I looked up when I heard Sky cry out in pain. Even Rixen, who was barely alive, managed to raise his head up. He whined to her, trying to stand. He had no strength and only crumbled to the ground. I ran trying to reach a clear spot in the trees so that I could see what was happening in the sky. There were too many trees for me to see anything. My mind raced with horrible thoughts. I blinked my eyes. Please no. Not Sky.
I should have never left her side.
“Sky!” I yelled, but I could only hear the sound of fighting in the sky.
The chain rattled again and I snapped my head back. I ran a good distance, I realized looking around. The chain moved close and I looked to my left and stumbled forward. “Ryan?” I was both horrified and surprised to see him. He was pacing back and forth in front of a huge tree that he was chained to. Part of the chain was wrapped around the tree and connected to the collar around his neck. It made me sick. He finally stopped pacing and looked in my direction. His face warped, shifting into something close to fear—only worse. “You have to leave right now,” he told me quickly.
“How did you get here? And why are you chained up?” I hurried to him. Once I was close, I tried to reach out to him, but he jerked away. That was also when I noticed he was no longer in his hospital gown. His legs were no longer broken and his face wasn’t bruised up. He looked completely normal despite the collar around his neck and the fact that he only wore a black pair of shorts.
“I’m sorry, Melanie. Just please go! It’s not safe!” He was panicking.
I shook my head. “I can’t leave you chained to a tree.” I went toward the tree and picked up the chain. Ryan swore behind me. He was scared, I understood that, but I was in just as much danger if I was to leave him and that wasn’t an option.
“Melanie, go!” He pulled me by the arm.
“There you are,” Vengeance said behind us. I turned around and found myself backing into Ryan.
“Where’s Sky?” I glared at him.
“Sky?” His face wrinkled in amusement and he tilted his bald head slightly. “Oh, you mean the pretty white dragon? I’m sure she’s lying broken somewhere.” My glare morphed into fear.
“Why are you going after the dragons when I’m the one you want?”
“I wouldn’t have to if you’d learn to come to me,” was his answer. He brought his hand out.
Ryan stepped in front of me. “You’re not touching her.”
Vengeance took notice of Ryan, his eyebrows shot up and he laughed. “You’re a brave one… What are you, a human?” His gaze followed the chain. “Why are you tied to a tree?”
Ryan fell to his knees and gripped his chest. Pain marred his features as he gritted his teeth together. Something was wrong. He turned enough to look up at me. “You have to go!”
I bent down next to him. “Ryan, what is wrong with you?” His face was scrunched up and he could barely focus on me as he howled in pain. “I can’t leave you!”
He shoved me away. I fell on my butt. “Leave me and go!” He looked angry, hurt, sad—every emotion seemed to reflect across his face.
“Wait for it,” I followed Molly’s voice to where she sat on a tree branch dangling her legs. “Things are about to get interesting.”
“Molly,” Vengeance growled up at her. “I believe I have a score to settle.” She stopped swinging her legs and glanced at him. “Lucky we meet again this soon… I don’t like being played.” They glared at each other.
“You’re quite pathetic for such a big, ugly guy. Did you really think Fear would let you take the Vessel?” Molly tossed her head back and laughed. A vein ticked along Vengeance’s neck and he jumped at her. She faded and just as he landed on the branch, she reappeared where he once stood.
She smirked. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that.”
Ryan groaned next to me. I got back on my feet and went to him. Why was he in pain? When I tried to touch him again, he pushed me away. “Don’t Melanie. Please, just listen and go while you can.”
“Not without you.” I grabbed the collar around his neck. “There has to be a way to get this off.” I started looking at the collar, but he brought his hands over mine and pulled them into his chest.
I didn’t like what I saw in his eyes. “I can’t be saved, Melanie.” He even tried to smile. It was all wrong and forced.
“You can be, whatever’s causing you pain, we can find a way. I’ll get Grim—”
Molly laughed at his name. “Don’t look for Grim to come save you. He’s trapped inside the castle. It has been spelled so that he can’t leave. I plan to be long gone before he breaks out.” That explained why he wasn’t here.
