Heroes (Eirik Book 2) (28 page)

“Where is he?” I asked. He pointed up, but I couldn’t see anything. “Isn’t that taking a big risk? What if people saw him?”

“He knows the Immortals and Valkyries in this town, and he’s cloaked so the Mortals can’t see him.”

“Okay. Thanks. I’ll wait for him.”

“His things are by the clearing. I’ll check on you in a few minutes.”

“I’ll be fine, Daiku. Eirik will bring me back. Keep an eye on my cousin and Hayden.”

He gave me a stiff bow and left. I waited until the portal closed behind him, then looked around. The trees were tall with a lot of undergrowth, but there were also beaten paths used by hikers and bikers. It was still too cold for hikers though. I pulled the cloak closer and walked toward the clearing. Eirik’s things were by a tree trunk. I sat next to them and waited. After awhile, the cold crept to my butt.

Why had he come here? He could have easily flown in Helheim.

Five minutes crawled by. Hayden and Zack checked on me, and I explained why I was sitting on a tree trunk in the middle of an Oregon forest. She closed the portal after I showed her Eirik’s duster. Ten minutes came and went. Fifteen. After thirty minutes, I pulled out my phone to call Hayden, paused, and put it away. I went back to waiting and searching the skies, and keeping an eye on critters.

Despite growing up near the bayou, I was a city person. Dad loved fishing, but he wasn’t big on camping, so bugs annoyed me. Creepers made my skin crawl. Something slithered on top of a rock. All I saw was the head and a gray body the color of the rock, and my mind went into panic zone. I screamed, the sound echoing around the trees.

Seconds later, a tremor shot through the ground and trees trembled. Okay, time to get out of here. I fumbled for my phone. Before I could press the green phone button, something long wrapped around me. A snake.

I opened my mouth to scream again, and then I was in the air, being lifted. My mouth closed as relief coursed through me. Eirik. You’d think he’d at least remove the cloaking runes first.

I fumbled for my pin. The connection was instant, and the Veil lifted. He stood where the broken trees were, but the thinner end of his tail was wrapped around me. Runes danced under his scales. He placed me on his shoulder, and I climbed to his neck, where I was more secure and comfortable.

“You can’t keep scaring me like that,” he said in a low rumbling voice. “Why did you scream?”

The sound vibrated through him and me. That effect would never get old. I rested my cheek against his scales. “Promise not to laugh.”

“I won’t.”

Man, I hoped he laughed. He settled on the ground, crossed his front legs, and rested his head on them, angling it so he could see me. I studied his face. His eyes were hard to read. Or maybe I wasn’t used to reading dragon expressions.

“You sounded scared,” he added. “I don’t like seeing you scared.”

“A lizard slithered on a rock back there.”

His chest rumbled with laughter, and I savored the effect then smacked him. “You promised not to laugh.”

“You do see the irony in that.”

“Yep.” I ran from a puny lizard yet was curled up with a giant one. “There’s a difference. You wouldn’t hurt me, while other reptiles could.” I was still feeling the effect of his laugh. I rested my cheek on his neck again and sighed. I could hear his heart pounding. I wanted him to continue talking and laughing.

“Is it okay for me to hate your mother?” he asked.

Thoughts of everything else flew from my head. “What? Where did that come from?”

“She made you hate my kind. I think it’s only fair I hate her.”

I sat up, then slid from his neck, stepping on scales on my way down. I stopped and winced. “Sorry. I didn’t stop to think. I’ll be careful.”

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s like an insect crawling on your skin.”

I shuddered. “Creepy.”

He chuckled. “You don’t like the outdoors?”

“Nope. I hate creepers and crawlers and flyers—except you—and everything in between.”

“I take beautiful pictures of nature. I’ll show you my collection. Come down here.”

I continued, until I reached the leg under his chin and sat on his folded joint. Now I could see his eyes when we talked. I brushed off the scales I’d stepped on. He purred, and my hand stilled. When I glanced at him, he was eyeing me with lazy eyes.

“Stroke my scales again,” he whispered.

I caressed the beautiful, glossy scales, marveling at their colors. I continued up toward his eyes and then down to his nose and his mouth. The more I stroked him, the more relaxed he became. His wings closed around him, the edge tilted in such a way that it formed a shield around me. Someone would have to be flying to see me. He was still cloaked. I reached up and ran a hand along the ridged end of his wing and then the softer tissue between the bones.

