by R L Medina
“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.
<
br /> 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.
24
I woke up in a sweat. I was a mess of nerves and fear. My heart pounded as I sat up and looked around. I was back at Tío and Tía’s house. The window had been left open, a cool salty breeze blowing in, making the curtains move. I took a deep breath and sat up. My body instantly relaxing as I did. In the daytime, my fears evaporated as if by some magic, the sunlight banished all the darkness.
My throat was raw, and a dull ache was spreading in my head. I needed water. Swinging my legs off the bed, I stood and headed for the bathroom to get ready. Tío promised to take me back to look for Grayson.
Once downstairs, I found I was the only one up. After the recent events, everyone was probably still sleeping. I poured myself a cup of ice water and stared at the espresso machine, wondering how hard it would be to figure it out myself.
“You’re up earlier than I expected.”
I jumped at the sound of my tío’s voice. I turned around to face him. He stood wearing jeans and a crisp white collared shirt. I blinked, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Since when did he wear jeans like ever?
He ignored my stare and pulled a box of cereal down from the cupboard. “Do you want some?”
Recovering from my shock, I shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m good.”
His eyes shifted to the espresso maker. “Espresso?”
“Yeah… I’m trying to figure out if I should wait for Tía or try to figure out this contraption on my own.”
He nodded and gave me a thoughtful look. “I will show you.”
“That’s okay. I can just wait for Tía or Anya. I’m sure they’ll be up soon.”
His mouth twisted in a smirk. “Your tía is with the healer, discussing Javier’s injuries. Who knows when she’ll be back down, and Anya has the day off.”
He walked over to the machine. “So, you’re stuck with me.”
I didn’t respond. How was one supposed to respond to that any way? I wasn’t sure if he was making a joke or if he was trying to bait me, so I kept my mouth shut.
It was weird being back in his house. My running away and putting Javi in danger seemed to be forgiven or forgotten and I wasn’t going to bring it up. The memories of the compulsion ring still stung. Though it was nothing compared to what the witches would do to me.
A shiver crawled up my spine. There were still so many questions left unanswered, but all I could focus on was finding Grayson.
“I’ve already been back to the crime scene. Your friend was not there.”
My eyes snapped to Tío’s. I took the hot cup of espresso he handed me and stared at him.
“You said you would bring me back.”
He nodded. “I can, but there’s nothing there, Rose.”
I frowned. “I want to see for myself.”
He gave me an incredulous look. “You really are like your mama. She…” His eyes glistened. “She would be so proud of you. Your Papi too.”
A lump grew in my throat as tears blurred my vision. Tío was giving me compliments now? Jesse’s confession replayed in my mind. Did Tío know who my real father was? It didn’t seem like it.
“After we make that stop, we will return to the academy. The investigators will be there to take a statement from you. You must tell them everything, I’m afraid.”
“Statement?”
“Yes. Everything you know about Luna Negra. Then you will face the school board. You’ll have to tell them the truth about your mother. They will determine your punishment.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Punishment?”
He folded his hands together and stared at me. “Yes. You broke the law. As did Javier and your friends. The unpermitted portal use, taking weapons off school property, skipping class.”
“What?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “You broke the law. As did I. We will all be held accountable for our actions.”
His words stunned me. I’d almost died. What more of a punishment could they give me? And Javi and the others weren’t at fault. I’d dragged them into it.
I frowned. “You know just when I think I like the GRIMMs they do something like this.”
His mouth quirked into almost a half-smile. “They have to do their job.”
I sat back and sipped my coffee, contemplating what would happen next. Would they kick me out before I’d even had the chance to prove myself? Did I still want that chance? It seemed stupid now after what I’d been through. The GRIMMs could do no worse. But if they knew about my mom, would they still want me? Pushing away the thoughts, I glanced at my tío.
He stood rigidly against the kitchen counter, staring into his own cup of coffee.
“So, what’s going to happen to you then? When they find out all the rules you’ve broken?”
He looked up and gave me a sad smile. “I’ll have to step down from the board. Relinquish my title and amenities.”
