GRIMM Academy : The Complete Collection

by R L Medina

  “Luna Negra?”

  My eyes snapped to his. “How did you know?”

  His face was grim. “That’s the coven that killed Raf’s father. It was the price of initiation. Your mother had to bring them the heart of a true king.”

  Nausea rolled through me. I stared at him, stunned. His words shook me to the core. I glanced at the sword. Was it with that same weapon she’d done it?

  Why, Mom?

  “Get in the car. I’ll take you somewhere safe.” Michael’s voice broke my thoughts.

  “I don’t even know you.”

  He gave me a hesitant smile. “You can trust me.”

  I stared at him, unsure what to do. Without the wizard, I didn’t know where I was supposed to go or what I was supposed to do next, but I couldn’t go back to the academy.

  They’d find me. Or more likely, Tio would lock me right back up.

  Nodding to him, I followed as he led me to a shiny, silver car parked behind Lucian’s car. I opened the door and set the sword in carefully, tip down before sliding in. A palm tree shaped car freshener hung from the rearview mirror, its coconutty pineapple scent strong.

  Michael sank into the driver’s seat and closed the door. He smiled at me. “Don’t worry, Rose. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  I grunted and turned to face the window. No. It’s not. It’s really not.

  3

  Doubt filled me as Michael took off, the mansion growing smaller behind us. He said he was taking me somewhere safe, but where was safe? I tried to fight the hopelessness that shrouded me. The words in my mom’s letter replayed in my mind.

  Find the wizard. He’s your only hope.

  I wanted to scream. Why didn’t she leave more information? Why didn’t my parents tell me the truth and prepare me? What did the witches even want with me?

  A yawn escaped, catching Michael’s attention. He lowered the radio, the pop song I suspected he’d been playing for me, going silent. Thank God.

  “You need sleep.”

  I snorted. “Yeah.” My stomach rumbled.

  His eyebrow arched. “When was the last time you ate?”

  Shrugging, I turned back to face the window. Food was the least of my worries, though the thought of the gourmet buffet back at the academy made me groan.

  “There’s a bar in the dash.” He pointed to the dashboard in front of me.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Eat it. Please. I don’t need it.”

  Giving in, I opened the door and grabbed the packaged protein bar. “Thanks.”

  He shrugged. “Sure. There’s a bottled water under your seat too. Unopened. If you want it.”

  I reached down to get it. Water was definitely what I needed after that treacherous walk. The half-drunk cup of water I’d left at Rafael’s was hardly enough to keep dehydration at bay.

  After gulping most of it down, I closed it and turned to thank him again. His face was covered in fur, a short snout and enlarged canines. Werewolf. I gasped.

  He slammed on the breaks and looked at me, face returning to human. “What? What is it?”

  I shook the image out of my head. “I… sorry. I’m just not used to seeing… werewolves.”

  “Sorry. I have a hard time keeping up the glamour when I’m lost in thought.”

  “Glamour? I thought that was just for fae?”

  He nodded. “Yes. But all the shifters are issued glamour by the GRIMM. To help us blend in in case there are any ordinaire with a dormant sight.”

  His words surprised me. There was still a lot I didn’t know, and now I’d probably never learn. At least not at the academy. My stomach clenched as I thought about Javi and the others. What were they doing now? How would my cousin explain my disappearance? Grayson’s face flashed in my mind. What would he think of me now?

  Pushing away the thoughts, I turned to Michael. “Is it true? About my mom and Rafael’s dad… being together?” Even as I said it, a sour taste filled my mouth. I hated the idea that Papi wasn’t my mom’s only love. How many had there been?

  Michael glanced at me. “From what he and the others say, I think so.”

  “And she killed him.”

  “Luna Negra killed him.”

  “Yeah, but she was one of them. I don’t get it though. Why would she write in her letter telling me that Los Reyes would help? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Nobody knows exactly how it happened, Rose. Only the witches know the truth now.”

