Read Online Dead Of Winter (The Beautiful Dead Book 2) by Daryl Banner - Free Book Online

would taste it. And I would taste it again.
    It’s about right here in my daydream that I’d realize it could never happen. I’d be eating with John in the dream, and he’d tell a joke. I’d laugh so hard, my eyeball pops out. “Oh!” I’d shout, embarrassed, fishing it out of my salad. “Sorry, sorry.” I’d still be searching for my eyeball.
    I never know how the daydream ends, because as soon as I’ve ruined our imaginary date with the runaway eyeball, I’m pretty much over it.
    Before I know it, I’m glaring hotly. Make-believe hairs are prickling up my neck and my fingers are curling up into fists. Maybe it’s watching Benjamin and his lady, or that stupid dirty fork I’ve just noticed sitting in the sink that’s made me so angry suddenly. That stupid dirty fork is making me think about fishing an eyeball out of a salad, and that’s really all the fuel I need.
    “Excuse me,” I say, pushing through the crowd. “Sorry, pardon.” I gently ease between two excitedly chatting Undead, slide against the dining room wall, then reach my destination at the corner of the room.
    Ann turns two half-opened amber eyes to me. Her husky, deadpan voice forms a few words: “What is it?”
    Here we go. Activate creepy chaperone mommy. “I need to speak with you.” I regard the Human boy with a too-tight smile and a nod. “It’ll just take a minute.”
    “I’m busy.” She doesn’t even bother to wear scarves anymore to cover the scar across her neck. “You mind?”
    “Yes. I mind.”
    She studies my face for a good, hard moment. Then her eyes seem to lighten and she turns back to the boy. “Hey, Jim. You haven’t met Winter officially, have you?” The boy shakes his head. “This chick here’s the one who saved all of Trenton.”
    “Oh?” The boy, Jim, meets my eyes. “You’re that Winter?”
    There’s more than one? “Yes. Though I wouldn’t say I’ve ‘saved’ all of Trenton. It’s more—”
    “Don’t be modest,” says Ann, patting me on the arm. I’m not sure how to take her sudden change of mood. “She’s why you’re alive, Jim.”
    Jim smiles almost shyly. “Thanks, Winter. My mom’s said a lot about you. She said you could raise a sword and, like, the bad Crypters would just run away.”
    The rumors in this city are driving me crazy. “No, it doesn’t work like that, exactly …”
    “She said you had these green eyes that glow,” Jim goes on, languid and wistful, “and like, you could kill any other Crypter just by blinking.”
    “No, that’s a Warlock ,” I correct him. “Or a Lock, if you prefer the shorter term, but they’re horrible. I’ve only known one and he tried to kill me every time we met.”
    Jim grins, showing all his stupid teeth. “I wanna be a Lock.”
    “Good luck with that. The last one had a sword put through his face.” I give a nod at our guest of honor, somewhere across the room. “By Jasmine, in fact.”
    Ann gives me a look. I know that look. “You can’t scare Jim. He’s already seen me without my head.”
    “So cool,” he moans. “Tried pulling mine off, but—”
    “Wouldn’t recommend it,” I retort. “Ann, please.”
    She puts a hand to the side of her face, shielding the words she mouths: This guy. Oh my god. So cute. Go away.
    I half-cover mine: No. We need to talk. He’s not that cute.
    Her eyes grow double: He’s so cute. You are totally cock-blocking me. Please go away. We can talk later.
    I glare: There may not be a later.
    She punches every silent word: It is a birthday party. His parents are terrified of me. This is the first time I’ve gotten him alone in two and a half weeks. I am a kitten’s toe bag.
    I actually have no idea what that last sentence was; I’m not a professional lip-reader. “Say what?”
    She repeats herself: I. Want. The. Kitten’s. Toe. Bag.
    Seriously. No idea at all.
    “CAKE TIME!!” cries a voice, scaring all the dead out of me. I turn to find Jasmine surrounded by a ring of friends,