Witches (Runes series Book 6) (26 page)

“Mom! Breakfast.”

Dad shook his head and shot me a censuring look. “You can do better than that. Find her, or create an air portal to where she is.”

I grinned. “I need an artavus to create a portal, Dad. Otherwise, I have to use a mirror portal with runes. Besides, she’s changing. Well, what do you think?” I indicated the table.

 
“This looks nice, pumpkin,” he said. “And now for the taste.” He served himself, his movements slow and unsteady. Then he picked up a spoon and sampled the Cream of Wheat. “Nice. I can taste cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh apples.” He took another scoop. “Granny Smith. Cooked to perfection. Have you been taking lessons from Torin?”

I grinned. Even if it tasted like goop, he’d say it was perfect. I never did wrong in his eyes. I was Daddy’s girl. “Nope. I watched you. Next time, I’ll make blueberry pancakes.”

He pointed his spoon at me. “No. I plan to make those one more time before I check out.”

My throat closed and tears rushed to my eyes. He always made blueberry pancakes with extra berries on my birthdays. I hoped he’d be around for my next one. In less than four months, I was going to be eighteen.

“Here I am,” Mom announced as she floated into the room. As usual, she nailed the Boho chic style. Long skirt, lacy duster, charm bracelets galore and a necklace. She looked like my idea of a witch, not me and my jeans and layered tees.

“You look beautiful,” I said.

“Thank you, sweetie.” She dropped a kiss on Dad’s forehead and took the chair beside his and scooted closer. “We need to talk accessories for your prom dress. Then I want you to try it on for us. I’m thinking…”

We let her dominate the conversation. I didn’t care. I couldn’t remember the last time the three of us had sat down for a meal together. Watching them reminded me how lucky I was to have them as parents. They raised me with love and laughter. Open displays of affection and passion, sometimes embarrassingly so. But I wouldn’t trade them for Beau’s. Thinking about Beau reminded me of his sister and death. The crash…

Dad headed back to the study after breakfast, and Mom left. After cleaning the kitchen, I threw my laundry in the washer and headed back to my room. Femi wasn’t back yet.

I booted up my computer and went online. Half an hour of researching the airplane in my vision was enough to convince me to go back to StubHub and revisit the scene. I couldn’t explain why I was doing it. It wasn’t like I was going to do something about the crash. And watching the scene play out was gut wrenching. I couldn’t explain my need to know every detail of that day, including where the heck the plane was coming from.

I changed and created a portal. Someone was cutting the grass. I groaned in disappointment, but then I felt magic stir and surge through me at the smell of freshly cut grass. I needed to connect with Mother Earth. It was calling to me as though I was tethered to it.

Could I get away with lying on the grass in my backyard? Or would a neighbor see me and call PMI, our local crazy house? They would. That left going to the forest. I could use the opportunity to check on whether or not the Norns had fixed it.

I pulled on my boots and reached for my new leather jacket.

I stood in front of the mirror and opened a portal. Lush vegetation stretched before me and animal sounds teased my ears. The pull to connect with the land grew stronger. I wanted to reach out and touch every leaf and flower. Kick my boots off and feel the earth underneath my feet.

I took a step forward and froze as two hikers walked by. This couldn’t be the place. The battle had taken place far from regular trails. I spent the next hour opening the portal to different parts of the forest. The tug on my magic was there, but a sickening feeling accompanied it, like something bad was lurking in the woods. It grew stronger.

Did I want to go out there alone? I didn’t need someone holding my hand, but at the same time, I wasn’t an idiot. Something was out there, but with lost souls after me and the Norns playing their stupid mind games, there was no knowing what could be hiding. I needed to go with someone.

Ingrid.

I checked the mansion, but it was quiet. Their housekeeper was humming under her breath while cleaning. She didn’t see me, of course. Humans couldn’t see portals. Ingrid was still in bed, so I didn’t dare wake her. I grinned and fought the temptation to take a picture of her and tease her with it later. She’d never forgive me if I took a picture of her without makeup.

With Ingrid out of the picture, that left Cora. She was volunteering at Moonbeam Terrace this afternoon, which meant she was free this morning. Crap! I’d forgotten to tell her Lavania was gone.

I grabbed my phone and texted her. “Lessons canceled. Lavania left this morning. Going to the site. Want to come?”

When she didn’t respond right away, I knew she was probably still asleep. Oh, well. I could either spend the rest of my morning frustrated or just go ahead and do it. Onyx could come with me. I needed a weapon. My shape-shifting dagger should do. I pulled open the drawer and reached inside.

It was empty.

Refusing to panic, I emptied the drawer. The dagger was gone. I hadn’t moved it, which meant someone else had. The only person usually in my room was my shape-shifting cat.

“Onyx?” She wasn’t in my room. I checked the closet and the bathroom, “Fur-ball, come out, come out wherever you are.” She didn’t hop onto my bed and lob sarcastic words at me. Frowning, I checked downstairs. She wasn’t there either. Dad was watching news.

“Have you seen Onyx, Dad?”

“Not today. Is everything okay?”

“I can’t find her.”

“Check with Femi. She follows her around while you’re gone.”

