylie looked again at the bedroom doors. Hopeful y, they were now both dead asleep. Okay, maybe dead wasn't the best word. Especial y considering she didn't know if vampires were dead or not. Did they even sleep? And for that matter, were they immortal like the books said they were?

Kylie's bare feet pressing against the plank boards brought on a moan-like sound from the old wood. She recal ed the visit from Del a's cousin. Then she remembered the vampire gangs. Clutching handfuls of her tank top in both fists, she debated skipping a snack, for fear of becoming one. And then the boards creaked again.

Chapter Fourteen

Kylie took one backwards step closer to her bedroom door. Then another noise made her stop short. She listened, recal ing the wild animal sounds from earlier that night. This sound wasn't so wild, though. Breath held, she tuned her ears to pick up the noise. She heard it again, a very faint mewing. A soft, gentle sound.

A movement at the window caught her eye. Kylie swung around. Fear entered her chest first, but melted as soon as she saw the orange kitten perched on the outside window ledge. Startled by her sudden movement, the kitten fel from the ledge. "Don't go," Kylie muttered, at first not understanding her sudden concern for the kitten. Then understanding hit. What if Lucas or one of the werewolves happened by?

Kylie hurried to the door and opened it. She knelt down at the threshold and made the squeaky little noise that she knew cats loved.

"Come here, baby. I'l take care of you," she cooed. Her words were met by a rustling in the bushes. "Trust me." A few seconds later, the little yel ow fur bal came swaying over.

"What a cutie," she whispered, and with a gentle finger stroked its white chin. The kitten turned on its purring machine, moved in, and started rubbing itself against her bare calves. She scooped up the creature and stared into the gold eyes, snuggling the purring little animal against her breasts, and then carried it inside.

The cat meowed and tried to escape from her arms, as if it didn't want to be shut inside, but Kylie held it tight. "No, no," she cooed. "There are monsters out there. You're safe here."

The animal seemed to relax as she passed her fingers softly over the back of its ear. "You hungry?" She butted her nose against the top of the kitten's head and cradled it closer against her chest.

She walked to the fridge, opened it to see what she could munch on, as wel as offer the poor kitten. A door creaked open behind her, and Kylie turned and watched Miranda, wearing a large yel ow T-shirt and a pair of long pajama bottoms with smiley faces printed on them walk out of her room. Her tri-colored hair was a tad mussed and Kylie noticed she looked younger without her normal makeup.