Keira Grim: The Final Breath Chronicles Book Two

by V. B. Marlowe

  "I asked you to stop lying to me. My Watchers found you at a mall a little ways from the house they found. They aren't on assignment, so I have no way of tracking them." He looked at Doyle. "I know my brother has something to do with this."

  "What are we going to do?" Doyle asked. He looked a little more relaxed now.

  Dunningham shook his glass. The ice cubes banged against each other. The look on his face told me he had no answer. The great and powerful Dunningham was at a loss. "I need to speak to my brother."

  Doyle scoffed. "You should just kill the bastard and get it over with."

  Dunningham shot him a look. "If I could do that, don't you think I would have done it ages ago? That creature is the bane of my existence."

  I'd heard that for some reason he couldn't kill his brother and vice versa. I didn't know the specifics of it. Was it because he couldn't physically or was it because he was bound by some covenant? If that were the case, Dunningham could just have his men kill Dunstan. I thought if I asked it would seem like I was prying , so I didn't.

  "Bring him here," Dunningham said to Doyle. "I want to see him tomorrow. Instead of sending Reynold over with the lifestones, let my brother come here."

  Doyle turned a few shades paler than he already was. "Sure, Mr. Dunningham."

  I was done eating and was about to excuse myself, but Dunningham wasn’t done with the conversation.

  "One of the boys missing was last seen with Nox's boy, Bram, the one you used to fraternize with."

  "Oh," I replied for lack of anything else to say. A girl came and collected my plate, which was just as well because this conversation had caused me to lose my appetite. I took a sip from my water glass. "Hmm."

  "Are you sure you have no idea where they are? After all, Chase and Bram are your friends."

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Dunningham. I have no idea where they are. If I knew I swear I'd tell you."

  "No, you wouldn't," he said. "I'm not a stupid man. I know your loyalty is to them."

  I shook my head and told the biggest lie I'd ever told. "That's not true. Aside from being my betrothed, you’re the Lord of Death. My loyalty will always be to you above anyone else. Even my own mother."

  He studied me for a second as if he was trying to make himself believe me. "I hope so. You will be my other half. I need to be able to trust you above everyone else."

  Doyle cleared his throat. "With all due respect, this is men's talk. Perhaps Ms. Keira would like to take an after-dinner beverage out into the garden for a little while. It is a lovely night."

  I narrowed my eyes at Doyle , and he narrowed his back. I understood. Bram was out there. Dunningham looked as though like he was about to object to Doyle's suggestion , so I answered quickly. "You're right. I'll have the girls bring me a cup of tea outside."

  I laid my napkin on the table and headed for the back door, forgetting the cup of tea. I looked back before going outside. Dunningham and Doyle were already leaning close together, speaking in hushed voices.

  I had no idea where Bram would be, so I went to the gazebo where we had met before.

  "It's about time," a voice said the second I stepped into the gazebo. I had never been so happy to hear Bram's voice.

  "Where are you?" I whispered.

  "To your right."

  I moved toward his voice. "Oww," he cried as I felt something under my foot.

  "Sorry," I muttered. I sat next to him. I hated that I couldn't see him, but I was grateful to feel the warmth of his body. "Dunningham's pissed. He keeps asking me where you are. He wants to meet with Dunstan tomorrow."

  "He can meet with Dunstan all he wants. As long as we're in the human world, we're out of his control. What's he gonna do?"

  "What's going on over there?"

  "Everyone's fine. We're adjusting to our n e w jobs. It's fine, I guess," Bram replied.

  "Bram, before you said something was going to go down here. You guys are safe , but , what about me? I'm still here."

  "You'll be more protected than anybody. Don't worry."

  "Our parents?"

  There was a long pause , and I knew he didn't have an answer. "I don't know, Keira. They would never understand. If I thought I could get them to come with us, I would, but there's no way that's going to happen. My father's probably already disowned me for being gone so long."

  "Bram, I hate it here."

  A strong gust of wind blew through the gazebo. I felt the invisibility cloak brush up against my arm.

