Saving Year Three (Grim Reaper Academy 3)

My eyes snapped open. I knew that voice. It was coming from one of the windows upstairs. My heart picked up the pace, beating wildly in my chest, the panicked thump thump thump reverberating down into my stomach and my gut, in my whole body. I squeezed my legs together. I needed to pee. Stupid nerves.

“Do I know you?”

I hadn’t looked up yet. I couldn’t. I heard the window close, and I knew he was coming down.

What do I do? What do I do? He can see me!

You stay right where you are. The voice in my head, the feeling in my gut. It really felt like the orders were coming from within me, when in truth… they might as well have been coming from inside the house. There was something there. Someone. They’d been waiting for me, calling, begging… They weren’t going to let me go now that they had me so close, in their grip.

I didn’t move. I heard the front door open, then steps on the cobblestone alley. I heard the main gate creaking ajar.

“Come down, will you? Come inside.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, breathed in and out slowly, then finally gathered my courage and looked at him. He was tall, handsome, maybe slightly older than he should have been. Long blond hair gathered neatly in a low ponytail. Eyes as blue as the sky. As blue as mine. Sharp features, tanned skin. That was the difference. Tanned skin. He liked to be in the sun. This Valentine Morningstar liked to be in the sun.

“Why would I come inside?” I managed.

He furrowed his brows, lost in deep thought for a second. He pointed his finger at me, moved in closer.

“You remind me of someone,” he said. “I know I’ve never seen you before, but you look so familiar. Who are you?”

“You know who I am…”

He smiled brightly, kindly, as if he didn’t have a care in the world and the weird exchange we were having was just a welcome break in his daily routine.

“I really don’t,” he insisted. “Why are you spying over my fence?”

“Is this the future?” But how could it bloody be the future if I was his daughter and he didn’t recognize me?!

His demeanor changed at my words. He frowned, studying me more closely. He even took a step back, which was so unlike him. What was happening? He looked like my father, but he… wasn’t my father. I had a nagging feeling that no, this wasn’t the future. But it couldn’t have been the past, either. It didn’t look like he was… a Grim Reaper. In fact, he was wearing a cream shirt and blue slacks. What a strange combination for him. I’d always seen him in black… And where the hell was his scythe?

“You’re not from around here,” he said in a low, calculated voice. He was finally taking me seriously. “You’re from the other world.”

“What other world?”

“The other universe. You’re dreaming right now.”

I paled. How did he know? I swallowed heavily and decided to get down from the fence. Facing him now, the sensation that he was Valentine Morningstar but not quite, increased.

“I’m lost,” I said. “What is this place. Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m your daughter!” I raised my voice, which drew the neighbors’ attention. “I’m Mila.”

His blue eyes went wide, and his hands started shaking. He squeezed them into fists at his sides, trying to regain control over his emotions.

“This can’t be,” he whispered, in a daze. “He told me you were dead…”

“Who told you?”

He put his trembling fist in his mouth and bit down on his knuckles. Whatever was going on, he was taking this harder than I was.

“Come inside, we need to talk. I’ll tell you everything, but not here.” He threw a quick glance around and waved at one of his neighbors.

I dragged in a breath. He was holding the gate open for me, but I couldn’t decide whether this was a good idea or not.

“You don’t trust me…”