Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(103)

"That was over forty years ago. Things are different." That's what she'd been telling herself, that's what she had to believe. She moved around and continued forward.

"No!" He grabbed her arm.

She looked at him, pleading for understanding. "I have to do it, Lucas. And you have to let me."

"Burnett and Holiday won't allow this," he seethed.

"Burnett doesn't believe they would hurt me," she insisted, feeling a cool breeze brush her skin. And she knew she wasn't alone. Her father was here. She prayed he approved of what she was doing.

"He believes there could be risks to doing it, he told me that himself. He told me he hid your grandmother's body because of it."

"There's risk in everything, Lucas." She touched his stomach. "In learning how to fight. In not learning how to fight. I'm doing the right thing. I know it."* * * "We didn't contact her," the male voice came from Holiday's office. "She contacted us."

Kylie and Lucas walked inside the office. Lucas remained furious. She could tell from his posture, his silence, but he didn't try to stop her. She knew he sensed how serious she was.

"Kylie wouldn't have done that. She wouldn't even know how to get in touch with you," Holiday demanded.

Kylie stopped at Holiday's door. "I called my mom and got his number. Told her I needed to talk with him about something I was doing for Holiday." Kylie met the camp leader's worried eyes. Burnett stood beside her, his eyes showing signs of anger. She just hoped it wasn't targeted toward her.

Holiday shook her head. "I refuse to let this happen."

Kylie moved all the way inside, followed by Lucas. She looked at Burnett, hoping she would find an ally in him. "From the very beginning, Burnett said that they wouldn't intentionally harm me."

Holiday stood up. "He also admitted there could be risks, which was why he ... agreed that you didn't need to do it."

"She's right," Burnett said. "I don't want to chance-"

"The risks are practically nonexistent," the gray-haired FRU agent spoke up. "It's what we've been telling you from the beginning. But you refused to listen."

Kylie ignored the agent and spoke to Holiday. "It's my quest. You yourself said that it was a good quest."

"But I didn't mean you should put your life in jeopardy."

"It's not in jeopardy," the FRU agent said again.

"Then why couldn't a regular doctor perform the tests?" Holiday asked, her tone sounding like an angry parent. No doubt she was going to make a good one.

"I already told you when we spoke months ago. It's nothing more than a brain scan and some blood tests. And the reason they can't be done in a regular hospital is because these tests aren't for humans."

"But they could do a brain scans and blood tests in a regular hospital," she accused.

"It's different," the man answered. "The scan is set to look for things a regular brain scan doesn't search for. The same for the blood test. A regular lab can't do this."

"And how many of these tests have been done?" Holiday asked.

"Thousands," he said. "It's been used by the FRU for several years."

"For what?"

He frowned. "Research."

"On who? What kind of research?"

"Mostly to study criminal cases. But-"

"You use it on criminals and you think it's fine to use on a teenager?" she demanded.

"It's safe."

"You're going to tell me that there haven't been any negative side effects?"

"None to speak of."

"So there have been some that you won't speak of!" Holiday snapped.

"I have to do it, Holiday. It's the right thing. I know it. Please, don't try to stop me, because I won't let you."Kylie saw tears appear in Holiday's eyes, and it was killing Kylie that she was causing her friend pain, but everything inside her said it was the right thing.

She looked at the agent. "Did you bring the papers I asked for?"

"What papers?" Burnett asked.

"A written document from the FRU containing their promise that if they prove that I'm found to be a special race that they will acknowledge that we exist to the supernatural world."

"But then what?" Hayden appeared, standing in the corner. "Are you going to insist everyone that comes forward go for these tests?"

The FRU agent looked puzzled at Hayden's appearance, but he didn't miss a beat. "We will need to confirm it with at least one other of your kind. But once we have Kylie and this other person on record, all we'd require is a blood test to be registered."

Hayden looked at Kylie and she knew what he was thinking. "You don't have to do it," she said.

Putting her life on the line was one thing, asking someone else to do it was another.

"Yes, I do. You were right. It's time things change." Hayden's gaze went back to the agent. "You have your second person."

The agent, right along with Lucas, tightened his brows and stared in awe at Hayden's pattern.

"I still don't like it. What if they don't keep their word?" Lucas asked.