Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(57)

“What?” Burnett asked, looking at Della for explanation.

Kylie took a step closer. “And she’s the one who was spying on you at Shadow Falls, too, right?”

“I’m lost here!” Burnett said. “Who is she? And when was she spying on you at the camp?”

“A long time ago.” Miranda shook her head. “It was nothing.”

“Piece of cake,” Della said. “Miranda put her in a cage for a while and then Kylie told her she couldn’t keep her, so Miranda released her.”

Burnett shook his head. His gaze and frown shot back to Miranda. “Could Tabitha be responsible for this?”

Miranda shrugged under his intense gaze, but forced herself to speak her mind. “Tabitha is crazy, but … I mean, dropping shit at someone’s door is one thing. Killing … I don’t think she’d do that.”

“Well, someone did it, and until we know for sure, you need to stay on guard. Your winning the competition could mean you’re the next target.”

“Next target for what?” she asked and then her heart pounded when she realized what he meant. She was the next target for murder.

Thoughts ran amok in her mind. Murder. Murder.

“Wait. I felt it,” she finally spit out.

“Felt what?” Burnett asked.

“A foreboding. Danger.”

Burnett looked at Shawn. “You didn’t feel it?”

“No. Predictions of danger is a special gift. It doesn’t run in my family.”

Burnett looked back at Miranda. “Do you know who sent you this message?”

“No one sent it. It’s like ESP. I just picked up on it. But if I feel it again, I’ll recognize the source as the same one.”

Burnett shook his head. “So you felt this warning and you didn’t do anything?”

She didn’t like how that sounded, but he did have a point. “Well, I … I thought it was a mood spell, but then…”

“Then what?” Burnett asked impatiently.

“I thought Tabitha was doing it, and then … Tabitha was acting crazy. She told me to stop it, like I was the one putting the spell on her.”

“So you think you both felt the warning?” Burnett looked confused.

“Not likely,” Shawn said. “As I said, the gift generally runs in a family. And it’s not that common.”

Burnett let go of a deep breath and focused back on Miranda. “So what were you trying to say?”

“I … don’t know. I mean, I sort of thought what you said, that we both were reading it, but Shawn’s right. That isn’t likely. So I’m just trying to make sense of it.”

Burnett’s phone dinged with a text. He looked at it and then back at Miranda. “When you make sense of it, make sure you let me know.” Then his gaze shot back to Shawn. “I need to go do some interviews of the Wicca council. Keep an eye on her. And don’t go out there for interviews or photos until I’m back.”

Shawn’s eyes filled with unease. “But what if her mom comes back in and…”

“Handle her,” Burnett said.

“Didn’t you see her?” Shawn asked. “She can’t be handled.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Della said with sarcasm.





Chapter Six


As soon as Burnett left, Miranda dropped down into a chair and stared at her two best friends standing next to Shawn. “I can’t believe this.”

She took a deep breath and tried to take it all in.

Two girls were dead.

She’d won. She’d freaking won the competition.

Which, according to Burnett, made her a target. She’d possibly just made someone’s hit list. Not good. Not good at all.

But it also meant she was going to Paris.

Going to see Perry.

And Della and Kylie could come with her.

Just before she found some pleasure in that thought, another one hit.

She didn’t deserve to win. Right before the bubble had closed she’d gotten zapped with some kind of juju. And whoever did it had to have some mega power, because no one seemed to notice.

She ran her fingers through her hair. “Crap!”

“Crap what?” Della asked. “You mean your hair? You lost your colors. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“I think it looks good,” Kylie offered.

“It looks boring,” Della said. “Miranda’s not boring.”

“She’s not boring,” Shawn said.

“No, not crap about my hair. Crap … I’m gonna have to recuse myself from the contest.”

“Why?” Kylie asked.

Miranda hated saying it. “Because … because someone helped me. Someone powerful helped me.” Her gaze shifted to Kylie, a chameleon who could shift into any kind of supernatural. “Oh, gawd, I know you love me, but you shouldn’t have done that.”

Kylie bit down on her lip. “I do love you, but I didn’t do anything.”

“You … you didn’t send me power?”

“No.”

“Now me, on the other hand,” Della said. “If I could have, I’d have sent you a bucket load of power.”