Blood (The Grimm Cases Book 3)

by Lyla Oweds

  “What is a shikigami?” I asked.

  “Most are demons,” Xavier replied instantly, but then added, “for lack of a better term.”

  I shot him a curious look, and he moved beside me. “They are, on the most basic level, guardian spirits. They have no form. When they are created, they have no alliance toward the light or the dark. But they have personalities and develop personal preferences as they age. They are of all ages. And, for the most part, unless involved in a contract, are unable to reside in this world. They live in their own units and lives in the underworld.”

  The underworld.

  I’d wondered about this, especially considering last night’s events. Even more important than that was Damen’s safety. We were almost to my next class, and I didn’t know how long before Damen would come rushing over. That was, if he dared prevent me from talking to Xavier at all.

  Which, if he knew what was good for him, he better not even try.

  “What is a contract?” I stopped and faced Xavier.

  In our rush, some of his hair had fallen over his face, and he tilted his head at my question. “You don’t know?” After a moment of no response from me, he continued, “When entering a contract, the onmyoji agrees to share his lifeforce with the shikigami. In return, the onmyoji borrows the shikigami’s strength, and the shikigami is allowed on Earth. Shikigami aren’t allowed on our realm otherwise. It breaks the alliance.”

  Kasai had said to be chosen was an honor. He also said this was new to him.

  “What about the Xing?” I pursed my lips. “If we’re just reincarnated, why doesn’t Damen keep the same shikigami every time? Or does he always use a new one?”

  “The contract becomes void once a soul passes through the veil,” Xavier responded. “To be reincarnated, you, too, initially follow that path. So the Fire Xing does have to renew his contract with every life. It’s probably a good thing. Sometimes a shikigami and their onmyoji don’t get along. This has happened with Damen in the past, because he’s not the most agreeable person. However, there are a handful of shikigami that the Fire Xing calls into service on a regular basis. This is Kasai’s first contract with him, and his first contract ever. The fact that Damen summoned him was surprising.”

  “Is Kasai evil?” I wondered, glancing at the Science hall.

  “I don’t like him.” Xavier didn’t miss a beat. “But there’s many reasons for that. Including the fact that he lacks propriety.”

  My gaze returned to Xavier as something else occurred to me. “What about his previous shikigami? If Damen doesn’t choose them, do they enter into new contracts?”

  Xavier’s mouth thinned. “Not normally,” he admitted, his expression grave. “Their strength isn’t compatible with other onmyoji, so they usually rest for a few hundred years. But there is one who is currently in contract, though she’s rarely ever seen. Her name is Kiania, and she is the familiar of Finn Abernathy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Bianca

  Accord

  Stupid Finn. He was up to something nefarious. I was certain of it.

  And now, because of him, I hadn’t been able to concentrate in chemistry. Where was he now? He was supposed to be watching me. What was he doing at this very moment?

  For all I knew, he might be spying on me through the window. Eating chocolate and popcorn, like in the movies. Did he have binoculars too? How dare he take our childhood plans and use them against me. That was my idea.

  This was the worst.

  In fact, I loathed the idea of being spied on so much, I’d rather Finn had been with me. Even if it meant dealing with his company. I would be able to steal his food. We always did eat the same snacks.

  Besides, all this angst and discomfort would be for naught. I doubted anyone in the Cole family, if they knew who I was, would fall for such a ridiculous charade.

  This was the worst plan ever. He might have been intuitive, but who in the world left Damen in charge of making the decisions? This nonsense was going to change.

  “Miss Brosnan?” Bryce’s subdued tones reached me as I was stepping out of the lecture hall.

  I froze, causing the person behind me to run into my back, curse, and edge around me. They gave me a pretty harsh glare too, and normally I would have been upset. But none of that was important.

  I wasn’t ready to talk to Bryce. What if he saw me with Xavier? Would he be upset? Would he even care? I should tell him to go away.

  He was leaning against the wall near the door. Arms crossed, disapproval and concern etched into his expression.

  “Miss Brosnan,” he repeated, seeing that he’d gotten my attention. “Might I speak with you for a moment? I’d like to take you to dinner, where we can talk.”

  Bryce was offering me food?

  My heart raced in excitement. This could be an important moment in our relationship. There was no need to rush off yet.

  Besides, I was supposed to be letting him watch me. Plus, I would eventually need to learn to work with him.

  Perhaps one day he’d learn to call me master—or mistress, like my second favorite seemed to prefer.

  “All right,” I agreed, pulling out my phone. “Just give me a moment.”

  It was probably okay to go off-campus with Bryce, but judging from past event, the boys jumped to conclusions a lot. It was best to alert the others. No need to cause undue panic.

  Me: Bryce wants to submit to my prowess. We’re going to discuss how he might serve me.

  Miles: It has to be now?

  Julian: Why now?

  Damen: Don’t go off with him alone.

  None of this was confirmation, and I was frowning at my phone as it vibrated again a minute later.

  Julian: I thought you admitted you might be wrong about some things?

  Miles: When did Damen admit he was wrong?

  My disapproval grew as the boys continued to bicker about Damen’s wrongness track record. Because I wasn’t sure what the general consensus was about my original statement. They were getting off topic.

