Blood (The Grimm Cases Book 3)

by Lyla Oweds

  My attention snapped to Kasai, who was watching the two of us gleefully.

  “How long have you been waiting to tell us this?” Miles asked. “Don’t onmyoji choose a new shikigami’s name from divine intervention when you are first summoned?”

  “How little you understand. Master was four. They believe everything to be of a divine nature.” The bird sighed.

  “Damen summoned you when he was four?” I covered my gasp.

  “That’s not the point, Bianca.” Miles leaned over the counter in interest. “And even though Kasai is clearly trying to distract us, I find his effort engaging. What was he going to name you?”

  “Master was a fan of a certain comic book franchise,” Kasai continued. “He had the future planned out. He’d summon me to the earthly realm, bind me to him, and solidify our connection by bestowing my first name to me. He thought it would be wonderful fun—an onmyoji and his sidekick. Saving the world as dark heroes in the night.”

  My hands remained over my mouth. Based on my revelations earlier, I had a suspicion of where this story was headed. “Tell me he didn’t.”

  “No.” Kasai lowered his head. “But he tried.”

  Miles pushed to his hands, looking between the two of us. “He tried what? What am I missing?”

  “He cried for a while. In fact, he had a temper tantrum,” Kasai said. “It was my first time, and any name bestowed upon me would remain for an eternity. And no matter what kind of honor would come from serving the Xing, I refused to be known for an eternity as ‘Robin’.”

  “I don’t blame you,” I sympathized. “Of course you wouldn’t want to be named after a different breed of bird. How did you convince him to change his mind?”

  “I told him if he wished to model his life from a fictional character, I’d help recreate his dream. After all, the energy from our bond could come from various sources. So long as the contract is fulfilled. He couldn’t punish himself.” Kasai cocked his head, eyes remaining on mine. “And I’m not a bird.”

  I frowned, blinking as our connection severed. The guys had told me that Damen and Kasai’s bond was safe. And they should know…

  Perhaps I had misheard Kasai. But, to me, it sounded as though the shikigami really was mooching off of Damen’s life-force. And not only that, he’d threatened others?

  “He was going to name you ‘Robin’?” Miles didn’t seem perturbed. Instead, he was smirking. “You mean, like the Robin from Batman? Damen is a fan, so that would have been hilarious. It’s so weird that you can talk, by the way. What else can you do now?”

  “Eat souls.” Kasai glanced toward the stove, bringing Miles’s attention to it.

  Miles cursed, rushing to remove it from the heat, while Kasai continued, “It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a soul. I’m hoping that Master gives me one of the presences here. I have a preference for the depraved ones.”

  Oh, I was sure he did. That sneaky chicken. I eyed him suspiciously. Something was amiss here, and I didn’t like it one bit.

  “Speaking of depraved souls.” Kasai’s neck craned as his attention drifted to the ceiling. “There seems to be a sudden conference in the attic. I will return.” And, as quickly as his impromptu declaration, Kasai vanished.

  Chapter Nine

  Bianca

  Rotten

  Miles frowned after him, disapproving. “Did you notice how fast they are to ditch us? How rude.”

  I was a bit more concerned about Kasai’s statement. “Shouldn’t we check too?”

  “Nah.” Miles shut off the stove and removed the pan from the burner. “The more things happen far away from us, the better. He’s been trying to catch the spirits in action over the last few days. If it’s something important, he’ll tell Damen. The only thing I can do is put up shields, like the ones here and in the living room. Let Damen worry about it.”

  About Damen…

  “Miles.” His hands shook, and he seemed nervous despite the bravado of his words. “Did you hear…”

  A familiar tingling began at the base of my spine, echoing up my back.

  She had come again. Though, it wasn’t in this room. But nearby. “Miles.”

  Miles was instantly at my side, pulling me against him. Not that I was in danger of falling, but I suspected this closeness was for him and not me.

  “I don’t feel anything.” His voice was chipped. “Is it close? Should we get Damen?”

  I turned my face from him, trying to pinpoint where she might be reaching out from. But it wasn’t here.

  I had been trying to avoid looking there, but my gaze could no longer avoid the basement door. It was the same doorway from my dream. I wasn’t sure how long ago those events had taken place, but the woman felt older than Lily.

  And I didn’t know how Lily was tied to this house, but she was there. Down in the half dirt cellar. Calling me. A sense of fear permeated through the room. Fear—and expectation.

  I had to go see her, but Miles. He was scared. What should I do?

  “I’m going down there.” I pushed away from Miles, moving for the door. “She won’t wait long. Stay here.”

  “Hey, wait a minute!” Miles grabbed my arm, pulling me back until his forearm wrapped over my chest. From this position, I could feel the nervous shaking of his body. “We should get Damen…”

  At the mention of the other man, the air shifted.

  Lily was listening, and she didn’t want to face Damen. It was surprising, because I’d known she was scared of Titus. She hadn’t seemed bothered by Julian, or now Miles. But Damen caused her to hide?

  “We can’t. She’ll run away.” I pulled at his arm. “I need to go see her. You stay here, guard the base.”

  Actually, it would work out better if he stayed. The last thing I needed was for him to try to throw salt or water at Lily.

