Mortal Kiss

by Alice Moss

A few days later, it actually seemed as if things might be getting back to normal. For the first time in weeks, Faye woke to clear skies and a warm sun. Looking out her window, she couldn’t remember the last time the streets of Winter Mill had not been piled with fresh snow. The thought that the strange early winter might be over lifted her spirits, and she got ready for school quickly. She stopped for a breakfast of coffee and toast with Aunt Pam before pulling on her coat and heading out, carrying the large pile of books she had to return to the library.

  The turn in the weather seemed to have affected the rest of the town, too—people waved and smiled at each other or said a cheery hello as they passed. Faye felt happier. There was surely a rational explanation for everything that had happened over the past few days. Just because she couldn’t explain it didn’t mean there was something scary and strange going on. And whatever was happening in the woods—whatever creatures were haunting it right now—there must be a perfectly reasonable explanation for that, too.

  Liz was waiting for her on Winter Mill High’s steps, looking great, as usual. She’d borrowed more of Poppy’s boho clothes and was mixing them in with all the new items she’d bought from MK. Faye was always amazed at how Liz managed to come up with a gorgeous new outfit so easily. She loved coming up with new looks herself, of course, but it seemed like second nature to Liz.

  As she got closer, Faye saw that her friend was staring into the distance, a faintly worried look on her face.

  “Hey!” Faye called as she got closer. “Everything OK?”

  Liz smiled when she saw her, and they walked into school together. “Oh, yeah. It’s just my dad. He’s acting really weird.”

  Faye winced. “Oh no. He hasn’t grounded you for Sunday, has he? I thought you said that so far he hadn’t mentioned it at all.”

  “He hasn’t! That’s what’s so weird.”

  “You’re complaining that he hasn’t grounded you?” Faye teased. “Has someone done a body swap with my Liz? Who are you, and what do you want?”

  “I know, I know,” Liz laughed. “But seriously, I don’t know what’s with him right now. He’s hardly talked to us all week.”

  “You didn’t manage to find a way of telling him about the wolf?”

  Liz shook her head. “I tried, but it’s hard to find a way without letting on that we both went up there. And to be honest, I’m not even sure he’d listen. Sometimes it’s like we’re not even there. I think Mom is worried too.”

  “That is a bit weird,” agreed Faye. “But maybe he’s just tired? There’s been a lot going on recently. I think the snow has gotten to people. Especially with that poor guy dying in it out in the woods. You don’t really think of snow as being dangerous, but it is. And we’ve been surrounded by it for weeks now. Your dad’s probably been preoccupied with all of that, hasn’t he?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right,” decided Liz. “Anyway, like you said—if it means I’m not getting punished for something, why am I complaining?”

  “He’ll snap out of whatever it is soon enough, you’ll see.”

  Liz nodded. “You’re probably right. Which means I should commit as many teenage misdemeanors as I can right now!”

  Faye shook her head and smiled. “Look, I’ve got to go hand in these articles. I wrote about all our findings in the piece about the woods. It might get me into trouble, but I think it’s worth it. And I finally finished the Mercy Morrow one, too. It’s so late—Ms. Finch is going to kill me!”

  “Nah,” said Liz, waving her hand dismissively, “she’ll be fine. She’s the softest teacher in school. I’d better get to class, though. I’ll let Mr. Petrus know where you are. Or do you need help with all those?” Liz asked, nodding at Faye’s books.

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll be along in a minute.”

  Faye headed for the school newspaper’s office, which was up a flight, near the science labs. It was unusual for her to be late delivering an article, but then it was unusual for her to be nervous about handing in what she’d written, too. She had done as Ms. Finch had asked and produced a biographical article on Mercy Morrow. Even though she hadn’t really wanted to write it, Faye had figured it was a good exercise in journalism. After all, she wouldn’t always be able to choose her assignments. But she’d also done a longer, in-depth piece on what had been happening in the woods, from the bikers’ arrival to her more recent discovery of the animal carcasses. She’d left out the part about her being chased—for one thing, it was too personal for an objective newspaper article, and for another, she didn’t want anyone to know she’d been up there at night, even after being told to avoid the place. She also didn’t want to get Finn into trouble. Faye still wasn’t sure what the rest of the Black Dogs’ involvement in all this was, but she was convinced that Finn had nothing to do with any of it.

