Seeress: Book Three (Runes Series)

by Ednah Walters

  “Whoa, okay.” He raised his arms. “I won’t. Ever. And you won’t listen to Andris’ stupid ideas.”

  If he’d felt half of what I did watching him, then never again. “I promise.”

  “Good. Ready now.”

  I nodded. He plunged into the forest, shooting past trees like he expected them to move aside for him. At least I knew the trees would lose if he hit them.

  I engaged my speed and sight runes. When the terrain became difficult, I added endurance ones. It didn’t matter which ones I chose, the effect added to the rush. I felt alive, energized. It was too early for hikers, except for a few die-hards, but Torin still chose less popular trails and unchartered territories. I was right behind him. Trails were everywhere, some popular and beaten-down, others with undergrowth due to lack of use.

  He started slow as though giving me time to catch my breath. Then he picked up speed. He pushed me hard, going faster and faster. A few times I wanted to beg him to slow down, but I couldn’t give him the satisfaction. I might not be able to beat him, but I could bloody well keep up.

  Bloody well. Ha. I was even beginning to talk like him.

  I lost sense of direction after a while. The creeks and campgrounds were starting to look the same. I knew we were south of Oregon 6 because of the ATV trails. Luckily, the season for all terrain campgrounds didn’t start until the end of the month.

  I shot past Torin as we neared the top of a hill.

  “Slow down!” he yelled.

  Oh, he thought he was slick. I had the lead. “Sour loser.”

  I kept going, until I burst through the trees into a clearing and something red caught my eyes. I slowed down and stopped when I recognized the picnic basket and the neatly-folded blanket on top of it. We’d used them before in his living room during winter.

  My watch said we’d been running for over an hour, which meant he’d made this run earlier. One way with a basket of food and drinks. That alone was enough to steal my thunder. For about a second.

  “I beat you fair and square,” I called out when he appeared in the clearing.

  “Show off.” He pulled off his shirt and wiped his neck, his movements graceful.

  “Except you were here earlier,” I added, dragging my eyes away from his abs. I removed my top too, leaving my sports bra. Cool air kissed my bare torso. I dropped the shirt, reached down, and stretched my legs.

  “I knew how far we’d go before you started to wilt,” he said, stopping behind me.

  “I don’t wilt. I can handle anything you dish out. If you didn’t notice, I kept up with you until you slowed down.”

  He ran a finger along my sweaty back. Since we still had our runes engaged, sparks exploded under my skin and shot every which way. I moaned. Or maybe he did. I couldn’t tell.

  This was the problem with runes. When engaged, they heightened our senses. It was as though energy bubbled on the surface of our skin, needing to be released. We engage speed runes, we run faster. Strength runes? Flatten something. Endurance? Climb a freaking rock. Standing next to a man that pushed our buttons with just a look, we might go ape.

  It took all my willpower to straighten and move away from him, disengaging my runes when he did his. Slanting me a smirk that could be hot one second and infuriating the next, he opened the basket, removed two bottles of water, and threw one my way.

  As I chugged mine, I found myself watching him lift the bottle to his lips, guzzle, and swallow. When he poured the rest on his head, droplets flowing down his face to his chest, our eyes met. Time slowed down to a halt.

  Twigs snapped, and I whipped around, expecting to see some wild animal. Instead two hikers invaded our little slice of Oregon Tillamook Forest. While Torin smoothly switched accents from British to American and chatted with the couple, I tried to control my thumping heart. It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a switcheroo. How had he put it? People asked him less questions about his background.

  I found the perfect picnic spot by a tree stump and spread out the blanket. When I looked up, the hikers were gone. Torin placed the basket on the blanket and sat on the tree stump. I dropped on the blanket and studied him.

  “What are we eating?”

  “Beef and turkey sandwiches and chips.” He opened the basket and handed me a wrapped sandwich, then dangled a big bag of spicy baked chips. My favorite. Torin hated spicy chips. How did he put it? They numbed his taste buds, while he liked to savor different flavors in each chip.

