Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(105)

Della popped up. “Yeah, that means he cares about you. Don’t you hate it when people do that?” She snagged clothes from her closet and shot

over to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later they stood by the lake, the eastern sky a rainbow of colors. Della was showing her how to flip someone over her shoulder.

Miranda listened, soaking in every word, and tried really hard not to think about the sound of rushing water. Nope, she didn’t want to think

about that.

Instead she thought about using each and every attack move Della showed her on her sister’s kidnappers.

“I’m going to pull you over my shoulder this time,” Della said. “I won’t do it hard, but I think you’ll understand more what I mean. Come

at me from behind like I showed you.” Miranda did and air whooshed out of her when Della effortlessly grabbed her upper arm, tossed her over

her shoulder, then set her—gently—on the ground.

Miranda popped up. “Do you think I could do that? Even without your strength?” She inhaled again thinking about Tabitha, wishing her sister

knew how to protect herself. Wishing Miranda was there to protect her.

“Yeah. Humans do it.”

“Can I try?” Miranda asked.

Della took a small step back, motioning with her hand up and down. “You’re getting your tattoo groove on.”

Miranda looked at the pattern spidering down her legs. “I think Ms. Wales was right. They come when I get emotional.”

“You’re emotional?” Della asked.

“Mad as hell,” Miranda admitted, and saying it out loud felt good. “Someone took my sister, killed Anthony’s brother, and almost killed

Anthony.”

“Yeah, pisses me off, too,” Della admitted. Then she smiled. “Does it work when you feel pleasssurre?”

It did. Miranda had woken up last night in Perry’s arms, aware of his naked chest, and saw herself all painted up. Not that she cared to share

that with Della.

“Forget the tattoos. Let me try to throw you,” Miranda said.

“You aren’t able to use your arm.”

“I can move it some.” Miranda showed her how she could reach up to her shoulder with the cast on.

“Yeah but…”

“You scared?” she taunted, knowing it would convince the vamp.

“Don’t hurt yourself. And if you do, you can’t cry.”

Miranda turned, remembering the instructions. “I’m ready.”

She felt Della approaching. Her arm went around Miranda’s neck in a fake chokehold. Miranda caught Della’s forearm with her right hand, bent

slightly over, and gave it all she had.

It happened fast. Miranda gasped when Della went flying. High, like thirty-feet high. A squeal left Miranda’s lips, and she worried Della

would get hurt when she landed.

Not to worry.

Della came down on the balls of her feet. Then Miranda realized how stupid she was. She hadn’t done that. Della had. “Not funny,” she

muttered.

Then she noticed Della’s wide dark eyes filled with serious shock. “Holy crap cakes!” the vamp yelled. “Am I a good teacher or what?”

Miranda stood there, letting it soak in. If she could throw a reborn vampire into the air, think what she could do to her sister’s kidnappers.

In that moment, Miranda resolved to do just that … go after the kidnappers. And an instinct—or premonition—washed over her confirming she

would do just that. Somehow, someway, she was going to save Tabitha.

*

Miranda waited in the conference room at the back of the school’s office as Holiday met her parents in the front. Ms. Wales and Burnett sat at

the other end of the table.

Nerves buzzed around Miranda’s stomach like bees on a witch hunt. And they’d found their witch.

Her palms sweated, her arm under her cast sweated. She had boob sweat. She hated boob sweat.

Footsteps came down the hall announcing the disaster about to happen. Miranda stood and met her parents’ confused gazes.

“What’s going on?” her father asked. “Did Anthony wake up?”

Burnett had informed him about last night’s finding. “No, not yet.”

“Let’s sit down and I’ll explain,” Holiday said.

Holiday and Burnett had concluded that Miranda should tell her parents everything. About the tattoos, the whole mystic connection, and the real

reason she wanted them to sign a consent form to get her blood drawn. Well, not everything. Not about the fact that she’d thrown Della about

thirty feet in the air. Not once, but five times. Holiday and Burnett didn’t know about that.

Miranda had sworn Della to secrecy. The vamp didn’t like it, but Miranda had pulled every girlfriend card she had, pointed out every favor she

’d done, every blood donation she’d made. Della relented, with one condition. They tell Kylie. They had, and Miranda had to pull a few more

girlfriend cards.

Miranda’s mom dashed over to hug her. Sitting beside Miranda, she took her hand, squeezed, and leaned close. “We’ll talk in a few minutes. I

love you. And I’m sorry.”

“I love you, too,” Miranda said and she did. She might have said it with more conviction if she wasn’t plum terrified about what was about