My jaw dropped. “You wouldn’t dare.” His expression said it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. “No, my bedroom or home is off-limits to you people.”
He chuckled. “Come on. Syn should be done by now.”
We headed for the club entrance, but I still had so many unanswered questions. “Did your friends reap the Witches? Could you ask their souls who killed them?”
“Souls don’t talk for months.”
“Oh yeah. I’d forgotten about that. Eirik told me Norns go after Witches before they die, so they become future Norns. Like Raine.”
Echo slowed down. “Eirik told you about Raine?”
“Oh yes.” The girl he loved so completely I was green with envy. “And Cora and Torin.”
“What did he say about Cora?”
Something in his voice had me glancing at him. His jaw was clenched. Ginger had assumed I was Cora, a friend of his. And Eirik had mentioned an evil Immortal turning a girl known as Cora and a Grimnir had mistaken her for someone else and assumed she was part of the supernatural world and… Could she be the same Cora?
“She helps souls find closure, but he talks about Raine more. She is the powerful Seeress who fights Norns.”
Echo visibly relaxed. “Raine is powerful, but Cora is special.”
The way his voice softened and eyes gleamed said he was crazy about Cora, too. I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet this woman. Heck, I was already jealous of her.
Oblivious to my dark thoughts, Echo teased, “What do we tell your cousin when we get back inside? We’ve been dancing? Hooking up?”
“Hooking up? He wouldn’t believe me.”
“Why not?”
“You are so not my type.” His brows shot up as though such a thing was impossible. “Don’t misunderstand. You are handsome. Heck, all Grimnirs are gorgeous, but super intense guys are not my thing.” Funny and charming guys turned my insides into mush. “And I don’t need to explain anything to my cousin.”
“You sure?”
“Oh yeah.”
Instead of leaving, he went invisible. I was still clasping the goddess’ pendant and saw the runes on his skin. I recognized the ones I’d seen on my cloak. Interestingly, he had Goddess Hel’s rune superimposed on Odin’s rune on his forehead.
Officer Sullivan didn’t act like he hadn’t seen me in the last two hours. He smiled and nodded when I walked by. Mortals were completely useless when it came to the supernatural. I cringed when I realized I’d just used the term “Mortals” to refer to people.
No one at our table acted surprised either. They were busy talking and laughing while an invisible Syn waited beside the table with a bored expression. It was obvious this wasn’t the first time he’d messed with people. Zack looked up and grinned. Wes didn’t seem annoyed or heartbroken by my prolonged absence. Several guys were missing, but since their jackets were on their chairs, I assumed they were dancing. Whatever runes Syn had slipped them had worked.
“See you around, Celestia,” Syn added, then opened a portal and disappeared through it.
“Watch your back, Little Witch,” Echo added. “If you need us, we’ll know.”
He followed Syn and left me wondering how they’d know. Maybe the cloak bunched up in my hand sent distress signals when I was in trouble. That sounded ridiculous even for magic. Chances were the goddess had me under surveillance 24/7 because of Eirik.
I turned and caught Hayden staring at the portal as though she could see it. Something in her eyes worried me, but then she smiled and I pushed it aside. Not even powerful Witches could see portals without runic connection. However, they could feel the energy from it and magical objects. All objects had a life force.
I shrugged off my jacket and hid the cloak inside it before sitting on the empty chair beside Hayden. We needed to get out of here because there was no easy way to break the news about Delphine. I leaned in so she could hear me.
“Your mom wants us at home,” I said.
Her head turned toward me, a frown flitting across her face. “Why?”
“Something happened. I’ll explain in the car.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “Is she okay?”
“Yes. I just spoke to her. Tell Zack we need a ride.”
For a brief moment she just stared at me. Then she pulled her phone from her jacket and jumped up.
“I need to make a call,” she said, glancing at Zack. “I’ll be right back.” The phone was glued to her ear before she disappeared in the direction of the restroom. Zack took the seat Hayden had vacated.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“We have to go home now.”
