Shattered Reality | Book Two

Chapter VI

My mind runs on a loop with one single message: "Grim, I need your help! Please!"

I pray he will hear my call and come immediately. Considered I've only "called" Grim twice with my mind--and I don't really even know how--the chances of him actually appearing are small. I just constantly repeat that same message over and over in my head. The first time I called Grim was when I needed to talk to him in my room and he appeared. I look around frantically for the gloomy raven or something to tell me Grimm is on his way. 

Nothing. 

It's just emptiness.

Even the bones of those creatures disappeared.

Just like Azrael.

Azrael slowly fades in my hands, his power draining. My heart mourns for him. He is in obvious pain.

The second time that I called Grim, I was in a sort of dreamland. I chalked it off to me passing out and contacting him, but I wonder if I was awake? I cannot remember much of that night. My mind is fuzzy. I was tired after I was pushed out of my dreamland and utterly terrified as the clown stared at me.

I wet my lips as I try to call Grim again.

"Grim!" This time, I shout the words as well.

I'm so focused on calling Grim that I am unprepared for a bang to resonate from somewhere in the house. Azrael tenses in my arms, seconds before his image of a snake flashes. My eyes widen as I look down, seeing a boy. He has sugar white hair and sunken in cheeks. His eyes are shut and his chest is bare.

Actually, he's entirely nude.

My eyes widen more.

Is that...Azrael's true form? Just as fast as it showed up, the image of the boy disappears and in its place is the snake.

Another bang comes from somewhere. My head turns to look out the kitchen window. What I see makes my heart stop. Sitting there, perched delicately on the kitchen window, sits a raven. Its feathers look a dark blue in the sunlight and its black eyes are focused on me. It caws once before looking below it and turning. It flies away.

Seconds after it disappears, I start to anxiously look around for Grim. 

He's on his way. He's coming. 

Just he needs to come faster.

A black mist fills the room in front of me, and then he is there. Grim's impassive face appears in my vision, his black eyes set in stone. I think I see some color inch back into Azrael. "What happened?" Grim looks to me shortly before bending down. He crouches in front of Azrael. I look down as well, biting my lip as I see another flash of the sugar-haired-boy.

"Something attacked us. Dog skeletons? I don't know. But he got hurt," I motion to Azrael. "He said you would help him."

Grim nods once. Then his head tilts to the side. His gaze flies to the kitchen window. "Cassie, Ruby. She's in the cellar." My eyes widen. Can he hear her? Of course, he can. Grim looks down at Azrael again. "Go get her while I deal with him," he points to Azrael. Azrael lets out a weak sigh as Grim touches him. Some green power leaks from the skeleton into the snake's body. I get another, dim flash of the boy before Azrael is suddenly getting sucked up. I gasp and hold my hands to my mouth. Grim's eyes meet mine in a flash. "Don't worry about him," he hisses. "Get Ruby."

With a firm nod, I turn and run out the back door. A bang comes from the cellar as I approach, and I hear Ruby's voice. "Cassie?"

"Ruby! I'm here! Hold on!"