The Sunlight Slayings Read Online Free PDF

closed on a small object. It was a jewelry box made of ivory, its edges lined with pewter. Sebastian had once given Phlox a necklace in it. Oliver flipped open the box. Inside was a jumbled little trio of objects. Oliver brushed them out into an orderly row: the teardrop earring, the green hair elastic, and the crumpled note. They still smelled faintly of Emalie.
    He had to find a way to prove that he hadn’t killed Dean.… Unless I really did , he thought worriedly. That dream had made it seem like he really had. And what could he do now, anyway? Weeks ago, he’d searched through Bane’s drawers and found no trace of that turquoise orb that he’d had with him that night. What other evidence was there? It seemed to be just his word against everyone else’s.
    He climbed back into his coffin, and much later the endless Saturday was finally through. Oliver trudged upstairs for breakfast. Bane was still asleep and Sebastian was gone. Phlox was on the phone when he entered the kitchen.
    â€œI see. Well, I’ll say that’s strange. No— Francyne, no. You should stay home. I can get down there. It’s no problem.”
    Oliver sat at the kitchen island and found a goblet waiting for him, along with a pill of crushed herbs. He scowled at the pill, but forced it down as usual.
    â€œAll right,” Phlox continued, “I’ll let you know what I find out. Mm-bye.” She hung up.
    â€œHey, Mom.”
    â€œOh.” Phlox almost jumped. “Oliver, I didn’t hear you come up.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œNo, that’s all right.” Phlox glanced distractedly around the kitchen. “Listen, I have to go out for a bit. That was Francyne on the phone. I’ll be back maybe around midnight.”
    â€œOkay.” Oliver noted the worry in Phlox’s voice. “What’s going on?”
    â€œNothing, it’s—it’s nothing to worry about, just a quick meeting of Central Council.” She hurried about, filling her shoulder bag.
    â€œSounds serious,” said Oliver.
    â€œYeah, well, gotta run.” Phlox rushed toward the stairs. “Your father’s at work all night, so …” She looked back at him, her brow furrowing with concern. “You don’t have any plans to leave, do you?”
    â€œNah,” Oliver lied.
    â€œOkay, that’s good.” Surprisingly, she left it at that and disappeared down the stairs.
    Oliver drained his goblet. He was glad that whatever was worrying Phlox wasn’t him for once. Still, his mom wasn’t the biggest fan of Central Council, the main body of vampire government in the city. She often said that she couldn’t wait to end her term as eighth district liaison. So it was definitely strange to see her rushing out on a Saturday.
    But it made Oliver’s life easier, as he immediately left for Emalie’s before Bane woke up.
    He headed across town through a light rain. The city was dreary and dark. The holiday lights were long gone, and it had rained at least a little for something like thirty straight days. That kind of thing was always hard on the humans. They started acting strange, desperate, some even jumping off bridges. Oliver could hear them carousing now, an extra-crazed edge to their voices, as he passed a row of bars. Neon signs lit the raindrops and leafless trees.
    As he walked, his thoughts returned to that strange dream. What kept bothering Oliver was the way that Emalie seemed to be controlling the action. If dreams were supposed to be your subconscious telling you something, then what did that mean? It didn’t make sense.
    He emerged from his thoughts as he reached Emalie’s house. Nervousness surged through him. It had been very hard not to come here before now. The last five weeks, Oliver had thought about it every night, but had kept reminding himself: She doesn’t want to see me. She thinks I’m a monster . Yet here he was.
    A quiet,