Shades of Valhalla - Inner Origins Book One

by Ellis Logan

  Chapter 16

  It had been two weeks since we arrived in Falls Depot. It was hard to believe that we’d only been here fourteen short days.

  Fourteen rather blissful days. Fourteen totally normal days.

  I’d fallen into an easy routine, running each morning, heading to school, hanging out with my friends, training with mom each night, stealing kisses with Rowan between classes and whenever I ordered in from Giovanni’s.

  Obviously, pizza became my new favorite food, if it hadn’t been already.

  It felt as if I had lived here for years. Rose and I had become best friends already, texting each other every night about the guys we loved and the teachers we hated.

  Everything I’d always wanted. The normal life I’d always envied in other kids. I had it. And the best part? I could keep it. It was my last year of high school, so I could enjoy a totally regular senior year, planning for college like every other kid. And when everything changed next year, I would, again, be just like every kid at school. Well, except for the fact that I was destined to age a little (yeah fine, a lot) more slowly, and I could feel the heartbeat of the Earth. No big deal.

  Still, totally normal.

  Totally fae, and finally, totally normal.

  Mom had added some new meditation techniques to our after-school training sessions, with instructions to continue practicing even on the days when she worked late. Yeah, like that was going to happen. Meditation was so not my thing. I know it was supposed to help me control the visions, but I hadn’t had anymore since the disaster in Brazil, so I figured I would deal with it when I needed to. Right now, I really just wanted to spend every free moment basking in the sheer sensation of feeling…home. I finally felt home.

  I’d been so many places. Lived in so many houses and apartments. We’d even lived on a houseboat once. They had all been great. Lots of fun times with mom. Lots of interesting new things to do and see. I’d always felt loved. But this was the first place I’d ever felt I actually belonged, like I wasn’t the new strange girl who had to carve out a space to fit between all the people who had history together. It had been so comfortable, I’d just eased right in like a deadbolt sliding home.

  That was how easily I’d fallen for the Depot.

  And that’s what was going through my mind when my mom dropped me.

  I slammed to the ground and lay there staring up at my glorious mother, her wooden bokken sword pointed at my throat. Outside, I could distantly hear birds chirping and a squirrel chittering. From my position, it almost sounded like it was laughing at me.

  “You’re not paying attention, Siri. Where’s your mind at?” She reached down and helped me up.

  “I don’t know. Just out of it, I guess.”

  She poured us each some water and handed me one.

  “Come on, sweetheart, let’s take a break. Want to go out on the porch?”

  The light was just starting to fade, and the sky was turning a luxurious shade of gold over the trees. The porch was pure country chic, complete with a double swing hanging to one side. It was pretty much ours, since the other tenants both used entrances around on the other side of the building.

  We settled in on the swing and we both tipped back our glasses to drink. More often than not, this is what it was like with my mom. We were always in sync. Sometimes, people even thought we were sisters, we tended to move so similarly. Of course, now that I knew our family secret, I could understand why she still looked so youthful, too. She didn’t really look more than thirty. Good genes, she’d always joked. No kidding.

  Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw movement in the shadows across the porch. I turned my head to see a black squirrel run across the deck and stop at my feet. It cocked its head and made series of strange clicks and purrs, and then hopped up into my lap. Stunned, I kept my arms still at my sides and watched as it turned in several circles and then settled down into a little ball, curling its tail neatly around it.

  “Uh, Mom?” I squeaked.

  I turned my head to look at my mother, and saw that she looked just as surprised as I felt.

  “Looks like you’ve made a new friend.”

  The squirrel turned its head up sideways, coquettishly exposing its little chin like a cat waiting to be petted. A small patch of white gleamed under its mouth.

  “I think this is the same one I told you about, the one that got hit a couple weeks ago.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “That squirrel was all black, too, except for that white part.” I pointed to the squirrel’s chin and it stretched out further, encouraging me to pet it. Still nervous, I gently stroked the soft fur with one finger.

  “Aren’t rabid animals supposed to get really friendly before they go psycho? I mean, are you sure this is okay?” My voice shook a tiny bit, pitched high from a combination of nerves and wonder.

  She smiled gently at me. “I’m pretty sure that’s a different type of friendliness. This little guy, he looks totally relaxed. Go with it, Siri.”

