Death Before Daylight (26 page)

“No.” Her brown eyes glanced at me. “Are
you?”

“No.”

“Looks like we’re in something together,” she
mentioned, but her soft expression fell. It wasn’t until I followed
her eyes that I realized why.

Among the crowd, Jessica had appeared, and
she hadn’t just appeared. She stood right in front of us, and her
blue eyes were focused on me. The piercing glare was the same one
she had when she blocked the doorway in the shelter. She wasn’t
about to let me walk right past her.

“I need to talk to you.” Her voice was
sharp.

“I’m busy,” I replied faster than I thought I
could, but my orders allowed me to. I wasn’t supposed to talk to
Jessica. If Robb saw it, he could hurt her or Jonathon, and I
didn’t want either situation to happen.

When I ducked toward another door, Jessica
leapt in front of me. Before I could tell her to move, Linda
stepped to my side and asked, “What do you want?”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Jessica snapped,
but I stared at the blonde. She was trying to get Jessica to leave,
too.

“Is it true?” Jessica’s voice was the only
reason I could concentrate again. I could hear everything in her
tone. She had used it once before. That time, she had thrown her
prom dress at me, and ten minutes later, she told me she hated me.
Back then, she didn’t have a memory, but today, her voice held
anger. She knew I was dating Linda.

“So, what if it is?” I asked, hoping she had
recognized the painting on the model car I had left outside of her
room, and she knew what it meant. It was the only way to tell her I
was still with her. I knew she would find out about my relationship
with Linda today.

“We’re dating now,” Linda said and confirmed
everything I couldn’t say aloud. She grabbed my hand to prove
it.

Jessica’s eyes fell to our hands, and her
bottom lip quivered. If Linda hadn’t been holding my hand, I
wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from reaching out to touch
her.

“Why’d you run out so fast?” Crystal said as
she opened the door behind Jessica, but she stopped speaking when
she saw us. Her shoulders rose as her face flushed. “Oh, hey,
guys.”

With everything that Linda had reminded me
of, I thought of our childhood and how Crystal had black hair as a
child. It was shortly after Abby died when she pierced her face and
started changing her hair color. Back then, I wanted to ask Crystal
if she was okay. Today, I wanted Crystal to ask Jessica if she was
okay.

“Hey,” Linda was the one to speak for both of
us. “I was just looking for you. Eric and I were thinking about
going on a date, and I wanted to see if Zac and you wanted to
double.”

My stomach was twisting, and my grip on Linda
tightened. Right when I thought she was on my side, she betrayed
me. She was trying to hurt Jessica, but Jessica acted like she
hadn’t even heard. Her expression hadn’t budged at all. For once, I
couldn’t read her, and I wondered how far I had actually pushed her
away—if Darthon was right and she would go back to him.

“We can’t,” Crystal dismissed the idea as she
leaned against Jessica. They were both so small. “We’re already
doubling with Robb and Jess.”

Jessica’s eyes widened at her friend.

Crystal smirked at us instead of looking at
Jessica. “Right, Jess?”

My lungs felt like they had collapsed.
Despite everything that had happened with Robb, she was going back
to him. Darthon was right all along.

“Yeah,” Jessica said. “We’re going out.”

I opened my mouth to yell at her, to tell her
about the danger she was in, but my neck burned. I would’ve grabbed
it, too, but the powers sizzled out as it traveled down my arm.
Linda had taken the pain away. I snapped my mouth shut and forced
myself to look away. If I had to see Jessica for one more moment, I
would lose it.

“Too bad,” Linda said as she started dragging
me away. “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe,” Crystal agreed.

As we walked past Jessica, I found the
strength to talk to Linda, so that Jessica could hear, “Come on,
honey.” My arm skimmed Jessica’s, and her touch radiated through me
before the heat from inside blasted against my face. I didn’t look
back to see if Jessica was watching us leave because it didn’t
matter. I only hoped she heard what I called Linda and knew
something was wrong—that everything was wrong—that the date was the
last thing that needed to happen.

But Linda smiled like everything was perfect.
“That was interesting.”

I searched the lunchroom for Robb, knowing he
had to be close by, but I never saw him. “You helped me,” I said,
referencing to how she took the pain of the illusion away, but she
shushed me.

