"There's a way. That will be explained to you once you accept the assignment and give me at least ten more willing and able Grims. You have the gift of persuasion over the younger Grims. Why not use your powers for good for once? Explain the benefits. Humans are necessary for this. Naomi is half-and-half, so it will require more of her blood to sustain you in the human world. You wouldn't need as much of a human's because it's pure."
"Why can't you just have Doyle bring humans over?" Chase asked.
Dunstan stroked his white beard. "He can, but being my brother's right-hand man, there's only so much time he can dedicate to me. Besides, one Grim isn't enough."
"Why don't you use your own people?" I asked.
"I will be using them also, but I would like you to lead the way."
Bram cleared his throat. "In other words, you don't want to use your people as guinea pigs, you'd rather use us."
Dunstan shrugged. "I would put it like that. At any rate, partaking in this experiment will be the only chance for you to see Naomi."
I stood before Bram could react to that. "We really have to go now." I felt light-headed and my throat was tightening. We would have to walk fast. Bram and Chase stood also.
"I need an answer very, very soon," Dunstan said as we headed for the door. "This experiment is time-sensitive."
Bram turned to say something, but I pulled him toward the door. We didn't have any time to spare.
"So what are you guys thinking?" Chase's voice was low and raspy now.
"What do you mean what are we thinking?" I asked. "There's no way we're getting involved in that."
Bram stalked ahead, deep in thought.
"Right, Bram?"
"Huh? Right. She's right. That's a suicide mission. We can't inject ourselves with human blood. Humans die. Who knows how their blood will affect our years? But—"
"But what?" I asked, trying to hide the worry in my voice.
"We can't let them use Naomi like that. We have to do something," Bram answered.
"That's what I was thinking the whole time Dunstan was talking," Chase said. "We can barely last a half hour over here. I think the only way we'll be able to get to Naomi is to play along. We don't have much of a choice."
"Yeah, I know," Bram muttered.
Deep down inside I knew they were right.
6
Each day that week I had received an expensive gift from Dunningham in honor of our upcoming engagement party. He'd sent me a platinum necklace with a diamond skull pendant, a black coat lined with fur, a silk hoodie with a diamond scythe studded on the back, a pair of black high-heeled boots, and a bouquet of black roses. My mother and her friends, who had gathered in the living room for tea, had oohed, aahed, and drooled over each and every gift.
I had become my mother's show pony. She relished and gushed over my engagement details with the other neighborhood women. Our doorbell seemed to ring non-stop.
"Just think, Melinda," said Cendrine, who lived down the street. "You will get to help plan the most exquisite wedding Nowhere has ever seen."
"And after that," Rajini added, "you will move to the Upper Estates and never want for anything again."
Mother nodded enthusiastically as she poured the wine.
At first I’d thought my mother felt sorry for me, that she really wished marrying Dunningham wasn't my fate, but it was becoming obvious that she wanted this. She was willing to exchange me for a shot at the easy life.[C2]
Cendrine ran her fingers through the fur of my coat. "Forgive me, dear, but you don't look happy."
I held one of the roses in my hand, absently pressing my thumb into one of the thorns. "Oh, I'm ecstatic. I get to marry a man who could very well be a thousand times my age and live the rest of my very long life as his property. Thinking for myself and making my own decisions—who needs that? I can't wait."
Rajini and Cendrine raised their eyebrows at each other, neither knowing what to say.
Mom laughed it off. "She's kidding. Of course she's happy."
Cendrine seemed to relax and take my mother's word for it. "Good, because trust me, dear, thinking for yourself is very overrated."
Rajini nodded. "I agree. Just go with it and enjoy the advantages. Look at all this stuff. This is just the tip of the iceberg."
The thorn had broken the skin of my thumb. I ran over the wound with my forefinger. "Right. Enjoy the advantages until I end up like his previous wives. The ones who disappeared and whom people refuse to acknowledge actually existed."
"Keira!" Mom shouted. "Go to your room right now."
I was more than happy to leave that dreadful conversation, but I had to shake my head at the irony. How was I old enough to be engaged to the oldest and most powerful Grim in the colony, yet still young enough to be sent to my room?
Later that day after a couple of hours of studying, I took a walk to the corner store a few blocks from my house. I grabbed a bottle of strawberry iced tea from the tall glass refrigerator. When I turned to approach the counter, I slammed into someone. Senka.
For a moment we stared at each other awkwardly. Senka was a pretty girl, but I thought her forehead was too large, disproportionate to her face. If my forehead was that big, I'd definitely wear bangs. I silently scolded myself for judging this girl's appearance just because she was marrying Bram.
Senka cleared her throat. "Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thanks. Congratulations on yours."
Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
She gave me a quick half smile. "About Bram. I know you two are—"
"We're friends, that's all. You have nothing to be sorry about."
Senka looked down at the bag of barbeque chips she was holding. "I don't know too much about Bram. Hopefully he'll calm down after we marry. At least my father hopes he will."
She looked afraid and I felt sorry for her. Before now I'd held this angry jea l ousy against her that I tried to push away, but she didn't want this any more than I wanted to marry Dunningham.
