Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(51)

"Who told you?" Kylie asked, imagining the whole camp teasing her about it. Or even worse, teasing Helen. The girl seemed even shyer than Kylie and the last thing Kylie wanted was for her to get hel because of something Kylie had talked her into doing. Holiday shook her head. "It wasn't like that. Helen was excited that she discovered how it worked and wanted to share it with me."

Kylie nodded. She understood how Helen felt and didn't begrudge her sharing the news with Holiday.

"But you stil aren't a believer, are you?" Holiday asked, meeting Kylie's gaze.

"I could stil be..."

"Crazy or schizophrenic."

"Right," Kylie said, relieved that Holiday understood.

Holiday sighed as if exasperated and Kylie's relief evaporated.

"It's just I don't think either of my parents are gifted. And you said this is most likely hereditary. Plus, I can't see into people's head and see any patterns. Helen said she could always do it."

"That's Helen. Most of us with ghost whispering powers-it just appears one day." Holiday sighed. "And there could be a hundred reasons why your mom or dad hasn't shared this with you. You..." She held up her hands. "What am I doing? My job isn't to convince you. It's to help you find your own answers."

Kylie almost apologized for disappointing Holiday because she honestly liked her, but how could Kylie just believe this without some proof?

"Let's get back to your questions." Holiday paused as if recal ing the list. "Do death angels real y exist? I'm assuming you heard about the legend of the name Shadow Fal s."

"Yeah," Kylie said. "Is it true?"

"I've never seen the shadows. Of course, it wasn't quite dusk when I was there."

"I mean the death angels?"

"Wel , I haven't ever seen a death angel either. But I know several people who claim they have. Some think they exist only in the legends, but since al supernaturals are considered legends, it's hard to say they don't exist."

"Are they known to be evil?" Kylie asked, her curiosity stemming from both Fredericka's fear and Miranda's hesitancy to talk about them later.

"Not necessarily evil. They are thought of as powerful ghosts who are ... avengers. It's believed that they right the wrongs of the supernaturals. And stand judgment of them."

"Is that why everyone seems so scared of ghosts?"

"Yup, that would be the reason." A smile twitched Holiday's lips. "Frankly, we scare the bejeebies out of most supernaturals. Remember the FRU?"

Kylie nodded and inwardly admitted it scared the bejeebies out of her, too.

Holiday placed her right elbow on the table and then rested her chin in her open palm. "To be honest with you Kylie, death angels per se may not exist, but I see al my ghosts as being a lot like we think death angels are. I mean, I've actual y had several protect me in different ways. Sure some of them need something from us, but more times than not they are here to either help us, or to help us help someone else. As scary as this al seems to you, you should know that it's a special cal ing. Very few supernaturals have this gift. It's said that it is bestowed on only those with worthy spirits, good hearts, and courage."

"But I'm not those things," Kylie said, pleading her case. "On Hal oween, I wouldn't even go into the haunted houses."

Holiday chuckled. "I didn't say you were perfect, Kylie. Heaven knows that I have my faults as wel . But our hearts want the good to win. We're stil afraid, we stil make mistakes, but if we listen to what our hearts want, we wil find the right way." She rested her left hand on top of Kylie's. Kylie looked at their hands joined together on the table. "Is being a ghost whisperer a common gift for fairies? And elves?" Kylie remembered the bus driver sensing when Soldier Dude had dropped by for a visit. "At lunch, the elf, the one who drove the bus that brought us here, she knew the ghost was there."

"Yes, there have been studies that say it is more common with fairies and elves. But it's not unheard of for others to have this ability. While certain gifts are bestowed to different species, each being can have less or more, depending on their spirits or their links to the gods and goddesses."

"So what else could I be?"

"This morning when I touched you and you sensed that I was trying to calm you ... the fact that you could feel that is ... wel , unusual. General y speaking, another fairy, depending on their level of power, may be able to sense it, but ... honestly, I've never heard of anyone sensing it through touch."

"So assuming I'm not human, I'm also not fairy?"

"I didn't say that. What I can say is that whatever species your gifts stem from, your lineage to the gods is closer than most. I think you are just coming into your powers and who knows what al awaits you."

Kylie just stared. Holiday acted as though her words were supposed to make her feel better. "But do we know-if I am one of you-that I'm not like a vampire or werewolf?" Kylie held her breath as she waited for Holiday to answer.

Holiday shrugged. "I'm guessing if you were of that species, we would have seen some of the normal characteristics that are linked to them. However, there are a few of al species that are what we refer to as atypical. Their heritage is with one species and yet they lack certain characteristics, and are often gifted in other ways. The studies seem to conclude that, perhaps, these individuals are the very few that have combined genetics of two or more species. Not that it has real y been proven."