by R L Medina
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.
“She would have come back for us if she hadn’t died. I know she would have. She was our sister.”
Sorrow filled me. Jesse’s conviction rang in her words, but I wasn’t so sure I could believe it so easily. Not after what I’d learned about her role in Rafael’s father’s death. That and Tío Javier. My mom betrayed everyone she loved. Everyone but Papi. Was that why she’d done it?
“When she came to me, she was lost. She needed a place to hide. Safe from the GRIMMs. Jimena promised us sanctuary.”
“Why did she need sanctuary from the GRIMMs? What did she do?”
Jesse sighed deeply, forehead creasing in worry. “Rose, what I’m about to tell you is going to hurt.”
Chills crawled up my spine. My throat turned dry. Thoughts raced in my mind, trying to piece out the puzzle.
I steeled myself. “Tell me.”
“Your mother was pregnant when she came to us.”
I frowned. “Pregnant? You mean I have… had a sibling? But then I’m not firstborn.”
Hope stirred inside me.
Pain flashed in Jesse’s eyes. “You are an only child.”
My heart plummeted. “So, she and my father… they were together when she left the GRIMMs. Is that why she left?”
“No, child. She left because…” Distress swam in her eyes, “She was pregnant with you, but the ordinaire wasn’t your father.”
Air whooshed out of my lungs. My ears rang. No. No. It couldn’t be true. Papi’s face flashed in my mind, the memory twisting in my heart like a knife.
I didn’t trust myself to speak. A tremor ran through me and I couldn’t breathe.
“Who?” My voice was hoarse.
Jesse bit her lip. “His name was Julian Peña. He was the alpha of Los Reyes.”
Rafael’s dad? No. Stunned, I couldn’t respond. My stomach rolled and my skin was flushed. Tears welled in my eyes. Hot, angry tears at this newest revelation.
Papi wasn’t my real father. My mom betrayed him just like everyone else in her life. Hatred boiled deep inside me. My fists curled and uncurled. Desperately, I wanted to get away from the pain. This couldn’t be the truth.
“But you didn’t get the gene. His gene.”
I frowned at her. “What?”
“Werewolf gene. You didn’t inherit it.”
Shock ran through me. I hadn’t even thought of that, still recovering from the first blow.
“Then I guess I should be lucky.” The bitterness in my voice echoed through.
Jesse reached out a hand and squeezed mine. I didn’t want any more information from her. Her words only brought me pain.
“I’m not telling you this to hurt you, Rose. But to understand everything, you had to know.”
I blinked back tears and glanced away. “Did… did my… did he know I wasn’t his daughter?”
Her head cocked. “Yes. He knew, but it didn’t matter. To him, you were his daughter. Before Jimena locked me up, I met him and your mother. They were happy.”
My shoulders shook as I tried to hold back the sorrow. After learning this, his death felt even more raw. Why didn’t he tell me? Was he ever going to tell me?
“It was my fault your mother even came to be here. She came to me, to join my coven, but we were so small and dying. Jimena came and promised to take us in, we pledged ourselves to her. I thought it was the better choice than our coven dying out.”
Jesse shook her head and swiped the tears from her face. “I should have let my coven die out.”
Pity filled me at her grief. “You didn’t know.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “My mother did she kill him? The werewolf.”
I couldn’t bring myself to call him father. How could I? I’d never known the man.
“No. She loved him. That’s why she ran from the GRIMMs. No one could know they broke the law.”
“But I thought she had to bring his heart to Jimena as initiation to join the coven.”
Jesse frowned. “No. She was already initiated. What happened to Julian was all Jimena.”
“She killed him?”
“Yes. He refused to give up the wizard.”
My heart skipped. “The wizard? Do you know where he is?”
Her face fell. “No. No one knows where he went.”
“But you knew him?”
“I never met him, but he was your mother’s friend. He helped her leave the GRIMMs and then he just disappeared. But Los Reyes, they might know where he went.”
I shook my head. “No. They don’t remember him.”
Her lips pursed, a hand tapping in thought. “Don’t remember him? He took their memories?”
“I guess?”
She fell quiet, her eyes staring at me, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere. Thinking about the wizard?
“Do you know his name? The wizard?”
“No.”
My heart plummeted. I was no closer to getting any answers that could actually help me—help us out of the oath.
“Why do they need us for this ritual?”
Jesse rubbed her hands together as if trying to keep herself warm. “Jimena wants to be the most powerful supreme ever. More powerful than any of the others. She wants to become the ruler of all witches. The vampires and shifters too.”
I glanced at the queen who stood facing away from us. She could hear us though and I wondered if she knew anything about what Jesse said.
“Why would the others follow her?”
“Because she promises them freedom. To take back control and destroy the GRIMMs.”
My eyes widened. “But… she can’t. The GRIMMs are too powerful.”
Ash snorted. I glanced at her and the others. They were witches. They didn’t care what happened to the GRIMMs. Fear seized me. If all the supernatural beings allied together against us…. would they win? Us? When did I start thinking of myself as one of them?
I turned back to Jesse. Her blue eyes watched me, as if waiting for me to freak out. Swallowing my fear, I met her gaze. There were still more questions that needed answers.
“How will our blood help her become more powerful?”
She nodded as if she’d anticipate
d my words. “It will give her strength for the transformation.”
“Transformation?”
“She’s going to become the first hybrid. Witch, wolf, and vampire. The power of all three, but the only way she could survive it would be to absorb the power of the firstborns. The newest generation of firstborns”
I digested her words carefully. Absorb the power? The words made it sound like some harmless procedure and not the terrifying, horrific, murderous thing that it was. How could the rest of the coven be okay with it? Giving up their daughters and sons… for this?
“If she succeeds, she’s going to become the most powerful extraordinaire we’ve seen… since the ancient time… or maybe ever.”
A sliver of fear slithered down my back. The picture of her in the book I’d found came to mind. “Is she immortal?”
Jesse snorted. “Not yet. The transformation will make her immortal.”
“But… I saw a photo of her in the past and she still looked the same. Why doesn’t she age?”
“She does, but very slowly. Jimena has skill in various types of magic. It gives her unnatural abilities.”
I glanced at the vampire queen and then the others. They crowded near us, listening. Some sat on the dirty ground on thin blankets and others stood. There was a bathroom, but no beds or furniture.
How long had they been kept there?
“Jimena has been waiting to bring you.”
“Where are we? Still in Los Angeles?”
“Outside of the city.”
Hope stirred within me. The GRIMMs could find us. Another question popped into my head.
“Did she know I was alive this whole time? Is she the one that killed my mother?”
Pain flashed across Jesse’s face. “Yes. She put a hex on her.”
My lip curled as I remembered the witch’s words. She’d been there all along. Watching and waiting. We were never safe from her.
“Why didn’t she grab me when I was a baby, then?”
Jesse shrugged. “You didn’t have your sight yet. She wanted to wait. Until she was strong enough to keep the GRIMMs away and you were ready. If she took you when you were young, she feared your uncle would send the GRIMMs after her and she couldn’t risk catching their attention… not yet.”
