Runes (A Runes Novel)

by Ednah Walters

Red sheath dress, thigh-high boots, furious expression, she was also the one who’d nearly killed me. Andris’ first mate.

  “Maliina,” I said weakly.

  “Where’s Andris?” she asked.

  “He’s, uh, not here,” I stammered and took a step back. She’s not human… She’s strong… She has powers… Run… Scream…

  Despite my thoughts, I couldn’t move. My knees knocked, and my throat seized up. She moved closer, and I took another step back, the back of my foot hitting the wall. I had nowhere to go, but face her. My stomach dipped when light bounced off something in her hand. She had a weapon. It looked like a letter opener except it was sharper with a thinner blade.

  She was going to kill me this time. I just knew it. My breath hitched. “Maliina, I didn’t come out here to—”

  “You think I wouldn’t notice you left after he disappeared.”

  “I wasn’t meeting with him if that’s what you think.”

  She closed her eyes, then snapped them open, her pale-blue eyes glowing eerily. “Don’t lie to me. His essence is here. Is he going to turn you?”

  “Turn me into what?”

  “One of us.”

  “What are you?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Mortal,” she moved closer, her body starting to glow as though neon lights were imbedded under her skin. “I might have been human once, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. There’s something different about you. What are you?”

  Too distracted by her glowing skin, I didn’t respond to her senseless question. As the light on her skin grew brighter, I realized it came from the runes on her body. Like Andris, she had one on each cheek and her forehead. A tear rolled down her cheek, and I almost felt sorry for her. Despite all her witchy powers, she was just a girl in love with a jerk.

  “Maliina, Andris was meeting Torin, not me,” I tried to reassure her.

  “Liar,” she yelled. “Torin and Andris can’t stand each other. They can’t be in the same room without trying to kill each. You will not take what’s mine.” She raised her weapon.

  “No, don’t!” I screamed, lifting my arms and covering my head. Any second, I expected a jab or a cut, excruciating pain. Instead the light from her runes grew stronger. I peered at her and gasped. She was cutting herself.

  “Don’t! He’s not worth it. No man is worth…” Then I realized what she was doing. The letter opener wasn’t a regular weapon. It was a sketching tool of some kind. She was tracing runes on her skin. The new ones glowed so bright I squinted to see her. Her face was distorted as though it hurt, but the look in her eyes was vengeful.

  “You’ll be sorry you crossed me,” she vowed. Then she shimmered and became transparent, until I could see through her. The next second she was gone, the rustle of leaves the only sign she’d been there a moment ago.

  I slumped against the wall trembling, my mind completely blank. Then everything rushed back—Maliina telling me I was different, the conversation between Torin and Andris, the runes on the wall. Something weird was going on in our town, and somehow I was part of it. Not just me, the swim team, too.

  I hurried back into the building and went to the restroom. My reflection in the mirror shocked me. My pupils were dilated, and my forehead was shiny with sweat. I pulled a compact from the pocket of my coat, repaired my makeup, and headed back to the dance floor.

  “You took forever,” Eirik said when I found him dancing with Cora.

  “Sorry, I needed fresh air.” I tried to find Torin, Andris, and his mates, but I couldn’t see far while on the dance floor. The look on Maliina’s face stayed with me. The girl was crazy and after nearly killing me at the park, I was scared of what she might do. Part of me wanted to tell Eirik everything. He and I had never kept things from each other.

  My new neighbor is an immortal who uses runes to do magic, and he and his kind are after the swim team. Yeah, I could just imagine Eirik’s reaction. He’d think I’d gone crazy.

  I wanted to go home and analyze what I’d heard, maybe stop by Torin’s and ask him what was going on. No, that would be stupid. I was staying away from him, even if it killed me. Besides, I couldn’t leave. Eirik and Cora had worked hard to make my birthday memorable.

  I tried to push everything from my mind and enjoy the moment. I really did. Luckily, Eirik didn’t notice I was distracted. The crowd on the floor doubled as more students left the lounge and joined us, giving me the perfect excuse.

  “It’s too crowded down here. Let’s go upstairs.”

  Eirik wrapped his arm around my waist and walked with me upstairs, which was just as crowded. At least Keith and some of his lacrosse friends were at our table. One of the guys gave up his seat for me after offering his lap first, which earned him a mean look from Eirik. I loved his protective boyfriend routine, even the way he leaned down and planted a possessive kiss on my lips to let the guys know I was with him.

  I was grinning when he grabbed his camera and headed back downstairs to take pictures. Having a boyfriend was awesome, but the other guys’ reactions were even funnier. All of a sudden, I became interesting. Seriously, I would never understand guys.

