Light the Shadows (A Grimm Novel)

by Clay, Michelle

  Anna appeared in the backseat. Her eyes were large and filled with worry. “Are you really okay, Micah?”

  “Yes.” Micah leaned her head back against the seat and shut her eyes. She didn’t look at him, but he knew her next words were for him. “How’d you get there so fast? I didn’t see your bike.”

  Anna scooted forward on the backseat until she could look at Micah directly. “It was kinda neat, actually. I appeared next to him and Thomas, shouted that you were in trouble then grabbed hold of Sully. I didn’t even know I could do that.”

  “Do what?” Micah asked in confusion.

  “I don’t know how I did it, but one minute we were there in his workshop, and the next we weren’t.” Anna’s voice rose with excitement, and a giddy smile lighted her face.

  “It’s because I’m not dead or alive, but in between.” Sully said without looking at either woman. “I’m a Reaper, Death’s right hand. I can come and go at will. I prefer to travel by motorcycle though.”

  Anna giggled. “Darn, I thought I had somehow teleported you.”

  Micah turned to stare at Sully as though she was seeing him for the first time. “Can I do that, too?”

  “I don’t know,” Anna said with a shrug.

  He said, “I doubt it.”

  Micah looked a bit disappointed, so he explained further. “You’re alive, doll. When you jumped into this body, it put you at a disadvantage. You can’t travel like we do.”

  “And you can die,” Anna said in a soft voice full of remorse.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Micah lifted her head off the pillow and frowned. The sky was dark beyond the curtained window. Had she fallen asleep? The last thing she remembered was riding in the car. Sully must have carried her inside then put her to bed.

  She stretched an arm out to touch him, needing that reassurance that only he could provide. Instead of his warm body, she found a cold, empty space. Disappointment owned her.

  The house was too quiet. Fearing everyone had abandoned her to deal with Natalie, she threw the blanket off her legs then sat up. Her head swam, and she immediately considered lying down again. Surely it was just an aftereffect of nearly drowning. Perhaps Sully was right and she should have gone to the hospital.

  Something or someone moved in the shadowy corner of the room. The rustle of clothing forced her heartbeat into her throat, and goose-bumps rose on her skin. She struggled to untangle her legs from the sheet. “Who’s there?”

  There was a shift in the darkness as someone moved closer. Micah snapped the bedside lamp on to bathe the room in warm light. Surprise trickled down her spine like a drop of cold water.

  Azrael stepped out of the corner, a fond smile on his face. His bright blue eyes twinkled as Micah struggled to understand what he was doing here. He sat on the end of the bed then grasped her hand. “I do not have much time to spare, but I wanted to make certain you truly are okay.”

  Micah stared at their clasped hands. So many questions burned on the tip of her tongue. What came out was the one bothering her the most. “Was I supposed to die today? Was Ben meant to kill me?”

  “Kelly…” His voice took on a soft warning tone. His eyes looked at everything but her.

  She didn’t remove her hand from his, though she wanted to. Instead, she stared at their clasped fingers. “I’m Micah now. I don’t want anything to do with Kelly Banks or her messed up life.”

  “You remember?”

  “Yeah, not all of it though. I remember enough to know I don’t want any part of her life back.” She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. “Honestly, I wish it was all still a mystery.”

  Azrael licked his lips then glanced at the bedside clock. It read half past eight. “For that, I am truly sorry. You must have been so afraid, so confused.”

  She slanted an incredulous glare at him. “You might say that. Do you know how many foster homes I went through before someone took pity and adopted me? No one wanted the crazy girl who saw ghosts.”

  “I should have come to you sooner, but I seldom leave my office,” he said as if he were merely a workaholic.

  “You could have made an exception.” Remorse and a bit of anger tinged Micah’s voice. “I was abandoned by you, by my parents. Toward the end, even my adopted family wanted nothing to do with me.”