Ryan’s face was pale. “I don’t want you to see me like this!”
I continued to ignore him. “Ryan, stop trying to make me worse of a friend than I already am!” I snapped at him.
Molly continued jumping around the trees and Vengeance followed. He grew more and more frustrated. Luckily, he had a one-track mind and right now, I was thankful that Molly was distracting him. I ran to the tree and started yanking at the chain. “They are distracted with each other. That gives us a chance.”
He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me around to face him. He took hold of my hand and met my eyes. “I don’t blame you for any of what’s happened to me. You warned me, but I wouldn’t listen. I made my choice, Melanie, and I’d make that choice again because I love you.” He bent over, clutching his stomach. “But this is where I am sorry…”
I was confused… scared as I watched him. He reached for my hands and gave them both a tight squeeze before he went back to crying out and clutching his stomach. Seeing him like this was scaring me. I didn’t know what was wrong.
“Ryan,” I cried. “Tell me why you’re in pain.” He couldn’t seem to hear me. He fell to his side, thrashing and crying out in pain.
“I’m… sor…ry…. Run from me,” he said, barely able to talk.
Right when I fell to my knees next to him, he became engulfed in flames. I stumbled back in horror and watched as the flames covered his body completely. I was crying—I knew his screams would linger in my nightmares to come.
He thrashed and threw himself around on the ground until the flames died out. Then the realization hit me. I quickly stood up and covered my mouth. Ryan’s hair was singed and his body was burned to crisp.
“No… no.” I stumbled back as he stood.
Ryan was the charred demon.
Chapter Fifteen
I started running. I didn’t waste time. Ryan was the charred demon… how was that even possible? Fear was intent on destroying everything I cared about. I looked back to see him jerking the chain from his collar. It snapped—fell to the ground at his feet and he came after me. I turned back around. I jumped over a fallen tree just as Molly appeared before me.
“Ah, damn.” She smiled “I wanted to see that moment. You know what I’m talking about, the look on your face when you witnessed the human become the very demon that’s been trying to kill you.” I was yanked back by the hair. I knew I lost my chance at running when Molly stepped in front of me. My head was tilted back, forcing me to look at the charred demon. When I met his eyes, they were Ryan’s.
“Ryan,” I said and once I did, his eyes faded—becoming solid white. It felt like he waited until the moment I tried to speak to him before he took the last part of himself away. “This isn’t you.”
He growled in response, showing his teeth. He pulled my hair harder and I hissed. My neck was bent back as far as it could go. “He’s turned out to be quite the good demon,” Molly said it like he was a pet. I clenched my teeth together as I tried to wiggle free. The charred demon placed his hand on my waist to keep me from escaping with his other hand still holding my hair.
“Saves me the trouble of chasing her myself.” Vengeance made his appearance again. My adrenaline spiked and it made my chest hurt. For now, I focused on breathing and ignoring the pain in my neck. Every time I tried to lift my head up to ease the
discomfort, the charred demon would twist his hand around in my hair tighter. My neck was on fire—the straining and resistance only made it worse on my part.
“You’re still here?” Molly groaned, shaking her head in disappointment.
“That was a nice trick you used on me. Fear has given you a lot of power, I see.” He sped forward in Molly’s direction. She never moved even as his sword materialized in his hand. She smirked just as he stabbed it through her chest. “Too bad it won’t be enough to help you now,” he told her and watched as her smile vanished. Blood pooled at the wound. She looked surprised, almost like she hadn’t expected it to hurt her. I didn’t know ghosts could bleed—I had never seen her bleed before—but Molly wasn’t just a ghost. He pulled the sword out. She fell to her knees at his feet.
“You,” she hissed, but it didn’t sound as threatening when she was injured.
