Free Grimm Consequences by Kate Serine

my knees, my arms twisted painfully behind my back.
    I heard Tess curse a blue streak as she struggled against her captors, trying to get to me.
    â€œAwww. . . I think she actually loves you, Death Bringer,” Demetrius mocked. “Can you imagine that? You , of all men!” He gasped theatrically, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as he glanced back and forth between Tess and me. “But wait . . . Could it be? Does she not know who you really are?”
    â€œNice try, asshole,” Tess hissed. “He already told me that he isn’t a Tale, that he’d been a human slave who was forced to be an assassin. None of that matters to me.”
    Demetrius nodded. “True. All true. And before that?” he asked, his mocking gaze locked on me even though he spoke to Tess. “Did he tell you about before ? Did he tell you his real name? Why he’s called Death Bringer ?”
    â€œFuck you, Demetrius,” I growled.
    â€œNo?” Demetrius said to Tess when she didn’t respond. “Didn’t really think he was called Nate Grimm, did you? Oh, naive girl. I guess love really is blind. Well, here, let me do the honors. Tess Little, allow me to introduce you to Marius Titus Maximus, one of the most feared commanders ever to have served the Roman Empire.”
    Tess’s brows shot up. “Commander?”
    â€œHis enemies trembled to hear his name,” Demetrius told her, slowly circling me, “for they knew that when Maximus drew near, Death was coming for them. He was fierce, fearless. And, seemingly, immortal. His men worshipped him as a god .” Here Demetrius turned to me, grimacing comically. “And, I think maybe he even began to believe it. . . .” He bent forward to get a look into my eyes, which had to be burning with rage. But he merely grinned, cocking his head to one side and then the other as he contemplated the question. “Yes, I think he did. Oh, how very sad. Want to tell her what happened, my friend, or shall I? Hmm?”
    I merely glared at him, fighting the urge to rip out his throat. I could have. It would’ve been easy. Although I couldn’t dematerialize to get to Tess with the other Reapers still holding me, I could’ve shifted enough to get my hands around that bastard’s throat. But doing so would’ve put Tess and her family at risk. And that wasn’t a gamble I was willing to take.
    â€œWell,” Demetrius went on, drawing out the word in a sing-songy voice, “it turns out the great Death Bringer wasn’t so invincible after all.”
    I looked past him to Tess, trying to gauge her reaction, but her face was impossible to read. “I was betrayed,” I spat. “The man I trusted most, one I called my friend, turned out to be nothing more than a traitor. He sold out his brothers at arms to line his own pockets.” I pegged Demetrius with a murderous glare. “We were slaughtered like sheep, you son of a bitch! And for what? What did you gain, Demetrius?”
    He chuckled and pulled a dramatically contrite expression. “Eternal damnation, as it turns out. But it was worth it!” Then he was up in my face again, his eyes wild as he relived his moment of triumph. “I had bested the great Death Bringer. Had brought him to his knees!”
    â€œI survived the ambush and was sold into slavery,” I told Tess through clenched teeth.
    â€œOh, he was quite the prize,” Demetrius gloated. “The great commander now nothing more than a worthless slave, forced to kill for his master.”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. “You should’ve just killed me.”
    â€œYou enjoyed it,” Demetrius hissed, his spittle striking me in the face. “Don’t deny it. You fed off the fear, Maximus. You lived for the kill. And when another assassin got lucky and took your head, your path was assured. There was never a man more born to be a Reaper than you! When I saw you