Runes #03 - Grimnirs (17 page)

“We made a pact we’d never keep secrets from each other.” I followed her. “How could you? The last week you knew that… that bitch everyone thought was me wasn’t really me, and you said nothing.”

She grimaced. “We didn’t really have time to talk. You know with Dad’s stroke and all.”

I pinched her again. “Don’t use him as an excuse. It takes seconds to say, ‘Hey, Cora, I know the truth, so don’t stress out.’ I thought I had astral projected while in the crazy house or something.”

Raine laughed. “Astral… that’s ridiculous.” She jumped back when I reached out to pinch her again. “Enough with the pinching already. I was going to tell you everything. I needed the right moment and, you know, to confirm you could still see souls.” She glanced at Torin, who smirked. She glared. “It’s not funny. I told you she’d be pissed when she found out.”

He lifted his hands. “Don’t include me in this mess. I’m going to pick up Rod then head home. I’ll be there if you need me, but I can’t be here when you two talk.”

Raine grabbed his hand. “Why not? You explain some things better.”

He glanced at me. “I can’t. But I’ll be home when you are done.” He kissed her and walked away.

“Home as in Asgard?” I asked after he disappeared around the corner.

Raine laughed, closing the door. “No. Next door.”

“He lives next door? How convenient. Now start talking. I’ll ask again. Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

“Eirik was.”

My jaw dropped. “He’s one of you, too? No, don’t answer that. I want to know everything from the beginning.” I pointed at her then upstairs. “Let’s go.”

“Do you want something to drink? Does your hand hurt?”

I glared. “Do I look like I want a drink or need pain meds? The stupid runes Maliina etched on me take away the pain. Don’t know how long the effect will last. Don’t really care right now. I. Just. Want. Answers.” Lifting the hem of the duster so I wouldn’t trip on it, I marched upstairs.

By the time Raine entered her bedroom with two bottles of water, I was settled on her bed with piles of pillows behind me. She put one water bottle within my reach and took a chair. When she opened the top and took a sip, I wanted to snap at her to hurry up.

She put the water on the table and moved her chair closer to the bed. “Well, it started the day Torin moved in next door.”

“Where was I?”

“Upstairs vlogging. I was down here doing my homework, so I answered the door. You don’t remember any of this because the Norns erased your memories.”

“So he was right about that.”

“Who?”

Echo. Even thinking his name hurt. “Never mind. Go on.”

Raine nodded and continued. The story was like something straight out of a fantasy. From Torin healing her to her nightmare cat and mouse games with Norns to discovering her mother was also a former Valkyrie. If I couldn’t see souls, I wouldn’t believe anything she’d just said.

“Eirik is what?” I asked.

“A god. Grandson to Odin and Loki.”

No wonder Echo had called him a god among Mortals. I’d just assumed he was being sarcastic. My stomach started to growl, but I ignored it. I snapped the lid off the bottled water Raine had brought for me and sipped. My hand tightened on the bottle when she mentioned Maliina.

“She was back, but we didn’t recognize her. Norns can change their appearances on a whim. She used her new Norn powers to create a disguise, the perfect disguise to infiltrate us. She chose you.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“She knew you were at PMI, Cora. We didn’t. She changed her appearance to look exactly like you. Act like you. Speak like you. She knew things only you would know, which is possible because Norns know everything. I even came to your house to pick her up once and she met me at your door as your mother. Then she used a portal and was waiting for me in your bedroom as you. She had us all fooled. I mean, there were a few moments here and there when she acted odd, and my trainer, Lavania, didn’t like her from the first moment they met, but no one thought she was Maliina.”

My stomach churned as everything fell into place. While I was in the crazy house, that Immortal bitch had stolen my identity, taken over my life. My friends. My vlog. My house, since my parents often came to PMI to see me and would stay for days. Oh God…

She’d slept with Echo. No wonder he’d assumed I had. She’d had my Echo.