I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Don’t worry. Bram's a good guy. He has some issues, but he really does mean well. I'm sure you guys will be really happy." My voice cracked on the word "happy " . ”
Senka nodded. "Thanks."
"See you around," I said before heading to the counter. As I left the store, Senka and I locked eyes once more. She didn't looked any less afraid than she had a minute ago.
Friday morning I waited for the car that would take me to Dunningham's estate for a day of preparation. I had to look perfect for the engagement party, or so I'd been told.
I'd looked for Dad in every room of the house. He'd been quiet all week and I wanted to talk with him before I left. If he was nowhere inside, I knew I'd find him sitting on the front porch where he did a lot of his deep thinking.
I closed the front door gently behind me and sat beside him on the top step.
He leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek. "How are you?"
"Not too good. I don't want to do this, Daddy."
"I know. I know. I don't want it either, but—"
"There's nothing we can do about it," I finished his sentence.
"Keira, I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to stop this." He looked out into the street and closed his eyes, then dropped his head. I hated to see my father look so crestfallen. "I'm your father. It's my job to make sure you marry well and have a good life. I'm sorry I can't do that."
I lowered my voice. "Daddy, you don't think that marrying Dunningham is marrying well?"
He shook his head. "Dunningham is a great man and I have the utmost respect for him. I'd do anything he asked me to, but that doesn't mean I think he's the right man for you. I mean, marriage has never been about who you want to be with, it's who you get paired with. Good parents will at least set their children up with someone they can somewhat tolerate. I just want you to be happy and I know this doesn't make you happy."
I looped my arm aroun
d his and rested my head on his broad shoulder. "It's okay, Daddy. It won't be that bad. I just have to get used to the idea." That was a total lie, but hopefully it would make my father feel better. "I'm going to be the richest woman in Nowhere. You, Mom, and Josh will have everything you want. This is going to be great." A lump formed in my throat so I stopped talking. I knew I would cry if I continued and that would only make Dad feel worse. We sat in silence until a black carriage car pulled in front of our home.
I rose slowly and walked to the car like as if my feet were weighed down with sandbags. Dad walked behind me. A man stepped out and opened the door for me. I'd been told not to bring anything because everything I needed would be provided for me at Dunningham's.
I stood on my tiptoes to give my dad a kiss on the cheek. "See you tonight, Daddy. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
They didn't waste any time. As soon as I set foot inside of Dunningham's house, Estelle grabbed me and rushed me to the salon. I'd had no idea Dunningham even had a salon in his house, but I guessed he had everything. Soon we would have everything.
The team who had come to our house days earlier went straight to work. While my hair was getting shampooed, someone knelt beside me, clipping my fingernails and taking care of my cuticles as my toes soaked in a tub of warm sudsy water. A woman worked on one of my feet, vigorously rubbing black nail polish from my toes with nail polish remover.
Aramis stood over me reading off the schedule. "After your hair and nails are done, you will be waxed and massaged, then you will soak in a tub of milk for two hours."
"Excuse me?" I asked, attempting to sit up.
The hairdresser yanked my head back down.
"Hey, watch it!" I yelled. "Did you say that I have to soak in a tub for two hours?"
"Yes, dear. This is a special concoction that's been used for centuries. Your skin will be brand new."
I relaxed and let the crew do their jobs. I guessed there were worse things than lying in a tub of milk for two hours. I hoped it would at least be warm.
"How are you going to do my hair?" I asked the hair stylist as she blow-dried my hair.
"Mr. Dunningham wants your hair down in spiral curls," she replied. I always wore my long jet-black hair straight. I didn't care much for curls. I hoped I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my life wearing them to please Dunningham.
"His favorite color is silver, so that's the color we'll be doing your nails," said the nail technician.
This was going to be my life. Everything I would do for now on would be because Dunningham wanted me to do it. My eyes welled with tears that I wiped away with the hand that wasn't being painted. I thought about Bram preparing for his own wedding tonight. That was when the tears really began to flow.
"Are you okay?" the nail technician asked, looking concerned.
"Yeah. The fumes from the nail polish and the air from the blow-drier are making my eyes water. That's all."
After my nails dried and my hair was wrapped in a satin cloth, I was taken to the bedroom I would be using to get ready that night.
The room was spectacular—the walls were covered in a black and silver damask print . A , a large silver chandelier hung from the ceiling, and grand pieces of antique furniture decorated the room. My silver dress rested on a mannequin with my shoes beside it.
A tall woman with thick arms stood by the massage table waiting for me. I'd never had a massage before, nor did I know anyone who'd ever had one. Massages were a luxury reserved for the rich.
I was given a towel and directed to take my clothes off. After I lay face down on the table, the woman proceeded to rub oil on every part of my body. I felt awkward at first. No one had ever touched me that much before. Once I relaxed, the experience was heavenly. Massages were something I could get used to.
My calming massage had been pretty pointless considering what happened next. Aramis sat me in a chair and told me to lean my head back while a man spread hot wax on my eyebrows. He then proceeded to stick strips of paper on the wax and then ripped them off all in the name of the perfectly arched eyebrow. Waxing was something I could live without.
