by R L Medina
“Shoot her, Gray. She’s dead already.” Brady’s voice caught my ear.
“Wait. Just let me finish the chant,” Shiloh interrupted.
“No time,” Javi urged.
“Do it. Shoot her,” Rafael agreed.
I stared at him in shock. She was his informant. Didn’t he care?
Javi and Michael stepped away. I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the gun to go off. A soft pop sounded. When I opened them again, blood blossomed on her chest, spreading all over her white blouse. A strangled cry escaped me as her hand fell limp. Javi pulled me to my feet, pushing me behind him.
“Raf—” Michael looked to him.
“Get out there and find them,” Rafael snapped.
The wolves transformed and raced out the door. Javi, Grayson, Brady, and Shiloh stayed behind.
Rafael turned to me. “Stay here.”
“Stay? No. We have to get her out of here.” Javi glared at him.
Rafael growled at him. Javi didn’t flinch. The wolf pushed by him and bolted out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. Locks clicked.
Grayson slammed a fist against the door. “Hey! Let us out of here.”
Brady yanked his hand away. “Yeah, Gray. Maybe you should shut the hell up before the witches find us.”
“They’re not going to find us,” Javi interrupted.
My head whipped toward him. Did he have an actual plan or was he just being foolishly optimistic?
“What are you thinking?” Shiloh asked. Her eyes flitted to Cleo and back to Javi.
If the dead witch disturbed her, she didn’t show it. Was I the only one still recovering from what happened? Guilt filled me. She’d only come to help me. If the wolves hadn’t called her…
“Snap out of it, Rose. We need to get you to safety. Then we can worry about the witch.” Javi’s sharp words made me flinch.
“Are you going to tell us now what the hell is going on?” Grayson stepped between us.
I met his burning gaze. There was so much to tell, but if the witches were there, we didn’t have time.
Javi spoke for me. “After we get her to safety.”
“Safe from the witches?” Shiloh asked.
I opened my mouth but fell silent. How was I supposed to explain the blood oath and my mom’s past?
“A promise made in blood cannot be undone,” Shiloh repeated, realization shining in her eyes.
Grayson spun toward her and back to me, eyes wide. “You’re… you’re one of them.”
My throat turned dry. The look of betrayal on his face cut me deep.
“No. She’s not. Not if we don’t let them get her.” Javi, ever my champion, came to my rescue.
Brady let out a whistle. “Didn’t see that one coming. Damn, Gray. You—”
Grayson shot him a lethal look. All humor vanished from Brady’s face. I turned to Grayson, wanting to explain myself, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
Javi cleared his throat. “There’s too much to explain right now. We have to go. We can’t just hide here and hope they don’t find us. This isn’t warded.”
“How do you know?” Brady drawled.
Javi’s eyes shot to the slumped witch. “Look what happened to her.”
“That’s because she was linked to the others somehow,” Shiloh interrupted.
Brady gave an exaggerated sigh. “Can someone please just make a decision already? Are we staying or going?”
“Rose?” Shiloh turned to me.
All eyes, but Grayson’s, fell on me. I shrank back from their weighted stares. My head spun and I couldn’t get the images of Cleo out of my mind. What were we supposed to do? I didn’t have the answers.
Taking a steadying breath, I tried to calm myself. Just survive. I could do that.
11
“I think we should… go?” I shrugged. “If they’re here, they’re going to hurt everyone trying to get to me. I want to get away from here as far as possible.”
“We’ll go back to the academy.” Grayson spoke. His gaze darted to me and away again.
My chest tightened. Was he going to turn me in?
“No. We can make a ward here. Wait for the GRIMM to arrive. Safer than trying to go out there,” Brady argued. He looked to Shiloh and Javi for backup.
She hesitated. “I don’t know, Brady. We don’t have a lot of time to set up a ward, and we didn’t bring many runes.”
“I… I think you guys should go back to the school. Without me. I never wanted to bring you into all this mess. That’s why I ran.”
Grayson met my eyes. His face still hardened, I couldn’t tell what was running through his mind. But it didn’t look like he was going to be forgiving me any time soon.
Javi shook his head. “Hell no. I’m not letting you leave again.”
“But, Javi. What about your dad? And the others? Is it safe to go back to school?”
Everyone fell silent.
“You can come back to the house with me.” Javi’s voice was measured and calm.
I felt myself tense. No. I couldn’t go back and face my tío. Be forced to live as a prisoner again?
A loud clang sounded from the club. Snarls and roar followed. Cold tendrils of fear snaked around me. Grayson spun toward the door.
“Come on, we have to go,” my cousin urged.
“The back is locked.”
Grayson ran up to it with a raised hand, chanting. We joined him.
“Unlock it,” Javi demanded.
Grayson’s eyes narrowed at him. “I’m trying. You’re welcome to help. Any of you.”
Shiloh stepped up and threw a hand over the knob. The heart-shaped locket around her neck rose into the air as she chanted. My eyebrow arched. Her conduit was a locket?
All the time spent with her and I’d never noticed or asked. Guilt needled me. Here she was risking her life for me and I was a crappy friend.
