Runes #03 - Grimnirs (32 page)

I was sobbing so hard my body shook. How could one person endure so much and still manage to smile and laugh? I had never been subjected to real pain before. Except for my stay at PMI and losing my grandma, my upbringing had been charmed compared to his.

 
“I’m sorry I made you cry,” Echo whispered, lifting my face to kiss my tears away. “I didn’t mean to. And I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I actually had it better than some.”

As if possible, I cried harder. I hurt for him and had nothing but hatred for those who’d hurt him. I wished I could find the people responsible and make them pay.

“Please, don’t cry. You’re killing me.”

The pain in his voice forced me to reign in my anger. “If I could find the people who did this to you—”

“I did,
Cora-mio
.” The smile that curled his lips was smug. “I made it my mission to find them and made sure they paid for what they did. For eternity.”

As I looked into his eyes, everything fell into place. “You deliberately turned your people so you’d end up on permanent Hel duty.”

He smirked. “Damn right. And I found them, every last one of them. I told you, my soul is dark and—”

“No, it’s beautiful,” I cut in. “You are amazing and wonderful.” I punctuated each word with a kiss. “I don’t care what you say or what anyone says. You are the avenging angel. Those soldiers deserved what they got, and you made it happen. If I had been there, I would have proudly been by your side. Your soul is beautiful. It’s pure. And it belongs with mine. Your heart… Oh, Echo. I want you to give it to me so I can keep it safe and never do anything to hurt it.” I stopped kissing him and stared into his eyes. “I love you.”

He touched my face. “Cora—”

“No, don’t say anything. This is not a contest. I’m not telling you this so you can say it back to me. This is me giving you my heart because I know you will keep it safe. I know you’ll slay any dragons and monsters that threaten me. I want you to because I love you. I love your craziness. Your cockiness. Impulsiveness and even the way you kick ass. I don’t care what you’ve done or will do. That won’t change how I feel about you. All I ask is one thing—give me a chance to love you. Not just now. Forever. I want to spend eternity by your side. Fighting with you. Laughing. Crying. I want to love you for the next century or two or three. I want to love you for eternity. Make me Immortal.”

There. I had said. I waited with abated breath.

Echo sat up, but his expression wasn’t that of a lover. He looked worried. “Your dad is coming upstairs.”

My eyes flew to the mirror. “How do you know?”

“The runes I placed on your door are connected to the ones in the portal and your hallway. Go. Tell him goodnight or something.” He lifted me off his lap.

I frowned and stared at him. “Are you trying to push me away because I told you that I love you?”

“No, sweetheart.”

“That I want to be Immortal?”

He stood and planted a hard kiss on my lips. “No. Come on. Your father is really upstairs.” Echo took my arm and led me toward the mirror, runes appearing on his skin. The portal formed.

I reached up and kissed him. “I’ll be back.”

Racing to my room, I grabbed the robe on the back of my chair, shrugged it on, and tied the belt. A glance back told me Echo had followed me. He crossed the room, picked up his towel from the floor where he’d dropped it, and wrapped it around his waist. He sauntered closer, a wicked smile curling his lips.

“He’s outside your door,” he warned.

The runes on his body made him invisible but still...

“Behave,” I mouthed. Then I unlocked the door. Dad was just about to knock. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, sweetheart. I just came up to say goodnight.” He frowned, his eyes searching my face and probably seeing that I’d been crying. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes. Couldn’t be better.” I reached up and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, Dad.”

“I think he wants to talk,” Echo said from behind me.

“Can we talk?” Dad asked.

“Told you,” Echo said.

I stepped back, almost bumping into Echo. “Sure. Come in.”

But Dad didn’t come inside. Instead, he stood in the doorway, gave my room a sweeping glance, and focused on me. “Your mother said Blaine Chapman is back.”

“Yeah. He, uh, might start the game on Saturday.”

“Did he do or say anything to hurt you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Blaine is a sweet guy.”

