by R L Medina
With a warm rush of wind, the supreme appeared by the altar. She beckoned us forward with one hand while the other one held the longest, pointiest knife I’d ever seen.
I backed up, looking for any way out.
Fear shot through me. No. I couldn’t let them get me on that altar.
22
“No!” My voice echoed.
It didn’t sound like me. It sounded like a terrified, helpless girl. Someone who knew they were about to die and there was nothing they could do about it.
The witches pushed me toward the stone. I flailed against them, driving my heel into one of their shins. It didn’t matter.
They were stronger.
My arms flailed. Survival instinct taking over. Get out. Get out.
An invisible grip tightened around me. I gasped. Coldness seeped through my dress and buried itself in my bones, making me shiver. My body flew through the air and landed roughly against the stone. Stars and spots dotted my vision. Pain spread through every limb.
I struggled against the pressing weight on my chest. My body thrashed against my invisible attacker.
Tears were streaming down my face. “No. No!”
“Tie her down.” The supreme’s voice rose above my panicked words.
She stared down at me, the golden light reflecting in her dark eyes. Cold, calm eyes of ancient power. I glared at her. Rope burned me as the witches obeyed her order. I twisted and struggled, heart pounding.
Her cold hand touched my face, making me flinch and my stomach churn.
“She tried to fight too.” The witch’s voice was soft.
With an icy finger, she moved my head to the side. A familiar body was sprawled on the floor, unmoving, her neck at an impossible angle. I recoiled. Ash.
“No.”
My chest tightened. I blinked the hot angry tears away. A silent rage built inside me. Not Ash. Something shriveled inside me. She’d been so strong, so sure. Drained and tossed, left like garbage. How could fate be so cruel?
“We took her blood and now we’ll take yours. And the GRIMM too, why not?”
She turned my head to the other side.
Javi. He sat slumped against a stone with eyes closed. Tied like me? We hadn’t made it in time to give him the healing metal. It still burned in my pocket. Were we too late?
“What did you do to him? Is he okay?” My voice shook with fury.
She sniffed. “He’s alive. But not for long.”
Dark hooded figures entered the room. Their black robes scraped the ground as they encircled the altar.
Fear spiraled inside me. Something shifted in the air. Something dark and powerful.
Their voices rose, their words strange and eerie.
“Hijos de la luna. Luna Negra,” the supreme addressed them.
They stopped and waited. My teeth chattered in my head, but it wasn’t because of the coldness of the stone. It was deeper. Darker. The cold of death and I could feel it creeping closer and closer.
My eyes darted, heart pounding, desperate. “You can’t complete the ritual. The others. They got away.”
“We will find them.”
“The GRIMMs are coming. You won’t be able to escape them. They will kill you all.”
She smiled at me. “We’ll see.”
Despair filled me. I shivered against the cold stone. Sweat coated my skin and a ringing filled my ears. “Why me? Why didn’t you come after me sooner like you did the others?”
“You are ours. You always were. A promise made in blood cannot be undone.”
The others took up the chant. “A promise made in blood cannot be undone.”
Despite my best efforts to remain steady, the hairs on my neck bristled and an icy fear gripped me. These were not mere words. I could feel an invisible presence or force in the room with us. My heart raced and my whole body burned as if I’d been set on fire. Invisible cold fingers ran along my skin.
A scream tore from my throat.
Javi’s eyes flew open. I saw him thrash against his chains, his eyes thunderous and desperate. I felt as if I’d been ripped from my body, but I could still feel everything. The invasive darkness poking and prodding me and the hard stone digging into my back. I was watching everything in slow motion.
The witches were chanting. Their disembodied voices echoed around me. Blood gushed from Javi’s wounded stomach as he tried to reach me. A fiery glow outlined Jimena’s form. She smiled at me.
Bitch.
Pain overwhelmed my senses and a feathery touch fell on my forehead.
Sleep. Sleep. Rest.
Alarm filled me at the voice inside my head that was not my own. Fury washed over me. Sleep? They wanted me to sleep while I was watching myself being flayed alive and my cousin bleed out?
Hell no.
As the thought left me, strength returned to my limbs, and the pain ebbed. I blinked, reeling myself back to the present.
Javi was slumped over, passed out from the pain. Blood still poured from his wound. He needed a doctor now. I had to get him out of there. I glanced around for inspiration.
The witches continued their eerie chant, oblivious to my severed link. Their supreme was bathed in the strange glow now, her eyes closed, and lips parted in elation. Gross. I wanted to stab my sword right through her outstretched throat. The violent thought startled me. When had I become so cutthroat? They’d pushed me too far. There was only so much suffering a person could endure and what they’d done had left its stain.
Never give up, Rosita. Papi’s words came to me. They were simple words meant to encourage me when harvest season got too crazy, but I clung to them.
He couldn’t have known what they would mean to me now.
The long, sharp knife glinted against the darkness.
“Stop! No.” My voice was raw.
You can’t do this. You can’t do this.
The supreme brought the thin blade against my neck and held a glass vial against my skin.
Sharp pain speared through me.
“No! Stop. Stop!” My voice shook.
Something sparked in my pocket, burning my skin. The metal. It was still spelled with the witch’s healing spell.
She frowned. “Why are you healing so quickly?”
My breath was ragged in my ears.
I struggled against the rope. “I won’t let you do this. You can’t do this.”
“I guess I’ll just have to make the cut deeper.” She pressed the knife closer against my neck.
A loud boom echoed in the room, the sound making my ears ring.
“It’s the GRIMM. They’ve found us,” one of the witches spoke.
Relief flooded me. The GRIMM. They were here. We were saved.
The supreme glanced at me. “Too bad for you they won’t make it in time.”
I gasped as the knife bit into my flesh. Pain spread through me. So much pain. Black dots swam in and out of my vision. My neck was on fire.
Was this dying?
Voices shouted. The witches scattered. Snarls and roars echoed from far away, but I couldn’t see what was happening.
Fingers pressed into my cut, making me scream. She pulled them away and held them up to examine them. “Your blood… what have you done? How are you healing yourself?”
Her sharp eyes roamed over me and landed on my pocket. With a vicious tug, she pulled out the metal and frowned.
More voices rose around us. Gunshots rang out. Tears streamed my face. The GRIMMs?
“We are not finished with you.” Jimena tossed the conduit and lifted her hand above my face.
Everything turned black.
“Rose.” Grayson’s voice startled me.
I searched for him in the darkness. Was I dreaming or was he really there? I moved, pain washing over me.
Black spots swam in my vision.
“Careful.” He was at my side.
I was still on the altar. My head whipped to the side and my heart lurched.
“Javi!”
�
�It’s okay. The GRIMM have him. They treated his injury, but he’ll need time to recover.”
A lump grew in my throat. “He’s okay?”
Grayson nodded, eyes scanning me. I shuddered at his touch as he helped me sit up. The dress rode up at my movement, revealing much more of my legs and thighs than I wanted. Grayson’s eyes drifted down and snapped back up to my now blushing face.
“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 roaring 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.
