Alicia Jasinska

This Fatal Kiss

Cassidy Nolan

“You’re sneaking off rather early today,” Wojciech called out. “It’s not even dusk yet.”

“Am I that irresistible?” she called, her bare feet slapping the footpath. “Don’t you have better things to do than stalk me?”

His vision was blurring, which was not helpful at all when he had a literal demon in his living room.

Leśna Woda’s number one public menace.

You couldn’t let yourself forget those pretty faces hid wicked hearts.

Gisela huffed. “I didn’t realize you were so desperate for my company that you’d actually kidnap me.”

“Yes, I realized I couldn’t possibly live without you,” Kazik replied with a deadpan expression.

Gisela grinned. “So the other spirits don’t get this kind of treatment? I’m special? Did you ruin my little meet-cute at the fountain because you were jealous? You know you’re looking very handsome today. Are those new glasses?”

Some days, Gisela thought Kazik wasn’t as terrible as everybody said. Sure, he took his tole as Leśna Woda’s self-imposed protector far too seriously, but that was why it was so much fun to push his buttons. She couldn’t resist playing with that overly righteous fire, testing to see how far she could take things before he snapped and tried to douse her with holy water.

There was no way an insatiable, troublemaking spirit like Gisela was just going to sit back and let herself be captured. She was a flirtatious force of chaos. You couldn’t leave her alone for a second. How could a single girl be so positively infuriating?

“Ow, ow, ow! Let go of me!” Gisela drove an elbow backward, trying to buck him off. She twisted and grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Kazik grabbed a fistful of hers and rolled them over, pinning her beneath him and not in a fun, sexy way. His knee pressed into her stomach. “Do you want to die?” He panted.

“I’m already dead!” Gisela said in a singsong.

“Always so hostile. Would you believe me if I said I missed you?”

 doing here?” Gisela peered curiously at Kazik’s little pile of grave dirt.

They depended on her. Her father had said so. Repeatedly. 

I’m so busy with my work, Gisela. If you don’t look after Hugo, who will?

She bit her lip. “I have to go home. My little brother—“

“Is not your responsibility. You’re not his mother. You have a father.”

wojciech it seems i’ve grown quite fond of you

“Because Heaven knows why, but I’ve grown rather fond of you. We all have. And I believe I can provide a home for you where you can be happy, where you can live at ease. I can ensure this new life of yours is filled with all the happiness your last one lacked.”

Gisela was rendered momentarily speechless.

“I know you care fiercely for your brother,” Wojciech said softly. “I admire that. But you deserve to be taken care of too.”

Physically, he was exhausted, but his mind just kept on turning. One moment he was thinking of Aleksey, and the next moment, Gisela.

“You know, it’s almost suspicious how you keep trying to delay setting me up with someone. Are you sure you’re not secretly in love with me? You know, 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Never going to happen.”

“I cannot wait for the day when I am free of you at last.”

He rolled his shoulders, stamping down a jolt of pointless jealousy, trying to shake off this odd, misplaced sense of possessiveness. It wasn’t like he had any claim on Aleksey—or Gisela for that matter.

Brilliant pink, blue, and purple hydrangea bushes bloomed on either side of the eponymous lane.

Gisela flinched. The words twisted like a knife in an open wound. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard comments like that before, from other girls back home. From other girls who liked girls.

They had a real talent for making her feel small, for making her feel terribly guilty and like she needed to apologize for the part of her that liked boys too.

“I’m not going to defend my sexuality to you,” Gisela said, more hurt than she was willing to let on. “Again.”

She watched them for a moment longer, her stomach suddenly twisting with a queasy feeling she didn’t fully understand. A feeling almost like jealousy—only she wasn’t sure who she was jealous of. 

 would’ve like to be the sole focus of Aleksey’s attention, but she’s also never seen Kazik look so captivated.

“Kazik! Kazik, don’t just sit there!” Gisela gasped. Her chest was heaving from giggles now too. Her eyes were shining in a way he’d never seen before. It was cute.

Gisela stabbed an accusing finger at Kazik’s face. “He’s 

Kazik rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not.”

“I’m really not.” Kazik stood, dusting off his backside, avoiding eye contact. It would be pure madness to admit he was smiling because of an unholy terror like Gisela.

This book surprised me a bit with its poly romance because you could say this is the first time I've read a book with a poly romance theme. It's not that I don't like them, because I quite enjoy the dynamic between Kazik, Gisela, and Aleksey. The three of them are really sweet, even if they (especially Kazik) are a bit foolish when it comes to expressing their feelings (sorry).

I really liked the story, it was like reading a fairy tale even though it was packaged with a bit of mystery. Like a folklore.

Even though the ending of the story left me feeling just like that, this book still managed to make me smile to myself. And to be very honest, I need more story about Kazik, Gisela, and Aleksey. Because I feel quite sad for Aleksey because I think this mysterious guy deserves a possibly happier ending.

ℛ.

This book surprised me a bit with its poly romance because you could say this is the first time I've read a book with a poly romance theme. It's not that I don't like them, because I quite enjoy the dynamic between Kazik, Gisela, and Aleksey. The three of them are really sweet, even if they (especially Kazik) are a bit foolish when it comes to expressing their feelings (sorry).

I really liked the story, it was like reading a fairy tale even though it was packaged with a bit of mystery. Like a folklore.

Even though the ending of the story left me feeling just like that, this book still managed to make me smile to myself. And to be very honest, I need more story about Kazik, Gisela, and Aleksey. Because I feel quite sad for Aleksey because I think this mysterious guy deserves a possibly happier ending.

Slow but eloquent and beautiful world building

Jordan

It was a very cute read. Though not intended for me, I felt the themes were good for the YA audience - it just was a bit heavy handed at times - but that's what I was expecting going into it as older than the intended audience. I read it for inspiration for my current DND character that's a mermaid and thought it was very fun and it sparked some inspiration. I do think the story going into a series did disappoint me a bit since it did seem like it could be closed rather satisfyingly but to each their own! I'm not sure if I'll read the second, but I do wonder what will happen next.

This Fatal Kiss

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