Chapter 1
Isabelle
Idon’t seek redemption.
I’ll look upon the sharp blade of the swinging pendulum with a smile on my face, knowing I delivered justice when others refused.
The police, the very people who were supposed to protect the community, ignored us during our time of need.
What other choice did I have? When those in power turned their back on me, I took measures into my own hands. And where did that land me?
In county jail awaiting my trial. Or something. I don’t fucking know. Everything has been a blur since it happened. I’m not even sure how long I’ve been here. The only light comes from the humming fluorescent above me, flickering precariously each time a door opens or closes.
The only escape I have from this cell is my wandering mind. The sterile, concrete walls fade around me, and I’m once again at home in my living room. It looks like any other day.
My yellow love seat is stacked high with assorted pillows.
The old coffee table I inherited from my grandmother, with more sentimental than monetary value, is cluttered with mugs and last night’s dishes.
The too small TV on an otherwise bare, gray wall could only handle one streaming service, and even that is questionable.
But every time I think of home, I think of that day.
It started like any other day. I brewed my morning coffee.
I had to drink it black because I was out of creamer and hadn’t been to the store in weeks.
I remember glancing at the clock above the stove.
It was barely three in the morning. A time when most people would be snuggled into bed, deep in REM sleep.
But not me, of course. I was on a mission.
A mission to end the terror known as James.
For the last year, I had followed this man’s movements, festering in my hate for him until I could bear it no longer. I was his shadow, lurking in the darkness. Watching. Learning. Waiting.
My hatred for this man only grew stronger by the day, consuming me until he occupied every waking hour and my nightmares.
I thought of my sweet, brown-eyed sister.
She was beautiful and so incredibly smart.
Far too kind, even to people who didn’t deserve it.
She wanted to be a school teacher and mold the minds of the next generation.
Because that’s who Anna was. Love incarnate. A genuinely good person.
Her only flaw was loving a monster.
In the end, it quite literally killed her.
James took away my sister. My best friend.
It was slow, torturous, and lasted months.
I watched my sister wither away until nothing but a shell of her remained.
Her beautiful black hair had once been silky and shiny.
Toward the end of her life, it was dull and knotted, matching the rest of her haggard appearance.
She had even taken scissors and chopped off most of it.
The sparkle and life in her eyes dimmed, and I watched my sister die.
All because of James. He didn’t stop there, though. He sank his claws into another woman named Erin. Apparently, he had been dating her while he was dating my sister, but Erin was saved by The Guardian. Erin was just another woman James kept on the precipice of death.
Death is funny, though. It gives you clarity in its finality.
As far as I’m concerned, my sister’s blood is not only on James, but also on the hands of every officer who didn’t listen to us. They valued an abusive man’s life over Anna’s, and that is something I will never forgive.
It’s why I had to do it. Why I killed him, and I’ll never regret that.
I could have run after all was said and done.
Maybe I would have gotten far, and no one would have ever discovered it was me who killed James.
But that’s the thing. I wanted people to know it was me.
That I took care of the problem when no one else would, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
This didn’t bring Anna back, but revenge helped me feel marginally better.
I don’t remember much after the event. Getting caught at the gas station and arrested, that is. I think I tuned it all out. All I remember were rough hands. Choice, angry words. Handcuffs being slapped around my wrist far too tightly.
It was like I blinked and ended up in this cold cell.
You’d think they’d at least give me a fucking blanket to cover up with, but apparently I’m far too dangerous to even have one.
I might strangle someone with it. They wouldn’t be too far off-base with that assumption, considering blood is on my hands.
They don’t need to worry though; James was my only target.
Soft footfalls from somewhere drag me out of my thoughts.
They grow louder and louder until two pristinely polished tactical boots stand outside my cell.
My gaze travels up to see an irate-looking officer.
He’s bald. I wonder if he lost his hair from the stress of the job.
Probably not, since they don’t seem to do a damn thing but imprison women seeking justice or the dangerous jaywalker. You know, priorities.
The officer—I can’t see his name tag—stares at me.
I think he’s waiting for me to say something, but I know my rights.
I don’t have to say a damn thing, and I haven’t.
Mostly because I don’t wish to waste my breath on these people.
They didn’t want to listen to me before, and I’d be damned if they’ll listen to me now.
Officer Friendly scowls and reaches for something on his belt. At first, I think he’s reaching for a weapon, but then I catch the unmistakable glint of a key, which he uses to open my cell. “Miss Sinclair, looks like you’ve been released on bail,” he says begrudgingly.
This man doesn’t want me out in public, and honestly, I’m not even certain murderers are allowed bail. Luckily, I literally have a “get out of jail free” card up my sleeve.
Officer Friendly has little to fear. Because if the person who has come to bail me out is who I think it is, I won’t be Grym Hollow’s problem for much longer.
Pushing myself off the cold, hard ground, I stretch my muscles, wondering if I’ll see a certain gray-horned man waiting for me.
Before I can even walk out of my cell, Officer Friendly starts walking away.
Not wanting to spend another minute in this cold cell, I hurry and jog after him, eager to get the hell out of here.