Cillian rested his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay to be sad, Ais, but that’s not why we’re here.”
“I’m taking this for Serena,” I said, moving the photograph to the table at the edge of the room. “Let’s stack up whatever we think she’s going to need over here.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Cillian said. “She said her room was in the east wing on the second floor. I think we should hit that first and gather her things. We’ll look around more once that’s done.”
“Let’s do it.”
I followed Cillian up the spiral staircase that led to the second floor. Thanks to the huge windows on the east side of the house, the dwelling was awash in light without us having to touch any of the switches. Dad was adamant when he warned us about leaving behind fingerprints. The police would eventually get involved. A house this big can’t be abandoned without anyone noticing. There was bound to be an investigation.
“Maybe I should call Griffin,” I mused, grabbing the back of Cillian’s shirt to make sure we weren’t separated. My heart thudded the higher we climbed. I was expecting trouble, although I had no idea why. It made no sense for wraiths to continue hanging out at the house when it was obvious Serena had no intention of returning. “He might know something we can do for Serena.”
“Normally I would say that’s a good idea,” Cillian said. “This isn’t Griffin’s jurisdiction, though. This is Grosse Pointe Farms. We can ask him what he thinks tonight, but it’s not as if the police can do anything. They don’t know about wraiths, and there’s no way we can explain this in a way they’ll understand or won’t find suspicious.”
He had a point. “Let’s just get Serena’s stuff and get out of here,” I suggested. “This place gives me the creeps. It’s like … we’re trespassing on the realm of the dead.”
Cillian pulled up short and fixed me with an odd look. “That was almost poetic.”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I wasn’t making fun of you,” Cillian shot back. “You just surprised me. I forget that you’re still a girl under all of that snark sometimes.”
“Do you really think now is the time to insult me?”
Cillian rolled his eyes. “Let’s get Serena’s stuff. I’ve been with you for only an hour and I’m already at my limit.”
That was longer than my father made it some days, so I considered it a win.
We remained close as we walked the hallway, taking care to search each room so we wouldn’t overlook a wraith if it was hiding and somehow find ourselves in trouble if it slipped behind us. By the time we hit a huge pink room with a canopy bed that put the monstrous sleigh bed my mother insisted on buying me when I was a child to shame, I was tense and nervous.
“This has to be it,” Cillian said.
“Do you think? I mean, I’m guessing one of her brothers lived in here.”
“No one needs the sass, Ais,” Cillian said, pushing me into the room.
We checked her closet and the adjacent bathroom before grabbing a suitcase and bag from the closet. I tossed the suitcase on the bed and opened it before pointing toward the bathroom. “Get all of her shampoo, makeup, perfume, lotions and stuff.”
Cillian balked. “We have shampoo at Grimlock Manor.”
“She’ll feel better with her own stuff,” I challenged, making a face. “Just do it. Make sure all the caps are tight.”
“And you’re back to being a girl,” Cillian grumbled.
I grabbed several pairs of blue jeans and sweaters from the closet and tossed them in the suitcase before heading toward the dresser. I grabbed handfuls of bras and panties and then selected an entire stack of yoga pants from one of the bottom drawers. Cillian returned to the bedroom with a bag full of stuff, widening his eyes when he saw everything I’d packed.
“Does she really need all of that?”
“We don’t know if she’ll ever get to see this stuff again,” I reminded him. “She deserves a few comforts from home.” On a whim, I grabbed the stuffed bear from atop the pillows at the head of the bed and shoved it in with her clothes before snagging the phone on the nightstand. “Find the charger for this.”
“We can buy her another phone,” Cillian pointed out.
“This one probably has photographs of her family and all of the contact information for extended family.”
“Ah. You’re not as dumb as you look.”
“That’s not even remotely possible,” I said. I scanned the room one more time, grabbing the framed photographs from the nightstand before zipping the suitcase. I tugged it to the floor and pulled out the handle so I could roll it before locking gazes with Cillian. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Cillian said. “The house has clearly been tossed, but it’s not as if they left behind a map telling us where they were going or what they were looking for.”
“I don’t think Dad expected us to find anything,” I said. “He just wanted us to check and make sure before the police take over. Let’s get out of here. This place is unbelievably creepy.”
Cillian led the way back down the stairs. Even though we hadn’t seen one wraith or heard any strange noises, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we weren’t alone. That sensation was only reinforced when we hit the main floor and I caught sight of the black rubbery beast sitting on the console table. Of course.
“Bub,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “What are you doing here?”
The normally obnoxious gargoyle merely held up his hands and shrugged. They weren’t hands in the strictest sense of the word. They were more five-digit paws with extendable red claws.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Aisling and … one of her brothers,” Bub said. “Which one are you again?”
“Cillian.” My brother didn’t look thrilled with the appearance of the gargoyle. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around the heinous little beast, so he wasn’t outright angry like me, but he clearly wasn’t happy with the turn of events. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m following you,” Bub replied. “I followed you from that castle you live in. I was curious when you broke into this house.”
