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  Miranda had managed to change them back, no issues. And Della, Miranda, and Kylie stayed on the sofa that Burnett had assigned them to, watching it all go down.

  The warlock kept eyeing Miranda. Della wasn’t sure if he was impressed or scared of the witch. Either way, it did Miranda’s ego good.

  The bus must have arrived, because the five thugs were being led out.

  “Oh, crap.” Miranda giggled.

  “Crap what?” Della and Kylie asked at the same time.

  “I just noticed they’re walking funny. I didn’t remove the jock-itch spell.”

  “Oh, darn,” said Della. And they all laughed.

  The humor was sucked right out of the air when Burnett came to a quick halt in front of them. “Now to deal with you three.”

  “No, to deal with me,” Della said. “I practically forced them to help me. They didn’t want to do it.” It was an out-and-out lie, but she had to try.

  “She did not!” Kylie looked up from her phone, where she seemed to be checking e-mails.

  “Nope,” Miranda said. “You punish one of us, you have to punish all of us.”

  Della shot the little witch a cold look. Why the heck was she encouraging Burnett to punish them?

  “Who the hell do you girls think you are? Charlie’s Angels? Why would—?”

  “We do kind of look like Charlie’s Angels, don’t we?” Miranda grinned.

  “Charlie’s what?” Kylie asked.

  “The movie.” Miranda looked at Della. “You’re Lucy Liu and I’m Drew Barrymore and you’re,” she glanced at Kylie, “that Cameron chick … what’s her last name again?”

  “Stop!” Burnett growled. “Do you three have any idea how badly this could have turned out?”

  “Yes, we do,” Kylie said. “But we didn’t know going into it. So it isn’t our fault.”

  “How the hell can you think it was okay to come here—?”

  “Look!” Kylie held up her phone. “Here’s a picture of the funeral-home owner. Tomas Ayala is at least ninety. We had no idea he’d died and his evil stepson had taken over.”

  Burnett glanced at the phone’s screen, but didn’t look convinced. “You came to an unregistered vampire-run business—”

  “And that’s wrong, how?” Della asked. “In a year, we’ll all be leaving Shadow Falls and we’re going to live in the normal world. In a world where other supernaturals live. And surprise, not everyone is registered. What do you expect us to do? Never leave our homes? The whole point of Shadow Falls is to teach us to survive in the normal world. And what’s really nuts is that not only did we survive, we caught some bad guys.”

  “You should have come to me with your concerns about your cousin,” Burnett said.

  Della shook her head. “The last time I even mentioned him, you asked me how old he was. And I know why you did it, too. Because if he was eighteen, you’d have had to turn his name in as a possible rogue.”

  Burnett’s mouth tightened before he spoke. “If he’s an adult, he needs to be registered.”

  “In a perfect world, yes, but this world isn’t perfect.”

  “I know that, damn it, which is why I worry about you three running around poking your noses in things that could get you killed.”

  Della shot up off the sofa. “I know you care about us. But you take it too far. And you’re not nearly as hard on any of the male students. We’re not weaklings. We just proved it to you, and yet you refuse to see the ball of kangaroo as evidence.”

  He gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles twitching. But Della saw something in his eyes. Understanding. She might not have won the war with him, but she’d won this battle. And considering she was up against Burnett, that was something to be proud of.

  He sighed. “Let’s get you three back to Shadow Falls.”

  “No,” Della said. “We’re staying at Kylie’s for the weekend. You’ve already agreed to it.”

  His eyes grew bright, but he let out a deep puff of frustrated air. “Fine. But be careful for God’s sake.”

  “We will.” Della smiled, feeling rather victorious. “Thank you,” she said, and Miranda and Kylie stood up.

  They were almost to the door when Burnett added, “You did good. All of you. This guy, Craig Anthony, has been on the FRU’s radar for several years, but we haven’t been able to connect him with any of the crimes.”

