“I’ll wait.” I heard him sigh. He probably thought I was being a pain.
“Okay, Dimples. Stay, but may I hold you now? Just for a few minutes?”
I wanted to say no, but his lap was more comfortable than the closet floor. I scooted. He removed his duster and replaced the shorter coat I had grabbed with it. Then he sat, pulled me onto his lap, and put his coat around us. I tucked my head under his chin and let his warmth and scent comfort me.
“I don’t like to see you cry or afraid. It messes with my head. Do you know the person I talked to about your unique abilities? Echo. I didn’t mention your name, of course. And I had no idea you healed Tammy. I just wanted to be well informed because I thought your best friend was involved. But the more he talked, the more I realized you must have healed Tammy, not Hayden. He said it is a coveted ability and easily exploited, but very rare. So you, Stjärna mín, are not just special, as in the hottest Witch this side of the Mississippi. You are one of a kind. Man, between you and Raine, I think we could save this world from Ragnarok.”
I relaxed and even smiled. Listening to his voice made me feel better. “You are silly.”
He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Who told you raising the dead was evil?”
“Grams. I think she had premonitions about me. She lectured me nonstop about the evil things Witches did. Raising the dead was one of them.”
“Tell me about Marguerite and what you want. Maybe I can ignore how much I dislike her and help.” He made a face like he’d swallowed rotten eggs, and I laughed.
I told him about my visit to Serenity House and conversation with Marguerite, the meeting at the grocery store and how it went. “I don’t know what to think. I know I shouldn’t trust her and there’s so much she’s not telling me. But at the same time, I want to give her a chance. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a good thing you’re not going in blind. You have your doubts and so you’re protecting yourself emotionally. Leave your physical protection to me. Maybe you should talk to your father about her or someone who’d known her when she was young, to get the full picture.”
“Aunt Genevieve.” Funny I hadn’t thought about verifying the things Marguerite had said. “I think I’ll do that. Thank you.”
He pressed another kiss on my forehead. “That’s why I’m here. To love and support you in any way I can, and when needed, to kick ass and take out obstacles.”
~*~
EIRIK
“Come on. Let’s leave before your dad comes searching for you and finds us in here. I’d never live down the indignity. I am a god, after all.”
She laughed. “He understands that this is my safe zone. Remind me to tell you why some time, but you are right. Gods don’t hide in closets.”
“Unless they’re making out with their girlfriends at school. You still owe me that experience.” As though on cue, the front door opened and closed, and her father called out her name.
“I think he’s seen the cracked windshield.” Celestia jumped up and hurried out of the closet. I followed her, shrugging on my duster.
Her father looked up when we entered the kitchen, his eyes probing. “What happened? You’ve been crying.” His eyes met mine, and he didn’t look amused. “She’s been crying.”
“A crow crashed into my windscreen, Dad.”
“Oh. That explains the crow outside. Must be its mate. Did you give it a proper burial?”
“There’s a crow outside?”
“On the rail. I tried to shoo it away, but it kept coming back. The last thing I want around here is an infestation.” Her father walked to the window and peered through the slats. “Yep. It’s back.”
She joined her father and looked outside. Frowning, she glanced at me. “Uh, just a second, Dad.” She closed the gap between us, took my arm, and led me away from her father. She didn’t speak, until she pushed aside the curtain. “The crack on the windscreen is gone.”
I grinned. “I should hope so. The runes I’d etched on your car guarantee auto repairs to everything that could possibly go wrong with it, from a flat tire to windshield cracks.”
“Wow. Okay. Thanks.”
She still didn’t get it. She was the reason for my existence now and nothing was too good for her. I took her hand and studied her wrist. The scratch the crow had left behind was gone. It bugged me that it took so long for her wounds to heal. She needed more runes.
“You don’t need to thank me for taking care of you. I enjoy it.”
“You have a hero complex?”
I grinned. “No, protecting you is part of loving you. And maybe I do have a complex. Don’t know if it’s a hero’s or being in love with a powerful girl. I’m actually beginning to understand Torin. It is humbling loving a woman more powerful than you.” I dropped a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll get answers about your new abilities, I promise you.”
“I know.” She gripped my shirt, went on her toes, and kissed me. “I’ll see you later?”
“Always. I’m hoping to watch Torin make a fool of himself.”
“Why? What’s happening?”
“He’s going to propose to Raine, and I’m hoping to take some pictures.” I glanced up and found her father’s eyes on us. He might not hear us, but he’d been watching us since we left the kitchen. I nodded and smiled, but he didn’t respond. I glanced down at Celestia. She still gripped my shirt, but her attention was on the crow on the rail of their porch. “Can I leave now?”
She looked at her hands and grinned. She let go of my shirt and swept a hand across where she’d gripped as though ironing out the wrinkles, but the worried look was back in her eyes. I hated seeing her like this, which made me even more determined to find answers about her healing abilities. As for her mother, I hoped her need to reconcile with Celestia was genuine, or she’d rue the day she hurt my girl. I dropped a kiss on her temple again.