  Cora left the dance floor and joined us. She sat on Keith’s lap and joined their conversation, which seemed to center around sports. I pretended to follow the discussion while I watched the dancers and searched for Torin. I couldn’t explain how I knew he was down there in the shadows, watching. I just did. I couldn’t spot Andris and his women either. Good riddance.

  A kick drew my attention, and I glared at Cora. It wasn’t the first time she’d kicked my shin. I wasn’t in the mood to yell and call it conversation.

  As though responding to my thoughts, the music stopped and the lights went out. Silence hung in the air like an ominous fog. Then a buzz rose as people started talking at once. Glowing LCD screens appeared as people used their cell phones to see their surroundings. Beeps of text messages, ring tones, and panicked murmurs came next.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Keith said.

  “No, dude,” one of his friends said. “Down there is an accident waiting to happen.”

  Eirik was down there. I removed my cell phone from my pocket and dialed his number. “Where are you?”

  “I’m okay. I’m trying to get to the stairs. Stay up there and wait for me.”

  “Okay. Do you think it’s just the club?” The look on Maliina’s face flashed in my head again. Could she have done this?

  “I don’t know, but if you look down, you’ll see me waving.”

  I glanced down. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one using his cell phone as a light source or waving. Others called out their friends’ names or waved, too.

  “Don’t turn off your cell phone,” I warned him.

  “I won’t,” he promised.

  A voice rang out, “Everyone, stay calm and stay where you are. Do not attempt to leave the dance floor and rush to the entrances until the generator kicks in. Lights are off across town. Once they come back, move in an orderly fashion and exit the building using both the front entrance and the two emergency exits in the back.”

  Seconds passed and became minutes. The crowd below grew restless.

  “Don’t touch me,” a girl yelled.

  “You groped me, you jerk,” another one called out.

  “Hey, that wasn’t me,” a guy snapped.

  “Son of a…” A thump accompanied the words.

  Fights broke out. Screams and thuds filled the dance floor. Starting to panic, I searched for Eirik, but I couldn’t see him. Worse, our connection was broken. I tried calling him again just as the colored LED lights above the floor and the strobe lights behind the DJ’s booth crackled as though coming back to life.

  Everyone froze, their eyes staring up in anticipation. The lighting system short-circuited or something, and the crackling stopped. The lights went out again.

  Chaos broke as people screamed and surged toward the exits. Frantically, I called Eirik. He didn’t pick up his pho
ne. I texted him, then leaned over the balcony rail. It was impossible to identify anyone. The screams grew louder. People wailed in pain as they bumped and tripped over each other. Panic hit me like a cement truck.

  “Eirik!” I screamed.

  “Stay up there,” I thought I heard someone yell, but I wasn’t sure whether it was him or someone else.

  Heart pounding, I kept searching. Cell phone LCD screens zigzagged the air as people shoved and stumbled. They were following each other blindly. Some of the students on the balcony started for the stairs. Cora and Keith followed. I didn’t know whether to leave with them or wait for Eirik.

  “Come on, Raine,” Cora begged.

  “No.” I recognized Torin’s voice. It came from somewhere below. “Stay up there until everyone leaves, Raine. It’s too dangerous down here.”

  I tried to find him but couldn’t.

  “Eirik is down there,” I yelled. “I tried calling him, but he’s not answering his cell.”

  “I’ll find him for you. Just don’t move,” he ordered.

  Someone touched my elbow, and I turned. It was Cora.

  “Torin said it’s safer up here and that we should stay,” I said.

  Cora looked at Keith, then me, and then back at him, thoroughly conflicted. “Can we stay with Raine?” she asked.

  Keith surprised me when he nodded. Cora and I clung to each other and stared in horror at the scene below, both of us shaking. The pandemonium below continued, screams mixing with sharp screeches of pain. At least the emergency exits were open. I tried to locate Torin and Eirik with little success. The rest of the balcony crowd headed downstairs.

  “Do you think Torin will find him?” Cora asked, her voice sounding funny.

  “Yes.” From what I’d overheard in the alley, Torin was an honorable person, uh, Immortal or whatever he was. Cora sniffled, and I realized why she’d sounded funny. She was crying. I didn’t blame her. I was fighting tears, too. Tonight would haunt me forever.

  “Do you think…?” she started to ask but stopped.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Do you think some of the people we invited are hurt? Because if we hadn’t invited them…”

  I squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t think like that. We’re not responsible for this. No one could have predicted we’d have a blackout.” I glanced down. Through the emergency exit, I saw people moving around, headlights coming and going. Police sirens filtered through. Where was Torin? He was taking forever. If Eirik got hurt…

  My phone went off, and I reached for it with an unsteady hand. Tears rushed to my eyes when I saw who it was. I brought the cell phone to my ear. “Mom!”

  “Where are you, sweetheart? The lights just went off, and I thought it was only our block, but they say it’s the entire county. Are you okay? Please, tell me you’re okay.” Her voice shook.

