Runes #03 - Grimnirs

by Ednah Walters

  “That’s not good,” I murmured.

  “Why? I think his suggestion is wonderful,” Raine said.

  “No, they’ve appeared. Lots of them.” I pointed at the storefront. Raine sighed with disappointment because she couldn’t see them.

  “Stay here,” Echo said and was gone. He appeared by the souls, his scythe out, runes on every visible part of his body.

  “What is he doing?” Raine asked.

  “Talking to the souls, probably threatening them. There are at least a dozen of them.” He started toward the car, and the souls followed. “They are coming.”

  “Now what?”

  I blew out air. “Now, I hope I survive this séance.”

  “If one can call it that,” Raine added. She sounded worried. That made two of us.

  ***

  An hour later, I was numb and exhausted. Each soul seemed to take forever. I was done with seven and ten more waited because more kept arriving. We were in the back seat with the window rolled down so I could talk to Echo. He stood guard outside the door and let in one soul at a time.

  With his engaged runes, we didn’t have to worry about people noticing him. Raine and I gave them something to stare at and smile—two girls seated in the back seat of a car holding hands and talking quietly. That was one thing I loved about Kayville. Despite being a small town, same sex couples didn’t bother most people.

  Echo peered at me with a creased brow. “Ready?”

  “She should stop, Echo,” Raine said. It wasn’t the first time she’d said that.

  With each possession, I swore it was the last one. “I can’t, Raine.”

  “But you’re exhausted and,” she touched my forehead, “your skin is clammy and greyish.”

  I was tired, but one girl about my age, a scarf covering her bald head like most cancer patients, was next. She looked miserable. I made eye contact with Echo and nodded.

  “This is the last one,” he said firmly.

  I didn’t respond. I could do more.

  He stared into the girl’s eyes. “Make it quick or you know the consequences.”

  The soul entered the car. Like others before, she invaded my senses, her presence stifling and suffocating. Her thoughts slammed into mine. Her parents’ marriage was falling apart, and she blamed herself. Or rather her illness. She’d been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer a year ago and died within six months. Her mother gave up on life and never left the house anymore, and her father became married to his job. They didn’t talk anymore. They fought. By the time she finished and let me go, I was crying.

  Echo took one look at me and crawled in the back seat. “You’re done.”

  “Just give me a second, and I’ll do a few more.”

  “No.” Echo lifted my chin and studied my face. “You are not going to make yourself sick for them. You’re going home. I’ll see you tonight.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and then he was gone.

  When I looked outside, he was escorting the souls through a portal, his hood up, scythe in hand. The remaining nine souls were still outside, staring at me. I had nothing left to give them, despite what I’d told Echo. I was drained.

  Raine, already behind the wheel, started the engine. “We’ll go to my place.”

  “No. Take me home.” I closed my eyes.

  “Are you sure? Your mother will take one look at you and rush you to the nearest hospital.”

  “I look that bad?” I asked without opening my eyes.

  “Like crap warmed over.”

  I tried to smile, but I couldn’t pull it off. “No, don’t worry about my mother.” I didn’t open my eyes until she parked outside my house. “You want to come inside?”

  “I have to make sure you make it to your room. I think if you do this again, limit it to three or four souls.”

  “I know.” Lucky for me, my parents weren’t around, so we went straight upstairs, where I crawled into bed. Raine asked me something about the runes on my door. I mumbled a response. At least, I think I did.

  ***

  When I woke up, it was pre-dawn and Echo was curled behind me, one arm around my waist and the other under my head. I turned and peered at his face.

  “I’m awake,” he whispered, his hand reaching up to stroke my face. “How are you feeling?”

  “Rested.”

  “I don’t think you should do it again,” he said, pulling me to his chest and rolling onto his back. “Ever.”

  He was so cute when he was being protective. I slipped a hand between his body and the bed and listened to his heartbeat.

  “You don’t owe them anything, Cora,” Echo said, stroking my hair.

  “I know, but they look so miserable, and the messages will help their relatives find closure.”

  “I still say it’s not your problem. If Mortals didn’t spend so much time keeping secrets from each other, they wouldn’t bitch about it when their time is up.”

  “You’re not that hard-hearted, Echo. Surely—”

  “When it comes to keeping you safe, screw them.” He cupped my face and kissed the corner of my mouth. “Are you hungry?”

  My clock said it was four in the morning. Seven in Miami. “Famished.”

  He rolled over and lifted me in his arms. “And afterwards?”

  “I have school.”

  He chuckled. “We have plenty of time.”

  ***

  “What’s going on?” I asked, coming up behind Raine near our lockers. She was with Torin and a bunch of jocks.

  “Assembly,” Raine said. “The principal probably wants to talk about the pep rally planned for Friday. Let’s go.” She wrapped an arm around mine. She and I hadn’t had a chance to talk since she dropped me off at home yesterday. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Better than last night. I slept until this morning. Mom was totally freaked out. She insists I’ve been pushing myself since I came home.”

  “You have. Partying every weekend, running around with a certain Grimnir—”

  “Shut up.”

  “Seriously though, you really shouldn’t be helping you-know-who if it has such a terrible effect on you.”

