Witches (Runes series Book 6)

by Ednah Walters

  You are a dodo brain.

  I chuckled, switched off the lights and tried to fall asleep, but I kept seeing Draugar crawl from the ground like worms every time I closed my eyes. Then there was the Earl. Why couldn’t he just leave? I had enough to worry about with the Norns to add him on to my People I’d Like to Destroy list. The smug grins on the Norns’ faces were haunting me more and more. Why had they seemed so happy after the battle?

  It was almost one a.m. when the portal opened and Torin walked in. As usual, he only wore sweatpants. He didn’t bother to turn on the lights. He knew his way around my room. The mattress dipped as he joined me under the blanket, slid an arm under my head, and pulled me closer. I turned to face him.

  “Not asleep?”

  “I can’t.” He smelled nice. He was one of those guys that made you want to burrow into his neck and just breathe him in. Unfortunately, his hair was still wet and in the way. “Sorry I used all of your body wash.”

  I felt his lips move as he smiled. “That’s okay.”

  “Everything fixed?”

  “Yes. The building, basketball court, and fence.”

  “The souls?”

  “Echo added them to his list. As if he needs more to stay ahead of the other Grimnirs.”

  “They count how many souls they reap?”

  “Goddess Hel keeps tally. They get a break from reaping depending on the souls they’ve collected. The more evil and darker the better. Echo just scored almost two dozen, which means he owes us.”

  “No wonder the two Grimnirs were ticked off about Beau’s father.”

  Torin pressed a kiss on my forehead. “Forget them. You call the shots and they’d better get used to it.”

  His blasé attitude toward my Nornish activity was beginning to worry me. It was so unlike him. He’d hated it when I became Immortal. Hated it when my witch powers started to show. And now he was okay with everything? I didn’t buy it.

  “Maybe we should ask Echo to share the souls. You know, give the two Grimnirs some.”

  We both chuckled. Echo and sharing in the same sentence was unheard of. Even though Cora and I had been best friends since elementary school, he didn’t like it when she spent too much time with me.

  “How’s Andris?”

  Torin rolled onto his back and draped my leg across his hip, so I was partly on top of him. It was his favorite sleeping position. “I promised to replace his jacket, so he’s happy,” he said.

  I snorted at the idea. “Why? He can afford a hundred of those jackets.”

  “It was one-of-a-kind, and since he blames my father for what happened tonight, I figured I owe him one.”

  That was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. “You’re going to track down some designer just to get him a new jacket?”

  “ Mmm-hmm. One of a kind, he kept saying.”

  Andris can be such a baby sometimes. “Why can’t the Earl do it?”

  Torin sighed. “Because he’s gone.”

  My first reaction was to say, “YES!” But I reigned in the elation. “Oh. Why?”

  “His presence here was bothering you guys. I can’t have you looking at me the way you did yesterday, or Andris threatening to beat some sense into me. He might get hurt.”

  I grinned, and then I remembered what he’d said about me. I lifted my head and engaged my runes so I could see his face. “How did I look at you?”

  “With disappointment.” He stroked my cheek, his runes flashing and dimming. “I didn’t like how it felt. I never want to disappoint you that way again.”

  My insides melted. Now I felt bad. “I was worried, not disappointed.”

  He stole a kiss, and tucked my head under his chin. “No, it’s okay to admit it, luv. I can’t be perfect all the time.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I felt that,” he said, then sighed. “It’s too soon for my father to ask for forgiveness anyway. Even though the information he’d given me proved to be useful.”

  I frowned. “What information?”

  “About the souls. He said they were angry and plotting revenge for what happened in the forest. He was right about someone organizing them.”

  Yeah, I knew who that someone was. The conniving Earl. He set himself up to be the hero too.

  “The attack tonight was too well planned. Souls don’t move or attack in groups,” Torin mused.

  Unless they were being organized by their mentor. I kept my thoughts to myself, but not about what had happened earlier. Torin had a right to know. “The Earl was at Jace’s tonight.”

  Torin stiffened. This time, he was the one who lifted his head to study me. “Did he see you?”