  “I’m fine, Mom. I swear I am. I’m still at the club, but I’m fine.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. Are Cora and Eirik with you? Her mother tried to call her number, but she didn’t pick up her phone.”

  I swallowed past a block in my throat and swiped at the wetness on my cheeks. “Eirik was on the dance floor when the lights went out. A friend is looking for him. Cora is with me. She’s fine. I’m not sure what happened to her cell phone—”

  “I have it, but my battery died,” Cora murmured and sat up. “Oh, no. I have to call home.”

  “I’ve to go, Mom.” I could see Torin’s silhouette at the top of the stairs.

  “Come home, sweetheart. Please.”

  “I will, as soon as I find Eirik. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m okay.” I pressed the phone into Cora’s hand, got up on shaky legs, and moved toward Torin. “Did you find him?”

  “Yes.” As if he knew I was crying, he cupped my face and wiped the wetness with his thumb. For a moment, I let him, needing the connection with another person. “He was protecting a girl who’d been knocked unconscious. He took her outside and is waiting for the EMT. I’ll take you to him.” His hand dropped from my face and I felt so alone, which was ridiculous. “Let’s go.”

  He led the way downstairs, surprising me again when he held my elbow until we left the building. Cora and Keith followed closely behind. The parking lot was half empty, but people were seated on the grassy patches around the parking lot.

  “He’s over there.” Torin pointed at Eirik, who was by a girl on a patch of grass bordering the parking lot. Her eyes were closed as though she was asleep. Eirik had bruises on his face.

  I turned to thank Torin, but he had already disappeared. I sighed. Maybe it was better that way. He didn’t really belong here. Cora was crying while Keith held her. I indicated to Keith where I was going then hurried to Eirik’s side. He took my hand and pulled me down beside him.

  I wanted to scold him for scaring me, but I couldn’t. He had a nasty cut above his right eyebrow and on his lower lip and discolorations on his cheeks and bloodied hands. It was as though someone had turned him into a soccer ball. Chances were he’d used his body to protect the unconscious girl.

  I touched his forehead, though I was careful not to touch the cut. “Does it hurt?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  It didn’t look like nothing, but he appeared uncomfortable with my attention. I focused my attention on the girl he’d rescued. I recognize her from the swim team. Kate Hunsaker. Her swimmer nickname was Shelly. I wasn’t sure where the nickname came from, but our team was big on nicknames. She was a sophomore, didn’t say much or socialize with anyone in particular, but she was an amazing breaststroker.

  I glanced around. She wasn’t the only one hurt. About a dozen or so people were on the ground, some with their parents and others with friends. Some of them I recognized from the swim team, others were just regular students.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I asked Eirik.

  “I don’t know,” he said, sounding so sad. “By the time I reached her, she’d lost consciousness. I tried to carry her, but it was impossible with the crowd shoving and panicking.”

  “So you protected her with your body,” I whispered and rubbed his arm. When he winced, I let him go. “You’re a hero, Eirik.”

  He shook his head. “I helped one. Torin helped a lot more.”

  “What do you mean?” I glanced around the park even though I knew Torin was gone.

  “The emergency exits were jammed. He broke them down.”

  I hesitated, told myself it didn’t matter, but I couldn’t help myself. “How?”

  “I don’t know. People were banging on the door from the inside, and then it was lifted off its hinges from the outside. I didn’t see it happen, but Condor recognized him from the park and mentioned it. Chances are he opened the second one, too.”

  Condor was a senior butterflyer. I knew I should stop questioning Eirik, but once again curiosity got the better of me. “What is he?”

  Eirik glanced at me and frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Torin. He’s different, isn’t he? Like Andris and the girls.”

  Eirik frowned harder. “I don’t know about different, but he’s the kind of guy you can count on in an emergency. Who’s Andris?”

  Obviously Andris hadn’t made an impression on him. “Exchange student from Norway. We met him at the park.”

  “Aah, he was with the two blondes?”

  Go figure he’d remember the girls. Men. By the time the EMT appeared, strapped Kate to a gurney, and put her into an ambulance, her parents had arrived. There were about five people with serious injuries but more with minor ones who needed attention, too. Kate was the only one unconscious. Instead of going home, we piled in Eirik’s Jeep and followed the ambulance to Kayville Medical Center. Cora came with us since Keith had to leave. His mother kept calling. We called home and explained where we were headed.

  “Oh, sweetie.” I could tell my mother really wanted me home.

  “We’ll wait with her parents just for a little bit, Mom. They’re all from the
swim team, and we want to make sure they’re okay.”

  Mom sighed. “Okay, but be careful. Come home as soon as you can.”

