Seeress: Book Three (Runes Series) (14 page)

“Echo and I don’t mix.”

That much was true. “Cora really wants us to try.”

He made a face. “Why?”

“Because she’s my best friend.” His eyes narrowed. “Best
girlfriend
and this is something couples do. It’s called a double date. You might not have had it during King Richard’s time, but it’s a perfectly normal thing to do in this century.”

He grabbed a pillow and chucked it at me. “I’m going to get you for that.”

“At least think about it. And junior prom, too.” He groaned. “You’ll enjoy it. I promise.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“And the prom?”

“Will you make it up to me afterwards?” He wiggled his brows.

My face warmed. “Only if you promise to make it up to me after the senior prom.”

He laughed. “We’re making booty call dates already. Perfectly normal.”

I grabbed my cell phone and blew him a kiss. He pretended to catch it.

***

“You know you don’t have to do that,” Femi said, entering the kitchen with a tray from Dad’s room.

“I don’t mind.” I put the last pan in the rack to dry and reached for a dishcloth to wipe the counter down. “You do everything else around here.”

“Half the day, I sit and talk to your father. He loves to hear my version of history as opposed to what Mortals write. Today we were discussing the misinterpretation of my people’s history.”

I listened to Femi as I rinsed the dishes in the tray and put them in the dishwasher. Once I wiped down the tray and put it in the cupboard under the sink, I turned to face her.

“There’s something that keeps bothering me. You are from Ancient Egypt. Hawk is a Blackfoot Native American. Both of you have no ties to the Norse Pantheon. How did you end up in Asgard?”

She chuckled. “If I could tell you the number of times we’ve been asked that question… We’ll need something to drink for this.”

“Not me. I’m good.” I watched her measure ground coffee into a filter and start the coffeemaker. Torin was big on vetting everyone around me, but I was sure Mom would not have hired Femi if she didn’t completely trust her.

Femi waved me over to a chair. “Immortals and Valkyries come from every continent and every corner of the globe. No pantheon is better or more powerful than the other. Norse, Egyptian, Vodun, Greek, Roman, Incan, Mayan, Hindu, Chinese, Slavic, Sumerian, and many more. The problem with gods and goddesses is that they are proud and selfish. They stay involved in our lives and listen to our needs if, and only if, we still revere them and ask them for help. You ignore them and they get angry and retreat to their realm. My gods rest in the Duat, a realm of the dead, the gods, and everything supernatural. It’s pretty much similar to this world, except it’s magical. My people stopped revering their gods, so the gods retreated. The same thing happened with the other old religions. Just a minute.”

She got up to pour the coffee. She must have forgotten I didn’t want any and brought back two steaming mugs. She drank hers black, but I liked mine sweetened and creamed. I got a creamer and sat.

“For awhile there, the Greek pantheon was strong because of the heroic deeds of the demigods, but the Norse Pantheon outgrew them because of Valkyries, Grimnirs, and Immortals. The fact that they recruit priests and priestesses regardless of race or continent works in their favor. We connect the gods and the Mortals. Valkyries and Grimnirs with their daily trips to the realm of the gods. We, Immortals, by working here on earth to make sure Mortals don’t destroy each other.”

I forgot about the movie we were going to watch as she regaled me with tales from around the world. The wars she’d fought in, causes she’d taken on, and the Valkyries she’d been assigned to.

“It is an honor to serve your family. One day, I can boast that I served you when you were just a young, fledgling Immortal.”

I winced. “That sounds bad.”

She laughed. “No. We were all young once, but we can’t escape our destinies. Watching over you is mine.” She leaned forward and added, “And that’s despite being considered hot-tempered and impossible to get along with. A rebel among Immortals.”

“Really? I would never have guessed.” She laughed. But I reached a decision. Mom trusted Femi, so I should trust her, too. “Talking of destinies, I had more visions.”

Her eyes lit up. “When?”

“Last night and this afternoon. They happen when I touch magical objects.”

“Soon, it won’t matter whether they are magical or not. You’ll connect with the
ka
of things and people.”

“
Ka
?”

“The soul. My people believe everything—people, plants, animals, even inanimate objects—has a soul. Did you black out again?”

I grimaced. “Yeah. I forgot that I was having a vision and panicked.”