  "I know," he replied. "I know you're taking one for the team, but I need you to hang tight. You got him to give in about the medical care—who knows what else you can persuade him to do? Besides, you and Doyle are our only way of knowing what's going on in that head of his."

  "How long am I going to have to do this?" We wouldn't be married for another year, but I didn't want to stay in that house for another day. "Once I marry him, that will be it."

  "I don't know. Just hang in there as long as you can." He brushed against me as we stood. "I have to go get the boys now."

  "Bram, please be careful. I mean really careful. None of your stupid antics over there."

  I was startled by Bram wrapping me into a hug. He smelled different. Like some sort of musk. "Don't worry," he said. "I would never do anything to put the others in danger. I swear my life on that." He let me go and moved away. "Bye." He sounded a few steps away.

  "I mean it, Bram. Don't behave."

  "I won't."

  The location of his voice told me that he was running. Blue howled , and Black barked from somewhere in the yard. They both stopped after a few moments , and I assumed that Bram was gone.

  34

  The following day , Dunstan had agreed to meet with his brother. I would have loved to attend the meeting, but it was a private gathering between Dunstan, Dunningham, and his closest men. I hoped Doyle would fill me in later.

  All morning I found myself worrying about my brother and whether or not he was okay over there. I trusted that Bram would take good care of him—he always treated Josh like his own brother—but some things were out of Bram's control. I was also concerned about my parents, who must have been worried sick about Josh.

  Having the house to myself, I spent the day reading outside in the gazebo. The weather was perfect as usual—cool and gray. Just the right amount of light peeking through the clouds. I'd found an interesting book in Dunningham's study. I wasn't supposed to be in there when he was away, but the door had been open while one of the girls cleaned inside. She gave me a warning glance as I combed his shelves looking for an interesting read, but she said nothing.

  I found a book called The History of the Lord of Death. That book sparked my interest because there were many questions I had about Death Lords that had gone unanswered. I figured that since I was a soon-to-be Mrs. Lord of Death, I should know everything about him.

  In the gazebo I lay on my stomach and opened the book. Next to the book was a pen and notepad to record my findings as I read.

  The introduction was about Death's leaders. There were thirteen colonies of Grims that serv ic ed different parts of the world and each had its own ruler. This book was specifically about Nowhere's Lord of Death.

  The beginning told about the history of the Lord of Death. That was nothing new to me. I read about the rituals and how the powers were passed down to generation to generation. I flipped to the table of contents. Two chapters caught my eye. One was titled “ ‘ The Two Lords of Death ” ’ and the other “ ‘ The Boundaries ’ . ” I read “ ‘ The Two Lords of Death ” ’ first.

  That section was about how Dunningham and Dunstan's parents had been at a loss when they discovered they were having two boys instead of one. Dunstan had been born first, so the position and power rightfully should have gone to him, but his father couldn't bear to let his other son go empty-handed. After all, he was the son of the Lord of Death. Some great privilege had to come with that. Their father arranged it so that both boys would share the powers equally
.

  I stopped and wondered how old Dunningham had to be to already have a book written about him. No one knew exactly how old Dunstan and Dunningham really were. They had already been alive and in power when all existing Grims were born. The book looked pretty old.

  I continued to read. Dunningham and Dunstan had been at odds with each other throughout their entire childhood. They were always fighting and competing and seemed to hate each other. Dunstan had always been sort of a rebel while Dunningham followed the Grim Covenant to the tee. One day at the age of eighteen, Dunstan made the critical mistake that got him banished to the Outskirts. He fell in love with a human whose life he was supposed to collect. He interfered with her death , and she lived. He stayed with her , and they had a child together. That was easily punishable by death, though being a Lord of Death, Dunstan's life was spared, but he was banished to the Outskirts and lost his position.

  In the Outskirts, descendants with human blood continued to be born, but they would never be recognized as real Grims.

  Cool air pushed through the gazebo. I shuddered, wrapping my shawl around me tighter. After closing the book and notepad, I clutched them to my chest and went inside. I hid the book in my room so I could read the rest later.

