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who’d raised her hand and asked about Kylie in the big meeting. They had their heads together, whispering, and they both stared at Kylie as if she didn’t belong there. And damn if Kylie didn’t agree with them. That’s when Kylie realized that Lucas was dressed goth, too. Or at least he wore a black T-shirt. Of course, he looked really good in that shirt. It fit his upper torso—his very lean yet muscular upper torso—like a glove. So unfair, how guys didn’t have to follow any fashion guidelines to look good.
    Realizing she was staring at the guy’s abs, and that the goth chick was smirking at her, Kylie turned away and pretended she hadn’t noticed the girl’s rude expression. Now if she could just pretend none of this was happening. Right then the pierced guy fell into step beside Kylie. She glanced at him and tried to smile. They might be strangers, but at least they’d ridden the same bus and he seemed just as clueless as she was.
    He leaned in. “You wouldn’t have brought any drugs with you, would you?”
    Kylie’s jaw dropped open in shock and mortification. Just shoot me now. Friggin’ great. Thanks to her little slip in the dining room, everyone now considered her a druggie.
    *   *   *
    Holiday, her red hair flowing down her back, led them into a smaller cabin with a tin roof, located right behind the dining hall. From the wooden-plank porch hung a sign that read CAMP OFFICE. Kylie and the other four followed her to a back room that looked like a classroom.
    “Have a seat, guys.” Holiday leaned against the desk in the front as she waited for everyone to settle in.
    Kylie felt the woman’s gaze on her every few seconds as if she thought Kylie might try to bolt. Much to Holiday’s credit, the idea had crossed Kylie’s mind more than once. Hence the reason she chose the desk closest to the door.
    Yet something kept Kylie from running, something besides the fact that she had never excelled at the fifty-yard dash. Something more than fear of being caught trying to escape.
    Curiosity.
    For an unknown reason, Kylie sensed that whatever Holiday had to say, it was going to explain things. And Kylie desperately wanted an explanation.
    “Okay,” Holiday said, and offered everyone what appeared to be a relax-everything-is-cool kind of a smile. Nevertheless, it was going take more than a smile to convince Kylie.
    “What I have to say is going to be a relief to most of you, because deep down you’ve known that something was … different. Some of you have known it all your life, some of you have only recently come upon your destiny, but either way, this is probably going to be a shock.” Holiday’s gaze shifted to Kylie. “You guys are here because you are special. Gifted.”
    Holiday paused and Kylie waited for someone to ask the question, and when no one did, she blurted it out. “Define special.”
    “We’ve all read about the supernaturals, thing of legends, and from childhood, we’re taught that they don’t exist. The truth is that they do exist. Not everyone in the world is alike. And some of us are a lot more different than others. Some of us were born like this, some of us were changed. But no matter how this happened to you, if you are here it is because this is your destiny. It was chosen for you.”
    “Wait a minute,” Kylie said before she could stop herself. “What are … I mean, are you saying that … that things like … like—”
    “Vampires exist?” Pierced Guy asked. “Oh, shit. I knew I wasn’t crazy. That’s why I got really sick.”
    Kylie had to swallow to keep from laughing. She’d been about to say things like angels, but this was … it was stupid. The boy had obviously done too many drugs. Everyone knew that … that vampires and crap like that didn’t exist.
    She waited for Holiday to correct the guy. And then waited some more. During that second delay, Kylie remembered how cold Pale Girl’s touch had been. She remembered Blond Boy’s ever