Page 30

His eyes flicked back to mine. “Are Alban and Margery your ancestors?”

I nodded, slowly.

Gentry’s expression shifted, the levity fading. “That… makes sense. Because Alice, she disappeared before the trial ever took place. There were rumors she fled the town, or that she turned on the others. Some even claimed she—”

A shrill scream pierced the air, followed by the rapid thudding of feet. People bolted from the café, panic clouding the space as they rushed for the door. A man, wide-eyed and panicked, stepped out, his phone pressed to his ear, barking orders into it.

“Oi!”“You lot came with the big fella, yeah? He’s having some kind of episode or something. You’d better get back in there—I’ve rung an ambulance!” he shouted, glancing over his shoulder.

My heart lurched, a hollow thud against my ribs. I didn’t wait to hear more.

I pushed past him, my limbs moving before thought could catch up. Gentry was right behind me, his footsteps quick, uneven, a shadow at my back.

Grim was lying on the floor, convulsing violently. His body twisted unnaturally, his eyes rolled back into his head, showing nothing but the whites. The soft flush that made him appear more human was gone, replaced by a cold, lifeless hue that made the room seem to shrink.

“Grim!” I screamed, rushing to his side, my hands hovering over him, desperate to stop whatever was happening.

Kneeling beside him, I gripped his thrashing arms. “Grim…” I brushed my hand across his forehead. His skin was scalding against mine.

Gentry’s hands gripped my arms, yanking me away. “You need to give him space. He’s having a seizure.”

“No!”

I fought out of his grip as a wave of darkness rolled through the room.

The baristas scattered, their faces drained with fear.

Grim’s presence thickened, his power bleeding out into the small café, cutting off my view.

Helplessness clamped around me as the fog in the air grew dense, bringing with it the acrid scent of ash.

Without thinking, I screamed into the void. “Day! I need help!” My voice was raw, desperate, my throat burning as I gasped for air, choking on the weight of Death’s power.

Grim stilled for a moment, his convulsions subsiding into soft, broken moans.

“Day!”

Gentry pulled at his hair, panic in his eyes. “Who’s Day? Who can I call?”

“Please, Day. Please…” I begged, my voice faltering as my fingers scraped blindly along the floor.

Crawling through the suffocating darkness toward Grim, I finally pulled him into my lap, my grip tightening on the collar of his shirt.

I smoothed his hair back from his forehead with trembling hands, desperate to ease the pain that twisted through both of us.

No…

The shadows deepened, folding in around us as the world slowed—holding its breath.

I remember the feeling well: the way time seemed to stop when Death emerged from the darkness, lingering somewhere between this world and the next. Buzzing energy charged the air, stinging against my skin. But this time, it wasn’t Grim who stepped out.

It was Day.

His usual joyful lightness was stripped away, leaving only furrowed brows and cold, steel eyes. He crossed the room in two long strides, gripping my hand and anchoring me with his focused gaze. Beside me, Gentry was frozen, his eyes glazed over, trapped by magic.

No matter how many times I’d seen Grim wield his powers, I’d never grow accustomed to the eerie stillness of someone caught in it.

"Are you alright?"

"I didn’t know what to do. He just started convulsing... Please, just help him," I begged, my voice cracking as I clung to his gaze.

"Astoria..." His tone hardened. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, though my mind was far from my body, anchored only to the desperate rise and fall of Grim’s chest. "Yeah... yes, I’m fine. What do we do?"

Day ran a hand through his hair, a flicker of frustration in his eyes. "We need to get him home. Can you help me?" He slid his arms under Grim’s, steadying him.

Maneuvering Grim wasn’t easy. His weight sagged between us, but it was nothing compared to the weight of my fear.

Day’s movements were practiced, mechanical, as he sliced through the air with a sharp motion.

A portal yawned open before us, bitter winds slashing the room and whipping stray strands of hair into my face.

The familiar, unsettling pull of magic tugged at my bones.

I swallowed my groan. We'd have to travel the way we came. It didn’t matter now—not when Grim’s skin burned hotter than mine, not when he sagged so heavily in my arms. Nothing else mattered anymore.

"Ready?" Day asked, glancing at Gentry.

I looked back.

Gentry… the only thread I had to the curse, the only chance at answers I’d been chasing for so long. Would he even remember meeting me? Would I get a chance to return?

The questions clawed at my chest. But there were no answers.

Grim’s weight buckled against me, and instinctively, I shifted under him again. The second our skin touched, his fever seemed to ease, and his breathing slowed. Settled.

It soothed the raw edge of my nerves, even as the ache of uncertainty gnawed at me.

“Astoria,” he sighed, lashes fluttering weakly.

My heart pinched.

“Storybook,” Day muttered through gritted teeth.

I hesitated, my mind flickering back to Gentry, to the answers I’d chased for so long. But those answers would still be there tomorrow. Right now, my relentless shadow, the very thing meant to finally end me, was crumbling in my arms.

And it wasn’t as if the curse couldn’t wait one more day.