by R L Medina
Nobody needed to know our business.
“How are we going to get past the guard gate?” Shiloh asked.
Good question. I turned to hear Javi’s answer.
“Portal.”
Her eyes widened. “But that’s against school policy.”
“And so is going out past curfew,” Javi added.
“Wait. What about… your dad?” I turned to Javi and glanced at the bracelet.
“I took care of everything. Relax, ladies. Don’t worry your pretty little heads about it.”
Before I could elbow him in the side, the elevator stopped on the first floor. We filed out and headed for the entrance.
“We can’t go out the front,” Shiloh hissed. “The cameras.”
I followed her gaze to an empty spot ceiling level at the corner of the room. Surprise filled me. Was it invisible or something? Not hard to imagine at a school like GRIMM.
“Right. Good call. It’s way too close to curfew. Let’s go through the tunnel.”
My ears perked up. Secret tunnel? Why didn’t anyone show me that on the tour?
He led us down the hall and paused at the giant dragon portrait at the end. After waving a hand and chanting something, the portrait swung away from the wall, revealing a dark entryway.
“Cool,” I murmured as I followed Javi in. A strange, dim light shone against the darkness and the smell of old paper and ash enveloped us. Shiloh bit her lip, her brow furrowed as we went. Regretting her decision to come along? I dismissed my own doubts, determined to have a good time.
18
“What took you so long?” Tyler shouted before we even made it to the boat.
Javi shrugged. “Had to sneak out the back tunnel before we could get to the portal.”
I shook off the nausea and stumbled on the sand. Shiloh threw out a hand to steady me. Tyler was dressed as Batman too, only he wore the superhero suit and mask.
Javi swore. “You said you were going as Tony Stark.”
Tyler grunted. “I changed my mind, dude. Chill out.”
“Chill out? I’m Bruce Wayne and now next to you, I look like a dipshit.”
I snorted. They were seniors and training to be GRIMMs on top of that. What was up with their childish obsession with superheroes?
Tyler’s eyebrow arched. “Shiloh? Shit, you look good.” His eyes traveled up and down.
Javi and I shot him a glare. Creep.
He turned to me, eyes lingering on my legs and chest for a little too long. “What are you?”
“Not the costume type.” I pushed by him.
A tall, bare chested Thor walked over to greet us with a wave. The two girls, Monica and Sofia, sat together huddled under a blanket on the bow of the boat. It was too dark to see their faces, but I got the suspicion they wouldn’t appreciate Shiloh stealing away all the attention.
Most of the popular girls that I’d known were notoriously territorial when it came to ‘their’ guys.
“Can we go already?” one of the girls whined.
“Ready to party?” Javi winked.
I shook my head. The idiot was going to ruin his chance with Shiloh already and the night had barely begun.
Tyler led us onto the dock and into the boat. I hadn’t been on a boat in a long time and it had been a small fishing boat, not a big ocean jet. How were we supposed to get to the island without being spotted? And the bigger question… how were we going to get home? I had little confidence in my cousin’s ability to steer the boat—especially after more than a few drinks.
Tyler opened a cooler and pulled out beers. Yeah, I didn’t trust any of them to get us back.
The sea air whipped around us, making me shiver. I grabbed a blanket from the seat and motioned for Shiloh to join me. We huddled under it together as the wind roared in our ears. Though my face was beginning to feel numb, I couldn’t help but smile. I’d probably regret going the next day, but in the moment, it was exhilarating.
It felt normal.
No talk about witches, or the academy, or shifters. I winced, feeling guilty. My father’s killer was still out there, and I hadn’t lifted a finger to help find him. Not that there was much I could do but going to a party at the headmaster’s house wasn’t going to help one bit.
There was still a lot to learn about my mother too. Biting my lip, I promised myself I’d do better. After the party, I’d buckle down and get serious. But for now…
I slammed my bottle against Shiloh’s and took a swig.
