Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)(48)

Burnett let go of a deep breath and his angry gaze went back to Clark. "Go to your cabin. I'll be there shortly to dish out your punishment."

Clark took off, but not without sneering at Miranda. For a second, Kylie thought Perry was going to attack again. So did Burnett, for he reached out and latched on to Perry. "Don't you dare shift."

Again, Kylie noted the familiarity with which Burnett treated Perry. Obviously, Perry's stint with the FRU foster program had brought him into contact with Burnett. And somehow she sensed that Burnett had taken the orphaned shape-shifter under his wing. It weakened Kylie's earlier misgiving about Burnett and the FRU library. Not that she was completely over it, but everything in her said Burnett wasn't the enemy.

Lucas returned, bringing with him a scent of smoke, and stood by Kylie's side. She looked over at the trash can that minutes ago had been shooting flames up to the ceiling. It had been extinguished, and now only a few wisps of smoke floated up from the rim of the can.

Lucas reached for Kylie's hand again, opened her palm, and studied it. Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Are you really okay?"

"Yes," she said, perplexed by his question.

He stared at her hand again and tenderly ran his finger across her palm. "It should have burned you."

She remembered catching one of the fireballs aimed at Miranda. "Well, it didn't." Then she recalled how she'd felt as if her blood had turned into soda and she'd felt it fizz into her brain.

His look of awe changed into a tight frown. "Nevertheless, the next time I try to remove you from a dangerous situation, don't fight me."

She frowned right back at him. "I wasn't fighting you. I just wasn't leaving Miranda or Della."

He shook his head as if she exasperated him. "You really are a protector, aren't you?"

"Maybe I'm just a good friend." For some crazy reason, she sensed he preferred she not be a protector. Why? Did her being a protector mean she had less a chance of being a werewolf?

Burnett looked back at the crowd of campers watching them. "You guys go back to your cabins. Party's over."

As soon as they left, he fixed his gaze on Miranda. "You so much as twitch that finger at me again and I'll..."

"Della says she'll rip it off," Miranda said, and giggled, not the least bit intimidated by Burnett. Burnett let go of a growl, not appreciating Miranda's candor.

"She didn't mean to turn you," Kylie and Perry said at the same time.

"It was Clark she was aiming at," Perry added, frowning at Burnett.

"I don't care," Burnett said. "It will never happen again. You understand that?" He glared harder at Miranda.

Miranda nodded. "Understood. I'm sorry."

Kylie could tell she had to work to look reprimanded, but the apology rang sincere. And that was when Kylie knew all the campers had accepted Burnett as one of the leaders. He might not have Holiday's easy, somewhat loving method of connecting with the campers, but he made up for it in other ways.

Burnett folded his arms over his chest. "Now, all of you go back to your cabins."

They all turned to leave. Lucas slipped his hand in Kylie's, letting her know he'd be walking with her.

But then Burnett added, "Everyone but Kylie."

Oh joy. What now? Kylie stopped moving and turned around to face Burnett.

Chapter Sixteen

As soon as the sound of the heavy wooden front door closing echoed in the empty, still smoky dining hall, Kylie decided to confess and get it over with.

"I know, it's my fault. I apologize. I thought I was helping."

Burnett, arms still crossed over his chest, stared down at her. "What's your fault?"

"This," she said, suddenly wishing she hadn't been so gung ho to take the blame. Then again, accepting responsibility was right.

Burnett stared down at her as the seconds passed, which only intensified Kylie's growing need to fill the silence. "Okay, look," she said. "I'm the one who told Perry to cut in on Miranda and Clark."

He nodded. "Yeah, I heard that. I was in the office."

Kylie frowned, wondering if he'd also eavesdropped on her conversation with Lucas.

He dropped his arms to his sides, making him appear less intimidating. "But that doesn't make it your fault."

"So you didn't have me hang back to read me the riot act about starting this mess?"

"No." He reached down and snatched two chairs upright and motioned for her to sit down.

"Am I in trouble for something else?" she asked as she sat down.

He flipped the chair around and straddled it. "No. I just wanted to talk to you." His palms curled around the back of the chair. "Is your hand okay?"

She held out her palm for him to see. "Yeah."

He looked down at her hand, then up at her face again. "Holiday called and was worried about you."

"Why?"

He seemed to struggle to find the right words. "I told her what you'd asked about the bird."

"What did she say?" Kylie leaned in a bit, ready to get at least one answer to her long list of questions.

"She said you shouldn't be worried. If you did bring the bird back to life, it would only cost a very, very small piece of your soul."