Brody shifted the car into reverse and sped backwards, spinning the wheel and executing a turnaround worthy of a stunt driver. The black beast’s claws clicked and screeched across the hood as it tried to stay on, but Brody’s driving threw him off. They heard a thud as it slammed against the side of the car. Brody hit the gas, flying up the road.
Thirty, forty, fifty, on up to eighty miles per hour Brody sped. Mina couldn’t make herself open her eyes until about thirty seconds had passed. She tried to look at her passenger mirror, but all she saw were trees whizzing by.
Brody slowed only enough to turn onto the on ramp. When they were safely speeding down the highway among other cars, he looked over to her. “That’s a Reaper… as in death?”
“I think so,” Mina craned her head to look between the seats. “They’re the hunters and assassins, but they’ve been known to go rogue.”
“And that beast dog is one?” Brody continued driving and cast a quick look over to her. “I’ve never seen anything that big.”
Mina studied his profile. He didn’t look scared at the prospect of being hunted—he looked angry. His sun-kissed blond hair accented the deep blue of his eyes, and his strong hands gripped the steering wheel with determination.
“I’m not sure what that was.” She shrugged, turning in her seat to face him. “What were you doing there? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you showed up when you did, because I couldn’t have outridden that thing on my bike.”
“Following you.” He glanced at her quickly.
“What?”
Now it was Brody’s turn to shrug. “Well, Ever, Nan, and I kind of promised to never let you be without a guard. And since Ever left to try and track Teague, it was between Nan and me, and I drew the short straw for today.” He sighed, trying to make it sound like a huge inconvenience.
“I’m not a straw,” Mina said.
“No, but you are short.” He tried to hide the smile, but Mina smacked him in the arm with the back of her hand. “I followed you this morning when you took off on your bike. I almost lost you a few times, but I figured out where you were heading. You wanted to say your goodbyes.”
Her gaze dropped to her folded hands. Her heart swelled with the pain of her loss. “It’s not fair,” she mumbled, not expecting an answer.
“No, it’s not. I know you cared a lot for her.”
“She was like a second mom to me.”
Mina looked over her shoulder and noticed the white handle and red metal frame in the backseat this time. “You grabbed my bike.”
“Yeah, it took a bit of finagling, but I got it in.” Brody reached out with his right hand to hold hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Mina looked at their clasped hands on the seat between them, and she was filled with mixed emotions. This was everything she wanted, but she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with guilt. She had been forced to face her true feelings about Teague in the tower, and—given the choice—she had chosen to stay.
But she wasn’t quite herself then. Right?
“What are we going to do if that thing shows up again?” Brody’s mood got serious as he faced the fact that the encounter with the Reaper would not be their last.
“We have to be prepared, ’cause what you saw is only one of many Reapers. And I don’t know how many are coming.”
“What do you need me to do?” He pulled up her driveway and turned the car off.
Mina studied her house. It looked as if it had been pieced together from various eras, because, in fact, it had. This was the house that had traveled across an ocean with magic, the sanctuary of the Grimms. It was the safest place for her now.
But for how long? Teague’s army destroyed the Godmothers’ Guild, and that had been warded and guarded. Inside were her mute brother Charlie and her mom. Was the house strong enough to protect them? She felt sick to her stomach. Even Brody’s question made her reel.
“You shouldn’t have to do anything. It’s not your fight. I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.” She touched his shoulder.
Teague’s warning about taking each of her friends away one by one was making her question the wisdom of getting Brody and the others involved.
He looked taken aback. “No one forced me. And this isn’t just about you. I mean it is, but if there’s a threat to you, my friends, and our world, then you can be sure I’m going to fight it.”
Chapter 2
She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but it didn’t relieve the immense feeling of pressure that built around her. Instinctively, Mina looked around the car and outside. The back of her neck prickled.
“Go, get inside. Now!” She pushed Brody toward the driver’s door, and she leapt from her side and ran toward the front door, as the dog howled somewhere—not far enough—behind them.
Brody raced to her front door, opened it, and beckoned her to get inside. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold, he slammed the door.
The house shook as something large slammed against it.