I grabbed the axe the woman had dropped just as a man charged at me from the right, his eyes filled with rage, teeth bared in a snarl. Oh, he was pissed. He must have been the partner of the woman I’d used as a shield. Instead of waiting for him, I sprinted toward him, surprising him. Before he could adjust his thinking, I jumped, stepped on his thigh, and used the momentum to propel myself upward. Focusing all my power on my left knee, I caught him in his jaw, the sound of cracking bones filling the air. The force of the impact sent him flying backward.
In that instant I caught sight of my new attacker rounding on me from the left. I whipped around in midair and used my weight to my advantage. Blocking his attack with my free hand, I brought the axe down, catching him in the ribs. His body hit the ground and dislodged the snow just as I landed on my feet.
Damn, that felt good. I wanted more. “Who’s next?”
“That’s enough!”
I glanced over my shoulder at Mother. How like her to spoil my fun. I raised my right arm, engaged the right runes, and the mace flew back to my hand, the chain coiling around my forearm. The spiked head slowed to a stop on my bicep, then sunk through the shirt and onto my skin.
No one spoke. I walked away, entered the hall, and headed to my shifting room. Food awaited. I ate without tasting the food, shifted, and ate some more. I even ate the hated vegetables.
Mother and two guards were waiting when I stepped outside for my morning ride. She wore black—pants, top, and cloak. She never wore gloves. Black attire used to mean she was in a bad mood. Not anymore. She just loved to wear black. She stroked my scales, and I sighed. I lifted my head and glanced toward the cave, wishing I were headed to Earth. I needed to see Celestia.
“What’s wrong, Eirik?”
I looked at Mother and grinned. “Nothing. Are you thinking of going up with me?”
“If you have time. It’s a beautiful morning,” Mother said and studied the surrounding mountains before focusing on me. “I thought a flight might cheer you up. You hardly ate last night. You’ve been distracted, and you were brutal during your session with the warriors.”
“I’ll always have time for you, Mother.” I bumped her with my nose and got a pat.
“Are you worried about something? Your father thinks you take too many chances.”
That sounded more like what she’d say, not my father. But she was right about one thing. I was worried about many things—finding Granny, Celestia’s bite and its effect on her, and Karle’s disappearance. I needed him to navigate the realms.
“Nah, I’m fine. Ready?” I lowered my head and laid my front feet on the ground.
“No fancy aerial moves. I’d like my food to stay in my stomach.”
“Come on, Mom. What’s the fun if we don’t take chances? I was hoping you’d jump off my shoulder and free fall. Then I’d swoop down and catch you.”
She stopped.
“I’m kidding. Hop on.”
She wore a dubious expression. “Maybe the guards should come with us.”
I grinned. “Ye of little trust. I would never do anything that puts your life in danger, Mother. Hang on tight to my mane.” Like Celestia, she sat between two flappy pieces on my neck and gripped another before we took off.
At first, I stayed close to the hall, swooping low near Garm, who went a bit crazy. Then I took off toward the north to my favorite destination.
“It’s okay to scream when I dive,” I said.
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Because it’s fun. When I was young, I’d ride roller coasters that hurtled toward the ground at a hundred-and-thirty-miles per hour. It’s both scary and thrilling, so we screamed.”
“Your Immortal guardians were idiots,” she snapped.
“Not really. All parents let their kids go on rides. Most of the time, they are safe. Hang on. Here we go.” I swooped toward the valley and landed by the lake. She got down, looked around, and smiled. For a moment I was mesmerized. She didn’t do that often, and she looked almost peaceful. I wished I could bring that out of her more.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.” She inhaled and sighed. “When I first arrived in Helheim, I used to come here whenever I needed to get away from the hall. I’d ride my horse through the valleys and the guards would follow on a sleigh. They even created a tunnel through there”—she pointed at an area to our left—“and cut our trip by hours. Then your grandmother came to live with us, and she decided such excursions were too dangerous. She closed the tunnel and that was that.”
