Satyrday Night Fever (The Paranormals #4) - Andie M. Long Page 0,1

w- with me, but the th- thing is, do you remember the final of the concert?"

"Yesss." He said a little hesitantly. As I looked at his face staring back at me on screen, there was a crease between his brows.

"I just put it down to too much showbiz bubbly because as you know, it's in plentiful supply at these events, but I'm beginning to think now that maybe what I saw that night: Bill acting weird as if he'd been possessed because he sounded just like D- Dan was real. C- can you please tell me, Roman, did you see that?"

Concern was clear in his face now. He obviously thought I'd cracked up. "Harley, look at me. What's making you think something is wrong with you, exactly? Spell it out to me so I can understand and help."

"I'll sh- show you." I said. "It's easier." I panned the camera so that he could see my top half, including my two huge, white wings. "I can see them, and I can feel them. Are they real, Roman, or am I crazy?"

"Fuck, Harley. You're not crazy. Goddamn it, why do you have to be in the States when you need my help? I can get on a plane but it's going to take hours. Can you sit tight?"

He would help me. Oh thank goodness.

"I'm not in America." I confessed. "They made me pretend we'd gone there. I'm in a seedy hotel room in Soho."

"Tell me which and then sit tight. I'm on my way." He told me.

I'd just managed to tell him the name of the hotel when the line went dead. All I could do now was hope and pray that he came here soon.

As I thought the word pray my wings widened. Huh? I thought it again.

Pray. Standing proud.

And again.

Pray. Another flicker, standing out and proud.

What would be the opposite of that?

Erm, satanic rituals?

I pictured the devil in my head and my wings closed up and disappeared with an abrupt snap, wrongfooting me so I faceplanted the sofa.

Feeling at my back, there was no longer any evidence of any wings. I thought the word pray again.

Nothing.

Great, now Roman was on his way here and I had no wings to show him. Perhaps it would be easier if I just said it was a prank? I walked back over to the mirror to look at myself. All that stared back at me was a woman whose eye make-up was smeared halfway down her face, making me look even more batshit cray-cray.

Sighing, I walked out of my dressing room—which in reality was a converted small meeting room—down the corridor and into the bathroom.

"Hey, are you okay?" Saoirse, one of the assistants on the show, came out of a toilet cubicle and stood next to me.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about one of the families. You know, the sister, Leonie, was so up for being reunited, but then she died before it happened, and—"

"It led to the brother changing his mind." She finished off for me. "I know, it was so sad. And after all that research too. But that's how it goes on Relatives Reunited. Some we get, some don't work out."

"I know. Just I'm a little bit sensitive."

She squeezed my arm. "And that's why you were perfect for the job. Still, it would have been better if we'd actually managed to travel to Los Angeles wouldn't it, instead of having to pretend we were there? Do you believe they double-booked the venue?"

"No. I just believe the budget was cut," I said, wanting to put my hand straight across my mouth. Since when did I share what I truly felt with the staff of the show? If Saoirse shared my thoughts, I could get in serious trouble. "Please don't tell anyone I said that." I begged her.

"Of course I won't," she said. "That's what we love about you, Harley. You're so down to earth. Not like most of the presenters we come across, thank God."

As she said the word 'God', I felt my back tingle. "Oh no." I yelped, as I dived for the toilet cubicle where I promptly threw up.

Saoirse knocked on the door. "Oh, Harley. I'll get you some tablets and leave them on your dressing table. Sorry, you're feeling ill. Good job, we've finished filming for the day, hey? I'll leave you in peace. No one needs an audience when they have a dicky tummy, do they?"

The door banged shut as she exited. I pulled off some toilet tissue