Witches (Runes series Book 6)

by Ednah Walters

  Speak of the devil. He was waiting outside my class with a caramel Frappuccino. He’d probably spent all the money he had. “You know that I was only kidding.”

  “I don’t play, except when it comes to…” his voice trailed off as he stared after three girls who’d just walked by.

  “Later Beau, and good luck with the test.”

  “Thanks.”

  ~*~

  I was finishing band when the Norns entered the room. Seriously?

  I took my time putting away my oboe, and then locked the door after the room became empty. I didn’t speak, just waited to see what they were going to say. It wasn’t often I saw them twice in one day.

  “Did you do it?” Marj asked.

  “Do what?” I asked warily, gripping the handle of my oboe case even tighter.

  “Don’t waste our time, Lorraine,” she snarled. “You know what you threatened to do yesterday.”

  Wait. This wasn’t about my wedding? Could it be possible they didn’t know? “I threaten a lot of things when I talk to you guys. It’s the only language you understand.”

  “You’ve become so insolent,” Jeannette said.

  I’d better watch it or they’d become suspicious. “Honestly, I don’t remember.”

  “You threatened to choose a different side, like Maliina did. We can’t let you do that.”

  Relief was sweet. No wonder they were here. I’d scared them. “I was just letting you know that I have options.” I stood. “Leave me alone, and I’ll stay away from them. All I want is to help people. Not control destinies.”

  “But you are changing their destinies,” Catie cut in. “We explained everything to you already.”

  “There’s nothing I can do about that. I can’t live in a bubble.” But I could live in a castle in a small village surrounded by trees. I smiled and skirted around them. They turned to watch me with their ancient, wise eyes. They didn’t detain me or speak, and I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  I hurried out of the building and found Blaine and Ingrid by Blaine’s car. “Cora’s not out yet?”

  “She’s probably talking to the soul she’s helping.”

  When she joined us, Cora wasn’t amused that Echo had stopped by the mansion and now Blaine and Ingrid were babysitting her, but she couldn’t stop the Immortals. They followed us downtown while Cora talked about quitting the business of helping souls.

  “A dark soul attacked me,” she said.

  “I know, but Echo said it will never happen again.”

  “And how will my all-powerful and all-knowing boyfriend guarantee that? He can’t be with me all the time.”

  “You have us too, Cora,” I said, rubbing her arm. “You love helping souls find closure. Don’t let the dark souls stop you from doing that. Just like I won’t let the Norns stop me from doing what’s right.”

  She started the car and we eased out of the parking lot. Blaine and Ingrid followed closely behind. Cora talked about her soul problems, but my mind was in England reliving my wedding, Torin’s vows, imagining my life in the castle. We found a spot to park near Angie’s Boutique and waited for Blaine and Ingrid to catch up with us before we went into the shop.

  Conversations swirled around me, but I was back at my wedding. I kept playing with my rings underneath my top, until Ingrid shot me a warning glance and shook her head. Even Blaine chuckled when he caught me staring into space. But I must have made appropriate responses to Cora’s questions because she didn’t suspect a thing.

  I helped her choose a prom dress and accessories. I usually shopped here too, but Mom had bought my outfit online this time. While I helped Cora out of her dress in the changing room, scuffles and shouts came from the other side of the door and I reached for my artavus. I created a portal and could see inside the store and the sales girl sitting at the counter. Ingrid and Blaine were missing.

  “Outside,” Cora said, and I followed the direction of her eyes. Rhys.

  We joined them.

  I noticed the way Ingrid stared at Rhys as though seeing him for the first time. Those violet eyes and dimples were totally irresistible. He was looking for Echo.

  “He’s not here,” Cora said.

  “I can see that. Could you tell him he and I need to talk?”

  “Why?” Cora asked, not ready to trust him yet. He didn’t indicate that he’d met me or Ingrid, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Ingrid and neither could she from him.

  “The dark souls are restless, and quite a number of them are headed this way,” he explained.

  Cora swallowed. “How do you know?”

