'Til Fear Do Us Part (A Grim Awakening Book 1)

by Michelle Gross

  Grim watched the dragon. Unable to read his expression when he was Grim, I wondered what he was thinking. Something murky and black floated above the dragon and traveled into his scythe. That seemed to happen every time he took a life.

  Someone clapped next to me. I turned to see Fear clapping as he sat on his throne. “That's more like it, Grim.” His eyes are looking at Grim with nothing but appraisal. Grim was already moving toward us. I started backing away slowly—never taking my eyes off Fear. I wanted as far away from him as I could get. “Not so fast.” His red eyes, the ones that were giving Grim a look of approval a moment ago, glared at me. I froze, not sure what I could do.

  “It's over, Fear.” Grim seemed to carry his power on his shoulders, oozing his hatred toward Fear from his lips—er, bones. A deadly combination that even caused me to get chill bumps. He took slow, sure steps toward the throne. Fear's face lit up with amusement. I wanted to smack that smug look off his nasty face. With the flick of his wrist, something snapped above me. I looked up in time to see a huge cage falling over me. I hunkered down fully expecting it to crush me, but it only trapped me.

  I ran to the bars and glared at Fear. “How many more things does he got up his sleeve?” I fumed. I needed to watch when he flicked his wrist. I was learning something bad always happened when he did.

  “She'd make a good pet, wouldn't she Grim?” Fear chuckled. Grim tightened his fist around his scythe before his blue essence changed color. The swirling mass of black surrounded him. Something about it was lethal. I took a step away, not sure why I did.

  Fear zeroed in on my movement, taking in my fear. I knew because I felt it. He finally looked away from me and back to Grim. “I see I've made you mad.” He placed his hand over his chest as he spoke. “Believe me when I tell you, I never wanted to fight with you.” Something about the way Fear spoke made me uneasy. The way he looked at Grim—the way he studied him. It was almost like there was some sort of longing. Or some sort of want there. I shook my head. No, that couldn't be right. I meant, he could be into him...

  “We don't have to fight if you just hand over Melanie.” Grim stopped walking, but the dark mass around him continued to swirl and rage around him.

  Fear snorted. “Grim.” He nodded. “Tell me it isn't so?” Fear was giving me a weird look before facing Grim again. “You actually have feelings for a human?” The word ‘human’ was spat out of his mouth as if it was vile and disgusting.

  Grim went rigid. I dropped my hands to my sides. The black mass grew fainter and fainter as his eyes roamed over me. His shoulders dropped and his attention snapped back to Fear as he had been caught red handed. I looked to Grim confused. Through the opening of his shirt inside the hole of his chest, something flickered. Something real and powerful. Not a heart, more like a feeling... I wondered why I was thinking such strange things. Fear's laugher brought me out of my perplexed state. I was able to look away from Grim and focus on him. Fear shook his head at Grim. “In all my three thousand years, never thought I’d see an entity succumb to a human girl. A little emotion. I guess, it's big though, for you, that emotion is.” Grim still hadn’t moved, his black mass flaring back to life around him as Fear spoke. “Take a close look.” He was pointing at me. Grim was looking at me—staring so intensely—what was he trying to see? My palms were sweaty. I wiped them alongside the dress I wore feeling self-conscious and nervous. “Does she look like she could love a skeletal being? Hmm?” His words left me in shock. Why was he doing this? “She might have some feelings for Killian but not you.” Fear gave me a look of triumph.

  Grim was nothing more than a mass of blackness now. I could barely make out his skeletal silhouette. I glared at Fear suddenly afraid of what he was trying to prove. “What are you trying to do?” I scowled at him.

  He ignored me, though and kept his focus on Grim. “You were never meant to love. How can you fall for any woman? Or anything for that matter? You were created for one reason and one reason only; to guide the dead to their fate balancing the cycle of good and evil.”

  “You know not of what I am. Or what I can be,” Grim rumbled through the blackness he surrounded himself in. I feared for him. Or him. I wasn't sure of my emotions. Fear's words seemed to cut me like a knife.

