Light the Shadows (A Grimm Novel)

by Clay, Michelle

  Knowing there were custom orders to fulfill and reaping to do, he put himself in motion. He had no time to get all mushy and emotional over a woman. He shook his head as he rolled the bike away from the side of the house. But that was just it, wasn’t it? Micah had a way of bringing out these emotions. Even as scary and foreign as they were, he kind of liked it. It was sort of like jumping out of an airplane for the first time, scary as hell until you allowed yourself to experience the full exhilaration of it.

  Minutes later, he unlocked the shop’s front door. He planned only on going over the latest order and making sure everything was on target, but ended up staying longer than planned. The newly built bike looked outstanding and was ready for pick up. Its paint job depicted a skull surrounded by flames, and the customer’s last name was cleverly woven into the design. He took it for a ride around the block then opened the throttle on the highway. Satisfied that it ran like a dream, he left a message on the customer’s voicemail. Afterward, he rifled through the papers piled on the desk in the office, but quickly lost interest.

  Since Thomas had gone missing, Sully was behind on the paperwork, and honestly, he wasn’t up to doing it. He might be brilliant when it came to working on engines, piecing together random parts or painting, but he wasn’t the least bit mathematically inclined. No, he was a more of a hands-on kind of guy. The partnership between him and Thomas had worked out beautifully since Thomas didn’t like to get his hands dirty.

  “Goddamn it, Thomas!” Anger burned within Sully’s gut. Why the hell had Thomas given up? Had he just come and talked to Sully, things might have turned out differently. Was Thomas so burned out, so ashamed of his feelings, that he felt he couldn’t approach his friend with this? Sully might have talked him into continuing on, given him a resurgence of pride and sense of righteousness.

  Sully picked up the glass paperweight on the desk and turned it over in his hands. The square shape felt solid and heavy in his palm. Iron Head Customs was etched into one side. He ran his fingertip over the shop’s name then frowned. Thomas had been his best friend for over a century. Now he was gone. No, that wasn’t quite right. Now he was a fucking shadow, a sorry imitation of himself. With a growl of frustration and anger, Sully threw the paperweight. The glass shattered against the far wall and made a good sized dent. Chunks of glass littered the floor, and drywall dust drifted in the air.

  After he calmed a bit, he went over inventories then checked the status of the other order being built. It wasn’t as far along as the other, just a skeleton really, but it was a much simpler design than the other and would finish quickly. He liked to stay just ahead of schedule, just in case the other “job” got in the way.

  He’d just removed some tools from their place in the large tool chest against the wall when a name popped into his head. Another followed, along with a time and place. Shit.

  Dropping the tools, he sprinted out the front door and sent the motorcycle rocketing down the street. He only had a matter of minutes to get there. At least it was fairly close. He rolled to a stop at the gas station a few blocks away then scanned the lot for a green minivan. The Harris family should already be here according to the time Azrael had given him.

  There! The green monstrosity was just pulling up to a gas pump. It was an older van. The back bumper was dinged, and some of the pain had rusted on the front fender. He moved his bike to the pump next to the vehicle, thinking of what he might say to get close enough to make contact with the people inside. He took his time putting the gas nozzle into the bike’s tank then selected the type of fuel he wanted.

  The side door of the van trundled open, and a boy of about eight hopped out to join his dad at the pump. The kid grinned up at his dad with a gap-toothed smile. “Can I have a dollar?” he asked as his father began the process of filling the van’s tank.

  The kid’s dad patted his pocket and gave him an apologetic smile. Not to be deterred, the boy moved to the passenger’s window with the same request. His mother gave him some change, but as the boy counted it, he was clearly disappointed. “There’s only seventy five cents,” he said with a pout. “It’s not enough.”

  “Sorry, Billy, that’s all I have,” she said with just a hint of irritation.

  And there was Sully’s opening. He fished a couple quarters out of his pocket and held them out. “Here, kid.”

  When the boy reached for them, Sully dropped them into his palm. Billy wasn’t on his list, so there was no need to touch him.