“I’m happy you are exploring my body,” he said.

His crazy sense of humor was returning.

“It would take me days or weeks to fully appreciate the magnificence of your body.” I stroked the scales on his cheek and stared into his nearest eye. It was nearly as big as my face. “Don’t hate my mother, Eirik. It takes too much energy.”

“I know, but because of our relationship, I’ll have to deal with her. Maybe even forgive her.”

Since I wasn’t sure what he’d meant by “our relationship,” I let it pass.

“No, I meant to say she doesn’t deserve the energy that goes into hating someone. As for forgiving her, don’t even bother. I don’t intend to forgive her. She’d have to earn my trust before I could ever forgive her.”

“You’ve never heard from her all these years?”

“Never. It hurt at first, but then it got better. Now, it doesn’t matter.” I didn’t want to talk about my mother anymore. “Why did you come here? You could have stayed at home if you wanted to fly.”

“I needed warmth, and I found you.” He bumped me with his snout.

He was trying to distract me. “Did something happen at home?”

“Nope. I talked to Trudy and messed around with Mom’s warriors. Then I thought about asking the Immortals here if they’d heard about the orphans, but I changed my mind. Blaine and I are not that close. I thought I should tell Raine she might be in danger, but she doesn’t need this crap on top of everything else.” He lowered his head and nudged me until I put my hand on his head. Then he sighed. “I’ll deal with it.” His stomach grumbled. “I’m starving.”

“You must warn her, Eirik.”

“No. She needs to spend the last few months she has with her father in peace without worrying about Witches being killed.”

“But her mother is a former Valkyrie and she has Torin. You should at least tell one of them what’s going on, so the burden is not all on you. You have enough to deal with as it is, so it’s not fair to take on more responsibilities.”

He grinned. “Okay, sheath your claws, tigress. I’ll talk to Torin.”

“Great. About your sister. Look how close you are to finding her in four months. You should feel good about that.”

He stopped smiling, his eyes acquiring a yellow glow. “Close is not enough. I’m going to Jötunheim tomorrow to search for my grandmother, and I want you to come with us. Trudy is coming too.” He told me about her powers, which sounded awesome. “I might also take Rhys and Nara in case we run into trouble.”

My stomach dropped. “What kind of trouble?”

“I don’t know. It’s another realm, so anything is possible. You can ask Hayden to come too since you’re both linked to my grandmother through the blood bond. I’m convinced she’s in Jötunheim. The other realms would not offer her refuge.”

I had no problem flying around Helheim because it was his home. Jötunheim was home of the giants, an unknown and unexplored territory. Yet how could I tell him I was scared without making him feel like I didn’t trust him to protect me? He didn’t need that now.

“Okay,” I said. “Now I have to convince Hayden. I left her telling Zack everything.” I looked at my watch. “It’s six. I have to finish cooking before the Guild meeting.”

Eirik rubbed his snout against my arm. “I have to change.”

Now I could read his expression. Even slitted, the naughty twinkle in his eyes was unmistakable. “I’ll close my eyes.”

“Not on my account.” He gently lowered me to the ground. “It’s okay to look and touch,” he teased, and my eyes flew to his, my face burning. “I can’t get all the love when in my dragon form only.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I stood there like an idiot, until he indicated I turn around. I closed my eyes. I thought I heard him chuckle, but the sounds that followed made me cringe. The cracks and snaps were bones breaking and reforming. I fought the urge to look and make sure he was okay. It took every ounce in my body to hold still. He must have gone into hyper speed because I felt him standing behind me. His warmth and scent swirled around us.

“I’m done,” he whispered, his hand gripping my arms. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to my shoulder, right where the cloak slipped and left the skin bare. I trembled, my breath catching. His hand slipped lower and rested where my top barely covered my pants. The heat from his hand on my bare skin was like nothing I’d ever felt. Warmth surged through me.

“Eirik,” I whispered. His touch was addictive, and I wanted more. He kissed a path along my neck to my ear and took my lobe in his mouth. His tongue was hot. I moaned when he bit my earlobe.

