For some reason, it made me wary. “You’re not going to try and save him?” Grim asked Fear but he stood emotionless. Marcus whipped his head around and glared.
“Do something,” he yelled at Fear. “You can’t live without me!” He never responded. Grim even let the chain drop from Fear’s body and he just stood there, watching, waiting.
Grim moved next to me. “The entity that once chose you, refuses to help. He doesn’t care that you’re about to die.” Marcus glared, and I gripped what was left of his chain tighter in my hand, wishing to see some of that fear I’ve seen before flood his face. “There’s no end to the suffering where you’re going,” Grim added.
Marcus never flinched, instead, he laughed like a lunatic. “You were always a goody—” He never got to finish. His head tumbled off his shoulder, followed by his body smacking the blacktop. It happened so quickly that I could barely process what happened. The chain disappeared in my hand—there was no life left. Grim’s scythe dripped with blood in front of me. I finally blinked.
“He was never going to show any regret but believe me, he was afraid,” Grim said and maybe it was because he knew how much I wanted to see him suffer. His dark soul rose from his body. Grim opened the passage and the soul started screaming and panicking.
I staggered backward, the passage was filled with every horrid emotion and pain. Like the time with Vengeance, I was overcome with all of them at once. Marcus’s soul put up a fight and even I jumped when a giant hand snaked out and grabbed it, pulling his soul in before disappearing.
“Looks like we weren’t the only ones wanting Marcus dead,” Grim said.
I took a deep breath as Grim looked at me. I instinctively touched the marks on my chest—Fear and now Grim’s as well. It wasn’t over. Grim and I turned where Fear was—he was gone. Grim’s essence darkened and unease crept up my spine.
“Where’d he go?” I asked him, my eyes scanning through the quiet demons—some resumed their battle with the Reapers.
“He’s still here, I can sense him,” Grim told me and I immediately started looking for his chain—I found it. I ran for it, but it moved as if Fear knew I was going for it. Grim faded and I spotted him again on the library as his chain came back into view—brilliant blue and vibrant with life. Fear was there as well.
“Take the mark off Melanie and the boy and leave with every demon you brought here.” Grim stepped toward him, gripping his scythe. Fear seemed to be searching for something or someone… his eyes fell over everyone until they stopped. I looked in the direction and for a moment, my heart stopped.
It was Ryan. He had a hazy look in his eyes as he gazed up to Fear—almost like he was in some sort of trance. “Ryan…” I called to him in a whisper almost.
I turned to Grim with urgency and hopeless feeling. His stance told me enough, something bad was about to happen. “You’re going back!” Grim sounded desperate as he jumped at Fear. He cut him wide open with his scythe and sent him flying in the direction of the portal, but Fear made sure he missed the portal and regained a spot on the roof. His focus was on Ryan again.
“Ryan!” I ran. I ran to get to him in time. I ran to save him. I ran because it was all I could do and when I got to him, I shook him with fury. He wasn’t budging, he didn’t even respond. It was almost like he wasn’t in there anymore.
The walls were caving inside my chest.
Then horrid cries were torn from Ryan as the blackness started to spread. Grim was there next to us. “It’s time.” My eyes widened. No. I started shaking my head, gripping him tighter. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I wasn’t ready. I was never going to be ready.
Grim tore my hands from Ryan—I could feel his scythe pulsing as he brought it up. Fear attacked Grim, pinning him to the ground. His tail moved rapidly behind him. Grim threw him off and they were back on their feet.
“Melanie,” Ryan said my name. I turned around and gasped at what I saw peering out of his chest. He had a chain again.
Chapter Twenty
Ryan
It was a dark, twisted feeling losing yourself to something on the inside—a demon, a monster, whatever you’d want to call something that shouldn’t exist. It made me sick and the rage I felt was more than on the surface, it was skin deep. It was crushing my entire being.