  He smoothed a hand over their clasped ones then glanced at her. There was honest sincerity in his gaze. “Your mother, your real mother, didn’t abandon you. She thought she could keep you away from the Grimm’s life if she didn’t expose you to it. She tried to hide you from me, gave you up in hopes of saving you. She regretted it immediately and tried to change her mind.”

  Micah shook her head, remembering what the foster parents had told her once when she’d inquired about her birth mother. “She signed away her rights, and when I was finally adopted by the Banks, it was a closed adoption.”

  Azrael nodded slowly. “I know she had ideas of sparing you, but she had no way of knowing that she was wrong. It is in your blood.”

  “The Banks tried to fix me, but I guess I couldn’t be repaired. I was in and out of mental hospitals until I was seventeen. As soon as they’d discharge me, get me off those damn medicines that made me into a zombie, I’d see the shadows again. It was a vicious cycle. If someone had been there to guide me through it, someone who understood what was really happening … maybe my life as Kelly would have been different.”

  “I am so sorry.” Azrael’s blue eyes were downcast. “Had I known what a difficult time you were having…”

  “Stop apologizing. It doesn’t change anything.” She slipped her hand from his then scooted off the bed. She paced the area between the end of the mattress and the dresser. Her mind whirred, filled with thoughts and questions that she had no idea how to convey to him. “I started believing that I was crazy. That these things I saw weren’t real, that I’d made them up in my sick mind. And there was no way I could deal with the horrible things they told me or asked me to do.”

  She’d tried to commit suicide a few times. When that failed, she had dosed herself with whatever narcotic was handy just so she wouldn’t notice the shadows creeping in. Because of the drugs and her inability to handle the things she saw, she’d gotten tangled with a rough crowd and made some stupid decisions. Nothing he could say would erase that ugly past.

  He seemed to read the thoughts shining in her eyes. “I know nothing I can say will change the past or forgive my absence.”

  “You’re right about that.” Micah said with less ire than before. Mostly, she was just exhausted. The answers she’d so desperately tried to find belonged to the life she no longer wished to live. Who could blame her if she needed a little mental break? “My birth mother … is she still alive?”

  A look of sorrow washed over Azrael’s face as he shook his head. Micah truly believed the remorse that seemed to ooze from him. He said, “Sadly, she has moved on.”

  “As in died?” Micah asked softly.

  He nodded. “Your father, too. He was a mortal. Your mother was a Grimm, but she grew weary of her responsibilities.”

  “You killed them, didn’t you? Just like Thomas?” Micah asked in shock.

  “No, she simply asked to be mortal again. . Because I loved your mother dearly, I granted her wish. She became pregnant almost right away. Your father passed soon after you were born. She knew that there was a possibility that you’d be a Grimm, so she put you up for adoption in hopes of sparing you. When her time came, she moved beyond, through the doorways.”

  Micah sat in silence, processing all this new information.

  “I would like for us to begin anew, granddaughter.” When Azrael reached for her again, she shied away. He frowned then said, “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

  Micah laughed at that. Death was as old as time, yet his skin had not withered or sagged with age. He possessed a full head of hair, though it was a bit wispy and white. The only thing that stood out was the vintage suit he chose to wear and that dusty ol
d hat. Finally, she said, “It’s disconcerting as hell to have a guy who looks barely older than I am claiming to be my grandfather.”

  Azrael simply stared at her as she leaned against the far wall. He said, “I appear as you wish to see me. Someone else might see me as an old, grizzled gentleman.”

  Micah released a breath then nodded. She supposed that made sense. Well, as much as anything else did lately.

  He said, “The light in you is the strongest I’ve seen in ages.”

  “What does that mean?” Micah asked, feeling like some kind of weird science experiment.

  He smiled, showing white teeth. The left front incisor was a bit crooked. “Honestly, I am not sure. Just be careful, child. You are mortal.”

  “Yeah, everyone keeps pointing that out.”

  Azrael’s head dipped in acknowledgment. “When you died, you were to be brought directly to my office. Everything was to be explained, and you would take on the responsibilities of the Grimm. You were to become immortal.”

