"Now's not a good time." Not that saying so would do any good. Spirits believed in the open door policy.
The smear of fog took on more form, and Kylie's chest swelled with emotion.
It wasn't the woman she'd seen earlier.
"Daniel?" Kylie reached out. The tips of her fingers entered the icy mist as it took on a more familiar form. Hot emotion-a mixture of love and regret-coursed up her arm. She yanked her hand back, but tears filled her eyes.
"Daniel?" She almost called him Daddy. But it still felt awkward. She watched as he struggled to manifest.
He'd once explained that his time to linger on earth was limited. More tears filled her eyes as she realized how limited. Her sense of loss tripled when she considered how hard this must be for him. He wanted to be here when she met his parents. And she needed him here, too-wished he'd told her more about the Brightens-and wished more than anything that he'd never died.
"No." His one word, briskly spoken, sounded urgent.
"No, what?" He didn't-or couldn't-answer. "No, I shouldn't ask them about your real parents? But I have to, Daniel, that's the only way I'll ever find the truth."
"It's not-" His voice broke.
"Not what? Not important?" She waited for his answer, but his weak apparition grew paler and his spiritual cold began to ebb. The white chairs slowed their rocking and silence rained down on her.
"It's important to me," Kylie said. "I need..." The Texas heat chased away the lingering chill.
He was gone. The thought hit that he might never come back. "Not fair." She swatted at the few tears she'd let fall onto her cheeks.
The need to run and hide hit again. But she'd procrastinated long enough. She grasped the doorknob, still cold from Daniel's spirit, and went to face the Brightens.
* * *
Inside, Kylie heard light murmurs coming from one of the back conference rooms. She tried to tune her ear to hear the words. Nothing.
In the last few weeks, she'd unexpectedly been gifted with sensitive hearing. But it came and went. What good was a power if one didn't know how to use it? It only added to the feeling of everything in her life being out of her control.
Biting her lip, she eased down the hall and tried to focus on her main goal: getting answers. Who were Daniel's real parents? What was she?
She heard Holiday say, "I'm sure you're going to love her."
Kylie's footsteps slowed. Love?
Wasn't that a little strong? They could just like her. That would be fine. Loving someone was ... complicated. Even liking someone a whole lot came with a downside, such as a certain good-looking half-fae deciding that being close to her was too hard ... so he left.
Yup, Derek was definitely an example of the downside of liking someone too much. And he probably was the reason she hesitated to accept Lucas's kisses.
One problem at a time. She pushed that thought away as she stepped into the open door of the conference room.
The elderly man sitting at the table rested his clasped hands on the large oak table. "What kind of trouble did she get into?"
"What do you mean?" Holiday cut her green gaze to the door, and she pushed her long red hair over her shoulder.
The old man continued, "We researched Shadow Falls on the Internet and it has a reputation for being a place for troubled teens."
Freaking great! Daniel's parents thought she was a juvenile delinquent.
"You shouldn't believe everything you read online." Only the slightest hint of annoyance sounded in Holiday's tone. "Actually, we're a school for very gifted teens who are trying to find themselves."
"Please tell me it's not drugs," said the silver-haired woman sitting beside the man. "I'm not sure I could deal with that."
"I'm not a druggie," Kylie said, sympathizing with Della, her vampire roommate, who had to deal with this suspicion from her parents. All heads turned toward Kylie, and feeling put on the spot, she held her breath.
"Oh, my," the woman said. "I didn't mean to offend."
Kylie eased into the room. "I'm not offended. I just wanted that cleared up." She met the woman's faded gray eyes and shifted her focus to the old man, searching ... but for what? A resemblance, perhaps. Why? She knew they weren't Daniel's real parents. But they had raised him, had probably instilled in him their mannerisms and qualities.
Kylie thought of Tom Galen, her stepdad, the man who'd raised her, the man who until recently she'd believed was her real father. Though Kylie had yet to come to terms with his abandonment of his seventeen-year marriage to her mom, she couldn't deny she'd taken on some of his mannerisms. Not that she didn't see more of Daniel in herself-from her supernatural DNA to her physical features.
"We read this was a home for troubled teens." An apology rang in the old man's voice.
She recalled Daniel telling her that his adoptive parents had loved him and would have loved her if they'd known her.
Love. Emotion crowded her chest. Trying to decipher the sensation, Kylie remembered Nana-her mom's mother-and how much she'd adored her, how much she'd missed her when she died. Was it knowing the Brightens were old-that their time was short-that made Kylie want to pull back?
As if the thought of death had somehow caused it, a ghostly chill filled the room. Daniel? She called to him with her mind, but the coldness prickling her skin was different.
As frigid air entered Kylie's lungs, the spirit materialized behind Mrs. Brighten. While the apparition appeared feminine, her bald head reflected the light above. Raw-looking stitches ran across her bare scalp and caused Kylie to flinch.
"We're just concerned," said Mr. Brighten. "We didn't know you existed."
"I ... understand," Kylie answered, unable to look away from the spirit that stared at the elderly couple in puzzlement.
Seeing the spirit's face again, Kylie realized it was the same woman from earlier today. Obviously, her shaved head and stitches were a clue. But a clue to what?
The spirit looked at Kylie. "I'm so confused."
Me too, Kylie thought, unsure if the spirit could read her mind the way the others had.
"So many people want me to tell you something."
"Who?" Realizing she'd whispered the word out loud, she bit her lip. Was it Daniel? Nana? What do they want you to tell me?
The spirit met Kylie's gaze as if she understood. "Someone lives. Someone dies."
More puzzles, Kylie thought, and looked away from the ghost. She saw Holiday glance around, sensing the spirit. Mrs. Brighten looked at the ceiling as if searching for an AC vent to blame for the chill. Luckily the spirit faded, taking the cold with her.