  She was about to shoulder open the newspaper room door when someone beat her to it from the other side. Jimmy walked out, a puzzled look on his face.

  “Morning, Jimmy,” Faye greeted him. “How’s things?”

  Frowning, he shut the door carefully, pulling her to one side. “Ms. Finch is in a r-really odd m-mood today,” he whispered.

  “What do you mean?”

  Jimmy shook his head. “I mean o-odd, Faye. She’s usually so … b-bubbly, even first thing in the morning. But today, she’s like a b-brick wall. I t-tried to talk to her about this week’s issue. I think we need to include a b-big feature on the Battle of the B-Bands—competitor profiles, judge b-bios, stuff like that. B-but she j-just clammed up. Do you know if something’s h-happened?”

  “Nothing that I’ve heard about,” Faye said quietly. “She’s probably just got a headache or something. Or she’s in a bad mood.”

  Jimmy raised his eyebrows. “Since wh-when have you known Ms. Finch to b-be in a b-bad mood?”

  “Never,” admitted Faye. “Well, I’ll try to find something out. I’ve got to go deliver these articles anyway.”

  “Good l-luck,” Jimmy whispered, opening the door for her before he headed to class.

  It was dark inside the office. The blinds on the windows were still shut, and none of the lights had been switched on. Faye could see her teacher sitting at her desk in front of her computer.

  “Uh, morning, Ms. Finch,” Faye began as she walked toward the desk. “I’ve got two pieces for this week here. I’m really sorry they’re late. I hope you like them.”

  There was no response from the teacher. She seemed engrossed in whatever was on her computer screen. Faye thought maybe she was reading—as the newspaper editor, there was a lot to get through on top of her regular teaching duties each week. She put down her books and took her papers out of her bag.

  “I worked really hard on the second one,” Faye added as she got closer. “I know you told me not to write it, but I think it’s a really important story, and I hope you’ll at least—”

  She stopped. Ms. Finch’s computer was not turned on. The screen was blank, just reflecting the edges of the windows behind them where the blinds had not shut out all the morning light.

  “Ms. Finch?” Faye whispered. “Are you OK?”

  Ms. Finch didn’t answer. Her eyes were set and glazed, and maybe it was the lack of light in the room, but to Faye they seemed darker than usual. It was as if the light in them had turned into something hard and black.

  Suddenly scared, Faye dropped her assignments on the desk and backed away. “I—I’ll come back during recess, Ms. Finch,” she said. “I can see you’re busy.…”

  Faye scooped up her books and made it to the door before she heard Ms. Finch’s voice behind her. Except it wasn’t Ms. Finch’s voice, not really. It had something hard and closed about it, like her eyes.

  “I thought I told you to stay out of the woods, Faye,” said the voice.

  The skin on the back of Faye’s neck prickled with fear. Instead of answering, she opened the door and rushed through it, pulling it shut behind her. She stood in the light of the corridor, waiting for her heart to
calm, and as she did so she looked out the window.

  The clouds had closed over the sun again, and it was snowing.

  Chapter 23: Unexpected Chemistry

  Catching her breath and pushing her fear away, Faye set off down the hall. Her head was full of questions that she knew no one could answer. She was so wrapped up in what had just happened with Ms. Finch that she wasn’t paying attention as she turned the corner. Someone walked right into her, sending her pile of books flying and almost knocking her over in the process.

  “Whoa!” Lucas Morrow reached out, grabbing Faye’s arms to stop her from falling.

  “Hey! Watch it!” she yelped, wrenching herself free.

  Lucas held up his hands. “Sorry, but you’re the one who wasn’t looking where you were going, Flash,” he said, bending down to help her pick up the scattered books. “Where you off to so fast?”

  “Class,” Faye said. “Come to think of it, isn’t that where you should be right now?”

  Lucas grinned, handing her a book and reaching for another. “Just on my way. Although I’ll be late now, so you owe me.”

  “I owe you?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “That’s rich.”

