Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
GRIM
Ilet out a sigh of relief the moment I stepped through the door and breathed in the warm, damp air of the greenhouse. Moira and her coven had established quite the witch’s garden within the magically constructed glass walls.
Spotting a rare stinking corpse lily, I headed in that direction, only to be brought up short by a high-pitched squeal. Before I could figure out the source of the sound, a tiny being zoomed up to my face.
“Who are ye? What do ye want with us?” A glowing pixie no bigger than my palm hovered in front of me with all the bravado of an emperor radiating off him. “Take one more step and Tangle will slice your knob to ribbons. Isn’t that right, brother?”
“Aye!” another voice shouted from the vicinity of my crotch. “I have an excellent view from here.”
I took a hasty step back, only for a third pixie to flit around my head and join the first at my eyeline.
“Och, Itch. Isn’t it obvious? He’s here for our dust.” The female pixie started gyrating in what I sadly knew to be a twerk, thanks to a demonstration from Merri, and a cloud of holographic dust fell from her tiny body.
“Show off. Not all of us have our dust yet, Fancy.”
“Don’t feel bad, Blossom. Ma said yours will come in time.” Fancy continued twerking, getting closer and closer to my face. “You’re just a late bloomer.”
“Our Blossom is closed for business,” a third female said, streaking into view.
“Shut yer gob, Pepper. I’m the eldest. I should have dusted first,” Blossom sniffled.
“And yet, you’re the only one of us still in her training wings. So sad. So pathetic.”
A tickle of dust fell across the bridge of my nose as Pepper circled my head.
I didn't know what to do. If I moved too quickly and accidentally came into contact with one of these little agents of chaos, I’d kill them.
Even though they were annoying the ever-loving shit out of me, they didn’t deserve death.
“Er, Itch, was it?” I managed, my eyes warily tracking the flight path of the closest pixies.
The male who’d first accosted me puffed up his chest and planted his fists on his hips. “That’s me! Me da said it’s cause I was nothing but an itch in his trousers.”
“Lovely.”
His wings fluttered behind him, sending another billowing cloud of dust into the air. “And what’s your name? We don’t recognize ye.”
“And we know most everybody,” Tangle added, joining his brother with a decidedly moody glower across his freckled little face.
“Grimsby,” I muttered.
“Grimsby?” Tangle mocked. “What kind of sad sack name is that? Your parents should’ve come up with something much more entertaining, like . . . Quicksilver or Bolt.”
“I’ll be sure to bring that up to them the next time I see them.” Which would be never, seeing as I didn’t have parents. But I didn’t think opening up the door to that particular life story was a good idea.
“See that you do. A name is power. That’s what Kai said.” Blossom flitted up next to Tangle and grinned at him. “He’s so handsome. I wish he had a brother. What an adventure he’d be.”
Pepper snorted. “As if ye’d know what to do with a dragon’s cock.”
“A sight more than you, I’d expect!” Blossom shot back, her wings snapping furiously and sending more of the floating pixie dust into my face.
This was getting out of control. I’d just come to visit the garden for a bit of peace. No one warned me about a gang of manic pixies.
Another cloud of dust fell from above my head, the iridescent granules getting in my eyes and all over my shoulders before Fancy descended only an inch from my nose.
“You feel . . . wrong.”
My body heated, a strange sense of euphoria overtaking me. “Don’t touch me, pixie. You don’t want to meet your maker so soon.”
“Is that a threat?” Itch snarled, anger evident even in his high-pitched tinkling timbre.
“No. It’sss sthe truth,” I said, my words more than a little slurred.
The fuck? I glanced around, my head feeling strangely detached, and the room seemed to take a second to move with me. Like a camera frame a few seconds behind.
Christ, I’d been dosed. I’d forgotten how potent fresh pixie dust could be. It was incredibly rare to come into contact with pixies who’d only just inherited the ability. I needed to get away from them before they sent me into a full-on dust-induced hallucination.
Backing up rapidly, I raised my gloved hands in front of my face and looked away.
Unfortunately, the drugging effect of their dust had me moving a bit like a bull in a china shop, my reaction time sluggish.
I ended up falling into a wall of hostas, their lush leaves brushing my cheek before the pots crashed to the floor.
“Ahhh! Get away from him, Blossom. He’s a monster!” Itch shouted, snagging the pixie nearest me and tugging her back.
“Demon! Murderer!” Tangle hissed at me, his tiny fingers making a cross as if that could ward me off.
“Only one o’those isss accurate,” I slurred, attempting to right myself.
“What did those plants ever do to you? Look at them. You killed them,” Fancy scolded.
With a slow blink, I followed her pointed finger and took in the withered brown leaves on the floor.
“He’s Death,” Pepper whispered. “I knew the horsemen were here, but I didn’t think they’d come for us.”
I shook my head to try and clear my view. Sadly, it didn’t help.
“I’m not . . . here for . . . you.” It was hard to form words. It felt like I had to over-enunciate to counteract the effects of the drug.
“See to it ye never are. We’re immortal unless a creature like you takes us down.” Itch flitted in front of his companions, arms splayed out protectively. “Get out of our greenhouse. You’ve done enough damage already.”