He didn’t ask for an explanation, just told the table something had come up and we were leaving. Then he left to get the car. That was one thing I loved about my cousin. He knew me well enough not to complain or ask questions in public. If I said I had to leave, he made it happen.
“We didn’t get to dance,” Wes said, and I felt bad. I had really wanted a chance to flirt and maybe even make out with him. Maybe I still would.
“Do you want to do lunch tomorrow? I’ll be at TC in the morning, but I’ll be heading home at one. We could meet at Costa Vida or Café Ibis for lunch.” The Mexican restaurant was across the street while the coffee shop was a few doors from the store.
“One o’clock, Costa Vida. I work in the afternoon too.”
Hayden returned and picked up her jacket. Her expression didn’t reveal much, but she wasn’t panicking either. Then again, she wasn’t the panicking type. Wes stood when I grabbed my jacket and the cloak fell. A weird expression crossed his face when he picked it up and gave it to me. Bet he felt its life force. His family belonged to a coven. I took the cloak and shoved it under the jacket.
“So tomorrow?” I asked.
He nodded, his expression uncertain as though he was debating whether to kiss me or play it safe. I took the matter out of his hands and hugged him with more exuberance than necessary. He held me tight, and I could hear the excited thundering of his heart.
I wanted to be the girl for him. I really did, but he wasn’t the one who made my insides turn into mush or my heart tremble. Eirik did. The problem was a god didn’t belong in my world. I wanted to feel that way with the guy I dated, not uneasy and wary, so I refused to string Wes along. He deserved a girl who was crazy about him, too.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” I whispered in his ear, stepped back, and gave the table a wave. “Later, guys.”
Hayden was already halfway out of the club. I caught up with her at the entrance. Luckily, Zack hadn’t arrived yet.
“Where were you?” Hayden asked.
I blinked. “Excuse me?
“You were gone for over two hours, and please, don’t say you were dancing with that hot guy because I didn’t see you on the dance floor.”
Syn hadn’t erased her memories? Or maybe the runes hadn’t worked on her.
“We went outside to talk.” Hurt flittered in her eyes, and I knew I couldn’t continue to lie to her anymore, yet I couldn’t tell her the entire truth either. “Listen, he and I had to go somewhere because he needed my help with something. I can’t explain everything, but I want you to know that I was totally safe with him.”
She gave me a look that said I was either crazy or dumb, and she might be right. I couldn’t travel back and forth between the realms without getting in trouble. The Norns were likely to hear about it. Eirik had said they liked their world kept a secret from Mortals.
“Because of that guy I left with, I learned that five Witches were killed tonight. Dalphene LaRoche is one of them.”
Hayden’s eyes widened. “How?”
“Broken neck. The other four Witches also died the same way and at the same time. They were holding séances when it happened.”
Hayden shook her head. “Does Mom know? She just said you had a vision and she was trying to confirm it.”
Zack pulled up, but we didn’t make a move to enter the car.
> “I couldn’t explain how I knew, so I told her I’d tranced and seen their death.”
“Did you trance?”
I started to nod, then shook my head. “No. Please, don’t ask me to explain. Not yet anyway.”
Hayden studied me with concern. “Okay.”
“You’re not mad?”
“That you can’t confide in me?” she asked and smiled at Zack, who’d left the car and was walking around to open the door for us. “No. I’m sure you’ll tell me everything when you’re ready.”
Okay. She just won “coolest friend” points.
“What’s going on?” Zack asked, his eyes volleying between Hayden and me.
I told him the version I’d given Hayden’s mother. He wanted details I couldn’t provide and kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror as though he knew I was lying. He often said he could tell when I fibbed. I was happy when we reached Hayden’s place.
Most of the buildings on Bolden Street were mixed-use properties—part commercial and part residential. The security was tight in the back—secret coded gate and high walls—and parking was restricted to residents only. Luckily, each apartment had two assigned parking spots and Hayden’s family had only one car. I often used their second spot, like now, so Zack had no place to park. Most of the visitors parked in the street adjacent to the gate.