The bath wasn't as bad as I thought. It was warm and everyone left me alone. I rested my head against the bath pillow I had been provided and tried not to think about Bram, but I couldn't. There was no point in thinking about him anymore, at least not in the way I was used to. After tonight, he would belong to someone else. In Nowhere, once you said "I do , " to someone, that was it. You were bound for life. He would belong to Senka , and Senka would belong to him. I didn't fit anywhere in that equation.
My heart raced as I felt a sudden resentment toward Bram. Bram had anger issues. He got mad over the smallest things. He'd fight someone for accidentally stepping on his shoe, yet he seemed so ready to accept the both of us getting married to someone else. The past few days he hadn't even acted like as though he cared at all. Maybe I should have been thankful. I didn't need Bram doing anything stupid and getting himself in trouble, but I wanted him to at least be upset about it.
I pushed Bram and Dunningham out of my thoughts and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
I was awakened by Estelle shaking me and handing me a towel.
I ran the towel over my skin, which was now, remarkably, smoother than it had ever been. When I emerged from the bathroom, I discovered my mother in the bedroom. Even though I'd had hard feelings toward her earlier, I was so glad she was there. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. When I pulled back, she touched my face.
"You look so beautiful already. Just imagine how you're going to look once your makeup is done."
A glance at the clock told me there were three hours until the party. A maid brought up a tray filled with a variety of meat and cheese sandwiches. I should have been hungry , since I hadn't eaten all day, but I wasn't. My stomach was full of butterflies. There was no room for food.
Aramis entered the room with another garment on a dress form—a short silver dress with ruffles on the bottom.
Mom clapped her hands. "Oh, it's beautiful."
From a chair I watched my glam squad paw over my mother, reiterating every five minutes how she must be the source of my good looks. The wardrobe crew brought in shoes and accessories for her to choose from. She held necklaces dripping with diamonds to her neck, agonizing over which one to choose. My mother was in heaven. At least one of us was.
The makeup artist completed my face close to party time. Three people helped me into my dress so I wouldn't mess up my hair or makeup. The same three people clasped my necklace and bracelet closed before sliding a ring on each hand. They stood back to admire their work.
"You look like a queen," Estelle gushed.
Aramis nodded. "Definitely like a woman worthy of the Lord of Death."
But I wasn't a woman. I wouldn't be for another year. I would have given anything to go back to my normal teenage Friday nights—hanging out with Chase and Naomi at Brickman's. They always made fun of me for ordering a salad while they chowed on burgers. A lump formed in my throat as I realized that those times as well as my long nighttime talks with Bram were things of the past. I would never be able to go back. Naomi was gone , and Bram would be married to someone else.
"I think we should clear the room and give Keira some time to prepare for her big night," Estelle said. I appreciated that. I would be grateful for some alone time.
Mom kissed my cheek. "You look beautiful as always. The most beautiful girl in Nowhere."
She left the room. The crew gathered their things and left behind her. I sighed and sat in an armchair, forcing myself to take deep breaths so I wouldn't vomit.
I'd almost made the nauseated feeling go away when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," I called.
I looked up, expecting to see my mother or a member of the crew, but it was Dunningham.
"Oh," I said, jumping up from the seat. "I didn't know it was you."
He stood at the door for a moment, smiling at me. I wan
ted to tell him to stop looking so creepy, but of course I didn't. I couldn't help but look away.
He walked toward me. "I have never seen anything more beautiful in all my life. And I've lived a long life."
I wanted to back away, to run and lock myself in the bathroom, but I stood still. I would have to get used to him at some point, right?
He fingered a ringlet of my hair as he stared at me. "Tonight will be the best night of your life. The orchestra will play the most beautiful music. You'll get to sample the best food Nowhere has to offer. Things you've never tasted before. Anyone who's anyone will be fawning over you. It will be a magical night."
I couldn't think of anything to say , so I nodded.
He touched my chin and lifted my face, forcing me to look him in the eye. "What's wrong? You're not happy. You should be the happiest girl in Nowhere."
"Why do you want to marry me? You can have anyone. Any woman in Nowhere. Why did you choose me?"
"I've always had my eye on you," he answered. A chill shot down my body. I was a kid. "Surely you know you're the most beautiful girl in Nowhere."
I didn't know that or even think that. There were plenty of pretty girls in Nowhere. "Is that all? Just the way I look?"
Dunningham walked away from me and began to pace. "Of course not. It's the way you carry yourself. You're a fine young Grim. Yes, you've been in trouble twice because of that boy and his sister, but I'm sure you've learned from your mistakes. You come from a good hard-working family. What's not to like?"
I sat on the edge of the bed with my back turned to him.
"You do want to marry me, don't you?" he asked.
I swallowed hard. "Of course I do." I didn't think I'd ever lied so much in one day.
"Good. Because any girl in this colony would kill to be in your place."
"I know, Mr. Dunningham. I'm very honored and grateful that you've chosen me."
"Good," he said. "I expect that you'll have a much happier countenance tonight when our guests are here. I will send for you when it's time for us to make our entrance."
Keira Grim: The Final Breath Chronicles Book Two Page 5