  They all turned around and looked at Burnett. He looked as if it cost him to say this. Cost him to admit that three girls had done something the regular FRU agents hadn’t been able to accomplish. And yet he said it anyway. Like Kylie said, Burnett generally came around.

  “Thank you,” Della said.

  “I love you, man.” Miranda ran up and hugged him. Burnett stiffened, but didn’t stop her.

  “Please be safe,” he said to all of them when Miranda finally let him go.

  Della started to walk out with Kylie and Miranda, but Burnett said, “Della, can I speak with you a second?”

  Oh frack. Was she still in trouble? He motioned for Kylie and Miranda to leave. “Yeah?” Della asked.

  “I got some information on the couple who was murdered. Next week, I’ll send you out to do some legwork on the case.”

  Della nodded. Pride made her smile. “I appreciate it. Should I come on back now?”

  “No, it can wait until tomorrow.”

  She stood there smiling, realizing that today had not only given her some information about her uncle, but gained back Burnett’s confidence in her.

  “You can go now.”

  “Yes.” She started out, but looked back. “Thank you.”

  He nodded.

  As Della got in Kylie’s car, Burnett stood at the curb, watching them like a worried father.

  When they stopped at the first red light, Miranda, who’d taken the backseat this time, leaned forward. “Do you know any more bad guys we could take out? I think I could get into this whole catching-criminals routine. Did you see how shocked that warlock was that I turned all five of those guys at the same time? Am I good or what?”

  Della shot the witch a smile. She deserved to gloat a little. “You were,” Della said.

  “Your mother would have been proud,” Kylie added.

  Miranda gleamed. “She would, wouldn’t she? I wish I could do this at the competitions.”

  Kylie started talking about running by the mall Della’s thoughts turned to getting a second chance to work on the FRU case. To get Lorraine justice.

  While Della mentally mulled over the details of the case, Kylie turned to her. “Here.”

  “What?” Della asked, looking at the chameleon driving one-handed and holding something out.

  “You’ve got a bloody nose. Take the tissue.”

  Before Della got the paper to her nose, a couple of feathers floated in front of her face and stuck on her upper lip.

  When she pulled them off, they were bloody. And that looked extra freaky.

  A chill ran up her spine.

  All of a sudden, Kylie slammed on the brakes. The car swerved, then came to a jolting stop.

  “What?” Della said, looking up, not seeing a car or any other reason for her to brake.

  “The ghost.” Kylie sounded panicked.

  “You saw it?” Della held her breath.

  “I … ran over it.” Kylie bit down on her lip. “I don’t like running over things, even ghosts.”

  They all turned in their seats and looked back. Nothing was in the road. Of course nothing was in the road. A blue car pulled up behind them.

  “But you saw it?” Della turned back to Kylie.

  “I didn’t get a good look, it appeared right before … I ran over it.” Kylie started driving, but her hands shook on the wheel.

  The chameleon took a deep breath, then glanced at Della. “I don’t know if it was male or female, but … I saw black.”

  “Black?”

  “Black hair. Really black. And shiny.”

  “Like they might be Asian?”
/>   Kylie nodded. “I’m sorry, Della, but it has to be either your aunt or your uncle.”

  Della stared out the window, watching the businesses pass in a blur, her emotions as distorted. Was it stupid to feel grief for someone she didn’t know?

  “How do we get the ghost to talk to us?”

  “You don’t,” Kylie said. “They talk when they’re ready. You can talk to them when you feel them, or in your case, when feathers show up, but this one isn’t hanging around long enough to let you talk.”

  “So I can’t do shit to find out what the hell it wants or who it is?”

  “Pretty much,” Kylie said. “Sorry.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  That night, Della lay in Kylie’s bed sandwiched between Miranda and Kylie.

  Earlier, they’d stopped by a mall and walked in and out, so Kylie could tell her mom they’d gone. When they got home, Kylie’s mom took them out to eat. Della ordered French onion soup, her favorite human food. While they ate, Ms. Galen peppered Miranda and Della with questions about their parents. The woman’s intent wasn’t to be hurtful, but talking about her mom and dad and her sister made it hard to even swallow the soup past the lump in her throat.

