I close my eyes sharply. Not for a second can I imagine the pain of hearing your child screaming, knowing they still live, knowing there is still hope ... yet it being impossible to save them.
No. Not impossible.
Enya turns to me, as if she read the tensing of my body and can tell what I’m thinking.
Of course she can. She knows me better than I know myself.
“You don’t think—”
“Yes,” I say.
There is one person on this island who could potentially stand against a forest full of night creatures left over from when Nightshade was still part of this island.
She frowns. “And your brother? Would he let you?”
I think about that. Then I nod. “He trusts me,” I say.
It’s true, though another thing is certain: I don’t trust Grim for a second.
He raises his head as I enter. It’s been days since I was last here, and he looks thinner than before. Weaker. There isn’t a hint of color in his features.
He frowns when he sees me. “Interesting. Such a range of emotions ... you want something, don’t you?”
I work my jaw, wondering what this demon is going to ask for. Wondering what I’ll give him. Agnes has been a second mother to me my entire life. She’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met. My mother—sheloved her. She was there, by her side, when Ara was born.
“Did you ever have a guardian that took care of you like she was your parent? That looked out for you?”
He blinks, as if batting away the cobwebs he’s put on his own memories. A second passes. Another. Finally, he nods.
Interesting.
“My brother’s guardian tried for decades to have a daughter until she finally did. She’s her entire world. She, of anyone, deserves this happiness.” I take a step toward the cell. “Her daughter has gone into the Midnight Woods.”
He looks at me blankly. Of course, he doesn’t know what I mean.
“It’s a place on Star Isle that’s been overrun by shadow creatures.”
Grim, to his credit, does not take any amusement from the situation, even though I have come to plead for his assistance. Instead, he curses. Shakes his head. “She won’t survive long.”
“Her mother thinks she’s still alive,” I say.
But she won’t be for much longer.
Grim’s eyes are fixed on mine. I stare him down through the bars on his cell, looking for anything—anything—to change my mind. To remind me why this is the world’s biggest mistake.
“Help us,” I say. Then I utter a word I never thought I would speak to any Nightshade, let alone this one. “Please.”
He does not respond. All he does is shake his arms, so the chains clink together. “I won’t be useful tied to a wall.”
“Then you’ll help us.” It’s a statement, but I still need to hear his answer.
“Yes,” he says sharply.
I need more assurances. I’m taking a risk that could affect the entire island. “If I let you out, will you betray us?”
He takes his time with this answer, as if he’s sifting through various possibilities. “No,” he finally says.Truth.
I unlock the cell.
