"For what?" Della flopped back into the chair, as if aware she'd shown a softer side of her personality. Della seldom let that side show. Not that Kylie and Miranda didn't see it. Well, Kylie saw it. Miranda had a harder time seeing through Della's guarded front.
Miranda brushed her hand over her cheek again and sat up taller. "Enough about that. I've got other news. Todd Freeman, a warlock, came over and asked if he could have my cell number. He's like the hottest guy in my old school. So at least someone noticed I did good in the competition." She grinned. "Not that I think it was my trophy he was interested in. I caught him at least three times checking out my girls."
"Jerk," Della said. "I hope the only thing you gave him was your middle finger."
"Duh, didn't you hear me? Cutest guy in school. Besides, big boobs are natural guy magnets-that's just the way it is. Why wouldn't I give my number to him?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you still want to suck face with a certain shape-shifter?"
"Please, I'm so over Perry," Miranda snapped.
Della tapped the end of her nose. "Pheromones don't lie."
"No arguing on the first day back," Kylie said. "Tomorrow you two can threaten to tear each other's limbs off, but today ... just give me a little peace today." She picked up Socks from her lap and placed him on the table. "Besides ... you're gonna upset Socks and then we're all gonna end up getting skunked."
Della and Miranda looked at Socks. The little skunk/cat, uncomfortable being the center of attention, scurried closer to Kylie.
"Truce?" Kylie asked, stroking the scared animal's trembling body.
Thankfully, Miranda and Della nodded.
Miranda leaned closer. "I think I've figured out how to turn our little stinker back into a kitten. But I need the first rays of sunshine to do it." She reached over to pet Socks, but he backed away from her touch and then jumped back into Kylie's lap.
"Smart skunk," Della said, grinning. "No telling what you'll accidentally turn him into next time."
Miranda frowned. "Maybe I'll turn you into a skunk."
"And maybe I'll rip your heart out and feed it to our resident pet."
"What happened to the truce?" Kylie whined. Socks's nose nudged deeper into her armpit.
"Fine." Miranda huffed and then looked at Della. "Your turn. Give us the lowdown on your weekend."
"You mean besides constantly being told to go pee on a stick? They tested me four times. I think one was a pregnancy test. Like I've been doing the dirty with anyone." Della picked up her cup of blood and gave it a hard look. "The only thing we did all weekend was go see a movie, some old classic my mother loved. Boring. At least I got to sleep without having to explain why I seemed so tired in the middle of the day." She exhaled rather loudly. "So that's my weekend. Nothing exciting to tell. Nothing." She stared back into her cup.
It wasn't her avoiding direct eye contact that gave it away, more like the emphasis on the second "nothing" that hinted at the truth. Miranda shot Kylie a quick look that said she'd heard it, too. The little vamp was holding back ... as usual.
While Kylie debated the wisdom of trying to push Della into giving more, Miranda, who spoke first and seldom thought things through, knocked wisdom out the window and went for it.
"Liar," Miranda accused. "If I could hear your heartbeat right now, I bet it would prove it, too. What happened? What are you not telling us?"
Della snarled at Miranda. Kylie could feel the fragile truce shattering.
"Chan didn't show up, did he?" Miranda asked.
Kylie hadn't thought about that. "Did he show up?" Kylie seconded Miranda's question-not out of curiosity, but out of concern.
Chan, Della's cousin, was also a vampire and had helped Della through the turn. However, Chan was also under suspicion of murder by the FRU. After meeting the wild-eyed Chan when he'd broken school policy and dropped by for a visit several weeks earlier, Kylie wasn't completely sure he wasn't guilty of the crime. Not that Kylie would tell Della that.
"No, he didn't show up," Della said. "But he e-mailed me."
Miranda made a funny noise. Kylie looked at her.
"Frog in my throat," Miranda said, and returned to glaring at Della.
When no one said anything, Della looked at Kylie. "Your turn. It's much more exciting than what happened to me."
"What do you mean by 'what happened to you'?" Kylie asked.
"I knew it!" Miranda leaned forward. "Something did happen. 'Fess up. Did it involve a boy? Tell us! Spill your guts, vamp."
Chapter Four
"No, it's my turn." Kylie, regretting her inquiry, held up her hand, hoping to prevent an out-and-out war between her two best friends. She took a deep breath. "I already told you most of it when we talked on the phone. But what I still can't get over is that I healed both Lucas and Sara. Which means another ability you can add to my hodgepodge of gifts. Any idea what it could mean? Because I'd really like to figure out what I am."
"We can't figure you out," Miranda said. "You're just a weirdo." She snickered, and even Della cut a quick smile.
Kylie frowned.
Miranda wiped the humor off her face. "Just joking. But seriously, you are ... different. Just the fact that no one can see deep into your pattern, and that it changes, well, it's not normal." She squinted her eyes and stared at Kylie's forehead. "I've never seen a brain pattern shift like that, unless it was a shape-shifter during a shift."
Kylie bit into her lip and considered the wisdom of asking the question now needling her brain. But if she couldn't ask her two best friends, whom could she ask? "What do you know about protectors?"
Silence filled the room. Then Miranda exchanged a quick glance with Della.
"Why?" Miranda asked.
"Shit!" Della said. "Oh, my friggin' God! You're a protector? I mean, I've never met one, but from what I heard they are like ... super, super rare."
Kylie held up her hand to stop Della from jumping to conclusions. "I don't know anything for sure, but Holiday seems to think it's possible. She said that would explain how Daniel died-because he couldn't protect himself. And it would also explain why I couldn't help myself with the vampire."