"We'd better run."

He reached for her arm. "What is it?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

"That makes two of us," Derek said.

"Three," a voice said beside Kylie.

Kylie turned and the spirit of the murderous woman stood beside her. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Why would I blow up my own phone?" Derek asked.

"Not you," Kylie said, but didn't look away from the spirit.

No! I stopped blowing up phones years ago. I found much better ways to make my presence known.

Kylie turned to Derek. "Let's get out of here." He picked up the suitcase and they started to run.

No! This way. The spirit started in a separate direction.

Stopping, Kylie reached out and snagged Derek's arm, bringing him to a jerky halt.

The spirit turned and looked at Kylie. This way. Go to the graveyard. You'll have help. For some crazy reason all the dead people there like you.

"Why should I trust you?" Kylie asked, and in the corner of her vision, she spotted Derek frowning. No doubt, seeing her hold a conversation with a ghost would be unsettling. He ought to try having one and see how unsettling that could be.

Because you want to stay alive.

Kylie's breath caught and she looked at Derek. "Let's go this way," she told him, praying her gut wasright and she could trust this spirit. Praying this wasn't some ploy to get her at the cemetery and then take her to hell.

They ran. Ran hard. But Kylie felt something following them as they ran. Felt it from the inside out.

And felt it was ready to pounce.

She saw the front gates of the cemetery. Her heart pounded against her breastbone and if she was running out of steam, Derek surely couldn't go much farther.

"Wait!" Derek stopped and reached for her.

"Why ... are we ... going to the cemetery?" His breath came out in gulps.

"I have friends there," she said.

"Dead friends," he said, not happy.

"Let's not be choosy right now."

He shot a glance at the rusty gates. "We should head to Shadow Falls. We're close."

"We won't make it," Kylie said, and something inside her said she was right. Something inside her said the thing that followed them wasn't playing around. Something inside her said it was Mario. Dear God, she hoped she was wrong.

She grabbed Derek by the arm and started running again. Unfortunately, they didn't make the gate before the man made himself visible. Mario-the super-powerful rogue who wanted Kylie dead-stood only a few feet from them. The same rogue who'd hurt Helen, killed Ellie, murdered his own grandson, and didn't mind taking the life of any innocent being who got in his way.

The man's dark eyes shined with nothing but evil. His skin looked aged and leathery, and he wore a dark robe as if he considered himself some sort of royalty.

Memories of this man sending bolts of lightning through his grandson had Kylie's fury and protective nature raging full strength in a fraction of a second. Grabbing Derek by the arm, she pushed him behind her.

Chapter Seven

"We meet again," Mario said, a hot, dark breeze stirring the bottom of his robe. The sky seemed to grow darker. Even the moon and stars seemed to cringe in his presence.

"Very unfortunate," Kylie said, and breathed in. The night air tasted of his wickedness. She felt her blood fizzing in her veins and the sense of danger nearly sucked the oxygen right out of the air.

Derek shifted behind her and Kylie reached back and caught him, holding him in one spot.

Protect him. Protect him. The words repeated in her soul like a litany.

Mario chuckled as if he could read her mind. "Do not worry, child. I want nothing to do with your boy toy. He is in no danger from me."

The old man smiled. His teeth-thin and slightly yellowed with age-appeared below his lip. The creepiness of the moment sent a shiver crawling down her backbone.

"You can calm that protective side of yours down," Mario said, as if he sensed her defensive side surging to life. "It will do you no good. For you see, the only one I'm after here is you. I mean the weakling no harm."

Derek yanked free and went barreling into the freakish old rogue. Kylie took a protective step forward to intervene. Mario turned invisible and Derek crashed to the ground.

Mario reappeared a few feet away. "How cute," he mocked. "The little man wants to protect you."

Derek didn't hesitate to go at him again. But, like before, Mario disappeared into thin air and reappeared again a few feet from Derek.

"Stop it," Kylie said to Derek.

He ignored her and stared daggers at Mario. "I'm not the one who's disappearing, you bastard. Fight me like a man."

Mario laughed, and the evilness of his tone raked over Kylie's nerves like broken glass. "You want me to fight so your girlfriend can protect you. I am no fool, child."

As much as she resented it, Mario was right; if he didn't harm Derek, she couldn't draw upon her powers to fight him. Fear settled in her gut.

"Leave," Kylie insisted, and right then, she saw the spirits gathering at the gates, their mutterings filled with concern for her.

"Not without you," Mario demanded, but his confidence seemed slightly lessened when he cut his eyes toward the graveyard gate. Could he sense the spirits, too? He took a step closer to her-or was it just a step away from the graveyard gate?

She took a step back. In the corner of her eye, she saw Derek reach for a large stone at his feet. She knew his plan was to anger Mario enough to pose a threat to him so she could protect them both, but Kylie wasn't sure she could do it. Indecision filled her chest whether to stop him or not. Because like the plan or not, it might be their only one.Mario, focused on her, didn't see the rock coming. It hit him in the temple with a thud. But she knew it would come with ramifications. And she had damn well better be ready to face them.