Nausea rose to my throat, and I jumped out of Raine’s bed. I barely made it to the toilet and dropped on my knees. The water I’d drunk a few minutes ago spewed out of my mouth. Dry heaves raked my body, my eyes watering.

Echo had thought I was Maliina. His lover. The one he’d played sex games with. I had just been a substitute. A freaking substitute. No wonder he’d taken off after learning the truth.

Torin must have told him and I’d confirmed it when I couldn’t heal and mentioned Maliina. That was the point he’d looked like someone had gutted him. How humiliating. I wanted to disappear in some dark corner of human existence and never resurface.

Raine held my hair and pressed a wet cloth to my forehead. “Are you okay?”

What do you think?
I wanted to snap. I took the cloth from her and wiped my face. I closed the toilet bowl and flushed. Our eyes met. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, hands on her knees, her hazel eyes filled with worry.

“I’m okay. You blindsided me with Maliina. I knew she’d marked me, but this…” I shook my head. “What else did she do?”

“She spent a lot of time with Eirik.”

“Why couldn’t he tell she wasn’t me? Why couldn’t
you
? Her sister has an accent. Didn’t she have one, too?”

Raine sighed. “Yes. But when she came back as you, she spoke like you, Cora. Lived in your house, wrote on your vlog, had your cell phone, and swam with the team.”

“She aced every class, too,” I wailed. She was better than me at everything. Because of her, my GPA was above 3.9. That only made me hate her more. She’d had Echo. I didn’t care that I now knew the truth, that I hadn’t astral projected from the psych ward. The Immortal who’d ruined my life also had the man I wanted.

“She played mind games with Eirik because she wasn’t really working with Norns as they’d thought. She’d made a deal with Goddess Hel, who wanted Eirik.”

No wonder Hel’s army was after me. Maliina had failed in her mission to lure Eirik to Hel, and now Eirik was with his grandparents. The good grandparents—Odin and Frigga. Pretty boy Eirik was really a deity. Not surprising.

“We learned who she was that evening we came to your house and your mother told us to leave. I’d seen you, uh,
her
the night before, etching the runes on Eirik, and we came to your house to confront her. You have no idea how relieved and happy I was when your mother told me about PMI.”

I cocked my eyebrow. “I was in a nut house, Raine.”

“I didn’t care. I would not have cared if you’d really been crazy,” she said, laughing. “You are my best friend. Crazy is better than what Maliina was… what she is—pure evil. If we had known you were at PMI, Cora, Eirik and I would have been there every weekend. He’s crazy about you.”

“Are you sure? Maybe it’s Maliina he’s crazy about. If he and Maliina spent time together, they probably slept together.”

“No, I don’t think so. She drew evil runes on Eirik to turn him evil. Then she played games to make him jealous and force his evil side to take over. Like kissing Drew the night of the game and flirting with jocks when we’d go out. Eirik was consumed with jealousy because of his feelings for you, not her.”

It was too late now. I didn’t want Eirik to want me. “Did he know the truth before he left?”

“Yes. He was devastated that we hadn’t known about PMI. He said he’d come back just to see you.”

“He shouldn’t,” I whispered.

“Don’t say that,” Raine begged.

The physical attraction I’d felt toward Eirik was nothing compared to what I now felt toward Echo. Thinking about Echo hurt, but I still wanted him back. I stood and rinsed my mouth with water and mouth wash.

“Call your parents and tell them you are staying here for the night,” Raine said. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

I’d forgotten how bossy Raine could get sometimes. “I don’t feel like eating and, uh, how did you know I didn’t want to go home?”

“Because I know you, Cora Jemison.”

I made a face. “Yeah. Right. An evil imposter fooled you.”

“Have you seen her vlog entries?” Raine rolled her eyes and imitated my voice. “‘Hey, Hottie of the Week is smoking hot shirtless. Don’t ask how I know.’ Sound familiar?”

“Shut up.”

