Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers) (9 page)

My grip on the railing tightened painfully as a group of teens
moved past, way too close, the scent of their souls brushing into my orbit of
hunger.

“So here we are,” Stephen said.

“That’s close enough,” I said when he got four feet away.

He stopped. “I’m not planning to hurt you. I’m not the one who
carries around a sharp golden dagger, remember?”

“No, you’re the one who helped my aunt nearly kill me.”

“I don’t think she would have killed you.” There were dark
shadows under his eyes, which made it look as if he hadn’t slept in days. I’d
noticed the same circles under my eyes this morning, thanks to my
nightmare-induced tossing and turning. “Besides, she’s gone.”

A stomach-churning image of the Hollow grabbing hold of my aunt
after Carly had stabbed her with Bishop’s dagger flashed through my mind. “Are
you upset about that?”

He gave me a grim look. “No.”

I didn’t want to take my attention off him in case he
disappeared in a puff of smoke. This is what I’d wanted. I’d searched the city
for him for a week and now he was standing right in front of me. “I don’t want
to talk about my aunt, Stephen. I’m here for one reason and one reason
only.”

“Your soul.”

“And Carly’s. Give them back to me.”

He looked down at the food court, his jaw tight. “Look at all
of them. It’s hard to believe they have no idea what’s happening in Trinity
right now. Right in front of their eyes. Humans.” He said it with barely
contained disgust.

He was trying to change the subject. I had to stay calm and not
make any huge demands. He had all the power here, but I didn’t want him to know
that. “You’re human.”

“I was.”

“Now you think you’re more than that?”

He didn’t answer my question. His gaze flicked to me. “You were
already more than human before this.”

I tried not to grimace. He knew I was a nexus, thanks to
Natalie. My little secret that nobody was supposed to know. “Other than the
hunger, I don’t feel any different than before.”

Stephen studied my face, as if searching for some clue there.
“You will.”

I still gripped the railing as if it was the only thing keeping
me from tumbling over. “No, I won’t.”

He shook his head. “Things are changing...ever since Natalie’s
been gone.”

“Is this another recruitment speech or a warning?”

He snorted a little, and I could have sworn he looked a bit
nauseous.

I frowned. “Are you all right?”

That earned me another dry laugh. “Do you really care about my
well-being, Samantha?”

My hands were sweating as I forced myself to stay calm and not
start shrieking demands. “You wanted to talk to me. So talk. What’s
changing?”

He kept his eyes forward, not looking directly at me. “It
wasn’t like this when Natalie was still around.”

“What?”

“It starts with the cold. Like...worse than normal. Worse than
the cold we feel from not having a soul. And the hunger...” His expression
tightened. “You can’t ignore it even if you try. It’s there...a constant need
that doesn’t leave for a second, driving you to feed from someone...anyone. And
it doesn’t get satisfied when you give in to it...it—it just gets worse.”

I think I stopped breathing. This wasn’t what I’d expected him
to say—not at all. “What are you talking about?”

He swallowed, and when his gaze met mine I swear I saw fear
there. “Stasis.”

I shook my head. “What’s stasis?”

When he wrenched his gaze from the food court to look at me
again, there was something in his eyes that scared me. Something bleak and
defeated.

Stephen was afraid.

This realization chilled me right down to my bones.

“Feeding—kissing someone—it makes you feel better for a little
while. But...it doesn’t stop what’s going to happen. We’re changing, Samantha.
You will, too. We lose our minds, our control. Everything.”

I started to tremble. He was talking about the zombie grays.
“But—but that’s what happens to the grays that feed too much. Natalie warned us
to control ourselves or we’ll end up like that. But if we don’t feed, it won’t
happen. Right?”

“It’s different now. She didn’t know. We go into that state
and...then we come back out again. That mindlessness, it’s only the beginning.”
He didn’t say it like it was a good thing.

I stared at him, trying to understand, but then with a
sickening feeling it all clicked into place for me. “Oh, God. The gray from last
night...”

“What?”

“He was different.” My words were barely audible. I tensed up
as more people closely brushed past us. “He—he was stronger, more powerful,
and...and
evil.
Like, he had no...” I gritted my
teeth before I managed to continue. “Like he had no soul.”

Stephen didn’t mock me and tell me this was a stupid thing to
say—that of course a gray had no soul. Instead, his expression only grew more
grave. “That’s right. Any morals, any compassion we have left—after stasis, it’s
gone. Stripped. Soulless, completely and totally.”

I took this in and worked the disturbing information over in my
head. “I thought you were already like that.”

He let out a humorless snort. “I’ve changed from how I was
before, but not completely. Not like what I’ve seen in the past few days.”

I clasped my hands tightly to keep them from shaking. “So this
guy—he was one of the zombies, and then he...then he came back from that?”

He nodded.

I couldn’t speak for a full minute, just staring at him. “Why
are you telling me this? Why did you want to meet me here?”

He looked at me steadily. “Because it’s my fault you’re like
this. I wanted to warn you.”

There was a big part of Stephen that had been changed forever
by becoming a gray, one that could be manipulated by Natalie to do bad things on
her behalf—but he wasn’t completely changed yet. There was still some part of
him that remained the same Stephen that I’d had a crush on.

He was afraid of what was to come. For himself...and for
me.

I fought to find the words to speak. “How long before it
happens?”

He didn’t speak for a moment. “All I know is—it’s coming,
Samantha. And I don’t know how it’ll go for me.”

My stomach clenched. “What do you mean?”

“Stasis either evolves you into something dark, something
evil—worse than anything I ever could have imagined.” He hesitated. “Or...it
kills you.”

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.