Heroes (Eirik Book 2)

by Ednah Walters

  The shock wore off, and I grinned. It was a perfect background for me. She’d come up with an explanation that was believable and made it impossible for her father to send her away.

  “He invited us to spend the night, offered us the spare bedroom to use, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  “You slept?” I asked, not sure whether Nara was messing with me or not.

  “We took turns,” she said.

  “Is he inside?”

  “Yes,” Nara said. She was still smiling, obviously enjoying my predicament. “You might want to go inside and face the music.”

  “Nara,” Rhys snapped. “Celestia stayed as close to the truth as possible without mentioning Asgard, realms, and gods. It is a perfect cover for you. You are a powerful Witch from a prominent family of Witches in Europe and heir to your grandfather’s dynasty. Because of a custody battle, your grandfather had you raised in America until your mother found you and took you back to her family’s home, which is where Celestia ended up helping you. Here he comes.”

  The door opened and Chief Richard Deveraux stepped onto the patio, one hand holding a cup of hot beverage and the other shoved in the pocket of his robe. He looked less relaxed than yesterday in Celestia’s bedroom. She’d inherited his blue eyes and brown hair, though his was graying. Unlike his daughter’s soft, sexy eyes, his were hard and piercing. I started to fidget when he studied me without speaking.

  “I recognize you from my daughter’s drawings,” the chief said. “And last night, I learned your identity, Eirik Baldurson.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I gave him a stiff nod.

  “I’m Richard Deveraux, Celestia’s father.” He didn’t offer his hand in greeting. “Since I don’t see a car and an entourage, I’m not going to ask how you arrived here. My daughter tells me your family’s gifts are exceptional, and I try to keep an open mind.”

  This time, I went with the truth. “We use portals.”

  He didn’t even blink.

  “I see. Come with me, please.” He led the way inside the house, waited for me to enter, and closed the door. “Would you like something to drink? Coffee?”

  “Coffee is fine, thank you.” I removed my duster, and his gaze went to my arm.

  “Sit. I heard quite a bit about you last night,” Chief Deveraux said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye as he poured coffee into a mug. He placed it in front of me. “Do you take sugar with your coffee?”

  “No, this is good.” I wasn’t a coffee drinker, but I had a feeling he was testing me, so I sipped the hot, bitter drink and tried not to grimace.

  “Is the Guild now protecting all Witches, or is my daughter getting special treatment?”

  “We’re trying to protect the powerful ones before the attacks escalate.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Do you really expect me to believe any of this?”

  “It takes someone who understands magic to believe it. I will stop the attacks, sir.”

  He chuckled. “I like your confidence. I’ve never claimed to understand how magic works, but my daughter has taught me to respect it. These portals you use, can anyone see them?”

  “No. But if you want proof of my gifts, I can show you.” When he didn’t respond, I engaged invisibility runes, moved to the other end of the counter, and reappeared. Once again, I couldn’t tell whether he was impressed or not. “There’s more I can show you. Perhaps a short trip to my home through a portal?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary right now. I have enough on my plate dealing with scared Witches in my town. I will do what I can to find the people responsible, but if the Guild happens to find them first, I expect a phone call and the identities of the perpetrators, so I can arrest them. Magic or not, an attempted murder is still against the law in this country.” He stood. “Have you eaten breakfast?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you cook, or do servants do everything for you?”

  Raine’s father always said the truest test of a man was his ability to take care of his woman’s every need, so he’d taught me to cook. “My uncle taught me everything, including how to cook.”

  “Good, because I think your people need to be fed.”

  “I can take care of them, sir.”

  Chief Deveraux opened the fridge and removed eggs, sausages, and bacon. I got busy while he grilled me about my childhood in Kayville as Eirik Seville. Somehow, I knew he would look me up. He swam in high school and college, and our conversation stayed on sports. He completely avoided discussing magic or anything about where I lived now. He might have said he understood and respected magic, but he was uncomfortable with it.

