Read Online Darkness Falls by Jessica Sorensen - Free Book Online Page A

down into the rocks, sees me, and sighs. “Thank God. I thought we were going to be tracking them down forever.” Her blue eyes measure me. They’re traced with this black stuff and colorful pictures trace up and down her arms. Her dark hair is matted in thick wisps. She’s tall and looks tough on the outside, but on the inside she’s scared of me.
    I make a mental note of this.
    “Who are you?” I point my knife at the girl.
    She gapes at the guy. “Were we this ridiculously jumpy when we first got out?”
    He shrugs, never taking his eyes of me. “I’m sure we were.”
    She fiddles with a ring in her nose. “Where’s the other two?”
    He points over his shoulder. “The little one’s over there by the cliffs, but I don’t know where the other one went.”
    The girl starts over the rocks and I move to step in front of her, but the guy intervenes.
    “Easy, okay,” he says, his hand on my shoulder holding me back. “We’re not going to hurt you. We’re here to help.”
    I poke the tip of my knife against his chest. “How do I know you’re not lying?”
    He smiles cleverly. “I’m sure you have your ways.”
    My wrist stiffens and I feel exposed, like I’ve been stripped down and everyone can see my secrets. I try to think of something clever to say that will throw him off, but the girl ascends back over the rocks, with Maci skipping happily beside her.
    “Kayla, we’re saved!” she exclaims, hopping down the rocks.
    “She’s a cheerful little one,” the girl says with an eye roll.
    “Good,” the guy answers. “Maybe some of it will rub off on you.”
    She pulls a face and he grins. “Cheer up,” he says. “We found them and now we can go home.”
    “I’m sorry,” I interrupt. “But who the hell are you?”
    “I thought you said she knew things,” the girl says to Maci.
    “No, I do,” Maci says. “But it doesn’t always work.”
    I shoot Maci a warning look, while the girl and the guy exchange a look. Then he directs his honey eyes on me.
    “This is Ryder.” He nods at the girl. “And I’m Aiden.”
    “Aiden.” I don’t even know why I say his name aloud, but he seems thrilled that I did. I frown. “Why are you out here?”
    “For the same reason you are.” Ryder crosses her arms and stares me down. “But where’s your third.”
    “Third?” I ask.
    “Yeah, we’re dumped in groups of three.” She waves her finger back and forth between Maci and I. “But there are only two of you here, so where’d the third go?”
    Bernard . “I couldn’t tell you.”
    Her expression twists. “You don’t know or there isn’t another one?”
    I shrug, not wanting to divulge more information. These two already know too much about me and I know nothing about them. Plus, their hearts are as steady as they come, so I can’t sense if they’re lying or not and that makes me uneasy.
    I take Maci’s hand and back away. “Listen, I don’t know who you are, but we need to get going.”
    “No way. You’re not going anywhere.” Ryder seizes Maci‘s arm.
    With one fast movement, I’ve pried her hand off and shoved her to the ground.
    “Why you little—” Ryder jumps to her feet and charges at me. I drop Maci’s arm and swing to the side.
    “Ryder, knock it off, “Aiden warns, but Ryder ignores him, coming at me again.
    I ram the tip of my boot into her shin and she buckles back, falling on her butt.
    “Easy.” Aiden helps her to her feet, but she shucks him off.  “You know they’re a lot stronger than you right now. And unstable.”
    “Only if they’ve gone through with it,” she shouts in his face. “And I’m really curious to find out, after all that talking about how great she is.”
    I don’t get scared, but this is pushing me to the limits. They know me somehow, but I don’t know them. Spinning, I grab Maci’s hand and lift her with me as I spring onto the rocks. Fingers dig into my ankle and I’m jerked back down to the ground, but land on my