Where was I?
The door opened, and Echo walked in. Shirtless. Shoeless. Leather pants and that irresistible sexy smile. Would I ever get tired of staring at him? Wanting to touch him, kiss him, to love him?
Remembering last night and this morning, my face warmed.
“Keep looking at me like that and we won’t leave this room,” he warned.
I grinned. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten o’clock.”
“Oh, no.” I scooted to the edge of the bed and searched for my clothes, which seemed to have disappeared. “I have to go home. My parents probably broke down my door, found me missing, and called the police.” I crossed my arms and looked everywhere but at Echo. “Where are my clothes?”
He stopped in front of me, cupped my face, and forced me to look at him. His eyes twinkled. “Is my tigress shy?”
“No,” I said, but I still couldn’t look at him without remembering last night or this morning.
He pulled my arms down and knelt in front of me. His hand moved up and caressed my lower lip. “Your clothes are right behind you.”
Sure, enough, my pajamas and panties were neatly folded and placed on top of the headboard.
“Where are we?”
“La Gorce, North Miami Beach. It might be ten here, but it is only seven in Kayville.” He kissed me.
Hmm, I could kiss him for hours. He tasted of coffee, mint, and his unique intoxicating flavor.
“Your parents are still asleep. I’ll show you.” He straightened, walked backwards, runes appearing on his skin, and he turned when he was close to the mirror. He was sheer perfection. Nice butt, narrow waist, broad...
My eyes widened. Scars crisscrossed his back, some thin and narrow as though from lashes. Others were short and ragged. Probably from deep cuts or stab wounds. I couldn’t believe this was the first time I was seeing them. I’d felt the uneven skin while we were making out in the car a week ago, but that was it. Who dared to hurt him like this?
I caught his grin and realized he could see me watching him through the mirror.
“I don’t mind,” he said naughtily, eyes twinkling. “I love your eyes on me.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“No, I’m not, but I’m happy you think so.” The mirror responded to his nearness and a portal formed. Part of my room was visible, pre-dawn light slipping through the edges of the curtains.
I slipped on my panties and tank top and followed him, my eyes drawn to him as he stood by my window. The silence in my house meant my parents were still asleep. They often slept late on Sundays, and whenever I could, I made them breakfast. A quick glance out the window said the sun would be rising soon.
Up close, the old scars on Echo’s back were barely noticeable. Without the runes lighting up his skin, I would never have noticed them earlier.
I stopped behind him and ran a hand over his back. “Who did this to you?”
He tensed. “It doesn’t matter.”
With my throat tight with so many emotions, the uppermost anger, I kissed one ragged scar and then another. His chest was flawless, which meant someone had deliberately done this to him while he covered his front. Who? I kissed another scar.
“I told you I wasn’t beautiful,” he said in a low throbbing voice as though my reaction touched him somehow.
“No. You’re much more. You are perfect.”
Echo whipped around and pulled me into his arms. Instead of kissing me, he just held me tight. I slipped my arms around his waist, amazed I hadn’t felt the edges of some of the jagged scars when we’d made love. I was probably too caught up in the moment.
“Who hurt you, Echo?” So I could kick some ass.
He chuckled and ran his knuckles along my cheek. “You sound like you are ready to wage a war.”
“If they are alive…”
He lifted me up so high I had to brace myself against his shoulders. Looking into my face with an expression I couldn’t explain, he said, “I don’t have recent scars, doll-face. These are old. They don’t matter anymore because I forgave them.”
“Well, I don’t. When you are ready, tell me about them.”
“I already did.” He walked with me back to his bedroom, the portal closing behind us. He lowered me until I could circle his waist and our lips were closer. “I just skipped the details.”
Was he talking about the Romans who’d hunted his kind? He kissed me again, slowly yet so thoroughly I pushed aside the matter of his scars.
“I meant to wake you up with a kiss,” he said in a voice gone husky.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Do it next time.”
“I plan to.”