  Lucas straightened up with a devilish smile. “No, that would be me. Is that why you hate me? Because I’m sooooo rich?”

  Faye crossed her arms and shook her head at him, amazed. “You are not rich,” she told him, trying to keep a straight face. “Your mom is. And I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone. I think you’ve hurt Liz’s feelings, though.”

  Lucas was looking at a flyer that he’d picked up from the floor. It had fallen from one of Faye’s books. He looked up, puzzled. “Really? What did she say?”

  Faye sighed, realizing that anything she told Lucas would probably embarrass Liz. And after their last stupid fight over him, she wasn’t going to risk upsetting her best friend again. “Nothing; it doesn’t matter. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  Lucas held up the flyer. It was an announcement for the Battle of the Bands. “Are you going to go to this, Flash? Could be fun.”

  Faye snatched it out of his hand, mildly annoyed. “You know, Lucas, I don’t think I’ve actually seen you attend a class yet. And this is the only time I’ve seen you pick up a book. Is fun all you’re interested in?”

  “No,” Lucas said, reasonably, apparently amused by her exasperation. “But I also don’t see what the use is in being bookish all the time. Lighten up. It’d do you some good.”

  “I have plenty of fun!” said Faye. “And I am not bookish!”

  Lucas raised his eyebrows, pointing to the books still on the floor. “Just how many of these were you carrying?”

  “I—I have to go to the library at lunch!”

  The boy crossed his arms, an infuriatingly amused smile on his face. “I believe you just made my point for me.”

  Faye sighed in defeat. “So, are you going to go?”

  “To the Battle of the Bands?” Lucas grinned. “You interested in knowing my social timetable?”

  “If I know it, I can avoid you, can’t I?”

  “Aw, don’t be like that. You’d like me if you got to know me. Sure, I was thinking of going. It’d be … fun if you did too. So how about it?”

  “Are you asking me out?” Faye said, genuinely shocked.

  “Is there something strange about that?”

  “What? Other than the fact that I just told you you’ve upset my best friend?” Lucas shrugged. “I don’t think I did. And anyway, I didn’t know one ruled out the other.”

  Faye shook her head and began to gather up the last of her books. “You know what, Lucas? That’s probably why you don’t have any friends.”

  He was quiet for a moment before stepping away and crouching to retrieve the last volume. “Well,” he said quietly, “when you move around as much as I do, it’s kind of hard to make any.”

  Faye straightened up, feeling a sudden pang of guilt. She hadn’t meant her quip about his lack of friends to come out quite the way it had. It couldn’t be easy moving to a new place where you knew no one. And it wasn’t as if anyone but Liz had really made an effort to get to know him. Yes, people talked about Lucas and his mother all the time, but it was always about how much money they had, or what they were doing here, or their huge house. She wondered if anyone had actually asked Lucas about himself since he’d gotten here. Faye sighed. As usual, she hadn’t paid attention to Aunt Pam, who was always right. She’d judged Lucas without knowing him. But she couldn’t date him. She didn’t want to, for a start. And then there was Liz.…

  Lucas stood up and held out the book. As Faye reached to take it, their fingers brushed together. Lucas trapped hers beneath his, and Faye was stunned to feel her heart flutter and her cheeks burn. She glanced up at him, surprised to find his blue eyes full of a warmth she hadn’t seen there before. Then he glanced down at the title of the book and grinned, entirely too cheesily for Faye’s comfort.

  “Chemistry one-oh-one,” he said, his voice still soft. “I think there’s some chemistry between us, don’t you, Flash? There must be—after all, you’re blushing.”

  There was sudden movement at the end of the hall, and Faye saw Liz and a group of their friends heading toward them. Afraid that Liz would see the two of them together, she snatched the book out of Lucas’s hand, stuck it on top of the pile beneath her chin and hurried away, her cheeks still burning. What are you blushing for? She shouted at herself silently. It’s Lucas Morrow! What about Liz? What about Finn? Faye was shocked and horrified by her reaction to Lucas’s touch, which she certainly hadn’t intended. What did it mean? She couldn’t like him … she couldn’t! Yes, she was beginning to realize that Lucas was far nicer than she’d first thought, but that didn’t mean anything … did it?

