Heroes (Eirik Book 2)

by Ednah Walters

  I reached the main floor, but no one was at the cash register by the ceremonial swords, knives, and athames. Hayden was with a customer by the herbs and candles. I rarely saw her at the front of the store. Her mother usually manned the place with Celestia. Tammy was missing, too. Various customers studied the crystals, talisman, and jewelry in display cases around the room, but Celestia wasn’t with them. Two teens giggled at writings on T-shirts by a rack of colorful ceremonial robes.

  Hayden’s jaw dropped. She was the only one who could see me. I’d never spoken to her, and she hadn’t seen me since the hospital when I’d visited Celestia. I always made sure she wasn’t around whenever I dropped by.

  “I’m looking for Celestia.”

  She ignored me and continued talking to the customer, so I waited. Getting impatient, I drummed my fingers on the counter. She glared.

  “Never mind,” I said and pulled out my artavus to open a portal.

  “Séance room,” she snapped, walking past me.

  Celestia must be having lunch. I’d visited the shop often enough and knew my way around it. I made a beeline for the door at the other end of the room. If the customers thought it strange that the door opened on its own, they didn’t react. The shop was, after all, a magic store run by Witches.

  The room was empty.

  “I’ll be with you shortly,” Hayden called out. The statement could have been directed at anyone of her customers, but I knew she was talking to me.

  I entered the room and closed the door. The room had heavy, velvet curtains on the door blocking the light from entering. A large round table and a dozen chairs dominated the room. Séance paraphernalia was displayed on a side table, and what looked like a large fridge hummed softly from the corner of the room, the sound hardly interfering with the flow of energy in the room. I wondered what they kept in the fridge. After all, Tammy and Hayden were Immortals, not your run-of-the-mill Witches.

  A quick glance inside the store showed me why Hayden hadn’t followed me. Another customer had stopped her.

  Where was Celestia? The store seemed busier today than usual. Maybe the word was out about someone killing Witches. There was also a weird vibe in the air, unlike the Mirage in Kayville. I had stopped by Raine’s store to check in on her before coming here. Even though she hadn’t seen me, it was nice to see her again. Despite her father being terminally ill, she seemed to be doing okay. I wasn’t too worried about her. She had Torin. There were also no Witches in Kayville, so whoever was doing this wouldn’t bother them.

  The door clicked closed, and I turned. Hayden stood inside the door and studied me with narrowed eyes.

  “Is Celestia expecting you?” she asked in a cold voice.

  I wasn’t sure whether Celestia had shared the details of last night’s impromptu visit with Hayden or not. “Yes. I just didn’t tell her the time.”

  “Why now and not months ago when she was sick and hurting? Do you know how much she’s changed because of what happened to her? And how hard it is for her to keep your existence a secret? It’s a burden that’s slowly crushing her spirit. Either stay out of her life or find a way to help her cope.”

  Okay, not what I’d expected. “I’m trying.”

  “How? By sending friends to kidnap her and force her to come to you whenever it suits you? I know where you come from and maybe you will throw me in the dungeons for saying this, but you are selfish and incapable of seeing that you are not good for her. Last night, I was this close”—she indicated with her forefinger and thumb—“to following her, but that arrogant friend of yours stopped me. Next time, I won’t be stopped. Leave her alone, or I’ll expose you for what you are.”

  I didn’t appreciate the lecture or the threat, but I didn’t try to defend myself either. However, no one tells me what to do when it comes to Celestia, not even someone who cares about her like Hayden.

  “Thanks for your honesty, Hayden, but my relationship with Celestia is none of your business. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll go find her.” I whipped out my artavus.

  She growled in frustration and stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind her. I should have locked in on Celestia’s location from Kayville, but I’d been sure she’d be at the shop.

  The portal I created led to a restaurant. I’d eaten in enough Mexican restaurants to recognize the décor. As soon as I stepped inside and the portal closed, I recognized the building. This restaurant was right across the street from TC. Luckily, the lunch crowd had left.