  “Oh,” Fear said surprised. “Maybe you think you can love,” he acknowledged, but I knew he was purposely trying to anger Grim. I just didn't know why. “She will never love you. She thinks you're nothing more than a monster like me.” That caused me to remember the harsh words I said to him before I left through the portal with Molly. I had called him a monster no different than Fear. I hadn't meant it like that. No, I had. I could never change what I said. “Tell him, Melanie. The truth. That you could never love him, only the demon he merged with so long ago.” I tried to say something, but no words came out. I wasn't sure what to say.

  I waited too long to speak. Grim stepped forward and was immediately trapped in a circle of light. The black mass of his essence vanished around him—not even the blue glow returned. His hands went to his face trying to shield himself from the bright light that bound him. The circle grew wider, expanding the light around him.

  “You walked right into the trap so easily. The girl has truly weakened you. You were so caught up in the truth about her that you failed to sense the magic in front of you,” Fear mocked him, rubbing his fingers together. Grim was in pain. He fell to his knees—his body bending back. He grabbed his head. A roar escaped his chest telling me whatever was happening to him hurt. He bucked around on his knees before crumbling to his side twisting and turning.

  “Grim!” I called his name, but he couldn't hear me.

  “Did I forget to mention that the Vessel wasn't the only thing I was after?” Fear rose from his throne and walked toward Grim trapped in the light. Fear smiled into the circle at him. “You realize what I want Grim? What I have always wanted?” Grim somehow managed to tilt his face up to look at Fear. “You chose Killian over me so long ago. I still don't understand why and can never forgive you for it, but I will soon enough when you and I are finally one,” he purred. He planned to merge with Grim? That wasn't possible, was it?

  Dread coursed through my veins, making me dizzy with realization. Grim walked straight into a trap when he came to rescue me. “Stop it!” I screamed. “You're hurting him!”

  Fear sneered back at me. “No, you're the one that's causing him pain. I will set him free of those feelings once we are merge.” I shook my head; Fear was far crazier than I realized. I pulled and kicked at the bars that held me trapped. Grim thrashed around in the light, grunting in pain. I could do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  But the worst part was yet to come. Another roaring howl tore from Grim's chest and he grabbed his head again— he was back on his knees. Then something happened that confused my mind. Killian was stretching out of Grim—splitting from him. Starting at the head and moving on down to his torso. They were already halfway apart; Killian was holding on to his head the same way Grim was. I knew my mouth was gaping open from the shock. They snapped back together and I was almost positive Fear's plan didn't work. But Killian split right back out separating completely from Grim. They fell to the ground opposite directions of each other. I gasped. It felt so unreal that I was seeing the two of them next to each other. Something wasn't right about it. “Killian!”

  Whatever Fear accomplished was bad because he smiled. He turned around. His eyes landed on me. His tail whipped toward the cage and I stumbled back.

  I found it hard to breathe, let alone try to think about what just happened. Killian and Grim, I thought they were always going to be one person after the merge? How could they just split apart? Their trouble caused me panic and confusion. Fear tossed the cage up in the air with his tail. It went flying behind me. I took no time on running away, but I didn't get three steps before his tail snaked out and grabbed my left ankle. I fell to the ground, my chin smacking against the hard ground. Air escaped my lungs in a giant whoosh and for a sec
ond I couldn't figure out how to get it back.

  “You're still needed.” He stepped in front of me and bent down, grabbing a handful of my hair. He yanked me to my feet with it. My scalp was on fire as I hurried to get on my feet to lessen the pain. I kicked my foot out to hit him and he dodged easily. Face hot with rage—I spat in his face. His jaw tightened—his eyes glowing red as he growled at me. I realized the mistake I made.

  He let go of my hair and I hurried to gain better footing. I saw his arm rear back and I knew what he was going to do, but I was too slow to stop it. His claws slashed across my chest. I yelled and hissed from the pain. “I wouldn't make me angry. Although, I can't kill you. I can make your life long and miserable.” I believed every word he said. I grabbed my chest. It stung so bad. I glanced down to see four slash marks marred across my chest. There was barely anything left of the front of my dress, his razor-sharp nails had torn apart the dress as well as my flesh. The dress was already soaked in my blood; the burning still hadn't stopped. I couldn't even touch it, it hurt so much.