  I shuddered. “I wish they’d leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with them.”

  “Why haven’t they collected you already? I thought the blood promise was for all firstborn.”

  “They couldn’t find me. But now that my sight is coming…”

  “No offense, but aren’t you a little old to just be getting your sight?”

  I shrugged. “I guess my mom put a spell that kept me from getting it, but after my dad died…” I couldn’t finish the words.

  Michael’s blue eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry. I lost my family too.”

  “I thought Los Reyes was your family. Isn’t that your pack?”

  “They are now. My pack was destroyed by vampires. Raf welcomed me into Los Reyes.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head. “It’s the way the world is sometimes.”

  “Yeah. Shitty.”

  He smiled. “Very.”

  I finished the last of the bar and water and turned to face the window once more. “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere safe. You’ll see.”

  Too tired to argue, I shrugged it off and rested my head against the window. Lush greenery and gorgeous coastline zoomed by, the sound of the road soothing. My eyelids drooped as I gave in to sleep.

  Michael slowed the car, taking a turn. I opened my eyes and sat up to look around. We were closer to the coast now. Ahead, a small dark object stood on the beach. As we got closer, I recognized it.

  The beach shack.

  I whipped toward him. “Where are you taking me, Michael?”

  “It’s your school. I think you’ll be safest here.”

  Anger unfurled inside me. “No. I can’t go back there. I have to find the wizard.”

  He pulled off to the side of the road and turned to look at me. “Rose, there is no wizard. I don’t know what your mom told you, but if there was a wizard the others would know. They would remember.”

  “Not if he erased their memories or something.”

  Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier? If my tío could do it to Grayson surely a wizard would know how.

  Michael frowned. “He’d have to be a pretty powerful wizard to erase the memory of the whole pack.”

  “I’m not going back there.”

  He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “This is why I will never have kids.”

  I folded my arms over my chest. “I’m seventeen. I’m old enough to make my own decision and I’m not going back there.”

  “You don’t have a choice, Rose. Only the GRIMMs can keep you safe from Luna Negra. Do you want them to claim you?”

  “No, you don’t understand. That shifter was there for me. They already know where I am.”

  Michael glanced at me. “Shifter?

  The gruesome memory made me shudder. “The one Rafael has locked in his basement.”

  His hands tightened on the wheel. “You saw that?”

  I nodded.

  He rubbed a hand across his face and sighed. “Isn’t there somewhere you can go? Any family? Friends?”

  My heart twisted. I didn’t answer. The only family left couldn’t help me and as much as I wanted to run back to Javi, I knew I couldn’t. There was no way I could face my friends either.

  Before he could ask me anything else, a loud thump sounded. What the? Something large landed on the roof of the car. A snarl echoed above us.

  “What was that?”

  Michael’s face hardened. “Vampires.”

  My eyes bulged.
“Here? In the daylight? I thought they didn’t like the sun.”

  “The new sirelings don’t, but the older ones have no problem with daylight.”

  “But what are they doing here? So close to the school?”

  His jaw clenched. “Good question.”

  Another body landed on the roof of the car, the metal groaning under the weight. I grabbed the hilt of my sword as the vampires jumped down and surrounded us. Where did they come from? An icy fear spread through my veins. What did they want?

  Michael swore as he put the car in drive.

  A strange hissing sound came followed by more snarls.

  He slammed a fist on the wheel. “They ripped my tires.”

  Before I could respond, a hand shot through my window, glass shattering all around me. I screamed. The vampire grabbed me by the arm and yanked, making my eyes fill with tears at the pain. He pulled me out like I weighed nothing.

  Clutching my sword in both hands, I tried to turn to get a good shot at him. My heart was in my throat. Pain burned through me, but I pushed it away, determined to fight my way out of another abduction.

  They weren’t going to take me that easily.

  “Let her go!” Michael’s voice was a roar.

  I twisted to see him stalking towards us, his face completely morphed. Clawed hands hung by his side as he eyed the vampires. There were at least four within sight. Could he take them all?