  Billy moved toward the station, a big smile on his face. His fist was clamped around the quarters in his hand, and Sully wished he didn’t have to ruin this kid’s happy moment.

  “Thanks! You didn’t have to do that.” The dad extended his hand and said, “I’m Dave, and that’s my wife, Meg.”

  Sully shook their hands and sealed their fate. He wore his most convincing smile. “No problem, happy to help out.”

  A horrible wail came from inside the van, followed by the mother twisting to speak softly to the mewling creature inside. Sully glanced in and cringed at what he saw through the open door. A tiny baby was nestled safely in a carrier. It couldn’t be more than a couple months old. Azrael’s sense of humor was dark and so not funny. He looked back at the station and winced when Billy came out with a candy bar. Chocolate was smeared on his chin and upper lip.

  Life was unfair, but Sully really hated dealing with kids.

  The screeching wail continued, and Molly frantically searched through the diaper bag in her lap. “Crap, did we forget her binky again?”

  Sully’s pump clicked, indicating the tank was full. He’d better wrap this up and quick, as Dave had just removed his nozzle as well. He smiled at Sully then moved toward the building to pay for the gas.

  Sully glanced inside the van one last time as he shoved the nozzle back onto the pump. A pacifier was lying on the seat next to the baby’s carrier. Was this the binky Meg searched for? He moved toward the van and picked it up. “Is this it?”

  Meg sighed in relief and nodded. “Oh yes, thank you. This is the first trip we’ve taken since I had her, and we’re just not prepared. Billy loved to ride in the car, but she sure doesn’t.”

  Sully placed the pacifier in the woman’s hand, carefully allowing his fingers to graze hers. At a loss for anything more to say, he smiled. “Good luck.”

  He replaced the gas cap on his tank then moved the bike in front of the station. He wanted it as far from the van as possible because in a matter of seconds, it would be a tangle of warped metal and glass.

  Just as he watched Dave get in and start the engine, Billy’s name became a stain in his mind’s eye. Shit. Thanks for being on the ball, Azrael.

  Everything that happened next was like a slow motion nightmare. Dave tapped the brakes briefly at the exit then accelerated. A tour bus slammed into the side of the vehicle, shoving the smaller van sideways. The bus driver stood on the brakes, locking the tires and making them bounce on the road. The big bus slid and swerved. The green van toppled over then skidded across the pavement until it struck a phone pole. The top-heavy bus teetered, but didn’t fall.

  Out of nowhere, shadows lifted from the pavement to swarm the bus. In a synchronized movement, they pushed it onto its side. To any other person, it might have looked as though the bus had lost its battle against gravity.

  Sully raced toward the mess of broken, twisted metal and shattered glass. People screamed and moaned, and above that, he could hear the baby’s shrieking cries. He had to reach her before the shadows did something terrible to her.

  The gas attendant raced out of the building, shouting that she had called 911. He only had a matter of time to work as more names floated into his mind. Damn it, didn’t Azrael ever take a break?

  The van’s back wheels were still spinning. The entire driver’s side door was caved in, along with the front of the vehicle. Bright blood had showered the shattered windshield, and Dave’s mangled body lay a few feet from the crash site. Meg’s limp body was drawing
its last few breaths.

  The gas attendant was crying hysterically behind him.

  Sully would have to get her out of the way so he could work. He climbed atop the twisted metal to retrieve the screaming child inside. The seatbelt wouldn’t release so he was forced to extract the child without the carrier. Billy groaned, and his eyes fluttered open momentarily.

  The attendant accepted the baby then held it close. She cooed soothing words and tried to calm the tiny girl. Sully pointed at the building and repeated, “Take her inside. I’ll do what I can until help gets here.”

  She nodded grimly, her eyes full of tears as she hurried back to the store.

  From the corner of his eye, Sully spotted a few spirits lifting from the overturned bus. He needed to hurry. He reached back into the van and checked Billy’s pulse. It was so faint, hardly there. Now that Sully had made contact, it would cease altogether.

  Now he turned his attention to the bus. He managed to crawl atop the monstrosity then kick in the jammed door. Broken glass and bodies lay strewn across seats and the flat surface the bus lay on.

