Read Death Before Daylight for Free Online

lady quit,” he said it like she
should know.
    “What?” we both screeched, but he nodded as
if we had whispered it.
    “What do you mean she quit?” Crystal
asked.
    “I don’t know.” Zac shrugged. “She walked out
yesterday.”
    “I have to go,” Crystal said, already jogging
toward the school. “Thanks for the heads up.”
    I started to follow her, but Zac grabbed my
arm. His fingers dug into my bicep, and I whipped around to face
his grin.
    “Where are you going?” he asked. “I thought
we could talk.”
    I pulled away. “I’m busy.”
    His grin slipped off his face, but his teeth
remained visible, perfectly white. “You remember?”
    My heart slammed into my rib cage. “What do
you mean?”
    “Crystal’s acting like she doesn’t know me,
and Robb—” He paused. “Well, we know about Robb.” His hand ran
through his hair, but every strand fell back in place. “I thought
everyone was playing a prank on me, but you—you’re not. You
remember me, right?” His rushed voice was as desperate as his
widened eyes. It was an expression I hadn’t seen on his face
before.
    I stepped back and almost tripped over
myself. If he remembered, the Light hadn’t touched him, but they
should’ve if they were targeting my friends. I remembered what
Luthicer said. If the Light was trying to trick me, they were doing
a good job at it. I was as confused as Zac was.
    He stepped toward me. “Jess?”
    “Why do you think I remember?”
    His cheek cocked up into a smile. “Because
you hate me.” He pointed over my shoulder. “And so does he.”
    I looked over my shoulder as Eric appeared,
walking faster than normal. A scowl consumed his face. His
headphones were strung over his shoulders, but he didn’t grab them
as he got close enough to speak, “Hey.” His hardened tone was
louder than it should’ve been.
    “Morning, Welborn.” Zac folded his arms. “I
guess we’re classmates now.”
    Eric’s hand landed on my shoulder. “I guess
so.”
    “We’re just talking,” I muttered.
    Zac chuckled over me. “We’re talking about
how everyone’s lost their minds.” He didn’t even try to hide it.
“Except for you two. You two seem fine.”
    Eric’s fingers dug into my shoulder. “I have
no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “Sure, you don’t,” Zac sang, his voice
dropping and rising like a tempting string of notes. “I don’t care
if you want to admit to it or not,” he continued, “I know something
is up with you two, and I’ll figure it out.”
    Right when I thought he would shift into
Darthon himself, he spoke like a human would. He spoke like he
didn’t know about the Light or the Dark. He spoke like he hadn’t
heard of the descendants or the war. He seemed oblivious, and I
didn’t believe a second of it.
    Eric’s grip didn’t loosen. “You might need to
get your head checked.” He didn’t believe it either. “You’re
starting to sound a little insane.”
    “Whatever,” Zac responded as he walked away,
throwing his hand over his shoulder in a half-wave. “Congrats on
the engagement,” he called back at us. “I expect an
invitation.”
    I shot forward to hit him, but Eric grabbed
my arm. “Don’t.”
    “He knows something, Eric,” I said beneath my
breath. “He’s not like the others. He’s—”
    “If he were Darthon, he would’ve done
something,” Eric said, but his words were quiet. “Wouldn’t he?”
    My attention diverted to Zac. I tried to
match his walk with Darthon’s, but everyone was different as a
human. Other than their attitudes, I couldn’t see a correlation. I
couldn’t see a correlation in anyone.
    My hand curled into a fist. “I don’t know,” I
grumbled, “but there’s something not right about that guy.”
    “I don’t like him either,” Eric agreed, “but
that doesn’t give us the right to kill him.”
    “I don’t like him.” I said it like it did
give me the right. “I don’t like him at all.”
    Zac’s black hair bobbed