  I ate another supper alone , since Dunningham didn't come home until late at night. I was in my bedroom preparing for bed when the front door chimed. I crept out of my bedroom and stood in the hallway. Several deep voices traveled upstairs. I recognized the voices of Doyle and Dunningham. The other voices were unfamiliar to me. I assumed they were other men who lived in the Upper Estates. The door to the study closed , and the voices became muffled.

  I went to the kitchen, which I was happy to find empty. The girls were done for the night and had retired to their quarters. I had never realized how big the kitchen was. It took me a while to find a cup and tea bags to make myself a cup of tea. I didn't really want tea, but it gave me a reason to be downstairs. I sat at the dining room table with my steaming tea cup , waiting for the men to exit the study. I was tempted to press my ear to the door, but I figured that wouldn't be a good idea.

  A chorus of haughty laughs escaped the room, and I knew from the secret meetings my father held in our home that laughing usually signaled the end of a meeting. I wrapped my black silk robe tightly to make sure that I was appropriate. The door to the study creaked open , and several men exited, headed for the front door talking amongst themselves. They hadn't noticed me.

  Moments later, Doyle emerged alone. He did notice me.

  "Is everything okay?" I asked. I hoped he knew that I was asking about my brother and not their meeting.

  He gave me a small smile and nodded. "All is well. The people are getting the medical attention they need as we speak."

  Dunningham came up behind him and stood in the doorway. "Good night, Doyle," he said curtly.

  "Good night, Mr. Dunningham," Doyle replied as he headed for the door. I wondered what that was about.

  Dunningham stayed in the doorway staring at me. I wasn't sure what to say so I sipped my tea.

  "How was your day?" he asked.

  "Fine."

  "I'm sorry I was gone for most of the day. That's the way it is sometimes."

  I nodded. There was no need for him to apologize. He could be gone all the time for all I cared.

  He continued to stare at me, making me feel uncomfortable. Even though I wasn't done, I placed my tea cup on the table and stretched.

  "I'm really tired, so I'm going to turn in. Good night."

  "Good night," he answered, not moving from his spot.

  I could feel his eyes boring into me as I headed up the stairs.

  In my bedroom, I removed my robe and climbed into bed. It would be a long time before I fell asleep , so I pulled The History of the Lord of Death from underneath my pillow and continued to read from where I'd left off. I heard the click of my door locking. Either Hesper or Dunningham. They didn't waste any time making sure that I was locked down for the night.

  “ ' The Weaknesses ' . ” I knew there were some things that Dunningham couldn't do, but I didn't know what or why.

  As I read, I learned that he couldn't leave the boundaries of Nowhere. He could never go to the Outskirts. He could only send his men over the walls to do his dirty work. I'd always known that Dunningham never went to the human world. Since he became the Lord of Death on his eighteenth birthday, he didn't have to collect lives like we did. He took a percentage of the lives we collected. That gave me a sense of relief. He could never follow the others into the real world, even if he wanted to. He was confined to Nowhere and there was nothing he could do about it.

  The next thing I read turned out to be the most interesting. It was something no one else knew. If they did, I was sure I would have heard about it. The next section in that chapter talked about how Dunningham and Dunstan could never kill each other. It turned out they shared the same lifeline. A lifeline was something grown within every Grim at birth. The vessels in the Mill represented our lifeline. Apparently, Dunstan and Dunningham also shared the same vessel.

  Twins weren't as common in Nowhere like as they were in the human world. Dunningham and Dunstan were of three pairs of twins, so the concept of them sharing a lifeline wasn't something most of us thought about. That was why they couldn't kill each other. If one died, the other would die also.

  I was sure if not for that minor detail, Dunningham would have had his brother killed a long time ago. At least Dunstan didn't have to worry about running out of years like his people. The only way the Foragers stayed alive was by stealing lifestones from the deaths we were assigned to. If we didn't get there quickly enough, the lifestone could be gone by the time we arrived. I'd never understood how the Foragers knew about the deaths and assignments. I assumed through Dunstan.