  He moved the basket aside and slid next to me, so we lay on our stomachs, our shoulders touching. We ate in silence. He’d cut the sandwiches into tiny triangles. When he dipped his hand inside the bag and removed a chip, I stared. He didn’t hide his grimace.

  “How’s this for an apology?” Torin asked.

  “Great! But do you have to torture your taste buds, too?”

  He slanted me a look. “You noticed.” He wiped his fingers on the blanket. “This is awful.”

  I bumped him with my shoulder. “Don’t be a food snob. So why last night’s douchebaggery?”

  He rolled on to his back and studied me. “I told you. I don’t like your visions.”

  “That’s a lame reason. I’m a Seeress. Deal with it.”

  He squinted at me, those ridiculously long lashes fanning his cheekbones. “I liked you better as just my girlfriend.”

  I put a potato chip against his lips. “I was never just your girlfriend. I was me, before you, before us. A person with goals and dreams. Every time you say something idiotic, I feed you a chip. Open up,” I ordered.

  He ate it, his eyes twinkling. “I love it when you’re bossy.”

  “The Norns said your protectiveness will push me to them,” I reminded him.

  He stopped smiling. “Bitter old hags. Why do you have to link with them? No chips. How did you link with them?”

  “I don’t know.” The events from last night flashed through my head. “I wished it.”

  He propped himself on his elbow, eyes sharpening. “Are you saying if you want to eavesdrop on them all you have to do is wish it?”

  I nodded.

  He laughed. “Brilliant. You can kick them out of your head anytime.” He munched on his sandwich. “I like it. I can live with that.”

  I grinned. “Thank you.”

  He ran a finger down my nose. He had a thing about my freckles. “Just like I will accept your visions.”

  “Without head butting the person I’m helping like you did with Echo.”

  “You weren’t helping him. He was being a shithead.” He tilted his head, eyes narrowed. “You are planning on helping other people?”

  Torin didn’t sound too happy, but what I’d done for Rita and her mother flashed through my head. “Uh, yeah. My visions are becoming clearer, so if anyone needs my help, I’d like to help. Any objections?”

  His eyebrows slammed down fast. “That’s a trick question.”

  “No, it’s not. So?”

  “Plenty of objections, but I’ll keep them to myself.” He went back to his sandwich.

  Progress. I shifted and rested my head on his chest. His skin was hot. He rested his head on his arm and one hand played with my hair. “So what are we going to do about this guy after me?”

  “You don’t have to do a thing. I’ve got it covered.”

  I pushed him with my head. “OP, Torin. Not cool.”

  “OP? Oh. I get it.” He chuckled, the sound rumbling through me. “Overprotective. Remember I was texting someone just before we left our place?”

  Our place. I liked it. I turned my head to see his face. The sun danced over his features. He had such a beautiful complexion. No blemishes. No freckles like me. “What about it?”

  “I was texting a woman.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  He’d better not. “Ooh, I’m jealous.”

  He saw right through my BS. “Femi’s witch friend. She’s in New Orleans, but we have people in her store. A woman who looks like the witch and her ‘cousin’ from out
of town. Both are Immortal. According to your vision, the guy and his goons will visit the store next week. When they do, we’ll get them.”

  Wow. “So my vision helped.”

  “Yep.” He stroked my cheek.

  I grinned. “Sweet. I’m officially a Seeress. A good witch.”

  “Thank goodness,” he mumbled, his hand moving to stroke my bare mid-section.

  This hatred of witches had to stop. I caught his hand and sat up. “I have a confession to make.”

  “Shoot.”

  He wasn’t going to like this, and I wasn’t sure where to start.

  He sat and lifted my chin. “What is it?”

  Okay, here goes nothing. “We have witches at our school. Rita and Gina, uh, something. I don’t know their last name. They’re here with their mother, who’s also a witch. In fact, there are lots of witches in Kayville. I touched Rita’s amulet and saw her entire life. Clearly.” I grimaced. “She’s been living with an evil witch—”

  “Whoa. Slow down. Start from the beginning.”

