His eyes filled with guilt. “No. Of course not.”
“Maybe I was wrong for bringing you over too, but I wanted you to see another side to life. I wanted you to have choices and options. I know we don’t have much of that now, but we have a little more freedom than we had in Nowhere. I’m sorry you guys aren’t happy here and I’m sorry that our parents might be dead but I had no idea how things would have turned out.”
“Yeah, I know none of this stuff that happened was your fault.”
I hugged my brother and I couldn’t remember if I had ever done that before. The look of surprise on his face told me that I probably hadn’t.
“I’m not really mad at you, Bram, I guess I’m just scared. I didn’t have to come here, I could have stayed home but I wanted to be with you. Now that we’re here, we never spend any time together. Any free time you have you spend with Keira, Kuro, and Adaro.”
I was my turn to feel guilty. “I’m going to fix that. When I have free time tomorrow it belongs to you and no one else, okay.”
He grinned. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
His smile faded. “Bram, if Mom and Dad are really dead, I’m going to kill Dunningham when we get back to Nowhere.”
“I would love to help you do that little bro, but we all know the Lord of Death is immortal.”
Dorian smiled slyly. I had never seen him look that way before. “Yeah, he is but I happen to know a genius who invented a serum that cancels immortality. When we get back, I’m killing that bastard.”
9
I didn’t have an assignment for two days. I spent the time doing chores and hanging with Dorian and Josh. When I wasn’t with them, I took it upon myself to give extra scythe-fighting lessons. I wasn’t concerned with the ability of my Grims, but mainly with the attitude.
“What do we need to practice for?” Kuro asked. “You saw what happened. We totally defeated them with no casualties on our part. It was easy.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” I told him. “We won because the Interceptors are so strong from taking the serum and their training. We had a bit of an advantage also even though we haven’t had the serum long enough to get the full effects. If they decide to come again, they’re coming back with a vengeance and it won’t be so easy the second time around.”
Kuro shrugged and whipped his scythe around his body. “Sure. If you say so.”
Marshall was still working on getting the chamber to take us to Nowhere. I suspected he might not have been working as hard on it as he could have, but I had no way of really knowing. It might have been me just being paranoid.
That evening I helped Ebony clear the dinner dishes from the pavilion. Kitchen clean-up was one of my least favorite chores.
Ebony’s hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She’d recently added blond highlights to it. “Any word on when we can go home?”
“Marshall’s still working on it. Hopefully soon.”
Her smile couldn’t hide the worry in her eyes. “I just need to know that everything’s okay there.”
“I know. I know.”
We worked in silence for a moment, carefully placing dishes in gray plastic tubs. An ear-piercing caw interrupted my grim thoughts. The caw was followed by a thud. Ebony and I craned our necks, looking at the roof. Something had landed there. Something big.
I walked out into the open field to see what it was. It was early evening and the sun had yet to set.
“What is it?” Ebony asked.
“I can’t see from here.”
A few Grims were milling about, but most had gone back to their houses to settle in for the night.
The caw came again. Leighton who had just stepped out of Marshall’s lab froze and pointed at the top of the pavilion. “Run!”
Before I could move, a massive black bird the size of a baby elephant dove toward me. I toppled back, shielding my face with my arm. This wasn’t the first time I had been attacked by ravens, but I had never seen only that huge.
Ebony shoed the bird away and pulled me to my feet. The raven was nowhere to be found. Leighton pounded the door of Marshall’s lab until he flung the door open, his eyes wide with alarm.
“What is it?”
“They’re back,” Leighton said.
“W-who’s back?” Ebony whispered beside me, but we both new.
Everything fell eerily silent, then within seconds the silence was filled with blaring bird screeches. Ebony dug her nails into my arm as a massive black cloud ascended upon us. Mutant-sized ravens, some even bigger than the first one that had attacked me landed on the roofs of the houses.
Door swung open and the Interceptors raced from their homes with their weapons raised and ready to fight. I swore under my breath at the thought of my scythe leaning against the wall of the barn. A lot of good it was going to do me there.
The barn doors opened and the Grims poured out with their scythes. The ravens swooped down from the roofs toward the ground, but as they did that, they changed into Grims. I had never heard of Grims who were able to transform into ravens.
Adaro charged toward me with a scythe in each of his hands. He tossed mine to me.
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” He stood beside me with his scythe in position, watching the scene.
There were hundreds of them this time and less than fifty of us. I couldn’t see how we could possibly stand a chance.
I looked around frantically for my brother and sister and Keira, but they were nowhere to be scene amid the chaos.
Several huge Grims were headed straight toward us.
“The corn,” I told Adaro.
We both turned on our heels and headed for the tall vegetation. I sped to the center of the corn field and crouched down, hoping to catch one of the by surprise.
Shouting voices and the sound of scythes cutting down the corn stalks told me how close they were getting to me. I pointed my scythe outward and waited.
A surprised yelp came from somewhere not far from me. It sounded like someone had been hiding in the corn and had been discovered. A victorious grunt followed that made me sick to my stomach.