“He’s not,” Echo retorted. “He’s a self-serving shithead.”

Dad peered at my face. “Muffin, I can tell you’ve been crying.”

I laughed. “I was watching a sad movie. You know me, Dad. I forgot it was just a movie.”

Echo chuckled.

Dad touched my cheek. “As long it’s not Chapman breaking my little girl’s heart. Then I’d have to pay him a visit. I always thought he was a decent kid and a decent ballplayer, but St. James is a much better quarterback. With the two of them at the helm, you might just win state this year. I promised Tristan I’d watch Saturday’s game at his place. He has a bigger screen, and he could use some company. He looks a lot better than I expected.” Dad smiled sheepishly as though he realized he had gotten off topic. “Anyway, remember what we talked about. I’m here if you need to talk.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Your mother said I, uh, called her and mentioned seeing a boy in your car, but I don’t remember making the call or seeing anyone. But then I remembered you mentioned a friend after swim practice.”

“That’s my fault.” Echo said behind me. “I didn’t know he’d called home.”

Once again, I ignored Echo and focused on my father. “That was my fault. There was a student behind you and I assumed you were talking to him.”

“So you didn’t give anyone a ride this afternoon?”

“I’ll make him forget about me,” Echo said, appearing on my right, a runic blade in his hand. I didn’t realize he’d gone and gotten one.

“No,” I said, blocking his path when he could have slipped past me.

“No? Are you sure?” Dad asked, assuming I was talking to him.

I shook my head. “I mean, no, you weren’t wrong. I was with a guy in the car. He’s a friend.” I grinned. “Actually, he’s my boyfriend and an amazing guy. And when I’m ready and he’s ready, I’d like to bring him home for dinner or something, so you and Mom can meet him and see how wonderful he is.”

Dad chuckled. “That’s nice.”

I knew what he was thinking—another one. I’d gushed over every boy I’d ever dated.

“Goodnight, sweetie.” Dad planted a kiss on my forehead.

“’Night, Dad.”

I watched him walk to the end of the hallway. Then I closed the door and exhaled. Echo was already seated on my bed, a strange look on his face—a cross between amazement and worry.

“You etched forgetful runes on my father,” I said.

“He remembered me and was giving me the third degree.” He tugged on the belt of my robe and smiled when it fell apart. “Mortals are not supposed to remember us.”

“He’s my dad, Echo. One runed person in my family is enough.”

“Okay.” He circled my waist, nuzzled my stomach, and kissed my belly button. Then he pulled me down on his lap. His hand slipped under my robe to stroke my skin. He loved to touch me and I loved his touch, so I wasn’t complaining.

“You would invite me to your home for dinner?” he asked in a strange voice.

Ah, that explained the look on his face. “Yes, and to meet my parents. If I could, I’d tell them everything about you so they can understand why I love you.”

“
Cora-mio
,” Echo whispered, tilted my chin, and claimed my lips. It was a soft kiss. A gentle kiss filled with reverence and promises. He might not be able to say it yet, but I knew he loved me.

“What did Blaine want?” he asked in a calm voice, drawing circles on my stomach with the tips of his fingers.

“I don’t want to talk about Blaine.” I stood and straddled him. “I want to make love to you again.”

He chuckled and pulled me down to his lap, the towel around his waist the only barrier between us.

“I plan to, but first, let’s talk about Blaine. He wants you.”

“No. He thinks Drew is obsessed with me.”

Echo went still. “Has Drew said or done something to show that? Because if—”

“No. He just stares at me with a lost puppy expression, like I broke his heart or something. I went to his party and left with you. That’s it.” I tugged at the towel.

He grabbed my hands. “Focus, Cora. Tell me exactly what Blaine said.”

Something in his voice set off warning bells in my head. “He told me to stop screwing with Drew’s head. He said he’d seen me and that ignoring Drew at school was cruel, both of which didn’t make sense. Oh, and he’d like to get a decent night’s sleep.” I rolled my eyes. “Maybe Drew’s been moaning my name in his sleep.”

