Something Deadly This Way Comes Read Online Free PDF Page A

save his own skin as me, Barnabas, and Nakita trying to save it as well. Together Josh and I stepped up beside Nakita at the curb, squinting into the sun at the unfamiliar school. “I know that everyone thinks that Ace was a fluke,” I said softly as Josh’s hand slipped away with a last squeeze. “That’s why we have to do it again.”
    Tucking her purse under her arm, Nakita shrugged. Clearly she didn’t believe it was possible, but as far as I was concerned, this scything was already going better than the last. Nakita had agreed to not kill Tammy unless she was sure she couldn’t be helped, and we knew where Tammy lived. We were halfway there.
    â€œIs that them?” Nakita said suddenly, and I followed her pointing finger to a blonde girl standing impatiently with one foot on the steps of a bus, the other on the sidewalk. She was yelling at a cluster of boys still on the school steps, their heads together over a handheld game. “She’s got a greenish aura with that orange center.”
    â€œHold your horses!” a dark-haired boy yelled back, making an ugly face at her. “I’ve got to get to a portal, or I’m going to lose my place!”
    â€œYou’re going to lose your ride home, you idiot!” she yelled back. “Mom is going to be ticked if she has to leave work to pick you up again, Johnny!”
    The memory of my heart gave a pound and vanished. Johnny. That was Tammy’s brother’s name.
    The girl turned in a huff and stomped up the stairs. In the line of buses, the second one revved its engine and left. Two more to go until Tammy’s could leave.
    â€œYour sister is a witch,” I heard one of the boys say to Johnny, but Johnny was too engrossed in his game to comment.
    â€œThat’s them,” I said, suddenly worried. Now what?
    Josh fidgeted as the next bus left. “Are we getting on?”
    My lips pressed. Nakita could only carry one person in flight, and I didn’t want to separate.
    â€œGuys . . . the bus is leaving!” Josh said, motioning for us to run for it.
    â€œJohnny!” the girl shouted out her window. “Get on the bus!”
    A surge of excitement raced through me. “Let’s go,” I said, and we all broke into a jog. The bus was revving its engine. We slipped on right after Johnny, stomping up the stairs, Nakita first, then me, and lastly, Josh.
    â€œHey,” the driver said, clearly not recognizing us, then he blinked. I could feel my amulet warming, and guessed that Nakita was doing something. The driver’s gaze suddenly went unfocused, and I scrambled past him and into the aisle when he reached to pull the door shut. Josh barely made it.
    I blew my breath out in relief. Thanks to Nakita, the driver either didn’t see us, or didn’t care. The kids, though, knew we didn’t belong, and about fifteen pairs of eyes stared at us as we made our way down the aisle. Nervous, I worked my way to the back where Tammy sat with two girls, one with her, and one behind them, leaning over the back of their bench.
    My unease grew as several pairs of eyes took in my purple-tinted hair, and someone snorted at my yellow shoes. Hand going to my amulet, I touched on the divine long enough to bend light around it, hiding the stone. I could still feel its original shape, but as far as anyone knew, it was just a silver chain.
    I jumped when Josh touched my hand, and he grinned for having surprised me. Leaning forward, his breath tickling my neck and sending a shiver through me, he whispered, “I’m going to sit behind Johnny. See if I can learn anything.”
    â€œOkay,” I whispered back, and he flopped into an empty seat, closing his eyes to look bored. His foot, though, was jiggling. He was enjoying this, and that made me feel good. Being the dark timekeeper’s girlfriend was hard. It ought to have a few perks.
    â€œThere,” I said to Nakita,