  “Melanie,” Killian finally came to. His voice was raspy and weak. He was slowly bringing himself to stand on his feet. Grim was picking himself on his knees. The two of them looked at each other for the briefest moment and something passed between them—some sort of understanding before they looked at me.

  Killian moved toward the end of the circle. Fear held up his hand. “Careful, Killian. You know what it will mean if you pass over the spell without Grim. He can't crossover. He will belong to me.”

  Fear’s hand shot out to the back of my neck. His grip was rough as he brought me against him. My back pressed against his bare chest and it made me feel sick and clammy. I was repulsed by him. I thought my body might literally fall apart having to feel his touch. I tilted my head to the side to look at his face. It was something nightmares were made of and this close… I could smell the stench of his wickedness radiating off him as it had its own scent.

  Killian glared long and hard before his wrath turned into a mere smile. “You seem to be forgetting something. My job—our job, is to keep Melanie safe and alive. No matter the consequences.” Killian looked back at Grim. Grim nodded—there was something between them again. Fear tightened his hold on my neck and grinned at them.

  Killian pushed through the barrier of light and the moment he did, the light completely vanished. No, not vanished. Something bright wrapped around Grim's torso and chest. He could only look down as the bright white chain wrapped and tightened around him. He snapped his neck up to Fear. Something terrifying ripped through his scream. It was anger and raw power.

  Killian ran forward—eyes locked on Fear. Fear released my neck and slung me across the floor. My body moved through the air too fast. I couldn't make out what was happening to me until I smacked against the rough ground, tumbling around a few times. Pain tore through the slashes on my chest and into my stomach. When I finally stopped tumbling my body was screaming in protest. I was nauseous and tired. Was I still losing blood? Ignoring my bruised and battered body, I lifted my head up to see Killian's boots running toward me. He knelt beside me and placed his hand on my shoulders to help me off my stomach. I stumbled trying to stand on my feet again, but he was there to catch me, lifting me up until I was firm in his embrace.

  My breath caught, whether it was from him or the pain I felt throughout my body—I didn't know. His eyes roamed over my injuries. I swore he looked like he could murder something when he spotted the marks across my chest. “I'm going to kill him,” he raged.

  I leaned against Killian's broad shoulders trying to see if I could see Fear. I knew it. My eyes widened when I saw that he was walking over to Grim, an evil glint in his eyes. He wanted Grim all along? I pulled away from Killian enough to look at him. I tugged at his shoulders. “He's after Grim.”

  Killian swore. With his arms hooked around me, he glared at Fear. “Bloody hell, what he is trying to do is just not possible.”

  “What exactly is he trying to do?”

  “He plans to merge with Grim and Fear both,” he answered with his lip stuck upward in disgust.

  I stared at him in disbelief. “He can't do that, can he?” I asked hopeful. When he didn't answer, my stomach twisted. “I mean, of course he can't,” I added. “You and Grim are one, right?”

  “I didn't think it was possible for anyone to find a way to separate a merge but he did,” Killian replied as his eyebrows pinched together.

  Grim was bound by the bright white chain and struggled under its hold. I thought I saw worry flash in Killian's eyes as he looked at Grim, but it quickly turned to resolve. His jaw tightened. “Can you stand?” he spoke softly to me despite the scary gleam in his eyes. He was angry and broken yet he was still checking on me. I nodded and he released me from his hold so that I could stand on my own.

  “Go and hide until this is all over,” he ordered with a firm and commanding voice. I listened to him.

  My eyes followed Killian as he bent down and pulled out a small knife from his boot. My heart crushed. How did he plan to do anything with something so small? Killian wasn't as strong by himself as he was with Grim, was he? My stomach lurched as images raced through my mind. Horrible thoughts. Of me watching Killian die and me being stuck here until I died. I blinked the thoughts away.

  No, somehow we were going to make it. He would find a way.