I kissed him this time, my fingers burrowing in his hair and holding it in place. His shaggy hair was soft. “You taste good.”
He chuckled. “So do you. Every inch of you.”
Heat flooded my face, remembering. “Not fair. I can’t say the same. Next time.”
Echo groaned.
“Now I won’t think of anything else.” He lowered me down to the floor, our bodies touching. I wiggled, teasing him. He groaned and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Behave or we’ll head back to bed, which is a bad idea because you are still sore.”
I was, but I didn’t care. “I’m fine.”
He chuckled. “What do you want first? Shower or breakfast?”
“Shower. In my bathroom.”
He scowled. “It’s too small.”
“Mom will be up soon, and I usually cook breakfast on Sundays. She’ll come looking for me.”
“Wait here.” He disappeared through the portal to my bedroom then entered my bathroom. Within seconds, I heard the water running. Then he was striding back.
“Now she’ll hear the water running and assume you are in the shower. Let’s get rid of these.” He removed his pants, pulled off my tank top, and hauled me over his shoulders like a caveman.
I giggled. He had the cutest butt ever. I swatted him
“Behave, woman, or you won’t like the consequences.”
“Promise?”
He laughed.
The bathroom was huge and done in black marble. Through a window, I could see a gazebo and beyond it a dock with a boat and palm trees. The shower stall was spacious, too, with two showerheads.
I lost interest in the property. He looked so adorable with his shaggy hair plastered to his scalp. We shampooed each other’s hair.
“Turn around,” he ordered. He kissed my shoulder, water raining down on his head. “I’m so happy I’m your first, Cora-mio.”
“Me too.” I wanted him to be my last, and me his. For now, I was enjoying the ride. He turned me around and kissed me long and hard.
“Your turn,” I said.
He shook his head. “No way.”
“Turn around.”
He hesitated.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Echo.”
He laughed as though to say that was impossible, but he turned, braced himself against the wall, and rested his head on his crossed arms.
I lathered the sponge and ran it across his broad shoulders. Unable to help myself, I kissed his scars. “Turn around.”
“Uh-mm, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Chicken,” I teased.
He glanced over his shoulder and grimaced. “Do you know that every time I see you, hear your voice, or even think about you, I want you?”
“No, I didn’t.” I pressed against his back and sponged his chest. “But I’m happy to hear it.”
By the time we finished in the bathroom, the water was lukewarm.
16. Souls
“I plan to help the souls this afternoon. Are you game?” I texted Raine, before starting on breakfast. I should be eating breakfast with Echo instead of cooking it.
My cell phone beeped. It was Raine. “Sure. What time?”
“After lunch. I’ll pick you up.”
“I’ll be at Eirik’s old house.”
Mom wandered into the kit
chen, and I grinned. She was still wearing her pajamas and robe, her hair going every which way. I poured her a cup of coffee.
“Thank you, hun. What did you do with the hot water? I tried to have a shower, but the water was barely warm.”
My face warmed. “I, uh, sorry about that. I washed my hair then took a long, hot bath.”
“I guess it’s okay. I can wait.” She sipped her drink and glanced at the waffle iron. “Something smells good. What are we having?”
“Waffle iron hash brown and sausages.”
“Good. Your father will enjoy that.” She pressed a kiss to my temple. “He was up late last night, so we’ll have to keep his warm.”
After breakfast, I took my laundry upstairs and put it away. Then I decided to do something with my hair. Afternoon didn’t come soon enough.
The gate to Eirik’s old house, or should I say the Valkyries’ new home, was open when I pulled up. Inside, I noticed a few changes. More colorful paintings on the walls. Plants and flowers. There was no evidence of the mayhem from last night. No cracks. No broken wall. Not a single shard of glass.
Even the pool had water. Ingrid had a few friends over, mainly cheerleaders and their jock boyfriends. Her date from last night was there too.
“How?” I asked Raine.