My memories were changing—they were fading, in and out, every few seconds. I was terrified because I kept forgetting that I was Ryan Jones.
And then I was even more terrified of what would become of me when I no longer remembered that I was me.
But that fear always helped in the end. It would kick-start my heart and I’d gain back a part of me that I had lost to the demon. Her face would take over my mind and as for my heart—she had been a part of since the day I met her. Blonde hair, perfect blue eyes, pale kissable skin. I’d always thought she was meant to be with me—be mine. And a part of me would never be able to let it go that she wasn’t. I was bitter and happy for her all at once.
Melanie Rose had gone and found herself without me.
I was okay with that, though. Loving her was something I would never be able to change. I would not know how—it was as natural as breathing.
Then the other woman in my life, the one that was the female replica of me was the only other person that’d bring me back from the darkness. Tess. My throat got all tight and it hurt to even breathe, or think that I left her alone. We grew up in a home that lacked love and affection, but now I hoped more than anything that my death did something to our cold parents, and they figured out how to be there for her when I no longer could.
Lastly, I prayed that the only two women in my life that ever mattered remained a part of each other’s life.
Yes, these were the last few things I was telling myself in case it was my last chance to think of either of them.
I studied Melanie in front of me—it was clear she was scared, scared for me and shocked that I even called her name. She must think this was my end, the place where she had to let me go. In a way, it was but it most certainly wasn’t my end. I moved my eyes over to Fear as he fought with Grim.
No, it was far from over for me. I feared something far worse than ceasing to exist awaited me because I sensed exactly what he wanted from me. The tug and pull, the need to go to him, that link that waited between us as I met his red eyes.
I closed my eyes and tried to fight it, ignore it—just enough so that I could get a goodbye in, in case it was my last chance.
“Melanie,” I said her name again.
She didn’t move, she didn’t even blink. She was too terrified of what I was about to say. “Ryan,” she managed to say my name. She was glowing, like really glowing, and it was so weird for me to see her like this—strong and powerful—when I knew her as the scaredy-cat, the introverted girl that saw ghost so she didn’t mesh well with anybody except Tess and me. And secretly, that was the way I preferred it. I didn’t want anyone to get to know the girl I knew, but someone did… and he helped her more than I ever could. I glanced to Grim before looking back to her.
“You and Tess look after each other,” I told her first because suddenly I didn’t know what my last words should be to her. “And be happy…” I brought my hand to her cheek—it didn’t even look like my hand anymore and cupped it. My eyes fell on her lips and more than anything, I wanted to kiss her there, but instead, I chose her forehead. She would always be the treasure I couldn’t have.
“Don’t hate me for what happens next,” I whispered as I stepped away from her.
“Ryan!” I could no longer fight it and Melanie’s voice was nothing but a distant sound in the back of my head.
The pulsing was back full force, clawing at me from the inside. My eyes were heavy and the darkness began to filter back in… yes.
Fear would leave, I knew he would. He was waiting for me. I just had to do what he wanted. This would all be over if he left and never came back, right? I would do this to save her.
And I ignored the fe
eling in my chest that told me I craved what I was about to do more than I wanted to admit.
That fear came back, though. What will become of me?
Demons were starting to aid Fear as he fought with Grim… his attention turned to me. The darkness was closing in, I had to hurry before I lost myself completely to the demon. Fear was the only one that could stop it all… he was in front of me before I know it. Red eyes drifting over me. Grim saw and he looked desperate to get away from the demons that ganged up on him… Reapers were joining in.
The pull toward Fear was irresistible, and I didn’t even want to run. His eyes burned into mine. I’m Ryan Jones, I’m Ryan Jones, I chanted over and over to myself, don’t forget—
His clawed hand latched out and grabbed mine. I stiffened as all this pain hit my body at once. A door inside my brain was thrown open and between us, every dark and wicked deed entered in its wake.
Chapter Twenty-One
Angel Sanctuary
“Should we have really let that happen to the boy?” Michael whispered next to Faye as they stood around the seeing glass.