“I’ll get the food from Torin’s place. He cooks the most amazing dishes.” She glanced out the window and waved. I checked at what had her riveted. Torin. “Before you say you’re not hungry, we still have some talking to do. I want to hear about you and the souls and PMI.”

Thank goodness she didn’t mention Echo. I wasn’t ready to talk about him. I watched as Raine stopped in front of her mirror and it dissolved into a portal. When it closed, I could see her in Torin’s room. She had her man right across the lawn while mine was in Hel’s Hall. No, mine was no longer mine. He was never mine. He was Maliina’s.

For the first time, I wanted to cry. Just curl up in bed and cry until I was exhausted.

No, no more jealous thoughts. My best friend was a powerful seeress. A young one but one day she would become a force of nature. Maybe she could foresee my future.

9.
 
Outsourced

I overslept. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a sleepover at Raine’s. Norns probably took that memory when they scraped my mind. They were way up there on my hate list, along with Maliina.

I stretched and winced at my throbbing hand. Guess the effect of the runes had waned. Did I have to make them appear on my skin for them to work? Did I even want to? I sighed and looked around.

Echo’s coat was draped over the back of a chair. Relief washed over me, the ache of losing him settling deep in my chest. He could easily have come for it while I slept. I was happy he hadn’t. I wanted to see him again, even if to say goodbye or yell at him for leaving without explaining everything.

I sat up and adjusted my top—Raine’s stretchy pajama top was more like it. The bottoms fit, but the top was tight. She and I had talked late into the night and pigged out on finger foods Torin had delivered. The man could cook. Lucky Raine. She got the whole package in that man.

Yawning, I swung my legs onto the floor and slipped on the slippers Raine had loaned me. I padded out of the room. Noises filtered upstairs, but I couldn’t tell who was talking. I’d walked halfway down the stairs, when Andris walked past the stairs on his way to the kitchen, saw me, and backtracked. Smirking, he openly ogled me, his eyes lingering on my chest. I didn’t care enough to get insulted.

“Seen enough,
Valkyrie
?” I asked.

“No. The top is in the way.”

I smirked. “Bet that line has gotten you a lot of
nothing
in the last century alone.”

“No, it’s gotten me plenty of play. So you want to take it off? It’s been a while since I visited a strip joint.”

“Why are you such a letch so early in the morning, Andris?” Raine said, coming from behind him. She smacked the back of his head. “Get out of here. Mom just called. They’ll be here any second.”

“I want to welcome your dad home, too,” he griped. “And Cora was just about to make my morning.”

I stopped on the last stair and really studied him for the first time. Valkyries must recruit from young up-coming models because the combination of silver hair and melted chocolate eyes, androgynous face and his dressing style made Andris a hottie in his own way. Unlike Torin and Echo, who looked like they’d kick ass without breaking a sweat, Andris had softness around the edges. He would pass for a rich artist or a hipster.

“You are staring, Mortal,” he said.

I gripped the edge of the tank top. “What would you do if I removed this?”

“Try and see. I happen to love Mortals.”

I lost interest in baiting him. He’d turned Maliina. “So I heard.”

The smile disappeared from his face. “I’m sorry about what Maliina did to you. I had escorted a swimmer to Falkvang and was delayed. If I had been around—”

“It’s okay,” I said. “She screwed me over, not you. You might be guilty of turning her, but we all do stupid things when we are in love.”

“You just became more interesting, Cora Jemison,” he said. His eyes went to my hand. “What happened to your hand? And what stupid thing have you done in the name of love?”

Fallen for a reaper. No, not fallen. I wasn’t in love with Echo. I just wanted him.

“We’re not discussing me.” I walked past him. My hand was throbbing. The sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee welcomed me to the kitchen, where Raine was clearing breakfast stuff. Several covered pans were on the stovetop.

“I need coffee,” I murmured and reached for a mug. “And pain meds.”

“Ibuprofen?”