The stalks ahead of me trembled. The toe of a black boot emerged from in between the stalks. I looked up to see a foreign Grim looking down on me with a sneer.
I thrust my scythe toward his neck, but he used his scythe to block my strike. The contact sent me reeling back. I landed on my side. Before I could get into a useful position, the Grims heavy foot was pressing down on my chest. He laughed. “I could squish you like a bug and watch your insides squirt out, or I could slice your belly open and watch your innards ooze onto the ground. I think I’ll do the latter.”
He applied more pressure to my stomach with his boot. I pressed my lips together, doing everything I could to endure the pain. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing me scream. Finally, he removed his boot and brought his scythe down over my abdomen. He was an inch away from making contact with my skin when he was snatched back into the corn stalks.
I climbed to my feet just in time to see Mauricio stabbing the man repeatedly with a sword as the Grim pleaded for mercy. The corn hid the man’s body from my view.
The man fell silent and Mauricio gave him a final stab.
“Thanks so much,” I said headed back toward the farm.
“No, this way,” Mauricio said. “Get out of the cornfield and run as fast as you can. They have us outnumbered. We don’t stand a chance. Just run.”
Others ran all around us so I got a good grip on my scythe and followed them. It took a minute to get to the edge of the corn. Beyond the corn was a wide-open field.
“To the trees!” someone shouted. A thick forest of trees sat on the other side of the field ready to provide a haven for those who could make it there and find a good hiding place.
I’d only moved a couple of feet when I saw him—a man wearing a black hat and a matching cape. He just stood there with his scythe watching us flee in fear of our
lives. I waited to see was he was going to do but he just stood there rigid, his eyes hidden behind dark shades.
Move, Bram. You can’t just stand here. I attempted to put one leg in front of the other but I had to see what he was about to do. Finally, he lifted his scythe and stabbed it into the ground.
Vibrations ran underneath my feet and the sound of thunder came from under the ground. The man in the cape stepped back and smirked as the ground cracked open. I jagged line ran across the filled forming a huge gap. The Grims who had already been running in that direction attempted to stop, but I watched in horror as a few of them fell into the gaping whole.
Josh and Dorian were close to the edge, but they managed to stop just in time. Before I could shout to my brother, the gorge that had formed widened and the two of them disappeared.
“No!” Dropping my scythe, I raced over to them. They both clung to the edge by the tip of their fingers. Just as I made it to them, Josh’s eyes widened. His fingers let go and he freeballed into the hold. I dove on the ground to grab him, but I was much too late.
Dorian’s face was wild with panic as he looked down. He could no longer see his friend.
“Hey, Dorian. Look at me. Don’t look down okay.” I grabbed my brothers’ hands to pull him up with the ground rumbled once more. This time there was a jolt. The sudden motion caused Dorian to let go and me and slip right of my reach. His eyes locked into mine for a second and I could only imagine that he was blaming him for failing him. I reached for him in desperation but caught nothing but air. My little brother dropped into the darkness screaming my name until I couldn’t hear him anymore.
I sat up. Clouds of smoke surrounded me. Once the dust settled, I spotted four bodies strewn across the ground. Lifeless. One of them was Mauricio but I couldn’t make out the others.
I turned to the gaping hole in the ground. The ground was sealed now, but there was a line of charred grass. The odor of something burning tickled my nose.
Chase placed his hand on my shoulder, staring at the line.
I swallowed hard. “Tell me that did not just happen. Tell me the ground did not just swallow Dorian, Josh, and the others.”
Chase’s voice quivered. “Bram, man. I am so sorry.”
This couldn’t be happening. Dorian had to be somewhere. He had to still be alive. I clawed at the black line, digging my nails into the soil, willing it to open back up, but it would. Chase pulled me back, but I yanked away from him. I charged across the field. “Dorian! Dorian!” He had to be somewhere.
A few of the wounded who were making their way back to the houses stared at me. In the distance, I spotted Keira and Naomi running in our direction. Thank God, they were okay but how was I supposed to face them? I promised them that I would take care of us all and I couldn’t even protect my own brother. What the hell was I going to say to my parents of they were still alive?
Naomi wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank God you’re okay.” Then she did the same to Chase.
Keira gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek. I couldn’t even look her in the eye.
“Where’s Josh and Dorian?” she asked. “We’ve been looking everywhere for them.”
I met her eyes from a second, then looked right back at the ground. “Uh . . .”
Naomi’s gaze darted all over the field. “Bram? Where are they?”
I finally summoned the courage to make eye contact with Keira. Her eyes were already watering. “They’re gone. I’m so sorry. I tried to save them, but I couldn’t.”
Naomi crumpled into Chase’s arms, sobbing. Keira stepped away from me. “Bram, stop lying.”
“You know I would never lie about something like this. I’m so sorry.”
I wrapped my arms around her as she cried into my shoulder. Even though I had been holding it in, I burst like a dam. Tears rolled down my cheeks. My throat tightened as I made noises I’d never heard come from me before. No day in my life had ever dealt me such a blow and somehow Nightstar was going to pay for it.