“She wasn’t very nice, was she?”
“No. However, she didn’t mean to be cruel. She had an important job to do, and she did it right. As the chieftess of the Southern Clans, a lot was expected of her. She considers gentleness a weakness and kindness a failing. She had to be hard and tough and merciless all the time, so she treated everyone like they were warriors. You shaped up or you got left behind.”
“Even you and your brothers?”
“Oh yes. She treated everyone the same. That’s why I am like this.”
I glanced at her. “Like what? You are strong and tough like her, but you’re also kind and gentle when necessary. That’s why the guards and the Grimnirs respect you and would do anything for you. They love you, and Dad adores you.” She made a choking sound, and I glanced at her. I’d surprised her.
“You think I’m gentle and kind?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen you with the souls, Dad, and Trudy.”
She looked down, and I wasn’t sure what she was thinking.
“You can also be tough as nails.” A stricken expression crossed her face, and for a second I thought I saw remorse in her eyes. Did she regret the way she had treated me when I first arrived? “But I understand you had to fix parts of me that were broken and weak.”
She shot me a censuring glance. “I never thought parts of you were broken or weak.”
“Sure you did.” I bumped her with my head. “So, how can one break free from a blood bond?”
“A blood bond?”
“From a dragon kiss.”
She chuckled. “I haven’t heard that expression used to describe a dragon kiss in centuries. Who told you about it?”
“Karle’s father. He is bonded to Granny.”
Mother made a sound of disgust. “Stay away from him. Anyone bonded to my mother is incapable of resisting her call.”
I didn’t want to hear that. Not when Celestia was bonded to my grandmother. “How does that work?”
“It’s all about controlling the life force of the bitten. During a bite, chemicals from a dragon’s teeth enter the blood stream of the person bitten and a bond is formed. The life force of the bitten changes. The dragon can find their energy in a room full of people. In a town. Some even say, across the Veil. All you need to do is find a thread of her energy, lock on it, and pull it to you. My mother is strong-willed, so you have to be the dominant one or she’ll break free. It doesn’t matter how faint the thread is, you can find it and follow it. Once you show her you are in charge, she will always respond.”
In charge of my crazy grandmother? I didn’t think so. I had no idea how to grab or lock on to an energy thread, but Celestia might.
“How did you break free of her?”
“I fell in love with your father and his needs became more important than those of my mother. The bond he and I created was deeper and stronger than the blood bond.” She studied me. “I don’t think my mother is capable of loving anyone deeply enough to break the bond between the two of you. But she’s capable of doing terrible things. If she ever hurts you or your father, I will hunt her down and kill her.” She studied me intently, her expression saying the words she’d probably never utter. She loved me. “Do fix that horn, Eirik. It’s unseemly.”
“Never.” I moved closer to the water and studied my reflection. It was a reminder of my carelessness and the day I almost lost Celestia. “It adds to my magnificence.”
A s
nicker escaped her. “You are vain.”
“No, Mother. I’m your son. A few dents here and there only add to our appeal.”
She laughed, and it was a real laugh, the sound echoing around the mountains. “Come on, you impossible boy. Let’s head home before your father sends the guards to find us.”
“He is a worrywart, isn’t he?”
“Yes, and that’s because he cares too much. Why don’t you take a break from training and go visit Celestia?”
“Why?”
“Because you become quite irritable when you don’t see her. She should visit you if you like. After all, this is your home.”
I grinned. One day, I hoped it would be her home. Mother climbed on my back, and we took off. When I reached the top, I caught Granny’s scent. Instead of focusing on it, I dug deeper to find her energy. At first, I didn’t feel it. I did a loop around the mountain and then around the lake, until I felt the direction it was coming from and took off toward the hall.
“Did you feel her energy?” Mother asked when we reached the hall.
“Yes. I’ll find her and see what she wants later.”
Surprisingly, Mother didn’t warn me to stay away from Crazy Granny. Did that mean she believed I could take care of myself?
