Shattered Reality | Book Two

Chapter VIII

It's around midnight when Grim shows up in my kitchen as I am silently cooking some fries in my oven. All the lights in the kitchen are on, making Grim not look too horrifying as he lingers by the kitchen window. Still, the moment I see him, I gasp.

"Jeez!" I cry, my hand on my heart. Azrael perks up on the couch in the room next to us, but slowly goes back to bed as he realizes it's only Grim. Grim ducks his head as I stare at him, taking a seat on the kitchen counter. "Wheres Zeuxis?"

"Locked in a room in my house," Grim says nonchalantly. My eyes widen to the size of saucers.

"Oh, I should've known," I roll my eyes. Grim just shrugs.

"You've known me for how long?" He motions to himself.

"I don't know," I answer. "How long have you been watching me?" I raise a brave eyebrow. Grim doesn't respond. Yeah, he's been watching me before I even knew what he was.

"I was watching you solely for information. I normally watch you for days straight and you never catch on," he says, a smirk in his tone. I just scan him over before biting my lip. It's not that weird when the God of Death says that. 

"Sure. Ever watch me undress?" I send him a smirk. Grim is silent for a moment before he carefully picks a new topic. My heart flutters, surprising the heck out of me.

"Zeuxis has been watching you your whole life. He's known about you before I even did."

"What does he know about the prophecy?"

"He knows the prophecy. He just doesn't know why the angels are on your tail. The demon part is understandable. Speaking of demons, that one demon--Rowl--was the one who sent the hounds. I recognized his scent all over the place when I went back there. He obviously went to retrieve his dogs while we were away and talking to the half-breed."

"His name is Zeuxis. You don't have to be rude to him. His intentions seem good."

"The key word there is seems," Grim's black eyes meet mine.

"And what's the prophecy?" I tilt my head a little, getting off the counter as the oven goes off. I can hear Grim suck in a breath and notice Azrael perk up in the living room.

"I still have to piece it together but he said: "a mortal girl with a Patch of Death will bring the end of the God of Death". That God of Death is clearly me. And that mortal girl is clearly you. But how you bring my end?" Grim sounds confused.

I don't get to respond because, in the next second, I am hissing through my teeth as I accidentally touch the oven's top with the inside of my arm. I cry and drop the tray while stepping back from the oven. In a moment, Grim is beside me. His black eyes stare down at the red mark on my arm, it now pulsing. I hiss as my skin starts to feel like worms are digging through it.

Grim looks hesitant, but as I flinch, his hands come up to grab my arm. He immediately moves me over to the sink where he flicks on the cold water and shoves my arm under it. Relief immediately fills my tight veins and a sigh runs through my lips. Grim leaves my side, scaring me partially. He goes to my counter and precisely picks out the vanilla. He turns back to my side and quickly shuts off the water. His fingers are hot against my arm as he rubs the sweet-smelling baking ingredient across my arm. The relief the brown liquid offers is better than the water and the tension in my shoulders leaks out.

"Thanks," I look to Grim. His eyes meet mine. At the moment, they are so dark that I can see my reflection in them. I gasp a little but do not dare to break eye contact. His hand is still latched on my arm. I can see questions flying through his head and many other inhibitions keeping him from asking them.