Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1)

by Holly Black

Waves tossed themselves against the shore, dragging grit and sand between their nails as they were slowly pulled back out to sea.

“You know what the sun looks like?” Kaye asked. There was only a little more than a slice of red where the sea met the sky. “No, what?” Janet said, holding the lipgloss out to Kaye. “Like he slit his wrists in a bathtub and the blood is all over the water.” “That’s gross, Kaye.” “And the moon is just watching. She’s just watching him die. She must have driven him to it.” “Kaye…”

She took a deep breath, snorting rain up her nose. It reminded her of crying.

The noise was brief, but eloquent with pain. Kaye stopped abruptly. There was no sound except the rain,

Taller than most people, taller than any faerie she had ever seen—still, she had no doubt that was what he was, if for no other reason than the pointed tops of his ears knifing through his wet hair—and that he was beautiful in a way that made her breath catch.