  “Is this part of the whole fae thing, too?” I imagined myself traipsing through the forest like Snow White, animals trailing behind me, birds flitting around bringing me gifts. It was too weird for words.

  “Well, like I told you before, our family is more in tune with the Earth. The ancient fae did have the ability to speak with animals, even plants. They were truly one with the Earth. I know a few fae who still have that ability, but no one in our family. Probably, he just decided he likes you and has followed you home. Guess he needed a friend, and now you’re it.” The squirrel started purring on my lap. Without even realizing it, I had been petting his whole body and he was stretched out, totally basking in the attention.

  “This is so wild.”

  “You know, some Earth fae, like your grandmother, have the ability to awaken plants in their time of need, and many Ancients had animal familiars. There are those who can call up the elements to do their bidding. Some more powerful fae have created tidal waves or made the earth tremble beneath your feet, or so the stories go.”

  She looked like she was going to say more, but a car pulled up in front of the house just at that moment. Moments later, Rose got out and slammed the door. In a flash, the squirrel was off my lap and scampering across the yard up into a tree.

  “Hey, Siri!” she called.

  “Hey, Rose!” I had totally forgotten she was coming over to study for our first horticulture test.

  “Mom,” I stood up as Rose made her way up the stairs to the porch, “this is Rose. We’re going to study for our test tomorrow.”

  “Hello Rose, nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She smiled up at Rose. “I’m so glad Siri has made such a nice friend already.”

  Rose blushed, the hue clashing furiously with her red hair. “Thanks Ms. Alvarsson. It’s nice to have a girl to hang out with who likes to talk boarding. Usually it’s just me and the guys from the mountain, and that gets a little old sometimes.”

  “Alright, well you girls have fun.” Mom stood and finished her glass of water, setting it on the porch rail. “I’m going to head out for a run. Please help yourself to whatever food’s in the kitchen.” She gave me a quick hug and jogged off down the stairs.

  “Kicking butt?” Rose looked at my sweaty clothes and the wooden sword by my feet. She knew all about my martial arts training and had made me promise to teach her some self-defense moves before she headed off to college next year.

  “More like getting my butt kicked,” I laughed.

  Rose looked down the street admiringly towards where my mom had run into the night.

  “Your mom is so cool. My mom’s biggest skills are gardening and cooking. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love her apple pie and her roast lamb is to die for, but having a hot mom who can do hand-to-hand combat is just off the hook cool.”

  I shrugged and opened the door to inside, leading the way to the kitchen.

  “Not everyone see it that way. Most of the girls I’ve met
over the years think I’m kind of a freak. Of course, since I could kick their butt they wouldn’t usually say it to my face.”

  She let out a snort. “I bet.”

  She started spreading out her books on the counter while I took out all the fixings for sandwiches.

  “Roast beef or ham?”

  “Mmm, roast beef, yeah, thanks.”

  She piled up the beef on a mini baguette with some cheddar, horseradish and sun-dried tomatoes, while I heaped Swiss cheese and ham on some dark rye bread with mustard. I opened a bag of kettle chips and sat down at the counter with her.

  “Yum, I am so hungry,” she moaned as she dug into her sandwich, and I nodded in agreement, my mouth too full to answer her properly.

  We scarfed down our food in relative silence, and got down to studying. We went over plant propagation methods for a while and quizzed each other on the Latin and common names of perennial herbs, along with how to properly cultivate each one.

  “Echinacea purpurea.”

  “Purple Coneflower. Indigenous to North America. Grown by seed, root cuttings or division. Hardy and drought resistant, attracts butterflies and honeybees.” I ticked off the attributes of the last plant on our list one by one. Echinacea was easy, I’d always loved its rosy purple petals and bright orange center, and it seemed to grow almost everywhere we’d ever lived.

  “Perfect!” She leaned back on the stool and stretched. “So, what are you up to tomorrow night? The guys and I are going to see a preview of the new Star Wars movie in Burlington. Chuck got extra tickets from his dad’s job. Want to come with?”

  “Oh, that sounds awesome! I would totally love to, but Rowan invited me over to his house for dinner. We’re going to go over the stuff I missed so I’m definitely caught up for our physics test on Monday.”

  “Oh yeah. Studying, eh?” she waggled her eyebrows at me.

  “Shut up,” I swatted at her with my notes. “Yeah, studying, and movie night with the fam he said.”