Robb was close. She didn’t want him to hear,
and I didn’t know what to think about it. I didn’t know if Linda
was on my side or not, but I knew one thing. Robb was getting
closer to Jessica, and I had to find a way to stop it, even if that
meant betraying the bit of trust I had gained from Darthon’s
guard.

35

“I agreed to it before I thought about it,” I
said to Pierce while searching my wardrobe. I had already told him
about what happened at school, but he grew quiet when I told him
why I wanted to do it. “Zac has to be Darthon.”

“I don’t know about this, Jess.” Pierce laid
his chin on his hands. “It’s not safe.”

“Nothing is,” I retorted and spun around. I
held up two sweaters. “Green or blue?”

His eyes flickered over them. “Blue.” He
gestured to my face. “It brings the color out in your eyes.”

My face flushed, and I was glad he couldn’t
see it as I pulled the sweater over my tank top. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he muttered, “but don’t get too
comfortable with my advice. I’m only doing this because I’m your
guard.”

I flashed a grin at him. “And my friend.” I
gestured to my easel. “You can use it while I’m gone if you
want.”

“Like I’m staying here.” He stood up. “I’m
not letting this happen unless you let me follow you.”

I bit my lip.

“Don’t tell me you thought I’d let you do
this alone.” His shoulders slumped. “We’re a team.”

“It’s dangerous.” I wasn’t denying it.
Whether Zac was Darthon or not, I knew it was a risk, but it was my
risk.

“Exactly why we need to go together,” he
said, “especially since you’re not telling the elders.”

I raised my brow. “I could’ve already told
them.” I had gotten permission to leave from Bracke, after all. It
was the first thing I did after returning from school. Talking to
Pierce was the second.

“I know you didn’t,” he pointed out, “or
Bracke wouldn’t have agreed.”

“Which is why I didn’t tell him.” I folded my
arms. “We can’t sit back and wait for Darthon to attack. That’s
what got us into trouble in the first place. We have to attack him
first, catch him off-guard, and—”

“You are not attacking him tonight,” Pierce
interrupted.

“And why not?”

“Jess.” He grabbed his hair like he was going
to tear his brain out. “Just be patient. We don’t even know for
sure if Zac is involved.”

He sounded like Eric.

I had to sit down on my bed to calm down.
“I—” I stopped myself and stared at my hands. All I could see was
how Eric had held Linda’s hand. “He wouldn’t be with her unless she
was involved, and Zac is her brother.”

“Half-brother,” Pierce added.

“It has to be a cover,” I argued. “They’re
the same age, and they don’t look anything alike.”

“Linda’s dad had an affair, and his mistress
died from cancer,” Pierce spoke as he sat next to me. “They took
Zac in.”

“How do you know that?”

He shrugged. “Jada.” The new breed of shade
was proving to be more useful than anyone. “She’s on the case, too,
you know.”

I couldn’t even picture her looking into
everyone’s lives. She knew who Eric and I were. Everyone did. But
she couldn’t know anything beyond that. No one did, and because of
that, I knew she had looked into my friends like the elders
had.

“Why did she suspect Zac?” I asked, wanting
to hear the truth.

“She didn’t. You did,” Pierce said. “I told
her.”

That was the last thing I thought he would
say. Back when I realized my friends’ memories were erased, I
explained to Pierce how Zac was the only one who remembered. Eric
and I had argued about it, and Pierce had listened to both sides.
He hadn’t argued with either one of us, but he had been on my side
all along. He had looked into Zac, too, but he also sided with Eric
on some parts. Pierce still didn’t want me to hurt Zac.

“He’s a jerk, for sure,” Pierce spoke up,
“but we don’t need to hurt any more innocent people.”

I stared at him. “You’re sure they’re
related?”

Pierce nodded. “I trust Jada as much as the
elders do,” he said. “She wouldn’t have told me that if it weren’t
true.” He pushed his arm against mine. “But that doesn’t mean we’ve
ruled him out. He could still be Darthon, and you could still be in
danger.”

My hands curled into fists when I thought
about the black-haired boy. “He’s hated Eric from the
beginning.”

“So does half the school, Jess.”