Hayden punched in the security code on the pad by the gate, waited until we could drive, and pulled up behind my car. A surge of magical energy slammed through me the moment I stepped out of the car, and I followed the gush to Hayden’s balcony.
The lights were on, and from the shadows, Tammy wasn’t alone. The person with her was powerful. Usually, she used the séance room in the store for customers. Their apartment was off-limits to clients. Just close friends, and those were few. Tammy was a very private person.
Hayden looked up too and cursed.
CHAPTER 6. BLOOD BOND
EIRIK
If this party were in Kayville, I’d be playing video games and drinking while flirting with girls without worrying about their fathers thinking I wanted to marry her. Life on Earth was simple and uncomplicated, and if I could, I would have traded the ball for an all-nighter at a friend’s house or a club.
My jaw hurt from smiling, and the muscles on my shoulders were taut from holding myself stiff. The women came in all weird colors and sizes, but most were boring. A harpist and flutist played one monotonous piece after another. Litr introduced me around while my parents stayed seated on the smaller thrones in the room and watched. Since they were talking in low tones, I assumed they were discussing the guests too. I wanted to excuse myself.
“Can we go for a ride before we leave tomorrow?” the Elven girl asked and giggled. A growl rumbled through my chest as my dragon side showed his annoyance.
“I would love that, but I have a few duties to attend to first thing in the morning.”
“How about tonight after the party?” the second Elven girl asked.
“Yes, tonight,” her friend said, and they giggled. My dragon growled again.
The two Elven girls were gorgeous, but their high-pitched voices and giggles were annoying. I signaled Trudy. She and I had made a pact. She rescued me from situations with clingy women, and I’d take her to visit Celestia.
“Baldurson has duties after the ball,” Litr said firmly before Trudy arrived. He didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “Excuse us, maidens.”
“Litr,” I warned him as we walked away. “Don’t be rude.”
“They were aggravating. If Miss Celestia were here, she would have told them to shut up.”
No, she wouldn’t. Celestia might be blunt, but she reserved her tongue for me. She was courteous around people. I tried to do the same with various families and clansmen gathered in the Banquet Hall, but some went on forever about subjects that held little interest to me.
A Jötun family in green and gold cloaks was introduced next, but I didn’t get a chance to talk to them because their daughter was busy trying to crawl onto my mother’s lap. The little girl couldn’t be more than two years old. She pointed at the green crystal on Mother’s scepter and wiggled her fingers. Her father called to her, but the girl’s lower lip jutted out, then she stomped her foot and pointed at the jewel again, scales appearing on her arm. When her father tried to scoop her up, she grabbed onto my mother’s dress. Litr went to help, and my father attempted to distract the little girl. The whole situation was hilarious and added something to the evening. From my mother’s expression, she didn’t think so.
“That’s my little one,” a woman said behind me, and I turned. She wore a green and gold cloak like her husband and the little girl. “Syr is two years old and the only dragon in my village.”
Since everything I said could be misconstrued, I went with, “She reminds me of a girl I grew up with. Very stubborn.”
“She is a handful, but one day she’ll grow to be a beauty.”
“I’m sure she will. Excuse me.”
I escaped, but not for long. When the guests couldn’t use their daughters, some used their homeland as an incentive to make me visit them.
“The four seasons in Vanaheim are perfectly balanced,” a patriarch of one of the visiting families bragged. He was dressed like the gods of Asgard. “Our land is fertile with lush vegetation and rolling hills, fresh lakes for fishing, and beautiful beaches. We supply most of the realms with fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish.”
“Goddess Freya’s Hall is open to visitors,” his wife said. “And Eir comes to visit often.” Eir, the Vanir goddess of healing, was one of Freya’s sisters. I’d met her in Asgard, but we never had a chance to talk.
As the grandson of Odin, I was presumably on the side of the Asgardians, but if I married a dragon shifter from another realm, their daughter would sit by my side. It explained why several Vanir families were visiting with their daughters. But the Elven people were just as determined to get my attention. The parents of the giggling girls cornered me again.