  “This doesn’t concern you, wolf. Go back to your pack,” a vampire spoke.

  They looked so ordinary, it was hard to believe they weren’t human. Though my instincts warned me of their danger. Where were their fangs?

  “Get her in the car,” another commanded.

  The one who’d captured me obeyed, dragging me along the road. I kicked out and struggled, swiping my sword in vain.

  I’d seen enough crime shows to know that once they got me in the car, I’d be a goner.

  “No! Michael! Somebody! Help!” I yelled, hoping the guards from the academy would hear.

  Where the hell were they? If I weren’t so terrified, I’d consider the whole thing ridiculous. Vampires in broad daylight abducting me right off the road, and in front of GRIMM Academy no less.

  I watched in horror as the vampires descended on Michael, blocking him from my view. An ear-splitting howl filled the air. Was it the wolf? Hope flared inside me. The guards couldn’t have missed that. My mind raced as I tried to remember a chant for my sword. What good was an enchanted weapon if I couldn’t even use it?

  The vampire tightened his hold on my arm, making me wince as he tugged. I threw my weight down toward the pavement, trying to get away despite the sharp pain spearing through me.

  I tumbled on my ass in the middle of the road. Before he could grab me again, I stood and swirled around, pointing my sword between us.

  He snarled at me, two sharp fangs retracting. His eyes turned bloodshot and his face paled, skin tightening so that he looked more skeletal than human.

  Shit.

  “Stay back,” I warned.

  You can wake up and do your thing any time now. I shook my sword. Nothing.

  I cursed under my breath.

  The vampire smiled, a horrible fanged smile. Fear shot through me. Faster than I could blink, he was on top of me, yanking the sword out of my grasp. The metal clanked against the road.

  “Pulto.” I threw my hand up.

  It was the first chant I could think of. Nothing happened. I didn’t have a conduit anymore.

  “What do you want?” I backed up.

  He was cornering me toward their car. I glanced around for inspiration. My eye caught Michael as he struggled against four vampires. Their growls and snarls filled the air. Why weren’t the guards coming?

  Four burly bodies sped toward us. My heart sank. Not more vampires. I blinked in surprise. No, not vampires. As they got closer, relief spread through me.

  Los Reyes.

  With a renewed strength, I made a run for my sword. Someone snatched me by the shirt. Fisting my hands, I turned to swing at my assailant. One of the wolves got there first. I stumbled back in shock as I watched flesh collide with fur and claws. Not waiting to see what would happen next, I dove for my sword.

  Picking it up, I turned to survey the chaos. My heart pounded in my ears and my arms stung from broken glass. My head felt like someone had struck me with a hammer. I was fairly certain I was bleeding and bruised in multiple places.

  The wolves attacked the vampires, five on five. I stood collecting myself, looking for some way to help. I glanced ahead at the beach shack. Would anyone be there? My eyes turned to the clearing where I knew the road led to the school gatehouse. Why didn’t any of the GRIMMs come? Wasn’t this their job?

  I jumped as a vampire went flying into the car, they’d tried to put me in. Glass crunched underneath him. He didn’t get up. The driver opened the door and tumbled out, eyes narrowed.

  He was going for Rafael.

  My breath hitched. Rafael was pulling another vampire off of Leo. He didn’t see the new one coming for him.

  I raced forward with my sword. “Rafael! Look out!”

  He turned just in time as the vampire slashed at him. I stopped short as the two rolled along the road, fists flying. It was all so violent and… animalistic. They used claws, hands, and teeth instead of weapons.

  Not that I was much help even with my sword. The thought crossed my mind that I should be doing something. I was supposed to be a GRIMM, but I couldn’t bring myself to use my weapon. Letting the sword do its thing and yelling chants at it was one thing, but to actually use it to kill anyone… I wasn’t sure I could do it.

  4

  “The GRIMMs are coming. We have to go,” Rafael shouted.

  The wolves paused, leaving the vampires strewn along the road. What would happen when someone came driving through? Would they be able to see what I could see?

  Shouts echoed from the direction of the school. The GRIMMs.

  “Michael.” I gave him a pleading look.

  I couldn’t go back to Tio’s.

  He limped toward me and stared at his alpha. “She saved your life. You owe her.”

  Rafael paused and turned to us slowly. His eyes met mine. They were filled with hatred. “What do you want?”

  His question surprised me. I glanced at the other battered wolves. What did I want?

  His eyebrow arched. “Well?”

  I swallowed hard. “Take me with you.”

  “You can’t be part of the pack, Rose. You’re not a werewolf.”

  “No. That’s not what I mean. I just need a place to stay until I figure out my next move.”

  His gaze slid to Michael and back to me. “Fine. Let’s go. We’ll send a tow for your car, Michael.”

  With that he stormed by, the other wolves following. Tow? I shook my head at the absurdness of it. We’d just survived a bloody supernatural battle and now we were talking about a tow?

  Michael led me after the others. We stopped short as Lucian, oblivious to the fact that the fight was over, continued slashing into one of the vampires. Michael pulled me past the gruesome sight, blocking my view. It was too late. Bile rose in my throat. Lucian’s inhumane growls echoed in my ears.

  “That’s enough, Lucian. Get to the car.” Rafael’s voice rose.

  “He can’t stop it, Raf. It’s the Midnight Rush,” Mateo answered.

  “And that is why I say no demos,” Rafael snapped.

  I glanced back to watch him tear Lucian away. My head snapped forward, not wanting to see the bloody sight.

  They ushered me down the sandy stretch of beach until we came to Lucian’s car parked along the road. Michael helped me in, motioning me to the middle of the backseat. I cringed as the wolves slid in next to me, their hulking bodies crowded around me.

  “Uh. I don’t think we’re all going to fit in here,” Leo muttered.

  They looked at me.

  “You’ll have to sit up there.” Leo pointed to the mid
dle console in front.

  Lucian entered and threw himself into the passenger seat as Rafael slunk into the driver’s seat. Holding my breath, I moved to the middle, my back to the front.

  I shook my head. All the romance books and movies about werewolves were far from reality. The smell of wet fur and blood made my nose crinkle. They were human once again, but cuts and bruises still covered their arms and faces.

  The drive was silent as I tried to do my hardest not to keep gawking at them as they sat hunched shoulder to shoulder. Though Rafael didn’t speak, I could almost feel his anger. Mad at owing me something or mad about Lucian going crazy?

  “What do the vampires want with you?” The alpha broke the silence.

  “I have no idea.”

  He scoffed.

  I flushed. “I don’t.”

  “One of them talked funny,” said Leo.

  His twin frowned at him. “He was speaking Creole.”

  Michael glanced at them. “Creole? Did you see any insignia? What court they were from?”

  Mateo shrugged. “I couldn’t tell, but I believe another one of them was from the south. Judging by her accent.”

  “Kind of hard to look at insignia when they were trying to kill us,” Leo grunted.

  “So, they weren’t from the same court?” Rafael interrupted.

  “I don’t believe so,” Mateo answered.

  I blinked at them, not knowing what they were talking about. “What does that mean?”

  “Vampires always stay in their courts. They don’t travel unless they’re ordered to do so by their queen.”

  “So, what? The queen sent them all after me?”

  “Why would she do that, Rose?” Rafael’s words dripped with suspicion.

  I bristled at the tone. “How should I know?”

  “There’s no reason the queen would care about her. And I don’t think she’d get involved like this. Not with the Luna Negra close.” Michael spoke up for me.

  The car fell silent. A heavy tension fell between us.

  Rafael broke the quiet. “Who says they’re close?”

  Michael nodded encouragingly at me. “Tell him.”

  I turned, only able to see the top of his dark curly hair. His eyes flickered to me in the rearview mirror.