  “No.” I explained what happened.

  “Thank you for taking care of him. I’ll talk to Jace during lunch at school tomorrow and find out what happened. I’m happy you left your cat to keep an eye on him. If she hadn’t, Jace and his father would be dead right now. Most Draugar don’t care who they terrorize as long as they feed.”

  Now more than ever, I was convinced his father was behind the attack. I burrowed under Torin’s chin and let his warmth chase away the cold. Now that I was in his arms, I felt safe and sleep came easy. And when Draugar, who looked like Norns, chased me in my dreams, he cradled me close and promised he’d never let them get me.

  It wasn’t until morning that I realized I hadn’t asked him why Jace was under his care. He was a reaper. They don’t protect those about to die.

  ~*~

  Torin had left the Harley at his fake apartment in Carson, so we took my car to school the next day. Cora and Echo were prolonging their goodbyes and steaming up the windows of her car. Typical. We were crossing the street when I noticed a girl with pink hair hurrying across the parking lot. Then a girl with blue hair stepped out of a green Honda Civic. Another with blue and pink joined her. I grinned.

  “I think you started something,” I whispered to Torin.

  He arched his eyebrows, totally clueless. We caught up with the girl with blue hair in the hall. “Nice hair style, Chelsea,” I said and nudged Torin. “Isn’t her hair gorgeous?”

  “Yes.”

  I nudged him again.

  “Stunning, uh, Chelsea.” After, we met two more girls with neon streaks. He pulled me into a doorway, his eyes searching my face. “Are we on one of your rescue-some-poor-girl missions again?”

  “Nope. This is me campaigning for the coveted junior prom queen and you,”—I gave him a toothy grin—“my super-hot and popular QB boyfriend are my ticket to getting it.”

  He smirked. “That’s so lame, even for you.”

  My jaw dropped. “You didn’t just say lame. Lame? You hate that kind of lingo.”

  He shot me a disgusted look. “You don’t care about prom.”

  I didn’t. “Do too. Mom already ordered my dress, and you need to find an outfit to match mine. The theme is All That Jazz. Lame, right? Say it again. I dare you.”

  “If I ever say that word again, put a whammy on me and put me out of commission for a few hours. And I refuse to compliment girls dumb enough to dye their hair with a paint gun.”

  “Shhh. They might hear. Think of it this way. You are making their high school experience a memorable one.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  Most popular people never realized how invisible the rest of the students felt, but I expected better from him, an Immortal who’d attended hundreds, maybe even thousands of high schools.

  “Let me put it this way. For two years, I was a dot in this school, but I didn’t mind because I had Eirik and Cora. Others are not so lucky. A compliment from you,” I patted his chest, “goes a long way.”

  He crossed his arms. “No. Not happening.”

  “Come on. Yesterday, I helped you with the dead. Today, you help me with the living. If you don’t, I’ll join Onyx and watch the next time Draugar attack.”

  “Are you threatening me?” He leaned in, invading more of my space. Instead of feeling crowded, my senses leapt. If
we were alone, I would have jumped him.

  I reached up and gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek. “No. I’m promising you.”

  “Would you two get a room?” Cora teased. I peered around Torin and waved at her. She fanned herself.

  I shook my head and focused on Torin. He wore an expression that said he was going to be difficult. “Please?”

  “No. I’m done. I adore you, but enough is enough.” He planted a kiss on my forehead, turned and grinned at Cora. “Looking nice, Cora.”

  Cora blinked. “Oh, thank you.” She looked at me and made a face. “Someone is chatty this morning.”

  “He’s being difficult.” We hugged and turned to watch Torin walk away.

  “That man can wear the crap out of jeans,” Cora said.

  “He can wear the crap out of anything, or nothing.”

  Cora’s mouth dropped. Then she slapped my arm. “You’ve been holding out on me! So you two…?” As if he knew we were watching him, Torin turned and spread his arms as though to say, “What?”

