Locked in Silence: Grimm's Circle, Book 5 Read Online Free PDF Page B

and they came. One of his gifts—the gift of illusion, the reason he had been beaten, imprisoned most of his mortal life.
    The final drone was out there, cleverly trying to sneak around, holding a gun in his hands. A gun—fool. Tossing his battle axe to his left hand, Silence grabbed one of the two throwing axes he kept on his belt. It whistled through the air, cleaving through the man’s skull like a ripe melon.
    As he fell down, his body lifeless, Silence released his illusions and let the queen see.
    Let her see that she was truly alone…alone with just him.
    Not where she wanted to be.
    Her eyes went wide—
    And then she hissed.
    Before she flung the mortal at him, she took a split second to rip her throat out.
    Silence closed his eyes for a moment—as far as deaths went, it was a relatively painless way to go.
    But fuck it all, he didn’t want to see this.
    He’d seen enough death to last him through all eternity.
    The demon fled as he moved to the woman’s side.
    He knelt down and took her hand as her life faded.
    I’m here, he signed automatically with his free hand, using the language he had first used with Sina and Will all those years ago, the language Will had created just for him. Even as he did it, he wondered why. It wasn’t like she could see, as first pain then death glazed her eyes.
    Even if she could, she wouldn’t understand.
    He didn’t even know her name.
    Not that it would matter to her—it wasn’t like he could speak, offer comfort as she went through the change from mortal to Grimm…through death’s door and back again.
    She would be locked in silence as she made this change, just like he was.
    Might as well be alone, for all the good it did having him there.
    You’re not alone, he thought as he brushed a lock of hair back from her face, still holding her other hand in his. His hands itched to move—itched to echo the words within his mind.
    Silence, the silence he’d been trapped in for so long weighed on him, but for some reason, he wanted to hold her hand and keep the other curved where he could stroke the silken skin of her cheek.
    Her skin was cooling…her life, already gone.
    It was done.
    He felt the ripple in the air, that tightening, and he sighed, shaking his head. Why was the bastard coming now?
    “Her name is Vanya,” a voice said from behind.
    Will.
    Glancing back at him, Silence lifted a brow.
    Sina had once told him he could convey entire conversations with just a look. Perhaps Will agreed because he just shrugged and said, “Well, would you rather stare at her and think of her as human —although that won’t apply for much longer. Perhaps you intend to think of her simply as protégée ? Knowing her name will help you both. And I’m here to deal with the mess, because as always, you made a hell of one.”
    Will nudged one of the heads and scowled. “Off with their heads.”
    Then he came over and crouched on her other side, across from Silence.
    His hand touched her throat—under it, brilliant, bright-white light flared.
    Silence looked away.
    But from the corner of his eye, he saw Will place a hand on her chest, just over her heart, and he found himself staring down, watching as Will called her back.
    Back through death’s door.
    It wasn’t Will’s power that made it possible—he was just the channel.
    But it was a fucking disconcerting thing to watch.

Chapter Three
    Then…
    “You cannot kill him!” The woman stood before his body, her arms spread wide.
    Mother was not here.
    Mother hated him—she thought him evil.
    Mother didn’t want him. Neither did Father. They had let him be taken—immediately his mind shied away from what had happened, what became of him…what had been done. What he had done…
    This woman, though, she fought to protect him. To help him. But he doubted she could.
    With his arms wrapped around his thin, cold body, he sat on the ground, clutching the axe and staring at the men he’d killed. He still had their blood on