Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(93)

Steve walked inside. His gaze shot past Kylie, to Della.

Della frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're okay."

Della frowned. "I don't need you to protect me."

He stomped out at the same time Kylie heard a roar. Not a human roar. She'd bet anything that the shape-shifter had just turned himself into a big pissed-off feline. Kylie considered going after him to help soothe his ego, but since she'd nearly become supper for one angry lion when she first got here at Shadow Falls, she decided to let Steve handle his own ego.

Miranda made a disapproving noise. "That's no way to treat the guy who gave you a hickey."

Della growled. "What? You saw how quickly he left. If he'd really been concerned, he'd have stayed."

Kylie rolled her eyes at Della's logic.

Lucas raised his brows-probably at the hickey comment. Then his gaze shifted to Kylie with a look of protection. But in less than a second, something softer flashed in his eyes, something tender. Love you, those blue eyes seemed to say.

The lion somewhere out front roared again and then a huge prehistoric bird came down with a loud thud in the open threshold.Miranda squealed, lost her teddy, and went to hug the bird.

Kylie plopped down on the arm of the sofa. The vamp had hit the nail on the head when she said it was going to be a very long and bat-shit crazy night.

* * *

"What's the tape for?" Kylie asked Lucas the next day as he unloaded his bag again and prepared for practice. Kylie had slept in and missed classes, and Lucas had called a little after eleven and asked if she wanted to cancel practice since they'd been up most of the night. She'd wanted to say hell yes, but heeding her heart, as well as the ghost's warning that she needed to learn to fight, she agreed to practice.

"For protection. We wrap the ends of the blade." He looked up the line of trees as if he'd heard something. Or someone.

Kylie's thoughts went from fighting with real swords to Lucas's cautious surveillance. "Who's out there?"

"Chris and Will," he answered.

Since the intruder hadn't been found last night, and they hadn't gotten another security alarm saying anyone had left, the entire camp was on Red Alert. For now she didn't just have one shadow, she had three.

Lovely.

Just lovely.

As she watched Lucas pull out the swords, a breath of cold moved across the back of her neck. Make that four shadows.

He's such a pansy. Tell him not to the tape the blades. You need to learn to fight for real! Time is running out.

Looking over her shoulder, Kylie saw the spirit had donned her blood-soaked gown again.

What happened to you? Who killed you? Kylie asked.

The spirit looked down at her gown and frowned. I'm not important. You are.

Suddenly feeling desperate for answers, Kylie continued, How do you know me? How are we connected? I need answers.

You need to learn to fight. Or you will be as dead as I am.

The warning sent dread stabbing at Kylie's heart. She watched Lucas crouch down and start to wrap the end of the blades. "Do we really need the tape?"

He looked up, surprise in his eyes. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "You need to teach me how to fight for real."

He stood up, concern in his face. "Why? What is it that you know?"

"Just a feeling," she lied.

"I don't like that feeling," he said.

"Join the crowd." She blinked. "Just teach me to fight, Lucas."

Appearing resigned, he picked up the two swords. Her weapon started glowing the instant she wrapped her hand around it. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it seemed to be glowing brighter. What did that mean? Did the sword, like the ghost, know the time for battle drew near?

Lucas stood beside her and commenced doing warm-up stances. She immediately followed suit.Kylie's phone, tucked in her pocket, beeped with an incoming text. She waited for the next break before she pulled it out. It was from Derek.

Call me.

Was he back to trying to convince her to rekindle their relationship? She recalled seeing him frown last night when Lucas had insisted on staying at the cabin to protect her.

"Who is it?" Lucas asked.

She hesitated, then just spit it out. "Derek."

He frowned but remained silent. They went back to the basic form exercises.

"When are we going to spar?" she asked as she copied his moves.

"When are you going to tell that fairy that it's really over between you two?"

"I already did," she answered before she realized the wisdom against it.

He stopped moving. His sword, pointing upward, came down in a whoosh. He faced her. "You did?"

It was too late to take it back. "Yes."

He smiled. "Thank you."

She frowned. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for him."

His smile remained strong and one eyebrow arched up. "But I'm the reason you did it."

It wasn't a question, but she could deny it. Then too much time had passed for her to do it. It would've sounded false. It would've been false.

An even bigger smile appeared in his eyes. A smile of confidence. Of hope.

"I love you," he said, his voice almost musical with happiness.