  He invited Rhys and Nara inside before I was done cooking. I ignored their reaction. While serving them, Celestia wandered into the kitchen. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw us.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” I called out.

  “You cooked?”

  “Yes, he did,” her father answered. “I wonder what else he can do that doesn’t involve magic.” He took his food and joined Rhys and Nara at the kitchen table.

  “Really, Dad? He’s a guest in our house.”

  “He offered,” her father said, chuckling.

  “What did you tell him?” Celestia asked when she reached my side.

  “Nothing to contradict you. You started this, Dimples. I’m finishing it.” I handed her a plate then served myself.

  “You’re not angry?” she asked, studying the amount on my plate.

  “I just ate. I think your solution is brilliant. The Grimnirs don’t have to hide anymore and your father doesn’t have to send you away. When do we tell him I’m really a god and the dynasty I’ll be inheriting is Norse Pantheon?”

  She scoffed at the idea. “He wouldn’t believe you.”

  “He would after visiting Eljudnir.”

  The smile disappeared from her face. “Visiting? You can’t be serious?”

  “Why not? I plan on spending so much time around here he’ll eventually have to know who I really am.” I followed her to the counter. Had she really thought we could keep our relationship a secret from her father? I didn’t plan to sneak around like some Mortal guy. When I courted her, I planned to do it openly. My parents already knew about us, and so should her father.

  “I told him we used portals and offered to show him after I cloaked.”

  She groaned. “Why did you do that? You ease into things with non-magical people, not throw everything at them at once. He could have had a heart attack from shock.”

  I glanced at her old man, who’d taken the perfect seat to watch us. Our eyes met, and I smiled. He didn’t return it. Winning him over was going to take some serious work.

  “He does not look like a candidate for a heart attack,” I whispered to Celestia. “Besides, he wasn’t impressed with my cloaking. He seemed more concerned with catching the people attacking Witches, so I promised to help.”

  Another groan escaped Celestia. She pushed aside her unfinished food and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. She added cream and sugar.

  “Dad, I promised to help Hayden at the shop this morning. They had a lot of customers last night and turned some away, so she’s opening up early. Zack is also helping.”

  “Call me when you get there.”

  She sighed. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Humor an old man. I’ll be heading out shortly, too.” He went back to whatever he’d been discussing with Rhys and Nara. I wondered what background story the two had given him. They used to be Druids a millennium ago.

  “Do you want to use a portal?” I asked Celestia and received a scowl.

  “Nope. I’m driving. I don’t want to scare Mortals to death by appearing suddenly out of nowhere.” She dumped her unfinished food in the garbage, put her plate in the sink, and headed toward the living room. When I looked up, her father was staring at me with a questioning expression.

  “I’ll travel with her to the store. You two”—I indicated Rhys and Na
ra—“go ahead when you are done and assess the situation before we arrive.”

  Rhys and Nara finished their meal, put their dishes in the sink, and took off. I waited until they had disappeared into the living room and opened a portal before moving from the counter to a chair.

  “May I ask you a question, sir?”

  “That depends.”

  “How did you get the news about the dead Witches?”

  A weird look crossed his eyes. “I have my contacts. You see, I don’t know whether to trust you yet or not, Eirik Baldurson. What’s your interest in my daughter?”

  “I want to protect her and keep her safe.”

  The chief shook his head. “I may not understand what happens when she goes into a trance, but she never got hurt until she came to help you. It’s been four months since that happened and you never came to see her or thank her. My daughter defended you passionately. She said you’re doing a lot to help your family heal, so I’ll try to keep an open mind. Yet, I can’t help but wonder if your presence here is because of the attacks on the Witches or something else.”

  Damn. The man was tough and intuitive. “We are here to help. I may not have prevented Celestia’s injuries before, but I promise you I will protect her with everything I have from now on. I will never let anything like that happen to her again.”

