Awake at Dawn (4 page)

“What’s happened?” Derek asked.

“Someone else was here earlier,” Burnett said.

“Who?” Kylie managed to ask.

“I don’t know. But they’re vampire and not one of us. Now get back to the camp.”

“Maybe I should come with you?” Derek offered.

“And leave her alone?” Burnett asked firmly, his frown deepening.

Derek cut his gaze back to Kylie and then back to Burnett. “You’re right. I’ll make sure she gets back safe. Do you want me to come back?”

“No,” Burnett insisted. “I’ll be fine. Just keep an eye on the camp. Let everyone know to be on the lookout. Stay together.”
And leave her alone?
Burnett’s question kept playing in Kylie’s head and with each repetition, she felt more annoyed. She wanted to insist she could take care of herself. God knew Della would be having conniption fits at being treated like she needed to be protected. Then Kylie recalled how frightened she’d felt before she’d started to run, before she’d found Derek. Obviously, Kylie wasn’t Della.

Did that mean she wasn’t vampire? Or did it mean she was just a vampire lacking anything that resembled courage? Did yellow-bellied vampires even exist?

Burnett continued, “Don’t let Holiday leave either. Tie her down if you have to. Got it?”

“Got it.” Derek reached for Kylie’s elbow and started walking.

Kylie didn’t budge. “I felt it earlier,” she blurted out. “It moved past me several times. Almost as if teasing or testing me.” She recalled how it kept flying past, making its presence known without letting her see it.

29/375

“That’s odd. Vampires don’t normally tease. Or test,” Burnett said.

“They see prey and attack to kill. Now go back to the camp.” Chills ran up and down her legs. Derek sensed her fear because he reached for her hand and offered her palm a warm emotion-quieting squeeze. Her fear lessened.

“Come on. Let’s get back.” Derek took her by the elbow. The sound of his voice helped her brain connect to her limbs, and she started moving.

They walked at a fast pace and without talking. The sounds of an occasional owl and crickets sang out into the darkness. Not that she minded their music. Music was good. Music meant intruders weren’t near.

“Why didn’t you tell me a vampire came at you?” Derek asked, frustration adding a new layer of intensity to his voice.

“I … at first I thought it was Della and then…” Then she had thought it was Chan, but she couldn’t tell Derek about Chan. She’d promised Della.

“Then I heard you calling. And I started running and I wasn’t so afraid anymore.” She looked at the frown etched on his face. “I told you about the wolf.”

“I think the vampire was a bigger deal.”

“Yeah and I would have … told you, but you started kissing me.”

“So that makes it my fault?” His tone came out harsher than before.

“Sort of,” she said, not liking it that he was annoyed with her when only a few minutes ago they’d been kissing. She started walking faster.

They continued moving in tense silence for another five minutes. With each step, she realized how silly their argument was. “I probably should have told you right away. I wasn’t thinking.” She stared away from him, afraid he wouldn’t accept her offer for a truce.

She heard him inhale. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been grumpy.” He reached for her hand again. His palm felt good against hers. “It just scares me thinking that … that you could have been hurt.” He sounded older. His voice deepened and his need to protect gave his tone a new 30/375

quality. In spite of still feeling a bit annoyed at his thinking that she couldn’t protect herself, she liked the new quality. It made her feel safer.

Yes, with Derek she felt safe, but it didn’t stop her from looking at the trees and praying the wind didn’t stop blowing, that the night didn’t go silent again.

“What happened?” Miranda cornered her in the dining hall twenty minutes later.

As soon as Derek had told Holiday about the rogue vampire on the prowl, she called everyone and told them to gather here.

Deep down, Kylie still trembled. Be it from fear, or perhaps Della’s icy mood, Kylie couldn’t say for sure. Della’s cold shoulder could be felt from clear across the room.

“Come on, spill it,” Miranda said. “And then I’ve got something to tell you.”

Kylie looked at Della again. “How mad is she at me?” Miranda glanced across the room. “On a scale of one to ten, ten being totally vampire pissed off, I’d say she’s about a fifteen … and climbing.”

“Great,” Kylie muttered.

Miranda shrugged. “She’ll get over it. You know how she is. Now tell me what happened.”

Kylie shook her head. “I ran off and…”

“But why did you run off? Why did you … drink the blood like it was a cold beer on a hot Friday night?”