  Me: Should I go with him?

  It was Titus who responded this time.

  Titus: What does he actually want?

  Didn’t anyone pay attention to a word I said? I’d already told them Bryce’s intentions. My eyes flickered to the man.

  He was watching me with barely contained amusement. “Do you get permission to do everything?” he asked. It almost felt as though he was making fun of me.

  I narrowed my eyes. He was so wrong. I never asked permission to do anything. In fact, this happened to be the first time I’d let anyone know ahead of time.

  All because I was trying to grow as a person. To be thoughtful. And here was Bryce, encouraging rebellion. He was going to be a handful.

  “No,” I responded. “I’m telling them so they won’t worry.”

  “Why would they be worried if you’re with me?” Bryce asked, his tone somewhat offended. “I’m one of the safest people in the world for you to be around.”

  My hand lowered as I watched him. Was he implying that he understood our relationship? If so, there was no better time than the present to assert my authority.

  But I should still make sure. Titus seemed to doubt me, in any case. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Our relationship.” He pointed between the two of us. “And it is also our responsibility to go over what happened last night. It’s clear you need help. Real help from someone who knows what you’re going through. We need to define our roles. However, we shouldn’t dine on campus. I’m in a position of authority over you here. So I want to go somewhere else, out to eat like normal people. I’d also like to get to a point where you no longer look at me as if you’re terrified of me.”

  “I’m not scared of you,” I protested, mentally adding most of the time in my head. I glanced back at my phone—the guys were still waiting for a response.

  Me: He says he wants to talk. We’re going out to eat.

  Messages returne
d almost immediately.

  Julian: Are you comfortable with that? I can leave early.

  Miles: Want me to come? I can ditch Daniel.

  Damen: You should wait for one of us to be with you. Right now, I’m in a meeting with Garrett and my father.

  Titus: I’m in a conference call with Alexander. If you want to go, I can send Matheus to meet you.

  I paused for a blink, considering before peeking at Bryce once again. All three suspects were currently accounted for. I’d also be with Bryce and this Matheus person. So it wasn’t likely anything would happen within an hour or two. And as much as he grated on my nerves, Bryce didn’t have that same hostility to him today.

  Besides, I was starting to suspect Bryce was as socially awkward as me.

  Me: I’m going to go with him. We can talk about it after.

  The four agreed with varying degrees of acceptance, and I returned my phone to my bag.

  “I’ll go with you,” I told Bryce, swinging my backpack over my shoulder. “But I want pasta.”

  “Not a problem.” A genuine smile touched his lips. “I know just the place.”

  “What is this place?” I asked, perturbed that we weren’t in an Italian restaurant at all. The place that Bryce had taken me resembled a twenties nightclub, without the crowd of patrons.

  It was almost creepy, the way the staff seemed to hide in the shadows and only stepped out to provide a service. The dim lighting didn’t help.

  But Bryce had been super excited to come here. He actually raved about their food the whole ride.

  Matheus was here too, if I wasn’t mistaken. I’d never met the guy before, but there was a brooding guy sitting in the corner. He hadn’t said a word to me, nor come near the table. The only reason I knew who he was, was because Bryce had pointed him out. I thought we should invite him to join us at least, but Bryce said he’d refuse anyway. Apparently, he was a member of Brayden’s quintet and preferred solitude.

  Our waiter didn’t impress me either. The fair-haired man only graced our table twice. Once to take our beverage order, and the second to drop off drinks and breadsticks. He stood across the room, half hidden in the dark. He would remain there, I assumed, until Bryce beckoned him to take our order.

  This customer service was lacking. But then again, what did I know? It’d been rare to go out for dinner growing up. Perhaps this level of creepiness was something rich people liked.

  After all, Bryce didn’t seem perturbed. Nor did he appear to be in a hurry. Instead, he slowly drank his wine and munched on a breadstick. Matheus, too, was enjoying his food.

  So it was probably just me who was uncomfortable.

  I would have eaten, too, but it was actually fascinating to watch Bryce. He appeared to be getting drunk right before my eyes, and I had to stay alert. This was the perfect opportunity to find his weakness. For science.

  After all, I’d never be able to trust him until, first, I knew how to defeat him.

  But I would have to be subtle.

  “So…” I drawled, trying to sound nonchalant. “If someone wanted to get rid of you, what would be the best way to do it? Dumping a vial of poison into that wine glass of yours?”

  “No.” Bryce didn’t seem offended, or surprised, at my question. “Poison can’t kill me. And now it’s my turn. Why are you trying to involve yourself in our world?”

  The unexpectedness of his query made me pause. “What do you mean?”

  He stopped swirling his beverage and glanced up, his sharp eyes meeting mine. “What I mean is this: Wouldn’t it be better to not have to worry about the danger and politics? Edward Cole’s playtime rituals pale in comparison to the fae.”

  I knew that there was a lot more out there than I currently understood. But from Bryce’s words, it sounded as if things were terrifying.

