Drifting In Shadows, Waiting For The Storm

13.

He had spent hours at Marie's trailer, looking through every book he could find, even those labeled for one species only, but there wasn't much on those regnants or premiers. A vague note here, a more vague comment there, and some really mysterious sketches that were so faded that he hardly saw a thing on a journal page from over a century ago.

Leaning back in the chair, Nick ran a hand through his hair, exhaling softly.

Regnants. Huh. Whatever they were, whyever Monroe had asked about them, they were rare enough that no one from his family line or whoever had come before him had met them, apparently.

Going through the books where he had found some references again, Nick couldn't get any more facts from them. Sometimes he wished there was a kind of GrimmNet or something, a way to search online.

Wishful thinking, yeah.

Other Grimms might have stumbled over this mysterious creature, but he had no contact to them and Marie had told him she hadn't either. They lived alone, they died alone.

Nick shivered.

He finally closed up the trailer once more and headed home. It was already dark and a light snow was falling. The lights at his home were still on and he smiled when he heard the cello as he walked through the door.

Monroe was in the living room, eyes holding a faraway look as he played a haunting melody that was touching something deep inside. He stopped when he discovered Nick, though the Grimm held no illusion that he hadn't been scented already.

"Hey," he said quietly and slipped out of his winter jacket, dumping it on a chair.

"Hey yourself."

Nick sat down, clasping his hands as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "I looked through everything. I'm none the wiser than before. Care to tell me why you asked for this?"

Monroe carefully put the expensive instrument in its stand, stowing the bow. "I had a visitor the first day you came over to my place, after you were discharged from the hospital."

Nick's brows rose. "What? Who?"

Monroe gave him an exasperated look. "Who do you think who? A regnant, Nick!"

He knew he was staring like the rookie he still was, but this time he was entitled to it. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"I'm pretty sure because I saw him up close and personal."

Grimm instincts flared and Monroe raised his hands as if to ward off an outbreak. "No, wait, not that close and personal. But he was here. Or it. Whatever. He sounded male. Anyway. He was there and he was watching you."

"Me?"

"From what I got, yeah. Asked me to keep an eye on you."

"What?"

"Boy, you really are still suffering from that headshot," the blutbad remarked wryly.

"Monroe, what's going on? You make me run through a million references and look at a ton of weird stuff in Marie's books. For what? What are regnants?"