"Serious about what?" Kylie asked as Holiday pul ed two yoga mats from the closet.

"Ghosts." Holiday spread out the mats on the floor and then motioned Kylie to sit down. "You have to learn to deal with your ghosts, Kylie."

"I just have one," Kylie said.

Holiday arched a brow. "It starts with one. But believe me when I say others wil come. As a matter of fact, they already have come. You just don't remember."

Kylie's stomach began to twist into a knot. "What are you talking about?"

"I read in your files that you've been having night terrors."

Holiday's words sank in. "You're tel ing me that the night terrors are ... ghosts?"

Holiday nodded. "Right now, they are coming to you when you're asleep. But eventual y, if it happens with you the way it did with me, they'l start appearing when you're standing in line at the movie theater, sitting in a classroom, even out on a date."

Kylie recal ed the nights she'd awakened feeling completely terrified, but clueless as to what had caused it. Chil s crawled up her spine. "I just want to learn how to turn them off."

A frown appeared on Holiday's face. "That's your choice. But let me put it to you like this. To reach the cut-off switch, you have to pass through a place where spirits like to hang out."

"Is it like a one-time-only switch? Once I cut it off, I won't be bothered again?"

Holiday shrugged. "That depends."

"On what?"

"On how badly a spirit wants to talk to you." Holiday sat down on the mat. "Have you ever done any form of meditation?"

Kylie shook her head.

"Have you heard about out-of-body experiences?"

"No." And she preferred to stay in her body, thank you very much. "So are you saying ghosts can just keep turning my switch back on even if I don't want them to?"

"A powerful one can." Holiday motioned for Kylie to sit on the mat. "Or you can just hear them out and see what they want. The latter works best for me. Now, let's practice some meditation techniques."

* * *

The next four days passed in a blur. Kylie tried to talk Del a and Miranda into taking a hike to the fal s, but neither of them wanted any part of it. It appeared that if Kylie wanted to see the fal s, she was going to have to go by herself. There was only one little problem-the thought of facing dancing death angels by herself scared the crap out of her. So she decided to stop fixating over seeing the waterfal s. It wasn't as if she didn't have other things to fixate about. Things like Del a and Miranda's persistent bickering. They continued to fight at least once a day. And Kylie continued to break them up before one of them murdered the other.

Kylie spoke with her mom every morning and night, too. When Kylie didn't cal her, her mom took it upon herself to cal Kylie. The fact that her mom did cal made Kylie more aware that her daddy didn't. She told herself it was simply a male thing, that most men didn't cal unless they had something to say.

Besides, she'd see him Sunday, which was tomorrow. A fact her mother had been a tad upset about. But please, her mom had been the one who told her to ask if he was coming.

And Kylie was glad she had. She real y wanted-needed-to see her dad. And for some reason, probably because she missed him so much, the closer Sunday came, the closer Kylie was to forgiving her dad. Hopeful y, by tomorrow her dad would have missed her enough that he would agree to let Kylie live with him when her two weeks were done at camp.

Kylie ate up about sixty minutes talking and texting Sara, who amazingly had completely recovered from her pregnancy scare and was now back in ful swing with her new boyfriend-a nineteen-year-old cousin of one of her neighbors.

If Kylie read Sara's innuendos correctly, the two of them would be having sex in the near future. Kylie had come so close to reminding her friend what she'd just gone through, but at the last minute, she lost her nerve. That or she simply decided that saying it would accomplish nothing other than to push her best friend further away.

Sara never excel ed at taking advice.

Trey had cal ed twice with the same song and dance. He loved her, he was sorry. If she'd just give him a chance he'd prove how much he loved her.

Kylie suspected his "proof" would include their getting naked. And the more she thought about it, the more inclined she was to keep her clothes on. She'd even asked Trey if he could just be her friend for the summer. But then he'd freaked out when she'd said another boy's name. What would he do if she decided to move on and go out with someone else? Go off the deep end, she suspected. Why couldn't Trey be more like Derek? She'd asked the half Fae to be her friend, and other than tel ing her he had wanted her to kiss him, he had stopped coming on to her.

Oh, he was nice. Always spoke to her, even asked about her problems with her parents. They also talked about Holiday's resentment at both of them for wanting to turn off their gifts. Most days, he would even come and sit with her for at least one of their meals. Nevertheless, everything about his behavior spoke only of friendship.

No more hot lingering gazes up close where she could see the flecks of gold in his eyes.

No more special smiles.

No more feeling his breath on her cheek.

No more touching.

Even when he sat beside her, he always seemed to make sure there was a good six inches of space between them. The fact that she'd see him sitting shoulder to shoulder with other girls stung like a fire ant. She ignored the sting and told herself it was for the best. She was leaving in a little more than a week. And face it, the best things weren't always fun.