There was no sense in denying it. It wasn’t as if Bub could stroll into the police station and turn us in. “We’re collecting things for a … garage sale,” I lied. I had no intention of admitting we had Serena Grimley. Bub probably figured it out on his own, but I wasn’t going to help him if he was lagging behind in the discovery game. “I need extra cash for my big move.”
Bub laughed. “You have the Grimley girl, don’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I was a much better liar than Cillian. His cheeks flushed with color when Bub asked the question. I decided to keep the gargoyle’s attention on me. “Have you seen our mother recently?”
“I’m not her babysitter,” Bub replied. “She does her own thing these days.”
“Oh, so you’re saying she prefers snacking on people in private,” I surmised. “How thoughtful of her.”
“You’ve got a mouth on you, girl,” Bub said.
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I’m still taking it as one,” I said, my suspicion getting the better of me. “Did you have something to do with what happened to the Grimleys?”
“What happened to the Grimleys?” Now it was Bub’s turn to feign innocence. “I was following you. I have no idea who the Grimleys are.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” I shot back. “I don’t have time for games. I know that the wraiths moved on the Grimleys in a coordinated attack. You tell my mother that if she had anything to do with this I’m going to rip her insides out and feed them to her before she dies.”
“That was really gross, Ais,” Cillian intoned.
It was also effective, because I didn’t miss the shift in Bub’s expression. He looked like a mutant cross between an owl and a dog, but he was a master at hiding his emotions most of the time. The fact that I got to h
im was a victory. Sure, it was a hollow victory, but I would take what I could get right now.
“Your mother didn’t have anything to do with this,” Bub said. “She is not consorting with wraiths out of choice. The ones she surrounds herself with are a trusted few. The wraiths who did this are from a much bigger group.”
“I thought you didn’t know what happened to the Grimleys?” Cillian challenged.
“Things change,” Bub said, his eyes never leaving my face. “You need to be aware of your surroundings and constantly vigilant, young Grimlock. You’re right about this being a coordinated attack. It was not, however, coordinated by your mother. She’s trying to protect you from a similar attack.”
What did that mean? “If she’s not behind it, who is?”
“There are wraiths amassing throughout the area, but I have no idea who their leader is,” Bub replied. “There are whispers amongst the wraiths and gargoyles. They’re trying to wipe out as many reaping families as possible. Can you guess why?”
“Yes,” I said, bobbing my head. “If they kill us they’ll be able to eat as many souls as they want without repercussions. Detroit is a great area to hide because of all the abandoned buildings. You’re essentially saying that they’re consolidating their efforts in this area.”
“You’re smarter than you look,” Bub nodded.
Why does everyone keep saying that? “If my mother isn’t behind it, does she know who is?”
“If she does, she’s not sharing the information,” Bub answered. “I’m not here to act as your version of paranormal Google. I’ve already told you all that I can.”
“So … nothing?”
Bub scowled. “Beware of the wraiths. Beware of the gargoyles. They’re joining with the wraiths for payment.”
“What else is new?”
“They’re much more organized this time,” Bub said. “They won’t fall for tricks again. You must be vigilant.”
“Yeah, we’ve got it,” Cillian said, scooping up the family photograph from the living room before rejoining me in the foyer. He was anxious to leave. That made two of us. “If you really want to help, tell our mother to share the truth instead of lies for a change. We would all appreciate that.”
“I see you’ve been spending too much time with this one,” Bub said, inclining his head in my direction. “She’s your mother. There’s no reason to be suspicious.”
“No, she’s our mother and she taught us to be suspicious,” I clarified. “Thanks for the heads-up, though. I’ll make sure my father is aware of the situation.”
“You do that, little Grimlock,” Bub said.
I turned my back to him and strode toward the door. Cillian seemed surprised by my aggressive stance, but he didn’t argue with my tactics. I wanted Bub to know that I wasn’t afraid of him. It was important.
We’d left the door open when we entered the house. We didn’t want to cut ourselves off from escape if wraiths were inside. I was feeling confident when I hit the pavement. That feeling lasted only a few seconds and I had no choice but to freeze in place before descending the porch steps.
Cillian barreled into me, groaning when his chin hit the back of my head. “What are you doing, Ais?”
“Look.”
“Look at what?”
I pointed toward the fence surrounding the property. Every square inch of the top ledge was covered with gargoyles … and they were all staring directly at us.
“Well … crap,” Cillian muttered. “This can’t be good.”
That was an understatement if I ever heard one.
“Yeah. Crap.”
14
Fourteen
“What do we do?”
Cillian’s voice was barely a whisper and I could feel the fear wafting off of him. It was like we were stuck in a scene from The Birds – except gargoyles are grosser and much more terrifying.
“I honestly have no idea.”
“Should we run back to the house?”