  There was a light rapping on my door. I slammed the book shut and slid it underneath the pile of pillows that lay on my bed. "Yes?"

  The doorknob rattled and I heard the jingle of keys. The door inched open slowly. Dunningham stood in the doorway wearing black silk pajamas and a bathrobe.

  My body tensed , and I sat up straight. Was there a camera in the room? Somehow he knew that I had his book and was reading up on his weaknesses. He closed and locked the door behind him. I looked at the window and tried to judge how long it would take me to get there. Surely I could move faster than Dunningham. I wasn't about to let him hurt me again.

  He sat on the edge of my bed. I tried not to make it obvious that I was inching away from him. He was within grabbing distance. "You were waiting up for me tonight. You missed me."

  That wasn't it at all. I was waiting up for the signal that my brother had gotten to the human world safely. I could have cared less about Dunningham.

  I said nothing. He placed his hand on the bed next to me. Pale, bony, but smooth—not red and cracked like the hands of his servants. These were the hands of a man who had never had to work a hard day in his life.

  "Mr. Dunningham, with all due respect, you shouldn't be in here."

  It was the law he enforced. A rule of his Grim Covenant. Two unmarried Grims shouldn't have been alone in a bedroom in their pajamas. The temptation might be too great.

  "I shouldn't be in a room of my own house?"

  "Don't you think the rules apply to you?" I asked, which might have been really stupid if he were in a foul mood.

  "No, they don't. As for you waiting up for me, I knew you would come around eventually."

  I didn't know how to respond to that. I wasn't coming around at all , and the more I got to know him, the more I hated him, but I couldn’t very well say that.

  He shifted his body and turned toward me. "Now why are you way over there?"

  I shrugged. Because I don't want you to touch me.

  He patted the area on the bed next to him. "Come sit next to me."

  I didn't move.

  "Come on, come on." He motioned with his hand.

  I obeyed and swung my legs over
the edge of the bed. He put his arm around me and pulled me toward him. It felt like as though spiders were crawling up my body.

  Dunningham reached for the neck of my nightgown. I flinched, but he only pulled out the chain I wore around my neck. He ran his fingers over the scythe and the raven charms which that dangled from it. "Where this come from?"

  I knew he was asking about the raven because he had given me the scythe charm himself.

  "A friend gave it to me for my birthday."

  "It's so pedestrian. I've given you so many nice pieces of jewelry."

  "I know you have, but this is special to me." It was like he knew the charm was from Bram.

  Dunningham removed the chain from around my neck and dropped it into the pocket of his robe. Before I could protest, he leaned in, burying his face in my hair, and sniffed. "Don't worry. I know you've never done this before, but I'll teach you everything you need to know."

  I shot from the bed. "Please leave."

  He frowned. "Why? You think you're going to get caught and punished? Who's going to punish you, me?"

  I backed away from him. "We're not married yet. I can't. I won't."

  Dunningham stood and smoothed out his pajamas. He bit his bottom lip. He was not a man used to being rejected. "Listen, this is one of your duties, dear. I understand that we're not married yet, but look at what I've given you. Even though we're not married, I've moved you into this house, given you the best clothes, jewelry, anything you can imagine. If you're enjoying wifely benefits, I think you can do what a wife is supposed to do."

  "I never asked you for any of this." I would have much rather been at home with my parents enjoying the last year of my life before I would have to marry him.

  "You're right. I freely gave it to you, which makes me even more generous." He pursed his lips, looking me up and down. "I get it. You need some time to let this seep in. To get mentally prepared. Maybe tomorrow night will be better."

  He stepped toward me and I backed away. My back brushed up against a wall. He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. His lips were cold and scaly like a reptile's. I smelled the alcohol on his breath. I hoped that he was drunk and would forget about all of this in the morning, but I knew that he was sober. He stepped away from me. "Don't worry. It's not that big a deal after you get the first time out of the way. I will be your husband very soon—remember that."