“Do tell him about our land, dear,” one of the mothers said. Like the daughter, she had the same dark-brown complexion and black hair.
“We are magical,” the silver-haired mother said. “More magical than Jötnar and Dwarves.”
“And our women are the most talented in all the realms,” a booming voice added before someone slapped me on the back. The man had red hair and a beard, and like the two women and their granddaughters, he wore a white, flowing toga-like outfit with a white cloak. “They make beautiful music and cook the finest foods in all the realms. You should visit us and enjoy what Alfheim has to offer.”
Listening to them, I gathered the Light Elves were all about partying and fun. They used magic to change seasons so they didn’t have winter, warped time like my grandmother had done in the cave when she’d trapped Celestia, and reversed the weather so it was always sunny. They talked about the balls and soirées they’d hold when I visited them. The only time they stopped talking was when their eyes went to the large man standing across the room.
The man had Elven ears too, but unlike the Light Elves, his skin was grayish and his hair was white against his dark clothes, which looked more like a uniform than a party outfit. Even the pins on the shoulder of his cloak looked like medals.
“Don’t believe anything a Dökkálfar tells you,” the redheaded Elf said, not bothering to lower his voice, his eyes on the pale guy. “They lie.”
After an hour, we finally reached the Dark Elf.
“General Gathrode of the Svartalfheim Guards,” Litr introduced him, but ignored the three men with him. They looked like bodyguards.
“Allow me to introduce my daughter, Niorun,” the man said in a clipped voice.
The Dark Elven girl was striking. Maybe it was the body piercings and tattoos, or her expression, which said she hated being here tonight. She had several ear piercings and a stud on her nose, and the sides of her head were shaven, revealing the tattoos decorating her skull. Even though she lo
oked beautiful in her dress, I had a feeling she was more comfortable in a warrioress outfit.
“I’ll guarantee you loyalty of thousands of warriors and endless supplies of magical weapons if we forge an alliance,” her father said, getting straight to the point. The daughter muttered something and walked away. The father glared after her. “You understand what I mean by an alliance, Baldurson,” he added.
“I don’t believe I do, sir,” I said, faking ignorance.
“Offer for my daughter’s hand. Maybe then, she will stop running around pretending she is a warrior,” he said, and I felt sorry for Niorun.
While the father continued to praise his warriors, I studied Niorun. She’d gone to talk to Karle’s sister. It was obvious this wasn’t the first time they were meeting. Olea was obsessed with becoming a warrioress, too. Earlier, Karle and I had found her on the roof watching and copying Mother’s warriors. The moment she’d realized we were there she’d shifted into her dragon form and taken off. Unlike her brother’s gray coloring, Olea’s scales were white, which made finding her in the snow a pain.
To talk to the Dwarf families, I sat on one of the settees scattered around the room to be on their eye level. Most had something to say about their kindness. The Light and Dark Elves lived together in Alfheim until an internal war led to a split in the group. The Dark Elves moved from realm to realm, looking for sanctuary.
“Everyone turned them away, except us,” an elderly Dwarf explained. “So, now we live peacefully in Svartalfheim.”
“And our marketplace is the trading post for all the realms,” Drathyn bragged, eavesdropping on our conversation. It wasn’t the first time the master swordsmith had inserted himself into a conversation. He was trying to convince me to buy swords from his family. His dragon daughter was only a couple of months old and he hadn’t mentioned her once.
He wasn’t the only one trying to hawk something. Dwarves were hustlers and I loved listening to them brag about their jewelry or weapons, but I felt more at home with the Jötnar. Maybe it was because I was part Jötun or the fact that they were my mother’s people. They had so many different clans that the only way to tell them apart was by the colors of their cloaks. The shifters—Wolf Clan, Cat Clan, Bear Clan, and Raven Clan—lived in the south. The clans with the ability to control elements—ice, water, fire, and air—lived in other parts of Jötunheim and Helheim. The dragon shifting strain was rare and appeared in almost all clans and realms.
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