The Darkest Midnight. R. A. Finley

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СКАЧАТЬ was intrigued. “They glow on their own?”

      “Kind of like solar.”

      Eclectica’s customers would love something like that. “Which ones are those? Are they a lot of work to set up?”

      “They’re easier to spot when outside,” Kendra said, sounding amused. “And, no, I think they’re good to go out of the box. Don’t bother asking your next question, because I don’t know the name of the supplier. I’ll have to get it from Murphy.”

      Thia tore her attention away from the window, found her friends both laughing silently at her expense. To Abby, she said, “Come on. You know they’d sell like crazy.”

      “They would.” Abby broke into a grin. “Including to me.”

      Kendra’s green eyes took on a teasing light. “I could call Murphy now and ask—”

      “Don’t you dare.” Abby’s smile vanished.

      A waiter arrived and began filling glasses from a pitcher of ice water.

      “Hey, Danny,” Kendra greeted. “Everything going well?”

      “Busy, but smooth so far,” the young man replied. Ice pinged cheerfully. “Some really good tippers, too.”

      Kendra arched her brows. “We’ll try not to disappoint.”

      “Oh, no, Ms. Ross, I didn’t mean—”

      “Don’t worry about it,” she said, laughing. She looked to the others. “Wine, ladies? Beer? Cocktails?”

      They settled on a bottle of pinot grigio, and then were presented with the specials that included an unusual white salmon. While Danny described the preparation, Thia’s found her gaze drawn to a man seated across the room, near the entrance. Alone. For a moment, she thought he might have been watching them—and that it was the same man from the morning.

      She was wrong on both counts. His focus was entirely on his meal; and while he and Connor Michaels shared a similar build, this man was older and had salt and pepper hair.

      She looked away before he noticed her staring, in time for Danny’s departure.

      Kendra leaned back in her chair, fixed Abby with an interested look. “I thought you and Murphy were doing better. You managed an entire transatlantic flight without incident.”

      “I was feeling generous.”

      Thia took a drink of water, then: “And that generosity has worn off?”

      Abby shrugged and took a drink of her own.

      Danny returned with their wine, pulled the cork with a skilled flourish, and poured Kendra a taste. She swirled it in the glass, sniffed. Sipped. Nodded. And Danny poured into three trendily oversized glasses.

      Thia’s gaze drifted across the room again. The man took up his knife to slice a bite of steak. Was there something familiar about his hands?

      She couldn’t seem to stop looking for things that simply weren’t there. It was almost cruel, what she was doing to herself.

      Danny’s voice cut through her muddled thoughts. “Have you decided on your selections or do you need more time?”

      She hadn’t given them any thought at all, but she didn’t need to. “I’ll have the fried chicken,” she said in turn. Her usual.

      Not that there weren’t other tempting entrees, but she was a sucker for the accompanying mashed potatoes and green beans.

      After Danny left, Abby passed around a basket of warm rosemary bread. “For tonight, Thia, I thought we would try a few focusing exercises. There’s one that—”

      “Is that really the problem, though?” she interrupted, a rush of nerves threatening her appetite. “It wasn’t like my mind wandered or anything until things started breaking. I let go of my focus because I had to. Everything was falling apart.”

      “And you got scared.”

      “Of course! Who wouldn’t?”

      “You thought you were losing control—so you did.” That, from Kendra.

      “Huh?”

      “Before you started,” Abby asked, “were you worried about losing control?”

      As Thia thought back, her gaze drifted again to the lone man as he accepted his check. He said something to make the server laugh as he put cash into the payment folio, and then handed it back with a charming smile.

      “Probably,” she said at last and located her wine glass for a much-welcome drink. Swallowing, she cringed at her friends’ knowing expressions. “Okay, I was. You know I was. I always am.”

      “And so you always do,” Kendra said gently.

      She blew out a resigned breath. “What are you saying?”

      “The problem might not be the power.” Abby’s violet eyes were dark with concern. “The problem might be you.”

      And didn’t that make it all worse.

      “What am I supposed to do about me? I can’t not be afraid.” She set her glass down clumsily. “I’ve seen what the power inside me can do—just some of it—and it’s terrifying. I can’t just snap my fingers and have that knowledge disappear. I can’t meditate it away. I’m scared, plain and simple. I can’t fix that.”

      She looked over, met the man’s gaze. He was familiar, she realized. Not just his hands, but his whole bearing. His whole being. Her vision tunneled. The rest of the room fell away.

      “What is it?” Abby turned in her seat. Her voice seemed to come from a greater distance than that. “Dammit.”

      “What?” Kendra’s voice was no closer.

      The man stood and turned to leave. With his table so close to the entrance, it wouldn’t be long before he reached it.

      Abruptly, Thia’s senses cleared. Sound rushed in and the whole room snapped into sharp focus.

      “It’s nothing,” she said, sorry to have gotten her friends worked up. “I think I must be hungry, that’s all.”

      She forced herself to look away from the man. “I got light-headed or something.”

      “‘Or something’ is right,” Abby said, and pointed. “Is he what’s had more than half your attention since we got here?”

      That was certainly an exaggeration. “I only noticed him when—”

      “Power,” Kendra said, staring after the man. “He’s masking. A lot, if he’s bothering to do it in here.” She frowned. “And he’s using a glamour.”

      “You’re СКАЧАТЬ