by R L Medina
“The healer is coming for you. Will you be okay to wait here?”
I frowned at him.
His eyes darted away. I glanced around, finally noticing all the agents that swarmed about. Some of the shifters and vampires were being shackled, but there was no sign of the witches. Except Ash. My throat closed up. I averted my gaze as a GRIMM carted her body away.
“I have to go, Rose.”
My head whipped back to Grayson.
“The GRIMMs sealed off all the portals here. She can’t be too far. I have to go after her.”
I saw the fire in his eyes, the fierce determination set in his jaw. He was going after Jimena. Anger rolled inside me at the memory of her.
“I’m coming with you.” I winced as I swung my legs off and slid to my feet.
“No. You’re staying here. You’re in no conditio—”
“I’m coming, Grayson.” My voice was savage.
There was no mistaking the rage and anguish in my tone.
He sighed. “Rose.”
Not waiting for him, I started moving. Heads turned in our direction. Someone pointed me out to who I could only guess was the healer, walking toward us with a giant medical bag.
Grayson gripped my wrist. “Rose, you need a healer. Please.”
The desperation in his voice stopped me cold. I held back the angry tears threatening to spill. I wanted to get the witch. See her in shackles. No. See her dead. Dead like Ash. Dead like Jesse, Cleo, my parents.
My lips quivered.
“Rose.”
I turned to him and nodded. I kept my eyes downcast, hating that he was seeing me a sniffling, teary eyed mess. Weak. Helpless.
“Why did you leave? You left me.”
“I was trying to take you with me, but it didn’t work. I never meant to leave you. I promise, I will never leave you again.”
I didn’t answer. I hated myself for being so weak for needing him and the others so much.
He lifted my face to meet his, and it wasn’t pity I saw in his blue-gray eyes. There was warmth, passion, and a promise. I had his loyalty and his heart—they were mine if I wanted and Grayson wasn’t one to give these things lightly.
Emotions welled inside me. I couldn’t speak or move. Even breathing seemed difficult. The weight of his eyes made me shrink. It was too much. There were too many threads to unravel first. My life, my future was a jumble of chaos and unknowns. How could I promise him anything?
“I have something for that neck.” The healer’s rough voice broke through my thoughts.
Grayson stepped away and let the man take over.
He blinked at me and frowned, scratching his stubbled jaw. The man looked more like a soldier than a healer.
I stood frozen as he rubbed something cold over my cut. It stung like hell, but I bit back a hiss of pain.
Grayson’s eyes roamed across the room and back to the healer. He wanted to go after the witches, but he didn’t want to leave me again.
I didn’t want him to go either. Wasn’t it enough that the other agents were hunting her? After what happened, there were sure to be much more assigned to the task. Grayson was just a student, but I could never tell him that. An orphan, like me, the GRIMMs were all he had.
“Your neck is healing quite nicely. I see you have skill with healing magic.” The man nodded, approvingly.
My eyes widened. Healing magic? Jimena’s voice repeated in my mind. She’d said something about my blood. Was it the metal Ash enchanted for Javi? I winced. Her last spell…
Or maybe it was something to do with my werewolf heritage. Fear gripped me. Did that mean I did have the gene? Would I turn?
The healer clucked his tongue and shook his head, drawing my attention.
“What is it?” Grayson frowned.
“Do you have another coven you can go? Somewhere safe?” the healer ignored Grayson’s question.
“She’s not a witch. She’s a GRIMM. Student like me.”
I met his steadfast gaze. Did he think they’d let me back now? After all this?
The healer’s eyebrows went up. “Oh. Undercover?” His face hardened. “You’re much too young for that kind of work.”
Grayson and I shared a look, but I didn’t deny his theory. The truth was far more complex, and I didn’t have the energy nor heart to tell it.
“Well, I’ve done what I can. You should see the school nurse once you get back.”
“Healer! Over here,” one of the agents called.