  “I guess I fucked that up.”

  His lips pursed at her choice of words. “Yes, I am afraid so. Had things gone as planned, I could work the magic needed to make you immortal and you could have returned to your own body.”

  “But now I’ve taken one that doesn’t belong to me,” she said in understanding. “I’m a living dead girl, trapped in Micah Munroe’s body. Had I gone to your office as I was supposed to, I’d still be Kelly and I’d be like Thomas?”

  “Yes, I must ponder what this means. Perhaps this is why you have so much light within you. You have straddled the line between life and death.” He glanced at his antique pocket watch. His gaze slanted at her, and he sighed. “I must go now.”

  “Will I see you again?” She took a step toward him, unsure why she suddenly didn’t want him to go.

  “Someday, perhaps. Being Death is a heavy burden that carries great obligation. I’ve been away far too long as it is.” He stood now, and it was then she realized he was not wearing the dirty old hat.

  “Names won’t write themselves,” Micah said with a half grin.

  Azrael winked out of sight, and the room became incredibly quiet.

  Micah couldn’t stand it. She needed to talk to someone about what had just taken place. She crept into the hallway. The house was dark, the flicker of the television in the living room the only light. The sound was turned so low that she couldn’t make out what was playing. She leaned over the couch to reach for the remote lying on the coffee table and sighed in relief. Sully was stretched across the cushions.

  His features were soft and relaxed as he napped. Blonde hair was slightly mussed, several strands lying across his forehead. One arm was tucked beneath his head as a pillow while the other lay across his chest. His shirt was unbuttoned to allow a fantastic view of his chest as it rose and fell in slow, even breaths.

  Micah crouched next to the cushions then reached out to smooth the hair from Sully’s face. When he didn’t move, she caressed his cheek then trailed fingers down the side of his throat, toward his chest. His hand moved up to still hers, and he smiled. Those beautiful grey eyes were still closed though.

  She leaned forward to press her lips against his ear. “You’d be more comfortable in bed.”

  Eyes half open, he grinned up at her. “Yes, but if I get into bed with you, sleep is the last thing I’ll want.”

  A jolt of exhilaration and desire pulsed through her. This time when she tried to kiss him, he cupped the back of her head and dragged her atop him. They lay together, a jumble of limbs, kissing slowly and deeply.

  Thomas cleared his throat. “Guys?”

  Sully’s hands smoothed through her hair then ran down her back to hold her in place.

  Micah snuggled beneath Sully’s chin. If she crawled off him now, everyone would know about the dilemma in his jeans.

  Thomas didn’t enter the room further. Instead he stood in the kitchen doorway. Anna stood on the other side of him, peering around him to see what they were doing. Her cheeks heated, and she said, “You both seem to be feeling better.”

  Before either of them could answer, Thomas said, “Natalie is on the move.”

  “Where is she?” Sully asked, suddenly very alert.

  “I tracked her back to my apartment.” Thomas said then stepped into the room. “She’s already got a few shadows gathered.”

  Micah scrambled off Sully then sat on the sofa’s rolled arm. “How many?”

  “Five, maybe?” Anna said with a shrug.

  Sully stood and buttoned his shirt. “Then we need to move before she can gather more.”

  Thomas looked downtrodden for a fleeting moment. “When?”

  “No time like the present,” Micah said.

  “But you nearly drowned this afternoon. Do you think you’re up to it?” Anna asked as worry creased her brow.

  Micah stood then approached the ghost. Even knowing her fingers would simply go through her, Micah reached out to her friend. Tingles raced up her arm as they touched hands. “I want you to stay here, Anna.”

  “What? No, I want to help,” Anna said, clearly affronted.

  “I don’t want you to get burned by the light. Things might get crazy, and I need to know you’ll be safe.”

  The teenager opened her mouth to argue, but Thomas stopped her. “Micah’s right. The light will destroy you. We don’t want that to happen.”