  “Ooooh, meeting the fam. Big night then! Rowan and Siri, sitting in a tree –“

  “Ah, stop it! We’re just…We’re not even…”

  “Yeah, what, you’re not even what?”

  “Well, we haven’t had that talk. You know, we’ve only been on one date.”

  She snorted. “And he kisses you every chance he gets. Honestly, you guys are sick, I think I’ve seen you smooch in every hallway in school this week.”

  “Oh come on, as if! We’re not that bad.” I groaned. “Are we?”

  “Oh yeah, totally. You guys are wicked in love.” She laughed. “And now you’re meeting the parentals. Good luck with that one.”

  “Yeah, I’m a little nervous actually. Rowan hasn’t talked about them much, but his dad sounds kind of intimidating.”

  “Bah. I’m sure he’ll love you. What’s not to love? After all, I befriended you,” she winked at me. “And I have killer awesome taste.”

  She got up and grabbed my hand, dragging me out of the kitchen.

  “Now come on and let’s figure out what you are going to wear.”

  “Seriously?” I protested as she pulled me to a stop in front of my closet. “I didn’t think you really cared about those kinds of things.”

  “Siri, you wound me! A lot of thought and effort goes into finding the perfect mix of vintage boho tomboy chic. Anyhoo, even if I don’t care, and you don’t care, this date requires some seriously difficult planning.”

  “It’s not a date,” I protested as she started tossing random items of clothing out of my closet onto my bed. “It’s just studying and a movie.”

  “Exactly! And you’re meeting his parents. We need to find the perfect blend of not-trying-too-hard, girl-next-door-every-parent-loves, and hot librarian. This is so not easy!”

  “Can’t I just wear a sweater and some jeans?”

  Rose snorted and dug deeper in my closet, now on her hands and knees searching for what I could only assume would be the “perfect” pair of shoes.

  I sat at my desk and leaned back to watch the show. She crawled out the closet triumphantly, holding two pairs of ballet flats in her hand, one black and one navy. She put them on the floor by the bed and started picking up tops, matching them against various pants that she had selected.

  “Alright, stand up, let’s see these against your skin tone. Don’t make that face, my aunt’s an aesthetician in Bennington at the Oasis. I know these things.”

  She clucked and made faces as she held up shirt after shirt. Finally, she lit up with approval.

  “Lavender is really your color! I mean, the gray you wear all the time is good, too, it brings out your eyes, but the purple really warms up your skin tone and highlights the gold in your hair.”

  I just stared at her, bemused.

  “You’ll wear these jeggings with this lavender tunic with the three-quarter length sleeves, it makes you look sweet and relaxed and pretty all at the same time. The navy flats are classic, but say you’re a good girl, too. Wear some small simple stud earrings, and your hair down. Definitely down. No braids tomorrow, Siri! I mean it.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Whatever you say, Madame Chanel.”

  She giggled, turning back into the Rose I knew and loved. Or at least so I thought. “So, fashion torture is over and studying is done. How about we do our nails and eat some of those brownies I saw in the kitchen earlier?”

  “Nails, too, really? Who are you?!”

  “Something purple or blue. Or silver. Take out what you have and I’ll go get the brownies.” She bossed me, bouncing off to the kitchen.

  I shook my head in disbelief. Who was this girl and what had she done with Rose? I giggled as I went through my nail polish collection. I actually had quite a few. I couldn’t ever keep it from chipping off my fingers, but I loved having bright toes. Every time I went to a pharmacy I seemed to walk out with a few new colors.

  I supposed there wasn’t any harm in having some deep, “Vixen Violet” toenails. Rose would be so proud. I took out a few hot pinks and oranges from the collection, figuring they’d complement her usual Rainbow Brite thrift-store look perfectly.

  She walked back into the room with a plate, and peered at my selection.

  “Mmm, that is a gorgeous purple! Perfect. But what are those colors you picked out for me? Hot pink?? Do you know what that does to my hair?” She pretend squealed, putting her hands to her head dramatically, and we both broke down laughing at the ridiculousness of what she had put us through for the last twenty minutes.

  When we finally stopped, she reached over me and grabbed some gold polish. “This is much better. Don’t you know, it brings out my freckles?” And with that she tore up laughing again.

  I watched, smiling warmly at my new friend.

  Laughter, brownies and Violet Vixen. I don’t think life had ever been better than this.