  Even though he tried to hide it, Torin was pissed. He got up and paced. He was such a drama queen. He stopped, kicked a rock, and continued pacing.

  “What part of what I said pisses you off?” I asked.

  He stopped, opened his mouth, and closed it. Not a good sign.

  I waited. The silence continued. Really not a good sign. “I’ll paraphrase. Are you mad that there are witches? That someone told the supernatural world I was in trouble, or that I found the cause of Rita’s illness?”

  “I don’t know. I thought all we had to deal with was this bastard after you. Now a coven of witches is living in our backyard and you’ve become chummy with them. We don’t associate with witches, Freckles. Like Mortals, they’re not supposed to know about us.”

  That hadn’t occurred to me. I was an idiot. “I completely forgot.”

  He rushed to my side, cupped my face, and pressed his forehead to mine. “No, don’t feel bad. As long as you didn’t tell them who you are.”

  “Of course not.”

  He smiled. “Good. We don’t know if they’re here to protect you or support the other guy. Why? We don’t know what he wants or even what he is.” He pressed a kiss on my forehead then went for his shirt.

  I wanted to say “he looks like you” but until I saw his face clearly, I was keeping my mouth shut. I got up and threw the bottles and wrappers in the basket. He grabbed the blanket, rolled it, and threw it in the basket.

  “We’ll know next week, right?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He picked up the basket and extended a hand to me. We walked hand-in-hand. “So this girl caused a mini earthquake at Nikos?”

  “The people thought—”

  He tugged my hand. “I got it the first time. I was just teasing.”

  He didn’t sound amused. “Oh. Okay. Ha-ha, good one, Torin.”

  He bumped me with his shoulder. “So can you move things yet?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”

  “Do you want to?”

  “I’m barely getting used to visions, so no. Are we walking home?”

  “No. But I want to savor this moment. Just the two of us doing something normal couples do. Walking hand-in-hand. Enjoying nature.”

  Like he could ever be normal. I grinned. “Okay.”

  We walked, kissed, and acted like a normal couple out in the woods. We even stopped by University Falls and frolicked in the water like a couple of carefree kids before going home.

  ***

  Once again, the gang was meeting at my place. Andris sat at his usual place at the kitchen counter, stuffing his face. I was sure the pies Cora’s mother had brought would be gone by the end of the meeting. I wondered if Ingrid had told him about New York. Femi sat by his side. The rest of us were around the kitchen table.

  Torin, seated to my right, had told everyone what was going with an expressionless face. Something was off about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was just a feeling that all wasn’t right with him.

  “So who made the Call?” Andris glanced around. “I know I didn’t and neither did Torin. Valkyries and Mortals don’t mix, which leaves one of you Immortals. Ingrid?”

  She shook her head. Her eyes were bruised and red, like she’d been crying, and her usually perfect hair was a bit tousled. I hope the New York plan didn’t fall through.

  Blaine slanted Andris a look. “I wouldn’t, so don’t ask.”

  Femi chuckled. “I know plenty of witches, Andris, but I wouldn’t and couldn’t have made the Call. Despite what you might think, we Immortals stay away from witches’ affairs.”

  “No one suspects you, Femi, Blaine, or Ingrid.” I shot Andris a censuring look. “Seriously?”

  “Maybe it’s you, Seeress,” Andris said, giving me a pointed look. “You probably sent a magical distress signal without knowing it.”

  “We’re not playing the blame game, Andris,” Torin said in a hard voice.

  “I can defend myself, Torin.” I narrowed my eyes at Andris. “Are you forgetting I’m new at this, Andris? I don’t know any witches, except the two at our school. I don’t even know what a Call is or how it is done.”

  “If you’re in distress, you contact the Old Religion Council representative in your area,” Ingrid explained. “That’s usually the oldest high priest or priestess or witch or shaman. Then he or she contacts the other council members and they spread the word.”

  Thank goodness for Ingrid. “Thanks, Ingrid.”

