Novel & Cerita A Kiss Before Dying

“But… you forgot something.” Kaiden raised a brow. “What did we forget, little boss?” She pointed at us both. “You didn’t kiss. All the parents at my school kiss before they go!” I froze, heat rushing up my neck. “Bibi, we...” Kaiden chuckled and glanced at me. “Well, we wouldn’t want to break tradition, would we?” Before I could respond, he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss on my cheek. Bibi clapped like it was the best thing she’d seen all day.

Preserved by herbs and spells, he looked almost as though he were merely sleeping, not gone forever. I closed my eyes, and memory flooded in unbidden: me at twenty, him fresh from the frontier campaign, covered in blood and glory, kissing me for the first time at the victory banquet. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. I wiped them away quickly and turned to Darius, signaling him to begin. It was time to let him go. Elder Darius raised his hands for the final sealing incantation. I shut my eyes in prayer. Goodbye Killian. If there is a next life, perhaps we…

“Next time you try kissing someone else, remember what will happen. I hope you loved my present.” Kiss? Who? I don’t think I am breathing. What's going on? Where am I? “ah shit, she is going to pass out.” It is the last thing I hear before my eyes flutter close, and I let the darkness embrace me.

I humoured with a wink causing her to release a giggle followed by a heart-wrenching sob. I took slow steps towards her before bending down a little to come face to face with her, "one last time," I muttered before planting a kiss on her soft lips. This kiss was goodbye, filled with sadness and anguish yet a sense of freedom and calm, it was beautiful but it was final and perhaps that's what made it so perfect.

I added in a hoarse whisper as Zane leaned down, tilting my chin toward his lips. "Thus," he whispered gruffly. "With a kiss... I die." And Zane Andrews kissed me. Again.

I mumbled, unable to stop the sob that burst from my throat. "If you should ever die Marina, I'll be waiting for you." He choked on his words and began to cough, groaning with pain. Finally the coughing stopped and he turned his head to where he could look up at me. "Kiss me, Marina." With red tears on my cheeks I bent my head and placed my lips upon his. His mouth quivered against mine for only a moment before it went slack. My lips were still on his and my arms still held him tight when I felt him slip away into the waiting arms of his final death.

"Daddy, please! Get in the pod!" Hearing the name one last time made his chest heave. He leaned into the small capsule, his mouth crashing against mine in a desperate, savage kiss that tasted of salt, rain, and a final, permanent goodbye. He bit my lower lip just hard enough to draw a drop of blood, marking me one last time.

I’d left a long time ago, and he only called my name out of habit. Christian put his notebook down and stared outside the window in a daze. “You can be cruel sometimes, Nat,” he murmured into the darkness. “Everyone tells me you’re dead, but I don’t believe them. Not for a second. You’re too stubborn for that. We survived the worst life threw at us. Now we finally have everything, and you’re telling me you died? "No. You can’t be dead. You promised we’d have children together. You couldn’t have left me.”

I would accept that this was just a short term thing and do my best to enjoy it. “It's my turn,” Aiden said, taking the bottle from its spot in the sand. “Tell me about your first kiss.” “You're going to laugh. It was pretty terrible,” I warned him. “I sincerely doubt that,” Aiden replied, pulling me to rest on his shoulder. “Kissing you is never terrible.” I nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, soaking up the feeling of his arm around me and the smell of his skin. If this did have to end at the end of my trip, at least I would have some amazing memories.

There was no ointment, so I gave up and fell asleep like that. In the middle of the night, a high fever dragged me out of sleep. My throat burned like fire. I struggled to open my eyes and saw a familiar figure sitting at the edge of the bed. It was Kian. He sat hunched over, carefully applying ointment to the bruises on my arm. I watched him quietly. “Kian, I’m dying. Will you grant me one last wish?” His hand paused. “Stop talking nonsense. What wish?” “Let me leave this place. I don’t want to die here, and I don’t want any of you at my funeral.”