"Or..." Kylie considered Holiday's words. "Maybe that's what it means, the whole chameleon thing. I was talking about this with Derek earlier. Maybe chameleons can change our species. Like a chameleon can change its colors."
Holiday paused as if thinking. "But DNA doesn't work that way. You can't have more than one string of DNA. It isn't possible, because supernaturals only have the DNA of the dominant parent."
Kylie bit down on her lip. "Then maybe it's not the species that really changes, but just the pattern. And in a way it makes sense because a chameleon doesn't turn into a rock, it just changes its colors so it looks like a rock."
Holiday's brow wrinkled. "But..." She shook her head.
"But what?" Kylie wanted to know everything Holiday considered.
"It just doesn't feel right. If this ability to hide your pattern actually exists, why haven't other supernaturals heard about it?"
"Maybe we have heard about it," Kylie said. "Maybe this is exactly why they tested my grandmother. You mentioned once that you'd heard about those tests. Did anyone say what the tests were for?"
"Not specifically," Holiday said. "Something about understanding genetics in some supernaturals. But that they went wrong."
"That's an understatement," Kylie muttered. "They killed people." Killed my grandmother. Kylie couldn't understand how someone could do that-take a life. For that matter, how could Mario kill his own grandson? Or kill Ellie, who never did a thing to harm him? Or anyone else for that matter?
"I know." Holiday sighed as if sensing Kylie's grief. "Which is why I refuse to let them test you. I don't think the FRU is evil, Kylie. I just don't trust them to not take too many risks with you to find answers. Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out sooner or later."
Kylie sure as hell hoped so. Because right now, it didn't make a lick of sense to her. She gazed back at Holiday. "Is that why you can't trust Burnett? Because he's part of the FRU?"
Holiday looked perplexed. "I trust Burnett."
Kylie arched a brow in disbelief.
"I trust him with Shadow Falls," Holiday confessed.
Just not with your heart. And how sad was that? Kylie thought.
"I wouldn't have him working here if I thought there was a chance he would betray you or any of my students."
"I know," Kylie said. "And I trust him, too. I mean, the whole FRU thing with my grandmother scares me, but I trust Burnett."
Holiday met Kylie's eyes again. "I know that waiting for answers is hard on you. But hold on to the hope that your grandfather will come on Thursday and-"
"What do you mean 'hold on to the hope'? He told Burnett he was coming, right?" Seeing disappointment flash in Holiday's eyes, Kylie's heart sank. "What happened?"
"Burnett tried to contact him again and ... your grandfather's phone has been disconnected. But it could mean nothing."
"Or it could mean that he's decided not to communicate with me." A knot rose in Kylie's throat.
"Don't get worked up over it until we know."
Kylie pulled her knees up and dropped her head on them, trying not to cry. Was her hope of discovering the truth now slipping away?
Holiday rested her hand on Kylie's shoulder. A sweet calm came with the touch, and while it soothed Kylie's panic, it didn't change anything. They sat there for several minutes, not talking, Kylie trying not to cry and Holiday doing what she did best-offering emotional comfort.
The soft breeze whispered past and somehow Kylie's mind shifted from one problem to another. "Derek told me he talked to you about ... things."
Holiday brushed a strand of hair off Kylie's cheek. "I'm sorry. I imagine that came completely out of left field."
Kylie nodded. "What am I supposed to do with that information?"
"I don't think you have to do anything."
Kylie exhaled. "It makes me feel crazy and sad, and I start questioning things. And Lucas is jealous of him and I don't blame him for being jealous because I feel the same way about Fredericka. But..."
"But you care about Derek," Holiday finished for her.
"I do. I'm just not sure if what I feel for him is what I feel for Lucas. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense," Holiday assured her. "You'll figure it out."
"Will I?" Angst rose inside Kylie again. "Everything in my life is a huge effing question mark. I'm tired of not being sure of anything. And then the ghost..." Kylie let the words fade.
"You have a problem with a ghost?" Holiday asked. "Is it your grandmother? Have you asked her about what your dad said?"
"No, it's not her." How much should Kylie tell Holiday? "At first, the spirit showed up looking like a zombie, hardly even had a face. I insisted she fix that. But ... then the face she got was ... someone who wasn't dead."
Holiday bit down on her lip. "Are you sure she isn't dead?"
"I'm sure." Extra sure.
"Well," Holiday continued, "it could be one of two things. The most likely answer is that you have a ghost with an identity crisis."
"Seriously? Ghosts can have an identity crisis?" Kylie asked.
"Afraid so. They may not even know what they looked like. Or they may not have liked how they looked, so they plaster the face of someone else on their ghost bodies. Most of the time, they use the face of the ghost whisperer. And seeing your face on a ghost..." Holiday shivered. "Not good."
"I can imagine," Kylie said, but she didn't want to imagine it. She already had too much on her plate. "What's the other thing it could be?"
"It's rare," Holiday said. "But did you see A Christmas Carol?"
"Yes." Kylie recalled the plot. "The Scrooge thing, right?"
"And the ghost from the future," Holiday said.
Kylie's breath hitched. "This person could be about to die?" Sure, the thought had crossed her mind, as it had Derek's, but not until Holiday said it did it feel real. No, Kylie refused to accept it. She'd seen too much death already.
"Is this one of the things I can change?" Kylie asked, panic building in her chest.