As soon as I shifted, I headed to my quarters to shower and change. I was going to see Celestia. Now that I knew how to break the blood bond, I was going to make her fall in love with me. The Wusses of the world weren’t going to stand a chance.
~*~
CELESTIA
“See you tomorrow,” I called out to Hayden.
“Don’t forget to bring your stuff.”
“If I finish my laundry.” I was leaving early to take care of it. “I want to cook something special for Dad before I leave, so I might be late coming in the morning.”
“That’s okay. You’ll be here for the rest of the week and that’s all I care about.”
We’d planned to spend the second half of spring break at her house and the first half at mine, but since her mother was still out of town, she hadn’t wanted to leave her home empty. Zack was keeping her company. They’d tried to hide it and he often left before I got there, but I could tell. Hayden had a glow and a dreamy look on her face most mornings. He might also be the reason why she didn’t seem to mind her mother’s absence.
Three days had passed since Tammy left. It wasn’t the first time she’d gone shopping for the store because some of the things they carried were exotic and hard to find. Last year, she’d traveled to the South Pacific and Africa to collect certain herbs and had disappeared for a week. Maybe she really was on a shopping trip. After all, she did leave a note.
There’d been no more reports about dead Witches. We checked the Witches online boards and forums daily. Maybe the first killings were a one-time thing. Still, there had been a steady increase in the number of Witches buying charms and warding paraphernalia. Online orders from TC’s website had tripled too.
I left through the back door to collect my car. As usual, the cloak from Hel’s Hall was in my sling bag, so I paused to close my hand around the goddess’ rune and looked around for Eirik. I missed him. I couldn’t believe he’d disappeared on me just because I couldn’t help him.
My eyes went to the runes etched all over my car, and I wanted to slap myself. I was an idiot. The answer had been right under my nose all this time.
Eirik had etched these runes so I would be safe from his grandmother. He’d done it four months ago and again three days ago. He was a protector and would never let anything happen to me. Yes, it would be scary to go back to Helheim knowing what I knew now, unlike Friday night, but I had to. For Eirik. It was time to stop being afraid and watch his back. The trick was to convince him to see things my way.
There was a note from Echo pinned on the steering wheel of my car. I read it, feeling sick to my stomach. Three more Witches had been attacked last night. He didn’t say whether they’d died or not. Why hadn’t he brought it inside the store? The Grimnir was weird.
I texted Hayden before taking off. I went back to stressing about how to convince Eirik he needed my help. He could be stubborn, and since I didn’t know how to create portals, I couldn’t march to his house and pester him about helping him. He had to see things my way.
Dad’s SUV was in the carport, but Officer Sullivan had picked him up this morning in a squad car, so I knew he wasn’t home. I parked my car and looked around. There was no one else around to hear me screech like a banshee, and trees and bushes blocked our house from the Gordons’, our nosy neighbor’s prying eyes. It was time to test Eirik’s dragon senses.
I opened my mouth and screamed, then waited. Come on, Eirik. Show me you can sense when I’m in danger. I screamed again and glanced around. I expected to see a portal open and Eirik come charging to my rescue. Instead, our front door flew open and Dad bursted outside with his gun cocked. A woman followed him.
Damn! Wrong rescue party.
“Celestia! What happened?”
“I’m fine, Dad. I’m okay.” I hurried to his side, but my eyes stayed on the woman standing behind him barefoot.
Rosalie Perkins, the only female on the city council. I’d interviewed her once. She’d also called the house a few times looking for Dad, but it never crossed my mind that they could be more than friends. Was she the reason Dad had wanted me home this afternoon?
“I thought I saw an alligator.” My fear for gators was a family joke. “But it was just Bandit, the Gordons’ dachshund,” I added for Mrs. Perkins’ benefit. “He’s always chasing imaginary things in our backyard.” I kissed Dad’s cheek and smiled at her. “Hi, Mrs. Perkins.”
“Hello, Celestia.”
“You two have met?” Dad said.
