The In-Between (Book 1 - Death, Demons and Mere Mortals)

Chapter SIXTEEN - Someone Else Under The Hood

'What the fuck, Grim?' Emma hissed, reaching out to catch Jen but it was too late, the girl crumbled to the ground like a broken tower of Jenga. Grim straightened back up, his blue eyes sparkled, and a small smile pulled at his lips. Emma huddled over Jen, shaking her head in irritation.

'She sees me differently.' He stated as an answer, gently easing the hood from his head with nimble fingers. He stared down at her in thought, stepping back and moving his attention to the box on the desk.

'What do you mean?' Emma asked, moving to grab a pillow from the bed to ease under Jen's head. She watched Grim as she headed to the bathroom, leaving the door open in case he spoke. She ran the tap, running a cloth under the cold water and wringing it hard. Turning the tap off, she walked back into the room and knelt beside Jen.

Grim was stuck in a daze. His eyes were shining, his mouth parted slightly, and his hand was visibly looser on his scythe. 'Grim.' Emma growled, gaining his attention as he moved his head to her with a slightly startled expression. 'What do you mean?' She asked, glancing back to the unconscious girl on the ground.

He straightened his back, his knuckles tight as his hands wrapped tight around the scythe. 'She's alive.' He observed, making Emma's face drop and her eyes roll. 'She sees me for who I really am.' He added, pressing his lips together and grinding his teeth together at the sight of her eye roll.

'Who are you really?' Emma asked hesitantly, rising slowly from her knelt position. She stared at his clear skin, the slightest hint of pink in his cheeks. Her eyes made their way from his cheeks to his neck, the bones protruding the skin as his muscles twitched.

'I've been dead for hundreds of years.' He whispered. Emma's head slowly raised from his neck, her eyes meeting his darkened blue ones. She stared in shock at how easily he spoke. She's always wondered how long he'd been the Grim Reaper, but she was always too scared to ask, to pry. 'How do you think I look?' He asked with a sarcastic tone, a vague smile eager to show on his lips.

Emma couldn't stop staring. She could only see a man, slightly older than her. She could only see gorgeous blue eyes that sometimes showed her reflection. She could only feel his smooth, icy cold skin when they touched. She wondered how he could be seen as something else.

'You know what this is?' Blake's voice broke Emma's trance and Grim dragged his eyes away, moving his body to face the box upon the desk. Grim nodded as he stared, clenching his jaw to stay focused.

Emma sent Jen one last look before shuffling over to stand beside Grim, all three of them looking down. 'It's the Sword of Ariella.' He repeated, the growl in his voice again. The Sword was bright silver. The hilt covered in bold and beautiful jewels. The blade itself was long and sharp, the point sparkling in the light.

'It's the strongest weapon in the world.' Grim admitted, his voice was somewhat trance-like. Emma tore her gaze from the Sword to look at Blake and Grim. Both of their eyes were glassy as if they were going to start crying. Their mouths were parted, their breathing audible.

'I...' Blake started, standing upright and looking over to Grim. 'I thought the Sword was a myth.' He breathlessly admitted, seeing the hilt gleaming from the corner of his eyes.

'You know about this?' Emma asked with furrowed brows. He stared at the Sword, nodding his head slowly.

'Everyone knows about it.' He moved his head back to look at her. 'Everyone wants it. You'd be undefeatable, indestructible.' He whispered, with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. She opened her mouth to ask more but he moved his gaze back to the blade and Emma stared, her mind working to figure out what exactly she saw behind his eyes.