“I don’t know, Cillian,” I snapped, my limited patience fraying. “I’m worried that’s what they want us to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that we didn’t see any wraiths, but I felt as if we had guests the entire time we were in that house,” I replied. “I’m not going back in there because I think they’re going to try to herd us in that direction. We’ll probably die if we go back in there … and no, before you ask, I don’t think I’m being dramatic.”
Cillian ignored my minor freakout. “So … what? Do you want to run to the truck?”
“Yes. Did you lock it?”
We sounded like mindless drones as we worked overtime to keep our voices low and even. My spine tingled as I prepared myself for what I was sure was going to be a virtual onslaught of freaky owl-dogs attacking. It sounded like a bad SyFy movie and it hadn’t even happened yet.
“No,” Cillian replied. “I didn’t see the point.”
“I’m going to open the door and tug the suitcase on my lap,” I said. “The second I’m in the seat, don’t hesitate to pull away. Don’t wait for me to close the door.”
“Leave the suitcase.”
“No.”
“Leave it,” Cillian hissed. “There’s nothing in there that’s worth risking your life.”
“This is all Serena has of her old life and I’m not leaving it,” I shot back. “Don’t argue with me.”
“Should we run or try to walk slowly?” Cillian asked, his voice a low growl. I knew I would hear more about my stupidity as soon as we were safe. Well, if we ever made it to safety, that is.
“I … .” I pressed my lips together. “I’m going to say run. When I was a kid I used to run and jump on the bed so the monsters couldn’t get me when they were hiding underneath the mattress. That never failed me.”
“That’s because there weren’t really monsters under your bed.”
“You don’t know that,” I challenged. “They could’ve been invisible.”
“I’m going to rub your head in my armpit the second I know we’re safe,” Cillian groused. “I just … you’re the worst sister ever.”
“Just keep that anger handy,” I said, flashing him a weighted look. “We might need it.”
“I’m ready,” Cillian said. “If it comes to it, Aisling, you leave that suitcase behind.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Son of a … .” Cillian clenched his jaw. “Ready?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Go!”
Cillian and I broke into a run. My pathway to safety was closer, so I had the passenger door open first. Cillian had to run around the front of the truck and it took him longer to grip his door handle. We must’ve surprised the gargoyles, because the second we hit the doors they flew off the wall and swooped in our direction.
Cillian landed inside and helped me haul the suitcase in before he slammed his door. One of the gargoyles managed to land in the opening on my side and sank its claws into my arm, causing me to cry out. Cillian used the bag of bathroom supplies to smack it in the head and then reached across me to tug the door shut.
Blood seeped from my arm as I attempted to keep myself from crying. My eyes burned as Cillian jammed the key into the ignition, both of us sighing with relief as the engine roared. Cillian slammed his foot on the gas pedal as we reversed, and I heard the sickening crunch of something under the tires. Cillian ignored it as he headed for the main road. The gargoyles followed us, but Cillian refused to stop, instead pressing the horn and flying into oncoming traffic.
He managed to avoid the other vehicles, and the gargoyles wisely stayed behind in the gated yard rather than draw attention to themselves. I heaved out a tremulous breath as I leaned back against the seat. The suitcase was digging into my thigh, but the pain was nothing compared to the burning in my arm.
“Are you okay?” Cillian asked, his face a mask of concern.
“It hurts,” I admitted. “I’m okay, though.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“Good. You need to call Dad,” Cillian said. “Tell him what happened and that we’re coming.”
I was confused. “Why can’t we just tell him when we get home?”
Cillian pointed to the sky on my right, and when I focused on the trees dotting the side of the road I realized that gargoyles were keeping close to the branches as they followed us along the highway. They hadn’t abandoned their pursuit after all. They were somewhat camouflaged, and if you didn’t look too hard it would be easy to mistake them for birds. Sure, they were really big birds, but it was almost rush hour. People didn’t care what was in the air when all they could think about was getting home after a long day at a job they hated.
“Oh,” I muttered, my heart sinking.
“We’re not out of this yet, Ais,” Cillian said. “Call Dad. Tell him what’s going on. Tell them to be ready.”
“I can’t wait.”
CILLIAN’S tires kicked up dried leaves when he slammed his truck into park in front of Grimlock Manor. He got as close to the house as he could without running into it, but there was still at least twenty feet we had to traverse thanks to the front overhang and the alcove hiding the door.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I muttered. I was sweating profusely and my arm burned as if poison was coursing through me. I wasn’t so sure that wasn’t the case.
“You can do this,” Cillian said, grabbing the back of my neck and forcing me to look at him. “You’re going to be okay.”
“I’m hot.”
“Yeah, I think you’re in shock from the wound and what happened,” Cillian said. “I get that, but I really need you to focus.”
“I’m focused.”
“Good.” Cillian lifted the suitcase off my thigh and wedged it between the seats. “I know you want to give that to Serena, but we’re going to leave it here for now. The gargoyles can’t stay here forever, so we’re going to be able to get it eventually. For now, though, we can’t risk carrying it.”
Grim Expectations (Aisling Grimlock Book 5) Page 12
