He continued to ignore me.
Getting ticked off, I got creative. “Hey, Valkyrie.”
His feet faltered, but he didn’t stop.
“Anyone want to meet a real live soul reaper?” Students stared at me like I’d lost my marbles, nothing new there, but he stopped and turned to study me with a long-suffering expression. I grinned.
“Was that really necessary?” he asked.
“You stopped, didn’t you? What was that about?”
He cocked his eyebrows. “What was what about?”
“You and Eirik. When did you make a love connection?”
He smirked. “I don’t do guys. I’m purely into chicks.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You know what I mean. What’s going on? What are you two hatching?”
“Do you know your eyes change color when you’re angry?”
Sidetracked, I stared at him, remembering the first time he’d said those words to me. He’d wrapped me in a sensual haze, and we would have kissed if it hadn’t been for our neighbor. My eyes went to his lips, and I caught his grin.
Argh, when did I become so easy. He’d deliberately distracted me. Again.
“Stop messing with my head, Torin. I want to know what’s going on.”
Before he could answer, several jocks, including Drew and Keith, joined us. The game in Portland was later that evening, and they were hyped.
“Guys, you know Raine, right?” Drew said, dropping an arm around my shoulders.
“The smoking hot witch,” Jaden Granger said and leered. “Feel free to bewitch me anytime.”
I never liked Jaden. He was the kiss-and-tell kind of guy, and he had greasy hair. Sadly, some girls found him irresistible.
“Can you use your witchy powers,” he wiggled his fingers, “to see if we’re going to win tonight?”
Annoyance zipped through me. “No, I can’t predict something like that, but if he,” I pointed at Torin, “comes through, you will win or die, uh, trying.”
Torin shot me an annoyed look. “Excuse us.” He grabbed my hand and tugged. “Come with me.”
“But I was enjoying their company,” I protested half-heartedly.
“No, you are acting like a brat.”
Ouch. That stung. “Thanks for the compliment.”
He chuckled.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Who are you escorting to Valhalla among the players? Keith? Drew? Both of them?” He’s been spending a lot of time with the two players, just like he’d done with Jessie and her friends, and they all had died.
“None of them is going to Valhalla.” He opened a door and pulled me inside.
It was dark, but not for long. He flipped a switch, and I looked around. We were in a broom closet. Not just any broom closet. It was the make-out broom closet students often used because it was roomy and Officer Randolph rarely checked it for some reason. I grinned, remembering the last time Torin and I had been in here.
“What?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
“This brings back memories. You do know that by lunchtime, everyone will know you and I were in the make-out closet.”
He frowned. “You’ve made out with some guy in this closet.”
He sounded annoyed. I gave him a toothy grin. The only time I’d ever used the closet was with him. “We didn’t exactly make out. We closed a deal.”
He made a face like he’d swallowed a rotten egg and opened the door, almost bumping into his friends, who had either been eavesdropping on us or keeping a lookout.
“Do you guys mind?” Torin snapped, and the jocks walked away laughing. He started for class, but I was right behind him.
“You never answered my question about you and Eirik,” I said.
“I will during lunch. I also have a solution to your witch problem.”
That threw me off. “You do?”
“Meet me in the hall at lunchtime. We’ll go somewhere and discuss it.”
Too shocked, I could only stare at him. For most of the week he’d played cat and mouse with me and now he wanted to do lunch? “No, I’ll pass.”
“No, you won’t. If you need my help, you eat lunch with me. I hate eating—”
“Alone,” I finished, forgetting I’d decided to stop bringing up the past. Instead of a frown, he grinned and sauntered into the classroom. I stared after him, wishing I could figure him out. He was so unpredictable.
8. EVERYONE NEEDS LOVE
Torin was waiting when I reached the front hall during lunch. “You really have a solution?”
“Yep.” He led the way to his Harley. “You’re not going to ask where we’re going?”
“Should I? You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”
He chuckled. “If I wanted to kidnap you, you’d be in my bedroom in a matter of seconds.”
Kidnap me already, I wanted to say.
“Look around. If you haven’t noticed, we’re being watched.”
I turned and sure enough, students watched us through the glass windows. The ones hurrying to their cars also turned and stared. “Is this your grand plan to make me less witchy? Being seen with the new QB?”
He waved at someone. “Brilliant, isn’t it?”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure, except you haven’t won a game yet.”
“We will tonight.” He said it like it was a done deal and stepped closer with the helmet. I stepped back and stuck out my hand. He stared at my hand then my face. “I was just going to help you with it.”
“I know, but I’d rather you didn’t.” I took the helmet, put it on, and snapped the strap while he scowled and studied me as though something bothered him. “What?”
“You’re a prickly little thing, aren’t you?”
“Quit with calling me little. I’m five-seven. And being cautious doesn’t make me… prickly,” I finished weakly when he reached out and tucked a stray hair out of the way, catching me by surprise. His eyes not leaving mine, his hand lingered on my nape. I shivered, and I allowed myself to forget how horrible the last few days have been. I welcomed his touch and got lost in his gorgeous, blue eyes.
