"I do." Kylie's voice rang high pitched, fearing her mom would drag her to the emergency room. Heck, she might accuse her of being pregnant again.

"How do you know it's nothing?" her mom asked.

"Because it's just ... gas. I had a little gas."

Her mom, blushing, glanced at John. Kylie could feel her own face heating up like a Betty Crocker oven. Of all the things she could have come up with, why gas?

Her mom leaned in a little. "Do you need to go to the restroom?"

"No. It went away."

Her mom leaned in. "You sure?"

"Positive." Kylie dropped in a chair and prayed this wasn't a premonition of how this meeting would go.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Kylie, John, and her mom still sat at the table chatting. Well, Kylie did very little chatting, while her mom and John never stopped. They talked about her mom's new job that she'd be taking in two weeks and they talked about England.

"Oh, I brought you something." Her mom pulled a bag from her purse. "I know how you like T-shirts,"

she said.

Kylie couldn't help but think, My mom went to England and all I got was a T-shirt, but she smiled and pulled it out of the bag and then chuckled when she read the script across the front: My mom went toEngland and all I got was this T-shirt.

"Perfect," Kylie said, and loved that it was pink.

"I also got you this." Her mom pulled out a small white box.

The charm bracelet caught the light and sparkled, almost magically, when Kylie opened the box. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the charms. A sword that looked very much like a crusader sword, a cross that looked too damn close to the one on the sword, and a Joan of Arc emblem.

"I bought it at one of the castles and it didn't have a wide selection of charms, but ... for some odd reason I felt compelled to pick those out. I hope you don't think they're stupid."

Define "some" reason, Kylie wanted to ask, but she didn't. "No. I like them. Thank you." A certain familiar chill fell on her like a light rain.

Daniel was there? Had her dad led her mom to buy these charms? She glanced around hoping to see him, but he didn't materialize.

Soon, Kylie. Soon. The words echoed in her head, fear filled her heart.

I miss you, Kylie said in her mind. I don't know if I'm ready to die, but I do miss you.

Footsteps echoed in the room, and Kylie noticed the other parents leaving.

Her mom looked around. "These visits fly by. I should run to the girls' room before we leave." Her mom popped up and hurried off.

Kylie was about to stand to follow her mom when John rested his hand on hers. The feel of his palm sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't cold or hot. Just emotionally wrong. She pulled her hand away.

"I was hoping to get a chance to speak to you," he said.

And I was hoping you wouldn't. She glanced toward the restroom. "I think I'll-"

"Is there a reason you don't like me, Kylie?"

She looked at him. Decisions, decisions. Was she going to be diplomatic, or honest?

Who was it that said honesty was the best policy? She couldn't remember, but she decided they were brilliant.

Chapter Thirty-two

"Let's see," Kylie said, not skipping a beat. "Let's begin with the fact that you started a fight in front of my whole school with my stepdad."

John squared his shoulders, almost defensively. "He's the one who hit me."

"After you insulted me and charged at him. And you also stuck your tongue down my mama's throat in front of all the students and their parents. Would you like me to continue? I think I could come up with more really quick."

Anger filled his eyes, but he seemed to rein it in. "You don't hold back, do you?"

She sent him her swallowed-a-mosquito smile. "That was holding back."

"You are such a joy to speak with," he said. "However, the problem is that your mom really likes me and I her. I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that it would be helpful if we could get along."

Kylie leaned in. "I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that you haven't known my mom long enough to be saying this to me."

Kylie could swear his eyes brightened. A nonhuman kind of bright. She tightened her brows to check his pattern.

What was this man?

His human pattern appeared clearly. Not that he couldn't still be a chameleon, but ...

Anger filled his gray eyes. "This could end up hurting your mom." His words came out so cold, so ...

threatening that Kylie's protective instinct buzzed.

"What do you mean?" She curled her hands into fists.

He glanced away as if to calm himself. When he looked back his eyes were normal. "Just that problems between us would hurt your mom."

She stared him right in the eyes. And God help her, but she sensed he was lying, that his words had been a threat. She tried to calm the buzzing in her veins down, but it continued. Over John's shoulder she saw her mom step out of the restroom.

She leaned across the table and whispered to John, "If anyone dares hurt my mom, they will die regretting it."

Right then, Kylie knew two things: she did have the ability to become a holy warrior. Because if John laid one finger on her mom, she could, and would, kill him with no regrets. And secondly, she simply couldn't die, not right now. Not if it meant leaving her mom with this asshole.