  “That waits to be seen.” He glanced toward the living room and stood, smiling. “Taking off, pumpkin?”

  “Yes, Daddy.” Celestia carried a suitcase and her usual sling bag. “I’ll be back after we close the shop to collect a few things I put in the washer.”

  I got up and grabbed my coat.

  “I suppose the breakfast dishes will wash themselves,” the chief said, and I froze.

  “Dad! Leave him alone.”

  “I’m just trying to determine what kind of man he is. So what is it going to be, Son?”

  Now the old man was messing with me. If I stayed to clean up the mess I’d made in their kitchen, it would prove I was trying to impress him and I’d break the promise I just made to protect Celestia.

  “The dishes will have to wait, sir. I’m escorting her to the store and protecting her just like I promised.” I ran out the door and followed her to the car. Her father came to the door just as I sat in the front passenger seat. “Damn, your dad is a hard-ass.”

  She laughed. “That was nothing.”

  CHAPTER 12. THE TRUTH

  CELESTIA

  Eirik rested his arm on my headrest and played with my hair, my necklaces, and my danging earings. It was as though everything about me fascinated him.

  “I thought you were coming to watch me train today and make our first snowman,” Eirik said when we were halfway to the store.

  “I’m so sorry. Can you take a rain check? Hayden really needs my help today. Her mom is not back yet.”

  He ran the tips of his fingers down my neck and followed one chain to the stone pendant, his touch light and intimate. I couldn’t help the shudder that rocked my body. If he noticed it, he didn’t show it. He continued messing with my senses, and I let him. My responses were new and exciting. And even though I didn’t understand them, I didn’t want to run away from them.

  “I guess I could train in the evening or tomorrow morning,” he said, sounding preoccupied. I glanced at him and found his eyes on me as though my responses fascinated him. He smiled. “You’re still helping me find my grandmother?”

  “Of course.” That smile of his never failed to make my heart skip. It was part cocky, part challenging. Made me want to stop the car and kiss the crap out of him.

  “Eyes on the road, Dimples. I can look. You can’t.”

  I grinned. “It doesn’t work that way. If you can look, so can I.”

  “Not when you are driving.” His hand moved to my cheek, and I leaned into it. “I love your dimples.”

  “Thanks. So what did you and Dad talk about?” I asked to get my mind off my sudden urge to turn my head and kiss his fingers.

  “My life in Kayville. High school sports. He told me he held the state record for fifty and a hundred freestyle throughout his high school career.”

  “The trophies are in his study on display.” He never understood why I hated water when he was like a fish.

  “Do you swim?”

  I shuddered at the thought, remembering why I hated water. My mother had tried to drown me several times and failed. Eirik sensed my reaction, stopped playing with my dimples, lifted my hair, and gently rubbed the back of my neck. My mind went foggy. He had magic fingers.

  “From your reaction, I guess you’re not a swimmer,” he said.

  “No, I’m not. In fact, I have a debilitating fear of water.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know.” I didn’t want to explain and spoil the mood. I’d told him a bit about my mother four months ago, but we’d been discussing the premonitions about me, not all the things she’d put me through. “I love our house even though it’s a waterfront property. Dad loves to fish, so it’s perfect for him.”

  “What about you? What’s perfect for you? What’s your dream home?”

  I shrugged. “I’ve never given it much thought.”

  “Think about it. I love houses with indoor swimming pools. In fact, I’m thinking of getting one. If you like, I can help you get over your fear of water. The world will be destroyed by water during Ragnarok and I want you to survive.”

  Getting one where? I frowned. “Since I won’t be there, it doesn’t really matter.”

  That stopped the questions, but instead of feeling better, I felt bad. He talked of Ragnarok and my dream home when he was an Immortal and I wasn’t. He would live forever while I wouldn’t. That had been bugging me since Friday, and I needed to let it go. He and I were from two different worlds no matter how often I forgot when he looked at me with those gorgeous amber eyes.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  I glanced at him, my cheeks warming up. “About?”