Kylie looked down at her shoes. She didn’t want to talk about this, not now. “I don’t know.”

“You liked how it tasted, didn’t you?” Miranda sounded offended.

The most Kylie could do was nod.

“Okay, then what happened?” A frown marred Miranda’s expression.

Kylie swallowed the tightness down her throat.

32/375

“Come on, give it up,” Miranda snapped.

“I ran and then I felt someone there—a vampire someone. And then I heard Derek. I think he scared off whoever was there. I took off running and found Derek and then we just…”

“You what?” Miranda asked, hanging on to her every word.

Started making out.
“Nothing. Burnett showed up.” A whisk of air blasted them as Della came to a sudden stop beside Kylie. “And you told him you thought it was Chan, didn’t you?” Della obviously had been listening the whole time.

Kylie looked at Della. “No. I didn’t.”

“Who’s Chan?” Miranda asked.

“Nobody,” Della snapped at Miranda. “Mind your own business.” Obviously, Della didn’t want anyone to know her vampire and scoundrel cousin had broken one of the biggest Shadow Falls rules: no visitors without permission passes. That especially went for those who were against the FRU’s attempts to govern the supernaturals.

Miranda, unhappy, glared right back at Della.

“Was it Chan?” Kylie asked, not caring if Miranda overheard. Kylie understood Della’s loyalty to Chan. He’d been the one who’d helped Della get through the painful change. However, it made sense that if Chan had broken the rule once, he very well might break it again.

“I told you he wouldn’t come back,” Della snapped.

“But how can you be so sure?” Suddenly Kylie remembered how frightened she’d been in the woods when she’d met Della’s smug cousin.

She folded her arms over her middle and took on a defensive posture.

Just because Della believed Chan wasn’t a threat, didn’t mean crap. He could be a part of the Blood Brothers gang as far as Kylie knew.

“Because I trust him, unlike other people. I thought you and Miranda were friends. All I asked was that you respect the fact that tonight was important to me. That—”

33/375

Kylie’s frustration level peaked. “Damn it, Della. Why does everything always have to be about you?” The words hadn’t fully left Kylie’s mouth when she spotted the look in Della’s eyes. The same look her friend got every time her parents came to visit. The look that told Kylie that Della felt like an outcast.

Kylie dropped her attitude. “I didn’t mean to show disrespect. I just freaked out, okay?”

“Why?” Della’s anger sounded in her voice, but it was hurt that colored her eyes.

“Why what?” Kylie asked, but deep down she knew what Della was asking her. She just needed a few seconds to figure out how to word it so it wouldn’t sound so bad.

Della moved an inch closer. “You freaked out because you don’t want to be a vampire, right? You think I’m a monster, don’t you? You’re scared to death that you might become like me. That’s why you freaked out, wasn’t it?”

Kylie opened her mouth to answer but no words came out. Probably because she couldn’t lie to Della. The vampire would know the truth.

Della turned to leave. Kylie reached out to stop her, but Della was gone.

“Where did she go?” Kylie searched the dining room twice and still couldn’t find her. The room was filled with excited campers milling around.

“Just let her go cool off,” Miranda said.

“I can’t.” Kylie knew how much this hurt Della.

Finally Kylie spotted Della’s midnight-colored straight hair behind a group of shape-shifters. Kylie started walking over.

Miranda followed her. “Seriously, why don’t you just give her some time?”

“Go away,” Della growled before Kylie came to a complete stop.

“No.” Kylie stood her ground.

34/375

Della’s eyes glowed gold with anger. Then her top lip raised just enough to show her extended canines. There was a time when seeing Della like that would have scared the bejeebies out of Kylie, but not anymore. She wasn’t afraid of Della.

“I don’t think you’re a monster,” Kylie said. “But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared.”

“Liar,” Della growled.

“I’m not lying. Check my heartbeat if you want,” Kylie said. “Listen to my heart, see if I’m lying.”

Della turned to walk away, and Kylie caught her elbow this time.

“Don’t you dare walk away,” Kylie insisted.

“Let me go,” Della rumbled in a low voice. When Kylie didn’t let go, the vampire swung around, her eyes brighter, her teeth fully exposed.

Kylie heard a few murmurs in the crowd. The argument had obviously drawn attention. Della heard it, too, because she looked around and hissed. The few people standing close by scattered like scared mice.

