House of Grimm: Book One of the Grimm Trilogy

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

I thought that sneaking out of English class the next day would be difficult, but it turns out faking throwing up and running out of a room is ridiculously simple.

"No, no I'm fine, I swear," I say through the bathroom stall door as a hall monitor checks on me.

I fake another round of hurling, and she finally steps away.

I pull out my phone and text my aunt:

Going to stay after school to do some extra studying with the teacher.

Then I text Rella:

If my aunt asks you where I am, I stayed after school.

She texts me back instantly:

Will do.

I step out of the stall and make it out the back of the school without anyone stopping me. The roads are pretty deserted this time of day, everyone is either at school or work, so walking up the street to the estate isn't an issue.

"Dora?"

I whip around, not expecting to hear my name. At first I think it's a teacher, but there's no one behind me. Or in front of me. No one in sight. I shiver a little in the cold and rub my arms, but it doesn't stop the chill creeping down my neck.

"Dora," the voice says again, and I jump up. It's definitely real. A guy's voice for sure.

It sounds like Jakob.

"I'm waiting for you at the house," he says, and I try to figure out where the voice is coming from. It's weird but...I don't think it's coming from outside. I think it's coming from inside me. Like, Jakob found a way in my head or something.

"Come on, I have something to show you."

I accelerate, walking as fast as I can. The estate is only a couple blocks up. When I reach the edge of the drive, I realize that the gates are wide open, so I push past them and walk up the cobblestone path. I get to the front of the estate quickly, and when I look down at my phone it reads exactly two o'clock.

I look up.

Jakob is standing at a window, one palm against the glass, that tiny half grin on his lips.

I find myself smiling back, though I'm not sure why.

"Don't knock, I'll come down," he says in my head, then disappears.

The little ravens on the knockers stare down at me with beady mahogany eyes. Don't look at me like that. Great. I'm talking to wooden birds now. But then the doors crack open, and Jakob's face appears.

"You heard me," he says, his eyes glittering.

He's wearing that green hoodie again, and has a bag slung over his shoulder.

"Come on," he says, "quickly."

Something has happened; he's way too excited to see me. Jakob holds out a hand, and I hesitate a moment before reaching out and taking it. For a moment all I can think about his how solid this feels—how real it is. Then I step forward.

I close my eyes and let my world disappear.

***

"Jump!" Jakob shouts.

I brace my legs, ready for collision, and my knees bend as I hit the ground. Jakob lands beside me without letting go of my hand. We're not in the middle of the street this time, but in the park, far away from the flow of traffic. Apparently we landed in the middle of a flag football game, because a little boy with big eyes and tan lines is looking up at me like I'm an alien.