ContentsCoverTitle PageCopyright PageA Note to the ReaderPronunciation Guide1 The Drowned Maiden2 The Land of the Living3 Hide-and-Seek4 The Witch’s Grandson5 The Taste of Kindness6 Songs Sung to the Moon7 Lost Souls8 Looking for Love9 A Deal with the Devil10 The Unclean Dead11 The Boy Called Aleksey12 A Graveyard Picnic13 Bathhouse Premonitions14 A Guest in the House Is a God in the House15 Makeover16 The Food of The Gods17 Church Candles18 Petals Red as Blood 19 The Master of the House20 Your Type21 Playing Cupid22 Give the Devil a Body23 No Rest for the Wicked24 Mixed Blessings25 The Palace in the Deep26 Thorns27 Those Who Haunt the Earth28 Being Human29 Revelations30 Knew You Were Trouble31 Saint John’s Eve32 Fire, Water, and Love33 Temptation34 Betrayed with a Kiss35 Flowers That Bloom in the Dark36 Bies37 Rusałki38 Heaven-Sent39 The World Beneath the Waters40 The Water Goblin41 Fading42 Confession43 No More Secrets44 Monsters and Miracles45 Epilogue AcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorOceanofPDF.com Published by Peachtree TeenAn imprint of PEACHTREE PUBLISHING COMPANY INC.1700 Chattahoochee AvenueAtlanta, Georgia 30318-2112PeachtreeBooks.comText © 2024 by Alicia JasinskaJacket illustration © 2024 by Andie LugtuAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotationsin printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.Edited by Jonah HellerComposition by Six Red MarblesDesign by Lily SteelePrinted in July 2024 at Sheridan, Chelsea, MI, USA.10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1First EditionISBN: 978-1-68263-736-4Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataNames: Jasinska, Alicia, author.Title: This fatal kiss / Alicia Jasinska.Description: Atlanta, Georgia : Peachtree Teen, 2024. | Audience: Ages 14and Up. | Audience: Grades 10–12. | Summary: Cursed to haunt the riverwhere she drowned, Gisela, a water nymph longing for humanity, strikesa deal with Kazik, a spirit-hunter losing his magic, to help her gain amortal’s kiss, but complications arise when both fall for Aleksey, anenigmatic young man with ties to Gisela’s past. Identifiers: LCCN 2024022710 | ISBN 9781682637364 (hardcover) | ISBN9781682637371 (ebook)Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Kissing—Fiction. | Water spirits—Fiction. |LGBTQ+ people—Fiction. | LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Novels.Classification: LCC PZ7.1.J393 Th 2024 | DDC [Fic]—dc23LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024022710OceanofPDF.com A NOTE TO THE READERIN SLAVIC FOLKLORE, a rusałka is a female water spirit or nymph. Storiesvary, but most describe these creatures as the restless spirits of youngmaidens who died violent and tragic deaths in or by a lake, river, or body ofwater. Sometimes malicious and sometimes playful, they are famous forbewitching mortals with their beauty and dragging them into the depths.As such, while lighthearted for the most part, this story does containbrief depictions of fantasy violence and death, drowning and neardrowning, abusive relationships, a history of sexual assault, physicalassault, struggles with sexual identity, and suicidal ideation.Readers who may be sensitive to these elements please take note.OceanofPDF.com PRONUNCIATION GUIDECHARACTERSAleksey – ah-LEHK-seeBabcia – bahp-CHAHGisela – gee-ZEH-lahKazik – KAH-zheekLeszek – LEH-shehkWojciech – VOY-chyehPLACESLeśna Woda – LESH-nah VOHD-ahSPIRITSbannik / banniki (bathhouse spirit) – BAHN-neek / BAHN-neek-keebies / biesy (forest demon) – BEE-es / BEE-eseyczart / czarty (devil) – CHART / CHART-eydomowik / domowiki (house spirit) – doh-MOH-veek / doh-MOH-vee-keelatawiec / latawce (air demon) – lah-TAH-vyets / lah-TAHV-tseleszy (forest spirit) – LEH-sheeognik / ogniki (fire spirits) – OG-neek / OG-nee-keerusałka/ rusałki (water nymph) – roo-SOW-ka / roo-SOW-keeskrzat / skrzaty (gnome) – SKSHAT / SKSHA-tey utopiec / utopce (drowner) – oo-TOH-pyets / oo-TOHP-tsewiła / wiły (nymph) – VEE-wah / VEE-weewodnik / wodniki (water goblin) – VOHD-neek / VOHD-nee-keeOceanofPDF.com 1THE DROWNED MAIDENGISELA“YOU’RE SNEAKING OFF RATHER early today,” Wojciech called out.“It’s not even dusk yet.”Gisela’s steps faltered. A wash of rainbow light poured through theCrystal Palace’s domed ceiling, rippling over the floor to shine a wateryspotlight on the elegant figure making his way down a monumental flight ofsteps toward her.For a brief disorientating second, Gisela thought she might be staringinto a mirror. Wojciech’s green-black hair and hooded wine-red eyes couldhave been a reflection of her own. Only, his skin was darker, a warm claybrown next to her ghostly blue-green complexion. His lips were carmine,where hers were tinged violet. She usually preferred it when the watergoblin took human form—his true form was honestly quite terrifying. Butthis new guise was just creepy.