Ryan—the charred demon threw me to the side when Molly was injured and went after Vengeance. He had no weapons, though. Vengeance looked intrigued and lifted his sword—only his grin altered when the charred demon tackled him. Vengeance slung him backward despite his surprise. The charred demon got right back up—went back for more. Vengeance swung his sword out, but the charred demon blocked it with his bare hands. He gripped the sword, bringing it closer to him. He took advantage of the close proximity and kicked Vengeance in the chest.
Vengeance stumbled back a couple steps. Now he was aggravated. He started walking toward the charred demon. The charred demon threw Vengeance’s sword down that he still held and ran at him.
I took off running. Molly was on her knees in pain and the other two were distracted. I knew that was Ryan I was leaving back there but in order to help him, I needed him to not to want to kill me. I ran as fast as could—panting and feeling the burn in my lungs. I looked back to see if Molly or one of them had followed and slammed into something solid. “Oaf!” A weird sound escaped my lips. I didn’t even want to lift my head up to know that I had been caught.
But I did, and it was Grim. The relief I felt made my knees weak. I pressed my face and body into his bones, wrapping my arms around his skeletal frame. I hugged him—real and honest—with all of the emotions taking me at once. “I’m sorry,” I said immediately. I knew he would understand why I said it. I was sorry for not listening. I was sorry for not trusting him enough to know that every action he made—every word he spoke was to protect me. I shouldn’t have ventured out of the castle just because I was mad.
His arms wrapped around me instantly. He pulled me close, the essence around him changing to a dark red. I was curious to know what emotion that was for him, but now was not the time to ask. I pulled away from him and met his eyeless gaze. And I started telling him everything, “Rixen is in bad shape and I don’t know what Vengeance did to Sky. I haven’t seen her...” He placed his finger over my mouth.
“It’s okay. I’m here now.” And somehow, that was all I needed to hear.
I needed to tell him about Ryan, but two reapers appeared next to us. Both were males and extremely good looking. They gave silent nods and awaited instructions. “Help the dragons.” They faded after Grim gave their orders, then he looked back to me. “Stay close… but at a safe distance.”
We started walking in the direction I came from. He stopped—head snapping up just as Vengeance jumped down on us. Grim grabbed him by the shoulders as he got close and threw him in front of us. It didn’t matter, though—Vengeance landed on his feet with a cocky grin. He started walking toward Grim. That was when I noticed the huge gash on the side of his head. His skin was peeled back, hanging over his ear. It was disgusting and strange how well demons still functioned with wounds like that. Ryan, the charred demon—I wasn’t sure what to call him—must have done that to him.
Just the thought of the charred demon had me scanning the woods for any sign of him. I didn’t see anyone, but I knew that meant nothing. Molly and him were still here… they were only waiting for the right moment…
I focused on Grim as his sword materialized in his hand. The scythe morphed into a machete, broad and thick, big enough to hack away at anything—preferably the demon in front of him.
Vengeance lips curled into a snarl. “You have no desire to protect her, so why do something you hate?” His eyes fell on me afterwards. I already knew how he worked. He liked getting inside people’s head, exposing the things they were most afraid of. I knew whatever came from his mouth was an attempt to pit me against Grim. It had worked once but never again.
Grim’s essence clouded with darkness as Vengeance’s puppets appeared behind us, moving in their odd mechanical way as they approached. I took a step back—I didn’t want them inside my head again, warping the things I knew and changing them into monsters that ate away at me—my anxieties and fears. I bumped into one as I stepped back—they were all around me. I jerked away, but one was already whispering in my ear.
Grim wants your power.
I smiled. I felt calmer now that I knew the words no longer held any control over me. That must be the glitch in his puppets, they can’t hold something against you once you let yourself accept the truth. I grabbed the ear the puppet whispered in and tried stepping around them. There were a lot—dozens. One grabbed my arm and started whispering into my other ear.
You’re just the Vessel to him. Nothing more. You don’t belong here… with him… Come with us.
