Kiss Me Deadly: Tales of a Paranormal Romance

My eyes flicker to the display case. It is filled with books, but even a fleeting glance confirms that the particular tome I came to steal is gone. Dammit! I was only here this afternoon, and it was right there. Don’t tell me someone bought it already—not at the price these people were selling it for. The book didn’t even belong in a place like this—an occult bookstore on the backstreets of London. It should be in a freaking museum.

I look at the boy’s hands and my stomach clenches. This is the first time I even notice that he’s holding something. A book.

The book?

“Give it to me,” I say, before I can even think about it. I don’t know who he is or what he might be able to do to me, but I don’t care. I need that book or I’ll never get away from Theo. Each failure is cataloged; every time I don’t quite achieve the impossible tasks he sets me is just one more reason for him to keep me close.

I don’t let myself think of the alternative: that each success also ties me more securely to his side. Why would he ever let me go if I am so damn good at retrieving the items he sends me to find? If I think about that too often, I’ll go crazy. I have to stay strong. The minute I let myself feel the creeping despair, I will lose myself. I will lose the part of me that is Marie—and I’ll always be only Moth.

Adam raises an eyebrow. What is it about the men in my life that they all seem to know that trick? It’s a weakness of mine. My mind wanders to a brief image of Jason Murdoch—all golden hair and deep brown eyes. I push it away and slam the door on it; he is my enemy, and I would do well to remember that.

I have the scars to prove it.

I wonder if the same can be said for the kid standing in front of me right now, with the amused expression tugging at his mouth and crinkling the corners of his eyes. Is he my enemy?

“You want this?” he says, holding up a slim leather-bound volume that has seen better days.

The door to the display case is open. The weak light from above glints on the glass and shows me Adam’s reflection. I take a step back, wondering if he has noticed the fact that I don’t have one. Another part of me that slowly slips away as each day passes.

“I need that book,” I say, trying to sound like a tough guy but only managing petulance.

“You’re telling me,” he says, taking a step forward, “that we’re both here for the same book? I find that a little too much of a coincidence. Don’t you?”

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” I say, even though I’ve never given it a thought. It’s just something to say; something that might distract him. “I only know that you’re holding what I came here for. I’m not leaving without it.”

Adam licks his lips. “I need this book far more than you could ever know.” He looks almost regretful. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to make do without this one. There are plenty more to choose from.”

This can’t happen, I won’t let it. Rolling my shoulders and cracking my knuckles—a nervous habit that Theo has tried to encourage me to lose—I feel the satisfying creak of my leather jacket and set my booted feet more widely apart.

“You’re not leaving with that book,” I say. “Save yourself some pain and put it down. I’ll let you go and we never have to give this unfortunate incident another thought.”

Adam sneers. “That’s very generous of you,” he says, “but I think you’ll find I don’t scare so easy.”

What a shame, I can’t help thinking. And then I launch myself at him, running the few steps between us and leaping at the last possible moment to make the most of what little momentum I can build up in the restricted space.

We tumble to the ground and the book flies out of his grasp. His hands come up to try to push me off him, but I have my fists gripping the collar of his denim jacket and a knee on either side of his torso. I drag him into a sitting position and bring his face toward mine. Our noses are practically touching.

He doesn’t look surprised that I’m so strong, but I don’t let that phase me. I grin at him and give him a quick flash of fang—let him think he imagined it later, if he wants. He can’t prove anything.

“I tried to do this nicely, Adam,” I say, shaking my head as though I am genuinely sorry that things have come to this. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will be taking that book with me.”

“What do you want with it?” His eyes are a little wide, and he’s lost some of his color; his bravado seems to be drying up. Maybe he got more than just a fleeting glimpse of my fangs.

I brace my left foot on the floor and give him a shake. “That’s none of your business, kid.”

“I think it is my business if you’re going to take the book I’ve worked so hard to find. I don’t just want it—I need it. If you’re determined to ruin my life I deserve to know why.”

“‘Ruin your life’?” I echo. “Aren’t you being a bit melodramatic?” I can’t help the frown that crosses my face. What is with this dude? He seems so sincere, and something about the quiet desperation in his voice is making my conscience prickle and my stomach hurt. I feel like I’m doing something terrible to him, but that’s ridiculous under the circumstances. After all, we’re both thieves.

His voice is suddenly much harder. “Let me go, Moth.”

I shake him again, just because I can.

“Let me go,” he says again, “or you’ll be sorry.”

“Right, kiddo,” I reply, unable to resist the opportunity to bug him. “What are you going to do? Threaten me to death? Take it from me, Adam, if you’re going to make threats you sure as hell better be able to follow up on them, otherwise—”

And then he just ... disappears. My hands are left clutching empty air, and I stumble forward, partly because he’s no longer there but mostly because I’m in a state of shock.

What? Where did he—?

Adam is right behind me and grabs a clump of my curls. My head is wrenched back, and my neck feels like it’s about to snap. He’s stronger than he looks—maybe not as strong as me, but way stronger than his skinny frame would have you believe. He certainly had me fooled.

This time I topple backward as he releases me and steps out of the way, moving faster than any human should move. I’m sprawled on my ass, and for a moment I don’t even care about the indignity of it. I’m curious about this kid. He smells human enough, but there’s something other about him, after all.

“That’s quite a trick,” I say, trying to catch my breath and keep him occupied so he doesn’t think to snatch the book immediately. It’s lying just out of reach. I could stretch and snag it, but there’s no way I’ll be able to do it before Adam stops me.

“I told you not to take it,” he says. He’s not smiling anymore, no longer mocking or smirking. He doesn’t look happy to have proved me wrong.

I watch him carefully, as though he’s an exotic new species I’ve discovered. There’s something fascinating about the way his eyes are shining in the half-light; now I know what people see when they catch sight of my eyes in all their silver glory. We are like two sides of different coins, this boy and me. He’s all fire and nervous energy, and I’m ice and barely restrained power.

I sit up and rub the back of my head where I banged it on the floor. My hair is wild around my face.

“Tell me how you did that,” I say, genuinely curious now.

“What,” he replies, “ this?”

And he disappears again.

Now you see me, now you don’t. Just blinks out of existence and then reappears a second later, right next to the damn book. He bends and scoops it up, cradling it in his arms as though it is something truly precious—a treasure way beyond its monetary value.

I lick my lips and wonder if I could try to glamour him, but I’m wearing the damn contacts and I doubt it would do me much good even if I weren’t. If he’s not fully human, I have no idea if my vampiric gaze will work on him. It’s not like I’m much good at it yet, anyway.

I flip onto all fours and crouch, glaring at this kid who has dared to get in the way of my mission. I have to give that book to Theo. I have to prove to him that he can trust me to do what he wants, that I’m not just waiting for any opportunity to escape him forever. No matter how much you love someone, they aren’t always good for you. Theo is a beautiful drug; he’s like prescription medication I genuinely needed for a while, otherwise I would have died—for real. Now I’m hooked and I can’t stop.