“You are mine, Dimples. Since the day your soul found mine in that dungeon and became my guiding light.
Stjärna mín.
” He pressed me tightly against him.

“Show me, Eirik.”

“Soon,” he whispered, his arms tightening around my waist. “The timing must be perfect.” The warmth disappeared from my back. I wanted to beg him to stay, yet I understood why he was holding back. Finding his sister had to be his first priority. I drew in a deep breath and turned to face him.

His eyes were so intense it was as though he could see straight into my soul. He reached out and touched my lips with the tips of his fingers. Desire pulsed through my body, and my knees threatened to give out. I steadied myself on his chest. His eyes became slits at my reaction, scales popping up on his arms.

“Run,” he snarled. “I’m happy you came to find me, but you need to go. Now.” He nodded at someone behind me, and I turned to see Daiku.

“I’ll be at your place to take you to the meeting,” Eirik growled as I stumbled forward, my body shaking. “Wait for me.”

I had a feeling his dragon side either was about to take over or something had pushed him over the edge.

CELESTIA

Hayden and Zack were still talking, their feet dangling in the water. I wanted that with Eirik—an evening spent gazing into the water, talking with our heads pressed together and no worries in the world.
Soon
, he’d said. I couldn’t wait. Sighing, I opened the door and headed for the kitchen. Someone had put my potatoes back on the stove to cook.

I pulled out margarine, garlic powder, and salt, and tried not to think about Eirik. The slight tremor in my hands said I was still affected by Eirik’s kiss on my neck. If my body reacted like that, I could just imagine what his kiss would feel like. I took out my frustration on the poor potatoes. Between spells and working on my astral projections, Grams had passed on to me her second love—cooking. She loved southern cuisine.

My watch said it was almost six-thirty, yet Dad wasn’t home. I removed the chicken breast I’d defrosted, cut it into four pieces, wrapped each one with bacon, and secured the ends with toothpicks. Then I blended sugar and chilli pepper. Grams would sometimes use chipotle chilli powder to give it southwestern flavor. I coated the bacon-wrapped fillets with the mixture, put them in the oven to bake, and set the timer. All that was left to make was veggies. Steamable veggies were lifesavers. My meals when Dad was out of town were steamable vegetables or Cup Noodles. Grams would crawl her way out of a Resting Hall to yell at me if she knew. I removed the load from the dryer.

“I punched the son of a Norse goddess?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Zack. He looked worried. “He forgave you, so think nothing of it.”

“Damn, Celestia. When you get in trouble, you dive in headfirst.”

I closed the lid on the dryer. “I’m not in trouble.”
Yet.
I studied his face. He looked a little pale. “Where’s Hayden?”

“Trying to talk to orphans from the other sectors.” He chuckled softly. “She’s Immortal, heals when hurt, moves like The Flash, and can bench press me.”

“Only when she uses runes. Without them, she’s just a girl—drop dead gorgeous, and a very loyal friend, but still just a girl.”

“Hayden would never be just a girl.”

It was frustrating not to be able to read him. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in.” He shoved his hands in the front pocket of his jeans. “Erased memories. Other realms. Reapers. The two out there look like assassins for hire. Hayden might not even be human.”

So that was bugging him? “Dwarves, Elves, and even Jötnar are like us, Zack. Flesh and bones. Some more magical than others, like us with our gifts.” Why couldn’t he see how cool she was? She was Immortal, yet so humble. “You watch
Supernatural
all the time, so knowing that other beings exist shouldn’t be a stretch.”

Zack sighed. “That’s fiction, Celestia. This is real. What if she’s a shifter?”

“Or the daughter of a god.” He was by the window watching Hayden. I went to stand by his side. “You can either accept that the girl you are crazy about is different or deny that part of her and lose her. Did she tell you about the Suits and how she and her mother pack up and move whenever they appear?”

“Yeah. That’s messed up. Who the hell are these people?”

Screams came from our left, and I jumped. My first thought was the Suits. Splashes followed. The Gordons were throwing a party for one of their kids again. They had five boys ranging from pre-teen to teen, and every weekend, one of them had their friends over. Last weekend, the oldest boy had his entire high school class on their dock. The bushes and trees were supposed to offer us privacy, but they didn’t block sounds and jocks determined to retrieve a ball. The Moutons’ insanely huge mansion was to our right. Their dock was equally big, and they had a large boat. We had a corner property with mature trees on either side of our property.