10
For the next week, I was numb. Memorials were held for all the fallen. We had lost four Grims—Dorian, Joshua, Shyam, and Tamela, along with twelve Interceptors. All the equipment had been destroyed so we couldn’t have gone on missions if we’d wanted to. The way I saw it, Nightstar had won. They killed our people and destroyed everything we used to save lives.
My insides were hollow. I couldn’t cry anymore. There was nothing left inside me except for a tornado of anger. With no transportation chamber, we couldn’t get back to Nowhere. We still had no idea whether our families were dead or alive. For all I knew, Naomi could have been the only family member I had left.
Keira had been keeping to herself, not even speaking much to Naomi. I left her alone. The way she looked at me, I knew she blamed me for Josh’s death since I was the one who had arranged for him to come here, but I never wanted to hear her say those words.
Naomi was speaking much to me either. She and Chase would disappear for hours at a time doing God only knew what. As for me, I felt aimless—the same way I felt when I was back in Nowhere. I had no idea what to do next. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. For the time being, we couldn’t go home and the farm was a constant reminder of all we’d lost and could never get back.
One day, Marshall called a meeting underneath the pavilion. His eyes were bloodshot and his face unshaven. He had been working around the clock to perfect his serum and to rebuild a transportation chamber. Scarlett Leighton had been helping him.
He stood silently before us for a long time like he had forgotten why he’d called us. Finally, he spoke. “The transportation chamber should be ready in two days and I will begin administering the serum today so you all will be ready for your assignments. I was able to override a couple of the colony’s systems to get some Death alerts. I’ll also continue working on getting the young Grims back to Nowhere. I know we have been dealt a heavy blow—one that should have stopped us dead in our tracks, but we won’t let that happen. All the loved ones we’ve lost, we won’t let their deaths be in vain. We shall carry on in their memory.”
No one spoke as he paced, his eyes focused on something in the distance. “There will be some changes. Some are still injured and will not be able to go out until they are better and some of your partners are . . .”
Dead. That was what he wanted to say. Mauricio was dead and I would need another partner. As much as I hated the guy, I wished things hadn’t turned out the way they had. He didn’t deserve Death.
Marshall looked over the small group of us that remained. He must have seen the hopelessness in our eyes. “I know what you’re thinking and don’t think I don’t understand. You’re questioning the choice you made and thinking you shouldn’t have come here. Although nothing is certain, we are here and we still need to carry on with our missions. Our numbers have dwindled, but we are still strong and mighty.”
I wasn’t in the mood to hear most of what he said, but he was right and at that moment, carrying on was our only choice.
Four night later Keira and I were sent on an assignment. It was different from any of the others. For one thing, we had been on it for four days and we had no idea when it would end. I didn’t care for long assignments, but if I had to be on one, at least I was with Keira. I didn’t think anyone else would have wanted to spend four days with me besides her anyway.
Our assignment was a six-year-old girl named Olivia. According to Marshall, on any given night a stranger would climb through her window and attempt to abduct her. Our job was to protect Olivia and make sure it never happened.
The downside was that Keira and I didn’t see much of each other. We took shifts—one of us sitting in Olivia’s room while the other camped out in the backyard. I offered to take the backyard the entire time, but Keira wouldn’t hear of it. Olivia’s room was easier, you got to sit in an comfy armchair and watch her sleep. Outside you had to stay on your feet, pace back and forth and be on guard. Of course, Kei
ra wouldn’t hear of taking the easier way out. “I can hold my own,” she said when I’d offered.
During the day, it was a different story. When Olivia was at school we would hang out in her room watching TV, listening to music or just talking. The best parts were when we would curl up on Olivia’s bed and take naps. We had to rest up if we were going to stay up all night.
Olivia’s room was as girly as it could be. Her pink walls were covered with kitty posters and her white book shelves were full of fairy tale books. I didn’t understand much of what Humans were into and why and I didn’t try. They rarely made any sense to me, especially little girls.
One night while Keira was on guard in the backyard and I kept watch in the arm chair, watching a sleeping Olivia, I sneezed.
Strangely, Olivia sat up and looked in my direction. She switched on the teapot lamp that sat on her nightstand. How did she hear me? I waited for her to assume she was dreaming and fall back asleep, but her gaze didn’t leave me.
“Hi.”
This was the second time I had been seen by a Human when on assignment. Maybe there was something about children that allowed them to see us. I looked around me and took a deep breath. “Hey?”
“Who are you?”
I thought back to all the years I’ve spent time poring over Human Studies. In North America, there were strange myths they believed in like fairies who came to steal your teeth at night and some fat man who broke into your house to leave you presents if you were good. Both should have been terrifying to a child if you asked me, but kids were captivated by the legends.
I cleared my throat. “I am the fairy of teeth.”
Olivia frowned and glanced at the ceiling. “You mean you’re the Tooth Fairy?”
“Yeah. That.”
She seemed to think that over for a moment and then climbed closer to the edge of her bed, closer to me. What are you doing, kid? I’m a stranger. You should be afraid of me.
Brametheus Grim: The Final Breath Chronicles Book Three Page 6