  “We reaped a few not far from here. Dark souls are loners by nature and territorial. We saw a group of them. If they’re coming here because of you, Echo is going to need help dealing with them.”

  “Are you offering to help us?” Cora asked, taking the question from my mouth.

  “Yes. It’s time to bury the past.” This time, Rhys glanced at me.

  “So this has nothing to do with Dev and the fact that you guys want him?” Cora asked.

  “No, but chances are the dark souls followed him here. Dev tended to act without thinking, and I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”

  Cora sighed. “Okay, I’ll talk to Echo. How will he contact you?”

  “He knows where we hang out.” Again he glanced at Ingrid before walking away.

  Ingrid’s eyes followed him. I was going to tease her about him. For now, I focused on Cora. She was spooked by the news about dark souls. After fighting Draugar and possessed black bears, dark souls didn’t bother me. As long as I had my dagger, I could just suck them up and dump them at Crypt.

  Ingrid and Blaine were almost at his car when I realized something. As soon as they got home, she would tell Lavania what Rhys had just told us. “Don’t drop me off at my place,” I told Cora. “Let’s stop at the mansion and talk to Lavania. I’d rather she hear what’s going on from you rather than me, or someone else.”

  I texted Ingrid and explained my plans, then added, “That Rhys is sure hot.”

  She sent an emoji of a sweating cartoon.

  I laughed. “Did you see how the Grimnir, uh, Rhys couldn’t take his eyes off Ingrid?” I asked, looked up, and caught Cora’s expression. She glared at me. “Yeah, I know, we have enough to worry about without thinking about romance. But peaceful moments are meant to be enjoyed. Worrying about what might happen will only paralyze us. Torin often says we shouldn’t let our enemies dictate how we behave. Let them come and think we’re not prepared, until they attack and realize we are way ahead of the game.”

  She sighed and gripped my hand. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. Oh crap. I can’t believe I forgot to ask Rhys about Maliina.”

  “I’m sure Echo would know if she’s on Torture Island or not,” I said.

  Cora frowned. “I don’t know. Remember, he never left my side after the battle, and when I recovered, he left with Eirik. The other Grimnirs were envious of his reaping record and hated him. Maliina could have escaped them, and they wouldn’t have bothered to tell him.”

  Now Cora was beginning to have me worried. “Did you feel anything that could connect the dark soul that attacked you to her?”

  “You mean other than the pure evil spewing from her core? No.”

  I felt a little sick. I’d just threatened to follow in Maliina’s footsteps if the Norns didn’t leave me alone. She was a vindictive bitch and was once in league with evil Norns. If she was back, chances were she was working with them again. Could she be after me or were the evil Norns the ones I should be worried about now?

  ~*~

  Cora explained everything to Lavania. Then Andris and my husband arrived, and I lost track of who was saying what. My husband. I loved the sound of that. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  He inched his way to my side, sat on a stool and pulled me onto his lap. While the others discussed dark souls and the possibility that Maliina was back, he stroked my arm and whispered naughty things in
my ear. It was a wonder I wasn’t a puddle on the floor.

  “You’re not coaching this evening?” I asked.

  “Nope. The assistants are in charge today.” He ran the tip of his fingers up and down the palm of my hand. I always loved that. His other hand rested around my waist, his thumb slowly working its way under my shirt. Luckily, the counter blocked us from the others’ prying eyes, except Andris’. He threw us mocking glances and smirked.

  “Want to get out of here, Mrs. St. James?” Torin whispered in my ear.

  My entire body flushed. I turned my head to glare at him and caught the naughty gleam in his eyes. Our lips were only a few inches apart. All I had to do was lean forward. Yes, I wanted to leave, but we couldn’t. Cora would think we didn’t care about her. Rhys shouldn’t have told her about the dark souls.

  Still, I said, “Yes.”

  “Then, listen,” he whispered and turned my head, so I could look at Lavania. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be listening to and only caught the tail end of her sentence.

  “…start a new school,” Lavania said. “A special school to train Immortals and future Valkyries. We should be up and running by fall.”