The man turned to him and frowned. “I have a name. Agent Thakur. Not healer.”
He dipped his head at me and turned to leave.
“Thank you, Agent Thakur,” I called after him.
He waved a hand in acknowledgment. Grayson stood with me as the agents retreated upstairs.
“You didn’t go after the witches.” My words filled the silence.
Grayson squeezed my hand. “I changed my mind.”
I smiled weakly at him. “Thanks.”
He wrapped me in a tender hug, careful not to hurt me. I breathed in his scent. There was the faint fresh smell of his soap mixed with his sweat and… burning wood?
No. Something was burning.
23
Grayson released me, swearing. I turned to find the stairs on fire. The other agents were gone, and we were the only ones left. Shock ran through me.
A fire? How?
Grayson ran toward the stairs, throwing his hand up in a chant. The flames grew higher. My throat turned dry. He didn’t have a conduit. The ring he’d given to Ash. There was no way this was an ordinary fire. It grew too quickly, doubling in size and spreading through the room.
The burning club flashed in my mind. Fire magic.
“There has to be another way out. Which way did the witches escape?”
His eyes were wild.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t see.”
He turned back to the stairs and tried chanting. Nothing.
“Help! Someone help us.” His voice rose.
“Help!” I joined him, though I knew it was useless.
The GRIMMs could have portaled away by now.
The red, fiery flames spread along the floor, encircling us. Heat filled the room.
Fire roared in my ears, striking fear to my very core. How were we going to get out? The smell of burning wood filled the room, adding to the chaos. Flames licked up the walls as the timber began to break.
“We have to get out of here!” I screamed at Grayson.
His eyes met mine and the panic I saw dwelling in them made my breath hitch. No. This couldn’t be the end of everything. I refused to give up that easily.
“Come on!” I yelled over the noise.
Heat spread. My lungs were tight, and smoke stung our eyes. The fire was growing too fast. Fear pumped through me as Grayson led me past the altar. We ran for the back, hoping there was a way out.
“Hurry! Rose!” Grayson pulled me along.
The fire followed us. My heart skipped. Almost as if it wanted us to go that way. We came to another stairway. This one spared from the flames. It led us to a back room. We raced for the window. Flames appeared, blocking us. Grayson motioned me back toward a door, one that would hopefully lead out.
More flames grew, engulfing us. Heat smothered me and fear gripped me. We were trapped.
“Why is she doing this? Burning everything?”
Grayson shook his head. “Probably to destroy all the evidence and keep us from tracking her.”
“But she’s supposed to keep me alive for… the ritual.”
Wood snapped. Carpet shriveled, the smell overpowering. Everything was burning and we would be next.
“I’m going to make a path through the fire. Go when I tell you.”
I turned to Grayson. “But you don’t have a conduit.”
He grimaced. “I do. Just wait for my word.”
Before I could question him further, he stepped forward and raised his arms. His voice rose above the ro
aring flames, the Latin words ringing in my ears.
I watched as the fire faded behind me. The door. The path was clear now.
“Go,” Grayson commanded.
My heart slammed against my chest as I rushed forward. Smoke filled my lungs and stung my eyes. I threw my arm over my face as if that would protect me. Heat rushed at me, but I made it through. I stood on the other side of the door and waited for Grayson in the hall.
Where was he? Fear struck me. Why wasn’t he coming?
“Go, Rose!” His voice rang out.
The fire leapt back to life, blocking him from view. No. The door frame erupted in flames. A blanket of fire stood between us.
“Grayson!” I screamed.
No. No. No.
Coughs wracked my body. My lungs were desperate for air. The fire grew, pushing me back. No. I couldn’t leave him.
“Rose!” a voice yelled over the noise.
I turned to the sound, hope flaring. Grayson? Smoke stung my eyes. “I’m here.”
A large shadowy shape moved toward me. The figure bounded down the hall, leaping in front of me. Michael.