“Nice to see you again, Chief Deveraux,” I called out and received a nod this time. I opened a portal to TC. As usual, I chose a deserted part of the store. I wasn’t surprised when Daiku and Ranger appeared as soon as the portal closed.
“I thought I gave you guys time off?”
They looked at each other shrugged. “We were restless with nothing to do at the hall,” Ranger said.
“It was either going reaping or stopping by to see if you needed anything.”
In other words, my mother had seen them and sent them back to keep an eye on me. I enjoyed the Grimnirs’ company, but that didn’t mean I wanted them following me all the time.
“I’m going to be here for about an hour, then head to New Orleans,” I said. “Could you two stop by Doctor B’s and tell him I want to talk to him? Then find Rhys and Nara for me.” They looked at each other, unease on their faces. “I know my mother sent you back here to watch my back. You know where I am and you should be back before I’m done here, so go.”
“We’ll split up and meet back here in”—Daiku glanced at his watch—“Under five minutes. “I’ll take the doctor and you…”
“The Druids,” Ranger finished and sighed. “She’s going to bite my head off. That woman is mean.”
“That’s what you get for hitting on her,” Daiku said and opened a portal.
I grinned at their exchange. Nara took getting used to. She was blunt and didn’t take crap from anyone. After they left I made my way to the front of the store. A few customers were browsing, but I couldn’t see Tammy. Hayden was by the cashier reading a book. I cleared my throat and she looked up, not masking her surprise. She glanced behind me expectantly, probably hoping to see Celestia.
“It’s only me. Can I talk to your mother?”
“She’s in the séance room. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” As I walked away, she announced on the store intercom that they would be closing in half an hour. I knocked on the door to the séance room and entered. Tammy appeared to be doing inventory. According to Celestia, that was Hayden’s job. She hurried to her feet, fear
lurking in her eyes. I hadn’t come to see her since she left Helheim.
“Baldurson,” she whispered.
“Sit, please. There’s no need to be afraid. I just need a few answers, then I’ll leave you alone.” I waited until she sat before closing the door and pulling out a chair. The woman looked tortured and appeared to have lost weight. “How are you doing?”
She nodded. “Good. I’m so sorry for what I put those kids through.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me, Mrs. Ferrand. Just do what you promised you’d do when we last spoke in Eljudnir and keep going forward. You got a second chance at life, so make the most of it.”
She nodded, a frown creasing her face. “I’m trying to make amends, but it’s hard. I hurt so many people and most of them are unforgiving. I wasn’t the only one Angrboda fooled. The others have disavowed me and won’t admit they were involved. The Webbers disappeared and haven’t been heard from since. Some of the children—” Her voice broke. She blew out air and lifted her chin. “Some of the children were so traumatized they’ve been admitted in resting homes for psychiatric treatment. How can I go forward and make the most of what Celestia offered me when so many are suffering because of me? And then there’s Celestia. She’s the one I hurt the most.”
“She’s not ready to talk yet. Give her time.” I leaned forward. “When you said resting homes, do you mean like Serenity House?”
“Is that an Immortal institution?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes. Since we were not really part of the Immortal community, I don’t know the names of these facilities, but some of the parents mentioned sending their children for treatment.”
Of course, she wouldn’t know about Serenity House. She and her group of Immortals were on the run the last several decades. Rhys and Nara would know, but they’d disappeared since they started hunting down Maliina’s soul.
“Could you explain to me how Celestia healed you?”
Tammy went pale. “Hayden said Celestia is convinced she used Angrboda’s spell.”
“Yes, and it scares her. She thinks she’s evil.”
“No, no, she’s not, and she definitely didn’t perform resurgence. This is why I wanted to talk to her and reassure her when Hayden told me. She used her life force to heal me, a gift so rare only few ever have it.”
“Life force?”
“The energy that flows through all living things. It nourishes our bodies and souls. Witches are known to channel it to boost their physical vitality and heal their emotional and psychological illnesses, but it takes years of learning how to open and clear the channels and direct the life force through your body. But to have the ability to direct your own life force and heal others is a rare and coveted gift. It is also very dangerous because others can exploit it. After all, it is the ability to give or take a life.”
No wonder Celestia was freaking out. Marguerite had called her the harbinger of death. This must have been what she’d meant. “Do you remember how it worked on you?”
“My memories of the last several months are still gone. Sorry.”
“So you really have no proof she healed you.”
“No, the way she passed out and her life force was very low in Eljudnir was the first sign.” She hesitated and looked away.
“Yes?”
She sighed. “There’s a connection between us now that was never there before. Her energy flows through me. She gave me life and a bond was formed. It’s like the dragon kiss, but stronger.”
I winced. I was the only one who was supposed to share a bond with Celestia. Now there was Tammy and a crow.
“I knew she was in pain a few hours ago and the urge to go to her became unbearable. Please, ask her to come and talk to me. I might not have all the answers, but I can explain the source of her new powers.”
“Do you know of anyone with this ability?”
“No. Most healers hide their abilities. If they belong to a tribe or a coven, their people protect them. Celestia doesn’t have anyone to protect her.”
I smiled. “She has me, my mother, and the entire Grimnir force behind her.”