“Two.”

She reached up for the cupboard above the fridge and pulled out a plastic container with all sorts of over-the-counter meds. “Dad hasn’t used these in a while, so I hope we have some that haven’t expired.” She found the Ibuprofen bottle and checked expiration date before giving me two pills.

I threw them to the back of my throat and washed them down with unsweetened coffee. “Gah, that’s bitter.”

“Coffee creamers are in the fridge. Torin is gone, so I made breakfast.” She pointed at the stovetop. “No snarky comments if the bacon is not up to par.”

I mustered a grin, got hazelnut creamer, and poured a liberal amount into my coffee. Raine really sucked in the kitchen. Her dad did most of the cooking. At least he used to. I learned to cook from Mom, who could give Rachel Ray a run for her money, except Mom’s dishes were healthier and organic.

“Where is Mr. Perfect St. James?” I asked.

Raine smiled dreamily. “He left with the team for Jeld-Wen. They are playing this afternoon.”

“Perfect?” Andris called from the living room. “He’s anal, overbearing, and a know-it-all. Live with him for a century and you’ll be singing my tune.”

“You’re just jealous,” Raine called back.

Andris laughed. “I so do not want to be him. They are here.”

I looked out the window but didn’t see a car pull up. Instead, warm air rushed through the room, and I realized they were using a portal. When Torin had appeared around the lockers on Monday, I’d felt the same wave of warm air.

Raine hurried to the living room, and I followed.

Raine’s father and mother slowly walked into the living room, the portal closing behind them. She had his right arm looped around her shoulder.

“Daddy,” Raine said, rushing to his side. She hugged him. “Are you sure you should be walking?”

“As long as I have strength left in me.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, saw me, and smiled. Or at least tried to. He looked bad, just like his soul in the cafeteria.

“Nice to have you home, Mr. C,” I said.

His eyes went to my hand. “Thank you. What happened to your hand?”

He couldn’t stand on his own two feet, yet he was thinking of me. That was Tristan Cooper, the sweetest man I knew. It was easy to see why Raine’s mother gave up a future with the Norns for him.

“It’s just a cut. The ER people took care of it.”

“Come here, sweetheart.” He hugged me and kissed my temple.

“It is nice to have you home,” he said.

So he knew about PMI. What else? “Thank you.”

“If I may, sir,” Andris said then looked at Raine and her mother. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us.” He scooped up Mr. C as though he weighed nothing.

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” Mr. C said as Andris carried him toward the den.

“Immensely, sir.” I could hear the smile in Andris’ voice.

“Don’t mind those two,” Raine’s mother said, giving me a hug. “They are always arguing about something.” She leaned back and cupped my face. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry about what my people have put you through. Valkyries and Mortals were never meant to mix. Someone always gets hurt.”

“But you married Mr. C,” I reminded her.

She laughed. “Yes, I did, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” she whispered. “Love knows right from wrong.” Her eyes grew sad. “Let’s talk later. I’ll answer any questions you may have. Right now, I need to rescue Andris before Tristan hits him on the head. Andris can be overbearing, and Tristan’s tolerance is very low right now.” She patted my cheek then hurried away.

“Be warned, there’s just so much she can tell you,” Raine said, leading the way into the kitchen.

“So the Council hasn’t let her back in?”

“Nope.”

“Even though you are a vol-whatever?”

She laughed. “
Völva
or just say seeress.” She turned and walked backwards. “Or a prophetess.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

She nodded. “Oh yeah. I’ve started getting visions.” She retrieved three plates from the cupboard and scooped eggs onto a plate. “Do you want some of this?”

“Sure.” I held the plates while she distributed eggs, bacon, and pancakes. “No pancakes for me.”

“You sure? I used Dad’s famous recipe.”

“The operative word is
his
.”

She wrinkled her nose.

“So would you tell me if you saw a vision about me?” I asked.

