Grimm: A Novel In The Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Series (The Temple Chronicles Book 3) (28 page)

I blinked in astonishment. “She would never…”

He chuckled. “Oh, how delicious! I’m not speaking of your
librarian
.” He emphasized quotes with his fingers, referring to Pandora. “I’m referring to the Arcanum itself, the Armory is a very literal being in it’s own right after so many years of housing the world’s most deadly weapons. The items held in her clutches have tainted her – like magic does to everyone.” He murmured with a bit of the zealot briefly peeking through his calm demeanor before he regained his composure. “The items have… awoken her. As any true guardian would know if he had paid attention.” His eyes looked me up and down with disappointment.

I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m kind of new to the position.” I muttered defensively.

He reached out as if to touch my knee consolingly. I flinched away and he smiled. “I understand. Don’t fret yourself, dear boy.” That prickled up my spine, although I guessed he
was
several hundred years my senior. Technically. He watched me for a time before continuing. “Speaking of the Armory. Any luck trying to gain entrance lately?” His smile told me enough to know the awful truth.

Not only was he better than me in battle. He was also better than me at chess. I felt like I was in a philosophical debate with Gandhi, Aristotle, and Sun Tzu at the same time. “If you know enough to ask that you know the answer.” I snarled in defeat.

“Yes. Well, you can blame me for that also. A few of us tried breaking in recently, but the Armory, or perhaps your
librarian
,” he rolled his eyes. “Wouldn’t let us in. Locked the door on us in fact.” His eyes grew thoughtful as he studied me, no doubt pondering why he had failed. But I knew why. My blood was the key to the Armory. I kept my face blank as he watched me, but he finally sighed with an amused smile at my stubbornness. “No matter. It
is
quite the collection, I must say.” My body tensed in alarm, wondering what devilish items he may have taken. He laughed at my bodily reaction. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t able to touch anything. Yet. Just a sight seeing tour on our first time through.” He watched me like a predator. “It was… enlightening. I saw…” his gaze trailed out the window, watching the snow fall for a few beats. “Vast potential for my brothers and I…” Silence stretched between us for a few moments longer before he resumed. “It will aid me immeasurably in the days to come. After I kill you, of course.” He added as an afterthought, a slight crease in his forehead as if remembering he needed to take out the trash after dinner.

“Well, I’m not particularly fond of that plan.” I was practically hyperventilating, but hiding it well. I hoped. He had taken a stroll through the Armory. Unaided. Had he hurt Pandora? Had she even known they were there? What about my parents? I buried those thoughts deep and faced him. “I’ll take you on a tour myself if you wish. Why don’t you and your brothers meet me here after I have a cup of coffee and I can show you my toys? And what they can do. Just me and your crew.” I was almost whispering at the last, leaning forward with a hungry gleam in my eyes.

He watched me neutrally. “Tempting,” he said, tapping his lips in thought, “But it will be mine soon enough. After you are expunged from this world.”

“Well, I hate to ruin your plans, but killing me won’t get you the Armory. It’s keyed to my living blood.” I answered honestly.

He nodded simply. “I know.”

I felt smug with my small victory. I would win the war by losing the battle. Dying. Hoorah! Then he continued.

“But with my amulet, I’ll absorb your very essence, able to do all that you can, be all that you are. Which means your powers will be mine, you will be dead, and the Armory will recognize me as her guardian.” I began to shiver deep down in my soul. Would it really work out that way?

“Your amulet?” I asked, trying to stall for time.

He waved a hand at me, not even glancing my way. “Oh, come now. Don’t act coy. I was waging wars before your Great ancestors were even a twinkle in another’s eye. Judging by your reaction speed at the battle, you know all about our amulets and how they function. Else you would have shat yourself upon the first battle cry. I heard our old friend, Seraph, aided you in battle. I would so love to talk with her again. In private.” His tone dripped venom, and I was pretty sure I knew who he was talking about, even though I had never heard the name.