“Amenities?”
“The jet.”
“But you won’t be thrown in jail?”
He sighed. “Possibly. It is in their right to charge me for aiding your mother all those years ago. And the compulsion ring.” He added silently, guilt stamped on his features.
Though he didn’t come outright and say it, I knew he was regretting it and not just because he had gotten caught. This was a whole new humbled side of my tío I’d never expected to see. Who was this man?
“But… what about Javi and the twins? And Tía?”
“Javi will have to face the consequences of his own actions, but that is all. No one will suffer the price for what I’ve done. I acted alone and I will pay the price myself. As it should be.”
His words shook me. If the GRIMMs locked him up, it would devastate his family. What would they do without him? Would they lose all their money too and be turned out of their community? I couldn’t let that happen.
I slammed my mug down on the counter behind me, the coffee sloshing nearly spilling. “You shouldn’t have to go to jail for helping your family.”
“That’s not how it works, Rose.”
“But I won’t press charges for the bracelet… I’ll tell them I insisted on it.”
He shook his head. “No. Even without that crime, I still have others to pay for.”
“It’s not fair though. You did it to save my mom and me.”
His face hardened. “And I would do it again too.”
“The oath she made you swear?”
He shook his head. “She didn’t make me swear it.”
I gaped at him. “But you said…”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was angry and scared of losing you. Like I lost her. If I hadn’t pushed, you so hard… and Javi. I’m sorry.” He stared at his hands.
Tears welled in my eyes. How had I ever missed his true loyalty? Sure, he was still an arrogant jerk, and he had a lot to learn about expressing his love, but he was family. And I didn’t want to lose him.
Not after everything I’d already lost.
True to his word, Tío took me back to the site. It looked so different in the daytime. The agents had worked tirelessly, setting up runes and a ward to keep the ordinaire from suspecting anything more than a simple house fire. They’d set traps in case the coven returned, but that seemed unlikely.
No one had seen any sign of Grayson. As depressing as that was, it gave me hope that maybe he’d gotten away. If they could find no body, then there was still a chance he was okay. One of the investigators took my statement there, writing everything I told him. I left out all the incriminating details of my time with the wolves, but the agents wou
ld still have to follow up with Rafael and his pack.
After answering all the questions and replaying the story one too many times, the agent nodded his thanks and told my tío someone would be coming to the house to get Javi’s statement.
“The coven? Did you track down the witches?”
His face darkened. “Still at large.”
Dread punched my gut. She’d gotten away. I wasn’t surprised, but I couldn’t stop the shudder running through me.
Something had settled inside me. I had come so close to death and no matter how I tried to play it off, it changed me.
I was scared. What if the next time she found me, I was alone? I wasn’t ready to face her. Pushing away the dark thoughts, I steeled myself. I would be ready. I had to be.
“But we have some of her followers in custody. The vampires and shifters. They’ve been transported to Paradise Prison.”
My eyebrow arched. It seemed so long ago I’d broken in there with the others. Was it only a week ago? I wrapped my arms around myself and pushed away the memories.
With nothing else keeping us there, Tío led me through a portal back to the academy.
It was time to face the school council.
“Wait here,” Tío instructed before disappearing behind the office doors.
My heart hammered in my chest as I stood waiting behind the closed door. Javi was still too weak to be moved, but the others came. We didn’t speak much, but their presence gave me strength. Shiloh sat silently on the bench, an anxious look on her face and Brady had taken out a cigarette and was literally lighting up in front of a no smoking sign. They were in trouble too, but not the same as me.
The GRIMMs knew who I was now.
A thousand thoughts ran through my mind as they kept us waiting. What if they threw me out? How would I look for Grayson then without their help? What if they disenchanted me? My nerves were a ball of yarn, unraveling too fast before I could stop it.
Breathe. Whatever happens, I’ll survive.
I didn’t want to think of leaving the academy, it was my last tie to Grayson, but if that’s what they decided, I would have no choice but to go. Pushing away the negative thoughts, I rehearsed my lines over and over again.