  Miles shivered once more before making a sound of exasperation. “Fine.” He released me, and I turned to see him running his fingers through his hair. “I’m going with you though, and I’m taking my water with me.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s just Lily.” I smiled, petting his arm. “I’ll protect you.”

  He muttered something under his breath, but fell into step behind me.

  We had a good start, but hadn’t even made it two steps past the doorway before Miles got cold feet again.

  “Why do we need to go down there?” Miles hugged the doorframe as he gazed into the darkness below us. “You can’t even see anything. If she really wants to talk to us, she can come up here.”

  “You can stay upstairs, if you want. But who knows why she can’t? She’s a ghost. We don’t know how this works. Don’t be scared. It’s just Lily.” And the creepy basement, I mentally added. “She’s not evil.” I reached past him, flicking on the lights.

  Miles jumped, not expecting my arm to brush his, and glared at me accusingly.

  I reached for his hand. “Sorry, I thought you were going to turn them on. But see, there’s light. It’s all better.”

  “No, it’s not,” Miles grumbled, following me. “The only way this would be better is if Kasai was with us.”

  “Kasai can’t be everywhere, Besides, other than boxes and antiques, there’s nothing down here at all.”

  I was trying to convince myself as well as him. Miles was afraid, so I needed to be strong. “Titus has been down here before too. So, anything evil would have already run away.”

  “Not if they are reckless,” Miles muttered, holding out the spray bottle in his other hand. “Why can’t we wait for Damen?”

  “I told you to wait upstairs,” I said, reaching the landing. “But Lily won’t talk to Damen. I have no idea why.”

  Miles moved behind me as I glanced around the basement, continuing to grumble under his breath. “I can’t go upstairs. What kind of man would that make me?”

  I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me to hear that last question, so I ignored it. And, in silence, I moved past rows of boxes and toward one of the packed dirt wal
ls.

  She was close.

  “Lily,” I called softly, not wanting to frighten her. She was already wary enough. “Lily, it’s me—”

  “How do you know my name?”

  The girlish voice came from behind us. A breath later, Miles screamed and latched to my back as I turned to face the owner.

  She was the same as before. Long hair free, and white gown whimsical. Her fear ebbed slightly, curiosity taking its place. But her attention was on Miles now, not me. “Why is he hiding behind you? He can’t see me.”

  “He’s scared of ghosts,” I told her, my heart leaping at the unexpected question. “How do you know he can’t see you?”

  “Spirits can sense who are receptive to our communications and who are not.” Lily continued to eye Miles. “He knows of our presence, but has no talent for it.”

  That was interesting. “How did you know she was here?” I turned my head, glancing at Miles out of the corner of my eyes. “You’ve mentioned it before, being able to feel a spirit’s presence.”

  “It’s not like yours.” Miles’s attention was fixated in Lily’s direction. “I can tell because the air feels wrong. When there’s something tied to the earth that doesn’t belong. That energy is a blocker for the natural flow of things.”

  “Oh, he’s a witch?” Lily eyed Miles with renewed interest. “I wondered what he was, he’s been hiding it. But now that he mentions it, it is obvious.” Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t like witches.”

  “She’s looking at me, isn’t she? She’s glaring.” Miles gripped my arm, breathing into my ear. “Make her stop.”

  I didn’t want to boss her around, but I didn’t like anyone scaring Miles either. I had to defend him.

  “Don’t look at him like that.” My order caused her attention to return to me. “Why do you care if he’s a witch?”

  “If you ask, I have no choice.” She sighed, looking down at the floor. “But you’re no fun, even though I could use the boost. Besides, you’re the one in the most danger here anyway.”

  Boost? I wanted to ask, but I felt our time together beginning to fade. “You wanted to talk to me?”

  Lily seemed to lose confidence at my question. “Well, yes.” She darted her gaze to a corner of the room. “But I’m more curious to know how you knew my name.”

  “I met with a woman today. She was Edward Cole’s second wife,” I told her, noticing the way her eyes widened at my words. “Do you know Edward Cole?”

  “Mr. Cole?” Her voice was tiny, and even her presence seemed to shrink. “Is he here? Please say he isn’t here.”

  “I don’t think he’s here,” I said, attempting to calm my own thundering heartbeat.

  Her fear was a contagious, tangible thing—permeating through me until it became difficult to separate my feelings from hers. I felt dizzy from the effort.

  “He’s not here,” I repeated. “Only the same spirits that have always been.”

  “And that’s bad enough.” Lily seemed soothed by my words, but still watched our surroundings with a panicked eye. “They’ve been busy, and that’s why I wanted to talk to you. It’s hard to find times where I can escape.”

  Escape? So, I’d been right, at least partially. She was a prisoner. “What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “I wanted to show you where my body was hidden.” She nodded at the corner she’d been eyeing earlier. “I thought you might find it helpful.”

  Helpful?

  I had no idea what to do with a dead body. “Why can’t you just tell me what I want to know? How did you die? Why are you here? What do I need to do to help you move on?”

  The basement lights flickered once, and before I finished blinking, Lily was closer to me than before. “You’re new at this, aren’t you?”

