"It's just around the bend," Ellie said. She'd been quiet during the run. Then she suddenly stopped. Panic filled her gaze. "Oh, my God. I remember."
"What?" Kylie stopped beside Ellie.
"What? What?" When Della met Kylie's gaze, she must have realized she hadn't been talking to her, and she simply nodded.
"I followed someone here," Ellie said. "I spotted him running from the camp. I was almost here when I heard someone behind me. It was Derek. That's when the person I'd followed attacked."
"Who was it?" Kylie's mind went to Red. "Was it a young guy, red or brownish hair?"
"No, it was an old dude. Vampire."
Mario. They never had a chance!
Kylie's chest filled with pain. And guilt. This was all her fault. "Where's Derek? Where's your body?" She had to save them.
Ellie pointed to the side of the mountain. It looked as if it had recently been disturbed. Loose rock lay around the ledge. "Derek came around the bend and a bolt of lightning struck. He was slammed against the rocks. His head was bleeding, but he was breathing. But then more lightning struck. I picked him up and put him in the small cave and moved the rocks in front of him. I was doing that when ... everything went blank."
Kylie ran to the edge of the cliff and started moving the loose boulders.
Della moved in. "What are we doing?" Worry filled her expression.
"He's behind here," Kylie said. They moved the rocks to the side. Rocks that weighted well over four and five hundred pounds. Her strength didn't even surprise her; she thought only of Derek and Ellie.
"Oh God!" Della took a step back.
Kylie saw Ellie's mangled body lying between the rocks. Kylie's breath caught, and her tears started falling faster. She picked up Ellie and moved her to the side and rested her body on the rocky path.
"She's dead," Della said.
"Keep moving the rocks," Kylie ordered Della, and with everything Kylie had she prayed Derek was still alive. Prayed she could bring Ellie back.
She laid her hands on Ellie's battered body and sent up prayers that this worked. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and moved her palms over the injuries, as she had with Lucas and with Sara. Blood, Ellie's blood, coated Kylie's hands. She cried harder and tried harder, but no matter how hard she concentrated, her hands didn't heat up.
Suddenly, Ellie was sitting beside her body. "It's too late. Look." Ellie pointed up at the sky. The sun was a big ball of orange. "I see my mother up there. She's waiting for me."
"No," Kylie said. "Don't go. I'm trying to bring you back."
"But I want to go with her. I've missed her."
"No!" Kylie screamed again.
Ellie's spirit stood. "Derek's okay." She pointed back to Della as she moved the rocks. "But I have to go. Thank you, Kylie Galen. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for teaching me to think beyond myself. Thank you for everything."
"Please don't," Kylie begged. But it was too late. Ellie's spirit started floating up toward the setting sun and Kylie knew it was hopeless.
"I got him," Della yelled. "I got Derek."
Kylie bolted to him. He was unconscious but breathing. She found the wounds on his head and pressed her hand against them. More blood oozed between her fingers, but she didn't care. Her hands grew hot and she felt the heat of her palms sink into Derek's scalp.
"Did you save Ellie?" Della asked.
"No, I'm sorry," Kylie said, and stared at Derek.
"Holiday and the others are coming," Della said, and when Kylie looked up, Della had tears running down her face.
"I tried to save her," Kylie said. "I really tried."
Derek suddenly jolted up. "What happened?"
Kylie stood. Derek looked at her and then pain filled his eyes. "Ellie?"
Kylie put a hand over her mouth and more tears flowed.
Derek ran out and found Ellie's body. He knelt beside her and Kylie saw his eyes fill with tears of rage. "Who did this?"
Guilt swelled in Kylie. "It was the old vampire, the one after me."
Holiday and about a dozen of the others came moving around the bend of the ledge. Kylie looked for Lucas, wishing he were here to hold her, but then she remembered he'd gone to see his grandmother.
She turned and faced the cave, her emotions too raw. She heard several of the campers gasp and some cry. No doubt they were seeing Ellie's body.
Holiday moved in and placed a hand on Kylie's shoulder.
Tears streamed down her face; she held out her bloody hands and gazed at Holiday. "What good is this gift, if I can't save those I want to save?"
Holiday didn't try to answer; she just wrapped Kylie in her arms and held her close.
"We need to go before it gets dark," Holiday finally said.
Derek picked up Ellie's body as though she were a rag doll, then Kylie saw him reach back down for her LITTLE VAMP cap. He tucked the cap under his arm and carried Ellie down the steep path.
They walked for about five minutes; no one spoke. Derek dropped Ellie's cap, and the wind blew it past Kylie. Kylie heard him ask someone to pick it up. At the very back of the single-file line, and feeling numb, Kylie turned to go grab the cap. She saw it only about twenty feet away. She moved in, almost ready to reach for it, when a big gust of wind moved it closer to the edge.
Kylie moved another couple of feet. The wind took the cap to the very edge. It hovered there, half on and half off the ledge.
Only then did Kylie sense the unnaturalness of the breeze.
She wasn't alone.
The sound of a dry branch snapping had never sounded scarier. Someone stood behind her. And less than two feet in front stood ... death. She had no idea how deep the cavern went, but she suspected the fall would be fatal.
Breath held, thinking any second she would feel someone give her that fatal push, she turned. The old vampire Mario and two other elderly supernaturals stood there staring at her with cold, calculating gazes. All three were dressed like monks, their dark robes stirring in the wind.
"Kylie Galen," Mario said. His voice sounded as aged as he looked, but the sense of power could not be overlooked. Was this really what she was? She studied Mario; closer, his eyes were black, coal black. She saw only evil, and the idea that she shared anything in common with these people disgusted her. "So we meet again."
She took a small step back, closer to the ledge. "Much to my misfortune," Kylie said, and she felt the heel of her tennis shoe find the edge of the embankment.
"'Tis true, my dear," he said. "Although, if you are so inclined as to save yourself, join us now. Pledge to us your allegiance and you will live. My grandson will make you a good husband."