Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(90)

Then he was gone. A blur racing across the sky.

“I want to know what he ate for breakfast,” Anthony said, no doubt awed by Chase’s speed and strength.

All of a sudden the metal door on the ground leading to the catacombs creaked open.

Miranda jumped back; Anthony moved forward.

Out of the ground came a beam of light. Miranda blinked and saw Kylie.

She glowed like she always did when she was in protective mode.

Beside Kylie appeared a fierce-looking bird from the Dark Ages. His blue eyes met Miranda’s briefly and he flapped his wings as if in warning to Anthony. Then flashed two other vampires. Two Miranda loved: Burnett and Della.

Miranda saw Della lift her head up in the air as if testing for scents.

Burnett, his eyes glowing the same lime green as Della’s, shot forward. “Friend or foe?” he asked Miranda, staring at Anthony.

“Friend,” Miranda said.

Della moved closer and lifted her face into the air again. “Was…”

“Yes,” Miranda said and tears filled her eyes. “Chase was here. He saved us.”

Della, looking confused, took off, no doubt hoping to find Chase.

Burnett moved in. “Are you okay?”

Miranda nodded and she couldn’t stop grinning, but she couldn’t stop crying either.

“But I need a hug,” she said and grabbed Burnett.

*

“This is ridiculous,” Tabitha said, sitting beside Miranda at the supernatural doctor’s office. “We told him we were okay. We don’t need treatment!”

By him, Miranda knew her sister meant Burnett. He’d insisted on taking them in to be checked. Anthony, too. The good-looking French vampire just happened to be in with the doctor now.

She looked over at Burnett and Perry, along with Kylie, Della, and Shawn standing right outside the waiting room. Della had returned only a few seconds after she’d taken off. Chase had gotten away. Miranda had passed on Chase’s message. Della hadn’t been happy, but something in her eyes told Miranda that Chase wasn’t the only one who still cared.

Tabitha clutched her hands together and moaned, bringing Miranda back to the present. “He’s the most stubborn and—

“Lovable,” Miranda said, glancing back at Burnett. “He’s amazing. They all are,” she said, and felt emotion tightening her throat again. She didn’t know why she suddenly was so weepy. Maybe getting kidnapped and almost becoming some rogue’s dinner was her breaking point.

Tabitha stopped talking and followed Miranda’s gaze. “He doesn’t like me. None of them do.”

“They just don’t know you,” Miranda said. “And you did the horse-crap spell on me. They’re very protective.”

She heard Tabitha sigh. “You act like they’re family.”

Miranda smiled. “They are.”

“What does that make me?” Tabitha asked, almost sounding jealous.

Miranda looked at her. “Family, too.” She smiled and noted how matted her sister’s hair was. “You look terrible. You got mud—”

“You should see yourself,” Tabitha said and chuckled. She reached over and squeezed Miranda’s hand. “I’m glad we didn’t die.”

“Me, too,” Miranda said.

“You know, I realize it was mostly that other vampire … Chase, who helped us, but I think we saved ourselves, too.”

Miranda nodded, liking her sister’s point of view. “We did save ourselves, too.”

“I’ll bet our dad and moms are worried,” Tabitha said.

“Yeah,” Miranda agreed.

The door of the examining room opened and Anthony walked out and looked at them.

But he mostly had eyes for Tabitha.

“Next,” he said.

“I’ll go,” Tabitha said and she leaned close. “Maybe you should go talk to Perry, he keeps looking at you.”

Miranda sighed. She’d noticed Perry staring. Normally, she could read him and at least kind of know what he was thinking. Not now. He almost looked scared to talk to her. Did he think she blamed him for leaving her on the roof?

How could he think that?

She’d heard someone say that it was because of Perry that they’d been found. He’d left Miranda on the building after he’d seen a vampire flying away with Tabitha. He’d gone to help her, not knowing the other vamp had been around. Unfortunately, he’d lost sight of the vamp and Tabitha about a half mile from the castle. But that had been when Chase had spotted him flying overhead and followed in his direction at a vampire’s speed. So it was because of Perry that Chase knew where to find them.

Tabitha walked back into the doctor’s office. Anthony dropped down in the chair next to Miranda.

“I know you are the one who first wanted to save me,” he said. “I owe you a big thank you.” His French accent was kind of nice. Even sexy if you were into accents.

She looked at him. “It was just a little blood. I donate to the blood bank at Shadow Falls.” She looked down at the two tiny marks on her wrist where Anthony’s teeth had sank into her skin. “But it’s not a direct deposit like it was with you.”

“You and your sister are good people.”

“Thank you,” Miranda said.