Javi joined them while Brady and I watched. A realization struck me. My sword could open locks. It broke the entire door at Tío’s house to help me escape, but Michael had kept my sword and it was too late to get it now.
“Let’s go. Javier, you lead. I’ll bring up the rear.” Grayson took charge.
My cousin waved his gun in acknowledgment and went first, scanning the alley before waving for us to follow.
“Hurry. Come on,” he urged.
Shiloh, Brady, and I followed, Grayson stood guard behind me. My heart raced. Noises came from inside the club. Howls and screams. Glass shattering and wood breaking. Were the wolves okay? Could they take on a whole coven?
“Go.” Grayson broke my thoughts.
I glanced at him. His forehead creased in worry, but his jaw was clenched. The unfairness of the situation burned me.
“I never asked for this, Grayson. To be pledged to the witches or to join the GRIMMs. I didn’t want any of this.”
He flinched, and I realized right away, those were the wrong words.
“No… I don’t mean—”
“Just go. We can talk about this later.” His voice was hard.
He shut the door and motioned me forward. The others stood, waiting for us.
“Come on.” Javi called from ahead.
The cool night air made me shiver. Light from the club went out, enveloping us in darkness. Further down, streetlights shone. The sounds from inside El Palacio echoed behind us.
“What is that smell?” Brady spoke first.
I smelled it too. It smelled like… something burning. I turned to find the club roof on fire. My eyes bulged. The witches work?
Screams echoed from inside.
“We have to help them.” I glanced at Javi.
He shook his head. “No. We can’t, Rose.”
Shiloh and I shared pained looks. How could we just let them burn? My stomach knotted. This was my fault.
“I’ve notified the agents here. We have to move. Come on.” Grayson ushered me forward.
“The GRIMMs will come. It will be okay.” Shiloh assured me,
though she bit her lip as if unsure of herself.
I shuddered. Were the wolves okay? Michael and the others?
“We have to go.” Grayson nudged me along.
Nodding, I turned to follow. Nausea rolled in my gut. The screams rang in my ears, striking horror through me. A numbness filled me.
They’re dead and it’s all your fault.
We rounded the corner, exiting into an empty street. Ahead, stores and shops lit up, the lights colorful and bright. A stark difference to the bleak situation we were in. People laughed and went about their lives as if everything was fine. Did they not see the fire? How could they not see it or smell it?
“Where are we going?” I asked as we ran.
“Portal,” came Javi’s short reply.
“It’s in one of the shops,” Shiloh explained.
I glanced back at the club.
Voices grew louder. I turned to find people pouring out of the buildings, pointing to the smoke and flames.
Javi swore. “The fire’s gotten past the wards.”
Grayson shared a look with him. “We should follow protocol.”
Javi ran a hand through his hair. “We don’t have time to sweep all these people. Let the agents handle it.”
Brady scoffed. “You don’t even know how to do a proper sweep, Gray.”
Grayson’s lips flattened. “I can do an effective one.”
“Javi’s right. No time,” Shiloh interrupted.
Fire truck sirens wailed, startling me. Would the GRIMMs get there first? What if the witches attacked the firemen? Just ordinaires trying to do their job.
“Come on, the portal is this way.” Javi waved us past the gawking crowd. Too concerned for what was happening at the club, no one noticed us rush by, with guns and all.
It was the first time I felt more like a GRIMM than a normal person. A cold realization struck me. That to be one of them—a GRIMM—meant never truly being part of the human world.
Pushing away the thought, I pressed forward with the others. Javi led us down a side street and into a back alley. He stopped short. I stumbled into him.
A man stood in the middle of the pavement, blocking our way. GRIMM? Human?
He threw his hands up and began chanting. Fear struck me cold. Luna Negra.
Before we could react, a powerful force struck us. I flew backwards and collided with Grayson.
He gripped my arm and stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.
The others shouted chants. Guns fired. I felt useless standing there while my friends protected me. Shame burned my face. It was my fault we were in this mess. My fists clenched. I needed my sword. My sword that was still with Michael. Pain flooded me at the thought. Michael.
Another figure moved toward us. My heart raced. A third hooded person stepped from the shadows. Luna Negra.
“Here,” Grayson urged.
Cold metal slid against my hand. I glanced down to find a knife—the same one he’d given me in the prison.
I took it and squeezed it tightly. We were going to need a lot more than our weapon skills to get away from the witches. The others knew how to do magic, but I hadn’t mastered many chants, and I didn’t even have my conduit anymore.
“Stop. You don’t want to do this.” Javi’s voice rang out in the alley.
“Just go and we won’t turn you in,” he added, sounding way too confident for the reality of our situation.
They didn’t respond. Chills crept up my spine.
Grayson fired, the movement jolting me. I peered around him, but I couldn’t tell if it hit any of the witches. They continued moving toward us, arms raised. The air grew warmer and then cold. Cold as ice. A strange bitter taste filled my mouth.
Brady swore.
“Bone magic is forbidden.” Grayson broke the silence.
I couldn’t help but smile at his affronted tone. As if criminals breaking the law was such a big shocker.
“She doesn’t have any skill with magic. Just leave her alone.” Javi’s tone was during desperate.
