Chapter Ten

"What are you doing here?" Kylie asked.

His tall masculine figure kept moving toward her and Kylie actually took a step back. She wasn't so much frightened as she was surprised. And perhaps still awestruck at everything she felt. The whole reverent ambience felt even stronger in here.

"Probably the same thing you're doing here," Burnett answered.

"Curiosity."

It wasn't her reason. She'd come for help, but she didn't correct him-and not because she didn't trust him. She met his gaze. If she were being completely honest with herself, she knew she hadn't gotten over being intimidated by him, but she'd grown to respect him as had most everyone else in the camp. She respected him enough that she wished Holiday would reconsider her no-vamp rule where men were concerned.

The two of them would make a great couple. His dark side to her light. His seriousness to her teasing manner.

She felt him watching her and knew he was expecting an answer.

But she had her own questions. She took a deep breath. "Curious about what?" she asked.

"The whole ghosts thing. The legend." He tucked his hands into his jean pockets and looked around.

"That's strange," Kylie said.

"What's strange?" He turned and looked back at the cave as if checking his surroundings for safety. Oddly enough, Kylie wasn't worried about her own. The warm, good feeling filling her chest convinced her not to worry. She was safe here.

"Your being curious about ghosts. I thought ... I mean ... most supernaturals prefer to sort of stay in the dark about it all."

"Yeah, but Holiday's so fixated on them, I just thought..." His words faltered. "That maybe understanding ghosts would help you understand her?"

Kylie asked, somehow certain that she'd read him right. Again, she got a feeling that Burnett really cared about Holiday.

He nodded as if admitting it out loud might ding his macho ego. "Personally, I think she talks about it so much just to scare me."

"Probably hoping to scare you off." Kylie bit her lip when she realized she'd said that aloud.

He looked at her. "That, too." He paused a few seconds and then asked, "You wouldn't be willing to enlighten me on any of the reasons why she'd be doing that, would you?" Apparently he'd decided his macho ego could be damned.

Okay, now Kylie was up crap creek without a paddle and a huge leak in her canoe. Telling Burnett about Holiday's past felt almost like betrayal.

"I ... uh ... I..."

He held up his hand. "Say no more. I get it." Shuffling his feet, he looked around again and then focused back at her. "So you're like Holiday, right? You feel spirits, and see them?"

She nodded.

"Do you feel the death angels?"

She started to deny that she sensed a strong presence of someone or someones, but considering the whole church-like ambience, she decided against lying. "I feel something. Don't know exactly how to describe it. It's like-"

"Really?" he asked.

"Really." She looked around and wondered if whatever she felt would give her the answers she needed. "You don't feel anything?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be here now." He chuckled, but Kylie could swear she heard a tad of nervousness in his tone.

"Doesn't the legend say that they come here at dusk?" He ran his hand through his dark hair that looked a shade darker than normal. Her gaze went back to the falls and she realized his hair was wet. She felt her own hair then, hanging damp on her shoulders and shifting back and forth on her back.

He took a few steps closer to one of the large boulders. His shoulders and arms shifted with corded muscle and appeared almost as hard as the rock walls. Once again, Kylie couldn't help but admire how attractive he was. Not that he made her body tingle the way Derek did, but she could appreciate the way he was put together. Holiday really should let herself fall for him.

"It says you can see them dancing on the walls at dusk. It doesn't mean they're not here at other times," Kylie answered honestly, hoping she was right. Hoping the presence she felt here was real and could give her answers.

He nodded and looked around again. "Why is it that the place wasn't so scary until you showed up?"

Kylie laughed. "It must be my magnetic personality."

He smiled. "Probably. You and Holiday." Just the way he said Holiday's name tugged at Kylie's heartstrings.

"It was another vampire," Kylie blurted out. "He hurt her a lot."

Burnett looked confused for a second, and then understanding filled his eyes. "So she's prejudiced against all vampires?" He sounded hurt. "I would call it protective," she said. "And not all vampires. She doesn't seem to have a problem with any vampire but you."

He tilted his head to the side and looked at her. "You say that as if it's a good thing."

"It might be," Kylie said. "There has to be a reason you get on her bad side so quickly."

He seemed to consider her analogy. "I see what you mean." His gaze shifted to the wall of water again. "Why don't I walk back to the camp with you? Make sure-"

"Actually, I was hoping to stay here for a few minutes. Alone," she said before he offered to stay with her.

A frown pulled at his mouth. "I'm not sure you should be alone in the woods. Not after what happened the other night."