Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(53)

*

Miranda had barely gotten to her dressing room for her four-minute reprieve, when a loud knock sounded at her door. Was it Tabitha again? What was it with that girl?

She ran to the door and swung it open. “What the hell is wrong with … you?” She spit out the last word, even though she’d been mistaken on the identity of the knocker.

Or knockers.

Both Kylie and Della stood perched at the door.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” Della smarted back. “You, on the other hand, have got problems! You should have handed them that girl’s head on a platter.”

Miranda pushed her sassy remark aside and went right in for a hug. “This is for cheering for me.” She tightened her embrace. “Gawd, I’ve missed you. How are things at home?”

Della wiggled out of Miranda’s hold. “The same.”

Della had gone back home last week due to her father being arrested for the murder of his sister. She swore her father wasn’t guilty, and it appeared as if it was his twin brother, who was more than likely a rogue vampire, who’d really done the killing. With the help of the FRU, they were trying to solve the cold case.

Miranda couldn’t blame Della for going home, but no one could blame Miranda for wanting her to get her butt back. Shadow Falls wasn’t the same without her.

“Thank you both so much for coming.” Miranda hugged Kylie next.

When she pulled back, the three-minute warning bell rang.

“Shit,” Miranda muttered.

“You’re doing great,” Kylie the optimist said.

“I have to,” she said. “I don’t have time to explain it in detail, but the top five finalists get their way paid to the next competition and it’s in Paris.”

“Paris?” Kylie said. “Wow. And that just happens to be where—”

“Perry is. I know,” Miranda said, and looked at Della. “I’m trying really hard to win so I can go shake some sense into him. He’ll take one look at me and realize how much he loves me.” So she did want him back, she realized.

“Okay,” Kylie said, but she didn’t sound overly confident.

“Screw Perry,” Della said. “Do you know who’s here?”

Miranda scowled and ignored the vamp’s comment. “And the best part is … and this is really good, guys…” She paused to add drama. “If I win first place, you two get to come with me. Mom’s agreed to pay.”

Kylie and Della stood there dumbstruck.

“Isn’t that great?” she asked.

Della started shaking her head, and Miranda spoke up again. “Duh, have you forgotten, Steve’s in Paris, too.” Steve being Della’s almost boyfriend.

“But—”

“Just for a few days,” Miranda added.

Della frowned. “I can’t run off to Paris. I’ve got to help my dad.”

“Please,” Miranda pleaded. “I need you two there. You are my champions. I’ll screw it up without you two.”

The one-minute bell rang. “I gotta go. Just think about it. You can’t let me down. You can’t.”

*

Miranda rushed out and stood in the circle of ten … and felt it immediately. Her palms itched with nerves. Not just from the competition or the sense of trouble. Though those both added to her level of anxiety. But now, accompanying that unease, was the sensation of being singled out—studied.

Searching the crowd, she spotted her mom, and even Della and Kylie settling back into their seats. None of them were causing her this discomfort. She let her gaze shift around, when all of a sudden, she saw a curtain to a doorway to the back auditorium flutter closed. Instantly, the feeling faded. Someone had been watching her. Could it be the same person casting the mood spell?

She probably should have mentioned that to Kylie and Della, but her mind hadn’t gone there.

Inhaling, Miranda realized that Tabitha—frowning—stood beside her. Was Tabitha feeling any of this? The temptation to lean in and whisper the question bit hard.

But then a judge stood to address the crowd. Miranda pushed past the unease to listen. The last spell had purposely been left out of the brochure—a test of their spontaneity. Miranda sucked at spontaneity.

“Today, we have decided to test the contestants’ ability to call upon one of the elemental powers.”

Miranda’s breath caught. Not fire. Not fire. Please not fire. The one thing she sucked at more than spontaneity was …

“Fire.” The high priestess held up her hand and a flame came out of her fingertips.

Heavyhearted, Miranda considered walking off the stage. Her inability to control this particular elemental power had left a mark on her, or rather it had left a mark on her father.

She’d been eight and mortified when her attempt to light a candle had created a fireball running amuck around the house. Running until it found her father’s backside. The poor man hadn’t been able to sit down for a week. Not that he had punished her. He’d simply laughed, saying his mooning days were over. Unlike her mom, he never seemed to care that she wasn’t perfect.

Looking around again, she questioned her reasons for putting herself through the embarrassment of trying and failing.

The answer came back. For Perry.

“Our first contestant is … Tabitha Evans.”