Deathtrap (Murder and Mayhem #1)

by Alexandra St. Pierre

“The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.” —BUFFY SUMMERS, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.” —SENECA THE YOUNGER

“The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference.” —ELIE WIESEL

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” —JEANETTE WALLS, THE GLASS CASTLE (2017)

“I will never understand why you feel the need to cut yourself, Lilith,” he said softly. He reached up to tuck my now wet hair behind my ear. Sliding his hand lightly down my shoulder, he traced down my arm and wrapped his hand around my wrist. He took my hand and pressed my palm flat against his bleeding chest. I could feel the edges of his wounds beneath my fingers, but he didn’t so much as wince at the contact. “From now on, if you bleed, I bleed,” he promised, pressing my fingers more firmly into one of the gashes. I moved to jerk my hand away, not wanting to hurt him any more than I already had.

“From now on, if you fall, we fall together. If you bleed, I bleed.” He took my hand and pressed it against his shredded skin. The wounds had already started to scab, and his blood felt tacky beneath my fingers. “Say it, Lilith. Say it so I know you heard me,” he whispered, his lips inches from mine. I swallowed the peppermint on his breath and gave him a tiny nod. “If I bleed, you bleed,” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. Despite everything he had done to me, I believed him. No one had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me now. Like he would move planets and reduce entire galaxies to stardust if I asked him to. I used to fear him more than life itself, but now, the burn of his skin against mine felt like a promise. It felt like forever.

“I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss.” —GOMEZ ADDAMS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY

“I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.” —WEDNESDAY ADDAMS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY