by R L Medina
“Haven’t you tried to escape? Use magic?”
James made a disgusted noise. “Of course, we have. We’ve tried everything.”
“Okay. Sorry, it was just a question. No need to get all pissed at me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?”
The others stared, waiting for my answer. I fought the urge to shrink under the weight of their eyes.
I wasn’t sure what to answer. Who was I? A GRIMM? My chest tightened. No. I was nobody.
“Well?” James demanded. His raised chin and face full of contempt reminded me of Brady.
Brady who could be dead for all I knew. I stifled the sob. Now was not the time to think about my friends.
“My name is Rose. My mom was Rosa Vasquez Ruiz.”
Ash’s eyes locked onto me, recognition flashed across her face. My heart skipped.
“Did you know her?”
“Yes.”
Everyone fell quiet. Water drip dropped, the sound piercing the silence.
“She’s dead?” Ash’s question startled me.
I flushed under their scrutiny. “Yeah. When I was two.”
She didn’t say anything. No, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘how did it happen?’ Her unwavering stare and blank face made me want to edge away from her. I wasn’t sure how to read her reaction.
“My mom died helping yours escape. I was five.”
Her words startled me. My eyes darted across the other’s faces, not wanting to look at Ash. How could I? The shame of my mom’s actions burned through me. First Rafael’s dad and now this girl’s mom. Why couldn’t mama have been more like Tía Teresa? The more I learned about this woman who birthed me, the more I hoped we had nothing in common.
“I’m sorry,” I finally ground out. Because what else was there to say?
Ash scoffed. “She sacrificed herself and look where you are. Here. Same as me.”
“Why didn’t the coven bring you in when she died?” James spoke up.
Thankful for his question, I turned to him. “They thought I was dead.”
The supreme’s words repeated in my head, making me doubt what I’d said. Did they know where I was the whole time? If they did, why didn’t they come for me sooner?
“Well, you pretty much are now. We all are.” Bitterness coated Ash’s words.
I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. Still dressed in the ridiculous clubwear, I was freezing. Bare feet against the cold basement floor didn’t help, but even that coldness was nothing compared to glacial look in Ash’s eyes.
My heart sank. The witch was probably more likely to kill me herself than help me escape. With her being their leader, I didn’t see any of them going out of their way to aid me and I hadn’t even gotten to the part of me being a GRIMM. As far as they knew, I was just some lucky witch who escaped the coven’s clutches.
“Do you know anything about a wizard?”
James scowled at me. “A wizard?”
Ash shook her head. “There hasn’t been one in Cali in years.”
“What do you know about wizards?” James watched me.
It was obvious the guy didn’t trust me and judging by his proximity and familiarity to Ash, he probably liked me even less.
Biting my lip, I thought through my words carefully. There could still be a chance to win them over to my side. We were all in the same boat, and if we didn’t come up with some kind of plan, we’d all be dead.
“There was a letter my mom left me that said to get out of the blood oath, I had to find a wizard.”
Ash snorted. “What wizard?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. But if she knew him, he could be around here.”
Her eyebrow arched. “Around here? No. There’s no wizard. We’d feel the pull.”
I blinked at her. “The pull?”
She nodded as if I should know what she meant.
“Of magic. The pull of magic. Are you unlinked to a conduit?” James interrupted.
“Unlinked?”
They exchanged glances and shook their heads. Heat spread up my neck at their assessment. Was it so painfully obvious that I was out of my element?
“You never spelled or cast before?” Curiosity echoed in Ash’s words.
“Not really.”
I had. In class and it had been a fail. There was no way I was sharing that info. My lack of ability sure wasn’t going to impress them. I couldn’t even open a simple lock.
James folded his arms across his chest. “Then you’re not really a witch.”
“I never said I was. My mom was the witch.”
Ash gave a thoughtful hmm. “Where did the coven catch you again?”
Her question repeated in my mind. Did I tell her the truth? Was it safe to say it?
“I was at a club. El Palacio.”
Surprise flickered on her face. “That’s Los Reyes territory. What the hell were you doing there?”
My chest tightened at the memories. Michael and the others. Cleo. The burning roof. Pushing the sorrow threatening to rise, I squared my shoulders.
“I was meeting a witch. A rogue witch. To help me find the wizard.”
Irritation danced in Ash’s eyes. “There is no wizard. Your mom lied. She was a liar, thief, and a murderer.”
James’s lips quirked into a cruel smile.
Heat flushed through me. But I wasn’t mad. No, I kind of agreed with her, but I didn’t want to be reminded of what she’d done.
“There were… GRIMMs there. Two followed when the witches took me. Have you seen them?”
I waited and watched their faces for any sign—any indication that Javi and Grayson were alive.
Ash’s eyes narrowed. “Why would the GRIMMs come after you?”
Shit. I’d made a mistake.
15
Trying to shrug it off, I gave her my best clueless face. “I don’t know. Probably heard me screaming for help.”
“The GRIMMs? Here? Do you think they’re here to rescue us?” a girl in the back chimed in.
I winced. I didn’t mean to give them false hope.
Ash scoffed. “Please. Jimena could obliterate them with a snap of her fingers. They won’t even get past the ward.”
Anger rose to the surface. I wanted to tell her, that they DID in fact get past the ward, but I bit my tongue.
Her face hardened. “If they came after you, they’re probably dead. Jimena wouldn’t keep them alive and risk other agents finding us.”
Dead. The word struck me in the chest, a bitter taste filling my mouth. No, I refused to believe that was true. I couldn’t stomach the thought.
Pushing away the images of them being held and tortured somewhere or worse, I held my fear and anguish at bay.
“Jimena?”
“The supreme,” James answered.
Before I could ask more questions, the door swung open, light bursting in. I scurried back with the others as four witches descended toward us. A tall, pale woman walked between them, her straight raven hair hung like a curtain at her waist. Her eyes were bright yellow and right away my hackles rose.
Not human. My instincts warned.
She held her chin up as they tugged her along. Chains wrapped around her wrists. Another prisoner?
“Here you are, your majesty. Enjoy your accommodations,” one of the witches snickered, pushing her forward.
In a flash, the woman twisted her head back and sank her teeth into the witch’s neck. The witch screamed, arms flying up and flailing. The other witches yanked the woman off, shouting a chant.
She released the witch and turned back to face us. My heart raced. Blood dripped from her smiling fangs. My stomach rolled with nausea.
Vampire.
“Take her to the healer,” one of the witches commanded the others.
He shoved the vampire down the rest of the stairs and raised his hand toward her. The witches around me scattered back as he chanted. I followed.
The vampire stumbled on the
last step but didn’t fall. Her body convulsed as his spell hit her. A snarl tore from her lips, the inhuman sound struck my every nerve.
“You are nothing without your court. Powerless. Petty. It’s time you accepted your fate. Your reign is over. But we are not done with you yet,” the guy witch sneered before turning on his heel.
His words shook me. Her reign? Dread coiled in my gut. The vampire queen. What was she doing here with us?
She stood straight and stared at the door, ignoring us completely. Behind me, the witches murmured. Questions raced in my mind. If she was a hostage like us, would she help us? Could she help us? I wasn’t sure what to think, but if she was an ally, the coven wouldn’t have put her down there with us.
Ash, braver than the rest of us, stepped forward. “Queen Damaris.”
The vampire turned slowly and faced us. Her cat-like eyes narrowed on Ash. There was nothing friendly in her gaze.
Chills crawled over me, my survival instincts kicking into gear. Run. Run.
I pushed down the emotion, scoffing at myself. Run? There was nowhere to go.
She watched us, wiping the blood from her face with her dark purple sleeve. Even with such a crude display, she exuded power.
“What does the coven want with you? Why did they bring you?” Ash’s voice cut through the silence like a knife.
Everyone watched the vampire.
Her nose crinkled as if our very scent offended her. Maybe it did. Though I remembered the words of the vampire I’d met in the prison. Witch’s blood is what they craved most, but did that mean me too? After all, the GRIMMs were basically the same. Human with an intuition for magic though we practiced it much differently.
Instead of hexes and spells, we had weapons and protocol.
The queen’s full lips pulled back in a lackluster smile. The deadness in her eyes made me shiver.
“And who are you to address me, witchling? I have nothing to say to you.”
With that, she turned her back to us, head held high as she stared at the door. I glanced at Ash, trying to judge her reaction.
The witch frowned but said nothing. If she wanted answers, she wasn’t getting them. I tore my eyes away and watched the vampire. Questions of my own raced through my mind, pressing on the tip of my tongue, but I held back.
If she didn’t want to talk to the witches, she definitely wouldn’t want to talk to me.
Forcing the fear down, hoping it didn’t show on my face, I cleared my throat. The witches glanced at me with curious eyes, but the queen didn’t turn.
“Does your court know you are here? Are they coming?”
My questions fell on deaf ears—no, stubborn ears. Heat flushed across my skin at her rudeness. Clearly, she thought herself better than us though she was a prisoner, just the same.
Irritation turned to anger as I stared at her unflinching back.
“They betrayed you, didn’t they? Your people. Gave you over to the witches so they could be free of you? I can see why.”
The words rolled off my lips before I could stop them. I sucked in a breath. Ash shot me a warning look, the others murmured their surprise, but the queen was unmoved.
Confidence growing, I tried again. “I never thought I’d meet you, Queen Damaris, here in a musty basement, waiting to be slaughtered like an animal with the rest of us. The warrior queen, huh? Is that what they used to call you?”
Someone gasped. Ash shook her head at me, but it was too late. The words were out. In one blink, the queen was in front of me, her face a mask of calmness. But in her eyes, a silent rage stirred.
I skittered back, my heart leaping into my throat.
She smiled at my fear. “They cannot kill me. No one can kill me. I’m the queen and my reign is forever.”
“Then why are you here?” Amazingly, my voice didn’t tremble, though my body still shuddered.
Her eyes flitted across the room. “Whatever you witches want from me, I promise you, you will not get it.”
With a flick of her head, she turned away once more and stalked toward the stairs. I felt Ash’s stare on me and turned to address her.
She spoke first. “You are a GRIMM.”
All eyes fell on me. Sweat grew on my palms. It wasn’t a question. She knew, and now they all did. Even the vampire queen turned her head slightly, listening.
“I knew it,” James spat. His eyes narrowed at me.
Taking a step back, I tried to collect myself. “Not… exactly. I’m still in training.”
James snorted. Ash held up a hand to him, silencing whatever insult he was about to unleash.
“Your friends, did they know you were promised to the coven?”
Pain twisted my gut. I couldn’t answer so I just nodded my head.
“And they thought they could help you break the oath?” Ash’s eyes studied me.
Not knowing where her questioning was going, I hesitated. I had everyone’s attention now.
“They… wanted to help.”
Her lips spread into a humorless smile. “Unbelievable.”
My eyes darted from her to the others. What did she mean? Why was she asking me those questions?
She closed her eyes and clenched her fists as if trying to regain control over herself. A warning bell rang in my ears. I backed up, only to find myself surrounded—encircled by the witches.
“My mother died to save yours. Your mother was supposed to come back and save the rest of us. To stop Jimena before she even became supreme.” Ash’s voice rose.
“But you’re telling me, she left us to die and you… you became a GRIMM?” A harsh laugh escaped her.
I flinched. The fury written on her face made my heart skitter.
“I… I didn’t know about any of this until my dad died. They tried to keep me hidden from the coven. I’m sorry. I didn’t know about you.”
Ash glared at me, her fists trembling by her sides. “How lucky for you.”
Her words burned through me. I couldn’t meet their stares. Though it wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. They’d been trapped the whole time, waiting on help that was never coming and my mom… she’d abandoned them to keep me safe. Yet in the end, it didn’t matter. I still ended up in the same place as they did—caught in the witch’s net.
“We should make her pay.” James broke the silence.
Ash scoffed. “How? We can’t kill each other. The enchantment won’t let us spill any blood. Not until the ritual.”
Their words struck fear inside me. I glanced around, mind racing. Twelve against one, I wouldn’t stand a chance and I doubted the vampire queen would be any help. Not after I’d insulted her.
“There are other ways,” he answered, eyes still on me.
“Please, believe me, I’m sorry. I would have tried to stop the coven sooner if I’d known.”
Ash shook her head at me. “No, you wouldn’t. You would have kept running to save yourself. Just like your mother.”
I flushed. Shame and anger rolled inside me. No. I wasn’t my mom.
“Leave her alone, Ashlyn,” a hoarse voice called from the back.
The witches fell quiet and parted to reveal a large, blonde woman sitting against the back wall. Ash’s eyes narrowed, but she snapped her mouth shut.,
I stared at the new speaker, curiosity growing. Unlike the others, this witch looked much older. Her eyes met mine, but she didn’t move.
“Rosita.” She inclined her head toward me.
My eyebrows flew up at her address. Did she know me? Know my family? How else would she know my given name?
“Rose. It’s just Rose now.”
She nodded in understanding and struggled to her feet. The others parted for her as she limped toward me.
Her long, floral dress was matted with blood and I had to hold my breath as she neared. How long had she been down there? Blonde curls hung in wet clumps around her broad shoulders.
“Rose.” Her voice was a whisper.
Tears sprang in her hazel
eyes as she approached me. Her familiarity made me uneasy. Who was she?
She took a deep breath, pain flashing across her flawless face. “You don’t know me, child. But I knew your mother Rosa. I’m Jesse.”
I blinked at her. Why hadn’t she introduced herself sooner? She’d been there the whole time so why was she choosing now to speak up?
The other witches watched me, waiting for my reaction. I cleared my throat, unsure of what to say.
“Hi,” I blurted. My cheeks flamed.
She smiled, her eyes crinkling in the corners. Though my senses warned me she was powerful, I felt safe in her presence. Her kindness was genuine. I didn’t know how I could tell, but I did.
“Are you… one of the firstborn too?”
“No. But I’m pledged to the coven. I was a coven leader once before we became part of the Luna Negra.” Her face darkened.
“You were friends with my mom?”
Ash snorted.
Jesse ignored her and nodded at me. “Yes. I helped her escape too, but Jimena couldn’t kill me.”
My eyebrow arched. If she couldn’t be killed by the supreme, was she powerful enough to help us?
“I didn’t know you were here. Any of you.”
She waved away my guilty words. “I know. You were never supposed to come back for us.”
Her words startled me.
Sensing my confusion, she continued, “There is a lot for you to learn. You might as well sit so I can explain,”
Sorrow flickered on her face. “Not all of it will be pleasant, but it’s time you knew the truth. The truth about your mother.”
16
I moved toward Jesse and sank to the ground as she did the same. The others watched us, some sitting and some standing around us.
“Your mother was my friend. Whatever her faults, I’ve long forgiven her, and you would be wise to do the same. Holding onto your anger does you no good.” Her eyes darted to Ash.
The young witch lifted her chin and turned away from us. Clearly not ready to let go of hers, though I didn’t blame her. If our roles were reversed, I’d have been just as pissed as she was.