  He was so cocky. “Not yet.” And since I didn’t want to discuss my virginity, I switched to her favorite topic. “How’s Echo? You guys were steaming up the windows of your car a few minutes ago.”

  Cora laughed and looped an arm around mine. “He’s such an amazing kisser. I could make out with him for hours.” We put our backpacks away, and grabbed our books for morning classes. I had English, which was in the western wing while Cora’s first class was upstairs. “Are you having lunch with Torin?”

  I shook my head. “He’s scouting in California. StubHub.”

  “Ooh, soccer. My father is really getting into soccer this year.” She made a face. “I don’t understand it. Oh, you should join us for lunch. A restaurant delivers soup and sandwiches everyday whether Echo is there or not.”

  “I don’t know. I was thinking of eating with Dad. You know, make the most of things while I can.”

  Cora stopped walking. “How is he doing?”

  “Better. He and Mom were playing chess last night.”

  “Like old times?”

  I grinned and nodded. Cora and I had had enough sleepovers at my house to know how my parents played chess. Dad put his game face on and did his best to let Mom win.

  Despite being alive when chess, or chaturanga as it was called, found its way from India to Europe, my mother hadn’t mastered the game. But that was how she was. Never caring about new inventions and technology. If people were to go back to the days when humans walked around naked and ate only what nature provided, Mom would be perfectly happy. Watching her use computers was pretty hilarious. She cursed and yelled. Dad used to say she’d do great once the interactive computers hit the market.

  Cora touched my arm. “If you change your mind, I’ll be in Florida.”

  Ellie and Amber overheard her as they walked past. “You’re going to Florida again?”

  “Again?” Cora asked and glanced at me.

  “We were planning on throwing a party last weekend, but Torin told Justin that you guys were headed to Florida for the weekend,” Ellie said. “So we switched it to this Saturday. Please say you’ll be there.”

  “We’ll start around four then go clubbing afterwards,” Amber added.

  Cora made a face. “I volunteer at the Moonbeam Nursing Home until evening, so I don’t know.”

  Crap, the two Grimnirs I’d met two nights ago were going to grab Cora at the nursing home. I couldn’t even warn her, because she’d already made it clear she didn’t want me reading her future. She worked at the nursing home on Thursdays and Saturdays, which meant I had to keep an eye on her from afar without her knowing.

  “Oh, come on, Cora. You have to come,” Amber said.

  “Bring your boyfriend, uh, Echo,” Ellie added, then she exchanged a glance with Amber. Seriously these two lusting after Echo? The reaper was so crazy about Cora no one else mattered.

  “Not promising anything,” Cora said and started upstairs, but I’d seen the expression on her face. She had no interest in partying with those two. Neither did I. Torin’s team had a game on Saturday afternoon. I started to walk down the hallway leading to the English wing. Ellie and Amber hurried to catch up with me.

  “You and Torin are coming, right?” Ellie asked.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I have prom on Friday.”

  “Junior prom blows,” Ellie added.

  “Is Beau Hardshaw going to be at the party?” I shot back, knowing that would make her quit bothering me. Sure enough, Ellie clammed up, her cheeks growing pink.

  “Why would we invite that stoner?” Amber asked.

  When Beau became famous, I hope she regretted not being nicer to him. “He’s a student here,” I said, looking at Ellie.

  “You don’t know him like we do,” Amber continued. “His family is messed up. His father is a drunk. Do you remember last month at my party? Beau was so wasted he punched Justin in the face over nothing. Like father like son.”

  Ellie didn’t defend Beau. He was good enough to hook up with, but not defend? Bitch. She kept her eyes down. Disgusted by both of them, I fell back and let them walk ahead.

  Things got worse in class. Kelly, one of McKenzie’s friends was in our English class. As soon as she entered the room, Ellie and Amber looked at her blue hair, whispered, and laughed. Even after she sat, they kept turning and looking at her. Worse, they got two other girls in class involved. The girl slid lower in her seat, her face turning red.

  I bet I could come up with a nice curse to make their gorgeous hair turn into knots. Who should I target first?