“Powerful bind runes. Come on.” She led the way upstairs to the den, where we’d stood and watched Echo and Torin kill the two Grimnirs. Like downstairs, everything was perfect and neat.
“Cora! How nice to see you again,” Lavania said, entering the room. She enveloped me in a hug and kissed me on the cheek. “Sit with me.”
I glanced at Raine, but she just wiggled her fingers. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready to leave.”
I followed Lavania to the couch. She sat with her back straight, legs crossed at the ankle. Today, she wore leggings and a dress shirt, her hair pinned up. She could wear anything and still look regal, like a throwback to princesses and ladies-in-waiting. I wasn’t sure what she wanted, but it couldn’t be good. She wasn’t smiling.
“So…” she said, studying me with narrowed eyes. “Raine tells me you plan to help lost souls.”
She didn’t sound like she approved. “Yes. That’s okay, right?”
“Only if it’s okay with you. Raine told me what happened when one possessed you. Were you not scared?”
I nodded. “Oh, I was.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s something to do.” I sighed. “No, that’s not true. I feel sorry for them, and if I can help them find closure, why not? This way I can turn what Maliina did to me into something positive.”
Lavania surprised me when she smiled with approval. “Now I understand why Raine values your friendship. You are strong and compassionate.” She leaned back. “When I met Maliina, after she took over your image and personality, I knew there was something evil in her. I didn’t like her and told Raine she shouldn’t encourage her association with Eirik. Of course, you know Raine and how stubborn she can be. She insisted Eirik had a right to court you. You were her best friend and her best friend could not possibly be evil. Now that I’ve met the real you,” she reached out and patted my cheek, “I agree with her. You will make a wonderful consort to our young god.”
I blinked. “Consort?”
“Mate. Wife. I think Eirik chose well.”
I shook my head. “Oh, no. Eirik and I… no. I don’t feel like that toward Eirik. I mean, I had a crush on him, but that’s in the past. It’s gone.”
Lavania just laughed. “Time will tell. You’ll see what I mean when he comes back.”
“Comes back? When is he coming back?”
“Soon, I hope.” Lavania stood. “He wanted to come earlier, but his grandparents wouldn’t let him. They didn’t think he was ready. He had to learn to control the runes on his body. He kept saying you were in danger. I reassured him that you were fine, and you and Raine were as tight as ever.”
Crap. Didn’t Raine and the others tell her anything?
Lavania took my arm and led me toward the stairs. “He also insists on finishing your transformation into an Immortal. I offered to help, even told him I had several artavo he can choose from, but he can be stubborn, too.”
I didn’t know how to respond. The thought of being an Immortal was intriguing, but it didn’t appeal to me if Echo wasn’t part of it.
“To stop the souls from taking over, this is what you need to do,” Lavania said as we started down the stairs. “First, you…”
***
Raine and I left the compound, and the gate closed behind us. “How come you guys haven’t told Lavania about Hel’s Special Forces?” I asked.
“Are you kidding? She’d tell Eirik, and as soon as he heard you’re in danger, he’d rush down here. No, he’s training and studying, and that’s good. As long as he knows you are fine, he’ll stay put.”
“According to Lavania, he plans on coming anyway. To court me.”
Raine grinned.
I scowled. “It’s not funny.”
Raine just shrugged. “I know. But it’s just like you to have two hot guys chasing you at the same time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you mean like when Torin and Eirik were after you at the same time?” I sighed, not in the mood to tease her. “Listen, I just think we should warn him.”
“Then he’ll think we are all in danger because of him and still come anyway. You know Eirik, Cora. He won’t care about himself. He’ll only think of us and get nabbed by the Grimnirs.”
She was right. I just wish there was a way I could let him know about Echo so he would move on. Echo. Even thinking about him sent a thrill through me. I couldn’t wait to see him again.
I turned right on 2nd East and headed into downtown Kayville. What were we discussing? Ah, Eirik. “Why does he need to train?”