Echo frowned. “Or while he’s awake.”

Why would he be moaning—oh! Masturbating. “Ew.”

“She’s back,” Echo said, his expression bleak.

I frowned, not getting what he meant. “Who?”

“Maliina.”

18.
 
A Surprise Visitor

My stomach dropped. Echo was right. It explained everything Blaine had said about seeing me and ignoring Drew at school. She was obviously sleeping with him.

“What does she want now?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but she’s up to something or she wouldn’t have stolen your identity again.”

Why couldn’t she choose someone else? Why me? Unless… “Do you think she knows that Hel still wants Eirik?”

“I’m sure she does and that the only way for her to make things right with the goddess is to find Eirik and take him to his mother.” Echo’s hands tightened on mine. “But she won’t use you. I’ll make sure of that.”

I didn’t think I could sleep after that, yet I did, thanks to Echo. And the next morning, he woke me up with a kiss.

“Morning,
Cora-mio
,” he whispered. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you later.”

Cora-mio.

He’d used it before here and there, but more often now. I didn’t know what it meant, but I loved the sound of it. I Googled it as soon my laptop rebooted.

In Italian, it meant “my Cora”. Echo was now calling me his.

Grinning, I changed for school. I knew I shouldn’t be this happy with Maliina’s presence hanging over my head. I stared at my reflection and debated whether to ditch school until Echo caught her. I didn’t doubt for one minute that he would. He was unstoppable.

No, I wasn’t hiding. I refused to let her take over my identity again. I grabbed my bag and hurried downstairs. Two male voices reached me before I stepped off the stairs. When I did, my eyes widened at the scene around my kitchen counter. Mom was serving breakfast to Blaine Chapman, while he and Dad discussed football.

Blaine saw me first, stood, and smiled. “Good morning, Cora.”

“Morning.” I was confused. What was he doing in my house?

Mom beamed with approval as though she was planning my wedding. Blaine’s clean-cut appearance would appeal to her. Dad’s expression was watchful. He was probably wondering if Blaine was the Mr. Amazing I’d mentioned last night.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

Blaine flashed his famous smile. “I thought we’d ride to school together.”

Really? Drew’s farm was on the other side of town. Something was going on. “Sure.”

“Sit and eat, sweetie,” Mom said, scooping eggs and bacon onto a plate.

“I was just telling your parents that I’m back to help the Trojans win state, but Torin will be starting next weekend.”

Okay, something strange was definitely going on. Last week, he was all about taking back
his
team. Now he was happy playing second fiddle to Torin? Did Echo put a whammy on him? Could Immortals be influenced by runes? I had a lot to learn.

“That’s nice.” I picked up a piece of toast and munched on it as I poured coffee into a travel mug. My eyes met Dad’s. I saw the question in his eyes. I smiled and shook my head.

“Okay, let’s go, Blaine,” I said, turning the lid on the mug.

“You barely ate anything,” Mom protested.

I raised my coffee mug. She shot me a pointed look. I rolled my eyes. She knew I wasn’t a breakfast person. I ripped a sheet from the paper towel roll, took one more piece of toast, and showed her. She sighed. Blaine said his goodbyes and grabbed my swim bag. Outside, I turned and faced him as soon as the door closed.

“What’s up?”

“Let’s talk in the car.” He led the way to the SUV, which looked familiar. It wasn’t Drew’s though. I threw my bag in the back and slid in the front passenger seat, too aware of my parents watching us through the window.

Blaine started the car, backed up, and drove away from the farmhouse. “There was a meeting last night, and it was decided I should be your designated driver today.”

“What meeting? Why wasn’t I invited, and who made the decision without checking with me?”

“Echo.”

“Oh.”

Blaine chuckled. “Actually, you were there, just sound asleep. Echo wasn’t too thrilled about leaving you alone in your little farmhouse in case Maliina showed up and traded places with you, so he carried you to the meeting.”