  “I’m surprised your mom hasn’t called to check in,” she’d told Della. “I mean, since I spoke with her that once.”

  Della wasn’t surprised.

  When they’d gotten home, Ms. Galen retired to her room. “Sorry about the interrogation,” Kylie had said.

  “All parents do that,” Miranda said.

  “It’s nothing,” Della lied, and then they grabbed sodas and went to Kylie’s room and watched an old movie, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. A movie with some advice Della should probably pay attention to. Then again, she didn’t want to lose Steve, did she?

  They cut off the light a little after eleven, but none of them could sleep. No doubt the day they’d had left them all with lots to think about.

  Della especially.

  Ignoring the still present headache, she stared at the ceiling fan. Della’s mind spun with questions. The biggest question being how the hell was she going to find Chan? She wanted to know if he knew anything about their uncle and aunt. She wanted to know if he was okay. She’d even tried to call his friend, Kevin Miller, again. He hadn’t answered, so she’d left a message. Told him she was in Houston and asked if he’d found out anything about where the Crimson Blood hangout was. He hadn’t called back.

  Della’s gaze shifted to the window. She could go out tonight and do her own search for the Crimson Blood gang. It wasn’t that hard to sniff out another vampire. Surely, a stray vamp would know something about the gang. But then she’d really be breaking the promise to Holiday to not take any risks. It was one thing to go try to talk to some old geezer vamp … another to go in search of a gang—one she didn’t know much about.

  Was she desperate enough to break that promise to Holiday? To chance thoroughly pissing off Burnett and having him reconsider her working on the case? She really wanted to work on that case. Her mind conjured up the image of Lorraine again, lying in her casket—so cold, so dead. The thought gave Della a chill. She pulled the cover up a bit to fight the cold and tried to think about something pleasant.

  Unfortunately her thoughts turned back to Chan and how he’d helped her through the turn. And she hadn’t even taken his damn call. Maybe pissing off Holiday and Burnett would be worth the chance to help her cousin. But alone this time. She didn’t want to drag Kylie and Miranda into this.

  Closing her eyes, she heard her two friends’ heartbeats. They weren’t asleep yet. She’d have to wait to sneak out.

  Miranda shifted on the mattress. She let out a big sigh and sat up. “Can I ask you guys something?”

  Della blinked when she turned the lamp on. “If we said no would it stop you?”

  Kylie elbowed her.

  “I wasn’t serious,” Della said.

  “Ask away,” Kylie said.

  The witch pulled her knees to her chest. “What’s it like?”

  “What’s what like?” Della asked, but she was afraid she knew.

  “You know, sex.”

  Yup, that’s what Della was afraid she meant. “Not the sex talk, please?” Della dropped her arm over her eyes. And that earned her another poke in the ribs by Kylie.

  Kylie sat up. “I have a whole drawer of pamphlets if you’d like to read them.”

  “I don’t want to read about it. I want you to tell me about it.”

  Della sat up. “Okay, here’s the basics. You get naked and tab A goes into slot B.”

  Kylie chuckled and Miranda grunted. “I’m serious. It’s going to happen soon and I just want to be prepared.”

  “What do you want to know?” Kylie asked.

  “Is it true it hurts at first?”

  “It did the first time,” Kylie said.

  Miranda looked at Della as if needing both of their input. Della nodded.

  “Was it worth it?” Miranda asked.

  “Yeah,” Kylie said. “It’s amazing. When we’re together, it’s exciting and romantic and I feel so close to him.” She sighed. “I’ll admit it, it was embarrassing at first. And sometimes it still is.” She grinned. “I still blush when he sees me naked, but it feels right. I really think it’s the purest form of sharing your love. But I was sure that he was the right guy before it happened.”

