"It could only take one broken rule and it would be too late."
Kylie bit down on her lips, fighting the cold. "I'm sorry." For upsetting you, not for going. "I heard the scream and I felt called to help."
"Next time, before answering that call, get me."
"I'll try." She shivered in spite of her attempt not to.
"I think you could do better than try," he countered, then he looked up as if questioning some higher power. "Explain to me why I wanted to be a part of Shadow Falls."
"I can answer that," Kylie said, feeling bad for making him angry. "Because beneath that crusty exterior of yours, you care about us. And you love the other person who runs this place." Kylie glanced at the ghost, wondering if she would react to the words.
The spirit's gaze widened. "Do you mean...?"
Burnett frowned, but he didn't try to deny it.
Kylie would've been happy that he'd come to terms with his feelings for Holiday if she didn't have the ghost staring as if ... as if the confession of love had affected her.
The spirit looked at Kylie. "He's in love with the camp leader?" Panic laced her tone. Did the spirit now know she was Holiday?
What's your name? Kylie asked in her head.
"I told you," the ghost answered.
"I'll never get used to this." Burnett started walking.
"Get used to what?" Kylie caught up with him, her attention more on the spirit who walked beside the vampire, staring at him with surprise.
"The ghosts," Burnett blurted out as if the words cost him.
Kylie stopped and grabbed him by the elbow. "You can feel them?" she asked. Generally, only when a spirit was trapped in a small room could a non-ghost whisperer feel them.
"No," he said.
Kylie stared at him.
"Fine. Maybe I feel them a little. It's probably more about the look you and Holiday get in your eyes when they're around," he confessed. He looked around. "Is she gone?"
"How did you know she was a female?" Kylie asked, realizing the spirit was gone.
His jaw clenched. "I could smell her," he said, as if it were some kind of a sin.
"You can? I didn't think ... I mean, I didn't think vampires had ghost-whispering gifts."
"I didn't think so either." And he didn't sound happy about it. He shot off walking again, only faster-his pace reflective of his mood.
Kylie kept up, but barely. "Does Holiday know?"
"Know what?" He didn't even look at Kylie.
"About you detecting ghosts? She was curious as to why you could go into the falls and-"
"No, she doesn't know," he said. "And don't mention it. I'll tell her later." Worry tightened his jaw.
They walked in silence for a second. "I didn't mean to cause trouble by going after Clara. I just reacted to my internal instinct."
"Sometimes our internal instincts can be skewed," he added.
She wondered if he was talking about his ability to smell and sense ghosts as well as her protective instincts. "I'll try to do better next time."
"Thank you," he said, as if conceding to what she offered.
They continued forward. The wind stirred the trees.
"Can you tell me more?" he asked.
"About ghosts?"
"No. About the fog. I'd like to forget about the ghosts."
Kylie remembered how she'd felt when she first learned she could detect the dead. She could relate to his feelings. Sometimes she'd still like to forget about her ability.
"Did you sense it was Mario?"
"No." Kylie went over the details, careful not to leave anything out except the ending. No doubt he would question Clara later. But Kylie was almost certain Clara hadn't seen anything that would give the secret away.
"It has to be Mario and his buddies again." Burnett's fist clenched as he walked.
Kylie hesitated to say anything, knowing if she slipped up and lied, he would know. But neither did she want Burnett to worry too much. "Remember I said it didn't feel evil."
"It has to be them." He looked at her directly, a stern, fixed stare. "You do not go into the woods, with or without a shadow. You understand?"
She nodded. She understood, but she didn't say she would comply.
"It has to be some witch or wizard behind this." His brows pinched. "You don't think that you accidentally caused the fog, do you?"
"No," Kylie insisted.
"You sure? With the other incident-"
"It was different." Her cheeks warmed, remembering the incident.
Their pace slowed. The trees and underbrush seemed to soak up the sound of their footsteps. Kylie's mind returned to Clara, and from Clara, it moved to the girl's brother.
"Can I ask you something?" Kylie asked.
"If I said no, would it stop you?"
"Probably not." She debated on how to word her question.
"If it's about anything concerning Holiday and me, I've been ordered to plead the fifth."
She grinned. "Don't worry, the inside-out shirt the other day pretty much told me what I wanted to know about you and her."
The stern-looking vamp half smiled again. His smile faded. "It's not about ghosts, either, is it?"
"No. It's ... When a Council calls someone in for a meeting, is it bad news?"
"You're talking about Lucas?" he asked.
She nodded.
He moved a limb out of his way, holding it back so it wouldn't hit Kylie. "It can be, but not always."
"Do you know what it is they want with Lucas?" She pushed another limb away.
"No, I don't." His words rang completely honest.
"Are you concerned?" Kylie asked.
He hesitated. "Yes."
"Why?"
"I respect Lucas's need to become a part of the Council so he can help bridge the problems between the weres and the FRU, but I don't want the Council to have too big of an influence over him."
"You don't trust Lucas?" Kylie asked.
"If I didn't trust him, he wouldn't be here. My problems stem from the fact that the were council and the FRU have issues. In general, the were community is less compliant to work within the FRU's rules. It goes back to the pack mentality."
"But couldn't that be because the FRU considered werewolves lower-class citizens?"
"That has changed," he said. "But I'm sure that plays a big part in their behavior, and I can assure you that the FRU treats all were situations with that in mind. However, prejudices stem from both sides. One of the reasons they were viewed as outcast was because they viewed others as the same."