Grimm Love: Hybrid Love Anthology

By Kristen Collins

Sky was your typical Grim Reaper, well mostly, she was half human too. She helped souls pass on to the afterlife, but she didn't expect a human to see her in the act, harvesting a soul. In shock, Sky attempts to return to her normal life as the owner of the local bookstore in the small town of Ouray.

 

Jack seeks out the strange yet beautiful woman he saw take his friend's soul on the mountain. After searching nearly every business in the small town, he stumbles upon her in a bookstore on Main Street. Part of him tells him to run the other way. The other part is intrigued by her beautiful features and sporadic personality.
Sky had hoped Jack would chump it up to the heat of the moment and his wild imagination. But he seems to think otherwise.

 

Will she be able to convince him he was seeing things or risk revealing her true self to him?

 

As their worlds collide and passion unfold will they be able to fight what's coming for them?

 

What would you do to save the one you love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristen Collins
• Release date: Feb 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201950682

Kristen Collins

I'm a Native Texan, born and raised close to the heart of the great Lone Star state. I was born in January of 89’ and got to grow up during a great time, I honestly don’t consider myself a Millennial, and really hate that title. I Co-Own INDIE/pendent Book Services and a full-time mother/housewife, as well as a Lupus Warrior. Having Lupus, means a life of inside living, and the sun is known as my arch-nemesis, my personal kryptonite. I wanted to leave a legacy behind, sometime my kids could one day look back on and say, yeah my mom did that. Thanks to the encouragement of friends and family, I found a passion in writing paranormal romance books. Anything fantasy usually suits my novels and me tend to be able to reach anyone in multiple genres. Most of my story ideas come to me in the most unexpected time and places, such as my dreams. They will plague me non-stop until I get my rear up and write it out. I like to explore to new types of characters such as Sandmen and Boogeymen for example. I really wanted to give them their own world, such as A Sandman’s Forbidden Love. God has granted me success that I never imagine was possible, which lead me to my obsession with the paranormal. Now, I know shifter aren’t real but Angels are another story. So Angels are also a part of my obsession, I will sit on the computer doing extensive research on both Sandmen and Angels trying to get my facts straight. Then, on the side, I create Art Journals that can be cross generational from thirteen to sixty years younger, My goal with these types of books are to reach people who need that extra feel good in their lives.

Book preview

Prologue

In the time of the Dark Ages on Earth, there was a war raging between Heaven and Hell. It wreaked havoc on all planes alike, both on Earth and in Purgatory. You see back then, while the Reapers were supposed to be neutral between both sides, there were Reapers and Angels of Heaven and Hell that were couples. Although it was forbidden, it wasn’t long before Reapers were taking sides because of their beloved partners.

A Reaper on your side was a force to be reckoned with. They can not only reap each other but also Angels too. Besides God and Lucifer’s powers, it is the only way to kill another Reaper. The Grimm, the ruler over Reapers, was furious after Reapers started choosing sides. The dying souls were left unattended and neither side was getting the souls that rightfully belonged to them. So God, Lucifer, and the Grimm met for a truce in Purgatory. God and Satan put their war to rest for the time being.

The Grimm’s only stipulation was that he supervised his Reapers’ punishments, and that any Angel of Heaven or Hell and Reaper couples were to be forbidden. So, couples were forced apart and those who refused to obey the law, Reaper, Angel, or Demon, were sentenced to the Prison in Purgatory for eternity.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HJmZz24ba2fmizws14Fgkhl5F-vBLjEfiTBec-o1nGfWfezYvHuKNls0vuVamy0B-bDwX-1u6xzuRzCUAEmW8Lit6vPuT9GllRYAlTaPHXz3bAeXCtonE40Cj0RQewciBV2P8sKVllz4wVmBRQ

Jessa

You can’t catch me, the brown-haired girl yelled as she ran across the yard. The blonde-haired girl chased the brown-haired girl in circles and yelled out, "I am going to catch you, Sky!"

The blonde-haired girl caught the brown-haired girl named Sky as they fell to the ground. They were laughing as they sat up on the ground.

Okay, so maybe you are a better runner than I am, Sarah, Sky said dotingly to her.

Maybe, Sky, but you can run longer than-.

Sarah started coughing, and she could not stop. Sky screamed at one of the other children to find Sarah’s inhaler. Sarah was no longer coughing, but choking. She could not breathe and was grasping at her neck in an attempt to allow air into her body. Sky’s hands started to glow blue and, without even knowing it, she pulled Sarah’s soul out of her body into her hands. Sky was startled at the sight of me as I appeared beside her. I could feel her fear and confusion in all the commotion.

Sky, my dear, how did you do that? I asked her, coming out of the shadows.

I don’t know! I didn’t mean to! Help her! What do I do? What did I do?!

Sky, darling, you need to calm down. Pass the white light you are holding into my hands. It is Sarah’s time to pass. Things like this happen for a reason, and there is nothing you can do about it to change it.