Relief flooded me at the sight of him. He was okay. But what about Grayson?
His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me along, sheltering me from the flames hot on our heel.
“Wait! Grayson is still in there.”
“I’m getting you out first, Rose. I’ll go back for him. Promise.”
Coughs wracked my body. Smoke filled my nose. We made it to the end of the hall and Michael kicked down the door. Outside air rushed in, clean and crisp. He helped me out and walked me to the street.
I stood and stared at the burning building. Why did she do it? They hadn’t gotten all of my blood. Why did they let us, and the other witches go? None of it made sense.
A team of GRIMMs rushed toward us. An ambulance wailed behind them. Michael backed away, heading back for the house.
“Grayson’s still in there.” My voice trembled.
A loud crash sounded behind us. I swirled to find the building collapsed, caving in on itself as if taking its last breath. My heart dropped like an anchor. Grayson.
I ran toward the burning house. Michael stopped me.
Tears blurred my vision. “Grayson. He’s still in there. We have to get him.”
“No, Rose. Let the GRIMM go in.”
Someone ran up to us. It was Brady.
I met his eyes. The bleakness I read there shattered me. He held me tight as I cried.
“Tell me he’s okay, Brady. He has to be okay.”
Brady flinched beneath me.
“He said he had a conduit. He used it to stop the fire so I could get out. He could still be… alive.”
“If he is, the GRIMM will get him out.”
My heart twisted. If.
I looked up to see Shiloh running toward us. She threw her arms around me, sandwiching me between her and Brady. Their embrace was too much. The dam inside me broke, my emotions unleashed.
Movement caught my eye. I glanced up to see Michael gone, but I couldn’t register his absence. Only numbness filled me.
We stood there, huddled together as the GRIMM put the fire out. I was there in an instant, standing over the ashen remains with Shiloh and Brady beside me.
“Grayson!”
He didn’t answer.
My eyes swept the burned debris, hoping for a sign of him. My friends helped though I could read it in their eyes. They didn’t think we would find him alive.
We didn’t find him at all.
“Rose.” My tío’s voice startled me.
I turned to face him.
“It’s time to go home.”
My hackles rose. “Not until we find Grayson.”
He sighed. “He’s not here. The GRIMM have swept the area numerous times. There’s no one left.”
A lump grew in my throat. “They could have missed him.”
“No. He’s not here.”
Angry tears filled my eyes. “Then, where is he? There was no portal for him to get out. He couldn’t just disappear…”
I fell silent. He could. The shadow magic. Did he use it before the flames took over? Hope flickered in my heart.
“Your father wants you home as well,” Tío addressed Brady.
Brady scowled. “I’ll go home when I’m ready.”
“You’ll go home now. Your father insisted. You should return to campus and check in with the nurse.” He turned to Shiloh.
She sniffed and wiped her face, “Is Javi okay?”
Tío nodded. “He’s recovering at home. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be well enough for visitors.”
He turned back to me. “Rose. You’ve done all you can for your friend. I promise I’ll bring you back here first thing in the morning if you like. But for now, you have to come with me.”
Exhaustion won over, and I agreed, though I hated myself for it. If the roles were reversed, Grayson would never abandon me. He’d promised. I blinked back tears.
We said goodbye to Brady and Shiloh at the portal before waiting our turn. Most of the agents were gone, though some remained.
Anger burned inside me. Why hadn’t they heard us calling or seen the fire? What took them so long?
“You have good friends. Foolish ones, but loyal.”
I frowned at Tío.
“They were supposed to go back to the academy. We found them at el Palacio. Instead they followed agents here.”
El Palacio. The images flashed in my mind. I understood why Michael had left when the GRIMM showed up, but would I see him again? Or the others? I shuddered at the memory of Rafael being my half-brother.
“I’m sorry, Rose.”
My eyes snapped to Tío’s.
He looked ten years older in the early morning light. Dark circles under his eyes and growth on his usually clean-shaven face.
