Zara's Curse (Empire of Fangs) Read Online Free PDF Page A

like he was driving on the Serengeti plains and coming inches from the other parked cars.   It made Zara incredibly nervous.   Once, when he was trying to get her to one of her classes that she was very late for, he had clipped a car and sent the car’s side mirror flying into the street, and without even slowing down, he shook his head and said “crazy parkers.”
     
    Tony’s was close though, and in a few minutes they were pulling into the parking lot.   Zara breathed a sigh of relief that she had survived another trip in the Scout.
     
    “Look at it.   It’s glorious,” Twig said, pointing to the patio of Tony’s diner.    There were other groups of weary looking people wearing thick sunglasses and shoveling down plates of deliciousness.   The sweet aroma of maple syrup and bacon made her dizzy with anticipation.
     
    There was a group of people waiting for tables when they got in.   Twig walked up to the hostess and waved his hand at the girl and said in monotone, “You will give us food.”   The woman told him to wait like all the others.
     
    The two sat down on an empty bench opposite a hungry-looking couple and their bored- looking kids.
     
      “That usually works.   Guess we wait,” Twig said.
     
    Zara shrugged.    She was suddenly reminded about Micah turning that stone-faced cop into putty with only a few choice words.   She shivered for a moment, but then thought of Micah’s eyes and started to daydream.   For a moment, her mind was filled with that vibrant shade of blue and silver.  
     
    “Sollero? Party of 2?”   The hostess announced, and Twig gave Zara a light shake.
     
    “Hey Zar.   Stare into space much?”   He asked.  
     
    “Uh…I…was thinking about school work,” she lied.
     
    “Well, you were thinking about it pretty hard, because I went to the little boy’s room and came back and you were still staring off like that.   You know, if this was a Nightmare on Elm Street movie, you would be like, the first one to die.”
     
    She rolled her eyes and shoved him.   She was playing it off, but she now saw that the family in front of her had already been seated and she hadn’t even noticed.   It felt like she’d only spaced out for a few seconds. She wondered what was going on with her.  
     
    The hostess took them to an open table on the patio.   Twig ordered a giant carafe of orange juice and half the menu.   Zara ordered herself a stack of buttermilk pancakes.  
     
    “So, this school project of yours, he wouldn’t be a guy you met at the Church last night?”   Twig said dryly.   A drop of orange juice was clinging to his mustache.   
     
    Zara reached over and wiped his face with a napkin.   Then she said calmly, “Yes, I met a nice guy.   He gave me a ride home and I gave him my number.   Nothing as depraved as you might hope.   It was all very Disney.”  
     
    Twig made a face, “And does this gentleman caller have a name?   Wait.   Let me guess.   Draven Darkshadow?”   The waitress brought the food and Zara breathed in the sweet aroma of melting butter on pancake.
     
    “Actually, Micah,” Zara replied.
     
    “Mike-ah,” Twig repeated in a child-like, mocking voice. “Well.   That’s still a weird one.” Zara and Twig had always been ‘just friends’, but she detected more than just a tinge of jealousy in his voice.
     
    “Says a boy named Twig,” she teased, before taking a big bite of pancake and closing her eyes in ecstasy.
     
    “Hey now. A man named Twig,” he corrected. The table went quiet as they both focused on silently devouring their meals.   Afterwards they both slouched in their chairs and made satisfied noises.
     
    On their way out, Zara got a new text.   She quickly checked it.   It was a new number.  
     
    The text read: Hey it’s Micah.   Having a party tonight at my house if you’re free.
     
    Twig had come over to inspect, rubbing his stomach and yawning.   “Is that Drave…