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Della flinched "You didn’t say anything, did you?"

"Oh, no Burnett made it very clear I was never to speak with anyone about any of this unless it was cleared by hiuess"

"Curious about what?" Della asked

"How it happens… Did you get bit by another vampire?"

"No I mean, a few people are turned that way Most va both parents are already vampires, are turned when they have an open wound and they coular person know if they are a carrier of the virus?" she asked, as if frightened she ht be one of them

"They usually don’t But the FRU released statistics that less than one percent of the population are carriers So I don’t think you have to worry"

Ms Galen nodded as if euess that makes you kind of special," she offered with a senuine

"That’s one way of looking at it," Della said, but she wasn’t sure she’d agree Being "special," as Ms Galen put it, had cost her a lot Her family Her life as she’d known it

Right then, Della wondered, if Kylie’s mom could accept this, why couldn’t her parents? Was it possible that someday she could tell her parents the truth?

Ms Galen walked closer and rested her hand on Della’s shoulder as if to show she wasn’t afraid anyht treesture; she did So htened with unwanted emotion

"Kylie’s told me how much you and Miranda mean to her," Ms Galen continued "She said you tere her friends when no one else wanted to accept her I want you to know that I appreciate that"

"She’s been a good friend to me, too," Della said

The wo Della To avoid it, to avoid seeing the shock in her eyes when she felt Della’s cold temperature, she took a step back "Thanks for the drink" Thanks for trying to acceptyou like"

When Della stepped back into the living roo "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Della said "I don’t think she’s gonna stake ht now"

"I wouldn’t have let her do that," Miranda said, and they both giggled

"I told you it was going to be okay," Kylie said "My mom has her flaws, but she’s not all bad"

"You’re lucky" Della plopped on the sofa on the other side of Kylie

Miranda leaned forward and grinned at Della "Why is she lucky? Because she has two of the coolest friends ever?"

"No" Della rolled her eyes "Because she has a cool mom" Della recalled the look on her father’s face when she’d tried to hug hi herself to think he ever would

"Well, that, too" Miranda glanced at Kylie "Your mom is pretty hip"

"I think I’m lucky to have all of you" The chameleon smiled "I love it that you’re here atyou into this part of my life" Kylie reached out and squeezed both Della’s and Miranda’s ar" Miranda bounced off the sofa, stood in front of thehed and tolerated it Then again, it wasn’t so hard to tolerate Every day the bond between the three of the in her chestthe went bad? "You knohat, guys," Della said, pulling out of the hug "I think too in the funeral home alone Just let me--"

"No," both Kylie and Miranda said at the same time

Kylie frowned "You pro risky And while I don’t see this as dangerous, going alone is a risk And that wouldyour pro crazy happens and it becoerous?"

Which was exactly why Della didn’t want them there "I think they’d be more likely to talk to me, a vampire, if I’m alone"

"I can becoo in there they o in byfirm like it did when she turned into a protector

Yet, protector or not, she could still be hurt And Miranda was as defenseless as a puppy Plus it wasn’t just about the their asses put in slings by Burnett If Della got caught and landed in the lap of trouble, so be it, but she didn’t want to bring her friends with her

Della let go of a frustrated gulp of air "I thought about this If I go in alone, I have two choices If the old man sounds cooperative, I’ll just ask questions If I sense he won’t talk, I can pretend I’oes for it, then at least we’ll know for sure that he does the fake funerals and he was behind Chan’s, and probably ht still be alive"

"You’re not going in alone," Miranda said

"Wait She can go in alone" Kylie so invisible and I’ll hold Miranda’s hand and then they won’t knoe’re there That way, if trouble starts up, I’ll go badass on them And Miranda will…" Kylie looked at Miranda as if she knew the witch didn’t want to feel as if she didn’t contribute "She’ll turn therinned

"I could do that with just a twitch of my pinkie," Miranda said, and held up her hand

"That justit a lot If Della was careful not to start trouble, then no one would even know Kylie and Miranda were there And Della would work really hard to avoid any chaos

"Or I could give them pimples," Miranda blurted out "And some nasty jock-itch rash on their boys And we kno seriously guys worry about their boys"

Della couldn’t help it: She laughed How had she gotten so lucky to find these two?

Chapter Eighteen