“About your friend.”
I glanced away, not wanting him to see the tears. “He’s not dead. He had a conduit. He could have escaped.”
Tío didn’t respond.
Instead he escorted me toward the portal and motioned for the GRIMM to let us go through. I turned back to the ruined mansion, heart feeling like lead.
I’m not giving up on you, Grayson.
The portal led us back to the academy, and I waited in silence as Tío called a car for us to take us back to his house. It didn’t matter to me where I went now. Though I did want to see Javi. See for myself that he was okay. The image of him trapped and bleeding was fresh in my mind.
Our drive home was filled with silence. I leaned against the window, my eyelids growing heavy. If there was a limit to how much one person could endure in a day, I’d overshot it. The tears were all spent, and a hollowness filled me.
The sun was coming up, but I didn’t have the strength to face another day. When the driver stopped, I mustered the last of my energy to leave the car and walk inside.
Tío said nothing as he led me into the mansion. My mind went back to the day I first arrived at their door. It felt like a lifetime ago. I thought I was in hell then. Tears slid down my face. Stupid. Stupid. I should have stayed. Locked in the room. Then maybe Grayson…
I sniffed. Tío, to his credit, remained silent. There was no lecture, no gloating that he’d been right, and I’d been wrong.
Tía Teresa was at the door as soon as we entered. “Rosa!”
Pain speared through me as she threw her arms around me. I clung to her, my body still weak.
The smell of her jasmine perfume choked me. As much as they cared for me, it would never replace Papi’s love.
But at least I had something.
“Javi?” My voice was a whisper.
She nodded in understanding. “Upstairs. He will be glad to see you are okay. We all are glad. Gracias a Dios.” She made a sign with her hands and murmured a prayer.
I followed her to his room, my body still stiff and sore. Javi sat up as we entered. Relief flooded me. He was okay.
He was
going to be okay.
A tear slid down my face. He survived. But Grayson.
Tía, mistaking my shivers for cold, threw a large soft blanket around my shoulders. I wrapped it tighter around myself and bit my lip.
“Rose.” Javi’s voice was soft. His smile weak.
I stepped beside him and grasped his hand. “I’m sorry, Javi. You’re hurt because of me.”
His eyebrow arched. “Pretty sure you weren’t the one stabbing me.”
I winced. “But the witches. It’s my fault.”
Javi’s face hardened. “No. Don’t. I made my own choices, Rose. Don’t take that away from me.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you for saving me.”
He snorted. “Pretty sure that was Grayson. Again. Tell him to save some of the rescues for the rest of us.”
My heart crumpled.
“Shit. What’s wrong?” Javi’s face sobered.
I couldn’t meet his gaze. “Grayson is…”
“Missing. No sign or trace of him left behind,” Tía finished for me.
I gave her a grateful nod. Her faith warmed me. Maybe it could be true, that he was still alive.
Javi frowned. “The witches?”
My shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”
“We will know more in the morning. Now, you should get some rest. You both should get some rest.” Tía motioned me out.
Giving Javi’s hand a final squeeze, I turned to go.
By the time we made it to my room, I could barely keep my head up. Tía turned on the shower for me and left a clean nightgown. I showered quickly and threw on the gown, wincing in pain. My body would be sore for a while. I pulled back the covers and climbed in.
That night the nightmares began again. At first so real, I forgot I was in a dream. I was back in the basement with Luna Negra. That strange invisible presence circling me, and the chants of the witches echoed in my ears.
A promise made in blood cannot be undone. A promise made in blood cannot be undone.
Fear spiraled through me, its icy grip squeezing me tight. In the dream, I was chained to the ground, a strange symbol drawn underneath me. Blood ran along the line of the dark design.
I saw Grayson’s face. The fire raged around us. A sob escaped me. I saw myself run, abandoning him.
His face disappeared in the flames.
Grayson.
