The Taste of Night Read Online Free PDF

nodded. “The three of us. We’ll have a nice dinner.” She walked him to his SUV. It took him four tries to start it up.
    â€œDad, you’ve really got to get this car serviced,” Destiny said.
    He smiled at her. “It’s on my list.”
    â€œDad, you know you don’t have a list.”
    â€œIt’s on my list to make a list.” Tires squealing, he pulled away.
    Destiny felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and Ari kissed her. “Hey, we’re graduates. I’m totally psyched. Do you believe it? No more gym class. No more Coach Green telling me what a loser I am.”
    Ana-Li laughed. “Just because you have a diploma doesn’t mean you’re not a loser.”
    Ari pretended to be hurt. “What’s up with that? You’re dissing me on graduation day?”
    Ana-Li opened her diploma and held it up. “Check it out. They misspelled my name. Two n’s.”
    â€œThat’s terrible,” Destiny said, studying the diploma. “How could they do that?”
    â€œIt means you didn’t really graduate,” Ari told Ana-Li. “No one will believe that’s your diploma. Your whole life is going to be messed up now.”
    Ana-Li shook her tiny fist at Ari. “I’m going to mess you up!”
    Laughing, Ari raised both fists and began dancing from side to side. “You want a piece of me? Huh? You want a piece of me?”
    Ana-Li ignored him. She turned to Destiny. “How you doing?”
    â€œTough morning,” Destiny replied. “You know.”
    Ari lowered his fists. His smile faded.
    â€œWhat are you two doing now?” Destiny asked. “Wantto come back with me? We can sit around and reminisce or something.”
    â€œIs lunch included in this invitation?” Ari asked.
    Destiny nodded.
    â€œCount me in.”
    â€œJust let me say good-bye to my parents, and I’ll meet you at your house,” Ana-Li said. She trotted back toward the school.
    Ari slid an arm over Destiny’s shoulders, and they walked the few blocks to her house. Cars filled with their friends rolled by, horns honking, music blaring from open windows.
    â€œDid you hear about Fletch’s party last night?” Ari asked. “His parents were in L.A. So Fletch had two kegs. Everyone got trashed. And his brother’s garage band played all night.”
    Destiny sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to go. But I just didn’t feel like partying.”
    They stepped onto her front stoop. Destiny fumbled in her bag for her key. She found it, turned the key in the lock, pushed open the front door—and screamed.
    â€œOH, NO!”
    Ari grabbed her and they both stared in disbelief at the living room walls.
    Fanged creatures with curled horns on their heads…A winged, two-headed demon, both heads spewing black blood…A grinning devil…
    Ugly, black demons painted all over the walls.

chapter eight
“THE MONSTER DID IT”
    â€œOH, NO! OH, NO!” DESTINY HELD ONTO ARI AND pressed her head against his shoulder. Staring at the crude, childish paintings, she led the way into the house.
    â€œThis is too weird,” Ari muttered.
    Destiny opened her mouth to speak. But a shrill cry interrupted her—and Mikey came leaping off the stairs onto Ari’s shoulders. He curled his hands around Ari’s throat and screamed, “I’m a MONSTER! I’ll kill you! I’ll KILL you!”
    Ari dropped to the floor under the eight-year-old boy’s weight. He sprawled on his back and pried Mikey’s fingers from around his neck. “Whoa. Easy, man. Mikey, you’re choking me.”
    â€œI’m not Mikey. I’m a monster !”
    Destiny reached down to help pull Mikey off.
    â€œHey, what’s up?” Ana-Li burst into the room. She let out a cry when she saw the crude creatures smeared over walls. “Ohmigod.”
    Destiny pulled Mikey to his feet, then