by R L Medina
The door swung open and we stepped in. I sucked in a breath as my gaze fell on the giant sword against the wall. Smaller ones were lined up beneath it. Two large mats lay on the middle of the floor. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find a dojo in their house, but there was something strange about the room. I couldn’t pinpoint what I was feeling, but I could tell this wasn’t some ordinary place.
My eyebrow arched. “So, you brought me here to…”
Javi smiled. “To fight. Test your fighting skills.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Yeah. Not happening.”
He smiled. “I’m just kidding. I’ll save that for another day. This is the safest place to talk.”
“Why?”
His hand swept across the room. “It’s warded. There are runes on every wall. No one will hear us.”
Not sure what to respond, I glanced around trying to see what he was talking about.
“They’re invisible. The runes. You can’t see them.” He laughed.
My eyes narrowed. “And I’m supposed to know that how?”
The humor vanished from his face. “Sorry. You’re right. You’re a newbie at this.” He sighed and motioned me over to the wide window.
He sat on the bench beneath the windowsill and motioned for me to join him. I squared my shoulders and took a seat, leaving enough of a distance between us to shield myself.
For a minute, he didn’t say anything, and I didn’t push him. My heart raced and the images of Manny and my dad flashed in my mind. I knew already that whatever secrets he was about to reveal wouldn’t change the facts.
Papi would still be dead, and I would still be their prisoner.
Maybe it was stupid, but after my encounter at the graveyard, I’d loosened my grip of what I considered reality. I mean, seeing something so freakishly abnormal firsthand was enough to change a person for life.
“I know you think we’re the bad guys here, but we’re not.”
Right. I bit my tongue and let him continue.
“We couldn’t leave you there alone with your dad’s killer on the loose. Besides, you’re still a minor. Legally my dad is your guardian.”
I bristled. “Some guardian.” I held the metal bracelet up to his face and shot him a glare.
He winced. “That’s only temporary. We’ll take it off once we know you’re safe and won’t try to run away.”
Feigning a neutral expression, I lowered my wrist and waited for the rest of his lies.
“You need to know the truth about everything. You’re a GRIMM too, like me.”
His words shook me down to the core. GRIMM. I didn’t know what that word meant, but I knew there was a weight to it—and a whole set of rules and obligations that probably accompanied the title.
Well, that was just too bad. I didn’t want to join their creepy circle.
“GRIMM. It stands for Guardians of Realms and Investigators of Magic and Mysteries. We’re guardians of all the realms and we protect humans from the extraordinaires.”
“All the realms?”
He nodded. “The ones we know of, yes. We make sure they don’t come here and cause trouble. We protect the ordinaire. The normal humans.”
My head was already pounding as I tried to take in this information. Guardians. Magic. Realms. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but I knew by the seriousness of his face, this was no joke.
The world was so much more complex than I’d ever thought. Wasn’t it bad enough that we had to deal with the normal human messed up crap, but now there was a whole supernatural element that I had to worry about too?
“That sounds like a serious job.”
His face remained serious. “It is. That’s why it’s not just for anyone. Just because you have the sight doesn’t mean you’re GRIMM material. Only a fraction of the students will move on to graduation to become an agent. We are the best of the best.”
I stared at him. “But you’re still in school. How are you an agent already?”
His lips quirked into a smug grin. “I’m a senior so I’m technically an agent in training. Once I graduate, I’ll be given my first mission. Once that’s over, I’ll be an upper classman and get to go out on assignments and get advanced training. Then the final test where I’ll pass and become a full-fledged agent.”
“Like your dad?”
He snorted. “My dad isn’t a field agent anymore. He’s too important for that. He’s the one that sends people out and makes up the laws.”
“Figures,” I grunted.
“My mom… was she an agent?”
His lips pursed together. “I think so. I’m not sure, really. My dad doesn’t talk about her and there’s not a lot of info on her in the academy files.”
He hesitated, eyes darting away from mine. “Remember how I said she was a witch?”
I nodded.
“Yeah. The coven she was in, the Luna Negra is one of the worst ones there is. She was pretty high up too before she left. At least they used to be pretty bad, but we pretty much have them under control now.”
I didn’t know what to respond, so I didn’t. It wasn’t like I’d really known the woman, but now I could never look at her stoic portrait again and see her as anything but a witch.
“She left the coven though. She left to protect you from them.”
My eyes flew to his. “To protect me? Why?”
The room grew eerily cold. I knew it was just my fear and paranoia at work, but I couldn’t stop the shiver running down my spine.
“All firstborn are pledged to the coven.”
His words rang in my ears, a heavy weight dropping in my gut. He meant me. Me. I was pledged to the coven before I’d even been born.
“But it’s too late now, isn’t it? I never went to the coven.”
“Because they couldn’t find you. Your mom begged my dad to break protocol to help her fake her death. Both of your deaths and hide you away.”
