Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(19)

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They got a good mile away before Kylie gave in and stopped. She glanced around. They stood beside a road, and while she'd lost her bearings, she felt certain they were less than five miles from Shadow Falls.

In the distance, a bird called out to its mate. Soft insect sounds vibrated in the night air. The verdant smells of plant life swirled around them. The pending danger should be over. They were far enough away -the guards wouldn't come this far. But some tiny sensation in the pit of her stomach said not to be so sure.

"I should call Burnett," Derek said.

"I guess." The hint of danger stirring in her gut faded at the thought of how she would explain all this to the stern vampire. Frustration swelled inside her. Burnett would be furious and assume her grandfather had been lying all along. And yes, Kylie would admit it almost appeared that way, but she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't stop believing in him until she spoke with him-until he looked her square in the eye and wouldn't deny it. Maybe she hadn't known him very long, but for some reason, she felt she knew him. Knew him well enough to believe that if he'd done this, he wouldn't deny it. He'd own up to it, maybe claim he had reasons, but he wouldn't lie.Again, she wondered if it had been him hanging around earlier, before they'd made a run for it. The ache in her chest, the one she recognized already as missing him, tugged at her heart.

"Hey ... you okay?" Derek asked, and ran his hand down her forearm.

"I will be," Kylie said, and she had to believe that.

"So ... you don't want me to call Burnett?" Derek dropped the suitcase and pulled his phone out of his pocket, but he hesitated to dial, waiting for her permission.

"No, call him," she said, accepting it was the right thing to do. She'd just have to deal with Burnett's disapproval of her grandfather.

He punched in a button and frowned. "My phone's dead." He punched in a couple more numbers. "I know I charged it. Shit." He jumped and tossed the cell to the ground. "What the hell? That thing shocked the fire out of me," he blurted out.

Kylie watched as sparks started shooting from the phone, then a buzzing sound came from the device, followed by smoke.

"I didn't know that could happen," Derek said.

"It doesn't."

"It's a new phone, too," he complained. "My mom's going to have a fit."

Remembering some ghosts could do things with phones, Kylie put her feelers out for ghosts. No cold brushed up against her flesh. She looked around, searching for ... She didn't know what she expected to see, but something told her the phone's demise wasn't an accident. As her gaze shifted from side to side, the night gave nothing up. Darkness swallowed up the terrain. The paved street looked abandoned. The street lights stood dark, not a flicker of illumination flowed from their bulbs.

Something was out there, but what? It didn't feel like a ghost.

"We'd better run."

He reached for her arm. "What is it?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

"That makes two of us," Derek said.

"Three," a voice said beside Kylie.

Kylie turned and the spirit of the murderous woman stood beside her. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Why would I blow up my own phone?" Derek asked.

"Not you," Kylie said, but didn't look away from the spirit.

No! I stopped blowing up phones years ago. I found much better ways to make my presence known.

Kylie turned to Derek. "Let's get out of here." He picked up the suitcase and they started to run.

No! This way. The spirit started in a separate direction.

Stopping, Kylie reached out and snagged Derek's arm, bringing him to a jerky halt.

The spirit turned and looked at Kylie. This way. Go to the graveyard. You'll have help. For some crazy reason all the dead people there like you.

"Why should I trust you?" Kylie asked, and in the corner of her vision, she spotted Derek frowning. No doubt, seeing her hold a conversation with a ghost would be unsettling. He ought to try having one and see how unsettling that could be.

Because you want to stay alive.

Kylie's breath caught and she looked at Derek. "Let's go this way," she told him, praying her gut wasright and she could trust this spirit. Praying this wasn't some ploy to get her at the cemetery and then take her to hell.

They ran. Ran hard. But Kylie felt something following them as they ran. Felt it from the inside out.

And felt it was ready to pounce.

She saw the front gates of the cemetery. Her heart pounded against her breastbone and if she was running out of steam, Derek surely couldn't go much farther.

"Wait!" Derek stopped and reached for her.

"Why ... are we ... going to the cemetery?" His breath came out in gulps.

"I have friends there," she said.

"Dead friends," he said, not happy.

"Let's not be choosy right now."

He shot a glance at the rusty gates. "We should head to Shadow Falls. We're close."

"We won't make it," Kylie said, and something inside her said she was right. Something inside her said the thing that followed them wasn't playing around. Something inside her said it was Mario. Dear God, she hoped she was wrong.