“My school did a piece on the city council, and I interviewed Mrs. Perkins.” And now she was barefoot on my porch standing too close to my Dad whose shirt wasn’t tucked in. They’d definitely not been discussing city business. The idea of my father with a woman was weird. I didn’t want him to be alone, but at the same time, I didn’t want him hurt.
“Okay. I’ll be in my room, Dad. Nice to see you again, Mrs. Perkins.” I disappeared inside my room and closed the door.
Eirik hadn’t come. So much for his dragon knowing when I was in danger. I guess screaming like a crazy person didn’t constitute danger.
I booted my laptop, and in minutes, I was studying Mrs. Perkins’ profile. She looked amazing for a forty-five-year old. A former assistant district lawyer in New York City, she was widowed and had one son. She must be trustworthy to have been elected to the city council, but that didn’t mean jack when it came to relationships.
A cold draft swept across my room, and I dove for my cloak, my heart pounding. As soon as I connected with the rune, I saw the portal. Eirik entered.
“Is everything okay?”
It was now. I grinned. Hooray for his dragon senses. He’d heard me. Before I could speak, a knock resounded on my door.
“Celestia?” Dad asked from the other side.
Damn. I placed a finger on my lips and motioned for Eirik to move out of the way. Even though he was invisible, he stood right smack in front of the door.
He pointed at the closet. “You want me to hide in there?”
“No, sit here.” I scooted to give him room.
The portal closed, sending another cold draft across my room. Instead of sitting, Eirik sprawled on my bed, hogging it like it was his. He fluffed pillows and got comfortable.
“You can tell him to come in now,” he said.
“No funny business, Eirik,” I warned him. “This is my dad.”
“Sweetheart, can I come in?” Dad asked.
“Sure, Dad,” I called out, started to close my laptop, then decided against it. Dad did not make chief by playing politics. He’d been a damn good detective, so lying was out of the question. My heart pounded though. Eirik was in my bedroom. If he did anything to indicate there was an invisible man on my bed, I d
idn’t know what I’d do. I needed Dad to leave or I’d have to keep him distracted.
He opened the door and peered inside. “Do you have a moment to talk?”
No. If I said no, he’d think I was sulking about his female guest and insist on talking anyway.
“Tell him yes. I want to meet him,” Eirik said.
“Sure, Dad. I was just doing a little research.” I turned the computer and showed him the screen. He smiled and entered my room.
“That’s my girl. Always direct,” he said.
“Comes from living with a lie detector.”
He chuckled. “I wanted you to meet Rosalie, but from the look of things, you have questions for me.”
“Of course. Let’s see how well you’ve taught me.” I indicated the computer desk chair. “Please sit down, Chief Deveraux. This interview will not be recorded. Anything you say will not be used against you because you are my dad and I love you. You’re also not entitled to an attorney because the only one in the house is the subject of this interrogation.”
He cocked his eyebrows but grabbed the chair and sat. I was still holding the pin, and could hear Eirik chuckle. I almost shushed him.
“So how long have you known Mrs. Rosalie Perkins?”
“Over thirty years. She and I went to school together. She left for law school, got married, and moved to New York.”
“A New Yorker. Life in Windfall must be slow-paced for her.”
Dad chuckled. “I think she’s adjusted well. Besides, this is her home.”
“When and why did she come back?”
“Five years ago, she moved back to Windfall while her husband stayed in New York. They were separated, not divorced. Last year, he died of a stroke.”
“Oh, that’s sad.”
“It was. He was a good man. And before you ask, she told me.”
“Oh. Okay. According to my research”—I glanced at the page with the woman’s short bio—“she has one son, who lives in New York. Have you met him?”
Dad grinned. “No. We decided she should meet you first or you’d find out, go online, do your own research, and start worrying.”
Eirik sat up and peered over my shoulder at my computer. “Man, you are nosy,” he said. “And your dad is an enabler.” I ignored him.
Heroes (Eirik Book 2) Page 15