My throat went dry. Dread and panic rose inside me. Pushing down the emotions, I cleared my head and snapped back to attention.
“She put a spell on you to keep you from getting your sight and attracting their eyes.”
I held up a hand to stop him. “So, they don’t know about me.”
“No, but if you have your sight now… it’s only a matter of time. But don’t worry. We can protect you.”
A nervous laugh escaped me. “Don’t worry? Don’t worry? Don’t worry that some freaky witch clan is hunting me?”
“Coven.”
“Whatever! What the hell, Javi? This is crazy.” I threw my head into my hands and groaned.
“I know. But you’ll be safe here. You should have come with us a long time ago, but your dad refused to let you go.”
I reeled. The fallout with my tío. It all made sense now. My stomach churned at this revelation. I felt as though I’d been punched.
Now that Papi was gone, I didn’t have a choice but to go with my tío. A lick of anger curled in my chest. How could my mom make such a pledge? To promise your child to a pack of witches?
“Javi! Rosa! Ven.” My tía’s voice boomed over a loudspeaker somewhere, startling me.
The idea of eating now made me want to puke. Javi got up and went to the far wall. I sat watching him, my heart still pounding.
“Okay, Mama. We’re coming,” he answered into the hidden microphone.
He walked back toward me, concern shining in his eyes.
I stood up slowly. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine. But…”
“We’ll talk more after lunch.” He gave me a firm nod.
With that he led me back to the hall and down to the dining room to join the others. Each step echoed in my ears as I tried to make sense of my life. The one plaguing question that replayed again and again was, why?
Why didn’t Papi tell me? Would he ever have told me the truth, or did he plan on lying to me the rest of my life?
An ache spread inside my chest, fueled by the rage and grief of the past few days. It
was a surprise I hadn’t experienced a nervous breakdown yet. Everything was happening way too fast, and I had the sinking feeling the deeper I dug, the more I would wish that I hadn’t.
Tía Teresa laid out an extravagant buffet for us. My eyes bulged as they landed on all the delicious tapas. Garlic mushrooms, croquets, patatas bravas, and more. The smells were tantalizing and welcomed. For a good while I was content to scarf down the deliciousness and keep my mind far away from current events. Once I’d eaten way more than I needed, I leaned back in my chair and tried to get Javi’s attention.
He slurped down the last of his tomato soup and met my eyes.
Let’s go.
Getting the hint, he nodded and stood. I pushed away from the table to join him. We made it halfway across the room.
“Where are you two going?” Tía Teresa called after us. Her eyebrow arched in suspicion.
Javi flashed her a huge smile. “I’m gonna show her the gardens.”
She frowned. “I already showed her the gardens.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but who doesn’t want to see your amazing garden again?” He nudged my shoulder.
Taking the hint, I smiled at her. “Yeah. I want to see it again.”
The flat look on her face told me she wasn’t buying it and with my smile more of a grimace, I couldn’t blame her.
“You’re going to the gymnasio, aren’t you?”
Javi smiled. “Just to show her some of the swords.”
She clucked her tongue. “Just… be careful, Javi. No sword fighting,” she added before walking the dishes to the sink.
Javi motioned for me to leave. I scurried after him, meeting his long strides. I made note of the turns we took so that I’d remember how to get there by myself if I needed to. Once inside, Javi shut the door behind us.
“Where is your dad?” I broke the silence.
He shrugged. “Working. Like always.” He glanced away, but not before I could glimpse the significant look on his face. The face that spoke of years of trying to please someone who just didn’t give a damn.
Pity filled me, but I didn’t know what to say to him. Sorry you have a crappy dad?
“So, do you think they’ll catch my dad’s killer soon?”
His gaze softened. “I hope so. If they don’t, I’ll ask my mentor for special permission to go myself.”
“I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think they’d let you. You need more training.”
I scoffed. “You mean to become a GRIMM?”
Unnerved by his imploring eyes, I turned away and wrapped my arms around myself. I didn’t want to be a GRIMM, but how did I tell that to him? What if they forced me into it?
“And it’s not just training. You have to pass the final testing.”
“What happens to all the students that fail? That don’t become agents?”
Javi shifted uncomfortably. “They get placed in other positions. Usually admin or service roles for other GRIMMs and if they’re disgruntled about it… well, they get disenchanted.”
I frowned. “And what does that mean?”
“They put something like a magic blocker inside them. It keeps them from being able to process what they’re seeing past the veil. Sometimes… the procedure doesn’t work properly, and they become… well, unhinged.”
I stared at him in stunned silence. If I didn’t pass their test and refused to be their slave, would that be my fate? Chills crawled up my spine. No one should have the power to plant some harmful device inside another person.
“But that won’t happen to you. You’ll pass the test.”
I shook my head. “I’m not taking any stupid test. And how can you be okay with this?”
His face hardened. “Those are the rules, Rose. They were put in place for a reason.”
I scoffed.