“I gotta go,” Zack said, and I followed his gaze to Hayden. She’d left the gazebo and was on her way over. “Dad got a new shipment, and I promised I’d go back by closing time to help with the inventory.”

He was a terrible liar. I knew him well enough to know he was running. “Sure. We’ll be heading to the meeting at seven, so if you can make it, you know where to find us.”

He nodded, turned to leave, and then paused and met my gaze. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

“She said you told Uncle Richard that the reapers are guards from the Guild.”

“It’s better than lying or hiding them.”

“I guess so. But if Eirik plans to stick around, you’ll eventually have to tell Uncle Richard the truth.”

“I know.”

“Okay. Just be careful.” He gave me another uncertain smile and opened the door. A scream filled the air, and I groaned. Thank goodness I was spending the rest of the week at Hayden’s. Our neighbors and their stupid parties would have been intolerable.

“What the…?”

Zack was still in the doorway, so I peered around him, expecting to see one of the annoying kids running across our yard. Instead, Hayden was struggling against two men in suits while more fought Ranger and Daiku.

“MOVE!” I pushed Zack out of my way and barely took a step forward when the men disappeared with Hayden.

“No,” I mumbled and staggered forward, my chest squeezing with dread. I couldn’t think or breathe. A surge of energy and warm air from my left, followed by another on my right, told me people had opened two portals on my porch. Since I couldn’t see them without my cloak, I curled my fingers, my eyes darting left and right. I wasn’t being taken without a fight.

Energy burst from my core as I tapped into my magic. It flowed to my hands, translating into my ability to move objects. My hands whipped out, directing the energy and unleashing its effect. It hit them hard, and they stopped cloaking.

One yelled something as he flew backward across the porch and landed on our patio table and chair, flattening them. The other one flew over the porch rail and landed on the grass, but they recovered fast and lunged for me. Ranger moved so fast he was a blur across my lawn. Then he body slammed the one on the grass, the two becoming a blur of black and white as they rolled. The dent they left looked like a backhoe had dug through our lawn.

I screamed when the other caught my arm, but Daiku grabbed the pole of the porch and swung around it, pulling some weird ninja move. He wrapped his legs around the second man’s neck and threw him toward the dock while still swinging. He leaped off and chased the man, who disappeared, presumably into a portal. Daiku dived in after him.

I stood there in shock. Then everything that had happened came rushing back.

“They took her,” I mumbled. Ranger’s curses reached me before I realized he’d lost the other attacker, too. “Go help Daiku,” I yelled at him. “They took Hayden. GO!”

“I can’t leave you alone. He’ll be fine.”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll…” My eyes fell on Zack, and my stomach dropped. He was unconscious on the lawn. I ran to his side and dropped on my knees. He was out cold. I lifted his head, cradled it close, and glared at the Grimnir.

“Go find her, Ranger,” I screamed, fighting tears.

“My orders are to stay with you.”

“I don’t care.”

The cowboy didn’t leave. Instead, he walked toward the water where Hayden had been kidnapped and picked up something from the grass. It was her phone. She’d dropped it. Now, I couldn’t even call her. Tears of frustration filled my eyes. First Tammy, now Hayden.

“Don’t touch him,” I yelled when Ranger squatted beside Zack.

The blast of cold swept the air, and I knew Eirik had arrived. Tears of relief rushed to my eyes. I refused to break down now when Hayden needed me.

“They took her, Eirik. The Suits took Hayden.”

“Where’s Daiku?”

“He followed one of the kidnappers through a portal,” Ranger said. “It was a coordinated attack by eight of them. Four came after us, moving in and out of portals, while four more went after the Immortal and Miss Celestia.”

“Join Daiku and find out where they took Hayden. Once you have her location, come and get me.” Ranger left while Eirik knelt beside me and studied Zack. “What happened to him?”

“I don’t know. Someone knocked him down.” I searched his face. “You’ll find her, right?”

“Yes.” His voice was so calm my fears went down a notch.

“I want to help. I can find her energy.”