  “Echo had said the same thing, just more callously.”

  “Then you won’t do it again?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of course, I will. Oh, you have to be careful next time you decide to use a portal to get home. Mom saw us drive up and walk to the house together, but she couldn’t remember anyone picking you up. I lied that Torin did. She still wore a skeptical expression because she didn’t hear an engine start or stop.”

  Raine grimaced. “Yikes.”

  “Exactly.”

  Blaine, Drew, and two other ball players were by the auditorium doors when we reached the front hall. Blaine’s eyes flickered to me. I smiled and nodded, but I might as well be invisible. Drew let his eyes speak for him. Sheesh, how long was he going to hold a grudge?

  “Who is starting the game on Saturday?” I asked when we sat inside the auditorium, my gaze moving from Raine to Torin.

  Torin smirked. “That depends.”

  “On what?” Raine and I asked at the same time.

  “On whether you’ve seen any Grimnirs today,” he said.

  Raine’s jaw dropped. She elbowed him. “You are such a jerk. You shouldn’t be reminding us of them.”

  “Why not? I’d rather fight them than play ball.” He winked at me. “Have you seen Echo?”

  “This morning. Why?”

  Before he could answer, Principal Elliot and the head football coach, Jim Higgins, walked to the podium. The noise gradually died until silence filled the auditorium. At the same time, a familiar tingle shot up my spine.

  Echo was around. I glanced toward the entrances, but I couldn’t see him. This morning, we’d prepared breakfast together and eaten on his patio while listening to waves and seagulls. Echo was a sucky cook, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t into him for his cooking. Then we’d made out. Now that was an area where he knew exactly w
hat to do.

  “What is it?” Raine asked.

  “Echo is around here somewhere, but I can’t see him.” The last few students were trickling in. Others headed upstairs to the balcony. He wasn’t up there either.

  “Do you want me to find him?” Torin asked.

  “No. It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll appear when he wants to.”

  “He’s probably making his rounds,” Torin said.

  I cocked my brow. “Rounds?”

  “Making sure there’re no Grimnirs around.”

  He was always looking out for me. No wonder I was crazy about him. It wasn’t a crush or a passing thing either. I loved Echo. The auditorium erupted in whistles and applause as though giving its approval, and I giggled.

  Raine shot me a questioning look. Since she was leaning against Torin, I let my head rest on her. She put her arm around my shoulder. I bet if I told her about my feelings for Echo she’d understand. My eyes met with Drew, who seemed more interested in me than Principal Elliot’s speech.

  Move on already.

  He smirked like he knew something about me. Frowning, I ignored him and focused on the principal.

  “We want Kayville represented at Jeld-Wen on Saturday,” he said. “The mayor is urging the people of Kayville to come out and show the team their support. If you can, head to Jeld-Wen and show the team that we are proud of them. A pep rally is planned for Friday.” He glanced at Coach Higgins, who nodded. “But for the rest of the week, classes will be held as usual and attendance is mandatory. No one, including members of the football team, is exempt from learning. Because the bottom line is we are here to learn and...”

  I ignored the rest of his speech and the coach’s and tried to find Echo. My eyes met Drew’s a few times. He still wore that creepy smirk. Maybe Blaine told him about my stay at PMI.

  Assembly over, we piled out of the auditorium and I headed to my English class. Echo was a no show. I don’t know why I’d expected him to follow me around school like a love-struck idiot. One stalker was enough. I couldn’t turn around without seeing Drew staring at me. What was his problem?

  At lunch, he, Blaine, and a few jocks stood by the cafeteria entrance when I walked past with Kicker and Naya. Our eyes met, then mine drifted to Blaine. He didn’t return my smile. I wished I could tell him the truth—that I wasn’t Immortal like him.

  If he’d told Drew about my stay at the psych ward, people would be talking about it. So far, I hadn’t heard anything. News like that traveled fast, and Kicker, info guru and general busybody, hadn’t said anything either, so Drew’s smirk didn’t make sense.

  Throughout lunch, I felt his eyes on me.

  “Cora, wait up,” someone called as I walked toward my car.

  I turned to see Victoria hurrying across the street. She was smiling, which meant good news.

  “Thank you for bringing that note. Mom and I went to the bank today during lunch, and we found all these papers Dad had left behind. He took out a life insurance policy in case of an accident, and we now have the deed to the house. He’d even opened an account for me.”

  The shiver of awareness told me Echo was behind me before his arm wound around my waist and nudged me against him.

  Victoria glanced at him and color flooded her cheeks. “Thank you, too.”

  “Don’t thank me,” Echo said. “It was all her doing.”

  “She’s awesome,” Victoria said, waved, and took off.

  I turned around, taking in his chiseled features, and grinned. I reached up and finger-combed his shaggy hair. It had grown longer since I first saw him. “I’m awesome.”

  He chuckled. “In more ways than she knows.”

  Our lips met, and the world ceased to exist. I dropped my backpack and looped my arms around his neck. When he lifted his head, he whispered, “Want to get out of here?”

  “Yes. I have swim practice.”

  He groaned. “Do you have to go?”