  “Faye, where have you been?” Liz asked as Faye joined the gaggle of girls—and Jimmy, who was tagging along behind as usual. “You’ve missed the most important conversation of the day: Who’s going to win the Battle of the Bands?”

  “I’m really hoping I’ve got a shot,” said Rachel Hogan, one of Liz’s and Faye’s oldest friends, “but I’m terrified I’m going to catch a cold with all this awful weather and ruin my voice! Can you imagine how terrible it would be if I couldn’t sing that night?”

  “You’ll be fine,” Candi Thorsson told her, threading an arm through Rachel’s as the group started off again. “Just keep drinking honey and lemon—and wear a scarf!”

  “Why don’t you get a pair of Uggs?” Liz suggested. “They look so cool, and they’re warm, too!”

  Faye followed, putting on a smile and trying to join in the chatter. But she knew that Lucas was still standing there, watching her. She glanced back before turning the corner and saw him smile.

  Chapter 24: Home Time

  Lucas stood outside the school, watching the kids stream out and head home as he waited for Ballard to pick him up. He’d spent most of the day thinking about his encounter with Faye that morning. She was so cute when she was annoyed, and he’d been surprised—and pleased—that she’d blushed when their fingers touched. There had to be something there, didn’t there? He sighed. Girls were so hard to figure out.

  Ballard’s black car rolled to a stop in front of him, but Lucas didn’t rush to get in. Ballard hated to be kept waiting, and right now, anything Lucas could do to push his buttons was worth it. Lucas was still angry about their encounter over the old biker jacket. He’d thought about telling his mom, as he’d threatened, but had decided against it. For whatever reason, Ballard was Mercy’s most trusted lackey, and Lucas knew she wouldn’t take her son’s side about something so trivial.

  Lucas pulled open the front passenger door and slid in—another thing that annoyed Ballard. He preferred that Lucas sit in the back. But Lucas was in the mood to stir things up. Ballard didn’t say anything, or even look at him. He just drove off.

  “I think you’re going the wrong way,” said Lucas as Ballard turned into the street heading for town. “Losi
ng your marbles, maybe?”

  Ballard ignored him, but Lucas was persistent. “Where are we going, Ballard? I’ve got homework to do; I don’t need a magical mystery tour.”

  The big man curled his lip in a silent snarl. “We’re picking up your mother,” he said shortly, and he didn’t speak again.

  Lucas sighed, leaning back into the plush leather seat. The car was pristine, as if it had never been used before. He wondered what Ballard kept in the glove compartment, and he reached over, flipping it open. He felt Ballard glance at him but ignored it. Inside the compartment was nothing but a manual for the car. He snapped it shut again and drummed his hands on the dashboard instead, another thing sure to annoy Ballard.

  Lucas looked out at the stores that lined the town’s streets. They were all small, and a few were the sorts of places that sold gift items to tourists.

  They coasted to a stop outside McCarron’s Bookstore, which made Lucas sit up with interest. McCarron? That can’t be a coincidence, he thought. It must be owned by Faye’s family.…

  The store had two large windows set on either side of a quaint wooden and patterned-glass door. Hanging over the door on a string was a small model of what looked like a dog. Lucas realized it was actually a wolf. He wondered why it was there—it seemed out of place beside the hanging baskets full of evergreen shrubs and blooming red poinsettia.

  Then a movement inside the shop caught his eye. One of the two figures was his mother, and he guessed the other woman must be the owner. Was it Faye’s mom?

  Somewhere a dog was barking furiously. The noise seemed to be coming from inside the bookshop, and he saw his mother bend down to swat something away. Then she turned and headed for the door, the other woman following her all the way, dipping out of sight every few steps as if she was trying to scoop something up from the floor. The door opened and his mother stepped out—and at her heels was a small but furious dog. It barked and snapped, baring its teeth and lunging at Mercy’s heels as she tried to get away from it.

  Lucas wound down his window. “I’m sorry,” the store owner was saying over the noise of the angry animal. “Jerry’s usually very friendly. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”