She gripped my hands. “Then we’ll work on helping you stay in control and remembering it is just an illusion. We’ll start with magical objects. Their
kas
are much more powerful, which is why they are the first ones you’ve connected with. Next, we’ll use inanimate things around the house, the plants, and animals, and finally Mortals.” She reached under her nurse’s tunic and gripped the
ankh
amulet she wore around her neck.

“I also know that the people killing Seeresses are really after me,” I added.

She sighed. “I’d suspected it, but I was hoping you wouldn’t come to that realization yet. We have much work to do before they get here. And make no mistake, they will. I need to talk to that boyfriend of yours and Andris. Hawk must also be in the loop since you’ll be working at the shop.” She looked up and groaned. “Look at the time. I need to get your father ready for the night.”

It was only eight-thirty. After I wished Dad goodnight, I headed upstairs and booted up my computer. It was time to learn more about Torin’s family. I settled in bed and Googled the de Clare family.

Alexander Paul d’Arques, the twentieth Earl of Worthington, was elected to the House of Lords in two thousand. The earldom had passed down from one generation to another. A few times they lost it due to treason or sons being disinherited, some even forfeiting the title to distant relatives. One line caught and held my attention.

Adelaide d’Arques was executed of heresy in twelve-ten. Her accuser was her pious husband and a close friend of the king, William de Clare, Lord of Oakley and Earl of Worthington.

Yikes. This was different from the version Torin had told me.

There were fresh protection runes on my car. Just when I was getting used to the old ones Mom had scribbled on my car months ago, which had faded. I really, really hated runes on my personal things. Torin knew that. I glanced at my house and groaned.

Seriously?

The man I plan to slowly kill sauntered across the lawn. I forgot about the runes as my heart tripped. He wore a white tee under his leather jacket. He rarely wore white, but it looked great against his black hair and leather jacket. Was it always going to be like this with him? The excitement of his presence? The anticipation and flutter of my heart even when I wanted to scream at him?

“Is this really necessary?” I waved to indicate my car.

“Absolutely.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, lowered his head, and planted a kiss on my nose. “Come on. Time for school.”

He was in such a chipper mood I was sure he had more unpleasant surprises in store for me. He half-jogged around the hood of my car and gave me a what-are-you-waiting-for look across the hood as he opened the passenger seat.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“You seem pretty pleased with yourself. So what did you do, other than etch these on my car and house?”

His innocent smile didn’t fool me. I put my backpack and oboe in the back of the car and slid behind the wheel. The trees around our homes and the neighbors’ all had runes. More runes on trees along the road, buildings, around the school’s parking lot, and on the school building.

“When did you have time to do all this?” I asked, touched despite my unease.

“Last night.”

“You do know you can’t wrap me in a cocoon in the name of keeping me safe.”

“We decided it was the right thing to do now.”

“We?” I asked, parking in the lot across from school.

“Me, Andris, Femi, and Blaine. Oh, and Hawk. Femi contacted him. When you engage your runes, nearby runes respond and start a dominoes effect. We’ll feel the ripple wherever we are and pinpoint your location.” He stroked my hair, tucking a lock behind my ear. “For the best part, you start training today. You’ll work on speed, engaging your runes while on your feet, and evasive maneuvers. I know the perfect place for practice. After dinner, you can work with Femi on channeling your energy.”

This was good. I leaned over and kissed him. “You are amazing.”

“I know.”

“You should have asked me to help with the runes,” I added.

Torin grinned. “You would have slowed us down.”

“Hey!” I protested, but he got out of the car before I could act.

He was still laughing when I joined him. “This is why you need to train. Your reflexes are slow. You think and act like a Mortal. That jab should have caught me in the ribs. If you’d engaged your strength runes, you would have cracked a few.”

I’d never knowingly hurt him like that. I gave a dramatic sigh. “There goes my belief that being a
Völva
meant I’d be pampered and revered and never have to lift a finger.”

“That was then. You have to think and act like a Valkyrie. You have to be fast and strong.”

“Oh gee. I thought all Valkyries did was reap souls,” I teased. Cora waved to us from the school entrance. “Cora says souls are defenseless and scared like newborn babies.”

