Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers)

Chapter 9



Stephen didn’t start laughing and tell me he was just messing with me. He was totally serious. This horrible situation didn’t have a happy ending, a slow fading of the hunger like my aunt had suggested, and a return to normal life.

It had a death sentence.

I grabbed hold of his sleeve as my numbness over his deadly proclamation faded and panic set in like somebody lighting up a firecracker inside me. “You need to give me back my soul...and Carly’s, too. Please, Stephen, before it’s too late.”

His expression turned stony. “You mean before I change. Or die.”

I dug my fingers into his arm as he began to pull away from me. “Stephen—”

“Oh. My. God. You have got to be kidding me right now, right?”

My stomach sank at the sound of the familiar voice behind me. I didn’t have to turn around. I knew who it was.

If I had a nemesis, Jordan Fitzpatrick was it. She was a drop-dead gorgeous redhead, and an aspiring model. We went to the same school.

She hated me. And the feeling was completely mutual. I didn’t like coming face-to-face with her in public places since she never held back on her opinion, especially when it came to me. Sometimes I could take it and throw it right back at her. But other times words could hurt me, even if they weren’t sticks and stones.

Did I mention that Stephen was her ex, and he’d broken her heart?

While still reeling from the horrific news Stephen had shared with me, I turned slowly to see Jordan standing there with her best friend and trusty blond sidekick, Julie Travis. Julie was another one who wasn’t thrilled by my continuing existence—and vice versa. Julie was the reason that Colin and Carly had broken up over the summer. She’d slept with him while he’d been drunk at a party.

It wasn’t all Julie’s fault, of course. Colin was at least fifty percent to blame. But still. If anyone hurts my friends and has zero remorse about it, then that’s a nice shortcut to getting on my hate list.

Julie shot daggers at me through her eyeballs for standing here in the middle of the mall talking to Stephen Keyes. She still considered him Jordan’s property. Jordan, however, didn’t even glance at me. Her attention was fully fixed on Stephen.

“You,” Jordan began shakily, as if grappling for the right words. “I—I didn’t even know you were back from university.”

He didn’t speak for a moment. He appeared to be stunned, his face pale. “I am.”

“You haven’t replied to any of my texts.”

He averted his gaze, instead choosing to look at the crystal birds above us. “I thought we dealt with this, Jordan. It’s over between us.”

“Oh, you made that clear in your email, don’t worry.”

I already knew he’d dumped her via email. That was cold.

Jordan swallowed hard. “I guess I don’t feel like I should be blamed for wanting to know the reason why.” Finally, I received a withering look of death. “Or maybe I do know.”

Here we go.

Stephen flicked a glance at me before returning his attention to her. “It’s not what you think.”

“Isn’t that what they always say in the movies? Pathetic. No, I think it’s exactly what I think. You’re interested in Samantha, the town klepto.”

I winced at that. But at least she didn’t call me a slut this time.

When Stephen kissed me at Crave, people saw it. But they hadn’t seen a monster devouring a victim’s soul. They thought they’d just witnessed a hot kiss.

News got back to Jordan through the grapevine while she was still dealing with the heartbreak of being dumped in such a cold, impersonal way. I couldn’t totally blame her for being angry. I would have been hurt, too, if the guy I really liked was seen kissing somebody I disliked so much.

Still, Jordan’s high school drama didn’t trump my life-and-death struggle. I needed time with Stephen to convince him to give me my soul back before it was too late.

“We’re just talking,” I told her as calmly as I could.

Sounded so harmless: just talking.

Only it was a subject that had the potential to destroy not only mine and Stephen’s, but the lives of every single person in Trinity if we didn’t find a solution.

“I don’t really care what you do.” Jordan said in that way that made it clear that she did care very much what Stephen did and with whom. “Damn it.”

Her eyes became glossy and she angrily wiped at them.

Tears of pain, no matter who they were from, had a way of working their way under my skin and directly to my heart. She wasn’t just being a bitch. She was genuinely hurt over this.

Something flashed across Stephen’s face just before he turned away from her.

Anguish.

Stephen hated hurting Jordan like this. I’d had a hunch that he’d broken up with her at the same time he’d been turned into a gray by Natalie, and it wasn’t because he’d been romantically interested in my aunt.

No. It was because he loved Jordan and he didn’t want to hurt her.

Damn. I didn’t want to feel bad for two people I hated. But I did, anyway.

“I can’t be here right now.” Stephen turned away.

Jordan grabbed his arm. “You’re running away? Just like that? So typical.”

He yanked his arm away from her. His breathing had quickly become more labored. She’d entered his orbit of hunger. I was very familiar with how out of control he was feeling right now.

An impossible-to-ignore need for him to kiss her; heart pounding, hunger rising, but knowing the kiss would hurt her.

Torture was definitely the right word.

Stephen spun around and their eyes met. This time he caught her in his arms and pressed her back against the railing.

“I told you to stay away from me, Jordan.” But he said it in that sexy, come-hither kind of way, which would make a lot of girls just want to get that much closer.

“I wanted to.” A tear actually slipped down her cheek, and she angrily swiped it away.

