"So your dad's having an affair," Del a said matter-of-factly.
Kylie turned in her chair and stared at Del a. "No."
Del a made a face. "Believe me, if he accused your mom of being a popsicle, he's found some young 'warm' thing to screw."
"He's not like that," Kylie said with conviction. Right then she realized what she said about her mom being cold.
"And by cold, I meant ... emotional y, not-"
"I know," Del a said. "Don't go thinking you've got to tiptoe around my feelings." But her eyes said differently. Kylie knew al about pretending to be tough. She'd had a crash course in it these last few weeks. Kylie looked back at the screen. "Mom, she's just ... hard to live with sometimes. I don't blame my dad for leaving her."
"So are you going to live with your dad?" Miranda asked.
The question took Kylie back to the day she'd stood in the driveway, begging her dad to take her with him. As much as it hurt to remember, she had to accept the truth-that day, it felt as though when he decided to leave her mom, he'd also decided to leave her.
"It's late and I'm tired." Kylie got up and went to the bedroom and unlike earlier, this time she was able to cry.
* * *
The next morning Kylie marched into her meeting with Holiday and placed a copy of her mother's e-mail on the table in front of the camp leader.
"See, I told you so," Kylie said. "Now maybe you can just cal my shrink and have her tel my mom to bring me home."
The idea of going back home wasn't nearly as life-altering as it had felt a few days ago. There was even a part of her that didn't want to go-but considering she wasn't supernatural, she real y didn't belong here, either.
"What's this?" Holiday glanced back at the note, and her eyes widened when she read it. Looking up, she met Kylie's gaze. "Okay, I admit I'm surprised, but it doesn't real y change the facts."
"Why not? You told me that only in very rare circumstances would it skip a generation."
"What about the fact that you see ghosts? That you were born at midnight? Or that your brain doesn't read like a human?"
Kylie dropped into the chair across from Holiday. "I could be crazy. Or like you said the other day, just a freak of human nature and dealing with a super-charged ghost."
Holiday nodded and then leaned forward. "Or ... maybe the people you think are your parents aren't real y your parents."
Kylie's mouth dropped open. "Believe me, with the crap that is going on at home right now, I'd love to believe I was adopted, but I've seen pictures of my mom pregnant."
Holiday opened her mouth as if to argue and then shook her head. "Like I said earlier, this is your quest."
"Was my quest. I completed it. I found the answer. I'm just a human."
Holiday propped her right elbow on the table and rested her chin in her open palm. Kylie had begun to think of it as the camp leader's trademark mannerism because she always seemed to do it when she was launching into one of her "Is this how you real y feel?" speeches. It reminded her of her shrink, Ms. Day, who did pretty much the same except hers was to lean back in her chair and nod. The worst part was that tactic always worked on Kylie, too.
"Are you real y sure of that?" Holiday asked. "Do you real y want to leave Shadow Fal s Camp?"
"Yes. No. I don't know." Kylie dropped her face into her hands for a second. "I mean ... right now, everyone is with their own kind. Miranda's with the witches, Del a's with the vampires. And I'm ... wel , I'm here with you because I don't belong." Kylie felt like a total outsider-a misfit.
"Is anyone making you feel unwelcome?" Holiday asked.
"It's not that," Kylie said.
Holiday let out a deep breath. "I saw Fredericka last night. If there's a problem-"
"No problem," Kylie said, not wanting the she-wolf to think Kylie had tattled. "This has nothing to do with her." And that much of it was completely true.
Holiday looked back at the paper. "Look, I'l make you a deal. Give me ... no, give yourself two weeks to think this over, Kylie. If you stil want to leave then, I'l personal y talk to your mother."
Maybe because deep down Kylie wasn't looking forward to going back home to her mom-or, more likely, because she knew she'd miss Miranda and Del a-she decided two weeks wasn't such a big deal.
"You got it," Kylie said.
"Great." Holiday stood up. "And since I may only have two weeks, I think it's time we get serious."
"Serious about what?" Kylie asked as Holiday pul ed two yoga mats from the closet.
"Ghosts." Holiday spread out the mats on the floor and then motioned Kylie to sit down. "You have to learn to deal with your ghosts, Kylie."
"I just have one," Kylie said.
Holiday arched a brow. "It starts with one. But believe me when I say others wil come. As a matter of fact, they already have come. You just don't remember."
Kylie's stomach began to twist into a knot. "What are you talking about?"
"I read in your files that you've been having night terrors."
Holiday's words sank in. "You're tel ing me that the night terrors are ... ghosts?"
Holiday nodded. "Right now, they are coming to you when you're asleep. But eventual y, if it happens with you the way it did with me, they'l start appearing when you're standing in line at the movie theater, sitting in a classroom, even out on a date."
Kylie recal ed the nights she'd awakened feeling completely terrified, but clueless as to what had caused it. Chil s crawled up her spine. "I just want to learn how to turn them off."
A frown appeared on Holiday's face. "That's your choice. But let me put it to you like this. To reach the cut-off switch, you have to pass through a place where spirits like to hang out."
"Is it like a one-time-only switch? Once I cut it off, I won't be bothered again?"
Holiday shrugged. "That depends."
"On what?"
"On how badly a spirit wants to talk to you." Holiday sat down on the mat. "Have you ever done any form of meditation?"
Kylie shook her head.
"Have you heard about out-of-body experiences?"
"No." And she preferred to stay in her body, thank you very much. "So are you saying ghosts can just keep turning my switch back on even if I don't want them to?"
"A powerful one can." Holiday motioned for Kylie to sit on the mat. "Or you can just hear them out and see what they want. The latter works best for me. Now, let's practice some meditation techniques."