Torin snickered. “She deals with lost souls. We pluck them from the middle of battlefields, avalanches, hurricanes, earthquakes...” He stopped and scowled. “Why am I telling you what you already know? The Valkyries in Valhalla and Falkvang train with the warriors. During Ragnarok,
everyone
will go to war. Everyone. Even you.”

“What?” I screeched.

“Yo, St. James,” Heath Kincaid, running back, called from behind us. As usual, he was with his three sidekicks—Sloane Menken, Pete Cavanaugh, and Drew Cavanaugh, the annoying guy who’d dated Maliina during the weeks she’d impersonated Cora.

“We are having a birthday party for my boy here,” Heath slanted his head to indicate Sloane, “on Friday at L.A. Connection. He’s getting a full ride to U of O, thanks to our stellar performance at state. All the guys are coming, so we hope you,” Heath pressed a fist in his palm and bowed toward Torin, “and Raine will make it.”

“When does it start?” Torin asked.

“Eight o’clock. The whole team is invited.” Heath high-fived Sloane

I developed selective hearing when they mentioned L. A. Connection and barely heard the rest of their discussion. I’d avoided that club since my seventeenth birthday party when a swim team member died.

“Raine?” Cora yelled. She was getting impatient.

I touched Torin’s arm, indicated Cora, and mouthed, “I’ll see you in class.”

He took my arm and led me away from the others. “I’m following a lead, so I’m not coming in, but I’ll drive you to the shop at three.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”

“I won’t. Wait for me after school.”

“Torin, I can take care of my—”

He kissed me. When we moved apart, I had completely forgotten why I was arguing with him. Warmth flooded my cheeks when I realized we had an audience. Flustered, I hurried toward the entrance.

 
“Damn, you two sure know how to stop traffic,” Cora said. “So what’s with the runes?”

“Protection. You know how Torin gets.”

“Yeah, the guy is crazy about you.”

He also had an annoying habit of kissing me when we were in the middle of an argument just to shut me up. So not cool. I followed Cora into the building.

Cora glanced at me and sighed. “Sometimes I wish Echo was a student here.”

I couldn’t see Echo as a fake student. “Have you asked him?”

“No, but he hates it. He doesn’t understand how Torin and Andris can stand it.” She took my arm. “He told me you are the real deal.”

“Define the real deal,” I hedged.

“An all-powerful Seeress. Can you read me?”

I gripped her hand and closed my eyes. “Hmm, you’ll have a big, glamorous wedding with Valkyries and Grimnirs in attendance, live on an island, and have two adorable kids.”

She stopped walking. “Really? Did you really see—?”

I laughed.

“Oh, I hate you.” She bumped me with her shoulder.

“Would you really want to know your future?”

She opened her locker, paused, and pursed her lips. “No. Echo has taught me to appreciate surprises, embrace the unknown.” She cradled her folder. “Would you?”

“No.” Even the thought of being privy to other people’s futures bothered me. I elbowed my locker door and followed her. Kicker and Sondra waved frantically from their lockers.

“See you guys at lunch,” Kicker said. “We want to ask you something.”

“About the junior prom,” Sondra added.

Cora groaned. “Looks like I’ll be on makeup duty. We’re going, right?”

I shrugged.

“We
are
going if I have to drag you there.” She switched topics. “Can I stop by tonight with my first vlog entry? I want to know what you think.”

“Sure. I should be home by six-thirty.” I was sure I could squeeze her in between dinner and Seeress training. She took off toward her class while I headed upstairs.

“Raine, wait up,” Ingrid called from behind me.

I stood aside to let the other students walk past, Torin’s words flashing in my head. Ingrid had not been vetted. I shook my head. I shouldn’t let his paranoia get to me.

“I didn’t see you at the mansion yesterday,” she said.

“Busy with homework.”

“Torin and Andris were hunched over the computer for hours. Then they disappeared.”

She was fishing for info. “I came over while you were at practice, right after Torin and Andris finished interviewing your new housekeeper.”

“I haven’t met her, but if Andris chose her, she’s probably very beautiful.”

The jealousy in her voice surprised me. “You have nothing to worry about.”

She laughed uneasily. “I’m not worried. I mean, I’m not interested in him that way. He’ll always be Maliina’s. Anyway, see you later.” She and Andris were quite the pair.