“Who?”

“The sprite that thwarted me when you and I first met.” He amended. I managed to keep my face blank. I would have to warn her. At least she wasn’t here. She was safe.

For now.

Jacob’s forehead creased again as he continued to watch the snow fall outside. I was suddenly glad I had secreted away the amulets I had absconded from the liger and ape. I didn’t know if he could have sensed them, but he likely would have taken them from me. And I wanted to study them. Jacob turned back to me. He looked supremely disappointed. “I grow weary of our talk. I had so hoped that you would be worth at least a little bit of banter.”

He stood. “You know, I didn’t even need to take the contract to want to kill you, but it was a large sum of money, and why do something for free when you can get paid? We have a lot to learn about this new world, and that costs money. We will kill you, my brother will play with your woman… for a time anyway, and then I will use my new Armory to bring back the rest of my brothers.” He smiled in expectant euphoria. “Finally, to know that I avenged the fallen, taking down the very ancestor of our captor. To free my brothers, my family… I won’t tell you how sweet that first breath of fresh air was…” His voice grew with excitement. “We will cleanse the world of the filth of magic once and for all.” His eyes were glazed.

“You know, speaking of your brothers, I’m kind of offended you didn’t bring all of them to our reunion. There won’t be enough to kill for me to feel well and truly sated. It’s kind of like when you take the last bite of a meal and you’re still pretty hungry, but that’s it. No more. It’s a living hell, you know? Knowing you have to wait a few hours to get what you want…” I looked at him, eyes opening in embarrassment. “Oh, I didn’t even… of
course
you know what I’m talking about. My ancestor gave you that gift already.
For four hundred years…
And here I am, talking about having to wait a few
hours
.” I shook my head in faux embarrassment. “Must sting a bit, eh, Jakey?” I smiled good-naturedly at him, enjoying the slight reddening of his face. Finally, I had been able to get a rise out of him.

Then he calmed, watching me with a slight frown. “I truly wish I could spill the beans and tell you what you are missing. It’s particularly sad that you genuinely have no idea what is about to happen. What
has
happened. And who the instrument of your destruction is. I guess you will die ignorant. Unless I decide to whisper the answer in your ear before I slice. Off. Your. Head.” He shrugged his shoulders, truly not concerned about casually mentioning decapitation.
These freaking guys
, I shivered. And I wondered about his comment. Wilhelm had said something similar.

“You know… you’re here, I’m here, your douche bag brother is torturing innocent kittens somewhere nearby. Why don’t we just start the party already? Why don’t-”

I blinked, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had just been dumped down my back.

A diversion.

Jacob began a slow clap. “My, my,
my
. The hamster finally learns how to use the wheel sitting in his cage. You’re quite astute when you need to be, but boy does it take you a while to gain some traction. In my day you would have been dashed against the rocks before two years old, supernatural or not.” He shook his head in disgust. “Don’t worry. We’ll be seeing each other very soon,
Temple
.” He shivered to himself, smiling in anticipation. “Damn it feels good to say that word with satisfaction rather than a soul deep rage.” He winked. “I might as well tell you, you can believe me or not, but your Armory is on lockdown for another thirty six hours. Thanks to our little stroll through her halls. In the meantime, don’t worry about an impending attack. You’ll receive plenty of warning when we desire to meet again. We don’t need to surprise a group of mewling children. This diversion was about something else entirely.” He smiled, almost laughing at my face as I waited to hear what he had done. “I recommend the…
television
, I think you call it.” He shook his head. “Wonder of wonders what mortals have discovered without the use of magic. Anyway, you should find the local news particularly interesting.” Then he disappeared in a puff of black smoke and a laugh, the perfect evil overlord exit.

Damn it.

“You’ll pay for that, Nate!” Indie hissed, laughing as she suddenly lurched into the room, claws outstretched to latch onto my shirt where she had last seen me.

But I was no longer there.

