Seconds Before Sunrise (The Timely Death Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF

the perfect plan, but Pierce’s responsibilities insinuated a flaw.
    Pierce remained silent, and an owl’s hoot echoed through the trail. I tore my eyes away from my friend and searched the branches for the bird. It was nowhere to be seen.
    “You’re supposed to stay away from her, Shoman,” Pierce said.
    “She was doodling Za c’s name in her notebook today.” Now that I was confessing it aloud, my actions felt selfishly ridiculous.
    “Ouch.”
    “I know it’s a stupid excuse—” I began, but Pierce waved his hands in the air.
    “I’m not reporting you, Shoman,” he said. “I’m just reminding you of your duties.” His lip pulled into a smirk on his right cheek. “I was kind of expecting you to show up one of these nights.”
    I chuckled. “That obvious?”
    He nodded, but he didn’t have to . “I need to show you something.”
    He pulled out his cell phone and the sc reen blinded my eyes. I blinked, and he turned the brightness down, tilting it my way. “Look familiar to you?” he asked.
    L ightly drawn over a canvas was a sketch of Hayworth from the sky. I recognized it immediately as the night Jessica flew for the first time. I reached up to grab it, but Pierce pulled it away.
    “Where’d you get that?” I asked .
    “Class.” He returned the phone to his pocket. “It’s Jessica’s work.”
    I sucked in breath, and my ribs pushed against my lungs. “She remembers?”
    “No,” he corrected. “She’s having dreams.”
    “She’s dreaming a bout me?”
    Pierce swayed from foot to foot. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “She didn’t tell me much.”
    “You talked to her?”
    “I’m her guard,” he said with a hardened voice. “And we have class together.”
    I tried to picture Jonathon Stone approaching Jessica Taylor in painting, b ut I couldn’t. The timing was too perfect.
    “Luthicer tweaked my schedule,” Pierce added.
    I folded my arms. “Maybe if Luthicer’s memory swipe worked , he wouldn’t have to do that.”
    “It technically worked, Sho man,” he said. “She’s not aware it’s a memory or she’d be right in front of us.”
    I kicked the crumbling pavement. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
    “Why do you think?” He tapped his forehead. “You blocked me, remember?”
    I did now since he brought it up, and I rubbed my temples, ridding myself of the heavy barrier I’d put up days before. “Sorry about that,” I muttered.
    Pierce whistled low. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
    I refused to respond because the truth wasn’t worth hearing. “Do the elders know about this?” I asked, studying Pierce’s reaction. He didn’t flinch, and I knew the elders were aware. “Of course they know.”
    “They thought it would be better if you didn’t.”
    “And look at the success their decisions have had,” I spat .
    “Exactly why I’m telling you now,” he said.
    “You’re telling me because I broke the rules.”
    “Which is something I enjoy advocating,” he agreed, adjusting his stance. “But you can’t see Jess again,” he said. “You have to trust in her safety, especially with me around.”
    I craved an argument but held back. “You have her bedroom sealed?” I knew how he found me. I used the same spell to keep Noah out of my things.
    He folded his arms across his chest in response. “Can we go now?” he asked, jumping up and down. “It’s starting to get cold.”
    “Sure, princess,” I joked, unable to feel the chill from the upcoming winter. It was only August , and nighttime still felt nice out to me. But it didn’t to Pierce, and that was enough to remind me of the upcoming battle ahead. I didn’t have time to worry about Jessica’s personal life. I had to concentrate on defeating Darthon − killing him. Even if I didn’t want to, he had to die, and I was the only one who could do it.

     
    Jessica
     
    I couldn’t get their words out of my head.
    What are you doing here ?
    The two boys were in my bedroom, and then