Twice in between classes, I heard the haunting Seidr song, and each time I ignored it. Now that I knew someone out there was after me, I wasn’t taking chances.

I texted Femi at lunchtime to check on Dad. Her reply had me racing toward my car. I fished for the key and came up empty. Weird, I had put the key in the back pocket of my jeans. I searched the front. Nothing.

No, he didn’t. That conniving…

I couldn’t believe he’d taken it. I was so going to annihilate him.

I found the nearest bathroom, pulled out my artavus, and etched runes on the mirror. Just as the portal started to open, the door opened and two giggling girls entered the room. A Goth and a brunette who looked sickly. They both stopped and looked around as though they felt my presence. What a thought. Humans couldn’t see us when we engaged our runes.

Carefully, I pressed against the wall to let them pass. Torin was right. I had to be fast. Etching runes on the mirror should have taken me a fraction of a second.

“Do you feel the magic, Gina?” the pale brunette said with a heavy accent.

I froze.

“Yeah.” Gina the Goth sounded surprised. “The air is buzzing with it. If I can feel it, it must be strong.”

The brunette one gave Gina an unworldly smile. “It is. She’s powerful. She must have done a spell in here before she left. That makes two of them. Now that I recognize their energies, I can find them.” She disappeared into one of the stalls.

Gina walked to the mirror and studied her reflection. She was striking. She had black hair with red locks near her forehead, dark lipstick, and dark green eyes. She wore black nail polish, and she had multiple piercing on her ears and nose.

“Hey, Rita,” she called out. “Can you stop singing that awful song now?”

“I can’t. Remember what Mom said? I can’t stop until someone contacts us. We must know who we are dealing with.”

Gina sighed. “What if it makes everyone fall asleep?”

Rita left the stall, looking paler than before. “Remember the spell Mom added to it? Only powerful witches can hear it.”

She stopped in front of the sink and rinsed her hands. She had the same facial structure as Gina, but her hair was a long single braid and she looked frail. Like she’d been sick.

They had to be new at school or I would have noticed them before. They stood out. Throw in the foreign accent and they’d be hard to miss.

I waited until they left the bathroom before I went through the portal.

“Is everything okay?” Femi asked. “I heard voices.”

“Just listening to gossips. Thanks.” I took the tray with my lunch from her hand. “Is he still burning up?”

“Yes. I etched runes on him and he has an IV.”

I entered the den.

“Svana,” Dad whispered, and tears rushed to my eyes. I never thought I sounded like Mom until the first time Dad had a fever and became delirious. He’d kept calling me Svana, and my voice had calmed him down. I put the tray down—my appetite gone—pulled up a chair, and sat by his bed.

“I’m here now.” I stroked his brow. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” When he calmed down, I picked up the book we’d been reading and started where we’d left off.

***

I spent the afternoon searching for the two girls I’d seen in the bathroom. They weren’t in my classes or the hallways.

“We’re going to watch a short documentary,” Mr. Finney said, lowering the screen. “Pay attention to details, folks, because you’re going to give me your input.”

He usually started class with a challenging question and a heated debate. When he switched off the lights, I debated whether I should engage my runes, become invisible, and search each class for the two witches. The problem was I’d have to open a portal through the door or a wall. The runes for those portals were super tricky.

Resigned to waiting until after school, I watched the documentary on the Vietnam War and even had a thing or two to say about America’s attitude after the war. But I couldn’t wait for school to be over.

“Missed you at lunch,” Cora said as we headed outside at three.

“Dad had a fever and I had to go home. He gets agitated.”

She frowned. “Is he okay?”

“I calmed him.”

“Good. Let’s talk junior prom.”

“Let’s not. Torin wants us to go to the senior one and he hasn’t decided about the junior. Until he says yes, don’t include me in your plans.”

“Oh, don’t say that. You have to convince him. We could go on a shopping spree together. We could use the portal and shop anywhere around the world. Maybe take the guys along.”

Like she needed an excuse to shop. She loved fashion. Loved to shop. Me, not so much. We left the building. Students were everywhere. A few were throwing a Frisbee on the lawn to our left. Torin leaned against my car while talking to Andris. He looked like a fallen angel. I was still pissed at him.