Whispers at Moonrise

you are, Kylie. You can’t do this alone.”
    She slowly shook her head. “I can’t come with you.”
    “But you are one of us. We share the same blood. A chameleon alone will not survive. Look at your father. His death was so unnecessary. Do you think your father would not want you to come and know who you are?”
    She inhaled. “I think my father would tell me to follow my heart. And right now, my heart says that Shadow Falls is the right place for me.”
    His frown deepened and he looked at her aunt. “We must go. Someone is coming.” He turned to Kylie. “Do not speak of being a chameleon. Let them think what they may. The less we are talked about, the less we are persecuted.”
    “Wait,” Kylie said. “How can I get in touch with you? I still have so many questions.”
    “I’ll contact you,” her great-aunt said, and joined hands with Malcolm.
    “How?” Kylie asked. “How will you—?”
    Her aunt never answered. It was like Perry had said the day he’d followed them. They just went poof.
    Kylie stood there, in both frustration and in awe. How would her aunt contact her? How had they done the poof thing? Could she do that? She heard fast footfalls from behind, someone running toward her. She swung around, expecting to see Burnett. But it was even worse.
    Lucas slowed down. He exhibited a tightness to his gait, a sense of anger, and an even greater sense of unease.
    When he got closer she noticed his eyes shined bright orange. Of course he would be furious at her for tossing a net over him and Perry. She looked behind him, expecting to see Burnett appear. Expecting to get a tongue-lashing from the vamp.
    Then she remembered she was also a vampire. She swung away from Lucas, afraid of what he might say, afraid to see distaste for her in his gaze.
    “That was foolish,” he ground out.
    She knew what he meant. “Not so foolish.” She kept her gaze away. “It was my grandfather.”
    “And?” he asked.
    “And I got some of the answers I needed.” She started walking. He moved beside her.
    “Do you distrust me so much that you couldn’t tell me you were coming here?” he asked.
    She shrugged but didn’t meet his gaze. “I trust that you’d have tried to stop me. And you proved me right.”
    “You could have reasoned with me, instead of casting a stupid net.” His words came out with a light growl.
    “I didn’t have time to reason.”
    “Which is why you should have told me earlier. The idea that you didn’t trust me infuriates me.”
    Like he didn’t trust her. “I know exactly how you feel,” she said, letting him figure out what she meant.
    “It’s different,” he answered, his figuring-things-out ability right on target.
    “No, it isn’t.” A knot rose in her throat. She still refused to look at him, afraid he’d check her pattern and be repulsed by what he found. And God help her, but she didn’t think she could deal with that.
    “You told me you understood. You said you overreacted yesterday when you were mad, or not mad, or maybe a little mad. Aw, hell, you confuse me!”
    “I did tell you that,” she admitted. “And I do understand, or I’m trying to, but when you can’t seem to offer me the same courtesy, I’m reconsidering my understanding.”
    “So we’re back to you being a woman and having the right to change your mind,” he bit out.
    “Yeah!” Tears stung her eyes and she moved faster.
    They passed a couple of dilapidated statues with missing arms. She saw Lucas glance at them. How much had it cost him to come into the cemetery? He, like ninety percent of all supernaturals, hated cemeteries. Was that why her grandfather had asked to meet her here? He knew very few supernaturals would enter this place.
    But Lucas had. He cared about her more than he cared about his fear of spirits. Would he have entered if he knew that she was vampire? Would he still care about her if she turned to him right now and let him see her pattern?
    The question, or rather the fear of his answer, drove her to move faster. She wanted to be alone. Alone to contemplate every word her grandfather had said.
    Alone to revel in the knowledge that she’d finally gotten the truth.
    Alone to figure out what it all meant.
    She was a chameleon. However, for now, she was vampire. But for how long? How long before she could control this crazy thing that was happening to her?
    The spirits waited for her at the front gate. Lucas grew tenser, as if he sensed them. Slowing down only long