  Was it worth it? The question rolled around Della’s brain, and she knew Miranda was going to expect Della to answer it. It was a question she’d asked herself recently. A question she had yet to answer.

  Miranda looked at Della.

  Emotion swelled in her chest. She’d given her all to her ex-boyfriend Lee and he’d given up on her. In less than three months, he was engaged to someone else. How could giving her heart and body to him have been worth it?

  “No, it wasn’t worth it,” Della said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying don’t sleep with Perry. I just think you need to be really sure that the guy you are giving this part of yourself to is the right guy.”

  “I think Perry is right,” Miranda said. “I love him.”

  “I thought Lee was right, too,” Della said. “And I’m not saying that the right guy has to be the only one, or the guy you marry. But it shouldn’t be someone who could just walk away so easily. It makes me feel like I wasn’t nearly as special to him as he was to me. I still feel cheated and angry. I wish I could take it back.” Emotion sounded in her voice and she swallowed hard.

  Kylie touched Della’s arm and the warm comfort stemming from her touch told her that the chameleon had turned to fae.

  “Holiday sort of said the same thing,” Kylie added. “She said she’d slept with several guys, and a couple of those memories were like tattoos that she can’t get removed. So I think Della’s advice is good. Just make sure that no matter what happens, Perry is special enough to you that you won’t regret it. Even if the worst thing happens and you don’t stay together.”

  “How do you know you won’t regret it?” Miranda asked.

  “I … I just felt it,” Kylie said. “I knew Lucas was the one. But … if you are questioning it, I would say you aren’t sure.”

  “That’s not what I wanted to hear.” Miranda dropped back on the bed.

  “I’m sorry,” Della said. “I probably should have kept my mouth shut.”

  “No, you’re being honest,” Miranda said.

  Della sighed. “Sometimes the truth sucks.” And she wasn’t just thinking about Lee, but about the ghost being her uncle or her aunt. And about not having a clue how to find Chan.

  “Yeah,” Kylie said. “That’s why we have each other.”

  The slight buzzing noise sent Della on full alert. She hadn’t slept yet, going back and forth over the pros and cons of going out looking for a gang.

  Carefully, she slipped out of bed, snatched the phone, and headed to the bathroom. As she closed the door, she saw it was two a.m.

  She checked the number. He
r first choice was for it to be Chan. Her second was … Kevin Miller. Kevin it was.

  “Hello,” she answered, hopeful.

  “Della?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s Kevin.”

  “I know, did you find Chan?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I told you in the message, I’m in Houston.” No way would she tell him Kylie’s address. Della would bet one vampire under Ms. Galen’s roof at a time was all the woman could handle.

  “Houston’s big. What part?”

  “Why?”

  “I’m here myself. And I … sort of have news.”

  “What?”

  “I think we should meet.”

  “Why?”

  “Do you want the info or not?” he snapped.

  Decision time. Shit. Shit. Shit. She remembered Chan taking care of her when she turned, wiping her brow with a wet washcloth, telling her she couldn’t die. She had to do it.

  “Where do you want to meet?”

  Della landed in the park in northwest Houston where Kevin had suggested. It was only about ten miles from Kylie’s home, but she was already late. Miranda had stirred when she went in to change clothes, so she’d waited a few minutes to let the witch fall back into slumber.

  It was dark in the park. Lots of pine trees hid the sliver of the moon. She inhaled deeply, seeing if he was here. She didn’t catch a scent. Looking around, she reconfirmed her goal: Get information about Chan and get the hell out. Hopefully, without Kylie or Miranda even knowing she’d left—especially without Holiday or Burnett learning about her little trip.

  She pulled out her phone and checked the time. Had he already shown up and left? She listened to the night. Silence. Too silent.

  She was giving him five minutes to show and then she was out of here.

  “It took you a while.” The voice came from behind her and echoed in the night’s darkness.

  Her breath caught. Damn it! Her senses were off again. She’d considered circling the park to see if she could see anyone. But because she’d been late, she’d ended up trusting her senses. A mistake.