My ears still rang as we docked the boat. There were a couple other boats already there. Javi and Rhys tied ours up and we stepped out. I sucked in a breath, taking in the cool, salty, sea air. The waves were gentle as they crashed against the dock and shoreline. I looked back to see the coast, but the beach was too dark to see from where we were. Following the others, I stepped onto the soft sand. Monica stumbled, waving her arms frantically as she tried to keep from falling over when her heel stuck.
Past the sand, dark green beach reeds sprang up, outlining a glowing blue path that led uphill to a gigantic mansion. A spotlight shone against it, the colors changing from yellow to red.
“I thought this was supposed to be a secret party,” I murmured.
“There’s an invisible field around it. No one outside of here can see what we’re seeing,” Shiloh explained.
“Of course there is,” I grunted. “Uh. What is that?”
Javi glanced to the floating mass above us and shrugged. “Paradise Prison.”
I blinked at him. “A prison? Floating above the headmaster’s mansion and right offshore from the school?”
“Yeah.”
“Whose idea was that? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve seen and there’s a lot of stupid things around here.”
“I don’t know, Rose. Does it matter? Geez, can you lighten up for like one night?”
I rolled my eyes at him and fell silent.
Well, it was stupid. Let’s build a school underneath a prison full of felons.
The party was in full swing. Music blared from hidden speakers and a group of scantily clad mermaids and fairies ran across the lawn as guys dressed up as shifters chased after them.
“Isn’t that kind of messed up?” I turned to the others.
“What?” asked Shiloh.
“GRIMMs hunt and police these creatures and you dress up in costumes that depict them?”
Javi shrugged. “So? Everyone dresses up like supernatural creatures for Halloween.”
“I see what you mean. Like it’s making a mockery of them?” Shiloh spoke.
I nodded. Javi shot me a glare. As if it was my fault he came off as insensitive. The boy was naïve. Shiloh wasn’t one of the flirty, shallow girls he hung around with, and she wasn’t looking for someone in that clique.
The others scoffed and walked ahead, ready to indulge in whatever Brady supplied them. Javi stuck with us, offering Shiloh an arm up the stone walkway to the front door. The front porch was massive and lit up with strange floating orbs. I walked up to one and gasped as something moved inside it.
“Sprites,” Shiloh explained. She frowned and shook her head. “Using them as party fixtures. This is wrong, Javi.” Her eyes met his.
He flushed. “Yeah, but you know Brady. He gets away with whatever he wants.”
“Sprites. The smallest type of fae, right? What are they doing here?”
“He probably caught them. Or had someone catch them for him,” Javi answered me.
“We should set them free,” Shiloh insisted.
Javi ran his fingers through his hair. “Shy… how? Let me talk to Brady. I’ll convince him to release them.”
Shiloh’s eyes narrowed. “Not after the party, Javi. Now.”
He blew out his breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay. Let’s find Brady.”
The front door opened, revealing a bare-chested vampire dude. He gave us a sloppy grin. “Welcome, what’s the magic password?”
We glanced at each other.
He
broke into drunken laughter, the drink in his cup sloshing with the movement. “Kidding! Come in.”
Javi and Shiloh went first with me close behind them.
“Hey, what are they supposed to be? Prom king and queen or something?” He snorted.
“Bruce Wayne and a doll.”
His glazed eyes slid down to my legs. “And you?”
“Not the slutty costume type.”
I shoved by him and held my breath as I passed him. Yuck. He smelled like cheap beer. You’d think with their parents’ crazy paychecks, they’d be able to afford the good stuff.
My chest tightened. Growing up at the vineyard, Papi always let me sample our stock. The last time I’d tasted Cabernet it was with him.
“Come on,” Javi’s voice broke through my memories.
