Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(65)

She glanced at her watch. Five minutes till one. Time ran out. She didn't envision her grandfather as being someone who appreciated tardiness.

Remembering she wasn't powerless, she wiggled her right pinky against her ring finger. However, the idea of using it didn't sit well with her.

"Okay," she offered. "Short explanation. I have to meet someone. So we can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Meet who?" Lucas and Perry asked at the same time.

"My grandfather. He contacted me and-"

"How?" Lucas asked.

"E-mail," Kylie answered, unsure why she thought telling them the truth would work, but her other option didn't feel right-especially considering she really didn't know what she was doing when it came to casting spells. Just ask poor Zac.

"Don't be stupid," Perry said. "How do you know it was really from him?"

"I know," Kylie said with confidence, and pushed back the knowledge that Perry could be right. All this could be a trick. But every instinct she had said differently. If wrong, she might pay the price with her life. If right, she'd find the answers she'd been seeking since the first day she'd arrived at Shadow Falls.

Risky? Maybe. But a risk she was willing to take. "And here's the thing," Kylie continued. "You two can either agree to let me go, or-"

"No." Lucas's shoulders grew tighter. "You are not-"

She didn't wait any longer. She twitched her pinky and envisioned a big net falling from the sky, snaring the two of them together, and preventing them from following her.

She saw it rushing down from above and barely escaped being caught herself. "Sorry," she called out, and took off running. With every ounce of power she owned, she focused on getting away before they got loose.

* * *

Kylie ran. No, that wasn't right. Because she realized at some point she wasn't running, she was flying. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, she'd have taken the time to appreciate the new addition to her gifts. Ah, but no time. She needed to get far enough away that Perry and Lucas couldn't follow her.

Finally, she spotted the rusty cemetery gates jutting out from the earth like sharp weapons that could take a life. The night appeared to grow darker as she drew nearer. Her chest tightened as she remembered Perry's question. How do you know it was really from him?

She didn't. She'd come on blind faith. Was that enough?

Slowing down, her feet came back to the ground. She came to an abrupt stop a few feet from the old iron gates. She went to step forward but a sudden movement behind the gate stopped her. Her heart stopped, too. Her last breath felt trapped in her lungs as she took in the view.

Faces, dozens upon dozens of faces, peered at her through the creaky bars. Their lifeless gazes soulfully stared at her with eyes that begged her for help. If only she could help them all. If only one sweep of her hand or wiggle of her pinky could take care of whatever issue kept them chained to this life, when another awaited them.

Then another thought hit. Were any of these ghosts hell-bound spirits? Those who wanted to take her to hell with them in an attempt to soften their own sentence? Great! Why did she have to think about that lovely possibility now?

She forced herself to take a step closer. The idea that she was going to have to step through those gates and move past the hundred or more spirits ripped at her courage. She remembered how it felt last time when she'd come here and had been touched by so many ghosts-the pain was similar to a brain freeze, but one that happened to the entire body.

But it would be worth it if her grandfather waited inside because she'd get some answers. Definitely worth it. Besides, it wasn't as if she hadn't done this before; she'd come here twice. But not in the dark or the dead of night. Something about the blackness, with only the moon's silver glow making the spirits' gazes visible, made the place look so much more ... haunted.

Which it was. As if to prove the fact, the cold from the spirits surrounded her and made her skin crawl. She looked up and saw a couple of spirits had moved outside the gate and were slowly easing toward her. Stiffening her spine, accepting she had to do it, she took another step closer, planning to just walk inside. Sort of like jumping into the deep end of a freezing pool and getting it over with. Yet as her foot shifted one more time, a voice, a close-to-her voice-too close-whispered in her ear. "I wouldn't go in there."

She yelped and jumped back six feet before she recognized the voice. Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she moved up beside Hannah. Then Kylie recalled what what the spirit had said. Did Hannah know something Kylie didn't? Was she wrong and it wasn't her grandfather waiting for her inside?

"Why shouldn't I go in?" Kylie asked, her nerves no longer calm.

Hannah leaned in and whispered again. "There are ghosts in there."

Kylie looked at her agape. "But-"

"I know I'm dead," Hannah blurted out, reading Kylie's thoughts. "Just like my grave buddies. But seeing all of them"-she motioned to the gate-"it still scares the crap out of me."

Kylie looked from the gate to her watch again; she had two minutes. She had to go in. But she needed to get Hannah to talk. "Look, someone's waiting on me, but I need to know. What is it that you need me to do?"

Hannah closed her eyes, but not before Kylie saw panic fill her gaze.