  Movement grabbed Sully’s attention. He cursed when several shadows moved toward him and the spirits he’d just reaped. He touched the shoulder of the woman next to him, effectively sealing the last fate on his list. Sirens wailed in the distance, indicating that rescue personnel were on their way. Help was still far away, but he knew he had to rush. And where was the goddamned doorway he needed to shove these unfortunates through?

  Sully climbed from the twisted metal and turned to see Billy’s spirit cowering near the van. Recognizing him, the boy timidly moved closer. Sully spotted the doorway, just on the other side of the bus, hidden from the gas attendant’s view. Great, a bit of good luck in this after all.

  He gripped the boy’s hand and led him toward the doorway. He glanced around, unable to find the kid’s family. What he did see was a bunch of shadows swarming the newly reaped souls. Shit just got serious and not in a good way. “Don’t worry, Billy. It’s going to be okay. See that doorway?”

  The boy nodded, his bottom lip quivering. His gaze darted this way and that, searching for a familiar face amongst the growing crowd. His mom and dad were enveloped by the shadows, the dark forms swallowing them whole. From the mass of black shadowy forms, a girl emerged.

  Sully gave the boy a gentle nudge. “You’re going to go through there and meet up with your family, okay? I’ll send them through behind you.”

  Again the boy nodded, but didn’t move. His attention was centered on the girl who now moved toward them with a serene smile on her face. “He’s lying, you know? He’s the reason you and your family are dead. No one is waiting for you on the other side, Billy boy.”

  Billy glanced up at Sully then at their clasped hands. The first hint of doubt darkened his features. Sully figured it was a good sign that the kid’s hand was still on the door knob. The door was even open a crack. He didn’t need the kid to open it further. All he needed was a break in the seal and he could shove anyone through. And that’s just what he did.

  Sully wrenched the door open and gripped the kid’s shoulder. “Sorry, kid, I don’t have time to coax you.” Then he gave him a gentle shove inside.

  One of the shadows struck him in the back, jarring the breath from his lungs. He stumbled forward, but didn’t fall. Another shadow dove at him, its lips drawn back in a fierce grimace. The girl laughed. All around him, he could hear the shadows turning the spirits against him. They lied and claimed that he’d caused the wreck that they weren’t supposed to die. They called him a murderer and urged the spirits to turn on him. Only a few hung back, confused or too afraid to act on the girl’s wishes.

  Dave and Meg led the advance. Meg screamed something about her children then pummeled Sully with her fists. Dave threw a punch, but Sully managed to duck away in time.

  Sully scrambled around to the end of the bus, farther away from the doorway than he wanted to be. He tried to explain to the newly turned shadows that if they were to go through that doorway, they’d find peace. That someone would be waiting to guide them to their next journey. They were beyond listening and continued to advance. Their faces were warped into something scary and inhuman.

  Thomas emerged from the group of shadows, sad-eyed and downtrodden. He gripped the still open door and called out to the spirits that hung back. They rushed forward, eager to get away from the frightening shadows. All but a few made it through the doorway. The creepy girl in the tattered dress growled in anger and lashed out at Thomas. His body crumpled, and he moaned in pain. His hands clamped his head as the girl stalked closer. With a decisive grin, she slammed the door shut, preventing anyone else from passing through.

  There were too many shadows for Sully to fight off. Several guarded the door now, stopping anyone from opening it again. Thomas scrambled up and away from the door, coming to Sully’s aid. Belated or not, Sully appreciated it.

  Thomas did his best to knock the other shadows away, but now that he was no longer a Grimm, he had no power over them. Sully slashed at them with his blade, but for each one that he got rid of, another was waiting to take its place. The little girl giggled cruelly, urging them to harm him further. Before long, he was almost too tired to fight back. His body ached with fatigue, and their demented, miserable thoughts were beginning to seep into his mind. There were just too many to fight, at least twenty of them, and it seemed the number was ever growing.