Dismissing the depressing thoughts, I trod after him and Shiloh, deeper into the thick of people. It wasn’t long before we found Brady. Unlike everybody else, he wasn’t in costume. Instead, he wore tight white pants and a salmon colored button up that showed off his muscles. His blonde-brown hair was slicked back revealing his high cheekbones and judging by the dazed look in his brown eyes, he was a few drinks away from total impairment.
He spotted us and raised a glass toward us before slugging it down. Shiloh nudged Javi forward, clearly not forgetting her mission.
Javi squared his shoulders and approached our host. “Brady,” he shouted over the noise.
“Javier. Rose. Shiloh,” Brady greeted us with his usual smirk.
“Thanks.” Javi took the drink he offered him.
“The sprites, Brady. You can’t keep them locked up like that.” Shiloh stepped forward, her eyes darting from Javi to Brady.
Javi shot her a look. “I was getting to that.”
I snorted, earning a glare from my cousin.
“Don’t worry about it, Shiloh. I’m sure Grayson will free them as soon as he sees them.”
My eyes widened. “Grayson is here?”
Brady’s gaze slid to me. “Upstairs. Alone like a loser. You guys should get some drinks. There’s an open bar down that way and pretty much anything goes. Okay? Have fun, kids.”
With that he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd of costumed teens. Shiloh’s lip curled. Javi gave her a sheepish smile and said something, but I couldn’t hear over the music and noise. I glanced up the stairs, fighting the urge to peek at Grayson. What was he doing hiding out at a party? The words he’d thrown at me earlier replayed in my mind.
I needed to set him straight.
“We’re going to go back outside for a sec.” Javi leaned toward me and shouted in my ear.
I winced. “Okay. Fine.”
He handed me the glass. Shiloh led him back the way we came, a determined look on her face.
I downed the rest of the drink, surprised to find it whisky and not beer. I coughed and set the cup down on a side table. Giving in to my curiosity and need to justify myself, I climbed the stairs.
The music faded as I made my way up. I glanced around at the empty hall and marveled at the lavish décor. The place made Tío’s house look modest. If he was so rich and powerful at the school, what did Brady’s dad care about my tío?
A loud thunk caught my ear. Up ahead at the end of the hall. I followed the sound to its source behind the last door. My heart raced. Before I could work up the nerve to knock, it swung open, making me jump back.
Grayson’s eyes widened at the sight of me. My cheeks flamed as I tried to think of a good excuse for getting caught trying to spy on him.
“Hello, Rose.” His voice was gruff.
I flushed. “Hi. Grayson.”
What the hell are you doing? He’s gonna think you’re stalking him.
“Did you… need something?” His brow furrowed.
“Nope. Just… exploring,” I finished lamely.
His mouth quirked into that amused smile. “I can’t tell if you came in costume or... you going for rocker chick?” He waved a hand down my outfit.
“You’re not dressed up either,” I shot out, heat spreading across my face at my embarrassment.
His eyebrows knitted together. “I wasn’t invited to the party.”
“Oh. Then why are you here?”
He paused and sighed. “I’m working.”
I stared at him. “Working? I thought you worked at the....”
Don’t bring that up, stupid.
He gave me a long look. “I do. And part time here for the headmaster. Sometimes in his office at school and sometimes at his home office. I’m his assistant.”
Right. Shiloh had told me that.
“He’s also my legal guardian, but we’re not related. I don’t have any family left, I guess.”
I fell silent. He was an orphan—like me.
His eyes studied me warily as if waiting for me to insult him or dig deeper. I winced. I did have the habit of throwing verbal jabs at him. But this wasn’t something I’d make fun of.
“I’m sorry about the cafeteria. I had no idea they planned that. Promise.”
Shoulders visibly relaxing, he shot me a cool look. “Aren’t you supposed to be studying? You know to pass the upcoming physics exam? And completing all the extra homework?”
My cheeks flushed. “How do you know about that?”
“Everyone gossips about the new girl.”
Of course they did. I stared at him. Was it more, though? Did he hear about my mark from the headmaster?
