"What's wrong?" His voice rang with concern.
I'm fine. The words perched on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them. Derek, half-fae, could read her. To lie to him about her emotional state was futile. So she turned around and faced him.
"What are you doing here without a shadow?" Derek asked. "You know you're not supposed to be without a shadow in case that freakish rogue returns."
Meeting Derek's gaze, she spotted the panic brightening his eyes. She knew the panic she saw was her own as well. When she hurt emotionally, he hurt. When she experienced joy, he lived it, too. When she feared something, he feared it for her. Considering her emotional state these last few minutes, he must be in hell.
His chest expanded behind the fitted dusty green t-shirt. He held a hand over his hard stomach as he sucked air into his lungs. His dark brown hair appeared windblown, and his bangs clung to his forehead. A drip of sweat rolled down his brow. For a second, all she could think about was falling into him, letting his calming touch chase away the apprehension inside her.
"Is it ... what I said?" he asked. "If it is, I'll ... take it back. I didn't tell you that to tear you apart inside."
One couldn't take back an admission of love, she thought. Not if he really meant it. But she didn't say that. "It's not what you said." Then she realized that, too, was a lie. His confession played havoc with her emotions. "Well, it's other stuff, too."
"What stuff?" His words came out breathlessly. His eyes searched hers and she saw the gold flecks in his irises brighten. "I sense you're terrified and confused, and-"
"But I'm okay." She noticed again his winded state, as if he'd just run a mile to get to her. Had he? "Where were you?"
He took in another deep gulp of oxygen. "My cabin."
Over a mile. "You felt my emotions that far away?"
"Yeah." He frowned as if he hoped she didn't blame him. She didn't like that her emotions were an open book for him to read, but she didn't blame him. He'd told her once that if he could stop reading her, he would. She believed him.
"I thought you said it was lessening," she said. "Does it still make you crazy?"
His left shoulder shifted upward a couple of inches. "It's still strong, but it's not overwhelming like before. I can handle it, now that I..."
Now that he'd accepted he loved her. That's what he'd told her. That's why their link had grown so strong. Her chest grew heavy with indecision again. It was a good thing that one of them could handle it. Because she wasn't sure she could deal with this. Not with him loving her. Not with any of the revelations she'd been given. At least right now.
"What's wrong?" He stepped closer. So close she could smell his skin-earthy, honest, real.
The temptation to walk into his arms washed over her. She longed to feel the up and down motion of his chest as he breathed, to let what was in the past be what was in the future. Closing her hands into tight fists, she limped past him with her one broken heel, went to a tree, and lowered herself down to the ground. The earth felt cooler than the heat in the air. The blades of grass tickled the back of her legs, but she ignored it.
He didn't wait for an invitation; he lowered himself beside her. Not close enough that they touched, but close enough that she thought about touching.
"So it's more than one thing?" he asked.
She nodded and the decision to confide in him seemed already made. "My dad appeared to me." She bit down on her lip. "He told me what I am."
Derek looked puzzled. "I thought you wanted to know."
"Yeah, but ... He said I'm a chameleon. As in, a lizard."
His brows pinched and then he chuckled.
She didn't appreciate his candor. Her panic came back threefold. She'd wanted to know what she was so the others would accept her, so she would fit in, but what if she ended up being something that honestly made her a freak?
"I hate lizards," she blurted out. "They're right up there with snakes-evil little bug-eyed creatures scurrying around in the dirt and eating creepy-crawly things." She stared out at the woods again, imagining a brigade of lizards staring back at her. "I saw a program once that showed a long-tongued lizard eating a spider in slow motion. It was gross!"
Derek shook his head, all shades of humor fading from his eyes. "I've never heard of supernatural lizards. Are you sure?"
"I'm not sure of anything. That's what's so scary. Not knowing." She shivered. "Seriously, devouring blood is preferable to having one of those long tongues and dining on insects."
"Maybe he got it wrong. You said ghosts have a hard time communicating."
"At first, yes, but now my dad makes perfect sense."
Derek didn't look convinced. "But what do you think a chameleon supernatural is, or does? All I think they could do is change colors."
Kylie let his words run around her brain for a second. "Maybe that's it?"
"You can change colors?" Doubt showed on his face.
"No. But maybe I can change my pattern. Like how my grandfather and aunt appeared human. And like how I appear human now."
"Or ... maybe your father's having a relapse and he's just confused. Because I've never heard of any supernaturals who could change their brain patterns."
"What about me?" she asked. "What about my grandfather and aunt?"
He shrugged. "Holiday said it was probably a wizard who cast a spell for your grandfather and aunt."
"Did he cast it on me, too?" Kylie asked.
"No, but ... Okay, I don't have the answer." He frowned. "And I know that frustrates you. But didn't you tell me that your real grandfather was coming to visit? I'm sure he'll clear it up."
"Yeah." She bit down on her lower lip.
Derek studied her. "There's something else wrong, too?"
She sighed. "When I asked my dad what it meant about being a chameleon, he said we'd figure it out together."
"And that's bad because...?"
Kylie stated the obvious. "He's dead, and he's limited to earthly visits, so does that mean that I'm going to die soon?"
"No, he didn't mean that." Derek's tone deepened with conviction.
She started to argue that he couldn't say that with certainty, but because she wanted to believe him, she bit back the words. Taking a breath, she stared down at the grass and tried to find peace in knowing that her grandfather was going to come in a couple of days. Tried to find peace in having spilled her troubles. And she did feel slightly better.