“Jordan, come on,” Julie urged. “We should go.”

But instead, Stephen took hold of Jordan’s upper arms and pulled her to him. His focus had narrowed to her lips. He was going to kiss her. And she was going to let him.

It was like watching a scary soap opera.

I couldn’t let this happen. I grabbed Stephen’s arm and dug my fingers in hard. “Don’t even think about it.”

Clarity came across his clouded expression and his brows drew together. He staggered back from the both of us, swearing under his breath.

“I mean it, Jordan. Stay the hell away from me,” he growled.

She inhaled sharply, disappointment skittering across her flushed face. “I hate you!”

“Good. That helps.” Finally, he turned and began walking rapidly away.

“Wait, Stephen!” I started to run after him.

Julie stepped into my path to block me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Get out of my way.” I shoved her out of the way and scanned the immediate area to locate Stephen, but I couldn’t see him anywhere.

He was gone.

My one shot to talk to him, to explain why he needed to help me. And now he’d disappeared into the crowd in five seconds flat.

“Damn it!” I had more questions than I had to begin with. And absolutely no answers. How was I supposed to find him now?

“You need to stay away from Stephen,” Julie warned me.

I glared at her. “And you need to mind your own business.”

Jordan let out a shaky sigh and rubbed her eyes, succeeding in smearing her mascara. “I’m going to forget him. This time for good. He doesn’t deserve me.”

“You’re right,” Julie agreed. “He doesn’t.”

I kept frantically searching the crowd of faces, but his was nowhere to be seen.

“I hate you and Stephen,” Jordan snapped at me. “I wish I’d never met either of you.”

I tore my gaze from the crowd to meet her furious expression with one of my own. The pain was still raw enough in her eyes to deflate my anger just a little. “You might not believe this, but sometimes when things seem horrible, they’re actually a good thing. Trust me, Stephen isn’t—”

Snap!

Suddenly, I wasn’t in the mall anymore; I was at the church. And I was looking at Cassandra and Kraven, both lit from the bright light entering through the beautiful stained-glass windows.

I saw them through Bishop’s eyes.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” he growled.

“She kissed you?” Cassandra gave him a look of sheer disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”

“It’s not important.” Bishop sent a quick glance at Kraven, who gave him a smug look in return, his arms crossed over his chest. “Got something to say? Or have you said enough for one day?”

“Sorry, had to be honest with Blondie here.” The demon glanced at Cassandra. “I know it takes a lot of my little brother’s energy to stay away from gray-girl, especially when he gets crazy.”

“She’s dangerous to you now,” Cassandra said with concern. “If she was to drain your soul completely...a fallen angel or exiled demon can’t exist without a soul in the human world. You would die.”

Bishop didn’t flinch at this confirmation. “I have it under control.”

“I’m surprised that you got to know her well enough to learn of her supernatural gifts. As a gray, I would have thought you wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her. Your reputation as one who does his job to the letter precedes you.”

“Bishop didn’t sense her grayness right away. All he sensed were those big, brown eyes of hers. And she might be short, but she’s got a killer set of legs.” At whatever dark look Bishop shot him, Kraven shrugged. “What? It’s the truth. Funny, though. Always thought you liked blondes better than brunettes. Or...wait. Maybe that was me. I forget.”

“I sensed there was something between you,” Cassandra said, “but I wasn’t sure what it was.”

Bishop didn’t reply for a moment. “I’m affected by her.”

“Duh,” Kraven said. “The fallen angel falls hard for one of the monsters he’s supposed to put a dagger into. It’s textbook, really.”

“It’s not that. It’s my soul—because of what she is, it binds us. And the kiss only made it worse. This is—it’s nothing more than a simple inconvenient addiction.”

Even though I was only observing this, his words felt like someone had reached into my chest to tear out my heart.

An inconvenient addiction.

Was that really all this was?

“Inconvenient, definitely, but there’s nothing simple about this.” Cassandra came forward to touch his shoulder gently. She gazed up into his face. “I can help you. I want to help you.”

He didn’t pull away from her as she rubbed his arm. “I can handle it. You don’t have to be concerned.”

“Us, concerned?” Kraven’s lips quirked. “Personally, I’m all for you two hooking up again. I’d like to see what happens when the rest of that soul’s sucked out of your mouth. Oh, and you should probably keep in mind that some other places she might want to put those pretty little lips of hers might be a problem, too.”

Bishop’s glare shot to the demon. “Shut your mouth.”

“I should be telling you the same thing.”

“Be quiet, both of you,” Cassandra snapped, clearly frustrated. “Honestly, how do you get any work done while squabbling so—”

Snap!

I was back at the mall and I staggered away from Jordan and Julie, bringing a hand to my forehead. They were both staring at me.

“What was that?” Jordan asked sharply. “Did you just have a mental meltdown or something?”

“I—I’m fine.”

She pushed her fingers into her hair to yank her long bangs back from her face as if they were annoying her. “I didn’t ask if you were fine. I don’t care if you’re fine. But you just checked out for a moment there. Blank city.”

I barely heard her. I was reliving what I’d just seen through Bishop’s eyes. He denied to both Kraven and Cassandra that he felt anything toward me more than an inconvenient addiction.

