Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
GRIM
One moment we were standing in the bowels of Blackthorne Manor, the next Merri and I were on what appeared to be a hilltop on the cusp of a storm.
I didn’t recognize the landscape, but the tremor beneath my feet and the crack of thunder in the sky didn’t fill me with optimism.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end a split second before lightning arced overhead.
“Where are we?” Merri whispered, holding onto me for dear life.
“I haven’t a clue.”
A series of low, pained groans pulled my attention behind us, where four figures were getting to their feet.
It took me a moment to recognize them in the dark, but once I realized who they were, my already heightened defenses went on maximum alert.
Asher, Pan, Sunday, and Dahlia were all here with us.
That they were all heirs was no coincidence. The horsewomen were clearly behind this.
Those bitches were right cunts.
“Grim . . . this is strange.” Merri’s voice was low and measured as the rest of the group approached.
“Uh, guys, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” Asher said.
“We were never in Kansas,” Pan grumbled.
Asher let out a heavy sigh. “Not the point, man.”
“Ah, of course, another pop culture reference.”
Sunday, who was dressed in nothing but a robe with her hair still damp, looked around, obviously trying to get her bearings, just as I was. “Is this some kind of trick?”
“What do you think that is?” Merri asked, pointing to a basketball-sized orb set atop a fairly ornate stand a fair distance away.
Before any of us could answer, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and struck the orb, illuminating it from within and making the deep burgundy smoke and flickers of neon violet brightly flare.
“Nothing good,” I ventured, my gut telling me the orb’s presence was tied to ours.
“I’m less worried about that orb and more concerned about them.” Dahlia pointed behind me, her brows nearly to her hairline.
“Oh, shit,” Asher muttered.
Turning, I followed their stares, and my gut twisted at the sight of a horde of demons ascending the hill toward us, the four horsewomen striding confidently behind them.
As I said. Cunts, the lot of them.
“Is that my mother?” Dahlia whispered.
“And mine,” Sunday added.
“And ours,” Pan said.
Merri didn’t speak; she simply gripped my hand and squeezed. This was the first time she would come face-to-face with her mother, and there was nothing happy about the reunion.
The demons stopped between us and the orb, their twisted features looking more gruesome with every flash of lightning. They snarled and snapped, but didn’t move to attack. Waiting for instructions from their mistresses, no doubt.
Instinctively, I grasped her hand tighter and ordered, “Everyone, join hands.”
As if she had plucked my intention out of my mind, Hel cackled with wild abandon. “How adorably predictable you are, Grimsby. But it won’t work. Feel free to try, though, I do love watching you fail.”
I knew before even attempting to escape that it wouldn’t be possible. But still, I tried. Nothing happened. Not even a spark of my teleportation power ignited.
“What did you do?” I snarled.
“Magic, dear. The trap had to be set. And while we certainly didn’t anticipate you taking a joyride with your mate, the six of you are no match for our army.” Her smile stretched, and she turned her chin just slightly, speaking to her sister, War. “Do you mind if I give the command this time?”
“Ugh, go ahead.”
Squealing, she jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “Oh, goody!” Then she attempted to school her features. “Okay, okay.” Adopting an imperious pose, she shouted, “Attack!”
“Oh fuck,” Dahlia said.
“We’ve got to do something about that fucking orb. It has to be what’s keeping us here,” Asher shouted.
“I’m a little more concerned about the horde of demons heading our way,” Sunday said, fear underscoring her usual confidence. “We don’t have any weapons.”
“Forgetting about me?” Asher asked, his hands lighting up with power.
“You can’t take them all out,” Pan said.
“I can try.”
While they bickered amongst themselves, a different plan unfolded in my mind, panic for Merri causing me to contemplate something I hadn’t in literal centuries.
“I have a better idea. Everyone, stay back. Don’t you fucking dare move. I won’t be held responsible for what happens if you disobey me.” I pushed Merri behind me as well and said over my shoulder, “You too, wildflower. Whatever you do, don’t look at my face.”
“Okay. I promise.”
Trusting her to keep her word, I unleashed my full power.
The glamour that made me appear human dropped, and my true face was revealed.
As Death, I’d only used this form a handful of times when a point needed to be made.
It was far too dangerous to use lightly, as there was no way to control who would fall victim.
There was also nothing kind or gentle about claiming souls this way. Just pure and utter annihilation.
Screams ripped from the throats of the demons who looked upon me, their bodies immediately withering until the entire demon horde was reduced to nothing but ash.
As I burned them out of existence with my visage, a violet glow filtered into my peripheral vision.
I couldn’t look for the source, not without risking the others, but I knew it was Asher, disobeying me.
There was no way to know whether he was in a safe position, so I reeled myself back in. It was a bit like trying to stuff an entire universe into a single sausage casing, requiring nearly all of my focus to ensure that nothing of my true nature remained visible.
An explosion rocked the ground beneath my feet, rippling from the orb as the light reached peak brightness. Then the clouds parted, the storm vanished, and all that was left were the horsewomen and us. No magic protecting them. No demons to fight.
Instead of appearing worried about the sudden change of events, they looked annoyed.
“This isn’t over,” Death growled, before spinning on her heel and vanishing. After holding my stare a beat longer, War, Pestilence, and Famine joined her.
“What the fuck was that?” Merri asked.
“That, my darling cousin, was a trap,” Pan said.
“We’re incredibly lucky Grim was here, or I think it’s safe to say that would have ended very differently,” Asher added as he turned to me. “How did you manage that, by the way?”
“Luck.” I had no intention of elaborating. The truth of my answer was terrifying enough. Had I not been touching Merri when the spell activated, I might not have traveled with her.
“But how did they get us all here? Most of us were still at Sanctuary. We should have been safe,” Dahlia asked.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t like it. They’re obviously using magic, I just didn’t realize it was strong enough to break through Lilith’s protection.” My stomach churned at the thought.
If they could get to us like this, it would only be a matter of time before they tried again.
“Come on,” I said, gesturing for them to gather once more. “Let’s head back before the others worry.”
Sunday snorted out a laugh. “If you think they aren’t worrying already, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. I was in the middle of a post-shower conversation with Kingston, and then poof. He’s probably launched a search party and has Moira trying a tracking spell.”
“Sin is going to be worried too. We need to let him know I’m safe and make sure he didn’t abandon his search for the weapon. After today, it’s more important than ever we secure it. The horsewomen have just proven that they’re tired of waiting. We’ve got to end this. Once and for all.”
Merri’s words couldn’t have been more true.
“You’re right. As soon as we get back, we need to call a meeting and ensure they don’t get the opportunity to do this again. I can guarantee they will not risk another loss, so if they’re lucky enough to get a second chance, they will ensure it’s successful.”
Merri gave me a little nod, proving her thoughts were aligned with mine as she said, “It’s time to unmake them.”