“There were numerous cases where non agents resented their positions and sided with our enemies and some outright murdered other GRIMMs. The disenchantment procedure was put in place to protect us.”
My shoulders slumped. What other horrific things would I learn about this world? Weariness filled me as I digested his words. I couldn’t blame my parents for not wanting me to be a part of this, but I didn’t have a choice now.
Angry tears burned my eyes. I looked away before my cousin could see me. My future was decided for me and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
“And what if”—I took a deep breath—“what if I don’t want to be a GRIMM?”
Javi looked stricken. He leaned forward, “Don’t say that. You have the sight, so you are a GRIMM. No matter what.” He glanced away. “The only way out is disenchantment… or death.”
The door swung open, making us both straighten. Tío Javier strode in, still dressed in his slacks and business jacket. Anger stirred inside me as he made a beeline for us.
“What have you told her?” he demanded.
Javi stood. “Just the basics.”
I watched their exchange, frowning as they discussed me as if I weren’t sitting right there.
Tío nodded and turned to me. “There is no word on your father’s case so far, but I’m confident in time we will find the perpetrator. He must have a pack or ally that is aiding him.”
“Yeah and he must have gotten his hand on something powerful. He was too strong and fast for your average shifter. Something was off,” Javi added.
“We’re looking into it,” Tío grunted.
“And the witches?” I asked.
My tío stared hard at me. “You are under my protection here so they cannot find you. If you leave, you’ll be painting a mark on your back.”
I glared at him. “I don’t need your protection.”
He laughed. My face burned with anger. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I did need his protection. I wasn’t equipped to handle a whole coven of witches. I was still new to all of it, but I hated to depend on him. A part of me wondered if taking my chances with the witches wasn’t the better idea after all.
“Javi said you helped my mom. To fake her death and hide me.”
He sobered. “That information can never leave this room. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Yes. But… why did you do it?”
“I had to. She forced me into a blood oath to protect you.”
My eyes widened. I didn’t know what to respond. He just admitted that he was forced into it; implying if he’d had a choice, he would have let us be discovered.
“And now what happens?”
Silence filled the room. I studied their faces, weighing their reactions.
“You will stay here under my protection. Your only option now is to accept what you are. A GRIMM.”
My jaw clenched. “My parents didn’t want me involved in all this.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Your parents were fools. Now they’re dead. You don’t get to choose. Nobody gets to choose to walk away from this life. There is a war going on out there, Rose, and we are humanity’s only help. It is your duty.”
Heat rushed through me. “So what, you’ll keep me prisoner and force me to fight in this war that I don’t want to be a part of? Make me one of your good little soldiers?”
Red spotted my vision. The metal of the bracelet bit into my skin as I tried to wrestle control back. Fury rushed over me, and I longed for a chance to unleash it.
“No. That’s not what we want.” Javi was first to respond.
I ignored him and glared at my tío. His face remained hard and unmoving. He didn’t care what I wanted. In a matter of days, my whole life was taken from me. Anguish and rage roared to life within me, making my stomach churn.
I will NOT be your soldier.
“In time, you will learn to accept your responsibility. Until then, you’ll remain compelled.”
With that, he marched out, leaving me reeling. Anger stirred hot and boiling inside me. Silence filled the room, but my heart roared in my ears. I couldn’t move or speak, and it
had nothing to do with my tío’s control over me.
“I’m sorry.”
I whipped toward Javi. His face flashed with regret and grief. The pity I found in his stare only fueled my emotions.
Sorry. He was sorry?
My life had become a cage at only seventeen. It was wrong, and I would not accept it. I would fight it every step of the way and somehow, I would find a way out.
“Do you… did you still want me to explain more?” His words were measured and soft.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. “No. I’ve heard enough for now.”
He nodded. “Okay. Do you want to… I don’t know. What do you want to do?” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’ll be in my room.” I marched off before he could stop me.
He let me go without an argument. I retraced my steps back to the room they’d given me, blinking away the hot tears. The ache that was becoming fearfully familiar, spread in my chest. I needed Papi. I longed to run to him and let out all my frustrations. I wanted to yell at him for keeping me in the dark and I wanted to hear the truth from his mouth. I needed him to tell me what to do. To promise me it was going to be okay.
I made it to my room and threw myself down on the giant bed. My mind swam with questions and my emotions clashed together. Exhausted, I eventually closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
6
I woke up to find a steaming hot plate of tamales waiting for me on a tray. After a full belly, I pulled out my phone and squared my shoulders back.
My reflection stared back at me from the black screen. I turned it on and went to my texts. The phone didn’t work—not to tell anyone what really happened to me. I’d tried that already. I could read all my messages, but my fingers wouldn’t move to make any reply. My eyes scanned the numerous texts from my friends.
Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Are you okay? When are you coming back?
I sighed. Never. And no, I was most certainly not okay. Tears prickled my eyes once more, but I blinked them away. I’d done enough crying. It was time to take some action.
