When her grandfather took another step forward, Burnett spoke up. "You and I have no fight between us. Stop this before someone gets hurt."Kylie, realizing she needed to react, rushed to her grandfather's side. "He's right," she said. "Stop, please!" She wrapped her hand around his arm. Heat filled her chest. The warmth traveled down her arm and into her fingers. Then she felt it flow from her touch into her grandfather. She instinctively knew that she had passed the emotion of calm to her grandfather. And it was obviously working, because he dropped his head down and breathed in as if to collect himself. Chin still lowered, he must have spotted the men Derek had caused to pass out, because he hurried to them.
"They're fine," Derek said, and stepped away from her grandfather as if he half feared the man might come at him. But the signs of aggression her grandfather had worn minutes earlier were gone.
Kylie recalled the calming touch she'd passed him. Had she instinctively transformed into fae? She had to have, hadn't she?
Lucas took a step closer, not that she gazed at him directly, but from her peripheral vision she noted his movements. She attempted to tap into some of the serene emotions that she'd just passed to her grandfather. But it didn't work. The pain of Lucas's betrayal rose in her heart, crowded her better judgment, and knotted in her throat.
Her grandfather spoke up. "Everyone leave but Kylie and Mr. James."
"So you can attack him again?" Lucas asked, his tone hard, angry. And yet she could swear she heard remorse in his tone, too. She imagined his expression, his eyes filled with shadows of regret, but she still didn't look at him.
"Do as he says," Burnett ordered. Kylie could tell that, like her, Burnett recognized that her grandfather had seen reason.
People started walking away. Kylie again sensed Lucas moving, but his footsteps faltered as he moved in behind her. His scent filled the air she breathed, and his whispered question reached her ears. "Do you hate me so much that you can't even look at me?"
If only she could hate him, Kylie thought.
Then he continued in a voice meant only for her. "I never cared about her. Only you." The sound of his footsteps moving away sounded like the last beats of a sad song.
Physically he had left, but his words hung on. They filled Kylie with wave after wave of emotion. She knew Lucas spoke the truth-knew because, still being fae, she felt his sentiments-felt them seep into her skin, slip into her heart, and swell to the point of pain. But knowing he spoke the truth didn't change anything.
Whether he'd intentionally set out to hurt her or not didn't alter the fact that he had. How could he not have known how devastated she would be to learn he'd promised himself to someone else? Could he not see how hurt she'd be, knowing that for the months they'd been together, he had been seeing this girl, and at least pretending to care about her?
Right then, someone else's footsteps moved behind her. She felt the light touch of fingertips brushing across her shoulder blades. A slow, soft touch, not meant to seduce, not meant to draw attention. Meant only to soothe.
The warm calm of the touch left little doubt of the person's identity. Derek.
The pain in her chest lessened and she blinked the beginnings of tears from her eyes.
Trying to gain control of her wayward emotions, she stood there, eyes closed, concentrating on the feel of sun on her skin and the breeze against her cheeks."Kylie?" Burnett's voice had her jerking open her eyes.
Her grandfather and Burnett stood in front of her. Concern darkened both of their eyes.
"You okay?" her grandfather asked.
"Great." She produced a smile, one that probably came with as little believability as had her one word.
"Then come," her grandfather said. "We need to talk. At the house and over tea."
As she moved in step beside them, she saw Burnett give her a quick glance and she knew he'd picked up on her untruth. She wasn't great. She wasn't even marginally okay. Then she saw something else in his gaze. Or had she read it in his emotions? Fear. Fear of disclosure, as if he worried she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
Little did he know, she didn't like much of anything being said lately. Then instantly, she realized she'd been thinking only of herself. Selfishly, she'd focused on only her own pain. There was a reason Burnett was here and it might not be just about her.
Coming to a sudden halt, she grabbed the vampire by the elbow. "Is everyone okay? What ... what happened?"
* * *
Five minutes later, Kylie sat at the dining room table and waited for her aunt to serve them iced tea before the conversation started. She just prayed it wouldn't lead to more of what had happened out by the barn.
The tension between Burnett and her grandfather was slowly building again. Kylie's, however, had already hit its peak. Someone had better start talking or she was going to lose it. And by someone, she meant Burnett.
He'd postponed answering her question until they got somewhere to ... talk. Which basically put Kylie on high alert that she'd been right. Something more than just Mario had happened. Someone wasn't okay.
On the walk to the house she'd gone crazy imagining the worst. Now sitting here, cold pizza centering the table, she fought back a sense of nausea as different versions of the worst threw darts at her heart. She knew Derek and Lucas were okay. And yeah, she shouldn't care about Lucas, but she still did.
Holiday had to be fine or Burnett wouldn't have been able to function. He loved her too much not to have been a physical mess if something had happened to her. That left ...
Her thoughts immediately went to her two closest friends-friends her grandfather had insisted she not speak with for a while. But because he'd relented on her conversations with Holiday, she had tried to accept it. Now ... if something had happened to them ... Oh, God! Without knowing the answer, tears stung Kylie's eyes.
Kylie's mind turned first to Della. The stubborn vamp was on a mission for the FRU. Had something gone bad? Was Della okay?
Kylie recalled telling Della she didn't like her working for the FRU, but when Della came right out and asked her if she wanted her to decline helping them, Kylie hadn't told her no. She had known how much Della had wanted to work for the agency.
But now ... if something had happened to Della, Kylie would forever regret her answer.
Worry chewed Kylie's patience down to a fine thread.
"Is it Della?" she finally bit out, as the glass of tea was set in front of her and her aunt left the room.
"Did something happen to her?"Burnett looked at her. "No, Della is fine ... as far as I know. She is still on the mission."