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she asked.
    â€œYeah.” Della tried to keep her voice from shaking.
    Marla smiled that sleepy smile of hers that made her look younger than fourteen. “I told Mom you wouldn’t die, because you wouldn’t leave me. You’d never leave me.” She dropped down on her pillow and drifted back to sleep.
    Tears filled Della’s eyes and the pain of knowing she’d never see her sister again made her heart break. She got up and walked out of the room. She closed the door and saw her packed bag. She’d left the window open, hoping Chan would see it and come back. A breeze entered. It felt … colder. Unnaturally cold. Chills tiptoed up her spine.
    Something fluttering across the wood floor caught Della’s eye. She looked down at the card. She picked it up and saw the name Holiday Brandon scribbled across the card. Below the name was a telephone number and the words S HADOW F ALLS C AMP .
    Vaguely, she remembered the doctor and nurse telling her she could call someone, someone who could help her decide the right thing to do. But she couldn’t call a stranger and ask for help. Or could she?
    Her thoughts went to her sister and Della reached for her phone and dialed.
    â€œShadow Falls Camp,” a woman answered. Della couldn’t speak. “Is someone there?” asked the sleepy voice. “Who is this?”
    Another stream of tears silently slipped down Della’s cheek. “My name is Della Tsang and I need help.”

 
    Chapter One
    â€œDo not put yourselves in any jeopardy. Your job is to infiltrate the gang by showing interest in joining, find out if they’re using murder as a rite of initiation, and then get out. Alive.”
    â€œThat’s my plan, too.” Della Tsang answered with sass, looking up at Burnett James, one of the Shadow Falls Academy owners who also just so happened to work for the FRU—Fallen Research Unit—which was basically the FBI of the supernatural world.
    â€œWe don’t want you to bring anyone in. We don’t want you to take care of the bad guys.” Burnett continued staring right at her.
    Afternoon sun poured into the window of the Shadow Falls office behind him. The crystals sitting on shelves caught the light and cast rainbow-colored mirages on the wall. They danced and shifted as if magical. And maybe they were. Crap like that happened all the time here.
    â€œActually,” Burnett said, drawing Della’s attention back to him, “we don’t think this is the group, but if it is, with your testimony, we’ll have enough proof to get a search warrant and we’re pretty damn positive we should find all the evidence we need to convict.”
    Burnett, six feet plus, with dark hair and eyes, was a hard-ass who worried way too much, but being a vampire like herself, Della respected him and his hard-assness.
    She just wished the respect was mutual. Seriously, didn’t he trust her? Didn’t he know she could friggin’ take care of herself? Did he really have to go over this again ?
    â€œI understand, sir.” Steve, the brown-haired, brown-eyed, great-bodied guy sitting next to her spoke up when she didn’t. For the first time, Della noticed his voice held a hint of a Southern accent that wasn’t just Texan.
    Della glanced over. Steve gave Burnett his complete attention. What an ass-kisser.
    Steve was evidence that Burnett didn’t trust her. Why else would Burnett insist Steve go with her? She didn’t need the shape-shifter. He was just going to slow her down.
    â€œWait,” Burnett said, pacing across the office again. “Let me rephrase that. I don’t want you to just get out alive. I want you to get out just the way you went in. Not wounded, not bruised, and for God’s sake, don’t leave any dead bodies behind. You got that?”
    â€œNow you’re taking all the fun out of it,” Della smarted off.
    Burnett growled. “I’m not