I straightened my fingers. Pierce was right.
My desperation had taken over, and my lack of training had me
making a quick decision. I needed direction—a lot of direction—and
I would listen if it meant helping the Dark.

“You can cancel the date, Jess.”

“Do you want me to?” I asked.

“No.”

My neck snapped when I looked up. My guard
was smiling. “I think you’re onto something. You did good,” he
said, taking a moment to run a hand through his hair. “I’m actually
surprised you didn’t focus on the fact that Eric’s dating someone
new.”

The reminder twisted my gut. “I haven’t
forgotten,” I admitted, “but it doesn’t matter.” Not when his life
was being controlled. “He called her honey.”

Pierce chuckled before apologizing for his
laughter. “That’s ridiculous,” he managed. “I almost would’ve liked
to be there just so I could’ve heard it.”

I laughed, too, and for once, the laughter
didn’t feel strange. Pierce and I knew Eric well enough to
understand how much he wouldn’t have done it on his own. It was all
we needed to confirm that our plan was worth it.

“Then, I’ll try to find out if Zac is
involved somehow,” I promised as I stood up.

Pierce stood up with me. “Try to find out
without tipping him off.”

I wiggled my fingers. “I already have a
plan.”

“Better be a good one.” He walked across the
room toward my door.

I followed him. “It’s better now that you
have my back.”

“Always.”

He opened the door, but we were stopped from
walking into the hallway. Eric stood in front of us, his hand
half-raised to knock.

“Eric?” I said. “What are you doing here?” As
far as I knew, he should’ve been on a date with Linda.

“I’m—” He stopped speaking when his eyes
moved over my clothes. “Where are you going?”

My heart skipped. “Out.”

His green eyes were as bright as Pierce’s
shade ones. “I’m staying in for the night.” He wasn’t going out
with Linda. “You two should, too.”

“Why?” Pierce asked. “You going to hang out
with us?”

Eric’s jaw locked. Of course he wasn’t going
to. According to him, neither one of us were his friends anymore.
Not while he was under an illusion. It was the exact reason Pierce
and I had to leave. We had to fight for him.

“Have a good night,” I said and ducked under
his arm.

I didn’t take two steps before Eric grabbed
my hand. “Don’t.” His voice shook.

Pierce was silent as I turned around to face
Eric. Worry lines appeared on his face, and I imagined they would
be wrinkles one day when he was old, but until then, they were
temporary.

“I’ll stay if you give me one reason why I
shouldn’t go,” I said, squeezing his hand back. I didn’t want to
let him go.

Eric was the one to drop my hand, but he also
dropped his head.

My palm was cold. “I know they’re involved,
Eric.”

He didn’t look up. “Don’t do this because of
me.” He didn’t deny it. Linda was one of them. Zac must have been,
too.

“It’s not just for you,” I whispered, but my
whisper was loud in the echoing hallway. “We’re doing it for the
Dark.”

“So, let them handle it.”

“They can’t,” I snapped, “and you can’t
either.” My voice strained against my throat.

Pierce laid a hand on my shoulder. “Let us
help you, Eric.”

He didn’t respond.

“Tell us you need help or tell us you don’t,”
I pressed. “Just say something.”

But he didn’t respond.

Pierce pulled me away. “Come on, Jess.”

I ducked out of Pierce’s grasp, and I walked
up to Eric. Instead of touching him, I knelt down and looked up,
meeting his eyes under the shadow of his hair. They were covered in
a tearing mist.

“We love you.” A choke escaped me. “We love
you even if you can’t say it back, but I wish you would.” And for a
moment, I wished he would stop me, but I tore the wish into pieces
by ducking away.

When I walked toward Pierce, I focused on the
end of the hallway. “We’ll be back tonight,” I called over my
shoulder. “Don’t wait up for us.”

36

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stop her, and it
wasn’t for her, or Pierce, or the Dark at all. It was for the
opposite. It was for Linda. It was for my fight. If I had to beat
Darthon, then I had to get him alone, and tearing up his
relationship with Linda was more important than making sure my own
relationships were fine. Jessica had to go on a date, and I had to
let her. She was fighting, too. I knew that. But she was fighting
the wrong person, and she had no way of knowing. I could already
tell she was focused on Linda, which meant she was focused on Zac
instead of Robb. But I had to focus on my own troubles first.