The only thing these puppets were doing was freaking me out with their black hollowed-out faces. I pushed one away and went back to holding my ears as I looked for Grim. The puppets were jumping him in a strange way. They were latching onto him, jumping onto each other as they did so. He was completely covered by them—only thing visible was his hand holding the machete. Were they trying to weigh him down? Whatever they attempted had no effect. He started throwing them off. Once enough were off him, he started hacking away at them with the machete. Every time he sliced through one they vaporized into smoke and scattered out before disappearing. But as soon as he got rid of some, more appeared.
“Grim!”
“I don’t think you have time to worry about him.” Vengeance stepped toward me. Something about the way he spoke—the mockery. He sounded so sure himself. It made me sick.
Grim laughed and something about it was wicked—crazed enough. He was still being jumped by the puppets. It made the hairs on my arms stand. Vengeance’s lips curved in disgust. “It’s funny how confident you try to be at the face of death.” Grim wasn’t looking at Vengeance as he spoke. He was still busy with the puppets, but he spoke with such command and power that it was alarming even for me.
I thought I saw worry flash in Vengeance’s eyes right as two of his puppets latched onto my arms, preventing me from going anywhere. I wiggled and jerked, but I knew how pointless it was. He smiled as he took another step closer. He didn’t get any further. Molly materialized in front of him and stuck a dagger in his neck. She landed on her tiptoes as he stumbled back. She completely recovered from earlier by the looks of her. “You may be powerful, but you’re an idiot. You’re not the only one here for the Vessel, yet you continuously leave yourself open for someone to attack,” Molly said in her child voice, somehow making him look ignorant.
Grim was a giant layer of darkness beside us and the puppets were gone. He turned toward Molly and Vengeance. The charred demon stepped in front of him just as he did, hands clenched together at his sides. He charged at him—the same way he went after everyone he attacked—and Grim braced himself. Once he rammed into Grim—Grim faded and reappeared behind him.
“I think you’ve interfered enough,” Vengeance growled at Molly. I turned to see him pulling the dagger out of his neck. He brought the dagger to his mouth and started mumbling something I couldn’t understand, or ever heard before. Then with a smile, he threw it at Molly. She faded and that left the dagger heading in my direction. I felt like throwing up as I watched it get closer. I was held by two puppets and even if I could move, I wouldn’t be able t
o move out of the way in time. Only the dagger disappeared just as Molly did. I stood there a moment, taking a deep breath. That had been too close.
When she reappeared a few feet away, so did the dagger. Her eyes locked on the dagger. She looked annoyed. She faded again, the dagger followed. She swore as she reappeared in a different spot and it was still chasing her. He must have spelled the dagger to follow her. “That should keep her busy.” I looked back at Vengeance. He was pleased with himself. Without Molly here, there was no one to keep him busy from coming after me. His eyes traveled over my body—not in a lustful way, more in the desire he had for power—I could see the evil playing out inside his mind.
“Let’s go, little human.” He came for me.
No.
The voice was back and that same strange sensation started tingling up and down my arms. I wiggled my fingers. The Vessel… could I use it right now? I had a feeling it wanted me to. I had no other options. Vengeance was closing in on me… I tossed my arm back into one of the puppets that held me, placing my other hand in front of the second puppet’s face. I didn’t really know how to make it happen so I thought of pain. I thought of saving myself and wanting to make them pay. The light felt like static inside my palm as it flew through my fingertips and hit the puppet’s hollowed face. It turned the puppet into smoke. I wasted no time doing the same thing to the other. The same thing happened to it.
“It’s been said that the Vessel holds limitless power. You honestly think a human can wield that kind of power?” he asked me, stepping closer.
I brought my palm out and held it out like it was some powerful weapon. “I just used it. And I can use it again on you,” I warned him. I placed my feet apart, trying to keep the calm composure passing through me, but how tough can I look when I was only holding my palm out?
Still, it was enough to make him hesitant of coming any closer. “That power will most likely kill you using it. A human isn’t capable.”
'Til Grim's Light (A Grim Awakening Book 2) Page 16