Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(92)

She felt him bury his face in her hair. The embrace of gratitude slowly changed to something more. Something soft and romantic.

Closing her eyes, she savored his scent, the safe feel of his arms around her.

“I love you,” he said, pulling her a little closer.

She recalled Tabitha’s words. Love screws with your head and your heart.

Pulling back, she gazed up into his eyes. She knew he ached to hear her say everything was okay, but God help her, she was afraid. Afraid to give herself to the emotion when … when she could see how love had messed up her entire family.

He sighed as if her silence spoke louder than words. “I won’t give up.”

She nodded and for some reason she liked hearing that. Maybe all she needed was time. Then she leaned back against him and just let him hold her. For now, wasn’t that enough?

*

The next day, around noon, Miranda stood in a circle of five witches in the large auditorium, bracketed between the two twins. Her palms were sweating. Sienna had dropped out of the competition, so the council had flown in the runner-up.

Tabitha had come to see her in her dressing room right before the competition started. Her words rang in Miranda’s ear. As long as one of us wins, I’ll be happy. Tabitha had hugged her and wished her good luck. The honesty in her sister’s eyes told Miranda her sister meant it.

The meeting her dad had been intent on having yesterday had taken place this morning. It had been short and sweet. Their father had basically repeated what he’d told her earlier, and asked both girls’ forgiveness for handling things poorly.

Miranda’s mom had sat quietly, tears in her eyes, the whole time. Mary Esther, sitting in the opposite corner with her daughter, had looked hurt. Hearing her husband confess his love to Miranda’s mom must have been hard. The same look was reflected in Tabitha’s eyes. Yup, love could really screw people up.

Afterward, the two moms agreed to at least try to be civil to each other. It was more than Miranda expected. Especially from Mary Esther. Tabitha was right, it seemed clear that the woman still cared about their father.

After the meeting, they had all come to the auditorium together. Miranda hadn’t said much to either of her parents. Not that it stopped her mom from visiting Miranda before Tabitha had showed up.

Her mom had hugged her, told her how proud she was of her, and that she was certain Miranda would win this competition. “It’s in your blood.” She had raised Miranda’s chin and looked her right in the eyes. “You realize this is it. You’ll be eighteen in a few months. You can’t enter this competition again. Win this for your mama.”

As her mom started out, Miranda asked, “Did you know?”

“Know what?” her mom asked.

“Know Dad was married?”

She blinked, and then answered. “Not at first.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Miranda said, noting the guilt in her mom’s eyes.

Her mom frowned. “I was suspicious, but I didn’t know for sure.” She sighed. “I guess I should have been more inquisitive.”

“Yeah,” Miranda answered.

“Sometimes it’s easier to see only what you want to see,” her mom had continued with sadness in her eyes.

“Tabitha Evans,” the reigning high priestess called out. Hearing her sister’s name pulled Miranda out of her thoughts and back to the present—back to the competition. She and her sister were the last two to perform in the U.S. part of the competition. Miranda watched with pride as her sister stepped up and moved the flame from the fireplace to the candle, earning herself the complete hundred points for the spell.

Tabitha and Miranda were tied before this last challenge. If Miranda got the entire hundred points, the council would use the score from the last competition to break the tie. And since she’d beaten Tabitha, the tie would rule in Miranda’s favor.

All she had to do was to complete this last little spell without a hitch, and she would be high priestess. Then she’d have to do one more competition with the other foreign contestants. But even if she flunked that round, she’d still be high priestess for the U.S. She’d have made her mother one happy woman. She would have finally made her mother proud.

“Miranda Kane.” The speaker of the council called her name.

Miranda moved to the front and gazed at the audience. Perry stood in the back watching her. A soft smile in his eyes—patience in his expression.

Shawn stood by Burnett. She didn’t have a clue what she was going to do about him. But seeing his warm gaze just made her feel worse.

Shifting her focus up to the front of the crowd, she saw her mom, her eyes so full of hope and pride, and holding tight to her father’s hand. Mary Esther sat three seats away. Alone. The seat next to her was empty.

Shifting ever so slightly, Miranda cut her eyes to Tabitha. Her half-sister stared into the audience. Her expression the same as it had been during the meeting—disillusioned. Was she thinking about her mom?

“You can begin,” the announcer’s voice rang loud. Taking a deep breath, unsure she could do this, Miranda extended her hand. “Fire to flame. Smaller but the same. I move thee to the wick in the Goddess’s name.”

The spark rose from the fire, a perfect little spark, red with tiny streaks of blue. It moved slowly to the candle and hung above it for several seconds. Finally it lowered. The warm glow touched the wick and … vanished. A small puff of smoke snaked up to the ceiling, taking with it Miranda’s dreams. Her mother’s dreams.