I shrugged. “I can study later. There’s still time.”
He shook his head at me, making me bristle. What did he care about my schoolwork?
“So, you gonna come out to the party, or you gonna keep hiding up here?”
His eyebrows shot up as he regarded me in that way that was hard to decipher. I couldn’t tell if I annoyed the crap out of him or if he found me intriguing. Maybe both. I didn’t think he could tell the difference either.
“I’m working. Have to test out all these runes, and like I said, I wasn’t invited. Wouldn’t have come anyway. Party at the headmaster’s house while he’s away? Not the smartest choice you’ve made, but probably not the stupidest either.”
Heat rushed through me. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “You know, I don’t know why I’m surprised. Figures you’d be another rich party girl. You think because your uncle is on the board, you can slack off and do whatever you want.”
Oh. Hell. No.
I advanced, jabbing a finger at him. “You don’t know anything about me. So fu—”
A scream cut through my words and rang in my ears. Not some flirty shriek you’d expect at a party. No. Something happened or was happening.
We bolted downstairs, our verbal joust on pause.
A giant, half naked man stood in the middle of the room, howling. My heart skipped. As he turned, I could make out his wolfish features—bright yellow eyes, snarling snout, and overgrown canines.
“What the?”
Grayson folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “Werewolf.”
My eyes bulged. “What? Here?”
He gave me an odd look. “It’s not real. Just an enchanted costume. To scare people.” He nodded to the crying girl, who was now surrounded by her friends.
“Really? Is that the best you could come up with?” a voice drawled.
I turned to find Brady, sipping on another drink, shaking his head. “Pathetic cry for attention. Here’s a thought, why don’t you show yourself out. Leave the costume.”
“What the hell? Come on, man. It was just a joke!”
Brady didn’t flinch. He downed his drink and thrust it into the hand of a passerby. “Get lost, Chris. Nobody wants your smelly ass here.”
“But, Brady, it was a joke. Don’t be a dick.”
Everyone fell silent as we watched the exchange.
Brady smiled. “Get. Out.”
Nostrils flaring, the jerk turned on his heel.
>
“Leave the costume.”
Laughter rose from the crowd. The werewolf glared daggers at Brady. They faced off, a deliberate show of superiority. In one movement, he stepped out of his costume, revealing a lot of tanned, muscular skin. Hoots and hollers echoed around the room, phones out to record his embarrassment.
He sneered, standing defiantly in his boxers before throwing the costume at Brady’s feet. “Got your fill?”
Brady laughed. “Please. You looked better as the wolf.”
Cheers sounded and phone cameras clicked as he left.
“Well, you don’t see that at every Halloween party.” I glanced at Grayson.
“Brady has his moments,” he answered, still watching our host as he downed another drink. “Just hope he can remember some of them tomorrow,” he mumbled under his breath.
I looked at him curiously. “Heavy drinker?”
He scoffed. “Alcohol. Drugs. Anything to get his father’s attention.”
“Does it work?”
Grayson’s eyebrow arched. “What do you think?”
Brady caught our stare and glanced up. His smile vanished.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Grayson grunted.
I gaped. “But… you’re not gonna come to the party?”
He glanced back at me and shook his head. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. Goodnight, Rose. Good luck on the test.”
Disappointment filled me. I shook it off and nodded to him. “Thanks.”
What was wrong with me? Why did I care that he didn’t want to hang out with me? It wasn’t like we were exactly friends. I didn’t really know what exactly we were. One minute we were at each other’s throats and the next we were chill. All of it was confusing.
I spotted Shiloh standing awkwardly off to the side as Javi abandoned her for a game of beer pong. The idiot probably thought that would impress her. Did they free the sprites already?
Picking up my wounded pride, I walked past the drunken costumed teens and made my way over to her. Someone turned the volume up and the music was blaring at deafening tones now.
“Let’s check out the pool?” I suggested to her.
She pointed to her ear, and shook her head.
