Grimm Tidings: Grimm's Circle, Book 6 Read Online Free PDF Page A

you try to go back to him, he’ll see it. It’s in your eyes. These years, the changes in you, they can’t be undone.”
    “That’s not fair.”
    Jacob laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. “Sweet, that’s life . Fair, unfair, whoever promised you that life would be fair ?”
     
     
    Fair…
    Her words still rang in Jacob’s ears, hours later.
    He couldn’t afford to be distracted, not when he was getting ready to take her out for the next hunt through town. And soon…soon after that, he would show her the truth about the chains binding her so tightly to the past. She was a distraction enough on her own, and she never watched her fine ass as well as she should.
    Fair.
    “The lady expects life to be fair,” he muttered as he slid various blades into place. They were still holed up in Cincinnati, far too close to Celine’s former home for his liking and he wanted this job done so he could get her away from here.
    Maybe even out of the country.
    Not that he expected it would do much good.
    He’d just have to track her down more often.
    The medallion he wore around his neck heated.
    He closed his eyes and sighed, not bothering to turn as Will appeared. The silver flash was reflected in the blade he held and he lifted it, saw the man’s image there. “Don’t I have enough to deal with? I don’t need you here.”
    “You’re wasting time.”
    “I’m doing things my own way.”
    “Your way.” Will paused a moment and then pointed out, “Your way is not working. She’s no more reachable than she was nine months ago when I placed her with you. She’s the same—unreachable, cold, closed-off. There’s been no change.”
    “That’s not entirely true.” He added two blades and then turned, shrugging, shifting his body to make sure he had all the weapons in place, comfortably within reach. “She’s angrier.”
    “Angrier?” One of Will’s brows winged up. “And you think that’s an improvement?”
    Will, the leader of their not-particularly-merry band, rarely wore anything but all white. Today was no exception. White tunic, white trousers. His hair, as white as his clothing, was down loose around his shoulders. He had silver eyes and right now, those silver eyes were troubled, staring at Jacob with disgruntlement.
    “Well, I didn’t say it was an improvement, old man.” He shrugged. “I just said she’s angrier.”
    He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or bad thing. But it was a change. That she felt anything other than the grief. Normally the only time she allowed herself to show any emotion besides the grief was when she was engaged in battle.
    But lately, that anger was creeping out at other times. Was it good? Only time would tell.
    “You need to show her.”
    Jacob closed his eyes. “I know what I need to do.” Then he slanted his gaze to Will and added, “She was placed with me for a reason. I don’t need you telling me how to do this.”
    “Don’t you?”
    Shoving another blade into a sheath, Jacob said, “I’ll handle it in my own way. You’re not the one who has to handle the fallout—for her, for me. So leave me alone.”
    “Jacob—”
    “Enough,” he snarled. The bitter anger brewing inside him snaked to the surface and he glared at Will. “You want me to break what little remains of her dreams. She has so little left and I know in detail just how little she has. There is no happiness, no hope. There’s nothing but wishful thinking about the life she might have had. And I have to crush even that. But you act as though I’m explaining the consequences of returning a movie a few days late.”
    “I want her to understand what you and I already know,” Will said quietly. “You tried to point it out to her already. But she won’t let herself see it, will she?”
    Jacob stared at him.
    “I know this isn’t easy. But until she sees, she’ll continue to suffer.”
     
     
    There was one time when she actually felt part of this new world.
    Only one.
    And it was