  “Yes. You can watch me. Like you did this morning.”

  He gave me a blank look. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “You are not that sneaky. You were in the auditorium.”

  He chuckled, grabbed my bag from the ground, and followed me to the car. Just before we drove off, my eyes met Drew’s across the parking lot. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

  “What is it?” Echo asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Is Drew bothering you?”

  The change in his voice told me he’d rip Drew apart if I said the word. “No. He’s friends with Blaine and that bothers me.”

  “Why?”

  “Blaine is angry about his girlfriend Casey’s death, and he blames you guys for not warning him and saving her.”

  A snicker escaped Echo. “It’s not our job to warn people before they die.”

  “So if a reaper comes for my soul and—?”

  “No one would dare,” he snapped.

  Didn’t he realize how ridiculous he sounded? “I am going to die someday, Echo.”

  He glowered.

  Okay, wrong topic. “Anyway, Blaine thinks I’m an Immortal like him and seeing me with you or Torin seems like a betrayal. He warned me to stay away from you guys.”

  Echo laughed. “It’s none of his business who you date.”

  “So we are dating?” I asked.

  “What do you think?”

  I shouldn’t have mentioned dying. It had put him in a funky mood. I reached for his hand and squeezed. “It’s okay. I want to date you.”

  “Why? I’m an ass.”

  I grinned. “Yes, you are. Sometimes.”

  “So why are you with me?”

  Because I love you. If I told him the truth, he’d bolt. He’d already told me not to fall for him. I thought about that for a moment then threw him a smile. “I’ve always gone after what I want, and I want you and like you.”

  “I like you, too.” He kissed my shoulder then took my hand and interlaced our fingers. He wore several of the Gothic rings he’d worn the first time we met.

  After a while I needed my hand back, so I reached inside the glove compartment and removed the notebook with the information from the souls. “Here. Make yourself useful.”

  He flipped through the messages. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I need suggestions. How to tell them. What lies to use. The cancer girl, I can text her parents the link to her online video. She’s a vlogger like me, but her vlog is set to private.”

  “Text messages can be traced back to your phone.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” I brought the car to a stop in the parking lot across the street from the Draper Building.

  “I can help find their addresses and go talk to them,” Echo said.

  “That’s a great idea. I mean, finding their addresses. But I don’t trust you to be nice and polite.”

  “I can be nice.” He lifted my chin and studied my face. “Especially when I have a reason.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You’d be nicer to me afterwards.” He nuzzled my cheek. “Several times.”

  Oh yes I would. I forced myself to focus. It wasn’t easy with his hand on my nape and his breath on my skin. “Okay. You can help, but I have to be there.”

  He sighed. “That defeats the purpose, doll-face.”

  “Which is?”

  “To protect you. This is a small town. People talk. When I’m gone, you’ll still live here.”

  Something clasped my chest at his words. I didn’t want him to leave. And why was it okay for him to talk about leaving, yet when I mentioned my death he acted like he wanted to punch someone?

  “They won’t remember me, but they will remember you. You are unforgettable.”

  “Yeah, right.” I reached in the back for my swim bag. He caught my wrist and stopped me from leaving the car.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, studying me under heavy lidded eyes. I loved that look on him. Made me want to tell him how much I loved
him.

  “Nothing.” I planted a kiss on his lips. “See you inside.”

  He stepped out of the car as I walked away. When I looked back, he was staring after me with a frown. I entered the building and saw a familiar tall figure, a computer bag on his shoulder.

  “Dad! What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d watch you practice. It’s been months since I did that.”

  Months? How about years? My parents never attended high school swim practice. Mom had put him up to this. “Okay. See you inside.”

  “Who was that young man?”

  My feet faltered. “What?”

  “The young man with you in the car.”

  Had he seen us kiss? “He’s, uh, a friend. I have to go, Dad.” I hurried to the swim desk, showed them my student ID, and disappeared inside the changing room. Explaining Echo to Dad would only complicate things. My parents were big on meeting any guy I dated.

  When I appeared on the deck, Dad was already seated. I kept glancing at the bleachers nervously. He waved a few times. When Echo appeared, Dad noticed him right away. In that duster, he was hard to miss.

  Halfway through practice, they were seated next to each other. Talking. About what? I tried to catch their attention several times with little results. Finally, Echo looked at me and winked.

  He was too bold.

  The practice passed in a blur. I showered quickly and raced outside, expecting to find Echo waiting for me. Instead, Dad stood by my car. Alone. I wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad.

  “You seemed distracted,” he said.

  I made a face. “I was the only one with a parent on the bleachers.”

  He grinned. “Don’t worry. After a few days you won’t even notice I’m there.”

  “What? You mean you plan on coming—”

  “I’m joking, muffin. I have to go now. I promised your mother I’d pick up a few things from the store. See you at home.”

  “Okay. I have to stop by Jenny’s for my hair.”

  “What’s wrong with your hair? It’s perfect the way it is.”

  Considering his long gray hair was always messy or in a ponytail, he wouldn’t know anything about perfect hair. “I need a trim.” I threw my bag in the back seat of my car. “Oh, Dad?”

  He turned.