I grabbed my laptop and followed her, feeling better. “How is Anne Marie doing?”
“Eating, but still hiding in her room. Silly girl. Maybe she’ll come out now that you are here.” Litr opened the door before we reached it. “Food, Litr. It’s just the two of us, unless Anne Marie decides to join us. Mead and some of my apple juice, too. So how did you like the other realms? Which one was your favorite?”
She was in a happy mood, and it rubbed off on me. We ate and talked, and she traded my mead for apple juice even when I wordlessly protested and followed it with my hand. She thought that was funny. She loved hearing about Jötunheim the most. I had a feeling she had some fond memories of the place despite what she went through as a child. She’d visited the realms a while back and shared some of her stories too.
“But Helheim will always be home. Home is where those you love are—Baldur and the Grimnirs, my staff and guards, you and Eirik. And one day, my daughter will be here, too.”
When dinner was over, I showed her the virtual rooms for Eirik’s quarters. She played a bit with the program, changing the décor. Modern technology didn’t impress her much, but she had wonderful suggestions.
“Can Trudy do the murals?” I asked. “I know she might not be as experienced as your decorator, but she’s really good. And I could help her. It could be our project.”
The goddess grew thoughtful. “If you think the two of you are up to the challenge, but Vali must furnish the rooms and have it ready soon. You two can work on the murals once he’s moved in. For now, we enlarge and frame some of his photographs, so show Vali your cute designs tomorrow.” She stood. “Time for you to go to bed. You keep yawning, and I need to figure out who to move to create a resting place for Tristan.” She did something I never thought she’d ever do. She reached down and kissed my forehead. “Goodnight, dýrr. Don’t wait up for Eirik. He and his father are probably challenging Tristan to another game of chess. I hear he’s quite the player.”
I was still smiling when I reached Eirik’s quarters. I brushed my teeth, grabbed a T-shirt from his shelf, and crawled into bed. Maybe his scent did the trick or the energy drain from healing Mrs. Mouton was the cause, but I fell asleep fast.
~*~
EIRIK
Hours of flying didn’t give me the peace of mind I craved. Worries about Celestia, Marguerite and her psycho girls, and even Anne Marie kept me on edge. Father had kicked me out from the chess game we’d been having with Tristan and Echo because I kept losing focus. He’d told me to hit the gym, but I’d chosen to fly. For once, it didn’t physically drain me.
Usually, sleep claimed me once I held Celestia in my arms and listened to her heartbeat. But after this afternoon, sharing a bed with her just got more interesting. Sex should be the last thing on my mind. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to claim Celestia that way. I craved her touch with every breath I took. Watching her react to my kisses had only heightened that need, but I wasn’t going there yet. I wanted our first time to be perfect for her. It wasn’t going to be a stolen moment between searching for her mother and worrying about my sister.
My sister. Was Anne Marie my sister or was the real Einmyria still out there?
The more I thought about Anne Marie the more I saw things clearly. That name wasn’t hers. Her eye color was false. And her claim to my family was pure fabrication. Blond hair and my manipulative grandmother’s word that she was my sister was all we had. We needed proof.
Mother had tapped into her memories after she hurt herself and could do it again. Unfortunately, Father would go ballistic if she did. Rhys and Nara were siphoners, but I didn’t want them to know Anne Marie was a liar. My parents had shut down the hall to hide what she did, so I couldn’t do that to her. Maybe I should ask Trudy to get inside her head and find out the truth. She didn’t like Anne Marie much.
Even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I couldn’t do it. I wanted Anne Marie, uh, Jessica to confess without being forced or put on the spot. I knew all about crappy childhoods and wishing for something better. Seeing Tristan tonight had reminded me of what a difference another family could make on someone’s life. My family could be what Jessica needed to help her get better. But she must be willing to take that chance, meet us halfway.
It was nine o’clock when I landed near the eastern side entrance, shifted, and entered the hall.
