Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(9)

caring. “They can’t revive her.”

The air in Miranda’s lungs shook. Her vision clouded with emotion. “Please get Kylie to her. Tell Kylie not to let her die. Please!”

“Kylie’s on her way to the hospital now.” He took Miranda’s hand and frowned. “I know you are hurting both physically and emotionally, but

can you answer a few questions?”

Miranda attempted to nod, but the damn neck thing prevented it again. “Yes.”

“Should the FRU take over this case?”

Miranda knew what he was asking. Was something supernatural behind the explosion? She answered with confidence. “Yes.”

Burnett frowned. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Tabitha wanted her fortune told.” Her voice shook. “The old witch seemed half crazy, she might have been practicing black magic, but she

came off more demented than evil. I wasn’t all that worried and then—”

“Did the witch do this?” Burnett asked, impatient to get the answers he wanted.

Miranda tried to think. “I don’t know. She was reading my fortune and she saw the armadillo and then—”

“Saw what?” Burnett’s two words sounded puzzled.

“The armadillo.”

“Armadillo?” Della asked, her tone matching Burnett’s.

They looked at each other as if worried Miranda was out of her head.

“I’m not crazy,” she blurted out. “She had an armadillo.”

Burnett nodded. “Okay. But … what does an armadillo have to do with—”

“I don’t think it was a real armadillo, but someone she cursed and imprisoned. She had it chained up. I … I freed it. She saw it was loose

at the same time she started to read my fortune and then … she seemed to panic. I don’t know if it was because the armadillo had been freed

or because of my fortune. She told us to leave and … then it was like a storm raged inside.”

“A storm?” he asked.

“Wind, lightning. Everything started shaking.”

He nodded. “Did the witch get out?”

“I told her to. But she just stood there. I tried to grab her but she lurched back. I … it was getting bad, louder. So I grabbed Tabitha and

ran.” Miranda’s throat tightened with the realization that she might have left someone to die. And that was wrong. So wrong.

“She didn’t follow you?” he asked.

“No, not out the front. I don’t know if there was a back door. I should have checked, I’m sorry.” Miranda tried to breathe, but it hurt.

“For what?” Della asked. “That bitch of a witch probably did it.”

Miranda didn’t know if she believed it. If she’d done it why would she have told them to leave?

“The armadillo got out,” Miranda added. “It was what woke me when the smoke was blowing at us. It was bad. I couldn’t breathe. I managed to

get Tabitha and I away from the fire.”

“How did you two get here?” Burnett asked.

“Tabitha’s car.” Miranda answered, unsure why he was asking that when she could see the car still parked on the street.

“Who was with you?” he asked.

“Just us. Why?”

Miranda saw Della and Burnett share a glance.

“You sure?” Della asked.

“Positive. What is it?”

“Nothing,” Burnett said, but it didn’t sound like “nothing” and he glanced at Della and then lifted his face as if to test the air.

“He was here,” Della said.

“Who?” Miranda asked again.

Before either of them answered, another man, a half-fae half-were, wearing a black FRU suit, appeared beside Burnett. “The paramedics are

getting pissy. They’re insisting they need to take her in. And the bulldog over there wants…” He lifted one brow as if he was leaving some

things unsaid. “They have some questions. Lots of them.”

Burnett glanced at Miranda. “You did good. Try not to worry.” He stood up and looked at the other agent. “I’m calling this in. We’re

taking over the case. I’m going to the hospital. Get some other agents here to help investigate the scene. Oh, and put out an APB.” He looked

at Miranda, frowned, and then refocused on the agent. “We’re looking for an old witch and an armadillo.”

The man’s eyes widened. “You’re joking?”

“When have you ever known me to joke?”

*

Shawn Hanson was late to a date. He didn’t do late. But his mom had insisted he sit and listen to her criticism of his recent choices. So he

listened, not that he actually heeded her advice. He was almost twenty. His mom didn’t dictate who he dated.

Parking his car in front of the restaurant where he was supposed to meet Miranda, her sister, as well as Anthony Bastin, he got out in a hurry,

hoping she wasn’t upset at him.

“Hey,” Shawn offered a quick hello to Anthony who stood outside the restaurant. Anthony smiled and leaned in as if to embrace him. Shawn did

a quick back step, discouraging the physical contact. Not that he blamed the guy. He was … French, which basically meant a tad touchy-feely.