  Celestia sat alone in a middle booth, a drink in front of her. She looked adorable in glasses. I’d seen a case and a bottle of solution for contact lenses in her bathroom, but never glasses. The words This is Who I am, Not a Costume and a picture of a Witch covered the front of her dark blue T-shirt. I grinned. I’d noticed her tendency to wear T-shirts with funny sayings, layered necklaces with colorful stones, and charm bracelets. Her lips closed around the straw, and I swallowed. Those lips had touched my cheek last night. I still remembered the feel of them. There was an untouched drink across from her.

  Who was she with? Wes?

  I took the seat across from her. It was weird how I’d thought of nothing else, except telling her the truth about my grandmother’s bite and asking for her help. Now that I was here, I was in no hurry to do it either.

  I let my senses soak her in. She looked breathtaking. The need to touch her increased until scales erupted on my arms. I fought the change. The last thing I needed was my invisible dragon crashing into everything.

  “I want to protect you, Dimples. No matter what, I’ll find someone who knows how to break the damn blood bond.” Too bad the invisibility runes also blocked sounds. I’d hate for Celestia to become fanatically loyal to my grandmother like Karle’s father.

  “Eirik?” she whispered, staring straight at where I sat.

  She didn’t hear my words, but she must have sensed my presence. She was a powerful Witch. She lowered her head and her hair fell forward on either sides of her face like a curtain. I leaned forward to push it back and stopped when I realized what she was doing. She was using her hair to cover her mouth.

  She pretended to put the straw into her mouth and whispered, “I know it’s you, Eirik. What are you doing here? No, don’t answer that. Leave.”

  In your dreams, gorgeous. I picked up the straw next to the untouched drink and tapped it against the table to open it.

  Celestia’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

  I pushed the straw through the slot and sucked on the soda. Coke. Yummy.

  Her jaw dropped. “Jeez! People can see what you’re doing, Eirik. Either leave or show yourself.” She reached across the table and grabbed the drink.

  I glanced around. No one was paying her attention, or they would have noticed the straw dangling in midair.

  “Give me that, you impossible man!” She tried to snatch the straw, but I was faster. She groaned. “My date is back, so go away.”

  I turned and watched Wes swagger across the restaurant from the restrooms. He looked confident, sure of her and their relationship. I wasn’t sure about many things when it came to Celestia, and that bugged the crap out of me. I debated whether to screw with him. It might be fun to send him screaming out of the restaurant.

  He smiled smugly at her, and I changed my mind. Screwing with him would not be enough. His teeth needed to be knocked out, so he’d stopped smirking. My hand scaled and my nails elongated and became claws. Maybe I should rip his tongue out, too.

  “I’m serious, Eirik,” Celestia hissed. “Leave.”

  The look of panic in her eyes made me feel bad. For about a second. She shouldn’t be dating this idiot. She should be dating me. The problem was I didn’t have time to date her and make her my number one priority. Celestia was the kind of girl you wanted to give all your attention to, which meant letting her date punks like this one until I found my sister. In the meantime, I could only keep her safe.

  I engaged speed runes and got out of the sea
t before Wes reached the table. Instead of leaving, I slid in the booth behind Celestia. Just because we couldn’t date didn’t mean I had to be nice to the men in her life.

  “Sorry I had some of your Coke,” Celestia said and smiled. “My Sprite is flat.”

  Damn. That smile. And she smelled nice. I wasn’t talking about whatever shampoo or conditioner she’d used on her hair. The scent was elemental, like every cell in her body pulsed and released something intoxicating. My dragon purred, and she froze.

  Had she heard me?

  I growled again and when she didn’t react to it, I realized why she’d frozen. I was playing with her hair. Her silky, gorgeous hair caught light at just the right angle and glowed. Like polished copper. I wanted to bury my face in it. She reached back to swat my hand away, but some strands were caught on my claw.

  Her hand closed around my scaled finger. She didn’t miss a beat, just carefully removed strands of hair caught between the scales. To an onlooker, she could just be playing with her hair. I studied her arm, but didn’t see any half-moon scars on it.

