Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(14)

"Go away! Go away! Go away!" Kylie muttered both aloud and in her head. "I'm not killing anyone for you. Nope. Nope. Not me."

The cold was gone, and Kylie took in a deep breath. But the cracking sound at her window had the breath seeping out in a squeal and made her jump at least three inches off the bed.

Kylie's gaze shot to the window but she didn't see anything.

Once the initial panic slaked off, her mind envisioned the blue jay-the one she'd pulled from death.

Had the thing followed her here?

Getting out of bed, she moved to the window, and with thoughts of hell-bound ghosts still too close to her mind, she cautiously pulled back the white lacy drapes. Out of nowhere, a distorted face appeared pressed to the glass pane.Kylie screamed.

Chapter Five

"Kylie? Are you okay?" Her grandfather's voice sounded at the bedroom door at the same time she was able to make out the face at the window. Jenny. The young chameleon who had spoken with Kylie earlier and acted so nervous. The one Kylie thought might have been Monique. What was she doing at the window? What could she want this late?

Jenny's gaze shot to the bedroom door and she shook her head. Panic filled her face, making her eyes widen, and her expression pleaded for Kylie not to tell her grandfather that she was there.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I must have been dreaming," she lied, and then hoped her grandfather wasn't in vampire mode and could read her heartbeat. Glancing back at the window, she saw relief flash in the girl's green eyes.

"Sleep well, then," her grandfather said from behind the door.

"I will," Kylie said. She waited until she heard the footsteps moving down the hall and then inched to the window and opened it.

Jenny pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for Kylie to come outside.

Before she did as Jenny requested, Kylie poked her head out and glanced around. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she just didn't want any surprises. Jenny's presence already surprised Kylie enough.

Just as she started to crawl out, Jenny stopped her and leaned in. "Is that your packed bag?"

Kylie looked back at her suitcase sitting on a side chair. "Yes."

"Get it," Jenny whispered back.

Kylie's breath caught. "Why?"

"I have to get you out of here."

Say what? "No." Kylie shook her head. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"No you're not. Or at least you're not going where you think you're going."

"What are you saying?" Kylie asked, and part of her wanted to slam the window shut, because instinctively she knew whatever news Jenny had to share, it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Ten minutes later, traipsing through the very back of her grandfather's property, her old brown suitcase in hand, Kylie still couldn't come to grips with what Jenny had told her.

"I can't believe my grandfather would do this."

"I told you, it's probably not really him doing it. It's the other elders. To be honest, your grandfather is the most tolerant of all of them."

Kylie stopped. "But he wouldn't go along with it. He would not let them just kidnap me and keep meagainst my will."

"Look, to be honest, I don't even know if he knows. They could be doing this behind his back. But you and I both saw the other elders there talking to him."

Anger and doubt rose inside Kylie so strong that tears stung her eyes. "But leaving like this is ... It feels so wrong. I should go back and talk to him."

"No! If you go back, there's a good chance they'll find us. I know the schedule of the guards, and if we don't hurry they'll catch you leaving."

Kylie inhaled. The smell of the forest filled her lungs and she tried to rationalize. The night seemed to crawl between the trees and the air felt thick. "Why? Why would they do this?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're a protector and you belong to the chameleons."

"I don't belong to anyone!"

"I didn't mean ... I know you don't really belong to anyone. But that's the way they feel." Jenny stepped closer. "They're wrong, they're all wrong about so many things. Why do you think I'm doing this?"

She looked at Jenny and the girl's question vibrated in Kylie's head. "Why are you doing this? And don't say it's just because you think they are wrong, or because you like me or something, because you haven't said more than a few words to me. My gut tells me it's more and my gut is usually right."

She glanced away but not before Kylie saw the guilt in her eyes.

"Is this some kind of a trap?" Kylie started looking around.

"No, it's not a trap," Jenny said.

Kylie heard conviction in Jenny's tone, but she wasn't vampire and couldn't be sure if the girl lied or not. She peered harder at Jenny. "Either you explain yourself right now, or I'm turning around and going back."

"Explain what?" Jenny asked, sounding frustrated.

"Explain why you would help me when you don't even like me."

She huffed. "Look, I didn't like you because Brandon did. I'm supposed to be matched with him, and while it makes me furious that they think they can tell me who I should fall in love with, it still pissed me off when he started falling all over you."