“Of course, she does. I’m talking about here on Earth. If word gets out about her abilities, no runes or spells will stop those determined to use her.”
I didn’t argue with the woman. No matter where Celestia was, she could always count on me to protect her. Runes and spells had nothing on me.
“That’s why I want to talk to her,” Tammy continued. “She must never tell anyone what she can do. If she does, she’ll never be safe.” She leaned forward. “Please, convince her to come and see me.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Thank you for talking to me.” I pushed back my chair and stood.
Now the trick was finding a healer and picking their brain without arousing their suspicions. I had to know what Celestia could do without crossing the line. Helping people was out of the question. The last thing I needed was a line of people rushing to her rescue every time she needs help because they were bonded to her. That was my responsibility. Call it a hero complex, but a man who couldn’t protect his woman wasn’t worth shit.
CHAPTER 13. QUESTIONS
EIRIK
Torin was busy dismantling the engine of a car when I opened a portal to his place. He was filthy with grease on his clothes and face. I took a picture, and he looked up. Annoyance crossed his face.
“You’re looking pretty glum for someone about to get hitched.”
“If you’re here to mess with me, Eirik, get lost.”
“Why would I do that? I thought you might need my help.”
“Nah, this is not one of those moments where you play the hero. I got this.” He threw a worn-out piece in the garbage and opened a new one.
“I’m not talking about your pet project. I heard you were proposing to Raine today.”
“Shhh, keep it down. She’s in the house with that annoying student. She doesn’t know it yet. Go away.”
I grabbed a lawn chair and sat. “She doesn’t know about the proposal or that the wedding will really be on Wednesday and not Saturday.”
Torin threw a glance over his shoulder, and asked through a clenched jaw, “Who told you?”
“Does it matter? I’m supposed to bring my Witch friends to hide your energies. Plus, Raine deserves to have a roomful of those who care about her.”
Torin grinned. “Yes, she does. I hate hiding things from her. Because of the Norns, we have to sneak around and rush things. They won’t allow me to tell her anything.”
“So I take it Cora won’t be told either.”
“No-oo. But can you imagine Raine getting married without Cora being there? She’s not going to be happy. She’ll keep it inside and smile, but she won’t like it. Raine’s wedding day is supposed to be the perfect moment of her life. Her best friend should be there. I don’t care if she’d be hiding in the crowd. Cora should be there.” He went back to cleaning parts of the engine. “Svana and Freya insist she is the most vulnerable against the Norns, but I’ve decided to brave their wrath. Blaine is going to hide her in the audience, then after the wedding, keep her in my castle until Raine deals with the Norns. Once they know about our bond, Cora will be safe.”
I chuckled. “Do you know what Echo would do if Cora disappeared?”
Torin grinned. “Scorch the earth. What if she stays with you in Helheim? Echo should be okay with that.”
“Maybe, but Mother would know within seconds of her appearance and she’s dealing with too much right now to have Echo break one of her rules. I have a better solution. What if Cora attends the ceremony and someone buries those memories, where the Norns can’t reach them?”
Torin stopped tinkering with his engine parts. “Who? The only one who can do that is another Norn.”
“Like Svana?”
Torin shook his head. “No, I don’t think she’d go against Freya’s wishes. She’s been reinstated as a Valkyrie because of Freya, so I don’t see that happening.”
“We won’t need a Norn. Cora was not a Witch before she became Immortal, so we don’t need someone powerful to scramble her memories. Leave it to me. She’ll attend the wedding, but no one will know she was there. Her memories will be buried so deep the Norns would never dream of digging that far. When the time is right, and the Norns are okay with your marriage, we’ll siphon the memories out and make her remember everything.”
Torin studied me. “Can you really do that or are you just bullshitting me?”
I grinned and stood. I didn’t joke when it came to Raine. “What do you think? I might also keep the Norns busy on Wednesday so they won’t be thinking about Raine.”
Torin stood and wiped his hand on a rag before offering to shake my hand. “If you can pull all this off, I’ll be forever in your debt.”
I shook his hand. “We don’t do debts when it comes to her, St. James. Just make her happy. If you don’t…” I pointed at him. “You don’t want to do that. See you tonight or Wednesday.”
Torin was still eyeing me with a dubious expression when the portal closed. I hurried back to the hall and went in search of Einmyria. She opened the door and squinted at me. For one brief second I thought her eyes changed color. There was a dark outline around her iris. She blinked and the effect disappeared.
“Do you wear contacts?”
Annoyance crossed her face. “No. What a weird question. I mean, why would you say that?”
“Fine, I was wrong. No need to throw a hissy fit. Have you eaten?”
She looked at her watch. “Dinner is not for another hour.”
“Let’s ditch our parents and eat in the Grimnirs Hall. I’m hungry.” She frowned. “We can talk and catch up.”
“I’m not hungry.” She stepped back and closed the door.
I debated whether to knock again and insist, but that wasn’t going to win her over. She would open up when she was ready. I headed to the Grimnirs Hall for dinner. Syn, Echo’s partner was alone, so I joined him.
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