I scoffed. “You mean to become a GRIMM?”
Unnerved by his imploring eyes, I turned away and wrapped my arms around myself. I didn’t want to be a GRIMM, but how did I tell that to him? What if they forced me into it?
“And it’s not just training. You have to pass the final testing.”
“What happens to all the students that fail? That don’t become agents?”
Javi shifted uncomfortably. “They get placed in other positions. Usually admin or service roles for other GRIMMs and if they’re disgruntled about it… well, they get disenchanted.”
I frowned. “And what does that mean?”
“They put something like a magic blocker inside them. It keeps them from being able to process what they’re seeing past the veil. Sometimes… the procedure doesn’t work properly, and they become… well, unhinged.”
I stared at him in stunned silence. If I didn’t pass their test and refused to be their slave, would that be my fate? Chills crawled up my spine. No one should have the power to plant some harmful device inside another person.
“But that won’t happen to you. You’ll pass the test.”
I shook my head. “I’m not taking any stupid test. And how can you be okay with this?”
His face hardened. “Those are the rules, Rose. They were put in place for a reason.”
I scoffed.
“There were numerous cases where non agents resented their positions and sided with our enemies and some outright murdered other GRIMMs. The disenchantment procedure was put in place to protect us.”
My shoulders slumped. What other horrific things would I learn about this world? Weariness filled me as I digested his words. I couldn’t blame my parents for not wanting me to be a part of this, but I didn’t have a choice now.
Angry tears burned my eyes. I looked away before my cousin could see me. My future was decided for me and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
“And what if”—I took a deep breath—“what if I don’t want to be a GRIMM?”
Javi looked stricken. He leaned forward, “Don’t say that. You have the sight, so you are a GRIMM. No matter what.” He glanced away. “The only way out is disenchantment… or death.”
The door swung open, making us both straighten. Tío Javier strode in, still dressed in his slacks and business jacket. Anger stirred inside me as he made a beeline for us.
“What have you told her?” he demanded.
Javi stood. “Just the basics.”
I watched their exchange, frowning as they discussed me as if I weren’t sitting right there.
Tío nodded and turned to me. “There is no word on your father’s case so far, but I’m confident in time we will find the perpetrator. He must have a pack or ally that is aiding him.”
“Yeah and he must have gotten his hand on something powerful. He was too strong and fast for your average shifter. Something was off,” Javi added.
“We’re looking into it,” Tío grunted.
“And the witches?” I asked.
My tío stared hard at me. “You are under my protection here so they cannot find you. If you leave, you’ll be painting a mark on your back.”
I glared at him. “I don’t need your protection.”
He laughed. My face burned with anger. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I did need his protection. I wasn’t equipped to handle a whole coven of witches. I was still new to all of it, but I hated to depend on him. A part of me wondered if taking my chances with the witches wasn’t the better idea after all.
“Javi said you helped my mom. To fake her death and hide me.”
He sobered. “That information can never leave this room. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Yes. But… why did you do it?”
“I had to. She forced me into a blood oath to protect you.”
My eyes widened. I didn’t know what to respond. He just admitted that he was forced into it; implying if he’d had a choice, he would have let us be discovered.
“And now what happens?”
Silence filled the room. I studied their faces, weighing their reactions.
“You will stay here under my protection. Your only option now is to accept what you are. A GRIMM.”
My jaw clenched. “My parents didn’t want me involved in all this.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Your parents were fools. Now they’re dead. You don’t get to choose. Nobody gets to choose to walk away from this life. There is a war going on out there, Rose, and we are humanity’s only help. It is your duty.”
Heat rushed through me. “So what, you’ll keep me prisoner and force me to fight in this war that I don’t want to be a part of? Make me one of your good little soldiers?”
Red spotted my vision. The metal of the bracelet bit into my skin as I tried to wrestle control back. Fury rushed over me, and I longed for a chance to unleash it.
“No. That’s not what we want.” Javi was first to respond.
I ignored him and glared at my tío. His face remained hard and unmoving. He didn’t care what I wanted. In a matter of days, my whole life was taken from me. Anguish and rage roared to life within me, making my stomach churn.
I will NOT be your soldier.
“In time, you will learn to accept your responsibility. Until then, you’ll remain compelled.”
With that, he marched out, leaving me reeling. Anger stirred hot and boiling inside me. Silence filled the room, but my heart roared in my ears. I couldn’t move or speak, and it had nothing to do with my tío’s control over me.
“I’m sorry.”
I whipped toward Javi. His face flashed with regret and grief. The pity I found in his stare only fueled my emotions.
Sorry. He was sorry?
My life had become a cage at only seventeen. It was wrong, and I would not accept it. I would fight it every step of the way and somehow, I would find a way out.
“Do you… did you still want me to explain more?”
