Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)(22)

"Steve likes you," Kylie said.

"No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does." Kylie glanced at Della. "I saw him looking for you today when we were in the dining hall. You should go for it."

"If he likes me, he'll come to me."

"I don't mean throw yourself at him. Just be nice. Make yourself more approachable."

"I'm approachable," Della said.

About as much as a rattlesnake, Kylie thought.

Della picked up another blade of grass and then lay back on the ground beside Kylie. Their shoulders almost touched. "It's not easy."

"Believe me," Kylie said. "I know."

They lay stretched out on the damp ground for several long minutes without talking. The sun leaked light through the trees and created shimmering golden shadows throughout the woods. Through the leaves, Kylie saw the sky painted in an array of stormy-looking clouds in a variety of colors. Her mind went round and round and somehow landed back on Derek.

"I can't believe he brought Ellie with him." The idea of having to see Derek with Ellie made Kylie's chest tighten.

"Yeah, that'll be tough. I mean, if I had to see Lee with his girlfriend, I'd end up killing someone."

"No, you wouldn't." Kylie sat up, pulled her hair over one shoulder, and removed a few clinging twigs. "You'd do exactly what I'm going to do."

"What's that?" Della sat up.

"Pretend it doesn't hurt, and hope like hell that one day it doesn't anymore."

"Nope. I'd rather kill someone." Della stood and dusted off the wet grass that clung to her backside. Then she looked down at Kylie. "So does this mean you're actually going to give Lucas a real chance?"

Kylie stood up and gave her own butt a few swipes to dislodge most of the grass. "Maybe. If it's what he wants, too."

"If? Didn't you hear him getting pissy with Burnett about shadowing you? He's got it bad for you. I mean, I know you're hurting over Derek, but he doesn't deserve you angsting over him. You have an opportunity with Lucas. Go for it."

She hesitated to say anything, but it spilled out. "Fredericka said something that made it sound like his pack doesn't want us seeing each other."

"Don't listen to anything that b with an itch says. She'll say anything to come between you and Lucas."

Kylie nodded, knowing that Della was right. Or at least she hoped she was.

The bird in the tree called out. Kylie looked up and wondered if that was a mating call. Did birds experience romance? Did they ever suffer from broken hearts? She had to admit it looked awfully lonely up in the tree alone. Almost as lonely as it was where she stood.

"Let's make a deal," Della said. "You give Lucas a chance and I'll give Steve a chance."

Kylie smiled. "Are you that worried about me, or do you just need an excuse to go after the good-looking shape-shifter?"

"Maybe both." Della grinned. "We got a deal?"

Kylie considered it, and mentally she stopped trying to hang on, stopped trying to fix something that didn't seem fixable, and opened herself up to other possibilities. "Yeah."

Della started walking, and Kylie took a step. Then the cold grabbed her. She turned and watched Jane Doe's spirit materialize in the beam of sunlight.

The woman met Kylie's gaze. "Do you know?"

"Know what?" Kylie asked.

Della turned around. "What?" She stared at Kylie for a second and then said, "Oh shit. Not again." She backed up. "I'm not freaking out. I'm not. Really, I'm not freaking out."

Kylie held up a hand to silence Della and stared at the spirit as she edged closer.

"Do you know what I am?" Jane spoke in a hushed tone that seemed to whisper through the trees. The blue jay in the tree chirped extra loud.

"No," Kylie said. "I don't." Then the bird chirped oddly and fell from the tree and landed with a lifeless thud at the spirit's feet.

Chapter Eight

"What was that?" Della demanded.

Kylie stared at the bird. It didn't move. Didn't make a noise. Was it...? Her heart squeezed.

"Screw this! It's raining dead birds. Now I'm freaking out. Can we leave, please?"

The spirit looked from the blue jay to Kylie. "Is it dead?" She knelt and stared at it. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes. "It's dead. Just like me. Just like the death angels warned. Someone lives and someone dies."

"No one is going to die."

Kylie picked up the limp bird. Its neck flopped to one side. She remembered seeing the bird so full of life just moments before. What happened? She looked back at the spirit. "Did you kill it?"

"No, I didn't kill it," Della said. "Wait, you aren't talking to me, are you? Is this a death angel or just a ghost?"

"No." Jane looked around as if she were as frightened as Della. She moved closer. "The others did. They're not nice."

Kylie shivered from the ghostly cold. "What others?"

"Shh." The spirit lifted her finger to her lips. "They're coming." She faded away.

Della stood back and continued to stare. Kylie cupped her hands around the blue jay. She'd healed Sara. Was it possible that she might be able to...?