Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(125)

The witch held out her pinky. The ground started shaking. Then it split open and a cavern appeared.

“I told you,” Jeremiah said, staring at Zander with pride and … love. “Now go, you still have to hurry. I’ll wait for Tabitha here.”

*

Miranda, holding the folds of the dress in her hands, had to work to keep up with Zander. The older witch now carried a flashlight,

illuminating the way. The cavern walls seemed to get smaller and smaller.

Miranda started to feel isolated, shut off from everything and everyone she knew and loved. Their footfalls echoed. The damp, dank smell of

darkness filled the air.

“Be careful of the snakes,” Zander said.

Miranda looked down and saw a big fat one slithering away. She wanted to scream but was afraid she might alert someone they were here. Did she

need to be quiet? Questions filled her head as she ran.

“Where are we going?” she asked in a low out-of-breath voice. She glanced at her feet, glad she’d worn her tennis shoes instead of flip-

flops. “Where’s Tabitha?”

“If she did as I told her, we should be close to her now.” Zander’s voice sounded less breathless than Miranda’s. Did the witch always run

this path?

“I still don’t understand,” Miranda said. “If we find her, why can’t we just all three leave?”

Still running, Zander looked at her. Miranda saw the empathy in the witch’s eyes. “If things work out you’ll have plenty of time with her

later.”

If? Miranda’s heart skipped a beat, her feet pounded the rock floor. “Damn it, Zander, I need answers!” She stopped.

Zander stopped and held her stomach. “The guards, they do hourly checks,” Zander said. “They have guards set up in various stations in the

woods. If we are not there, they release the guards. They will catch us in the woods. Do you think others have not tried? They have and all

have died.”

“Then why didn’t you just bring her with you?” Miranda asked.

“I clean the guard’s houses. That’s the only way I could get you in time. I could not have gotten and taken her with me. I tried to find

another way, there was none. I even asked the Goddesses, there is no other way. Now, we must go. Or we all die.”

Frustration rose in Miranda’s chest. But she commenced to running. She recalled her talk with Jeremiah in the falls. “Jeremiah said you had a

plan that with my power we could escape.”

“Yes. We’ll talk when we get to the cell.”

Cell? Mother crackers!

Miranda picked up the pace, concentrating on the sound of their feet hitting the rock floor. She tried to keep her breath even. She’d taken up

running once, for about a month. This reminded her why she’d hated it.

Zander looked at her again. “You are brave and courageous. I admire you for that.”

“No I’m not. I’m scared shitless,” Miranda said. “I’m not doing this because I’m brave. I’m doing it because I don’t want anyone I

love to die.”

“And that’s what courage is. Doing something in spite of fear.”

All of a sudden a small light appeared farther down the cavern. It waved like a flashlight.

“It’s your sister,” Zander said.

Miranda ran harder, hoping to earn herself another second with Tabitha.

“Remember no time … to waste,” Zander said behind her.

As the light drew closer, Miranda could make her sister out. She wore the same blue dress as Miranda. They ran right into each other’s arms.

“Zander says we don’t have much time,” Miranda said, still in the embrace. She pulled back. Air hung in her lungs, her sides ached, but she

forced the words out. “You okay?”

“Yes. Because of Zander and you. I heard you comforting me. Thank you.”

Zander caught up. Tabitha turned to her. “Are you sure I can’t stay and help? Maybe we should all run.”

“No. Go! Jeremiah is waiting. If the gate is closed … Hide where I showed you. I have it set to open again in a few hours.” Zander grabbed

Miranda’s arm.

“Go,” Miranda told Tabitha, and with tears in her throat, Miranda took off running again. Every few minutes, Miranda would glance over her

shoulder to check on Tabitha.

“You sure she’ll be okay?” Miranda asked, her air coming out in short gasps.

“Her odds are good.”

Miranda almost asked about her own odds. But decided not knowing might be better. The sound of their breathing echoed. The cavern seemed to get

smaller still.

Tears ran down Miranda’s face, her sides hurt from running, her heart hurt from thinking of Perry, Kylie, and Della. They were going to hate

her. She might not even blame them. Then her thoughts shifted to Tabitha and fear kept her moving. “Ask the trees to help your sister,”

Zander said.

After another few minutes, Zander came to an abrupt stop. “From here on out, no talking. Remove your shoes, throw them there.”

“What about the snakes?” Miranda whispered, but she kicked off her shoes, and tossed them.