“Yes,” Gabrielle answered beside them. “The boy’s human life was already lost and this is his new fate. One you’re to blame for, Faye.” His eyes fell over her in disappointment again.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Faye had watched Melanie and Ryan the last nine years, she knew just what kind of man Ryan was… if anyone could survive that kind of fate, it was him… she prayed she was right.
“Are you ready?” Gabrielle asked her.
Never in a million years, but she’d never admit that to him. Instead, she reopened her eyes and stared down at the seeing glass, determination filling her eyes. She would correct her mistake, no matter the pain it would cause. “Yes,” she told them.
The angels were ready and gathered to go. “Now let’s fix what we can and set fate back in the right direction,” Gabrielle said. “Let’s enjoy this night, we get to destroy some demons. And Faye…,” he called to her, and she turned to meet his eyes. “You’ll be the one to rip two people apart.”
His words sent panic through her soul. She never felt as sad or horrible as she did now.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Melanie
“Ryan.” I was always too late when it came to Ryan. Too late to save him. Too late in figuring out what was happening. Too late with my words. Always, too late.
I ran toward him—Grim was, too. No, please, no. I stared at Ryan and Fear in panic, but it was what I expected. I stopped running when I saw the two of them step into each other. My heart sunk—twisted. Oh God, what had I done to him? Only one stood where two used to be.
I thought destroying his soul was the worst thing that I could have let happen to him—I was wrong. Now, he was the very thing that caused all this pain.
I was in a state of confusion and panic, but I was thrown off, even more, when I saw Grim shift back into Killian. He was running for me—panic and fear laced his beautiful features. This moment between us was only a few seconds, but in my head, it felt infinite and slow; the time it took for him to get to me.
And when I saw what caused the panic in his eyes, I fully expected him to reach me in time. Molly stood by me, her hands coming at me. His hand was extended out, he was reaching for me so I did the same even though he was still too far away for me to reach him. In my head, I kept imagining that he’d get to me before she did. But he didn’t, and she pushed me into the portal that she opened behind us.
“Melanie!” he screamed and I lost sight of him as we entered the portal.
_________
“What are you planning?” I hissed at Molly as I took in our surroundings. A dungeon? It was dark and dingy and smelled like rotten flesh in here. I covered my mouth as I stared at the empty cells on both sides of us—we stood in the middle of some sort of prison? I heard screaming all around me, but the cells were empty. I followed Molly as she walked quietly in front of me. Something told me we were moving in the direction of the noise.
My skin was crawling… something was off about this place, more like, I shouldn’t be here. “Where are we?” I asked.
“This is the Pits of the Underworld,” she answered but never turned around as she kept walking. She didn’t seem worried that I would escape. I instinctively gripped my hand and frowned when I realized I no longer had my scythe. My skin wasn’t glowing, either.
Then I stopped abruptly, finally letting her words sink in. She stopped in front of me, turning her face around to look at me. “Yes, this is where the bad guys go that Grim descends, and these empty cells you see are nothing compared to what really happens to them. He’ll often leave them here waiting, starving, filling their head with the vilest things he can come up with for months before he finally sends them to the next cruelest punishment. It goes on forever until he finally sends them to the flames and that’s when they’ll be begging to go back to these cells, but they never can. The pain and suffering are everlasting once you’re down here.” She turned back around and resumed walking. Her words engraved themselves onto my skin; a chill I knew I wouldn’t be able to shake.
In front of her, I could make out the end of the cells and a brick wall with a dark opening that looked like a stairway leading down.
“Why are we here then? It hardly seems like a place a living person should be,” I told her, masking the fear I felt.
“You’re here for me,” she didn’t turn around as she replied.
“What?’
