'Til Grim's Light (A Grim Awakening Book 2)

by Michelle Gross

  I grabbed his t-shirt and pulled myself into him. “Killian…your eyes…” My voice was like a hum. And then his smile faded and turned to anger. He pushed me away so abruptly and hid his eyes under his hand. I actually pouted. When he looked at me again, they were back to normal. I shook my head at my reaction, it felt almost like I was being enchanted by him

  Once the feeling was gone, I looked back up to him. “You should go,” he said harshly.

  “Killian?” I said his name suddenly afraid. I didn’t like the distance between us when we had been so close moments before. What just happened?

  “Take your brother home.” He sounded closed off—distant. He was shutting me out. Alex chose that moment to honk the horn. I glanced at Alex in the car for a moment and when I turned back to Killian, he was already walking down the street. His broad back disappearing underneath the streetlight.

  Chapter Six

  Girlfriend?

  That was what he said at Deb’s yesterday evening. I didn’t know if he was messing with Alex or me. I couldn’t get over the weird way he acted before he left… I walked through the hallway hugging my books against my chest. I brought my pen up toward my cheek, clicking it against my skin as I thought of him. A warm fuzzy feeling floated around in my chest. I sighed just as I bumped shoulders with someone walking the opposite direction, knocking my pen from my hand. I bent down to get it and pointed heels stepped toward me. I glanced up to see who they belonged to.

  Haley.

  I groaned on the inside as I stood up. “Sorry, I didn’t—”

  “As if I have time to deal with the freak of the school.” She snarled at me. “Move over.” She pushed me aside. What was her problem with me? I didn’t understand what I ever did to make her so mean to me. I felt my anger fizzling to the point of bursting.

  I swear she needed an attitude check.

  Something ignited inside me. I had no idea where it came from. The tingling started at my chest as it traveled through my arms into the tips of my fingers. Then before I could wonder what was happening to me, a voice filtered through my head.

  Don’t let her treat you that way.

  I gripped my hands and sniggered silently to myself before obeying the voice. Without much thought to what I was doing, I pointed my finger at one of Haley’s heels and flicked my wrist. The heel broke and her ankle came down too fast and too awkward, a sickening crack echoed as she fell to the floor with a painful scream. The crowd scattered away from her before they all noticed what happened and went to her. People were squatting down next to her, checking on her. Her hands were clutched around her already swollen ankle, tears falling down her cheeks, and I smiled.

  My finger was still pointed and when I took notice and felt the twisted smile on my face, I let my hand fall to my side and stumbled back a step.

  Oh, God. What just happened? What did I do?

  Heart pounding, I brought my hand to my mouth and fled in the other direction. I squeezed my palms that shook so hard and slipped in and out of my classes in a hazy rush. My heart was racing and my chest hurt. I couldn’t believe I did that. I just knew I was the one that did it. I didn’t know why or how; I just knew I was to blame.

  “Hey, Melanie.” I jumped when Tess spoke behind me. I turned around and rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans. “You’re jumpy today, and I thought you were finally getting over being so afraid.” She shook her head smiling at me. “Ryan still hasn’t shown up today?” she asked.

  I was staring for a long time until I realized she had asked me a question. I shook my head. “No, I don’t know what he’s up to.” I hadn’t seen him since lunch yesterday. He hadn’t come to the house last night.

  “Oh.” I could hear the disappointment.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when he comes around,” I promised.

  She nodded then her eyes lit up like they did every time she was about to gossip. “Oh, did you hear about Haley breaking her ankle wearing these ugly giant heels?” Tess snorted, and I felt sick. “That’s what she gets for messing with my man, but his stupid ass will sleep with anything, apparently.” She was looking off to the side as she spoke.