  I’d mentioned it jokingly when she and I had discussed this. “I didn’t think they’d go for it.”

  “Why shouldn’t they? As soon as they learned that the idea came from you, they were happy to oblige.”

  “Perfect place to send my Immortals too,” Torin whispered, his warm breath fanning my ear. I shivered and he chuckled. He was deliberately messing with me.

  Lavania continued, “I’m still searching for the perfect location, but once I find it, I expect you three to be in my senior class.”

  Ingrid liked the idea. Cora not so much. Me? I just wanted the meeting to end, so I could spend the evening with my husband.

  “I think she needs our help,” Torin whispered.

  “Sure, she does.” He was driving me crazy.

  “She really does,” he added.

  “Who? Lavania?”

  “No. Cora.”

  I studied Cora. She kept checking her phone, probably worried sick about Echo. She looked up and her eyes confirmed it. She was losing it. This business of dark souls and Maliina had her spooked. I sighed. My wedding night was going to have to wait.

  I leaned against Torin and whispered, “For someone who’s so intuitive, you don’t know how to read your wife.”

  “I don’t think a reading is what you have in mind tonight, Freckles,” he whispered.

  True. I got up and followed Cora outside the kitchen. As soon as she mentioned going to look for Echo, I knew Torin was right. We couldn’t send her home alone. I gathered up the troops. Cora protested, but no one listened to her.

  We used a portal to go to Echo’s place in Miami, but it was empty. Since her parents didn’t know what we were, we couldn’t just create a portal and appear at their home. We had to go there like Mortals.

  We headed back to the mansion, piled into cars, and headed to her place. Cora’s family lived on a farm. Her parents were former school teachers, but her father wrote science fiction now, while her mother did organic farming. When we pulled up outside the farmhouse, her parents were at home. They didn’t appear surprised.

  We stayed on the deck while her mother prepared dinner. Torin took the swing and pulled me down onto his lap. It was five, the sun still high in the sky. I tried not to think about what I could be doing instead of talking and listening to Ingrid’s dating stories. Cora was surprised by her stories. I wasn’t. The Ingrid I’d gotten to know these past weeks was not as sweet and innocent as she looked. She was fun and unpredictable.

  When Echo finally arrived, I was ready to go home. Mrs. Jemison was an amazing cook, but I don’t remember what I ate. I couldn’t focus while the guy I was crazy about watched me as though every movement I made mesmerized him.

  When we left the farm, we took the back seat of the SUV, and I slipped into his arms, our lips meeting like we were starved for each other. I know I was.

  “Keep it PG-13 back there,” Andris called from the front seat. Blaine was driving for some reason.

  “Leave them alone, Andris,” Ingrid said from the middle seat.

  The two traded barbs. After a few seconds, I was lost in Torin and stopped hearing anything. His hands were everywhere, his mouth relentless. He lifted me so I straddled his hips. With both our runes glowing, he watched me as his hand left a heated trail up my back to unclasp my bra. Somehow, we managed to pull the straps through my sleeves.

  On a normal day, I’d be self-conscious that we were making out with the others seated a few feet away. Not this time. I’d waited for this kiss since he’d pledged he would love me forever in front of my family and friends.

  I shuddered as his touch became intimate. I expected him to smirk. He enjoyed the way I responded to his touch, but tonight, he was intense, blue flames leaping in the depths of his eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my face to his, nuzzled actually, loving the feel of his heated skin against mine. Our lips inches apart, we exchanged a breath as we stared into each other’s eyes. They say eyes are windows to the soul. They were right. I saw his and it was beautiful.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “Forever,” I finished it, and then kissed him, pouring my hopes and dreams into that single kiss. I wanted to touch him, feel his skin with my hands and lips. No, with my entire body. I wanted to drape myself all over him and let my skin soak him in. I had the right to now.

  I yanked his shirt up and sighed blissfully when his stomach muscles contracted underneath my palm. He drew in a sharp breath and groaned. I crept up, loving the way his muscles trembled as though wanting to leap through his skin and blend with me.