“To get what I want… I need you,” she answered, and the unease I felt only got worse. When we came upon the last two cells, one had someone in it. My eyes roamed over the man… or I thought that might have been what he was, now he looked more like a skeleton. He didn’t even see us as we walked by, his mouth and eyes were opened as if he were looking at something in horror and it was frozen like that… wait, I studied what I could make out of his sunken in face. Vengeance.
“Don’t stare at him for too long, you might get sucked into whatever hell he’s going through.” At Molly’s words, I snapped my gaze away from him. She started moving again, I took a deep breath and followed.
I studied the long circular stairway leading down to who knew what… I didn’t expect Hell to look like this… I meant, I had already been in the Underworld, but this place was the real deal… wasn’t it? I expected it to be hot since Grim called it Satan Flames, yet as I followed her down the steps, it was so cold my breath created fog. As we reached the last step, the screams quietened and I scanned the room. It was completely empty. Freezing and eerie, but empty, quiet… gray and dull.
Lonely was what I felt here, to the point that it was suffocating. Molly stopped without me noticing, and I almost bumped into her tiny frame. She peered into the distance. I looked with her and it felt like we were staring forever. Then the room no longer looked the same to me. The screams started back and I heard chains all around me. I whipped my head back and forth, a bead of sweat started at my forehead. I stumbled back and bumped into something. I panicked and twisted around, I sighed when I saw that it was only a chain. But as soon as the relief left my mouth, the chain was gone and then it was there again—all around me there were chains, naked people wrapped in them screaming, then just like that, they were gone again. Every time the flash hit my eyes, it happened again and this time, I was the one wrapped in the chain hanging from a ceiling. I was breathing hard—close to hyperventilating. When I blinked, I was standing next to Molly.
I tried to get a grip on myself. I knew the room was playing with me—messing with my head. I didn’t know which one was the real one.
“I see you actually managed to bring her here.” A very young voice spoke. A voice I knew very well. I squinted my eyes as the footsteps approached and gasped. “You’ve exceeded my expectations, Molly,” he told her.
“Alex?” There was no way the person standing in from of me was my brother.
He tilted his head and smiled up at me. “Yes, Sis?”
It looked exactly like my brother, only I knew he wasn’t. Alex never smiled in such a sadistic, over-the-top way.
I glared. “You’re not my brother.”
He arched an eyebrow as he approached me, and the look in his eye seemed to have a certain effect on me—over my heart like he held it in the palm of his hands with a mere stare. He passed me. “On the contrary, I am whoever I say I am.” He was behind me, but I was too afraid to turn around. I didn’t even want to think his name in my own head. “Melanie, dear.” My eyes widened as the hand came down over my shoulder. It wasn’t Alex that spoke anymore, but my mom. She turned me around to face her. “Why the look on your face? Don’t you recognize your mother?”
I pulled away from her and almost lost my balance. “Stop!” I screamed. I no longer believed it was the room that was psyching me out. “I know who you are—what you are!”
He laughed with my mom’s laugh—I loathed him using her voice, her face. “Who I am?” he tested me.
“The Devil,” I spat the words out. “Why am I even here? What do you need me for?”
“Need you,” he scoffed and slung my mom’s head back. “I don’t need you, I want to get rid of you before you become a bigger pain in my neck than Grim.” I tilted my head at him. “Oh, that’s right, you don’t even know what you are—no, I mean what you will become.” I had to remind myself it wasn’t my mom that was looking at me so wickedly. “Right now, you’re a pathetic human.” He stepped closer to me. “Melanie Rose, you’ve caused quite the fuss in the Underworld between Grim, Fear, Vengeance—let us not forget Marcus.” He snarled at the mention of Marcus. “He started craving too much for a mere incubus. I don’t see what Fear saw in the demon to begin with, but you guys did me a favor when you put an end to his life. There was no way he’d ever take my throne from me, but I don’t like when any demon or otherwise gets to thinking he should have more power and control than me.”
'Til Death We Meet Again (A Grim Awakening Book 3) Page 18