Kylie still wasn’t afraid.

“Uh, we should leave, too.” Miranda bumped Kylie with her elbow.

“She’s really pissed off now.”

Kylie didn’t look at Miranda. She continued to stare at Della, letting her know that she wasn’t afraid. “I’m not leaving until she hears me out.”

“I don’t have to hear you out. I know what you think.” Della’s angry glare, filled with so much hurt, slapped against Kylie.

“That’s unfair.” Kylie glared right back at the pissed-off vampire.

“What’s unfair is that I thought you were my friend.” The hurt in Della’s eyes shined brighter through the golden hue.

“I am your friend. I gave you my blood,” Kylie said.

“Me, too,” added Miranda, sounding nervous.

When Della’s expression didn’t change, Kylie continued. “And I also remember you telling me how scared you were when you found out you 35/375

were turning. You said you were so afraid of what was happening. You said you didn’t want to change.”

Della turned to leave again. But Kylie kept talking and didn’t let go of her elbow. “Are you the only one allowed to be afraid?” Kylie felt the emotion swell in her chest, and tears filled her eyes. “Are you so special that no one else can feel that?”

Kylie half expected Della to zip off. Maybe even pull her arm out of her socket when she did.

She didn’t. But neither did her friend turn around. She just stood there for several long seconds. One. Two. Three. Kylie counted and waited, hoping this meant—

“Fine,” Della bit out in frustration, and finally turned around. Her eyes were no longer gold. She looked down, then up again. “You’re right.” She looked away and then back at Kylie. “I’m sorry.”

“Damn,” Miranda said a little loud. “I didn’t know vampires could or would
ever
apologize.”

Della shot Miranda a cold look. “I didn’t apologize to you. So why don’t you go find your broomstick and fly to Timbuktu. That is if your dyslexic, screwed-up sense of direction will get you there. And don’t bother coming back, either.”

Miranda took an offensive step toward Della. “You are so mean—” Della bared her teeth and growled. “I heard you when you told Helen that blood was disgusting. You promised you would respect—”

“Is it disrespectful to be honest?” Miranda asked.

Kylie moved between them. “You two can sling insults, call each other names, and even kill each other later. But right now…” She looked at Miranda. “I need a minute alone with Della. Please.” Miranda’s chin notched up a few inches. She didn’t like it, but she walked away. That was the thing about Miranda. She might get pissed in a flicker of a heartbeat, almost as fast as Della, but Miranda got unpissed just as quickly. Della on the other hand—that girl knew how to hold a 36/375

grudge. And while she pretended nothing could hurt her, Kylie saw her vulnerable streak and it ran even wider than Miranda’s.

Finally alone, Della and Kylie stood there staring at each other. Kylie spoke first. “I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to disrespect your culture. I really just freaked out.”

Della nodded. “I get it. Didn’t get it at first but … I do now.” Della sighed and a smile touched her lips. “You loved it, didn’t you? The blood.

It was good.”

Kylie wasn’t proud of it, but she admitted the truth. “It was awesome.” Della touched Kylie’s arm. “But you’re still warm.” Kylie nodded. “And if I am vampire, wouldn’t I already be cold?”

“I don’t know,” Della said honestly. “Maybe you just haven’t changed yet. But you’re about to.”

Kylie remembered Della telling her that turning had felt like boiling water running through her veins.

“I’ll be here for you,” Della said as if she’d read Kylie’s mind. “To help you through it. If it happens. You won’t have to be alone. I think I remember most of what Chan did to help me.”

“I know you will.” Kylie tried to smile. Right then, she spotted Miranda staring at them from across the room, looking like a lost puppy.

Kylie felt bad asking her to leave. “So will Miranda. She will be there for me. And she’d be there for you, too. I really … really wish you two would stop fighting.”

Della shrugged. “She’s just so good at pissing me off.”

“And you her,” Kylie defended Miranda.

“Yeah, but she’s not like you. You seem to know what I’m feeling, always manage to say the right thing.” Della’s brow crinkled as if in thought. “It’s almost as if you’re an empath. You know, like Derek and Holiday and you can read emotions?”

“No,” Kylie said, but deep down she couldn’t help wonder. Hadn’t she always been good at reading people? Like with her mom, she’d always 37/375