  “Have you taken your brother’s advice and talked to him yet?” She squirmed at my question and avoided my eyes. That would be a no. “Just talk to him, Tess. Don’t just assume anything.” I tried a different approach, a smarter one that I should have said sooner. “Who was the one that even told you that?” I knew she wouldn’t be able to answer that question because Vengeance’s puppets had planted the doubt in her head.

  She squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. “Huh, I don’t know. I don’t recall…”

  A strange coldness swept through the hallway out of nowhere. I felt the unease run down my spine. I looked around, back and forth in the hallway. The only thing I saw was people hurrying to get to class, getting in and out of their lockers while laughter and chatter flooded the hall.

  What was that feeling just now? I sighed.

  A breeze blew right by me. I watched as the breeze lifted my hair as it blew by. It was cold. How… “Jesus, where the crap is that cold air coming from?” Tess grabbed her arms and looked like she was shivering. I placed my hand over my hair where it had been lifted.

  I watched the hallway for the longest time after that. Sure that something was going to happen, I waited, gripping my book. The bell sounded but I stayed in place. Tess gave me a strange look before finally saying, “Are you going to just stand there or are you going to go to class?” She laughed, giving me another what’s-with-you look. I gave the hallway one final glance before following Tess to class.

  I had a feeling my quiet days were over.

  __________

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket as soon as my last class was over hoping there was a text from Killian. There wasn’t. I frowned and tucked it back in my butt pocket and placed my books in my locker before heading to my car. Maybe it was a good thing. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to act around him after yesterday anyway. He was hot and cold—but I was equally hot and cold.

  One minute he was placing his hand in mine and giving me butterflies, the next he was pulling away from me. He had been somewhat charming at the table until we walked outside… and then what? I couldn’t figure him out. I was getting goosebumps just thinking about him lately. Just what the crap was wrong with me?

  Something new, something dangerous was settling between my thighs lately—a lot more than usual—and I knew it had something to do with him. I wasn’t stupid, I knew what I was feeling. I had a sexual attraction to Killian.

  Maybe he was awakening something else inside of me? I remembered the moment the Vessel awakened, it was the dream with Killian. Did that have something to do with what I was feeling? There were too many things I still didn’t know.

  As I walked outside of the school building, I wrapped my jacket around me and hurried to my car. I was already missing summer. Once I was in the car, I started it up and cranked up the heat. It would take a second to warm up so I took my hands to my mouth and blew hot air on them. Then I placed my hands on the wheel and took a deep breath. Should I go see him? My stupid stomach was already fluttering at the thought. Crap, I was getting nervous too.

  Relax.

  I guess even I knew how to be a girl.

  My life was in danger and all I could think about was Killian. What was up with that? I was changing. I didn’t even feel afraid like I should be. There was so much to worry about.

  Yet…I pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Killian’s. I turned on the radio and listened to music so I wouldn’t have time to think about what I was doing. I gripped the steering wheel and smiled. I had no clue what I was doing. I just wanted to do something I normally wouldn’t.

  Pop!

  The wheels started turning toward the left side. I leaned forward and saw that the front of the car was lower on the left. The car was jumping on that side. “Crap,” I muttered. I had a flat ti
re in the front. I pulled off to the side of the road at the nearest opening that put me out of the road. I just had to get a flat tire in the creepy part of town. Well, not exactly town, this two-lane road was called Willer and it was on the way to town. No houses were on this road or anything for that matter. A creek ran where I pulled off. Across the creek was a steep hill covered in trees. On the left side of the road was an open field that usually kept horses, only there were none running now.

  I stepped out of the car and saw the flat tire was on the front left side. The tire had blew-out, I could see the huge gash in the tire. No wonder my car had jerked like it had. I didn’t know how to change a tire. The situation I was in made me think of Dad and how this would have been something I could have called him to help me with. I didn’t know if I missed him or the idea of a dad. I spent a lot of years on bad terms with him before deciding to pretend for my parent’s sake—they desperately wanted a normal child. Of course, he was there for me after that.

