Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(98)

You've got one second to hide Girl Wonder over there, or he's gonna know she's here."

Jenny vanished. Della, seeing the vanishing act for the first time, looked stunned. Burnett came bolting through the opened window. "What the hell is happening now?"

"I had a vision." Kylie offered part of the truth. "I wanted to ask Derek about it."

"And you couldn't have called me first?"

"You know how I am after a vision, I was crazy, all I could think about was finding out the truth."

"What truth?"

"I know who the ghost is now. She is ... was connected to Mario. She was his daughter-in-law, Roberto's mother. Mario had her killed." Kylie's heart ached, remembering the last few minutes of the woman's life. Remembering how Roberto had witnessed the terrible death.

Burnett sighed. "And the sword? Is it from her, too?"

"No, she says it's from ... the death angels."

A long pause filled the room as if everyone had to take a few seconds to believe it. "Do you know whythey sent it?" Burnett finally asked.

Kylie frowned. She suspected it was because she was going to have to face Mario. And deep down she figured that Burnett suspected it as well. But nobody wanted to say it. "No, not really." It wasn't even a lie. There was a difference in knowing something and suspecting it.

"Come on, let's go talk to Holiday about this vision," Burnett said.

Kylie left Derek's cabin to deal with one issue, knowing that sooner or later, she would have to deal with the one she was leaving here. Jenny.

How long could they hide a runaway chameleon? Hopefully long enough for Kylie to come up with a plan.

* * *

Both Burnett and Holiday walked Kylie back to her cabin after their powwow. She'd managed to get through the talk without lying by keeping the topic on the vision. Kylie hadn't told them anything about Jenny or about her father repeating his message concerning them being together soon. To be honest, she tried not to think about her dad's message. Hadn't Holiday said that a person who started preparing oneself for death cheated themselves out of what little life they had left? And ... somewhere deep in her gut, she held on to the fact that her dad could be confused. That his definition of soon could be in about eighty or ninety years.

The first thing Kylie did after Burnett and Holiday walked away was grab her phone.

Derek answered on the first ring. "You survived?"

"Barely," Kylie said.

"How did you lie to Burnett?"

"By avoiding the truth."

He sighed. "Speaking of the truth. I reread the articles about Roberto's mom. The cause of death had been listed as multiple stab wounds. Oh, and her name was listed as Lucinda Esparza."

"Thanks." Kylie repeated the name in her head.

"So what's the plan with my problem?" he asked.

So he considered Jenny his problem, did he? "I don't know, but would you mind continuing to hide her until I brainstorm a plan? Since you don't have a vampire rooming with you or Burnett doing walk-bys.

She has less chance of being detected with you."

"I planned on her staying here," Derek said, sounding almost insistent. It was then Kylie knew for sure.

Her old flame had managed to fall out of love with her and was on his way to falling for Jenny. Kylie felt their connection, just like she'd felt the thing between Burnett and Holiday, Perry and Miranda, and Jonathon and Helen.

She could almost hear Derek and Jenny telling their kids how they'd first met. "Your mom just jumped out of nowhere expecting me to give her a piggyback ride!"

Jenny was lucky. And Derek deserved to be happy.

And so do I. And her happiness was tied to Lucas. It was as if something switched in her head and she realized how wrong she'd been. She shouldn't have been trying to push him away. She should have been pushing him to find a way to make it right. "Hey ... uh, I just realized I need to do something. Can we talk tomorrow?""Do what?" Derek asked, obviously reading something from her.

Convince someone I'm worth fighting for. "Bye." She hung up, and then went to dial Lucas's number.

An instant before she hit the last number, she changed her mind. There was another way. A better way.

* * *

It took ten minutes to fall asleep, and another few to get in control and dreamscape her way to Lucas's cabin and into his bedroom. He looked adorable asleep in his bed. The sheet came low on his waist and she couldn't help but wonder if he had anything on at all. She really doubted it.

Mentally dressing him in a pair of long boxers, she slipped into his mind and into his dreams.

"Lucas," she whispered his name. While she could have taken him anywhere, she hadn't. They remained in his bedroom. She eyed his bare chest again and wondered why she hadn't dreamed him in a shirt. Probably because she liked seeing his bare chest.

Then she looked at his bed and her mind went to joining him there. That's when she decided she needed to get them away from here.

Lucas sat up. "Hey." His voice came out deep and sleepy.

"Come on, let's go," she said.

"Go where?" he asked.

"Somewhere to talk," she answered.

He patted the bed and looked at her through his dark lashes with a sexy grin. Had he read her earlier thoughts? she wondered.