“All the gods train. Valkyries and Grimnirs too, since they will fight in Ragnarok. In Eirik’s case, he’ll get a special weapon. You know, like Thor’s hammer and Odin’s spear. He’s also studying runes, which is mandatory for all gods.”
“Is he happy?”
“Torin thinks so, though he’s only seen him once. They haven’t been reaping as much the last several weeks.”
Probably because of me. “Sorry about that. I guess they can’t keep an eye on me and—”
“No, it’s not you. Healthy people haven’t been dying lately. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. Last week, Torin and Andris were in Calgary where a ski team was hit by an avalanche. Four of them were buried in the snow for about thirty minutes. Their body temperatures dropped to below twenty-nine degrees, and they shouldn’t have survived, yet they all did. Minus a few broken ribs and hypothermia. Everyone is calling it a miracle. One incident is a miracle; several in the last month is too much of a coincidence.”
“What do you mean?”
“An NFL guy with the Seahawks totaled his Lamborghini outside Seattle and was banged up pretty badly, but he’s going to be okay. A triathlete jogging in the suburbs of Philly was shot by a bunch of bored teenagers. He was in surgery for ten hours and made it. He might never run again, but he will live. More stories like that are coming from all over the world every day, and it doesn’t make sense. No one destined for Asgard has died.”
“The Hel ones?”
“Dropping like roaches. The Valkyries are having a conference right now. That’s why Torin and Andris are gone. Lavania doesn’t reap anymore, but she’s headed there, too. Something is out of sync, and I bet the Norns have something to do with it.”
That explained her father surviving a major stroke. “What do they hope to gain by changing destinies?”
“I don’t know, but somehow I know it has a something to do with me. They are always screwing with me.”
“I’m so sorry.” I reached over and gripped her hand.
She chuckled. “It’s not your fault. Mom warned me it wouldn’t be easy going against them. I just wi
sh I knew what they’re plotting this time.”
Before I could respond, not that I knew what to say, a sudden blast of cold air filled the car. Echo. Raine turned and gasped.
“Echo. You scared the beegeebees out of me,” she said in a screechy voice. “Where did you come from?”
“Hel.” He smirked. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror, and he winked. He leaned closer, lifted my hair, and dropped a kiss on my neck.
His lips were cold, but not for long. I reached back and cradled his face as he nuzzled my neck. My body hummed in response. Words were not necessary between us anymore, and I was becoming really good at this kind of multitasking. Unfortunately, my body didn’t always agree with my head. And remembering last night didn’t help. The car swayed.
“Do you guys think you should be doing that now?” Raine asked.
I grinned and entered the parking lot of Harvest Foods.
Echo glanced at her. “No, but she likes it, and I’m here to indulge her every wish. Unless, you’d rather come back here and warm me, Raine Cooper.”
Raine blushed, but I wasn’t amused. Echo was such a flirt. I smacked him on the head.
“I was just kidding,” he protested. “No one is allowed to warm me but you, doll-face.”
I switched off the engine and glared at him. “And you’d better not forget it, you—”
His lips swallowed the rest of my words. By the time he lifted his head, I didn’t care if he flirted with a gazillion women. Raine wore a knowing grin, which I pretended not to see. Flustered, I picked up the notebook and pen.
“Uh, Raine, this is what we’ll do. We’ll go inside first. When the souls appear, I’ll agree to be their host and bring them back to the car. I’ll allow them to possess me one at a time and write down whatever messages they have for their loved ones. Lavania suggested that you hold my hand so I stay connected to the physical world.”
Raine nodded, but she looked worried.
“May I make a suggestion?” Echo asked, but he didn’t wait for my response before adding, “You two stay here, while I get my lost charges and bring them to you after I have a little chat with them.”
I heard him, but my attention had shifted to the entrance of the store. The two souls I’d seen two days ago were standing by the entrance, and they weren’t alone.
Runes #03 - Grimnirs Page 26