“Should you be out this late?” Mother asked.
She had stopped waiting for me to return home months ago. “Why? You worried I’d get lost in the dark?” I fell in step with her. “I know this realm, Mom, every valley, mountain, lake, waterfall, and most caves. I needed to let out steam.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Girl problems,” I said evasively.
She laughed. “Celestia? That girl adores you. Every sentence from her mouth starts with your name.”
I loved hearing that. “That doesn’t mean I don’t have girl problems.”
“Are you cheating on her? Because if you are, I will personally throw you in Corpse Strand for a few months.”
I chuckled. “I’d never do that, Mother. And shame on you for even thinking I could ever cheat on her. She’s my world. In fact, I want to take her to Asgard.”
“Why?”
After Svana’s visit, I’d decided to head to Asgard and fix a few misconceptions they had about Mother. Svana had promised to share details of her visit too, but there was a lot more I could clear up by going there in person. Now I had other concerns too.
“Celestia is a healer and needs someone to talk to about her powers. She’s the one who brought Tammy back after she died.”
“Does she share her life force or transfer energies from other sources?”
“She shares hers. Does it matter?”
“Oh yes. The first one is good magic. Rare, but good. The second one takes from another. If you save a life, you must take another. A balance must be maintained at all times.” She chuckled. “We finally have a healer in the family. The Grimnirs might have runic magic, but the rest of the hall—the guards and the staff—don’t have the ability to self-heal. Maera uses her potions, but there’s a limit to what they can cure. The settlement in East Gjöll Pass depends on her too, so having Celestia and her gift will not just benefit us. Most people in Helheim will appreciate her gift too.”
Listening to her, you’d never believe she was talking about a girl she once wanted out of her realm. She had embraced Celestia because of me and never once wavered. As far as she was concerned, Celestia was my chosen mate and a member of our family.
“Let’s not start a clinic yet, Mother. You saw what happened when she used it. She ended up in a coma for three weeks. Yesterday she healed a woman and was out for a couple of hours. Her father panicked when he learned about it and insisted we find answers. That’s why she’s here. She needs to learn to control it.”
“Good. Eir is an amazing healer and the only one I know who uses life force manipulation.”
“Then you don’t mind if we visit Asgard to see her?”
Mother chuckled and took my arm. “No, silly. Of course, I don’t mind. I was just wondering whether you should wait and take your sister too.”
No way. Until I confirmed her identity, Anne Marie was staying put. My real sister would get her introduction to the Asgardian side of our family. Once I found her.
“Not this time. This will be Celestia’s moment. Einmyria will get her chance. You sure you don’t mind?”
She stopped and studied me as though searching for something, then kissed my cheek. That was a first. “No, Son. I don’t. You are ours, your father’s and mine. No matter where you go or how long you stay, you’ll always be our son. So yes, go see your grandparents and have fun with your cousins and uncles. Your father and I are not going anywhere. When were you thinking of leaving?”
“On Friday.”
“For how long?”
“A couple of days.”
She chuckled. “They will keep you for at l
east a week.” She patted my chest affectionately, looked at her hand, and grimaced. “You need a shower and a change of clothing. Make sure you check with your father before you leave. He might have a message or gifts for his mother.”
We walked the rest of the way in silence, until we reached the rotunda. “What do you have planned for Tristan Cooper? He can’t sleep in the guest quarters forever.”
“Just for a couple of nights, until I find him a decent Resting Hall in the east wing.”
East wing had the halls of the gods and royalties. It was an honor to rest there. “That’s nice of you, Mom.”
“The man raised you, Eirik. It’s the least we can do. Death doesn’t bother him, so he’s not like other souls. Your father plans to show him around tomorrow. Between you and me, I think he hopes Tristan finds his voice, so they can talk. We owe him and Svana a debt we could never repay.” She released my arm. “Now, go and shower. You reek.”
“Oh gee, thanks. One more thing, Mother.”