  “It’s not my job to educate you or give you information,” she practically snarled.

  I blinked, completely blindsided by her attack. “Excuse me?”

  “Why is it you screw up and no one says anything? You really think you’re above the law just because you’re special?” she said.

  My stomach dropped. Okay. Not exactly what I’d been expecting from her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Laws, Raine. Rules you don’t break, or you pay the consequences. He,” she pointed at Andris, “drilled them into me. You just ignore them, and everyone is perfectly fine with it because you have a boyfriend who protects you and Immortals ready to do things for you and a mother—”

  “That’s enough, Ingrid,” Torin said.

  “Ingrid, what in Hel’s Mist?” Andris snapped at the same time.

  “I’m tired of everyone bending over backward for her. She knows the laws. Why can’t she follow them? Think before she acts?” She jumped to her feet and glowered. “Mortals are not supposed to know about our existence. You expose who you are, you expose all of us.”

  The silence that followed showed just how unexpected her attack was. I tried to swallow, but my mouth felt like sandpaper.

  “Ingrid,” Torin said gently. “We understand how you feel, but you can’t—”

  “You don’t understand. No one does. I’m tired of being ignored. For once, I want someone to take my side. See things from my point of view.” She paced, her eyes darting from face to face. “I’m going to say what all of you are thinking, but won’t say because you don’t want to hurt her feelings. What if the two witches are speculating about us right now? What if they’re asking questions or telling others? We don’t know how many people they’ve told about her because she had the urge to show off her new abilities.”

  The barb hit hard and sucked the breath out of me. I’d told her about the witches yesterday. She’d seem okay with it. What happened between then and now?

  “I didn’t tell them anything, Ingrid,” I said. “What I did, any Mortal Seeress would have done. I’m not an idiot.”

  “No, you’re not. What you are is a novice, and you shouldn’t be out reaping souls with the guys while we stay at home or—”

  “That’s enough.” Torin’s eyes glowed with fury. “Whatever issues you have, take them up with Andris or Lavania when she comes back. Leave Raine out of it.”

  Her chin trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Do you know what it feels like
to act normal for centuries? To be a part of a group who treats you like you don’t matter, but you can’t complain? I’ve kept quiet even though I’ve wanted to say something. I’ve lived with guilt when someone I’ve known for months got hurt and I couldn’t help them. I’ve lived with nightmares of seeing friends die when I could have stopped it. I don’t reap, so I don’t have the luxury of escorting them to Asgard or saying goodbye, so excuse me if I want to vent.” She stomped her feet.

  Andris got to his feet and approached her as one would a wild animal. “Listen, sweetheart—”

  “Don’t!” She marched away from the kitchen and disappeared through the portal, leaving behind a heavy silence.

  I cringed as I looked at the others. How many of them thought I got away with things because of Torin and my mom?

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling so small.

  “Don’t. You owe no one an apology.” Torin’s eyebrows were slashes above arctic eyes. He stared at the remaining three, daring them to contradict him. “Just so we are on the same page, Raine didn’t expose us. She did what any Mortal witch or Seeress would have done.”

  Did he really believe that or was he just supporting me?

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Blaine asked.

  “Stay away from them.” Torin glanced at me, something flashing in the depth of his eyes. I’d say fear, but Torin didn’t spook easily. “In fact, we should all be vigilant because this could be a trap. I’m sure everyone in the supernatural world knows where the witches are. If the bastard after Raine made the Call, all he has to do is follow one of them here.”

  That never crossed my mind. “Maybe we should ask the ones at our school if various covens are represented and if more are coming.”

  Torin shook his head. “No. We don’t want them to know about us, or even suspect we know why they’re here. I’ll make sure they don’t remember your interaction with them.”

  “You’re going to rune them?” Femi asked.

  Torin nodded.

  “What if they told their mother or other witches about Raine?” Femi asked. “I can find out more without arousing suspicion since I’m not a student at your school. They won’t see me coming, and when I’m done, they won’t remember a thing.”