  A sudden cold draft filled the car and my first thought was Norns, but then I remembered they weren’t exactly cold. It was their essence that was cold and induced revulsion and shudders.

  “Goddamn it! There’s no time for that now, you two.”

  I recognized Echo’s voice and yanked my lips from Torin’s.

  “Get lost, Grimnir,” Torin snarled.

  “You want to hear this. I got a text from Cora. It’s about your father, Raine.”

  My senses dulled by passion, I was slow in processing the information. When it finally hit me, I got off Torin’s lap and looked at Echo. “What?”

  “Your father’s gone,” he added, voice softer.

  Tears welled in my eyes. I knew he’d been dying slowly for days. This morning, or this afternoon in England, I’d seen it in his eyes after he’d given me away. Felt it in his body as he’d placed my hand in Torin’s. Still…

  Torin opened a portal, the first time I’d seen him do that from a moving car. He picked me up and hopped into our living room, not missing a step. Echo followed before the portal closed. We raced to the den. Dad’s body was still on his bed, but I couldn’t see his soul.

  Had Mom reaped him already?

  Cora stood in the middle of the room covered with dark runes. On someone else, they’d look ugly. On her, the contrast between her skin and the inking was striking. I didn’t even know why my mind went there. My father’s soul was missing. If the Norns had taken him…

  Snippets of the conversation between Echo and Cora reached me. They were discussing the medium runes etched on her by Ingrid’s evil sister. The same dark runes inking her body now.

  “Where’s my father?” I asked in a voice I didn’t recognize. Torin’s arms tightened around me.

  “He’s inside her,” a voice said from Cora’s phone as she moved closer to us.

  “Who is that?” Ingrid asked from behind me, but I already knew. Dev, the soul Cora was trying to help.

  “Dev, the dark soul, who will be in trouble if he doesn’t shut up,” Cora warned. Her voice softened as she added, “Your father bonded with me, Raine. He wants to talk to you, Torin, and your mother.”

  Hel’s Mist! “Mom, I have to tell her,” I whispered. />
  “Lavania went to get her,” Femi said. The entire group was inside the room, but one by one they left. Dev explained to Cora what to do. As a soul who’d possessed others, he had firsthand knowledge what the effect was. Now he possessed electronics.

  Echo left with the phone, leaving us alone with Cora. She didn’t hesitate before she started to speak, but her voice was no longer hers. It was Dad’s. He sounded weak.

  “I love you, pumpkin, and I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. You are loving, fiercely loyal, and a fighter. But then again, from the moment I held your frail body in my arms and the doctors said you needed me to survive, I knew you would be. You were determined to live and you did.”

  Dad’s voice grew stronger as he reminisced about my childhood, the little things I’d forgotten, yet he remembered with such clarity. “I remember when you were five and insisted on climbing the tree near your bedroom window, fell, and scraped you knees. You looked me straight in the eyes and said, “No, Daddy, it doesn’t hurt. I’m okay. I’m going to do it today.” Tears raced down your face, but you’d made up your mind. I stood under that tree and my heart swelled with pride with every step you took. You were a fighter then and you are a fighter now.”

  I cried harder and somewhere along the way, Cora started to cry too. I left the protection of Torin’s arms and hugged her.

  “Today, you made my dreams come true and I will cherish those memories forever,” he finished, sounding more like the man I’d known growing up. “Torin, I expect a lot from you. I know you love my daughter, so live up to all your vows. Eirik reassured me that he’d keep me informed on what’s happening, so I’ll know if my princess is not happy.” There was a pause and I thought he was done. Cora was sweating, and she looked drowsy. “I expect you to be a good father to my grandchildren. If possible, I hope you’ll bring them to see…”

  Mom must have come in while Dad was still talking to Torin. His voice stayed strong as he talked to her, but Cora looked terrible. Her eyes were glazed and sweat dotted her forehead. I didn’t know what happened next. One minute Dad was still talking and then next he had left Cora. Her legs gave away.