Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(3)

“No. Just a few more minutes.” Tabitha grabbed Miranda’s hand. “I need to know what she says about Anthony. And I don’t want to do it

alone.”

Anthony was a French vampire she and her sister had met while in Paris. He’d come to Texas about three weeks ago and he and Tabitha had been

dating secretly behind her mother’s back, because her mom insisted she only date warlocks. While Miranda’s mom didn’t apply quite the same

pressure, she often reminded Miranda how pleased she was to have her now dating someone of her own kind. “It’s just easier to make a

relationship work when there are no culture issues,” her mom had said.

Just because something was easier, didn’t mean it was right.

Nevertheless, her mom’s unappreciated words of wisdom were just enough to make Miranda worry. Worry that if things didn’t work out between

her and Shawn she’d be disappointing her mom once again. And that seemed to be something Miranda excelled at lately.

“You promised,” Tabitha pleaded.

Yeah, Miranda had promised, and letting Tabitha down felt wrong, too. They were sisters after all.

“Fine. But we’re going to be late meeting Shawn and Anthony.” Miranda glanced back at the witch. “Go ahead.” She pushed her feelings

aside, determined not to believe a damn thing the witch said.

Rising on skinny legs, the old woman reached out. Before Miranda knew her intent, her deed was done.

“Ouch!” She glared at the woman and rubbed her scalp where the old witch had yanked out her hair. The witch dropped Miranda’s strawberry

blond strands into an old stone bowl that looked blackened from fire.

The old sorceress slowly raised her arms. Her creaky and almost crippled body danced as if that could add power to her spell. Complete

theatrics. Every witch knew all she really needed to move was her pinky.

Yet, Miranda took advantage of the woman’s dog and pony show and pointed her own pinky toward the hidden animal in the shadows. The light

clink of the chain falling away was barely audible but told Miranda she’d accomplished her objective.

Now to figure out how to accomplish her other objective—getting the hell out of here.

The witch stopped dancing and started to chant. “Two strands of a fair maiden’s hair, a tip of a raven’s feather.” She picked up a feather

and used the sharpened edge of a long fingernail to cut off the very end of the feather. The tiny ink-black clippings floated down,

disappearing into the bowl.

She raised her gaze and her voice up, as if speaking to a greater power. “A scraping of a cat’s claw, the breath of pure magic, and the fire

from the devil himself!”

Okay. That last ingredient gave Miranda’s nerves another hit. Was the witch well acquainted with the devil? Did she partner with evil to

accomplish her magic? Or was this just part of a well-practiced act?

Pushing back the urge to panic, Miranda noted that the woman didn’t look as evil as she did demented. Not that both couldn’t be dangerous.

Then the witch used another fingernail, talon-like in appearance, to scratch away a few tiny particles from the feline claw. The mere specks of

dust cascaded down to the bowl as if they knew their path and dared not detour. She lifted her face, pursed her lips, and breathed into the

air. A plume of fire burst forth and she reached up. Catching one of the red embers between her gnarled fingers, she dropped it into the bowl.

Flames rose from the brew and the recognizable stench of burnt hair filled the room.

Miranda put her hand over her nose and cut her eyes to the door. Okay, now it looked a little more like black magic than an act. Would it be

cowardly of her to run? Probably.

Did she care?

No. Not about appearing like a coward—bravery wasn’t her forte—that was Kylie and Della’s cup of tea. Her roommates were badass. But

Miranda did care … about Tabitha.

As if reading her mind, Tabitha’s hand came out and gripped Miranda’s arm.

Inhaling a deep gulp of singed air, she resigned herself to carry through. After all, this wasn’t the first time she’d come face-to-face with

black magic.

Chin held high, she turned to the woman again, the flames from the bowl flickered in the witch’s eyes and made their gray color brighten to a

cold hue of silver.

“Can we get this show on the road? We’ve got a double date to be at in fifteen minutes.” Miranda forced a calm in her voice that she didn’t

feel.

Are you afraid of what you will learn? Afraid my words will tear your soul apart?

The witch’s questions echoed inside Miranda’s head and registered as truth. Her heart admitted it wasn’t just the possibility of black magic

that sent her pulse dancing. She was afraid of hearing she’d made a mistake. That she shouldn’t have turned her back on Perry, a shape-

shifter she’d loved, to turn her sights on Shawn Hanson, a hot warlock FRU agent. Maybe her heart wasn’t ready.

And that next weekend might be the biggest mistake of all. Going away a few days with Shawn pretty much said they were taking the relationship

up a notch. A notch that meant getting naked, getting naughty, and knocking out her whole still-a-virgin-at-almost-eighteen issue.