Whispers at Moonrise

questions, but if you lay a hand on me, I’ll kill you.”
    And from the man’s emotions clouding the air, his threat rang with as much sincerity as Burnett’s.
    *   *   *
    It had been a lazy Sunday afternoon with a lot of frustration floating in the air. Miranda was frustrated because there was a new shape-shifter ogling Perry. Holiday was frustrated because … well, as if losing her sister the first time hadn’t been bad enough, now her spirit hadn’t shown back up. Burnett was frustrated because he couldn’t find one thread of evidence against Blake. Therefore he couldn’t hold him.
    Kylie was frustrated over the whole disaster that was her life.
    The only one not in a pissy mood was Della, and Kylie, even being an emotion-reading fae, wasn’t sure what mood Della was in, but it felt wrong. The girl was following Kylie around like a lost puppy.
    Even now, pulling up her e-mail, Kylie felt Della standing over her shoulder. Kylie turned around and frowned. “What?”
    “What, what?” Della asked.
    “You’re reading over my shoulder. You’re not even my shadow now.”
    “I’m not shadowing you. And I didn’t know your e-mail was so private,” Della said.
    Right then, Kylie got a huge sense of anxiety, coupled with a sense of sadness, and then anger from the vamp. Della’s emotions were dancing all over the place.
    “What’s up with you?” Kylie asked.
    “Not a damn thing.” Della dropped into a kitchen chair.
    Kylie shifted her gaze back to her e-mail and clicked to check mail. No new e-mails. Nothing from …
    “You’re hoping to get something from your grandfather, aren’t you?” Della asked.
    Kylie looked back again. “Maybe. Why?”
    Della frowned. “You’re going to go live with him, aren’t you? You’re gonna leave Shadow Falls.”
    The question cut like a knife in Kylie’s chest. How could she explain to Della that leaving was the last thing she wanted to do? Yet, there was a part of her that said it might be the only way she could learn about who and what she was.
    And after seeing the shock on everyone’s faces at the camp when her new fae pattern emerged, there was a part of Kylie that longed to be with people who didn’t judge her. And the sooner she learned to control this changing-pattern game and the powers that came with it, the sooner she could come back to Shadow Falls and really fit in.
    “That’s what this is about?” Kylie asked.
    “Yeah, that’s what it’s about. And don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t deny it, either.”
    Kylie chose her words carefully. “I don’t have plans to do that.” That was the truth. She was still praying that it wouldn’t prove the only way.
    “But your fae ass has thought about it, haven’t you?” she asked.
    “Yeah, my fae ass has thought about it, but—”
    “But nothing! I’m not letting you go, Kylie.” Tears filled the vamp’s eyes. “I lost Lee, I lost my parents and my sister and all my friends back home. You and Miranda are all I have, and Miss Witch is so obsessed with a certain shape-shifter right now, I hardly even have time to argue with her anymore.”
    Della stood up and swiped at her cheeks. “I’m freaking tired of losing people I care about.”
    Kylie stood up. “You’re not losing me.” Her own eyes stung. Even if she had to go away, she’d be back. She belonged here. Surely Della realized that.
    Della huffed. “I’m leaving next weekend to go … to go do what I gotta do for Burnett. And all I can think about is that you won’t be here when I get back.”
    “I’ll…” Kylie finally heard what Della said. “Where are you going?”
    Della frowned. “I can’t tell you.”
    “Shit.” Kylie shook her head, recalling the anxiety she’d read from Della. Was Della scared? Of course she was scared, Kylie realized, but Della would never admit it. Kylie went and hugged the vamp. Della didn’t like it, but she didn’t fight it too hard. “Whatever you’re doing for Burnett, it damn well better not be too dangerous.”
    “Group hug! Group hug!” Miranda said, bolting through the door.
    “No.” Della lurched back. “That one was just for Kylie,” she said, trying to sound badass, but Kylie read her embarrassment loud and clear. “Go hug Perry.” Della stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door.
    “What crawled up her butt and put her in such a sunny disposition?” Miranda asked.
    Kylie rolled her eyes. Then the computer dinged with a new e-mail, and she