Light the Shadows (A Grimm Novel)

by Clay, Michelle

  “She’s my daughter. My adopted daughter. She was just a baby when her mom and I got together,” Thomas said softly and shut his eyes. A single tear leaked down the side of his face and disappeared at the hairline above his ear. “I love her like she’s my own flesh and blood.”

  “Maybe she used to be, but all humanity has left her.” Micah snarled. “She’s a shadow now.”

  “I was a terrible dad. I couldn’t save her. I wasn’t there when she was taken. She wasn’t supposed to die..” Thomas gazed up at her, his expression dour. Tears slid down the sides of his face. “I hid Natalie away, but didn’t realize she was slipping out while I was gone.”

  “You held her prisoner? For how long, Thomas? Since she died?”

  “She was never a prisoner. I was trying to protect her. I thought I could keep her from becoming like the other shadows. I thought if I kept her close to me, continued to love her, she’d be okay.”

  “You failed.” Micah wanted to draw the blade across his throat or stab him in the face. Instead, she got to her feet. The blade disappeared. “Now Sully is in danger because of your negligence. Those pitiful souls that couldn’t escape her are shadows because of you.”

  “I know,” Thomas whispered. “Don’t you think I’m sorry for that?”

  “What are we gonna do?” Anna asked in a quiet voice.

  “You’re going to take me to Azrael, or I’ll find a way to get there myself.”

  Anna nodded in acceptance. “What if he still won’t help?”

  Micah’s hand balled into a fist at her side. “He will, or so help me, I’ll find a way to hurt him, too.”

  Thomas stood now. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t write Sullivan off as a lost cause like he did me.”

  Damn, Thomas is a barrel of optimism. Micah turned her attention back to Anna. “How do we get there?”

  “Someone has to die,” Anna said then glanced at Thomas who had edged closer.

  “Isn’t there another way?” Micah asked. “How do you keep crossing over?”

  Anna bit her bottom lip. “It takes a lot of energy. I’m supposed to be over on the other side all the time. I’ll get in trouble if Mr. Azrael finds out I’ve been crossing back and forth.”

  “Tell him I brought her over,” Thomas said, his eyes hopeful as he stared at Micah. “He’ll believe it. Azrael knows Sullivan and I are close. We have to find a doorway.”

  Anna seemed to consider this then finally nodded. “Let’s hurry.”

  Gripping Thomas’s arm, Micah leaned close. “Just because you’re being helpful doesn’t mean I forgive you.”

  Thomas patted her hand then offered a sad smile. “I’d expect no less.”

  ****

  Finding a doorway wasn’t as hard as Micah thought it would be. They’d only driven a few miles when Anna shouted, “Pull over!”

  An ambulance had just pulled away from the nursing home’s curb as they piled out of the car. There were several of the residents standing on the sidewalk watching as the flashing lights faded around the street corner.

  “If we hurry, they may not notice us slip in,” Micah whispered.

  Together, they crept across the lawn and into the building. They moved quickly down the hallway, past the unoccupied nurse’s station.

  “Over there.” Anna pointed toward the end of the hall. A wheelchair sat outside the only room with lights off.

  A woman who had aged beyond her years due to illness stood at the end of the bed. Her fingers trailed across the foot rail, and a small smile softened her features. “I thought it would never come. No more pain, no more heartache.”

  Anna went into shepherd mode. She touched the woman’s shoulder and smiled. “In a moment, a doorway will appear, Mrs. Gavitt. I’m going to guide you through it, to your next journey.”

  The woman nodded, clearly relieved to have been released from the illness that had stolen so many years of her life. She clutched Anna’s hand and shuffled forward.

  A barn red door with a brushed nickel knob appeared just behind the heart monitor. A small handmade welcome sign hung from a nail at the top. The woman’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. “It’s my mama’s door. I haven’t seen it since she died, could never make myself go back home after that.”

  “Everything is going to be okay now.” Anna nodded toward the door. “It’s time to go through. Perhaps your mama is waiting for you on the other side.”