  “You didn’t hear a thing I said, did you?”

  “Sorry.” It was next to impossible to find a place to park near the store, so I parked across the street. Eirik stopped me from getting out of the car by running his knuckles across my arm. The gentle caress took my breath away and left me staring at him in confusion. How could one man’s touch be so electrifying and others leave me indifferent?

  “What’s wrong, Dimples? Are you mad at me?”

  “No, I’m not mad.”

  “I can smell emotions. Fear. Anger. Excitement...”

  “You can?”

  “Yep. And right now you’re angry. Was it because I told your father about portals and cloaked in his presence?”

  “No, that’s not it. I just want this Witch problem to go away.” I studied the people entering the store. “Look at them. They’re here before most stores are open because they’re scared. Did I tell you someone is stealing dead bodies from morgues and cemeteries? Dad thinks something evil is brewing in our communities.”

  “Your father cannot solve this problem. It’s supernatural.”

  Eirik stroked my knuckles with his thumb, his movements slow like he was memorizing the texture of my skin with his fingers. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend I had zero worries or he and I were on a date.

  “Dad can solve anything,” I bragged. “He’s a brilliant detective.”

  Eirik chuckled. “I’m sure he is, but this is out of his jurisdiction. Maybe you guys should stay in Eljudnir until the Grimnirs find whoever is doing this. Rhys and Nara have dealt with Immortals and know how they think. No matter how powerful Witches are, they cannot fight Immortals.”

  I rolled my eyes. “They told me the same thing last night. When you said ‘you guys,’ did you mean Zack, Hayden, and me?”

  “Yes. They might enjoy the visit.”

  I chuckled. “They’ve never even met you, let alone know who you are, Eirik. There’s no way they’re going to go anywhere with you. Zack is just beginning to embrace
his gifts, and Hayden would never leave her mother behind when there’s danger.”

  “Yet her mother left her behind the day after the Witches were attacked,” he said.

  The timing of Tammy’s disappearance was odd, but she wouldn’t desert Hayden in the face of danger. Could there be more to it? Had that man forced her?

  “Are you staying or heading back home?” I asked.

  “I told your father I’d keep you safe. I can’t do it from Helheim.”

  His chipper mood was beginning to irritate me. I grabbed my sling bag and got out of the car. The suitcase would be okay in the backseat.

  “Now what did I do this time?” Eirik asked, sliding out of his seat.

  “Let’s go.” I crossed the street with him right behind me. I pushed open the door to Tammy’s Cauldron and gawked. The sheer number of customers in the store was mind-boggling. The line to the checkout wound around a shelf and was all the way to the front entrance. Zack was talking to several customers to my left.

  “Is it always this full?” Eirik asked.

  “No.”

  Hayden waved me over. As I got closer, I noticed a familiar face among the customers. Wes was arranging something on the shelf. Damn, I’d totally forgotten to call him. Eirik noticed him too and frowned.

  “What is he doing here?” he asked.

  His resentment of Wes was ridiculous. “Helping. He’s our friend and a Witch.” Since I wasn’t connected with my cloak, I couldn’t tell if Rhys and Nara were in the store. “Are your guys here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.” I went behind the counter and stashed my sling bag away. My eyes locked with Hayden’s.

  “Your mom?” I asked.

  “Not back yet.” Something flashed in her eyes so fast I wasn’t sure what I saw. I’d say it was panic, but I could be mistaken. “Open a register.”

  Eirik’s words returned to haunt me. Where was Tammy? Should I start to worry now?

  “What can I do to help?” a familiar voice asked, and I looked up at Eirik.

  He looked completely out of place. Though he wore a duster like a reaper, he didn’t have that hard, in-your-face arrogance reapers exuded. He carried himself differently. Regally. Like he wasn’t going to demand respect, but he expected you to give it to him anyway. He’d changed so much in four months.