Indie stumbled and blinked, finally spotting me by the fire. Then she grinned. “Did you really just
Shadow Walk
to the fire in order to escape me? Wuss.” She teased. Then she saw my face. “Nate?” she took an uncertain step closer. Rather than respond, I turned on the TV and sat in utter disbelief as the news report folded over me, numbing my brain.

“What in holy hell…” Indie began, collapsing into the other chair as a video played on the news.

Chapter 28

I
did what anyone would do when they find out their home has been frequented by a gang of monster killers.

I went exterminating.

Mallory and I had armed for bear, taking the West Wing of
Chateau Falco
, and I had kept my eyes open for any whisper of power emanating from the walls. Because, you know, Jacob seemed to know my house better than I did. Which made Mallory and Dean all sorts of offended. I hadn’t told them that I hadn’t known about the secret entrance, but simply that Jacob had
also
known about entrances he shouldn’t have known about. It’s called managing the chaos. I couldn’t let them know how badly I had been outclassed.

Rage kept me warm as we traipsed through the halls, my power constantly beckoning to me. I almost
wanted
someone to jump out at me. We had left the girls with the other men, who had actively promised to guard them with their lives. Even Alucard. But I didn’t think they needed any help. They were armed with a plethora of bullets, swords, and they had a Tory, a one person wrecking crew. They needed no protection. Even if Alucard was handy in a scrap.

That small trusting part of me screamed at me not to be so foolish.

He was a vampire, and vampires couldn’t be trusted.

Just like the Grimms thought that
none of us Freaks
could be trusted.

It sucks when your own arguments are thrown back at you. Unconditional bias towards a person or persons was a vicious poison.

As displayed by the Grimms.

It was time for me to open up my blinders a bit. A teeny bit. Vampires were after all murderers by default. That didn’t mean that one couldn’t rise above such little things.

Still, I would be on my guard. But I would also cut him a little slack. After all, he could have died several times today but he had been right there in the thick of battle.

But on the other hand, he had threatened, and actually killed me today.

I sighed, scanning the bookshelf before me, catching a newspaper clipping of my father and mother from several years before.

Standing in front of Temple Industries.

A part of me died with shame.

I had failed them. I had failed everyone. My friends. My company. Even the various Freaks of my city. They just didn’t know it yet. I had given the Grimms access back to our world, and they were hungry to pick up where they had left off. The family business. Killing everything with even a drip of magic in their blood.

I realized I was growling when I saw the mirrored look on Mallory’s face.

“We’ll figure it out, son. Temple Industries will weather the storm.” He trailed off, face distant, seeming as if even he didn’t buy the words. “Somehow…”

I grunted.

We were back in the main living quarters. Raego and Misha were back from their section of the house, and they met us at the grand staircase, the obvious wealth of the marble balustrades and shining floors a blatant mockery of safety.

Chateau Falco
had been invaded. Silently. Stealthily.

The Grimms had been in my home. And I hadn’t known. I shivered. One night in the not too distant past I had been fast asleep beside Indie and more than a dozen men had crept through my house.

And no one had noticed.

They could have even watched us for a time, unobserved, judging by Jacob’s obvious knowledge of my floor plan. Just because he had entered through the Armory, that didn’t explain how he knew of the secret entrance or how it had been activated. Unless his amulet did as he said, letting him know how to use his powers on a level so far above mine that I would snap my neck even trying to look up at him.

I knew the amulets could temporarily mirror whatever powers were thrown at it, but what was Jacob’s
innate
power? The power permanently stored in the Amulet? Could the amulets store more than one type of power at a time? For how long? Centuries? And what had he meant by mentioning the
instrument of my destruction
? Was there a traitor in my midst? If so, I had no idea who it could be, although if I had to bet it would have been our newest member, Alucard. Or maybe that’s what Jacob
wanted
me to think. To make me paranoid. I would just have to keep an eye on everyone. I shook my head as I silently began walking up the stairs. My friends followed me. No one spoke.