She looked up at me with big, watery, doe eyes. I could see the fear in her eyes as she passed me Sarah’s soul. Once she did, I passed Sarah’s soul into the afterlife. I looked back down to Sky as she sat there holding onto Sarah’s lifeless body rocking back and forth.

Sky, my dear, we have much to discuss. I will be back in a few weeks once you are able to grieve for the loss of your friend. I am sorry, my dear, that this has happened to you.

Sky

Ten years later...

So, you all know the story of the Grimm Reaper, a robed skeleton with a scythe; we were also named that because we were believed to ‘reap’ the souls of the living, thus robbing man of life. Blah blah blah...

Well that's both true and false. We don’t have to use a scythe, although the really nasty souls we harvest tend to get that kind of treatment. It’s the most painful way to extract the soul from the body, as it feels like you’re being filleted from the inside out, which you kind of are, in a sense. The power comes from forging the blades of scythes, which enabled Reapers to upgrade over the centuries from a scythe to regular knives and swords.

Now the good souls can be harvested simply by us coaxing their souls out of their body with our hands. I’m told it feels like you’re floating on clouds, full of peace and joy. Since there’s no way for the Grimm to be everywhere at once, that’s where we all come into play. Actually, there are hundreds of thousands of us, we’re all assigned to different areas all around the world.

As for me? I’m Sky, your typical Reaper extraordinaire, well maybe not typical. I’m half human, but with the help of my mentor/adopted mother, Jessa, I help souls pass on to the afterlife. During my regular life schedule, I run the local bookstore, Reading Amongst the Clouds, in the small town of Ouray, Colorado – also known as the Switzerland of America or the ‘Gem of the Rockies.’

What is the beauty of a small mountainside town? It’s quite the tourist attraction, a hot vacation getaway for others from all over the United States. I could never trade the splendor of the quiet nature that surrounds me on a daily basis here.

As an orphan, I grew up in a group home in the city that never sleeps, New York. I hated city life, it was too claustrophobic and I always felt like the smog was smothering me. It wasn’t long after Jessa found me there that she found a secluded and safe place to raise me. All the way across the United States to a small town, somewhere far, far away where I could start fresh. Some place secluded in the mountains, a place I now call home where I can train and practice my abilities, and not be discovered.

I inherited the store after the owner, the town bookworm, gave me a job and a place to stay when I arrived here. I live in the loft above, which makes my life very convenient. There are three other lofts, one that houses my best friend, Mia Le Roux. One that houses Ms. Gertrude – I swear that lady must be at least a hundred but still kicking strong. And then the vacant loft we all use for storage or guests at times.

I bet you're all wondering, how I possibly learned that I’m half-Reaper? Well, that's an excellent question!  I still remember everything like it was only yesterday.

I’d always felt a little different from the other kids growing up. Don’t get me wrong now,  I’m easy to get along with, but it was like I was an outsider. It wasn’t just that I felt like I didn’t belong in the city, but I didn’t have the usual looks of my fellow orphans.

Being of Native American mixed heritage, I looked like I belonged on the reservation. That never deterred the boys, as my short, yet curvy feminine body was apparently to their liking. I kept my thick wavy hair long, only trimming it when it needed to be done. I was told I was a blessed young woman with a body most girls would kill for in this day and age.

When I was about eleven, my bunkmate, Sarah, and I were running around playing tag. Sarah caught me as we fell to the ground laughing.

Okay so maybe you are a better runner than I am, Sarah.

Maybe, Sky, but you can run longer than-.

Sarah started coughing, grabbing her throat gasping for air as her asthma took over, yet no one could find her inhaler. I screamed in fear, Help! Somebody help me! Please!

As everyone scattered helplessly, like chickens with their heads cut off, gawking, and calling nine-one-one, I held her, but she was losing consciousness fast.

Time stood still as I stared at Sarah, feeling a weird but powerful sensation like a tug, from within me. My hands started glowing with fluorescent blue wispy smoke and a pale, whitish transparent version of what I found out later to be Sarah’s soul was lifting out of her body. That’s when I met Jessa, my mentor, and the only mother figure I'd ever known. The look on her face was one of pure shock and admiration. Apparently, I’m a unique being in the supernatural world, the only half-breed of our kind. I didn’t feel unique, I felt like a freak.

Jessa was wide-eyed, walking slowly towards me with her hands up as if I was a wild animal that might attack.

Sky, my dear, how did you do that?

I don’t know! I didn’t mean to! Help her! What do I do? What did I do?! I cried with panic, shaking visibly.

Sky, darling, you need to calm down. Pass the white light you are holding into my hands. It is Sarah’s time to pass. Things like this happen for a reason, and there is nothing you can do about it to change it.

I wept sadly for my bunkmate whose soul looked so peaceful in my arms. Jessa carefully took Sarah’s soul and cradled her to her chest.

"Sky, my dear, we have much to discuss. I will