“This had better not be about Asgard or Tristan. It’s been a long day, Son.” She sighed. “What is it?”
The black runes on her face were moving slower, a sure sign that she was exhausted, yet she’d stayed up and waited until I came back. I tried to lock on some of her runes, but they were so many I couldn’t tell them apart and compare them with mine.
“The question can wait. Goodnight, Mother.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Son.” She disappeared toward her quarters while I went to mine. Celestia was fast asleep and, once again, she had borrowed my T-shirt. I loved it when she wore my things. I kissed her, and she mumbled something.
“Think I stink? Me too.” I kissed her again and hit the shower.
It was going on to ten when I finished, but I was far from sleepy. I thought of waking up Celestia to make out, but I couldn’t do that to her. She was still fatigued after healing Mrs. Mouton.
Instead of going to bed and bugging her, I went to check on Tristan. Souls didn’t sleep and could easily wander around and get lost or wind up outside the hall if not watched.
Echo was leaving the hallway when I reached the guest wing. From the expression on his face, something had ticked him off. He was probably pissed he couldn’t be with Cora. Since Tristan hadn’t been assigned a Resting Hall, they had to keep an eye on him 24/7.
“Is Andris taking the first watch?” I asked.
“Is it true Cora didn’t attend Raine’s wedding?” he asked instead of answering me.
That explained the thunderous expression and the glowing eyes. “Who told you about the wedding?”
“Does it matter? You helped organize it and you didn’t invite Cora? That’s the kind of behavior I expect from Valkyries. Not you. You defied the Norns and exposed our world to Witches, yet you couldn’t get one girl…” He glared into the distance, hand clenched. When he looked at me, his eyes were back to normal. “I don’t care if the Norns were going to storm the damn wedding and erase everyone’s memories, she should have been there. Raine is the person she confides in and whose opinion she values. They are sisters, Eirik. She should have been there.”
“Walk with me, and I’ll explain.”
“Screw you. There’s nothing you can say to make this okay.” He walked past me.
“Damn it, Echo. Stop being so hotheaded. Cora was there.” He stopped and slowly turned around. “There are certain things even Andris doesn’t know.” Andris had probably told him to rub it in. I didn’t get why they couldn’t stand each other.
Echo walked back. “Was she really there?”
“Yes, and I have pictures to prove it. Celestia took them. Cora stood right by Raine while they exchanged their vows and took pictures with the family. Walk with me, and I’ll explain how we did it. Or rather what Celestia, Hayden, and Trudy did to make sure Cora attended the wedding without anyone seeing her, including the Norns had they made a sudden appearance. This was for her own good, you understand. You may thumb your nose at the Norns, but those hags are crafty.” Echo fell in step with me as we continued toward the room they’d assigned Tristan. “Without her, Tristan would not have walked Raine down the aisle.”
“What do you mean?”
Echo listened without interrupting. “Sit down with Rhys and talk about Dev. We owe that soul a debt. As for Cora, the memories are there. She’ll get them back when Raine’s done with the Norns.”
Echo stopped walking. “I already agreed to give Dev a chance after he showed Cora how to use her runes before a possession. Her black runes don’t just attract souls, Eirik. They protect her.”
I froze, my chest squeezing. “What? Cora has black runes? Since when?”
“Since Maliina etched them on her. I guess we never noticed them because she had no idea how or when to engage them. Just having them on her attracts souls to her but for the first time, she learned how to bring them to the surface and protect herself. Dev showed her how to do it. He calls them medium runes and they protect her during possession.” Echo chuckled. “I swear the bastard has ten lives. Just when I thought I was ready to haul his ass to Corpse Strand, he goes and does something that makes me want to hug the shit out of him.”
Damn! Could Cora be the sister I’d been searching for or was I reaching for straws? “Did you see the runes?”
“Oh yes. Couldn’t miss them if I tried. They covered her entire body. Scared the crap out of me.”