  One more to go.

  “I don’t mind sharing anything with you,” Wes said, drawing my attention. I’d forgotten about him. He was staring at her with dopey eyes now.

  Not just the teeth and tongue. His eyes had to go too. My finger freed, I got rid of the claw and scales, and stroked Celestia’s hair while imagining the damage I could do to Wes Lyons.

  “Let’s just put this in the middle,” Wes suggested, placing his drink between them.

  Celestia’s expression grew uneasy. “That’s okay. I’ll order another one.”

  “What’s the fun in that?” he said. “We could be like Lady and the Tramp.”

  That was beyond pathetic. How the heck old was this guy? Celestia’s cheeks grew pink, so I knew she wasn’t buying his game. Or maybe she was. I leaned in to check her face and grazed her shoulder. She stiffened and reached over to find me. Her hand landed on my cheek. Maybe it was the shock of touching me, but she didn’t push me away.

  I turned my head and kissed her palm. She yanked it away.

  “Here we are,” a hostess said, and I realized I was about to lose my booth to a family of four and miss out on the game Celestia and I were playing.

  I stepped on the seat, climbed over the partition separating the two booths, and slid in beside Celestia. From the way she glanced my way, she knew exactly where I was. The pleather material used on the seats made weird noises, but Wuss didn’t notice. He was busy drooling all over Celestia. Worse, he reached out to touch her hand.

  No way. I pulled her hand out of the way and gripped it. I expected her to pull away. Instead, her hand tightened and she smiled at Wes.

  “Can you order me another Sprite, please? I’ll be right back.”

  Wes nodded, but didn’t hide his disappointment. Could he be any lamer?

  She stood and slid out of the booth, dragging me along. Wes reached for Celestia’s straw since I’d pocketed his. There was nothing as intimate as sharing a straw. Just how close were they? Had they kissed yet? Annoyed at my thoughts, I used my free hand to knock her drink before he could take the straw.

  “Don’t,” Celestia yelled at the same time and tried to grab the plastic cup, but she was too late. It rolled off the table and landed on the floor, the lid popping. Soda splashed everywhere. She cursed.

  “It’s okay,” Wes reassured her and jumped to his feet. “I’ll have them clean it.”

  Celestia hesitated. I could tell she felt bad for Wes. I tugged her hand, forcing her to walk over the mess. She mumbled all sorts of spells she’d use on me.

  The moment we entered the women’s restroom, she yanked her hand from mine and waved a hand toward the three doors in the room. They flew open. The stalls were empty. With a flick of her wrist, she locked the door. If she were a dragon, the entire room would be engulfed with fire, but her anger was wasted on me. I had succeeded in separating her from that idiot, so my job was done.

  “Show yourself, you arrogant jackass,” she snapped, hands on her hips.

  I made sure my most charming smile was on before I disengaged my runes. So sure she’d forgive me, I didn’t anticipate her reaction.

  Her hand shot out, and the next second, I was sweeping the filthy bathroom floor with my favorite duster. I hadn’t engaged my runes, and the scales, which would have protected me, didn’t appear. My dragon must have decided not to save my ass and was unusually quiet. If someone were to ask, I’d say he was terrified of Celestia. I was the opposite. I loved it when the Witch in her came out to play.

  “You pull that crap again, Eirik, and I’ll send you flying through the window, regardless of whether you are visible or invisible.”

  Damn, she looked hot.

  “You owe Wes an apology,” she added.

  “Like hell I do.”

  “What did he do to you to spill the drink all over his pants?”

  I grinned. “I did?”

  Her hand shot out again.

  “Okay, sheesh. Calm down. He smiled at you and thought it was okay to share your straw. That wasn’t cool.”

  Her mouth opened then closed. She hadn’t expected honesty.

  “He’s a joke, Dimples, and you could do much better than him.”

  “Really? How do you figure that?”