“You’re looking awfully youthful, Grandfather. You’re not feeling self-conscious about your age again, are you? You can be honest with me.You’re only at least a thousand years old.”Wojciech, who currently didn’t appear to be a day over twenty, pinnedher with a flat, unimpressed look. A soft chime-like tinkling, the noise aspoon made when it tapped against a teacup, filled the air like a warning.Gisela glanced over her shoulder at the giant pillar in the center of thepalace atrium. The glittering monstrosity shot to the ceiling and was sowide around its base that even a half dozen water nymphs couldn’t havetouched hands if they’d stretched their arms around it. A honeycomb of shelves cut into its surface, and on those shelves rested thousands andthousands of seemingly innocuous teacups upturned upon their saucers.“May I remind you, child,” Wojciech said, his voice low and melodic,“that growing old is an accomplishment. I’ve outlived civilizations,survived more than you could imagine.”The ethereal tinkling increased in volume, the drowned souls he’dtrapped inside each teacup pushing against the walls of their tiny porcelainprisons. Only the Sea Tsar himself was said to have a grander collection ofhuman souls.Wojciech reached the ground floor of the atrium. “If you’re going out,take Tamara with you. Don’t make me ask you twice.”“What? Why?” Gisela whined.A second figure appeared at the top of the stairs: a girl with softchestnut-brown curls and anxious red eyes; her skin had the same ghostlypallor as Gisela’s.The new girl.Gisela’s gaze darted back to Wojciech, her eyebrows pinching togetherin a silent plea.Wojciech’s smile was sharklike, full of unreasonably sharp teeth. Evenin this handsome human form, he maintained a few monstrous traits. “Thisis Tamara’s first time celebrating Green Week with us. Show her where thehumans leave their offerings. Get to know each other. I think the two of youmight have a lot in common.”Gisela doubted it. Saints, she didn’t want to be stuck playing nursemaidfor somebody who was new to all this. Perhaps she shouldn’t have jokedabout Wojciech needing dentures—or maybe this was punishment foraccidentally smashing one of his precious teacups and setting a soul free?Or it was another one of his games. You never could tell.Tamara came down the stairs and paused, shifting her weight from footto foot, twisting her fingers in the ghost-white fabric of her flowy dress. Sherubbed her hands up and down her bare arms as though she were anxious orcold. The air was always cooler down here in the depths of the river, inWojciech’s realm, and strangely wet, as though you were constantlywalking through a mist.As a mortal child, Gisela’s favorite bedtime tales had been about thewodniki—the water goblins, the old river gods, the keepers of the drowned —who lived in grand underwater palaces carved from crystal and gold. Notthat she’d ever admit as much to Wojciech.You’ll know the water goblin by his dripping clothes, by the soddensquelching of his boots, and by the wet footprints he leaves behind, herGreat-Aunt Zela had told her. If you ever visit the old country, darling,when you cross a river, you must carry breadcrumbs in your pocket and saya prayer so as to avoid meeting with him. He can drown you on dry land solong as he has even a spoonful of water.Gisela’s skirt billowed about her knees, free from the bonds of gravitythat governed the living world. It hadn’t been so very long ago that she’dbeen the new girl here, waking in a strange and unfamiliar place, in thispalace built upon the riverbed. When Wojciech told her that her mortal lifewas over, that she’d never turn seventeen nor grow old nor see any of thepeople she loved ever again, she’d almost despaired.She’d wanted so badly to go home.She still wanted to go home, was determined to, which was why shedidn’t have time for this.“Can’t one of the drowners do it?” she asked, already knowing theanswer. “Or Yulia. Can’t Yulia show her around? She’s good at that. I’mbusy. I have things to do.” She shot Tamara an apologetic glance.“Yulia’s already on the surface,” Wojciech said. “She snuck off earlier,muttering something about honey cake.”Gisela cursed. Every spring during Green Week, the local townsfolkhonored the rusałki—water nymphs, like her and Yulia and Tamara. Theyleft shiny baubles and trinkets by the riverbanks, strung gifts from thebranches of the trees in the forest: garlands of bright flowers, hair ribbonsdyed eye-catching colors, and necklaces of glossy beads. They’d even leaveofferings of food: eggs and sweet grain puddings, honey cakes and handfulsof sugary berries. They were bribes, prizes left out to placate hungry ghosts.People hoped that if they appeased the water nymphs, they wouldn’tbewitch and harm their loved ones.Competition for such offerings was fierce. There were only so manytreats to go around, and no matter how many years you spent haunting thedeep, how accustomed you grew to the water goblin’s feasts of catfish andeel, you never quite forgot the taste of human food, of home.If Yulia ate all the honey cake, Gisela was going to make sure she drowned in the river.Again.