Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(68)

He moved in hesitantly. "I'm not much of a hugger, but I guess the moment merits it." He embraced her. And like her aunt, he felt hot to the touch. The embrace was short, but sweet, and reflective of the ones she'd savored from Daniel, and even her stepfather before their relationship had gone bad.

"You're good at it," Kylie said.

"What?" he asked.

"Hugging." Tears stung her eyes when she saw emotion in his expression.

A smile welled up inside her. "You look like my father."

"I noticed that, too, in the pictures."

"I have so many questions," Kylie said.

"I'm sure you do."

"We're chameleons, right?" She held her breath, waiting for him to confirm what her father had told her. Or was Holiday right, that chameleon meant something different? Would Kylie be accepting her role as a witch after tonight?

The look on her grandfather's face shifted from tenderness to concern. "Where did you learn this?"

"My father," Kylie said. Doubt filled her. Had her father been wrong? "He said-"

Malcolm stilled. "But he's dead."

"She's a ghost whisperer." Her aunt clutched the man's arm in excitement. "I told you I sensed a spirit present when we were at the camp." Her gaze shifted to Kylie. "Your great-grandmother had that gift. She would be so proud."

"So it's true? We're chameleons?" Kylie asked again.

"Yes," they said at the same time.

Kylie's chest swelled with victory. She finally knew. Knew for certain. But no sooner had the feeling hit than questions started forming. Deep down, she sensed her real victory would come when they answered those questions.

She stood trying to assess everything they'd said so she could learn more. Her great-grandmother had been a ghost whisperer, but the two of them weren't. So one chameleon didn't have the same gifts as another one. How did that work?

"My father, he was a ghost whisperer as well," Kylie said, realizing she hadn't checked out their patterns. She tightened her brows. Surprise filled her when she saw they were both humans. Then again, she'd also worn the human pattern not too long ago. Exactly what did being a chameleon mean?

"So you've seen him?" Sadness rang in her grandfather's tone.

"And my grandmother." She looked at her grandfather's forehead again. "Can I ask you-?"

"Heidi?" He said the name with such love that Kylie's chest tightened.

"Yes. Actually, she was the one to tell my father that we were chameleons. But no one at Shadow Falls knows what it is."

Her aunt and grandfather gazed at each other. Her aunt nodded. "Tell her."

"I will," he said. "But you must come with us."

Kylie hesitated. "Why can't we talk here?"

"Not just to talk." He rested his hand on her shoulder. The warmth from his touch was familiar. And Kylie recognized it to be similar to Holiday's and Derek's touches. Did that mean ... Her grandfather continued. "You must come and live with your own kind."

"Live?" Live? Leave Shadow Falls? Kylie shook her head. "I can't. I'm going to Shadow Falls boarding school."

"You don't understand the danger you are in, child," he said.

"From ... Mario?" Kylie asked.

His brow wrinkled. "Is Mario part of the FRU?"

"No." Kylie hesitated to get into a conversation about the FRU. "He's part of a rogue organization."

"The organization you need to fear is the FRU. They are affiliated with your camp, but they are not what they seem. I have reasons to believe they are responsible for your grandmother's death."

Unwilling to lie, Kylie nodded. "I know."

His expression hardened. "You know what?" When she didn't immediately answer, he continued, "Did she tell you something about it?" His tone matched his expression-serious, demanding.

Unsure if confiding in him was best, but sensing it would be wrong to keep it from him, she nodded. "She was paralyzed from the operation. The one they did on both of you. They killed her."

His blue eyes filled with rage and his hands tightened into fists. "Murdering bastards! Only over my dead body will you return to that school!"

Kylie tried not to react to his threat. But yes, she saw it as a threat. She inhaled a breath to calm herself. "I understand how you feel. I was outraged myself. But Burnett assures me-"

"Burnett works for them!" her grandfather roared, and even the trees seemed to cringe at his fury.

Kylie's aunt moved in and rested her hand on his arm. Kylie recalled how the woman's touch had been so warm the day they'd shown up, pretending to be the Brightens. Was the woman fae? Part fae, perhaps?

"Yes," Kylie said. "Burnett works for the FRU, but he assures me that the people who did that are no longer with the organization. And-"

"And you trust them knowing what you know? Trust him, knowing who he answers to?"

"I don't trust the FRU, but I trust Burnett," Kylie said. "He's on our side. And even more, I trust Holiday."

"You are naive and young. You don't know what's best for you."