  Inside the ER, the first person I saw was Torin. He was seated at the farthest corner inside the waiting area. My stomach flip-flopped, and my heart picked up tempo. Why was he here? He hardly knew any of the injured people. I changed my mind when I saw the people seated at the corner by the ER entrance—Andris and his girls. Maliina shot me a smug smile. I so wanted to march over there and smack her. Was she behind the blackout? Maybe they were all behind it. From the conversation between Andris and Torin, they wanted something from the swim team. Most of the injured were Trojan swimmers.

  I was aware of Torin’s eyes on us, hating the unsettling effect his presence had on me. My grip tightened on Eirik’s arm. I rested my head on his shoulder after we sat. By the time everyone settled into the waiting room, there were almost two dozens of us mixed with parents. But half of us weren’t hurt. We were there to keep vigil. The show of solidary didn’t surprise me. Coach Fletcher always insisted we were more than a team, that we were a family. I never believed him until now.

  Most of the injured had sprains and cuts that needed stitches, but nothing life-threatening. Kate had a fracture on her right leg, several cracked ribs, and bleeding in her brain. They rushed her into the operating room as soon as they arrived. Mrs. Hunsaker was in tears, and she wasn’t the only one. Kate’s best friend, whom I’d seen last year during meets, was in tears, too. Mr. Hunsaker appeared stoic, but it was obvious he was just being strong for his wife.

  He stood and came to where I sat with Eirik. A nurse had already cleaned and wrapped up Eirik’s bleeding knuckles and stitched the cut on his brow.

  “Thank you for protecting my daughter, young man,” Mr. Hunsaker said and pressed on Eirik shoulder when he started to get up. “No, don’t get up. What’s your name?”

  “Eirik Seville.” Eirik offered his left hand, and the man shook it gingerly.

  “Mr. Seville, I’m Seth Hunsaker, Kate’s father, and over there,” he indicated Kate’s mother, “is my wife Sally. We would like you to know you’re welcome at The Oyster Bar any time.”

  “I, uh, thank you, sir. I did what anyone would have done in a similar situation.”

  “That’s where you are wrong.” Mr. Hunsaker glanced at his wife, then asked, “You swim with Kate?”

  “We all do.” Eirik indicated the swimmers in the room.

  “Thank you.” Mr. Hunsaker looked at us, his eyes bright. “All of you, for being with us here tonight. It means a lot to us.”

  As he walked back to his wife’s side, the students who didn’t know Eirik had protected Kate stared. My gaze connected with Torin’s, the unsung hero of the night. I wondered how he felt being ignored. His expression didn’t change, even when Cora went over and sat by his side. She stayed with him until it was time to leave.

  It was one in the morning when they wheeled Kate from the operating room. We weren’t allowed to see her, but the doctors talked to her parents and a nurse told us to go home. She was stable.

  The streetlights were back on, I noted as we drove away from the hospital. Cora insisted on going home and was half asleep when we dropped her off.

  “Are you coming in?” I asked when Eirik walked me to the door.

  “Not tonight. I just want to go home and crash.”

  I touched the Band-aid above his eyebrow. The purple discoloration on his cheek looked worse. I wanted to kiss him, but I couldn’t when he had a busted lip, so I kissed his cheek, instead. “Goodnight. Thanks for the wonderful birthday surprise.”

  He grimaced. “It ended on a shitty note.”

  “Don’t think like that. It was beautiful, and I’ll always remember it. And you were awesome tonight.”

  He frowned, obviously uncomfortable with the compliment. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He gave me a brief peck on my forehead and walked away.

  Mom was asleep on the living room couch, candles on every surface in the living room and kitchen. I blew them out, pausing when I saw Eirik’s present, which I still hadn’t opened. I tucked it under my arm and woke up Mom.

  “You’re finally home.” Her eyes roamed my face as though looking for injuries before she hugged me. “What time is it?”

  “Late. Come on, Mom.”

  “What happened to the girl who got hurt?” she asked.

  “Her name is Kate Hunsaker.” I explained her condition as we staggered upstairs.

  The first thing I did when I entered my bedroom was peer at Torin’s house. It was in total darkness. He had disappeared after the doctors spoke with Kate’s parents. Was he home? Why was I worried about him? I was sure he could take care of himself. Besides, I had Eirik, my unofficial—or was it now official?—boyfriend and best friend. My life was perfect. Torin and his mysterious background didn’t fit in it.

  Closing the curtains, I sat on the bed and opened Eirik’s present. I smiled at my favorite chocolate and a framed eight-by-ten picture of me. It was a memento from the years Mom tried to make me a carbon copy of herself. I was probably nine or ten and wore a Gypsy inspired outfit and a matching headscarf with beads. It was one of the first photographs Eirik had ever taken of me. He’d even signed it. Smiling, I placed it on my nightstand. I’d always treasure it.

  I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and crawled into bed.