I stayed at the dining table, looking out the window while Day fetched the cake he'd made from scratch. Bored of baskets, he had decided to bake, for which I was thankful because he had started to get whiny.
“Here it is!” he squealed, carrying an ornate bone white pedestal cake stand with a dessert that was most definitely lop-sided and one hundred percent either undercooked or over baked.
On second glance,perhaps both.
thirty
"Happy birthday to youuu..." Day sang off-key, loudly, and for the thirteenth time today—despite his solemn vow not to. His grin stretched ear to ear, brighter than the candles flickering between us. I played along, eyes shut, breath held, leaning toward the cake to make my wish. "—dear Astoria, happy birthday to—”
He stopped, and the smile vanished from his face. The cake slipped from his hands, hitting the floor with a wet, finalthud.
My heart slammed against my ribs, and I turned just in time to see his eyes widen, locked on the window. Outside, a wave of darkness surged over the hills, swallowing light as it moved. At its center—something.Someone.
The door burst open.
“Day!” I shouted, but he was already gone, sprinting barefoot into the night as if he didn’t even hear me.
The cake lay ruined at my feet. A few stubborn candles hissed as I upended my mug of tea over them. The sweet scent of frosting clung to the air.
Still in my pajama pants and t-shirt, I ran with a pulse of dread pounding in my ears. The farther I climbed the hill, the heavier the night bore down—a sickening certainty that something was wrong…
With every step,I felt it.
Him.
His hoarse voice ripped through the darkness, searing a hole in my chest. "Stay back, Astoria," he demanded, words broken and choked with pain.
At the edge of the fence, Day stood frozen, horror etched into his face. Beyond him, Grim collapsed under the attack of what looked like wraiths. They swarmed him, shadows moving with rage, fresh marks clawing into his body, blood soaking the frozen ground.
"Grim!" I screamed, sprinting toward him.
Day lunged, grabbing my wrist, trying to hold me back from crossing the fence. His grip was iron, but desperation made me reckless.
"Keep her back, Day! I swear if you don’t I'll fucking kill you!" Grim shouted, his voice raw with agony.
I yanked against Day’s hold until my shoulders popped and tears blurred my vision. Finally, his grip slipped. Grim’s gaze found mine across the night.
His dark eyes, rimmed with red. His cheeks slick with tears. "Don't cross the fence, Tempest," he gasped. "Please. I'm begging you."
Another shadow latched onto him, wrenching his shoulder backward with a sickening crack. The only sound louder than the shriek of the wraiths was Grim’s scream—ragged and unbearable.
I couldn’t stay back.
I wouldn't.
Hopping the fence was easy. The sting of magic bit into my skin, slicing across my senses, but it was nothing compared to the terror of losing him. Somewhere behind me, Day screamed obscenities, his voice nearly as broken as Grim’s. But I barely heard them.
I ran.
Barefoot across frozen ground. Through the snapping and hissing dark. Tears welling in my eyes as wraiths clung to Grim like leeches, tearing at him. A few of them peeled off, twisting toward me. I didn't slow. I didn't flinch. Nothing could deter me, not when he was within reach. Not when there was still a chance to save him.Death needs me.
It felt as if an eternity had passed before my body crashed into his, knocking us both to the ground, scattering the wraiths like smoke. For one breathless moment, it was enough.
"You never listen," Grim groaned, pushing himself up, dragging me with him.
A shadow shrieked as it dove at us. Grim twisted, pulling me protectively into his chest.
"You called. I came," I choked out, tears spilling down my cheeks. A sharp stinging crawled down my back; the bitter cold gnawing at my bare skin. The wraiths gathered again, circling like vultures, their forms flickering in and out of focus.Almosthuman, but twisted and wrong, shrouded in darkness.