  “They’re coming,” Thomas whispered close to Micah’s ear.

  “Shadows?”

  He nodded then edged closer to her as if he meant to protect her. “You don’t feel them?”

  The dagger slipped into Micah’s hand, and she searched the dim room for any sign of their arrival. The monitor on the wall hummed with static, and a wispy shadow began to take shape by the opposite wall.

  The old woman had already opened the door. The short amount of time they had to accomplish the crossover was diminishing.

  “Hurry!” Anna shouted. “The door won’t last long.”

  When the shadow became solid, it dashed forward, eager to stop them from going through. Micah slashed at it, but it evaded her blade by disappearing.

  Thomas gripped the door, holding it open. Anna glanced up at him. “I’ll meet you inside. Don’t let anyone see you.”

  Then she and the woman moved down the brightly lit hallway. The intensity of it seemed to swallow them up until they were little black specks.

  Thomas shouted, “Behind you!”

  Micah whirled, the blade slashing upward into the shadow’s chest. The dark form grappled at its wound for a moment then burst into ashy sparks. She didn’t wait around to see if more were coming. Instead, she ran toward the door and Thomas.

  As soon as she was inside the bright corridor, Thomas slammed the door shut. “That was too close.”

  A weird sense of déjà vu prickled Micah’s skin. The hallway looked the same as it had when she’d died before, when she’d come through as Kelly Banks. Thomas’s hand on her wrist made her jump in surprise. He leaned close and said, “Where do you think Azrael’s office is?”

  “Not sure.” Micah jiggled the knob of the first door to their left, but it didn’t budge. Sighing, she moved farther down the corridor that seemed to never end. Each door she tried offered the same result. No entrance.

  Thomas walked behind her, trying the ones she missed. Micah turned and put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare try to sneak out of here, Thomas St. Clair. You’re not going to heaven, hell, or wherever until after you help me rescue Sully.”

  His hand dropped to his side, and his cheeks flushed. He didn’t offer an excuse, but rushed to catch up to her.

  They’d only gone a few steps when he gripped Micah’s shoulder and jerked her backward against him. Thomas guided them into an alcove hidden behind a large potted plant then released her. He leaned close. “Someone’s coming.”

  A man and woman, both with the same sort of wispy, ghostly appearance as Anna, walked past. They spoke in low voices about someone alerting Mr. Azrael about a living, breathing person in the corridor.

  The female shepherd said, “He’s livid. Wants them pushed back through as quickly as possible.”

  The man shook his head as they passed by Thomas and Micah’s hiding place. “How did they get here anyway?”

  The woman’s harsh laugh echoed down the hallway. It was a less than angelic sound. In fact, it reminded Micah of a donkey’s bray. “My guess would be that Anna did it. She’s been sneaking over to the other side, you know? She probably left a doorway open or something.”

  “Why would she want to go over there?” the man asked with incredulity in his voice.

  The woman shrugged. “I think she’s sneaking over to see someone.”

  Micah glanced at Thomas. Where the hell was Anna anyway?

  The male shepherd stopped walking, turned his ear toward where they were hiding. When he turned to shove the potted plant aside, Micah darted past him. “Thomas, come on!”
<
br />   “Hey!” The woman yelled in surprise.

  Thomas sprinted down the hallway, his hand clasped over hers. He dragged her along at a faster pace than she could have managed on her own. Micah was overjoyed that he hadn’t demanded to know the game plan because she had no idea what they were going to do.

  The couple appeared a few feet in front of them. The woman with the horsey laugh pointed at a door. “Thomas St. Clair, we’ve been expecting you. This is your doorway.”

  Thomas stopped, nearly dragging Micah down. His facial features relaxed, and his hand began to loosen in hers. Micah grabbed at his hand, but it was too late. He’d already opened the door.

  Beyond the doorway, a petite woman with dark hair moved gracefully around the kitchen. She bent to peer into the oven, and when she opened it, Micah swore she could smell apple pie. Somewhere in the background, a child sang a song while she played.

