“I didn’t even see it.” Brody pressed himself against the door. “How did it get here so fast?”
“It’s Fae,” Mina yelled over her shoulder. She ran to the back of the house and locked the back kitchen door. She peered out the curtains and didn’t see anything, but she could hear it—the terrifying howl of the beast. There was a Reaper here. On their property. All she could do was hope the wards held better than the Godmothers’.
Charlie came around from the side room and stood in the kitchen, his face a mask of fear.
“Get Mom!” she yelled.
He nodded and took off running up the stairs, but their mom was already on her way down.
“Mina, what’s going on?” She had a laundry basket full of clothes, and her hair was pulled back and secured with a clip. She wore jeans with an oversize men’s flannel shirt—Mina’s father’s.
“It’s a Reaper who’s also a giant black dog.”
“A what?” she pressed her hand to her forehead with a confused look on her face.
Her gold charm bracelet dangled from her small wrist. A new charm from Pandora’s box was attached to it. When and how this new charm appeared on her mom’s arm was something Mina would have to worry about later.
“Charlie,” she called to her brother. “The bracelet.”
Her younger brother didn’t need any more direction. He ran to his mom, grasped the charm bracelet, and pulled with all of his might. Her mother yelled out as the chain broke, and small golden charms scattered across the floor. Mina recognized the memory charm and the forgetting charm, and she kicked the new one that looked like an apple under the stove. It rattled as it rolled around.
In only a few seconds, the haze in her mother’s eyes cleared up. The beast howled again, and her gaze snapped to the window.
She froze, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes darted between her kids and Brody and back outside, where another long howl pierced the air. The sound spurred her into action. She rushed to the cupboards and began to dig through the spices.
“Have you seen it?” Her mom rushed about her hands shaking as she pulled out pepper, flour, and sugar and slammed them down onto the counter.
“Yeah, it’s a Reaper.
“No,” Sara turned and gave Mina a stern look. “Did you see the dog? What’s it look like?”
“Uh, it’s large black beast.”
“Mina. The eyes. Tell me about the Reaper’s eyes.”
The fear combined with resignation in her mother’s voice—that tone—scared her more than the horrifying howl.
“White as death.”
Her mother gripped the countertop, and her head dropped. “An omen,” she exhaled.
This time, it was Mina’s turn to be confused. “What?”
“An omen, a Death Reaper.” Her mother’s eyes lit with anger, and she reached into the back of the cupboards and grabbed a large container of salt, which she pushed into Brody’s hands. “Sprinkle it in a circle. A big one.”
“Charlie,” she said, “get me the hand mirror from the bathroom.”
His feet pounded up the stairs.
“But it can’t cross the wards, right?” Mina asked, looking out the window.
“Don’t count on it. Nothing can stop Death,” Sara said firmly.
The howling stopped, replaced by low growling. First it sounded far away, then by the front door, and then the beast started to ram itself against the door. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Mina hurried to the front of the house but saw nothing. Something invisible was ramming against the door.
“Why can’t I see it anymore?”
“You won’t, honey. You only see a death omen once, unless he wants you to see him. But you see where he’s been in hindsight.”
The beast stopped its attack on the front door, so Mina jogged back to the kitchen. Brody handed her mother the rest of the salt. Charlie ran in with a small black cosmetic mirror and handed it to his mother.
Her mom picked the largest chef’s knife out of the cutting block and tested the sharpness against the edge of her thumb. She looked pleased with the results.
“How do you know this?” Mina asked accusingly. “You’ve met him before. Haven’t you?”
Her mother stilled. Her hand wiped a loose strand of hair out of her face, and she turned to face her daughter. “You’re right. This is not the first time Death has come to my door. But this is the first time I can fight back. This isn’t just any Grimm Reaper. He’s not just hunting Grimms. This is Death himself, and he won’t leave until he’s collected.”
“What do you mean?”
Sara looked out the kitchen window and across the yard. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better. I did the best I could, but without your father, I just wasn’t strong enough. I gave up so much to be with him. I could have done something back then, but I didn’t. I promised him. I had to stay for you… and for Charlie. Mina, listen to me. Find my parents. They’ll help you.” She paused and looked at Charlie and then Mina. “I love you both…very much.”