Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(3)

"I hate lizards," she blurted out. "They're right up there with snakes-evil little bug-eyed creatures scurrying around in the dirt and eating creepy-crawly things." She stared out at the woods again, imagining a brigade of lizards staring back at her. "I saw a program once that showed a long-tongued lizard eating a spider in slow motion. It was gross!"

Derek shook his head, all shades of humor fading from his eyes. "I've never heard of supernatural lizards. Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure of anything. That's what's so scary. Not knowing." She shivered. "Seriously, devouring blood is preferable to having one of those long tongues and dining on insects."

"Maybe he got it wrong. You said ghosts have a hard time communicating."

"At first, yes, but now my dad makes perfect sense."

Derek didn't look convinced. "But what do you think a chameleon supernatural is, or does? All I think they could do is change colors."

Kylie let his words run around her brain for a second. "Maybe that's it?"

"You can change colors?" Doubt showed on his face.

"No. But maybe I can change my pattern. Like how my grandfather and aunt appeared human. And like how I appear human now."

"Or ... maybe your father's having a relapse and he's just confused. Because I've never heard of any supernaturals who could change their brain patterns."

"What about me?" she asked. "What about my grandfather and aunt?"

He shrugged. "Holiday said it was probably a wizard who cast a spell for your grandfather and aunt."

"Did he cast it on me, too?" Kylie asked.

"No, but ... Okay, I don't have the answer." He frowned. "And I know that frustrates you. But didn't you tell me that your real grandfather was coming to visit? I'm sure he'll clear it up."

"Yeah." She bit down on her lower lip.

Derek studied her. "There's something else wrong, too?"

She sighed. "When I asked my dad what it meant about being a chameleon, he said we'd figure it out together."

"And that's bad because...?"

Kylie stated the obvious. "He's dead, and he's limited to earthly visits, so does that mean that I'm going to die soon?"

"No, he didn't mean that." Derek's tone deepened with conviction.

She started to argue that he couldn't say that with certainty, but because she wanted to believe him, she bit back the words. Taking a breath, she stared down at the grass and tried to find peace in knowing that her grandfather was going to come in a couple of days. Tried to find peace in having spilled her troubles. And she did feel slightly better.

"Have you asked Holiday?" He leaned in and his shoulder bumped into hers, his warmth, his soothing touch chasing away some of her angst.

She shook her head. "Not yet. She's still in the office with Burnett." And Kylie still hadn't mulled over the whole ghost issue. If someone's ghost appeared to you when they weren't dead, what did it mean? The possible answers started her heart shaking.

"I think this is kind of important," he said.

"I know, but..."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

She glanced up. Was he reading her emotions or her mind? "Ghost problems," she said.

"What kind of problems?"

Of all the campers, Derek was the only one who didn't run away at the mention of ghosts. "This person isn't dead."

"So it's not a ghost." Derek looked confused.

Kylie bit down on her lip. "Yes ... I mean, at first the spirit had the whole zombie thing going on-hanging flesh, and worms-but then it changed. And when it did, the face turned into someone I know."

"How could that be?" he asked.

She paused. "I don't know. Maybe it's a trick."

"Or not," Derek said. "You don't think someone's going to die?"

Not anyone else, she wanted to scream. "I don't know." She yanked a few blades of grass from the ground.

"Who is it?" he asked. "Not someone here, is it?"

Kylie's chest tightened. She didn't want to say it-afraid that if she said it aloud, it would make it so. "I just need to think it through."

Derek paled. "Oh, crap! Is it me?"

"No." She tossed the blades of grass and watched them whirl in the wind on their descent.

When she looked back at him, she could feel him reading her emotions, deciphering their meaning. "You care a lot about this person." His brows pinched. "Lucas?" She heard the pain in his voice from just saying the name.

"No," she said. "Can we drop it? I don't want to talk about it. Please."

"So it is Lucas?" Derek asked.

"What's Lucas?" A deep, irate voice suddenly spoke up.

Kylie looked up and saw Lucas step out of the trees. His eyes were an angry orange color. She flinched with guilt for a just a second, then fought it back. She hadn't been doing anything wrong.

"Nothing," Derek bit out when Kylie didn't speak. He stood up and took one step toward the office. Pausing, he looked back at her, and then glanced at Lucas. "We were just talking. Don't go all were on her."