Sounded like something he’d do. I frowned. “Where was this meeting, and who was there?”

“The Seville mansion. All of us—Lavania, Torin, Andris, Ingrid, Raine, Echo, and me. Basically, we are to keep an eye on you until Maliina is taken care of.” He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. “You should have told me you were a Mortal, Cora.”

“Is that why you’re my bodyguard instead of Echo or one of the others?”

“Yes and no. Your parents know me and already think I’m interested in you, so I was the only choice.” He grinned. “Echo went to Hel to make sure Maliina wasn’t tattling on him. The last thing he needs is the goddess knowing he’s working with the Valkyries. She might put two and two together and conclude he was the one who killed the missing Grimnirs. How did he put it? If Hel came after him, he would have to go underground and he wasn’t putting you through that.” Blaine glanced at me again. “So you two are together?”

“Yeah. And before you ask if I love him, the answer is yes.”

“He’ll have to turn you.”

“No. I won’t let him do it.” The conversation we’d had flashed in my head. If Echo turned me, he’d end up on the very island where he’d sent the souls of the ones who’d slaughtered his people. “But we’ll find a way to be together.”

“I felt the same way about Casey.”

And now she was dead. Panic gripped my stomach. If Maliina caught up with me, I’d be just like Casey. I couldn’t imagine life without Echo. No, he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.

“Since when do you go along with whatever Echo and Torin decide?” I asked. “Last I heard, you told me to stay away from them.”

“That changed when I learned that you, a Mortal, was involved. Immortals don’t just serve the gods. We help them by taking care of people, too. If you knew how many wars I have…” He smiled. “Just know it is my duty to watch over you now.”

“So how old are you?”

Blaine grinned. “Old enough. Can we talk about something else?”

Was I ever going to get used to this age thing with these people? Blaine looked like any eighteen year old. Forever young. The lure was too much, especially when you were in love with one of them.

“Where are we going?” I asked when I realized we weren’t heading toward school.
 

“To the mansion to return the SUV to Andris.”

No wonder the SUV had looked familiar. It was the one Andris often drove. Blaine took short cuts and was soon headed east. “Why can’t they just create a portal that opens in the car and land in the back as you drive?”

Blaine laughed. “No one sane does that. It’s too dangerous.”

I grinned.
Oh, Echo. The things you do.

“You really should have told me you were not an Immortal,” Blaine said.

“I know. My life became complicated after I learned about your world, so I’m never sure who to trust. But it looks like Echo decided to trust you.”

Blaine snickered at the idea. “He doesn’t. He had no choice. Torin explained a few things to him. You know how things work in this world.” Blaine rubbed his chest. “Needless to say, he didn’t like hearing them and promised to yank out my heart and feed my soul to the serpents of Corpse Strand if anything happens to you.”

I grinned.

Blaine glanced at me and grimaced. “It’s not funny. No Immortal, Valkyrie, or even Grimnir should ever end up on that island. Unfortunately, that’s where Echo stashes everyone who pisses him off.”

“And they deserve it.”

“Your boyfriend has anger issues.”

I laughed. “Echo is perfect.”

“Yeah, love makes us believe anything.” He stopped smiling, and I wondered if he was thinking about Casey. Silence filled the car for the rest of the drive.

“Do you still want to be stationed in Asgard?” I asked as we entered the Seville compound.

“More than anything. Andris said he’ll try to locate Casey next time he’s there.” He parked beside the silver Mercedes he’d driven a few nights ago, jumped down, and came around the car to open the door for me.

“Nice car,” I said, eyeing the expensive sports car.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He grinned. “I’m just your designated driver from your house. Andris will take it from here. Drew is not supposed to see us together or suspect I’m working with you guys, so it’s okay to ignore me at school.” Blaine made a face. “I’m supposed to keep an eye out for Maliina at Drew’s, too.”

A shiver slithered up my skin, and I crossed my arms. Which if she suspected something? Then what?