  Eeny, meeny, miny, mo

  Who do I dislike more

  Turn her hair a shade of blue

  And don’t change till she gets a clue

  I landed on Amber and grinned. The class ended, but her hair didn’t turn blue. So much for my witchy powers.

  I didn’t see Cora again until lunchtime. When she linked our arms, the same vision flashed in my head—the two Grimnirs snatching her and disappearing through a portal.

  Once again, I was tempted to warn her about them as we headed to the third floor bathroom. It was the top floor in the building and it emptied fast during lunch, so the bathrooms were perfect for creating portals.

  “When do you volunteer at Moonbeam again?” I asked.

  “It keeps changing, but Saturday afternoon for sure after group lesson with Lavania.”

  “This Saturday it’s just you and Ingrid.” Maybe I should drive to the nursing home with her, make sure she was okay before heading to StubHub. “I’m working on tapping into the source of my magic now.” We looked up and down the hallway. Then we slipped inside the bathroom. “You go first.” I watched her pull out an artavus and etch runes on the mirror. “Not bad.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re faster. You even do air portals. I still can’t. You know, I’ve seen portals like this in your store. All nicely runed.” She entered the Florida house and turned. “We should just replace this ugly mirror with one of yours and no one would ever know.”

  Echo wasn’t in the kitchen, but a paper bag with a restaurant logo sat on the kitchen counter. “We would know,” I replied. “And then we wouldn’t get better at creating portals.”

  “You stink,” Cora grumbled.

  “Lazy bum,” I retorted.

  She laughed. “You sure you don’t want to join us?” Cora asked, peeking inside the bag.

  “I’m good. Later.” I shifted the entrance so it led to my house. Femi had lunch ready and Dad was waiting. He was watching a game when I arrived.

  “You think the U.S. team will make it again?” I asked. Despite being wraith-like, there was more life in his eyes. They sparkled as he discussed teams and players. I never even knew he liked soccer. But then again, soccer was never that popular in the U.S. until recently. We were almost done with lunch before he switched topics.

  “Your cat came to visit me. She spent the entire morning with me and only left when Femi brough
t food. Have you named her yet?”

  “I call her Onyx, but she…” I almost forgot he was Mortal and hearing that I could communicate with my cat might seem weird. “I don’t think she likes it.”

  “She’ll get used to it.”

  No, I won’t. Onyx entered the room, jumped on the couch, and curled up beside me. Mom had bought the couch right after she came back from Valhalla and placed it by Dad’s bed. It pulled out into a full size bed, so she could sleep near him. Onyx’s eyes closed, but I was sure she was listening. She even allowed me to stroke her before ordering me to stop messing up her fur. When it was time to go, she followed me to the portal.

  I’m bored. Can I come with you?

  “No. Cats are not allowed at school.”

  They were at Harry’s school.

  I knew she meant a certain fictitious young wizard, but I faked ignorance, “Who?”

  She squinted. I can stay invisible and walk all around your school. Mortals are entertaining, especially teenagers.

  “Uh, no. You’ll bump against one and start a riot, or worse if one stepped on you and you screeched—”

  I don’t screech. Just say you don’t want me there.

  Actually, it might be entertaining to have her around in some of my boring classes. “You’ll distract me, or get me in trouble for bringing a pet to school if you decloaked. Why don’t you do what most cats do?”

  And what is that?

  “Sleep and clean yourself.”

  She hissed. Baulufotr.

  “Sticks and stones, Onyx.”

  Femi laughed. She could see us from the kitchen. Our downstairs portal mirror was in the living room, but visible from the kitchen. “She’s impossible, Femi! Give her something to do or watch. Animal channel. That should be entertaining.” I turned my head towards Onyx. “You might even see your cousins.”

  If she could scratch me and get away with it, she would have. Instead, I received a toss of her tail and an indignant walk to the couch.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep her busy,” Femi said.

  “Thanks. Bye, Onyx.”

  I hate that name.

  “You are stuck with it, Fur-ball.”

  Bite me.

  I was still laughing when I entered the bathroom at my school and the portal closed behind me. Onyx was growing on me.