The Sharpest Kiss by Elizabeth Myles (the false prince .txt) 📕

more than forty years now, and yet…he had sacrificed that opportunity with hardly a second’s hesitation.

In order to save people he didn’t even know.

To save her friends.

“Thank you,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Thank you so much for getting rid of Celia anyway.”

“It was the right thing to do,” he said, still not looking at her. “I would do it again.”

She sidled up to him and touched his forearm. When he didn’t pull away, she brushed her hand along his sleeve, enjoying the firmness of his corded muscles bunching underneath the sweatshirt, even as she tried to console him. She watched his face, hoping to see some of the tension dissipate but, if anything, he only looked more tortured.

“I know you would do it again,” she finally said, and her gaze returned to the stain on the floor, “and I’m glad Celia’s gone for good. And not just because of Aaron and Jason, if I’m being honest.”

“Because she ruined your store,” he guessed.

“Because she was a bitch. Did you hear her call me a pudgy sow? Ugh.” Jessica kicked at the ashes, too, and felt a thrill of satisfaction zip through her as she watched them filter back down to the carpet again.

She chuckled, but, beside her, Nathan stood stiff and expressionless, as if he were too shocked by the insanity of everything that’d just happened to say anything else, much less laugh along with her.

“Nathan?” she said, worried. “Um…Nathan?” She gave his arm a shake.

Rousing, he turned to look down at her. As their eyes met, the stunned mask melted from his face. He cracked a handsome smile. “Oh, Jessica,” he said, and chuckled under his breath. “Jessica, Jessica…” He surprised her by cupping her cheek in his rough palm. “You are not a sow. Nor pudgy, nor anything else save for…” He paused, flicking his gaze over her from head to toe.

“Yeah?” she prompted.

He licked his lower lip so fast she almost didn’t see it. “Ideal,” he finished. “In more ways than one.”

Jessica’s heart leapt excitedly. She couldn’t keep from beaming. “I am? Well, thanks. So are you, you know.”

His smile grew, but he dropped his hand from her face. “We should go outside and find the others. See if killing Celia did what it was meant to.”

“You mean, we should check and see if it worked? See if the guys are human again?” The idea excited her so much, she started toward the doors before Nathan could answer her. She’d only taken a few steps when one of the bookcases in front of the window twitched.

“Jessica?” Lucy’s voice filtered in faintly from outside. “Jessica, can you hear me?”

“Lucy?” Jessica called back. “I can hear you! Are you guys okay out there?”

There was a masculine shout of warning to stay out of the way, and then the case came crashing down, making a tremendous racket as it struck the floor and sent a cloud of sofa stuffing and shredded book pages raining into the air. Kiefer appeared in its wake, his shirtless—and, Jessica saw, tattooed—torso streaked with dirt and sweat and who knew what else. He jumped down from the display window, followed by Lucy. At their heels came Aaron and Dara, propping Jason up between them. Dara’s husband was pale as a sheet of parchment, grimacing and clutching a hand against his side.

“I don’t know what happened.” Kiefer’s face was white and fearful as he strode toward Nathan. “Someone must’ve had an enchanted knife out there, something I missed. I don’t know how…” He trailed away, guilt flaring in his eyes.

“Oh no,” Jessica said, and swore under her breath. Because Celia’s demise had definitely done what it was supposed to. The vampiric curse had been broken. Jason was obviously human again—judging from the way his legs were buckling and the life was leaking out of him, trickling rapidly all over her floor.

◆◆◆

“In some ways it is good to still be a vampire,” Nathan murmured as Dara and Aaron laid Jason down on the settee.

“Oh, that’s right,” Jessica performed a brief victory shuffle as she remembered. “You’ve got the magical vampire healing power! Yes!”

Dara, who was kneeling at Jason’s side, choked out a sound that was part grief-stricken sob and part relief-laden laugh. Her face was dripping with tears as she stared up at Nathan. “Please,” she begged, her voice raspy. “Please tell me you can help him.”

“I will do what I can, of course,” worry glinted in Nathan’s eyes as he pushed up his sleeves, “but if the wound is too severe, I do not know if…”

Dara sobbed as though someone had just stepped on her heart, and Nathan stopped talking. He laid his hand on her head in a comforting gesture. She scrambled aside to let him crouch beside her husband. Kiefer produced a knife, and Nathan used it on his own forearm.

Jessica watched, no less amazed than the previous times she’d seen him do it, as the vampire bled into Jason’s mouth and over his injury. This time, though, the wound didn’t heal right away. Jason coughed up some of the magical blood, even as his own continued to seep out of his midsection, soaking his shirt and the couch cushions underneath him. Dara’s husband’s breathing was becoming shallower by the second, and his eyes had slipped halfway shut. Jessica felt her stomach twist into an anxious knot.

“What is it?” Dara asked, her voice trembling. “Why isn’t it working?”

“I am unsure.” Nathan’s own voice was tight with apprehension. “As I said, it is possible the injury is simply too severe for me to handle.” He paused, a thought occurring to him. “Or, if this wound is indeed from an enchanted weapon, the spell may interfere with my ability to heal it.” He glanced up at Kiefer. “I do not suppose you have any idea what sort of magic might have been used on that blade?”

“No, but I can try to find out.” Moving in beside Nathan, Kiefer stretched his hands above Jason’s wound