I snarled accidentally as I moved to stand, and the little pixies shrieked before darting out of sight. Trails of multi-hued dust hung in the air like phantom fireworks, and I couldn’t help but scowl at them as I batted them away.
Unfortunately, all the move did was send more of the potent hallucinogen up my nose.
“Bleeding hell,” I grunted. “You’re in a damn ssstate, Brimsy . . . Grisby . . . Grim.”
What would my wildflower say if she could see me now? Probably laugh her sweet arse off, and rightfully so. I could not picture a more undignified state for the horseman Death to be found in.
An unexpected tingling started crawling along the nape of my neck.
Uh-oh.
“There’sss sstrouble afoot,” I said, an honest-to-God giggle escaping me before I could stop it.
Fuck. Me.
I hated this. I’d never been less in control of myself. And now I was being summoned.
This did not fucking bode well.
The tingling, while unexpected, was not unfamiliar. Death lurked on the horizon. Not literally, I was still very much in the greenhouse . . . right? I glanced down quickly to check that I hadn’t suddenly teleported. No. Still in the greenhouse.
I let out a sigh of relief.
A rush of heat engulfed me, starting in my chest before spreading across my extremities. Every extremity. Fuck, I needed my Merri.
Right. Bloody. Now.
But the tingling came again, more insistently this time. I couldn’t ignore it much longer.
Blast it all.
Lifting my hand to wipe away the sudden sweat dotting my brow, I let out a near orgasmic groan at the brush of leather over my skin. Oh, this was very, very bad.
Death could not show up to a claiming—as Sin would say—tripping balls.
My cock was rock hard, straining in my trousers, and painfully obvious at present. That fucking pixie dust had done a number on me. I was afraid if I attempted to adjust myself, I might bring myself off instead. But it had to be done. I couldn’t walk around with a flagpole in my pants.
Just as I reached down to risk the adjustment, the tingling came again, this time more akin to a burn.
Whatever the situation requiring my attention, it had escalated rapidly.
With a frustrated growl, I manifested a death shroud, hoping the heavy folds of the dark robe would conceal my current predicament.
Then I closed my eyes and followed the tug on my most primal of senses.
I was very much not alone when I arrived, and matters were, as predicted, rapidly devolving. Dozens of people were gathered in the main meeting space, all of whom turned to look at me.
“Grim? What the fuck are you wearing?” Sin blurted.
“Who cares what he’s wearing?” Malice snapped from beside a barely restrained Chaos. “Where have you been?”
“Should we run for cover?” Caspian asked. “I have it on good authority that one should not stand idly by when Death appears.”
But it was the last voice that drew my focus.
“A little dramatic, don’t you think, Grimsby?”
I pushed the hood away from my face and let it fall back as my attention zeroed in on the ruler of hell. “Lucifer.”
Merri’s gasp pulled my focus, her presence in the room doing nothing to ease my overwhelming arousal. This was not the time to lose control. Our greatest foe stood feet away, and all my body wanted was its mate.
“What’s wrong with him?” Thorne asked, concern in his voice.
“What do you mean?” Kingston whispered.
“His eyes are rolling around in his head, like he can’t focus.”
Caspian swaggered over, his lips twitching with laughter. “I recognize that look.” He moved in close, drawing a snarl from deep in my throat as he sniffed me. “Yup. Just as I suspected. He’s been dosed.”
“Dosed?” Merri asked.
“Pixie dust.”
“What the fuck, Grim?” Sin asked. “Since when do you get high?”
Lucifer laughed. “Seems like I timed my arrival perfectly. Grimsby is having a party.” He looked around. “What? None for us? How terribly rude. I guess we’ll just have to have a party of our own.”
“Is this guy fucking crazy? Even I know you don’t taunt the dude who can kill you with one touch. Especially not when he’s high as a fucking kite and probably lacking all impulse control.” If Kingston thought he was being quiet, he was mistaken.
Lucifer smirked, then stepped uncomfortably close to Merri, his eyes never leaving mine as he reached out to touch her.
I fucking snapped.
“Touch her and die,” I snarled, rushing to him with as much grace as I could muster.
Sadly, it wasn’t much. I sort of tripped over my shroud and went flying forward. I’d only just managed to get my feet back underneath me when Merri’s shout rang out in the room, freezing everyone in place.
“Grimsby, don’t!”
She’d thrown herself in front of Lucifer, eyes wide.
The anger boiling in my blood offered much-needed clarity. But when Lucifer smiled over her shoulder, jealousy took hold, and the world blurred in my periphery as the bones beneath my skin shifted, threatening to reveal my true face.
“Careful,” Chaos warned, recognizing how close to the tipping point I was. And what that meant for every soul gathered in this room.
But there was only one soul I cared about.
“Please don’t hurt him,” she begged.
Knowing she was protecting him only added to my rage. The lack of control made my words harsh, sharp enough to cut. “Why the fuck shouldn’t I?”
Pleading robin’s egg blue eyes met mine before she uttered three words that ruined me. “He’s my mate.”