“Are you going to be okay? I mean, aren’t you worried she might find out and turn on you?”

He smirked. “What can she do? I’m an Immortal.”

And there was the arrogance inherent in all of them. Ingrid came out of the house, dressed in trendy clothes, blonde hair perfectly styled. She smiled and waved. I wondered how she felt about all this mess with her sister. She was probably wishing she had a different sister.

Andris followed her, hair messy as though a lover had run his or her fingers through it. It was a style Echo had perfected with his hair. As usual Andris looked like he was going to a photo shoot for some magazine cover instead of school.

Blaine threw him the car keys, and Andris snatched them in mid-air. “So I’m babysitting you again, Mortal,” Andris teased.

I grinned at his disgruntled voice. “Sucks for you, doesn’t it, Valkyrie? But then again, what do you expect. We Mortals are weak and helpless. We need you big and strong Immortals to survive,” I said sarcastically.

Ingrid giggled.

Andris made a face. “Nice comeback for someone who’s Grimnir bait. Chapman, when are you moving in?”

“When this mess is over,” Blaine said. He didn’t sound happy about it.

“You’re moving in with them?” I asked.

Blaine nodded. “My father insisted.”

“Why do you say it like that?” Andris asked, glaring at him then me. “Living with us is fun. He won’t have to worry about using portals or switching to super speed. Plus, we throw killer pool parties.”

“With or without water?” I asked.

Andris grimaced. “You just had to bring that up.”

“Bring what up?” Ingrid asked.

“Yeah, what does pool party ‘with or without water’ mean?” Blaine asked.

“It’s on a need-to-know, and you two Immortals,” he pointed the key at Blaine then Ingrid, “don’t need to know.”

“She’s Mortal and she knows,” Ingrid said, pouting.

“She’s linked at the hip with our resident Hel boy, so she outranks you.” He winked at me. “You know how to pick the crème de la crème, don’t you? Gives new meaning to sleeping your way to the top.”

Andris could be so crude sometimes. I ignored him and got in the back seat while Ingrid sat in front. Blaine took off ahead of us.

“Text, Raine,” Andris told Ingrid as he gunned the engine. “Tell them we’re leaving.”

“Torin is not staying at the mansion?”

Andris chuckled. “Nope. He likes to be close to his ladylove. Look out his window and see her. Doesn’t matter that they’d only be a portal away if he moved here. He’s so whipped.”

“It’s called love,” Ingrid said.

Andris took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “It’s called whipped, sweetheart. Love means learning to let go.”

I tuned out at their conversation and stared ahead, worrying about Echo. If Hel found out he was protecting me, what would she do to him? Or to me? Down the street, Torin and Raine followed us to school. Then we moved as a group across the street into the school building.

Drew, Blaine, and a few jocks were talking and laughing when we entered the foyer. Blaine didn’t even miss a beat. He said something to the others while staring at Torin and snickered. We ignored them, though I felt Drew’s eyes on me. It was hard not to look back.

Poor guy.

We all went to put our bags away. Then Andris walked me to my class while Torin and Raine disappeared upstairs.

“Looks who’s waiting for you,” Andris whispered when we reached the doorway of my class.

My heart tripped when I saw Echo waiting by my chair. Minus his duster. He was also dressed casually in jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. No man looked good in Levis like Echo, and the sweater hugged his masculine chest. I couldn’t keep from ogling him.

The runes said he was invisible, so I couldn’t kiss him without looking like an idiot. He played with a lock of my hair, then traced a line down my cheek to my lips and ran his thumb across my lower lip, teasing me. He gave me that slow, sexy smile I loved. He knew I was lusting after him, the naughty guy.

“You look amazing,” he whispered huskily, his eyes on my mouth.

I covered his hand. It was killing me not to kiss him, and he wasn’t helping. Faking indifference, which was hard because his delectable lips were only a few inches away, I flipped my hair over my shoulder and lifted my chin. His hand moved to my nape.