He touched my nose. “I love your freckles.”
Reality returned and I stepped back. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Everything. No tucking my hair. No compliments. And absolutely no looking at me like you just did.”
“Like what?”
“Like you did a few seconds ago.” A wicked grin curled his lips. “And you’re not allowed to smile at me like that either. Let’s go before I change my mind.”
He shook his head then slipped on his wraparound sunglasses. “You’re the most contrary girl I’ve ever met.”
I gave him a beaming smile. “Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment. Replace contrary with annoying.”
“That’s a compliment in my book.” I straddled the bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. At last. Holding him felt wonderful, like coming home. I lay my head against his back and inhaled. I’d missed this. The feel of him. His scent. His warmth. He took off at normal speed, which told me we weren’t going far. The ride was over too soon.
“Are you asleep back there, Freckles?”
“No. I love riding with you. It feels like fly—” My face warming, I let him go, got up, and stepped away from the bike. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
Torin removed his sunglasses and studied me with narrowed eyes. “You love riding with me?”
“You, my ex... I told you my ex had a bike too, right?” I didn’t dare look at his face to confirm if he’d bought my lame explanation. I focused on the restaurant instead. “Noodles & Company?”
“I love their pasta, but if you want to go somewhere else just say the word.”
“No, it’s okay. I love their salads.” He held the door for me and followed me inside.
The restaurant was packed with businessmen and women sprinkled with a few stay-at-home mothers and their children. He ordered beef stroganoff while I went for Mediterranean sa
lad. We got our drinks from the fountain and found a corner table by the window. He sipped his coke and studied me with the same expression he’d worn the last few days.
“What are you plotting?” I asked.
He chuckled. “What makes you think I’m plotting something?”
“The look in your eyes says so. It’s calculating. Smug. Like you can’t wait to unleash a fiendish plan. So what’s cooking between you and Eirik?” He didn’t answer right away, his expression thoughtful. “He doesn’t hide things from me, so you might as well tell me.”
“You’re stubborn.”
“Tenacious.”
“Same thing.” I just cocked my brow and waited. He sighed. “Fine. We’ve been removing graffiti from your locker and Cora’s the last few days, including today. The bastards responsible must have hung the nooses after I left.”
I leaned forward. “Why didn’t you guys tell me? What did they say?”
“It doesn’t matter now. If they continue next week, I’ll have a little surprise waiting for the bastard behind this.”
“Like what?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said firmly.
“You’re going to use runes to trap the person, aren’t you?”
He made a face. “You have a diabolical mind. Have you seen the Norns since you came back?”
“Yeah, on Monday. Marj was her usual bitchy self. I wish they’d never healed me when I was a child, then I wouldn’t have this special connection with them.”
Torin’s frown deepened. “Marj?”
“The annoying, sanctimonious leader of the three Norns that keep hounding me.”
Amusement flashed in his eyes. “You think you can see them because they marked you as a child?”
I shrugged. “What other reason is there?”
“There’s something special about you, and they know it. No one has ever defied them. Seven people survived because of you, Raine. You, a Mortal girl, stopped them from doing their job.”
Then why didn’t I feel like a hero? No matter what Torin and even Lavania said, I was a tool. A means to an end. Someone the Norns were willing to use to reach their objective, namely protecting Eirik. I wish I knew why or what was after him.
“Can we focus on stopping the witch hunt instead? I can’t stand talking about the crones.”
Torin grimaced. “Then you’re going to hate my suggestion.”
“What suggestion?”
“Summon the Norns, and order them to fix this witch mess.”
I choked on my drink and started coughing. Torin reached over to pat my back. I wiped my lips and shot him an annoyed look. “Who says I can summon them, let alone order them to do anything?”
“They will listen to you because something about you scares them.”
I snorted. “When I saw them in the cafeteria on Monday, they didn’t look scared. They were still barking orders and giving me ultimatums. I hate them.”
Torin frowned. “What did they want?”
“The usual. Join them to protect Eirik.”
His eyes narrowed. “Protect Eirik? From what?”
I chewed on my lip, undecided whether to tell him or not.
“Raine, what is it?”
This was the guy I loved, someone I trusted implicitly even though he didn’t know it. “Whatever I tell you stays between us. You tell Andris or Lavania, and I’ll knee you so hard…” My face warmed when he cocked his eyebrows. “You don’t tell anyone.”
“You have my word.” He glanced over my shoulder. “Hold on to that thought. Our food’s ready. No, don’t move,” he added, getting up. “I’ll get it.”
I sipped my drink and turned to watch him walk away, admiring the way his jeans fit. Seriously, the guy had the sexiest walk ever.
“Raine Cooper?” a man said hesitantly. I turned to face him, and he thrust what appeared to be a digital voice recorder under my nose. “My name is Gerry Ferguson. I’m a reporter with the Kayville Daily News. We’ve tried to contact you for an interview, but your parents refused to return our calls and we’re not allowed inside the school. Is it true you developed psychic abilities after a near-death accident? Was that how you knew the swimmers were about to die?”