  Then there was another pain in the chest when I thought of Ryan. I knew I could have called him but now I couldn’t. The one person I could rely on was dead. A ghost. A constant reminder that I was the blame for his death.

  I sighed and bent down to grab my phone on the passenger side seat. Should I call Killian? I wasn’t sure I could call him over a flat tire. I wasn’t exactly sure about anything when it came to him. Mom couldn’t help me and she would probably call my aunt Brenda’s husband to come out and help me. Which would be weird since I didn’t know him.

  The wind picked up and I got that same chill up my spine like I had in the hallway at school earlier. My skin rippled, I held my phone and was trying to decide if I really wanted to lean up out of the car or not. That horrible tingle was running up my back. The one you got when someone was standing behind you.

  The X set me on fire. I gritted my teeth and ignored the need to grab my chest. I raised up from the car and turned quickly.

  My quiet days were indeed over. Demons were back.

  This one was creepy looking. His skin was black, chiseled and burnt looking. The only part of him that wasn’t charred looking was his red lips. His eyes were bright and stood out from the rest of his body and when his lips opened as he growled, his teeth were white and human.

  I sidestepped away from him and began to run. I felt his hand sliding through my hair almost catching me, but he didn’t and I was already hurrying to the other side of the car. Bad mistake. He only jumped onto the hood of the car, and it bent with his weight. He hissed at me.

  I took off in a dead run trying to get as much distance between us as possible. I remembered the cell phone that was in my hand. I immediately started searching for Killian’s number. My hands were far too shaky as I ran and twice I hit the wrong contact. “Oh, God!” I panicked. I went back to the contacts and finally succeeded in pressing the right name. I pressed the call button and saw that it connected before raising it to my ear.

  He made a growling sound behind me just as his arm grabbed me around the waist, hauling me backwards. The phone went flying from my hand and smacked against the blacktop. The battery flew out and landed next to it.

  The demon twirled me around to face him. His solid white eyes were frightening against the burnt skin. He growled like an animal. I tried to jerk my arms free. I desperately tried. I had to do something instead of panicking.

  Fight.

  The voice told me. My body went still as he held me by the arms. I stopped thrashing against the demon. His face loomed over mine, breathing his nasty odor down into my nose and mouth. When I thought he would least expect it, I jerked my arms downward and slipped out of his grip. I stepped back when he reached for me. Running on instinct and the voice, my body leaned to the side and I swung my leg out and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back a few steps.

  As soon as he caught his balance, he headed toward me again. I stood and looked around, not sure what I should do. I tried to think. Crap! I had no clue. When his hands reached out for me, I closed my eyes and held my hands in front of me. I wouldn’t let him hurt me or take me.

  The same tingling energy surged through me like before, only stronger. The power lit up my skin and made it glow. I felt the power resting at my fingertips. Something sparked out of my palms. The demon was flown backwards as he screamed in pain. He lay there a few seconds before raising back up. A huge hole was in his chest and he held his hand over it. It was nasty and torn right open.

  I looked down at my hands. What did I just do?

  I didn’t have any more time to think about it because the demon was standing up and moving after me. And the deadly look on his face probably meant that I had made him mad. I was screwed.

  I stumbled around like a moron and the demon lunged for me, but he never reached me. Someone collided into the demon and sent him sailing through the air. The demon landed on the hill on the other side of the creek, knocking into several trees on the way down. I looked in front of me where the demon had been. Grim stood before me, his blue essence moving inside his cloak and his hood rested over his skull.

  Surprise and relief hit me all at once. “Grim,” I called his name.

  His blue essence flowed around him from what I could see through the opening of his cloak. My heart raced under his eyeless gaze. He was intimating as always. A roar came from the demon and we both whipped our heads around to seeing him jumping across the creek. He landed on the blacktop and went after Grim.