  “We were meant to be one.” Fear stepped closer to Grim now that the circle around him was gone. Grim wasn't fighting against the chain as Fear spoke. “Merge with me.” His arms stretched out wide. He smiled down at Grim, eager and excited. Fear was distracted and Killian snuck up on him. He was behind Fear now, knife aimed above Fear's head—between the horns. I watched hopeful, but that was crushed as I watched Fear's tail dart up like a snake and tear into Killian's chest.

  Killian cried out and I found myself crying out with him as I ran to him. I knew he told me to hide somewhere but I couldn't. Killian fell to his knees when Fear brought his tail back out. He moaned, wracked with pain. Blood squirted everywhere now that Fear's tail was out of the hole it tore in his chest. Then the tail swung out again and smacked into Killian's side. He flew several feet off his knees before smacking the ground again and tumbling a few times. I ran faster.

  “Foolish.” Fear smirked. “You thought to attack me when you are nothing but a weak demon again, Killian,” Fear scolded him. “Now, where were we?” He turned back to Grim.

  I dropped on the floor next to him and gently grabbed his head, placing it in my lap. His eyes were closed, pinched with pain. I studied his chest. I couldn't see it rising and falling. I sighed in relief when he took in a deep breath, but he started choking and spitting out blood. Blood wasn't good. “Killian, oh God, you're hurt really bad,” I whimpered, afraid. I looked at the huge hole in his chest and immediately looked away.

  He coughed again as he tried to get up. I held him down. “Your chest.” I warned him. He ignored me. And with strength I couldn't imagine from someone who looked on the verge of dying, he pushed my hands away and stood. “Protect you,” he whispered hoarsely. He could barely talk. I stood up with him and he leaned into me when I did. “I got to...” His head dropped. “Grim,” he muttered before he went completely slack against me. The full brunt of his weight pressed against me. He had to be over two hundred pounds at least, as tall and broad as he was. I tried to push against his weight, but I wasn't strong enough. My grip on his shirt slipped as I fell to the ground with him.

  I heard a wailing sound and realized it was me. I maneuvered my body out from underneath him and bent my head over his. Something broke in me. I pressed our foreheads together and touched my hand to his chest. “Killian,” I whispered a cry. His heartbeat was faint.

  Something erupted and snapped. My head shot up to see Grim was breaking the chain around him. It popped and snapped, disappearing some more every time he broke the barrier. His essence flared around him again—glowing bright blue before going black. The black essence was
his anger, his pain, his revenge. With a hiss, Grim broke the last piece of the chain. It disappeared into nothing like the rest of the chain had.

  Grim stood and flexed his arms before he stalked forward. I never thought I would see Fear frightened, but I saw it in his eyes now. The shock and uncertainty in his eyes. Grim seemed to gain more power with every step he took. “Death. I can taste it in the air around you.” Grim's voice had changed, the way it did every time he went into Reaper mode. But this time was different. It was more thundering and earth shattering to be heard and witnessed. I released Killian and sat back. It was scary seeing Grim that way. More than he normally was.

  “You can't kill me,” Fear snapped, but I didn't miss the waver in his voice.

  “You're afraid, Marcus. Can you smell the stench of your own death hanging in the air around you?” Grim's voice raced around the cave walls.

  Grim moved fast. He was in Fear's face a second later. He was no match for Grim when he was like that. Grim cupped his skeletal fingers around Fear's neck and he gasped for air. I could see Grim tightening his hold on his neck. Fear's tail shot out in front of him. I panicked and had to look away. I looked back to see that Grim caught his tail with his free hand. Fear clawed at Grim's hand against his neck.

  Grim twisted Fear's own tail against him and pointed it to his chest. Fear looked scared, but then he glared. “Your death is coming. I can feel it upon you.” He pierced him in the chest with his tail. Fear howled in pain. “But it's not today.” He released Fear's neck and dropped him to the ground. When Fear fell the cave walls began to buckle and crumble. Fear was on his knees—one palm against the ground as he gasped for air. The cave was going to bury us inside. I wondered if it had something to do with Fear being injured.

  I froze when Grim turned to me. When he started toward me it felt like I was suddenly becoming his prey. I swallowed hard and tried not to let my fear be known. I looked down at Killian. I noticed I was clutching his shirt and my knuckles had gone white. He can see it, I thought. He could tell I was afraid of him.