My heart pounding with excitement and dread, in case I was wrong. I engaged some of the runes Maliina had etched on me. “Are they anything like these?”
Echo studied my runes. “Yeah. Exactly the same, except she has more.”
No, there had to be another explanation. The probability of Cora being my sister was slim to none. First, her parents were simple farmers and Mortal. They’d aged since I first met them when Cora was in elementary school. Second, there were plenty of blond-haired, grey-eyes girls out there, so that combination wasn’t unique.
But do they have black runes and attract souls, an annoying voice piped in the back of my head. My stomach roiled. I disengaged my runes and tried to stay calm.
“Maliina must have done quite a job on her. She etched these on me, too,” I said, hoping this was just a coincidence. Maliina had marked us with the same runes. That was it.
“Look, I’m sorry I was pissed,” Echo said. “When it comes to Cora, I tend to react first and ask questions later. I don’t like to see her hurt or slighted.”
“I hear you. I would have acted the same way if I thought someone had hurt Celestia,” I mumbled and tried to stay in the moment, but my mind was searching for clues I might have missed or ways to prove Cora wasn’t my sister. I had a crush on her at one time. Sure it had been brief and she often annoyed the crap out of me with her demanding my attention.
Like a younger sister? That voice in my head mocked. I growled.
“Are you okay?
No, I’m not. “Yeah. I’m fine. I just have a lot of crap to deal with.”
“Don’t hate me for this, but can you tell your mother to hurry up and assign Mr. Cooper a Resting Hall? Friday is prom night and I promised to escort Cora.”
The girl who may be my sister. Even thinking about it made me feel funny. “You at a high school dance with the Valkyries?”
“I know, but she’s worth it.”
“Damn right she is. I’ll keep an eye on you guys from Odin’s high throne in the tower and make sure you behave.” His eyes narrowed. “I knew the girls before you Grimnirs and Valkyries entered their lives, so chill,” I improvised when I wanted to tell him Cora might be my sister and he had to treat her right or else.
Okay, I was officially losing it. I needed proof before jumping to conclusions. Cora could not be my sister. I would have known. Deep down inside me, I would have connected the dots.
“I’ll check on Tristan then head to bed. Goodnight.” Before I could walk away, Echo grabbed my elbow and
insisted I do likewise. “What for?”
“An oath. Something we—Dev, Rhys, Nara, and I—did back in the day.”
I sighed and grabbed his elbow. “Now what?”
“Now I speak and you stop asking too many goddamn questions in that grumpy voice.” He grinned. “You can always count on my loyalty, Eirik Baldurson. The same fealty I extended your mother when I joined her hall now extends to you. It doesn’t mean I won’t challenge you or insult you from time to time, but I will stand by your side in life and in death.”
The frustration drained out of me, and in an oddly twisted way, Echo’s declaration actually touched me. I studied him and he stared right back at me, a sheepish expression on his face.
“Thanks, man. That was deep.”
He shrugged.
“You don’t expect me to repeat it, do you?” I asked.
“Nope.”
“Good.” I stepped back. “Because, dude, you’re beyond weird. I’ll always have your back too as long as you do right by, uh, Cora.”
He grinned. “That’s easy. And you do right by the little Witch. In fact, I’ve just decided to make her an honorary Druid because I know she’s the reason you were asking me those questions about healing. She must have Druidic genes in her. So sleep with one eye open if you ever hurt her.”
I chuckled and watched him walk away, but my thoughts drifted to Cora. I was not going to stress about her and her identity, until I proved it.
I pushed open the door and found Trudy and Andris talking in the living room. As long as they were just talking I was okay. She was an innocent compared to Andris, who slept around and didn’t care who he hurt. I hoped he understood the look I gave him. Tristan was resting in the bedroom, so I left him alone.
Trudy told me my father had left a while back, so I bid them goodnight and hoped he was still up. He might need to send gifts to Asgard. He was talking to Litr in the living room and dismissed him when I arrived.
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