“Oh, and Gisela?” Wojciech drew a handkerchief from a pocket of hisemerald-green suit and began polishing a teacup he’d selected from one ofthe pillar’s little nooks. “Make sure you tell Tamara what will happen to herif she strays too far from my river. I want to avoid trouble this week. Keepan eye out for our resident exorcist. He’s been overzealous in his dutieslately. So overzealous, I can’t help but wonder if somebody has beenprovoking him.”“Whoever could that be?” Gisela said, trying for innocence and not quitesucceeding.The teacups on the shelves rattled ominously. The sudden sharp glint inWojciech’s eyes was a reminder of just who she was dealing with.Maybe it was better to go along with what he wanted for now.“Fine, fine. I’ll take her with me. But are you sure you don’t want her tostay behind and help you with the polishing? I mean, should you really bedoing all the housework at your age?”Wojciech’s lip twitched.Gisela quickly grabbed Tamara by the wrist. “We’ll see you later, then!Don’t break a hip!”OceanofPDF.com 2THE LAND OF THE LIVINGGISELAA SINKING SUN HALOED the scene as Gisela and Tamara emergedfrom the river, rising from the water below a deserted stone footbridge as ifit were a portal to another world. Gisela helped Tamara clamber onto thebridge beside her. Lazy clouds floated overhead, tossed by a balmy breeze.Gisela fished a compact out of the pockets of her white slip dress andstarted dabbing powder and rouge on her cheeks to disguise the deathlypallor of her skin. Lipstick would hide the purple of her lips. She couldn’tdo much about the unnatural color of her eyes, but soon it would be darkenough that most people wouldn’t notice unless they looked closely.Tamara watched curiously, wringing water from her dress. “What did thewater goblin mean when he said to tell me what will happen if I stray toofar from the river?”“Have you ever seen a frog that’s been trapped indoors for days?” Giselahad. She’d found a dead frog in the library at her school once. Its body hadshriveled into a sad little dried-out husk. “It’s like that. You’ll dry out anddie.”There wasn’t any point in sugarcoating it. Tamara would discover thetruth for herself soon enough—the same way Gisela had when she’d tried toleave, determined to find a way home to her family. She’d barely made itpast the old forest shrine at the edge of town before the dryness hit herthroat and her lips began to crack, her parched skin demanding she turnback.They couldn’t leave this place even if they tried. Gisela finished painting her lips a sweet strawberry red. “We can’t strayfar from where we died. And it’s important to stay hydrated. Leave yourhair wet,” she instructed, when Tamara started to twist water out of thestrands. “Don’t worry. People will just think you’ve come from visiting oneof the bathhouses.” She offered the other girl her powder and lipstick. “Areyou from around here? Or did you just—” Gisela slid a finger across herthroat.Tamara shook her head. “I was told I could find work as a maid here. Iwanted to get out of the city. It was supposed to be a fresh start. But I—Ifell in love with somebody I shouldn’t have. He made me a lot of promises,and like a fool, I believed him. He wasn’t a good person, and he has anawful temper. . . .”Gisela grimaced at the unpleasant implication.In any case, it made sense Tamara had thought she’d find work here as amaid. Leśna Woda was a famous and fashionable tourist destination. Tensof thousands of visitors came and went throughout the year. The dreamyscenery and miraculous powers of the town’s blessed waters, its magical hotsprings, had drawn people here for centuries: commoners and the cream ofsociety, as well as the cultural elite—poets and artists and emperors andqueens. It was one of the oldest spa towns on the mainland.Gisela herself was not a local. Her father had taken their family on a tripabroad. He was always doing business in faraway places. Most of the time,he left Gisela and her little brother behind, but this time, this one time, heactually listened when she’d begged to accompany him. She promised theywouldn’t interrupt his work nor wander off nor cause any kind of trouble,though Gisela suspected he gave in simply because she had a vagueunderstanding of the language spoken here. She’d picked it up from Great-Aunt Zela. Her father had been keen to use her as a translator.“I’m not from around here either. I’m from Caldella.”