  “This isn’t fair,” Anna said. Her face darkened in a pout.

  “I know, sweetie,” Micah said in earnest. “But I don’t want to chance losing you. You’re my best friend, and if you’re gone, who’ll look out for me?”

  Now, more than ever, Micah wished she could embrace Anna.

  “Okay, but please be careful. I don’t want to lose you either.” Anna looked like she might cry as she looked at each of them. “Any of you.”

  Before anyone could say anything more, she disappeared.

  Micah released the breath she’d been holding. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” Thomas said.

  She squeezed Sully’s hand. “So are we going in lights and daggers blazing, or do we have a plan?”

  “We’ll have the element of surprise, as long as no one tips her off.” Sully didn’t take his gaze off Thomas, and Micah thought he might be appraising his friend, judging whether he could be counted on in a pinch.

  “What?” Thomas asked as Sully continued to scrutinize him. “You don’t think you can trust me?”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  Micah took his hand in her free one and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Thomas squared his shoulders. “I said I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

  “I’ll go in first,” Sully said. “I’m unarmed, and she won’t think I’m a threat.”

  “No.” Thomas shook his head. “I’ll go in first, make sure she’s there.”

  “Guys, we don’t time for this.” Micah released both their hands. “Thomas should go in and see if she’s even there. It’s his apartment and her refuge. She’d be used to seeing him there.”

  Sully started to argue, but she held up a hand. “She could have sucked the energy right out of him at the mausoleum like she did to the other shadows, but didn’t. I think deep down, she might still care for him. Besides, now that he’s whole again, he’s not quite so vulnerable.”

  Sully considered this a moment. He absently brushed his knuckles against Micah’s back. “Awesome.”

  Micah slanted a glance at Sully. The way he’d said it, it didn’t sound like he thought it was all that awesome. “You’ve got a better idea?”

  Sully turned his attention back to Thomas. “Present yourself as the concerned father and keep her occupied. We’ll have to start over if she gets spooked and disappears again.”

  Thomas nodded solemnly then plucked his car keys from his front pocket. He moved silently out the door and into the night.

  “We’ll meet you there,” Sully said the
n hurried out the door. The roar of his motorcycle echoed off the front of the house.

  She snatched her car keys from the counter. “That is so not fair!”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Micah parked in an empty space then peered up at the lighted windows of Thomas’s apartment. A silhouette stretched across the curtains then vanished. A jolt of nervous energy raced through her. Had the party already started?

  She took the stairs two at a time. When she reached the top, she stopped for a heartbeat, just to catch her breath. Though the hallway was deathly quiet, she could faintly hear Thomas speaking. His voice was tinged with desperation, and it made Micah’s heart ache. He must still believe he could talk some sense into his daughter.

  “We just want to help you, Natalie.” This came from Sully who sounded more angry than distressed. She couldn’t blame him. The girl had tried to kill him with his own weapon!

  When she moved into the hallway, a shadow blasted past her, nearly knocking her back down the stairs. She gripped the handrail and peered into the dark corridor. “Show yourself.”

  After a few heartbeats, nothing happened. Thinking the shadow had gone, she took a single step forward. Laughing, the shadow burst out of the darkness and grabbed at her again.

  Dagger in hand, she rushed forward to meet the dark form. The shadow crouched, ready to pounce. Micah summoned it with her free hand, urging it to attack. She was done playing nice.

  This time when the shadow lurched forward, she slashed the space between them. It tried to dart away, but she snagged its arm. Light shimmered at her fingertips, and the shadow had just a moment to look at her in confusion before he disintegrated into ash.

  Micah moved down the walkway, conscious of every noise and movement she made. Though she wanted to sling the door wide open and enter with white light blazing, she crept toward the door and twisted the knob slowly. There was no sense in surprising anyone. Plus, she couldn’t chance Natalie disappearing on them. The next time they caught up to her, she might have already amassed a new army. Micah had to act now, decisively and swiftly.