She thought about it and made a face. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, would you like to know if a bad thing was going to happen to you?”

“Oh yeah. Then I’d do whatever I could to stop it. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, but unfortunately, I can’t see my own future.”

“That sucks.” I helped her set the tray and started on my food as she took food to her parents. Andris sauntered back into the kitchen, poured himself a cup of coffee, and watched me. I ignored him.

“So, you and Echo?”

My hand froze with the fork halfway to my mouth. Exhaling, I put the piece of egg in my mouth. If he so much as badmouthed Echo, I was going to kick him so hard he wouldn’t walk for a week.

“You Mortals know how to pick them, don’t you?”

How many Mortals in love with Valkyries or Grimnirs did he know? Not that I was in love with Echo or anything like that.

“He and I loathe each other. Do you know why?” Andris asked.

“You had a crush on him and he wasn’t interested?”

He choked on his drink. “He told you that?”

I smiled. The way his voice went pitchy told me I’d hit the mark. “No, an educated guess.”

“You are wrong. I never had a crush on him. He hates Romans.”

Romans had destroyed the Druids, Echo’s people. I studied Andris. “Are you from ancient Rome?”

“And proud of it, which pisses off your Grimnir,” Andris said. “Don’t know why. He’s mysterious and a loner, a total a-hole most of the time. Other Grimnirs are cool. You know, our paths cross and we hang out, compare notes, and even hook up. Not Echo. Some Grimnirs are in awe of him, while others just hate his guts.”

Druids. Whatever.

“They told the craziest stories about him. I didn’t buy them. Maybe you can confirm some for me. You know, ask him.”

I stood, placed my plate in the sink, and turned. “Andris,” I said, moving closer and forcing him to lean back. “I’d love to be your go-to girl whenever you want to hook up with a guy or a girl.” Gripping the counter, I boxed him in until my face was only inches from his. “But don’t ever mention Echo to me again. Okay?”

“You are hot when pissed.” He eyes moved to my cleavage. “Are these babies real? They’re too perky.”

I thumped his forehead with the heel of my palm, picked up my coffee, and started for the stairs. Andris followed me, hands in his front pockets, shoulders hunched.

“Where’s Ingrid?”

“Jeld-Wen Stadium. Cheering. She’s into someone else, a football player of all Mortals. She went to the game just to cheer for him.”

I stopped at the foot of the stairs. He looked so forlorn. “Isn’t she a
cheerleader
?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So she has to be there with the squad. And you are acting like a punk.”

His eyes narrowed. “Punk?”

He sounded so insulted I grinned. “Yeah, for letting a jock steal your girl.”

“She’s not my girl,” he said, frowning.

Refusing to make his problems mine, I dismissed him with a wave and ran upstairs. Raine was still downstairs when I finished taking a bath. Bathing with one hand while keeping the other dry wasn’t easy. I borrowed the biggest sweatshirt she owned and jeggings and called home. The door opened behind me, and Raine entered. I saw her expression.

“What is it? Is your dad—?”

“He’s okay. He wants to see you. Alone.”

I made a face. “Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s acting weird. Andris needs to etch pain and sleep runes on him, so he can rest, but he can’t until you two talk.”

I hurried downstairs. Raine’s father was alone when I knocked and peeked inside the den. “You wanted to see me, Mr. C?”

He waved me inside. “Close the door, sweetheart.”

My stomach was churning by the time I took the chair by his bed. The room had undergone some serious transformation. The sectional couch that usually dominated the room had been replaced by a queen-sized bed, and the desktop computer that used to sit on his desk was now a large screen TV.

I’d always thought Raine’s father was indestructible. With his hearty laugh and love for lengthy debates, he’d challenge us to think deeper about events whenever I visited. Sometimes, I’d go with him and Raine to triathlons. To support them, not participate. Swimming was my only sport.

“I know about your ability, Cora. I was dead for a minute or two on Monday and came to you in the cafeteria. You saw me.”