Between speaking with Stephen, losing him in the crowd, and then overhearing the conversation between the angels and demon, I could barely remain vertical. Even though I was in the middle of the mall surrounded by people, I’d never felt so scared and alone.

An inconvenient addiction.

He was an angel of death who’d been alive for...I didn’t even know how long. I knew nothing about him. All I had were words. And those words were giving me no comfort today. None at all.

“You are a very beautiful girl.” A woman with a clipboard approached us.

I forced myself to look at who was talking and to whom.

The middle-aged woman with long auburn hair and blue eyes, wearing a black designer suit, swept her gaze over Julie.

Julie pressed her hand against her chest. “Me?”

“Yes. Let me take a look at you.” The woman grasped her chin, tilting her head from side to side. “Exquisite. I’m a modeling scout. I think you might have what it takes.”

“Really?” she said with excitement.

“Yes. My name is Eva. And you?”

“Julie. Julie Travis.”

Eva took her hand and squeezed it. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Travis.”

She handed Julie a card before she walked off, sending a casual glance over her shoulder at me and Jordan as she went.

Julie beamed. “Can you believe that? A modeling scout thought I was exquisite.”

“It’s probably one of those agencies that charges a lot of money for your portfolio and don’t do much else,” Jordan said.

Julie gave her a sharp look. “That’s not nice.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. I mean, it’s just the mall. Do many people usually get discovered here?”

“You’re mad that she didn’t even notice you.”

“I’m already signed with a real agency in Manhattan. I don’t need some Trinity-based agency to represent me.”

“Whatever. It’s not like she gave Samantha a card.”

“I don’t want a card,” I said.

A strange tingle went down my arms, like an unseen breeze. I frowned and glanced around to see what caused it, but there was nothing.

Stephen said that just before stasis, the cold increased. But this wasn’t cold...more like a bit of electricity charging the air.

Weird.

Jordan gave me an appraising look. “She’s way too short. I mean, look at her. She’s practically a hobbit.”

I’d had more than enough of these two for one day. “I’m leaving.”

I had to find Stephen. I’d do another sweep of the mall first. Maybe he hadn’t left yet.

I couldn’t believe I lost him so easily. When I’d been close—so close.

“Don’t let me stop you,” Jordan said, then added, “freak.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say something cruel or cutting to her back, but I stopped myself. I flicked a glance at Julie, no longer paying attention to our standoff. She gazed over toward the food court.

I tried to breathe normally. “I know you’re not going to believe this, Jordan, but I’m not seeing Stephen. We’re not together in any possible way. I’m not interested in him.”

Her lips thinned. “Like I care who you might be interested in.”

“I think you care too much.”

“And I think you’re an idiot.”

“Nice.” I rolled my eyes. “You know, sometimes pulling your head out of your own ass helps improve your clarity. You should try it sometime.”

I was sympathetic to her pain, but I refused to be completely defenseless here.

“It sucks,” Julie said.

Jordan glanced at her. “What does?”

“Everything. My life, it’s just so depressing.”

Jordan eyed her. “Join the club.”

“Sometimes—” she sniffed and dragged her hand under her nose “—it all gets so overwhelming. Like today. I felt good when I got here. I felt good until just a moment ago. And now I feel...so sad....”

“Stupid Stephen,” Jordan said. “He put everybody in a bad mood.”

“You know how much I hate seeing you so hurt over that jerk.”

Jordan flicked an uncomfortable glance at me, before returning her gaze to Julie. “Let’s talk when we have more privacy, okay?”

Julie let out a shaky breath and turned to face us. Her eyes were filled with tears. “You shouldn’t let him get to you, Jordan. You shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. It’s just like me and...and Colin....” Her bottom lip wobbled.

“You’re not into Colin, are you?” I asked. I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t while she was in the midst of this impromptu meltdown.

“I didn’t think so, but now that I think about it.” She inhaled shakily. “Just another example of someone I thought wanted me who only wanted to use me.”

“We were going to forget about that,” Jordan said pointedly.

“I can’t forget! And—and now with the modeling agent and you saying how ugly I am.”

Jordan gasped. “I never said you were ugly!”

“You said that a real modeling agent wouldn’t want me. Wouldn’t care about me. That I am so ugly that nobody wants to be my friend. I know it. It’s been like this all my life. It’s why my mother left us.”

Jordan and I exchanged a worried glance. This was going from bad to worse.

“Relax, Julie. Seriously.” She held her hands out. “Let’s go get a coffee downstairs and chill out. It’s been a stressful day, but there’s no reason to freak out.”

Julie was crying now. I just stared at her in shock. I hadn’t heard any rumors that she was unstable in any way, but this was definitely unstable behavior, to say the least. And her massive mood change seemed to have come out of absolutely nowhere.

“Sometimes,” Julie said in shaky bursts, “I hate life. Everything about it. It’s too hard. I wish I was dead.”

“Don’t say that. Come on...” Jordan reached her hand out.

Julie just shook her head. “Goodbye.”

Before we could do anything, say anything, or even make a move toward her, she took hold of the railing...

And threw herself over the edge.