  “Representing our world is a deadly business,” Bryce continued, his tone somber. “It’s not something a tiny, little girl can handle. To embrace your role, you’d be opening yourself to deadly political dealings and danger beyond what you can imagine. Wouldn’t it be best for you to remain protected in obscurity and continue to live a normal life? The world is so much safer outside of this nonsense.”

  His words echoed through me, and my blood felt like ice. His statement had poked at my deepest fears. My vision locked on him, and colors faded along the edges of my sight. My focus was a dark tunnel in which the only thing I could see was his face.

  I wasn’t sure how I could speak, but I managed. “What?”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s too late to turn back now.” Bryce took another sip of his wine, and his words started to slur together. “You’ve been recognized by too many people. Now we’ve no choice but to make the best of it. I like you. Plans change…”

  His voice trailed off, and before I could even be alarmed at his silence, he slumped forward onto the table.

  “Bryce?” Despite what he’d been saying, my heart jerked as concern for him washed over me. I jumped to his side, trying to move him so I could see his face. “Bryce, what’s wrong?”

  Finally, I was able to turn his head, and relief made me feel lightheaded. He was still breathing. That was good. But he was still unconscious.

  A gunshot echoed through the room. I glanced up barely in time to see a large gray wolf crashing to the floor some feet away. My chest heaved in fear and guilt, because without a doubt I knew this was Matheus. After all, of course Titus would have sent another shifter.

  The wolf was unmoving on the ground, and a small puddle of crimson spread from his form.

  I turned from Bryce, to try to help Matheus, when the waiter, the only other person in the room, stepped between me and the wolf. When he’d served us earlier, his face had been impassive. But now there was the hint of insanity touching his eyes and mouth, and his lips curled as he eyed me.

  I couldn’t breathe. Everything was happening so fast. But a hint of anger, along with something unrecognizable, touched my mind.

  He did this to Bryce. He hurt Matheus. I hadn’t even had a chance to talk to the latter, but he looked nice. And no matter what horrible things Bryce had been saying, he was still my responsibility.

  And now they were both hurt because of me.

  The man reached into his jacket, and his gaze turned triumphantly toward Bryce. At his look, hope prickled me, although it made me a terrible person. Perhaps this had nothing to do with me at all; it wasn’t my fault. Bryce could have angered a mob of gangsters. He had a way of bringing out people’s murderous tendencies.

  If we survived this, we were going to need to work on his public relations profile.

  But no matter what Bryce had done, I wouldn’t let this man hurt anyone else. Not under my watch. Before I could second guess my resolve, I moved between him and Bryce.

  “Stay back!” I warned, spreading my arms to shield my subordinate. “You don’t want to mess with him anymore. I know he’s an unpleasant person, but in the end, he’s not so bad. It’s not worth the hassle. Whatever your grief is, it’s best to just ignore it.”

  The man rolled his eyes. “As if we’d want him. I only care that he’s down.” He pulled out a phone as he spoke. “You’ve been difficult to track, but they were too slow to hide you. The hardest part of all of this was getting you alone.”

  “What?” My fury deflated slightly. So, it was my fault?

  “Remember, unharmed.” The man didn’t answer my question. I didn’t even have a chance to be confused, or to move, before a far larger presence moved in behind me.

  A beefy arm was thrown over my face, and the telltale pinch of a needle bit into my neck. Within seconds, everything blurred and I felt myself crumpling into nothingness.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Damen

  Passion

  My phone had barely finished vibrating before I was on my feet, headed toward the door. After all, it would be rude to interrupt my father’s conversation with Garrett Cole. The man was providing all sorts of useful inf
ormation without realizing, though none of it directly incriminating.

  Before I reached the door, though, I’d glanced down at the screen.

  The notification made me pause. I’d been expecting to hear from Julian, because he was set to meet me here to pick me up before we intervened with Bianca and Bryce. And I was expecting to maybe hear from Titus.

  Yet, it was neither of them, nor even Miles or Bianca, who messaged me. It was Finn.

  Finn never sought me out anymore. The fact that he was doing so now… There could only be one reason. My heart began to race.

  “Damen?” Father’s voice questioned. My head jerked up, and I realized I was still in the conference room. All my bearings had faded. Father was watching me curiously. “Either remain here, or leave to attend to your business. But make a decision.”

  Normally, I would have said something. Apologized for disturbing their conversation. But no words came to mind. Without response, I hastened into the hallway. No longer caring that either of them had noticed me leaving.

  Alone now, I opened my messages.

  Finn: Who screwed up now? You better do something, you imbecile.

  And attached to the message was a picture.

  It was poor quality, because it’d been taken from far away. It was only after expanding the size I was able to make out the grainy details. And once I did, I almost dropped my phone as my stomach fell.

  Bianca was draped over the shoulder of a large, suited man. She seemed to be unconscious. There were three other people there: two men and a woman. Their features weren’t discernable enough to identify them. But from appearances, it looked as though they were about to shove Bianca into the trunk of an unmarked vehicle.

  My phone continued to vibrate, more messages received. But nothing from Finn, so I didn’t look. I couldn’t move.

  I was still processing the picture and Finn’s words. They were the only thing my mind could focus on. Unrestrained fury, a feeling I seldom embraced these days for fear of losing control, began to burn low inside me as the implications of the scene sunk in.