  “Because I know you.” I leaned against the wall. “You are smart, gifted, gorgeous, strong, and funny, while Stubby out there is opposite you in every way. He talks weird. You know, like he’s whining. He’s boring and has zero game. You deserve someone to sweep you off your feet and make you the focus of his existence. Someone who will take you on adventures, celebrate your victories, and cry with you when things go wrong. Someone who appreciates your strengths and sees your weaknesses as a chance to prove himself worthy of your trust.”

  She stared at me with a stupefied expression.

  I had surprised myself too. “You’ll be carrying him, when he should be carrying you. Flying with you.” Now I was making a fool of myself. It was time to retreat. “I could swat him like a fly and he’d be peeling himself from the other side of your town. I thought about it, actually, but I figured you might be blamed for his demise. Date anyone but him. This town must have some decent guy worthy of you.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Brute strength is not everything, Eirik,” she said softly. “Wes is sensitive. Nice.”

  “Wes references Disney movies to ante up his game.”

  She shook her head, and when she spoke, she sounded sad. “You know, I wasn’t too thrilled when your parents summoned me last night, but I’m happy they did because I needed to be reminded of how different you and I are.” Someone knocked at the door. She headed toward it and threw over her shoulder, “Stay away from me, Eirik. There’s enough crap going on in my life without you becoming my problem, too.”

  I didn’t want her to leave, and begging her to stay wasn’t an option. Seeing me in pain often bugged her. Just before she turned the corner, I sat up, groaning and cursing.

  “I think I broke something,” I mumbled.

  “Then self-heal,” she retorted.

  A rumble rolled through my chest again as I went into a partial shift. She paused and glanced back, her eyes troubled as though re-evaluating the situation. She was suspicious, possibly regretting using her powers on me. She was so softhearted.

  “Something is affecting my powers. I can’t summon runes.”

  Celestia bit her lower lip, indecision darkening her eyes.

  “Why not?” she asked, sounding worried.

  “I went flying this morning and didn’t rest before coming here to see you. Can you get my artavus? It slipped from my pocket when you threw me. I think it’s in there.” I pointed at one of the stalls.

  Celestia didn’t hesitate. No matter how much I pissed her off, she cared about me, which was why she’d come back to Hel for me, a place that had caused her so much pain.

  “You okay?” she asked, squatting. She was so pale I
felt bad for her.

  I touched the bridge on her glasses. She really looked cute in them. “I’ll be okay, Dimples. Just a few more runes and you can throw me across the room again.” As if possible, she went paler. I’m officially an ass.

  “I’m not sorry I hurt you because you are an egotistical, infuriating, self-centered jerk.” She bit her lower lip again. I wanted to be the one doing that. Man, I’d never wanted to kiss a girl this badly. “Did you really break something?”

  “A disc on my lower spine, but this”—I took the runic blade and etched runes on my skin—“and a kiss should fix it.”

  Her eyes grew stormy. She jumped up. “Go home, Eirik.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “I need your help. Please.”

  She didn’t stop this time, but I had managed to look at her other arm. There were no half-moon scars from the bite of a dragon. Where had my grandmother bitten her?

  ~*~

  CELESTIA

  That arrogant, self-absorbed, thinks-he’s-God’s-gift-to-women bastard!

  I was so furious with Eirik I couldn’t think straight. The floor by our table was clean when I returned, but Wes looked like someone who’d lost his dog. His burrito was in a takeout container while my salad waited for me on a regular plate.

  He was so sensitive I felt like a monster even though I hadn’t done anything to mess up our date. I sat.

  “Sorry about that. You’re, uh, leaving?”

  He made a sheepish face. “My boss texted me. He wants me in early. Maybe we could do something tomorrow afternoon. Go to the movies?”

  “I really want us to talk.”

  “Sounds serious. Should I be worried?”

  “Don’t be.” Why couldn’t he be the one who made my heart skip? Tomorrow, I’d tell him the truth. I liked him, but I couldn’t be anything more than a friend. My eyes met Eirik’s as he left the hallway leading to the restrooms. He grinned. I forced myself to focus on Wes. “Can I call you?”

  “Anytime.” Wes stood. “Lunch is on me and, uh, we’ll talk later.”