My breath hitched. It was a foolish hope. They were never going to stop hunting me.
“Give us the girl and we’ll let you live.” One of the witches finally spoke.
He sounded young, but without a good look at his face, I couldn’t tell for sure. Grayson stared him down, not budging from his protective stance in front of me.
“She’s not going with you,” Javi answered.
Brady sniffed. “I think you witches have the wrong girl. Better scurry back to your coven before every agent in LA shows up.”
My heart warmed at his support. I loved them all for trying, but I couldn’t let what happened to the wolves happen to them.
“This street is warded. No one’s getting in.” The witch sounded amused.
Anger stirred within me. All the trouble just for me. Why? Why was I so damn important to them?
“The GRIMMs—”
“Are not coming.” The witch leader cut Grayson off.
The others crept closer, faces hidden beneath hoods. They clasped hands and stood in a circle. Goosebumps dotted my arms. Witches were human, the same as us. Human, but with a deep connection to magic and I could sense it within them.
Their power was real.
Shiloh and Brady chanted something in unison and sent one of the witches reeling back, breaking their ring. The other two moved toward us.
I pressed myself closer to Grayson, mind racing. We were trapped and the GRIMM wouldn’t make it in time.
Something crackled in the air. One by one, our weapons dropped. I glanced at the others. What were we supposed to do now?
Their bodies jerked in unison. It was as if a string was pulled, their bodies flailing and flopping. An icy rush of fear filled me.
They chanted, their words overlapping each other, before their mouths snapped shut. I watched in horror as they struggled against an invisible hold.
“What are you doing? Stop!” I moved forward. My heart skipped. I wasn’t locked in place like them.
I dove for Grayson’s gun, but it moved out of my reach. It whipped through the air before landing beside the witch. The rest of the weapons followed.
“It’s time to go.” His words sent a shiver through me.
“What did you do to my friends?”
He lifted a hand and threw another chant. My friends flew back, their bodies striking hard against the pavement.
“No!”
Anger burned in my chest. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of me.
“Stop it! I’m coming.”
I glanced back, hoping to see them on their feet. Were they okay?
Please be okay.
A giant portal appeared before us, filling me with dread. The witch grabbed me and yanked me away from my spot. The other three followed.
I pulled my arm out of his grasp. “I said I’m coming. Don’t touch me, you—”
His hand whipped out so fast and struck me hard against the face. Anger surged within me. Pain spread across my cheek.
I clenched my fists, wishing I had my sword.
His eyes narrowed. “Get in.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. Who knew where that portal would take me? Once I stepped through, would I ever see any of my friends or family again?
The witch grunted and shoved me forward. I sucked in a breath as I went tumbling through the air. My stomach did somersaults. I was falling. Lights and sounds clashed around me. As many times as I’d experienced portals, I didn’t think I’d ever get used to it. It was the most unsettling sensation.
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds faded, and I stopped spinning. My body collided with something hard. Pain shot through me like a bullet. Everything went dark.
12
Voices echoed from far away. Strange, urgent voices.
I opened my eyes and looked around. Where was I? Candles were lit all around the room, casting an eerie warm glow and shadows. A large, old-fashioned tub stood in the m
iddle of the room. Weird. My eyes snagged on the lacy, white curtains that covered a wide window behind it and the floral wallpaper that was faded and peeling. A weathered looking rocking chair sat in one corner, and there was a giant bed on the opposite side with a little cradle next to it. On the shelves beside the bed, creepy glass dolls and tattered stuffed animals stared back at me.
What the… a child’s room? It looked like a freaking scene from a horror film. I rose to my feet and shot toward the door.
Pain speared up my leg. I was caught on something. Turning, I found myself chained to the ground with a metal ring around my ankle.
Fear filled me.
“Hello? Where am I?” I shouted.
Where did the voices come from? Was I going crazy?
“What do you want? Where are you?” My voice bounced back to me.
A cold settled in my bones. I tried to ignore the eerie feeling creeping over me. Sucking in a breath, I steeled myself.
Think. Think. There has to be a way out of this.
No bright ideas came to mind, but I wasn’t going to let fear take hold. At least not completely. I needed to keep a level head and play this smart.
“Are you going to just keep me here? They’re coming for me you know. The GRIMM are coming.”
Still no response. Anger burned inside me. All that trouble and violence just to leave me chained in some crap hole? The fiery images of the club flashed in my mind, making my chest tighten. What if the wolves didn’t get out? What if the GRIMM didn’t come in time?
What if Javi and the others were… dead?
I pushed away the dark thoughts and let my anger roll through me. If the witches hurt my friends, not even the chains would stop me. I’d find a way to make them pay for all they’d done.
The door opened.
It was the guy who’d brought me. I glared at him. I still owed him for the strike he’d given me. My fists clenched at the memory.
He stopped before me, just out of reach. “Prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“To meet your supreme.”
That word I knew from my nearly failed witch class. Supreme meant head witch—the boss.
My lip curled. “I don’t have a supreme.”
He raised his hand toward me, face unmoved. My stomach knotted in fear. What was he going to do to me? Could he compel me? I’d been controlled before and the idea of being a slave once more to someone else made me nauseous.