  Thomas looked on with longing. He took a step forward, and the shepherds smiled reassuringly. The man said, “Yes, that’s right. Go to her.”

  Thomas stopped just outside the door. His smile fell away and he said, “The only problem is, Elizabeth and I weren’t right for each other. Elizabeth had been cheating on me with her ex. She went back to him after Natalie died.”

  He turned away, gripped Micah’s hand, and moved quickly down the hallway.

  The shepherds glanced at each other in surprise. The woman dashed after them. She said, “This is what it could have been, Thomas! Don’t deny yourself this happiness. This is what you’ve dreamed of for so long.”

  “No, it’s a lie.” Thomas backed away, pulling Micah along with him.

  The male shepherd pushed another door open. This time, the scene inside depicted what looked to be a church or monastery. Monks in long brown robes moved between the pews. “What if you could go back even further? Start over from the very beginning?”

  Thomas looked a bit pale in Micah’s opinion. She glared up at the man offering the fresh start then said, “Why are you doing this to him? You’re supposed to be sweet and reassuring, not a complete dick.”

  The man smirked. “If he doesn’t accept one of these choices, we can’t promise Azrael will offer it again.”

  “Fuck him.” Thomas spat the words as if they’d left a foul taste in his mouth. He gripped Micah’s hand a little tighter then turned away from them. Surprisingly, they didn’t follow.

  They called after Micah. “You can’t be here. You have to go back to the other side.”

  “Fuck off!” Micah said, mimicking Thomas’s bravado. This won a little smile from her cohort.

  Micah was still a bit cross with Thomas, but by turning down two happily ever after scenarios, he’d won some serious respect from her. He’d really stepped up in the last few minutes, and she owed him a big apology. “Thomas—”

  “Don’t. We’re going to ask Azrael to help us. If he doesn’t, we’ll figure a way to get Sullivan ourselves.”

  “There! That’s got to be it.” Micah pointed at the black, glossy door at the end of the hall.

  When they reached it, Micah slung the door open, and together they rushed inside. The sight that met them was not what Micah expected.

  Anna sat with her hands in her lap, her eyes downcast. She looked like she’d been scolded fairly harshly, as tears swam in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Micah. He knew the moment we arrived.”

  On the other side of the desk sat the man who’d appeared in Micah’s bedroom. Though he looked young, his skin was pale and paper thin. The tiniest blue veins could be seen, and there were dark circles beneath his bright blue eyes. The old derby hat sat on the edge of the desk along with volumes of what looked like journals. More journals lay on the floor beside the desk and on the shelf-lined walls.

  Azrael sat with his hands folded beneath his chin. He stared at Micah a moment then nodded toward the chair beside Anna. “Sit, please.”

  Micah and Thomas exchanged a quick glance, but she did as she was asked. If they were going to ask for his help, it was best to be amicable.

  “Azrael, sir, please just hear us out.” Micah felt as though she was sitting in front of the proverbial father figure who had just caught her sneaking out of the house. When he failed to say anything, she said, “We need your help. Sully is…”

  Finally, Azrael held up a hand to shush her. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. She had to lean forward just to hear his words. “I am well aware of the situation. Regardless, it doesn’t give the living permission to come over to this side of the veil anytime they wish.”

  Micah’s mouth opened to spout several reasons why he should help, but he hushed her again. This time he turned his gaze toward Thomas. “And you? You were given two chances to go beyond, but you turned them down? Why?”

  “If it means I might be able to save a decent man who has been my friend for over a century, I’d gladly do it again. Sullivan is like a brother to me.” Thomas said in answer. He gripped the back of Micah’s chair so hard that it creaked beneath his fingers.

  “I will not interfere,” Azrael said. He reached over to place the derby on his head. The movement caused dust to swirl in front of him. He gazed at Micah as he adjusted the brim. “You are on your own, child. Each time I leave this office, for whatever purpose, things go awry. Names do not get written into the book of the dead, and it throws off the balance of how things work. I simply cannot leave.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” Micah asked.

