Not happening. Without the bracelet working, he couldn’t make me do anything.
He glared at me. “Where is your medallion?”
His question caught me off guard. Tía and Javi whipped to me, their eyes wide.
“I had to trade it. To a fairy in exchange for the location of the antidote. For Javi.”
Javi flinched. No doubt regretting his role. It was his fault after all.
“We found several fairies. No medallion was on them.” Tío studied me.
The image of the dead fairy flashed in my mind, making me shudder.
“So where did it go?”
I scoffed. “How should I know? Maybe one of the prisoners stole it.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “It wasn’t found on any of the prisoners.”
“Maybe they stashed it somewhere, or they escaped with it.”
“No one can escape Paradise Prison alive.”
“Look, I don’t know where it went. But the shifter outside school found me even when I had it on, so obviously it did a crap job of keeping me hidden.”
Tío’s face reddened. “That medallion has been in the family for years. Silver magic is the rarest and strongest form there is. Someone tampered with it.”
My head pounded against my skull. All I wanted was to curl into bed. Instead I had to endure the freaking Spanish inquisition.
“Did you use magic to weaken it?” Tío’s voice came low and dangerous.
I scowled. “What? I don’t even know how to do that. And why would I do that? You think I want those shifters coming for me?”
His eyes continued to drill me. “Why is the bracelet broken, then?”
Sighing, I threw up my hands. “I don’t know. Maybe you performed the chant wrong.”
A snarl escaped him, making me flinch.
“Javier,” Tía interrupted, “the headmaster is calling for you.” She held up her phone.
He grunted, swiped the cell from her hand and stormed out.
Tía moved toward us and placed her hands on each of our shoulders. “I’m glad you two are okay. What you did was stupid and dangerous, but I’m glad you are safe. I know you must be tired, but wait here for a moment. I have something to give you that I think might help.”
Her dark eyes searched mine. I tried not to give away my emotions, but she had a way of peeling away my barriers with that steely look. Pain blossomed inside me as I thought of what Papi would think. What would he say?
She turned on her heel, leaving me alone with Javi.
Grayson’s words came back to me along with the rage at my cousin’s betrayal.
“Javi?”
He turned to me, dark bags under his eyes.
“Have you heard of this thing called opting out? Apparently, if you don’t want to be a GRIMM, you can refuse, and they’ll let you out. Without making you take the final test.”
I watched him carefully.
He stiffened, eyes darting away. He knew.
I advanced on him, my rage unfurling fast. Red dotted my vision.
He threw his arms up. “Let me explain! I couldn’t tell you about that because it would put you in danger.”
I glared at him.
He sighed. “Rose, if you leave, the coven will find you. It’s not safe. It’s not safe to send you out on your own.”
“That’s not your decision to make, Javi.”
“So, what? I should just let you put yourself in danger?”
“You should have told me the truth. You’re my cousin. I had to hear this from Grayson.”
He stilled. “How did he find out?”
I shook my hand in front of his face. “He saw it.”
“What? How? There’s an enchantment on there that’s supposed to make it invisible.”
“Well, it’s not.”
Javi swore. “Rose, what did you tell him? You can’t tell anyone about the bracelet. My dad would be in serious trouble.”
“Good.” I folded my arms across myself. “He should be!”
Javi shook his head. “He’ll have to explain your secret. It would put you even more at risk. No one can know your connection to the coven.”
He grabbed my hand and stared at me. “Tell me you didn’t tell Grayson about that.”
Frowning, I yanked out of his grasp. “Of course not.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Good. You can’t trust him.”
“Why not?”
“He’s a suck up to the headmaster. If the headmaster knew who you really are… if any of the GRIMMs knew, it wouldn’t be good.”
“So, what I’m just supposed to pretend I’m Rose Perez for the rest of my life?”
His jaw clenched. “Just until we know what to do. Until we find a way to keep you from the coven.”
I sank to the floor and rubbed my forehead. I didn’t know what time it was, but there was no way I was going to make it to training with Cassiano at 5:00 a.m. My eyelids drooped. The strange words in the prison came back to me.
A promise made in blood cannot be undone.
Did the shifters write it? I couldn’t help but feel it was a message for me. I shuddered. The implication drove fear right through me. Maybe there was no way to keep me from them.
23
My eyes flew open, my heart pounding. I blinked. I was in my room at Tío’s house, in my bed. Hushed voices caught my ear.
“Are you awake, Rosa?”
I turned to see Tía and Javi standing beside my bed. Still sore and tired, I sat up slowly with a groan.
“What happened?”
“You fell asleep,” Javi answered, a frown on his face.
“Oh.”
His scowl deepened. “Oh? Your mark mysteriously disappears on its own and all you can say is oh?
My eyebrows flew up. What was he so mad about?
“Javi.” Tía shook her head.
“It was Grayson. He took it off for me… so I could sleep.”
Javi stiffened. Apparently, he didn’t like that answer any better.
“Well, now that you are awake, I have something to give you. Before your tío gets back.”
“Back? Back from where?”
“The academy. The headmaster called him in to report.”
I froze. Did Grayson tell the headmaster about the compulsion bracelet?
“Rosa?” Tía’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Come, I have something for you.” She motioned me over to the long, coffee table.
I swung my feet off the bed and padded over to her and Javi.
A long
