Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(88)

“Then what’s iffy?” she asked Burnett.

“Where he lived. Basic stuff.”

“He said California,” Della said, and then asked, “What other basic stuff?” She recalled Chase telling her the man who rescued her wasn’t registered. If that was what he was hiding, she sure as hell couldn’t blame him.

“I’m looking into it,” Burnett said, and that was the camp leader’s way of saying back off. Della hesitated to say anything more, but then … “You know there could be reasons he’s keeping things from you. Reasons that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s bad.”

God knew she kept some things to herself. Most of them painful things.

Burnett’s brow pinched tighter. “True, but I need to make sure those secrets aren’t anything that would cause the school or the FRU harm. And unfortunately I’ve also learned that when people hide things, it’s usually not good.” He leaned in. “Do you trust him or not? Why am I getting mixed feelings from you?”

You like me. You just don’t realize it yet. Chase’s words played in her head and she even saw his sexy smile. “I … don’t know. I mean, I don’t trust him like I would someone else from here, Lucas or Derek, or … Steve, but I … don’t think he’s all bad either.” The truth tasted funny on her tongue.

“Fine.” Burnett slapped his hands on the desk. “Meanwhile, let me know if you learn anything new?”

Feeling the meeting was over, she stood up.

“Any news on Chan’s autopsy?”

“Not yet. Sorry.”

She nodded, feeling the frustration of that issue still heavy on her heart, and then she walked away. Only a few feet out the door, she heard the stoic vampire say, “Good job tonight, Della. Between Craig Anthony’s arrest and now this, I’m proud of you.”

She didn’t look back, but whispered, “Thanks.” A sense of pride swelled up inside her, and she latched on to the feeling with a hungry heart. She would need any good emotion to counter the negative crap on her plate right now.

As she walked out, her phone dinged with a text. For some reason she suspected it was Steve. The negative crap had arrived.

Della’s walk back to her cabin seemed too quiet, and thoughts of Steve became second to the eeriness of the night. She pulled out her phone and checked the text. She’d been wrong. The last ding hadn’t been a text from Steve. It was from Kevin, Chan’s friend.

Call me.

She hit a few buttons to return his call. It went to voicemail. “What’s up? It’s Della.” She hung up, and right then a cold chill sent goose bumps chasing more goose bumps up her spine.

A few clouds kept passing over the moon and ridding the path of any silver glow. She didn’t know which was creepier, the silver glow, the smothering blackness, or the cold silence.

All of a sudden, she didn’t feel alone. She lifted her face to catch a scent, only to remember her nose wasn’t working properly. She cut her eyes left and right. A pair of yellow possum eyes stared back. It wasn’t a possum she felt.

She remembered Chan’s ghost. Her heart grew instantly heavy. Was he here? She thought he’d passed on, but maybe she’d thought wrong.

“Chan, is that you?” The cold wind seemed to suck the question into the night’s darkness.

The clouds shifted again, offering her enough glow to see the path. She heard the slightest rustle in the air and looked up, half expecting to see feathers. But only an orange leaf rained down. A dead leaf.

Had Chan shifted from feathers to leaves? Or was she simply overreacting? “If you’re here, I want you to know that I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

The moon slipped away again. Out of the blackness came a sound. Footsteps trailing behind her. Chan?

Did a ghost’s steps make sound? A current of fear ran through her. She fought the need to run. But she reminded herself it was Chan. Even dead, he was her cousin. A cousin she’d let down.

She turned. Her heart jolted when she saw the figure behind her. Because she was unable to smell who it could be, panic had her fangs extending.

“It’s just me,” a soft voice said. A soft, recognizable voice.

“Damn it, Jenny. Never sneak up on a vampire. I could have attacked.”

“I’m sorry,” Jenny said, not coming any closer. “I didn’t mean to…” She glanced around nervously. “… intrude. Is there a ghost here?”

“Do you feel one?” Della asked, her voice almost resonating the same shaky tremble as Jenny’s.

“No, I don’t feel ghosts.” Jenny stayed where she was. “But you were talking to … your cousin. The one that died. Do you feel ghosts?”

“No … not really.” She wasn’t even sure that was a lie. She’d seen Chan, but she wasn’t so sure she’d felt him. At least not in the way Kylie felt ghosts.

“So, no one’s here? You’re sure?” Jenny asked.

“No one is here.” And Della wanted to believe it.

“Good.” Jenny caught up with her. “Has Derek called you?”

“Was he supposed to?” Della continued walking, and while she hated admitting it, she felt better not being alone.

“He got the yearbook with your uncle in it. He found both of your aunts, your uncle, and your dad in there.”