  It was that obvious?

  “How can you tell?” I asked, touching Miles’s arm. He’d tensed as she got closer, and even my heart skipped from the unexpected movement. But we were still on friendly terms, so I had to remain calm for him.

  “I shouldn’t be talking to you about this at all. We have rules,” she responded, her form fading. “But I can say this: I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But in the end, I’d chosen my fate. If you want answers, you’ll need to search. We can point researchers in the right direction, but you must come to your own conclusions. In this case, the answers you seek are written in the bones.”

  “The bones?” She didn’t want me to touch her bones or something, did she?

  “You already have everything and everyone you need for the next step,” Lily stated. “And if you’ve gotten so far to know my name, you’re already on track.”

  “Lily!” She couldn’t leave. I didn’t even know what she was talking about. We didn’t even have a last name.

  However, she was already gone. The air shifted, and all signs of her presence receded. Miles, too, relaxed behind me.

  But then something different filled the air. It was faint, but tainted. But considering Miles’s continued relaxed stance, he hadn’t noticed.

  “This is the third time today we’ve been ditched.” Miles breathed out deeply. “You’d think we were wearing a repellant. Not that I’m complaining about this time.”

  I ignored him, rushing to the area to which Lily had been pointing.

  It was the other side of the basement, the farthest from the stairs. Of course. And Titus and I had been here before. Perched on top of a dusty armoire was a camera, set to cover the central part of the room.

  But this feeling of evil hadn’t existed then. Was it because time had passed and the medication was leaving my system? Or was there another reason why I could feel it this time?

  In the end, it didn’t matter. I brushed my hand over the cool wall, trying to pinpoint where the feeling radiated from. It was close.

  “What the fuck?” Miles was behind me and suddenly alert. Without another word, he pulled me away from the wall, taking my place. When he needed more space, after he’d run his hand over the empty area, he began moving boxes to allow for more access.

  “Miles?” I stepped back, hugging myself against the sudden chill of the room. The nervous energy had spread, covering both myself and him. Urgency surged, because Miles was on a mission now. All traces of his previous fear vanished. “What is it?”

  “There’s something buried here.” He placed his hand and forehead against the surface. He went quiet, closing his eyes as an aura of intense concentration came over his form.

  I shuffled on my feet, growing anxious but not wanting to interrupt whatever it was that he was doing. Thankfully, I didn’t have long to wait before his eyes shot open and he jerked back from the space with another curse. “Miles?”

  “The ground is poisoned,” he said, glaring at the spot. “Rotten magic is destroying this place.”

  Chapter Ten

  Titus

  Protect

  Mate.

  Matheus’s words had been resounding through my mind all day. However, I found it difficult to comprehend, to believe. There were many issues with the idea of me having a mate.

  A mate bond was common for shifters, of course. But such a connection had never been possible with a dragon. With me.

  His declaration was exhilarating. And terrifying. It was trouble that he’d even voice it. If it was ever suspected that I had a mate, Bianca’s life would be in danger.

  Since he’d mentioned it, my heart felt as though it beat in my throat. I’d never felt anxiety like this in any of my lifetimes. My thoughts raced as I tried to analyze every thought, my every action with Bianca. To convince myself he was wrong.

  But the problem was, he wasn’t.

  Now that the idea had been thrown into the air, the animal part in me latched on to it. I’d known, on some level, this truth. Matheus said it was obvious I had claimed her, and Maria accused me of being in love with her already.

  I hadn’t even realized.

  From the beginning, I’d known she w
as adorable. And completely my type. I’d stupidly brushed off my feelings of protectiveness as something I’d feel for a normal, small, vulnerable friend who happened to be a woman. How was I to know how to interact with women? I’d never dated. And outside of my mother and cousin, I’d never really gotten close to a female.

  How was I supposed to make the connection? She was my mate, and she was Mu.

  This was either the biggest blessing or my worst nightmare come to life. I had no idea which at the moment.

  I didn’t want to believe either, at first. But it was easier to accept that she was my mate, than the fact that she was him—Mu. After all, none of us had ever been born a female before. This would take some getting used to.

  She was our missing link. I should be happy. But there was no time for that, not with the dangers that both truths brought. When Damen called me this morning, excited, I wanted to punch him. He’d made no plans and was blissfully turning a blind eye to the bigger issues.

  The greatest threat now was the council. If they ever found out about Bianca and who she was before we were ready, then we’d never be able to stop them.

  Then there were the fae. Politics between the courts were in strife, and Bryce, Brayden, and Xavier were barely keeping their realm under control. Bianca’s presence would actually solve many issues in that regard. However, she’d also have to go head-to-head with families who would initially resist her authority. It would be a long, difficult battle before she had the loyalty of both courts.

  Quite frankly, I didn’t think she could deal with that kind of confrontation. She was different in this life. There was something holding her back.

  Then, last but not least, was the growing threat of the Gens Humana Guild.

  The guild was made of non-supernaturals who knew of our world. And they wished for nothing more than its destruction. If the opportunity arose, they’d annihilate every last one of us. Secrets had been outed throughout the generations, and they knew how to harm our people the most.