Holiday bit down on her lower lip. "I thought I was the one offering advice here."

"Yeah, well, the tables turned," Kylie said. Things change. Kylie just hoped with all the things changing, the one constant in her life would be Shadow Falls. The thought of losing Holiday and everyone here, even the ones who considered her a nutcase, was too much. They were her family.

* * *

That night, Kylie had tried to dreamscape with Lucas, but it wasn't working. She texted him, called him, and even e-mailed. No answer came back. Then at two in the morning, staring at the ceiling, her phone rang. She grabbed it without checking the caller ID.

"Lucas?" she said his name at the same time she hit the light switch. The cold in the room came on faster than the light.

"Sorry," the voice on the line said. "Just me."

Kylie shivered then frowned when she recognized the voice. "I just tried-"

"It's okay," Derek said, but his tone said it wasn't really okay. "I just woke up and felt you worrying. I tried to call you earlier to see how you were after the vision, but you didn't call me back."

Kylie pulled the blanket up around her neck. The spirit standing by the bed faded, but before she did, Kylie recognized her as the woman from earlier that day. Remembering who was on the phone, Kylie's chest swelled with emotion.

"I ... It's been crazy." She'd gotten his messages. She just hadn't wanted to talk to him because of the emotional storm she felt about Lucas right now. It wasn't fair to Derek, because even though she wasn't doing anything wrong, she knew their friendship offered him hope that she would change her mind, and she didn't think that hope had a hell of a lot of merit.

"You're pulling away again," he said.

"Derek, it's-"

"Kylie, you don't have to explain. I know." He paused. "It's okay. And someday I'll even be able to say that and mean it."

"You're a special guy," Kylie said, hurting for him.

"I know," he said, and chuckled. "And that's why I'm not completely giving up. But I'm working on it. I just called to check on you."

"I'm okay," Kylie said.

"Then I'll say good night." Rejection sounded in his voice.

"Derek, I'm really-"

"Just say good night, Kylie," he insisted.

"Good night," she whispered, and nothing was sadder than the sound of that dead line.

Putting her phone down, Kylie looked around. The cold from the spirit had lessened but she could tell she lingered nearby.

"Who are you?" Kylie asked.

The woman didn't answer. And why should she? They never made it easy.

But then, neither did the living.

* * *

"Kylie! Kylie!" The voice jolted Kylie from a deep sleep before the sun rose the next morning. She shot up, chills crawling up and down her spine like spiders. Without even knowing why, her blood sizzled with the need to protect. Protect someone.

Still half asleep, she pushed her hair from face and stood in the middle of the room, breathing in and breathing out. Her pulse raced, and panic filled her chest, crowding her lungs. Something was happening. She felt it.

Someone needed her. Someone needed Kylie's protection.

Who?

Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of what she felt. Then Kylie remembered the voice. She let it play in her mind, again and again, until finally she recognized it.

"No!" She grabbed her jeans and T-shirt.

Holiday was in trouble.

Chapter Thirty-five

Right before Kylie lit out of her room, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Five AM. Holiday would be at the office already.

Kylie stormed into Della's room, but the girl wasn't there. Probably at an early vampire ceremony. Kylie didn't wait a second longer; she bolted out of the cabin and flew like the wind to the office. The only thing that felt heavy about her was her heart. As if her heart knew Holiday's situation was bad. Really, really bad.

When Kylie got to the office, she found the door ajar. Not a good sign. Even worse, there was glass shattered all over the wet floor of the entrance. The broken handle of the coffee pot lay in the corner, another sign that a struggle had taken place.

"Where are you, Holiday?" Kylie's voice trembled. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to think.

Burnett. She needed to contact Burnett.

She reached into her pocket for her phone, only to realize she hadn't brought it. She ran into Holiday's office. The room looked undisturbed. Whoever had gotten Holiday had done it in the entrance area. He'd probably been waiting for her when she came in this morning, or maybe walked in when she'd been making coffee.

Hands shaking, Kylie grabbed Holiday's office phone. She couldn't remember Burnett's cell number. But damn, she could get to his cabin quicker than find his number.

She tore out, her feet barely touching the ground. She didn't know if she'd morphed into a vampire or if in protective mode she simply had more power. She didn't really care. Only one thing mattered, one thought echoed in her mind. Save Holiday. She had to save Holiday.

She made it to Burnett's cabin, and didn't even knock. She screamed his name when she entered, but no one answered. No one.

She went into his bedroom. The bed stood empty.

Recalling the vampire ritual, she tore out again. Della had told her once where they held it. She shot through the woods, not caring about her promise to not enter. If she ran into trouble, being in protective mode, she could kick ass and ask questions later.