“And they can find yours. They didn’t just try to take her, Dimples. They tried to take you too. That’s a game changer. I’ll carry Zack inside. I don’t think lying out here in the driveway is good for him.”

Eirik tried to pick up Zack, but I wasn’t ready to let go. Everything was falling apart, and I needed to hold on to someone familiar. “I’m coming with you, Eirik. I can’t sit here like some helpless nitwit.”

“No one can ever call you that. First, someone has to stay here with your cousin. Then you have a meeting to go to at seven.”

“I don’t care—”

“Yes you do. Ease up, Dimples. Let me take him inside, okay?”

I released the grip I had on Zack’s shoulders and Eirik took him. I picked up Hayden’s phone and punched in a code. She’d been making calls before she was taken. Maybe the person she’d called had come for us. I tried the last password I’d seen her use, but it was the wrong one. I tried another and another. Why did she insist on switching her password every week? It was a stupid habit.

Reaction set in. My body began to shake, and the damn tears threatened to fall. I lifted my chin to blink and control them as Eirik left the house, concern darkening his amber eyes.

“I’m fine. I just need to find the person she called. Why should they come for me? I’m not one of them.” He squatted and peered into my eyes. He was worried about me, and that only pissed me off because it fed my urge to cry. I fought the tears. “Stupid passwords. Stupid, stupid phone.” A tear slipped and fell on my hand.

Eirik lifted me up and carried me to the porch. He stepped over broken chairs and tables, sat on the porch swing, and tucked me under his chin. “I was in the middle of frying a few warriors midair while they attempted to aim their useless arrows at me when I sensed you were in danger. Halfway across the field, I realized I couldn’t use the portal as a dragon. I had to make a U-turn and head back to my changing room. To add insult to injury, I shifted in midair before I could reach my changing room. My dragon form is an idiot.”

His voice calmed me down and the urge to cry disappeared. I imagined him landing on the snow naked while the guards and Grimnirs watched.

“Were you hurt?”

“I would have been if it weren’t for healing runes. After that stunt, I’m putting a freeze on shifting.”

“That’s not fair. You’ll be shutting off a part of you. Your dragon side was concerned for me. No,
you
were concerned for me.”

“No,
I
was pissed for going back to fight the warriors instead of showering and coming back here.”

He continued to rock while I nestled in his chest and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to move even though I knew I’d have to eventually. His robe felt soft against my cheek and he smelled of sweat, but I didn’t care. I loved his scent, clean or sweaty. And I loved listening to the stories about his escapades—especially in his dragon form. One of these days he’d accept that both forms represented his personalities—playful, flamboyant, funny, calm when calm was called for, and stubborn as a mule.

“Luckily, I was close to my changing rooms, but the only clothes I have there are robes. Can you imagine running through the snow in a robe and no shoes? I entertained the entire staff. My parents must think I’m a total idiot.”

I chuckled because I knew he was just trying to make me feel better. Still, curiosity got the better of me and I looked down.

“You
are
wearing sweatpants and boots.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed. Next time, I’ll tell Litr not to chase after me with a pair of pants and boots. Centuries of living in Helheim and he still whines about a little cold. He vowed to keep a trunk full of pants and boots in the cave for these moments when you need me. He doesn’t understand that once I pick up your distress signals, I have to find you. Tell me what happened.”

“She was talking on the phone by the river when we heard her scream. I looked outside and two men in suits had her. More stopped Daiku and Ranger when they tried to go to her rescue. The moment I stepped outside, two attacked me. Someone must have knocked out Zack. Oh crap.” I sat up. “Zack.”

“He’ll be fine. He got a slight bump on the back of his head.” Eirik ran his knuckles up and down my arm in a reassuring gesture, and I lost my train of thought.

“Go on?” he urged.

“Daiku and Ranger stopped them, but they had portals already opened and disappeared through them. She dropped her phone, but now I can’t contact whoever she was talking to because of her paranoia and tendency to change passwords.”

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’ll find her.”

Looking into his eyes, it was so easy to believe him. He was so confident and nothing ever bothered him. I nodded, my eyes dropping to his chest. His robe had shifted while he was holding me and exposed more skin. My emotions were all over the place, but the strongest was the need to connect with him, to hear the pound of his heartbeat, and feel the warmth and texture of his skin.