  In a synchronized movement, the shadows pinned his limbs to the ground, and a big man dipped his forehead against Sully’s. Was he attempting to do some kind of freaky mind meld thing? Sully thrashed about, desperate to escape.

  Thomas darted away from the shadows pursuing him. He began disappearing, but managed to yell, “I’ll get the Grimm. She can help.”

  “No!” Sully growled beneath the weight of the shadows and their heavy thought control. But it was too late. Thomas was gone, and already Sully felt his limbs relaxing. As one entity, the group told him to relax, and despite his knowing it was wrong, he couldn’t stop his body from responding. His limbs stopped thrashing, and he no longer tried to get away. Now he lay immobile on the pavement. The scythe fell from his fingers and clattered to the ground.

  The girl moved toward him then put her dainty little shoe on his shoulder. “Now I have you. Thomas will tell the Grimm, and then I’ll get her, too.”

  Sully’s eyes stung, but he wouldn’t reward her with a single fucking tear. To say he was scared was an understatement. To say he was filled with hatred was, too. He felt hate toward the girl and the shadows. And Thomas, too. More than anything, he felt it toward Azrael. How the hell had the old man allowed this to happen? Had he known it would end like this? Surely Death had the power to step in and put a stop to this.

  He wasn’t as scared for himself as he was for Micah. She was just a fragile mortal. What could she possibly do besides get hurt? Sully shut his eyes and groaned. In this instant, he wished Micah didn’t love him. That she didn’t give a shit. To do so would surely be her death.

  The girl’s head whipped around to the nearing sound of sirens. She grimaced then looked down at Sully with a lift of the eyebrow. To the others she said, “Hurry, let’s move him.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It had been hours since she had awoken alone in Sully’s bed. At first, she’d expected him to come back with breakfast. When that hadn’t happened, she’d taken a shower then picked up some of the clutter around the house. In doing so, she’d learned a little bit about him. There were a couple takeout containers in the fridge, both from the Chinese place downtown. Aside from a pint of ice cream, there was nothing in the freezer. Not even an ice tray.

  She cleaned up the bedroom and made the bed. A sketch pad with bike designs drawn inside had fallen between the nightstand and mattress. She laid it on the dresser then moved toward the closet to hang the fallen articles of clothing. Frowning at all the black fabric crammed within, she vowed to buy him a shirt of any other color. I
t was one thing to be death personified, but that didn’t mean the man had to wear black all the time.

  Finally, she picked up the shirt he’d worn the night before. It still carried his scent, the warm spice of his cologne and leather. Holding the shirt to her chest, she fell atop the bed and buried her face within the soft fabric. “Where the hell are you?”

  Sully wasn’t answering his cell phone, but she consoled herself by believing he merely had souls to reap. He’d be back soon. They’d moved past the juvenile mind games and running away from each other’s feelings. Hadn’t they?

  Late afternoon sunshine dappled the bedroom curtains and made swirly patterns on the wall above her head. She had things to do. He’d better not expect her to hang around and wait on him all night, too.

  Groaning, she tossed the shirt aside and went to the dresser where she’d left her keys. She’d be more comfortable at home. Maybe Anna would be there and they could discuss these latest developments and figure out why he was avoiding her again. Maybe he thought things were moving way too fast between them. She laughed aloud at that, her voice echoing throughout the empty house. It wasn’t like he’d walked in on her reading the latest issue of Modern Bride.

  Micah paused in the living room to stare at the only locked door in the house. It appeared to be another bedroom or perhaps an office. She tried the knob, jiggling and twisting hard. The door refused to open.

  “What are you hiding in there, Sully?” Micah knew she should leave well enough alone, but curiosity continued to eat away at her. She just couldn’t stand it. Sully lived alone. Why would there be need to lock that door? It could only mean one thing. There was something within that he didn’t want her to see.

  Micah bit her bottom lip. She should walk away and let the man have his secrets. Two steps were as far as she got. Casting one last glance at the door, she cursed beneath her breath then fell to her knees in front of it. It would only take a minute to jimmy the lock. If she was very, very careful Sully wouldn’t even know she’d been in there.