  Azrael picked up an old quill pen and began to scribble a name onto the book’s open page. “Both.”

  “Please,” Micah scooted to the edge of her seat. Tears swam in her eyes then tumbled down her cheeks. “You are Death. You must have great power to rule over the living and dead. Can’t you just swoop in, take care of business, then come back?”

  “I’m sorry.” Azrael placed his hand over hers. “It does pain me to see you so upset, but there is nothing I can do.”

  “Bullshit!” Micah jerked her hand away. Had Thomas not gripped the chair’s back, it would have tipped when she stood.

  Azrael moved around the end of the desk, his mouth turned down in an unbecoming frown.

  Thomas slunk out of the way then shared a confused glance with Anna.

  Micah glared at the young man in the old suit, daring him to do or say something. The blade slid into her hand like a welcome old friend. “I’m asking one last time, Azrael. Please, help us get Sully out of there.” She was close to tears again, but she’d be damned if she’d give up on him even if the odds were stacked against them.

  Azrael laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I am sorry, granddaughter, but I will not intervene.”

  Micah whipped the blade up. Azrael’s eyes widened as it arced downward. The blade’s tip bit into the dry wood of the desk. “Fine. I’ll do it myself. I had no idea Death was such a coward.”

  She turned on her heel and stalked toward the door. Behind her, she overheard Azrael shoo the others. “Go on, get out of my office. Do what you can to help her.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Where are they holding him?” Micah asked as she dropped into her Mini Cooper.

  “Micah…” Anna’s voice carried a warning. “This isn’t a good idea. We can’t just go in half-cocked. Even Death refused to help us. What does that say about our odds?”

  “Shut up, Anna.” Micah met the ghost’s gaze in the rearview. “If you don’t want to be a part of this, disappear. Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself.”

  “Do we at least have a plan?” Anna’s hazel eyes were wide with fear and worry.

  Micah sighed then eased up on the accelerator. “No, and if I think too hard about it, I’ll probably talk myself out of doing it. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t leave him there. I just can’t.”

  Everyone fell into an uncomfortable silence.

  After a few moments, Anna jerked upright in the backseat. “Oh my God, Micah! You left the dagger in Azrael’s office.”

  Micah tried to call it to h
er hand, but it did not appear. “I’ll just have to go in with hands blazing.” Her joke fell flat, and no one laughed.

  “We have to have some kind of plan,” Anna said.

  “I’m gonna blast that little…” Micah stole a glance at Thomas, and her cheeks heated. Natalie used to be his little girl, so some poise was required.

  Thomas didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he said, “Turn here then go to Forest Lawn.”

  Anna touched Micah’s shoulder, sending chilly shrapnel through her arm. She said, “He called you granddaughter. Do you think that’s true?”

  “I don’t know,” Micah answered. They had bigger things to worry about than her lineage. “And I don’t care.”

  Anna smirked. “Maybe he’ll get some familial urges and come to our rescue.”

  “Jeez, Anna. You sound so confident that we can do this.” Micah rolled her eyes. As far as she was concerned, Azrael could take that stupid hat and cram it where the sun doesn’t shine.

  “Park outside the gates. We don’t want to alert anyone to our presence just yet.” Thomas peered out the window at the dark cemetery. Tombstones formed silhouettes against the dim sky. The weathered mausoleum sat crumbling, waiting. To anyone else, it might look like a demure cemetery, but Micah knew what lurked beyond those walls.

  Micah killed the engine then gripped the steering wheel. This was it, go time. “Whatever happens, just know that I appreciate your help. If I fall behind, leave me. Just get Sully out of there.”

  Anna looked like she might cry. Thomas nodded grimly. Both he and Anna drifted out of the car without opening the doors.

  Micah got out then closed the door as quietly as she could. “Thomas, get inside and check on Sully. See if you can get him out. Anna, you keep watch outside. We wouldn’t want more shadows or the groundskeeper to surprise us.”

  Anna gripped Micah’s shoulder, sending tingles racing down her arm. “Be careful.”