  Grim straightened his stance, readying himself for the demon. When the demon went to grab him, Grim flung him over his shoulder like he was nothing. The demon was already up and went for Grim’s waist. Grim stumbled back a step and gripped the demon, slinging him back to the ground. As the demon was trying to scramble back up, Grim brought his boot over his shoulder and pinned him down. The demon lashed out at his leg but couldn’t reach it. Grim brought out his hand and his scythe materialized in his hand. Something I was getting used to.

  I knew what would happen next. I saw him do it enough times before. The demon twisted his head enough to see the scythe as Grim brought it over his head. His eyes widened like he knew what it was—what it meant for him. The demon growled through his clenched teeth at Grim. Then he simply vanished just as Grim swung the blade. His boot that had been resting on the demon’s shoulder hit the blacktop along with his blade. Grim circled around looking for the demon.

  I looked along with him. I kept glancing back and forth on the road, toward the creek and trees, and the open field. The demon was gone. I finally looked back at Grim.

  His eyeless sockets were already watching me, and I sucked in a breath. Had he been watching me this whole time? Something echoed in the distance. I looked behind him, straining my eyes and ears to do their job. As the sound grew closer, it became more recognizable. I knew it was a vehicle coming. It was going too fast. As it grew louder, a black Corvette came into view from a curve in the road.

  I smiled as the Corvette came to a stop next to my car where Grim and I stood. Luckily, this road was never busy or it would be hard to explain to anyone that I had been running from a demon. The driver’s side door swung open and Killian stepped out.

  Grim never once turned as Killian approached, and I had the feeling he felt him coming long before I did. Grim turned around slowly to face him. He twirled the scythe around a few times—I didn’t understand how it was possible with its length being taller than me—before it disappeared. Killian’s eyes landed on Grim first before he looked at me. His shoulders dropped and a sigh fell from his mouth. He was relieved that I was still alive. Or maybe because Grim had protected me.

  I walked toward him, and I watched him nod at Grim before running to me. I didn’t have time to protest, or think before he was wrapping his arms around me and pressing me against his hard chest. My feet left the ground as he held me and a surprised squeal left my mouth. I grabbed onto his shoulders.

  And then his exotic scent was taking over my senses. It made me not care that we were in
broad daylight. I just knew he smelled great, manly and powerful. Sexy. My body recognized these things because it was what it wanted. While I had been cold from the autumn air moments earlier, I now only felt heat pressed against him.

  He held me tighter, it felt like I would snap in half. I tapped his shoulder to let him know that I wanted down. It took several seconds, but he finally let me go, placing my feet back on the ground. I didn’t even know why he was grabbing me like he did. But when he looked down at me, I could see he was worried. He slowly began to relax as he brought his hand up to my hair. “You scared the fuck out of me.”

  “I’m fine.” He brought his hand over to my cheek. I placed my hand over his and smiled. His other hand found my waist and pulled me close. He liked touching me, good thing I was starting to like it just as much.

  “I knew something was wrong. I could feel it and when you called and hung up before I answered…” He was staring at my lips. I bit my bottom lip, nervously, not even doing it on purpose, just instinct. His grip tightened around my waist and his eyes were liquefying to black. My pulse sped up and I inhaled sharply.

  “Enough, Killian. Hands off.” Grim’s voice, a replica of Kilian’s, only laced with all his power and demand. It was like his voice carried all the death he had seen over the years, all the knowledge he possessed, all the suffering and pain he witnessed; it was all there in the sound of his voice.

  “No.” Killian took the hand that was on my cheek and raked it through his hair. His other still held me possessively at the waist. Killian didn’t seem bothered that Grim was turning his creepy shade of black like he did every time he was angry. He leaned his head back, almost in a bored-like manner and said to Grim, “Why should I?”

  I heard the crack of Grim’s fingers popping and saw the darkening of his essence grow around him. “Time to go,” he said to Killian or me, I wasn’t sure.

  But Killian was the one to answer. “You go. I’m going to make sure Melanie gets home safe.”