Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(104)

have given anything to stay there. To feel her sleeping on his chest. To be the one to make sure she was safe.

But he knew the best way to help Miranda was to find her sister. Last night, Perry had remembered again the conversation he’d heard at Jax’s

house. The warlock had said he’d only gotten 50 percent of what Jax was supposed to deliver. Miranda must be the other 50 percent.

How Perry was going to keep from ripping out his brother’s heart and feeding it to him was a mystery.

“Holiday spoke with Ms. Wales late last night,” Burnett said.

“Ms. Wales?” Perry didn’t recognize the name.

“Holiday’s old professor with the same tattoo as Miranda.”

Perry leaned forward. “Yeah, Miranda mentioned her. Does she know something?”

“Not exactly, but something she said might shed some light on things—if she’s correct. Holiday admits she’s an eccentric.”

“What did she say?” Perry asked.

“Holiday had never mentioned anything to the woman about Tabitha being missing. When Holiday told her, she remembered her mom warned her to

never show her tattoo, because according to her grandmother there were a gang of evil Wiccans in the world who would try to take her. Ms. Wales

thought her mom was just being overprotective. But she now wonders if perhaps she was never in danger because she was only half Wiccan.”

“But Tabitha doesn’t have the tattoo,” Perry said, thinking aloud.

“She did when the fortune-teller read her palm the first time. Tabitha told me that Miranda’s tattoo was bigger than hers. But she said her

tattoo had been a lot bigger than that of her friends when they went.”

“So the fortune reader was just a ruse to find girls with power?”

“It’s a theory.”

“So the tattoo could be the reason they want them, but to do what? Did Shawn come up with anything?”

Burnett’s expression went grave. So grave Perry’s gut did another twist.

“Nothing definite. But a couple of old cases in the eighties offered two possible motives. Both equally disgusting. You sure you want to hear

them?”

“No,” Perry said. “But I probably need to know.”

“One rogue Wiccan gang was kidnapping young witches of child-bearing age. The plan had been for their leaders, the strongest of the warlocks,

to impregnate them so he could produce powerful heirs to build an army.”

Perry clenched his fists resting in his lap.

“Another gang who practiced black magic were believed to want the witches to sacrifice, believing their powers would be transferred to the one

who wielded the knife.”

Perry closed his eyes. “Shit.”

“I know.” Burnett twisted in Holiday’s chair. It squeaked. Perry’s desire to run back to Miranda to stay with her grew stronger. His gut

still said it wasn’t right. “You have to make sure Miranda is safe.”

“I’m putting a shadow on her, even in the camp.” Burnett picked up a pencil and twirled it in his hand. “Do you think Jax will really trust

you with information about the Wiccan gang that has Tabitha?”

Perry looked up. “I sure as hell hope so. I’m the only chance we’ve got.”

Burnett frowned. “Do you have a meeting set up with him today?”

“He said he’d call my mom and tell us where and when to meet him.”

“Why doesn’t he call you directly?”

“He said he doesn’t trust me enough yet.”

Burnett slammed back in the chair. It sounded like a couple of screws popped off.

“If he discovers you are working with the FRU…” His gaze met Perry’s. “You’d better make it out of this unscathed.”

*

“You awake?” Miranda stormed into Della’s room.

Miranda had woken up when Perry had left. Without his arms around her, her concern for her sister threatened to consume her and pull her into a

dark mental place where everything felt hopeless.

Instead of letting depression swallow her, Miranda chose to get mad. Mad at whoever had taken her sister. She paced around her bedroom thinking

about how she’d like to kick their ass.

Thoughts of kicking someone’s ass had driven her to wake up Della.

Della lay there, eyes open, a cranky lump under her covers. “I am since you started stomping around your bedroom.”

“Good, can we go practice fighting?”

Kylie had also been training her, but Della’s methods stuck better.

Della lifted her head an inch and glanced at the window. “It’s not even six.”

“Please.”

Della rose up on her elbow. “Fine. You head that way. I’ll pee and brush the crud off my teeth and be there waiting for you.”

Miranda started out.

“Wait,” Della said.

“What?” Miranda looked back. Della held her phone in her hand.

“Give me a minute and I’ll walk you.”

“Why?”

Della frowned. “Burnett wants you shadowed.”

Miranda’s eyes widened. “Here? He’s overreacting.”