“The witches’ island?” Tamara said, wide-eyed.Gisela smirked. “Relax. I’m not a witch, I promise. I’ve been here foralmost a whole year now. I know the place like the back of my hand.” Itoccurred to her that it would be easier to simply abandon Tamara here—shemust already know her way around. Gisela could simply tell her where tofind the offerings the humans left out. But if Wojciech found out . . .Gisela didn’t want to deal with that. She led Tamara across the footbridge. The streets of the town rosearound them. Gisela’s mood lifted. As always, the charming old-worldarchitecture made her feel like she’d traveled back in time or stepped intothe pages of a story. Leśna Woda looked like a place where a fairy talebegan.The meandering cobblestoned lanes were shaded by leafy trees, whilethe grand bathhouses were ringed by lush parks and gardens filled withornamental ponds and burbling fountains. A gust of wind blew, showeringblush-pink petals across their path. Because it was Green Week, everythingwas adorned with greenery. A profusion of wildflowers and fragrant herbsdecorated every shop front, every window, every doorway leading into ahundred-year-old guesthouse. The honeyed scent of roses laced the air withsweetness. It was as though the whole town were in bloom.“You know Villa Lilia, right?” Gisela pointed at a distant rooftop. Therewere five main springs running through the town, and each bathhouse drewfrom a different one. Drinking or bathing in Villa Lilia’s waters wouldenhance your beauty and leave your skin shimmering like stardust.“Most of the bathhouses are heavily warded so spirits can’t enter, butVilla Lilia’s owner doesn’t mind if one or two of us sneak in so long as wedon’t snack on any humans. Oh, and those spires, the church over there—avoid it.”“Because of the exorcist?” Tamara asked. “Is he really dangerous?”“He’s more of a pest than anything. Don’t worry. He’s probably offworking toward sainthood somewhere.” Gisela pulled Tamara to her side,leaving space for an elderly dark-skinned man with a walking stick toshuffle past.The streets were growing increasingly busy as they ventured closer tothe heart of town; tourists and locals alike were meandering toward thenight market in the main square: Girls in airy sundresses with ribbonsbraided through their hair and lace trim on their socks. Boys dressed incrisp button-down shirts and suspenders. Happy couples with their headsbent close together.The air was full of chatter in a multitude of languages. The mainlandwas a continent made up of countless countries and little kingdoms, somany that they all blurred together in Gisela’s head. Her gaze lingered on afamily stopped outside a souvenir shop. The parents were busy picking through racks of whimsical watercolor picture postcards, while the children,a little boy and girl, whispered and giggled and pointed at something ondisplay.Memories hit her like a wave, threatening to sweep her under. Her heartsqueezed.“It’s not the worst place in the world to haunt,” she said after a pause.Tamara gave a considering look. “Do you mean that? Yulia told meyou’re trying to cheat death, become human again so you can go home. Isthat true?”Yulia.Of course, Yulia had said something. She couldn’t keep her stupid mouthshut. She’d been acting all weird and standoffish ever since Wojciech hadadmitted there was a way for a water nymph to regain her humanity. Yuliahated the idea. She didn’t seem to care about the home she’d left behind,whereas Gisela desperately wanted to get back to hers. After all, she’d haveto be a true monster, wouldn’t she, to not want to return to her family?She wished she knew why Yulia was so willing to let go of the peoplewho’d raised her, but another part of her was too afraid to ask.“Is there really a way to become human again?” Tamara asked.Gisela chewed her bottom lip. Was this why Wojciech had insisted theyvisit the surface together? Was this what he’d meant when he’d said theyhad something in common? The other water nymphs didn’t seem to feel thepull toward the mortal world that Gisela did.“It’s simple.” Or at least it had sounded simple when Wojciech sharedthe secret. It had turned out to be much harder in practice. “All you have todo is get a human to kiss you.”“Kiss you?” Tamara echoed in confusion.Gisela nodded. Rusałki were maidens who had met untimely and violentends. They were cursed to haunt the waterways in which they’d drowned,bound to live as restless spirits, unless one of two things happened.The first was if their death was avenged. If they revenged themselves onthose who had wronged them and resolved the lingering grudge that hadcaused them to become a spirit in the first place, they could move on to theafterlife—which was what Yulia had suggested Gisela do if she hated beinga water nymph so much. Which she didn’t. The whole being-an-undead-spirit thing was so not the point. The point was Gisela was angry. She