“Hey!” Torin yelled. “Leave her alone.” The next second he’d dropped the tray with our lunch on the table behind me and reached ours. “I told you if I saw you again, you’d be sorry.”
“Come on, man. I just want an exclusive,” the reporter protested.
“I’ll give you an exclusive,” Torin snarled and grabbed the guy by the collar of his shirt.
People in the restaurant stared, their eyes volleying between Torin, the reporter, and me. I slid a little lower in my seat, but the booth walls weren’t high enough to hide.
“Are you a psychic, Lorraine Cooper?” the reporter yelled before Torin hauled him outside. There was no way we could eat lunch in the restaurant now. People were staring and whispering.
I got up, grabbed our tray and hurried to the counter. The two women stepped back, their expressions wary. “Pack these to go.”
They hesitated, neither one of them willing to make the first move. This was ridiculous.
“Now,” I added through clenched teeth.
The one to my left snatched the tray and moved away. I turned to check on Torin, but he was done. The reporter appeared to be walking away unscathed, which meant Torin put a whammy on him with his runes.
Torin entered the restaurant and silence filled the room. He turned his head slowly and looked around, his eyes cold, daring anyone to say or do something. People developed interest in their food. His eyes locked with mine, and I shivered. I’d never seen him this angry. His eyes fierce, his face was tight like he’d tear the room apart if anyone looked at me wrong.
“You okay?” he asked in a low, intense voice when he reached my side.
I nodded.
He took my arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Our lunch…”
He gave me a look that said I was crazy to be thinking about food now.
“I’m hungry, and we’ve already paid for it,” I said stubbornly.
His eyes narrowed. Then he signaled the women behind the counter. The one with our food gave him the plastic bag using the tip of her fingers. We headed for the door.
“Has he been following me?” I asked as soon as the door closed behind us.
“He wasn’t the only one.” Torin glanced around and put his sunglasses on. “I etched runes on the trees around our cul-de-sac and the school to stop them from snooping or getting too close. So far the runes have worked.” A growl rumbled through his chest. “What was I thinking bringing you here?”
I slipped my hand through his and squeezed. “It’s okay. He blindsided me, but you were here and you stopped him. That’s what matters. Thank you.”
Torin stared at our hands, his grip tightening when I could have let him go. “Your safety is important to me.”
“Oh? Why?”
He let go of my hand, a frown on his handsome face, eyes shadowed. “I don’t know. It just is. Like a lot of things about you.” He pushed the lock of hair from his forehead and rubbed his nape. His feelings for me were definitely resurfacing, but he was overanalyzing them.
“You should have told me about the reporters and the lockers. I can’t protect myself by being ignorant.”
“I don’t mind protecting you.”
Cute, but very old-fashioned. “You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven, so I’ll have to do my part.”
His eyes narrowed stubbornly; then he sighed. “I’ll remember that. In the meantime, summon the Norns and order them to fix this mess. They created it.”
“You really think they’ll listen to me?”
“Absolutely.”
His confidence in me was daunting. “I’ve threatened them with exposure before, and they didn’t like it. Maybe it might work again.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try.” He glanced around again. “Let’s go.” He place
d our lunches in the Harley’s saddlebag while I snapped on the helmet.
I checked my watch. We had seven minutes before lunchtime was over. “Do you think you can get us to school in under a minute?”
“Sure.” He shot me a weird glance.
I had put my foot in my mouth again. “I was told Valkyries can travel fast when they engage certain runes.”
Despite my explanation, he was still frowning when we took off.
***
We made it back to school in thirty seconds. I noticed the school bus parked at the curb and the football players storing their gym bags.
“Oh, you have to leave,” I said, disappointment rolling through me.
“Not for half an hour. You want to eat on the bus?”
“Will Drew and Keith be there?”
His eyes flashed. “You do know that Keith is gay and Drew is still in love with his ex.”
He was jealous. How sweet. “That’s okay. I’m presently into emotionally unavailable guys.”
He laughed, blue eyes twinkling. I loved it when I made him laugh. “You say the craziest things.”
“It’s the truth.” Actually, I was convinced he planned to reap Drew and Keith’s souls. They were such nice guys. “Let’s eat in my car. It’s closer and beats hurrying inside to find a table in the cafeteria.” I gave Torin his helmet, led the way to my car, and unlocked the doors.
He slid in the front passenger seat, making the inside of my car seem small with his vibrant presence. We never used my car when we first met. We always rode his bike. I studied him from the corner of my eyes as we ate.
“Are you nervous about your first game?” I asked.
He laughed. “No. We’ll crush the Titans.”
“You do know they’re ranked number-eight in the state, while we are—”
“Catching up,” he finished. “You should cancel your lessons with Lavania and come watch us.”
“I can’t. I’m getting my rune daggers today.” I could barely contain my excitement, but then I remembered he wasn’t crazy about me training. “Anyway, I’ll watch you in two weeks during playoffs.”
He flashed a wicked grin.
“What?”
“You said you’d watch me.”
I rolled my eyes. “The team.”
Immortals (Runes book 2) Page 11
