Grey Tail leaned forward and pressed his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. He brushed his teeth against a vein in her throat, following the pulse from her clavicle to chin. “Where’s the book?” he whispered, growling into her ear.
“I told you before, I don’t have it,” Mina whimpered. The way he was leaning on her, she feared he might feel it in her bodice.
“She’s lying,” a woman said, her gravelly voice echoing out of the darkness.
“Does it look like I have a book on me?” Mina shouted at the figure in the dark. Her vision was swimming, and she heard a slow click, click in her head.
“She may have left it at home,” Grey Tail said hesitantly to the dark figure, while still pressing himself close to his prey.
“You searched her home once and didn’t find it. What makes you think she would have left it there now? Use your brain, you worthless dog.”
Mina’s vision began to clear, and she could make out the wood flooring of the stage. The clicking sound drew nearer, and slowly a pair of red high-heeled shoes came into view. She knew those heels and was about to comment on them when a hand grabbed Mina’s hair roughly, digging the bobby pins deeply into her scalp and forcing her to look at the speaker.
It was Claire.
Chapter 22
Or what used to be Claire. She had aged considerably within a few weeks. She no longer looked to be in her thirties, but now her eighties. Her hair had turned gray, and her skin was wrinkled and covered in sun spots. She had lost weight, too much of it, till there was barely a trace of the beautiful woman Mina had met once before
“This is your fault,” she spat at Mina, gripping Mina’s head and slamming it against the wall again, proving that her body had aged but her strength had not diminished. “I was perfect, timeless, until you showed up at my bakery. Who would have thought that an actual Grimm would walk through my doors? I’m honored, really, to be included in the infamous tales, and maybe if I had fed on an earlier school tour, I would have noticed you. Believe me, if I had, you wouldn’t have survived long.”
Mina shrank away from Claire’s touch. Jared had said that she would eventually age and die, but Mina had thought it would take years, not days. It made her wonder even more at the depth and power of the tales.
“I’m sorry—I had no idea about the power of the tale until days later. You have to believe me.”
Claire studied Mina closely. “I believe you, sweet child. But you see, we still have a problem. I don’t want to age. I want to stay young forever. I want it to go back to the way it was before you showed up at my bakery.”
“I can’t. I don’t know how to reverse what was done.” Mina trembled with fear. The men who surrounded Claire stepped forward, flexing their fingers, eager for the violence to begin.
“Nonsense. You can. I’ve been told you’re the chosen one, and you have the Grimoire. You have the power to change the tale.”
“I don’t,” Mina cried out.
“You do!” Claire grinned evilly. “And all I think you need is some proper motivation. Bring them in, Lonetree.”
Mina didn’t know what to expect and was surprised when a red-haired boy she’d never seen before dragged in a compliant Savannah and Pri. They looked somewhat dazed and confused, but unharmed. The girls sat at Claire’s feet, immobile, as if under a spell.
“Let them go!” Mina struggled against Grey Tail, but he grinned and squeezed Mina’s arms tighter until they felt like they were about to break.
“I loved my husband,” Claire said softly. “Do you know what it’s like to outlive a loved one? Do you?” She screamed the last question.
“Yes,” she cried. “I do. And I’m sorry.”
“No, you don’t!” Claire’s face froze for a moment, and then she started to laugh maniacally. “I used to feel cheated that they didn’t inherit my longevity. But then I realized I was meant for much greater things. Like stopping the likes of you.”
A beeping noise interrupted Claire’s rant. She pulled a cell phone out of her purse and answered in a language Mina had never once heard. Even from a cruel old woman like Claire, her voice sounded breathy, melodic and mesmerizing. Mina could barely hear the voice on the other end, gruff and clipped. With a sharp click, Claire hung up the phone and studied the girls in front of her and Mina.
“Tell you what, Mina. I will let you choose who lives and who dies. I only need two of you and the Grimoire. You can’t say that I’m completely heartless. I’m giving you a chance to save your own skinny neck.”