Whoever took my dagger had known exactly where I kept it. My phone dinged. Cora. After a few back and forth messages, she agreed to come with me. But I didn’t care about the forest anymore. Someone had stolen my dagger, the only weapon that could kill anyone, including gods and Valkyries.

Maybe Torin had borrowed it. He’d seen what it did to a soul. Plus, he and I were connected in such a way that he might just have the right energy to connect with it.

I headed to his place and continued the search. Within seconds the portal opened and he walked in. My heart dropped. He looked filthy, and his clothes were ripped as though something with claws had mauled him. And what looked like blood spotted his clothes. Worries about my dagger flew out the window.

“What happened?” I asked, running to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked at the same time.

“Fine, what happened to you?” I searched his face and arms for wounds even though the runes had probably healed them already.

“The damned souls just graduated from dead bodies to animals. Soon it will be humans. What’s wrong?” He stroked my cheek and my tears threatened to fall. I was such a girl.

“My dagger…” My voice hitched. “It’s gone.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.” My voice rose. “I was going to go to the forest to check on things and I wanted to make sure I had a weapon, but when I checked the drawer, it was gone. I thought you might have borrowed it.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t touch your weapon without asking you. I don’t have the magic or the right.” His eyebrows slammed down. “Listen, we’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise. As for the forest, leave it alone.”

“But the Norns—”

“Are manipulating you, again. It is their job to take care of the messes they make, not yours. We’ll figure out what happened to your dagger when I come back. Right now, the others need my help.” He engaged bind runes for cleansing, and the dirt and blood on his skin and clothes disappeared. “I’ll be home as soon as we round the souls up and hand them over to Echo.” He pressed a kiss on my temple, created an air portal, and was gone.

For a moment, I just stood there.

Why would anyone take my dagger? It didn’t make sense. I headed home.

Sounds from downstairs told me Femi was back, so I headed her way and found her in the laundry room putting clothes in bags at hyper-speed. She slowed down when I appeared.

“You didn’t have to do your laundry, doll,” she said. “I take all of it downtown to Carly’s and pick them up when they’re cleaned, pressed, and folded.”

Carly’s was a laundromat on 4
^th
Street. They offered self-service, but also did laundry at a fee. I had begun to wonder how Femi did laundry so fast, because I have never seen her fold anything. Made sense though since she wasn’t really our employee.

“Have you seen Onyx? I’ve been searching for the last hour and it’s like she just vanished.”

“She’s probably visiting her family. She disappears sometimes when you’re at school too. What’s going on? You look worried.”

“I wanted to go for a walk and take her with me. Could she be reporting what’s happening here to the goddess?”

Femi shook her head. “Why would you think that? Most familiars are loyal to their owners. Especially after you link. You two are linked, right?”

I felt a little bad for suspecting Onyx. “We are. I hate doubting her, but after my dealings with the Norns, I don’t trust my judgment when it comes to supernatural beings. Although, she did save my life when we fought the
Draugar
.”

“It is her job to be your eyes and ears, and warn you of any imminent danger.” She went back to sorting clothes. “It was nice of you to tell Hawk about the burial site where the
Draugar
attacked your team. He’s taking care of it. In fact, it was all he could talk about last night.”

Femi was gone last night. Could she have taken my dagger? Once again, I felt bad suspecting someone I cared about, but I had to know.

“So Hawk was your date last night?”

She dismissed my words with a wave of her hand. “You don’t call someone as distinguished as Hawk a date. Dates are fruit. Hawk is a man.”

“So where did you and
your man
go yesterday?”

“He escorted me to a Broadway show and then we spent an enjoyable evening together at his secluded, beautiful mountain home.” She sighed, and threw me a conspirator’s glance. “I thought I’d have to dance naked in front of the store for him to notice I was interested.”

That didn’t give me the answer I needed. “Have you seen my dagger?”

Femi frowned. “Your artavo?”

“No. My special dagger.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t know you had a special dagger.”

I sighed. “I’ll ask Mom.” I turned and almost stepped on Onyx. “Onyx! Thank the gods. Where have you been?”

Valhalla. What’s wrong?

“Come on.” I took the steps two at a time. She raced up and was already waiting when I got to my bedroom. I closed the door. “My staff is missing.”

She went to the other side of my bed and pawed on the handle of my trundle bed.
I hid it in here.

I couldn’t remember the last time I used the trundle bed. Eirik used to spend nights on it until he left for Asgard. The dagger was wedged between the mattress and the wall of the bed. “Why?”

Onyx hopped on my bed.
He told me to move the dagger around every day. Several times a day actually.

I frowned. “Who?”

The young god who came to Asgard and left to join his mother.

I blinked. “Eirik? When did you talk to him?”

A few nights ago. I wasn’t letting him come close to you, but I recognized him. He said to hide the dagger because they will come for it.

“Who?”

The Norns.

Air rushed from my lungs. Eirik. Always playing the hero, then disappearing. How did he know about the Norns? And why hadn’t he come to see me during the day? “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Onyx lay down.
He said to only tell you when you need the dagger, because the Norns can link with you any time and know where the dagger is hidden.

I stood. “I want you to find him.”

Onyx sat up.
What?

“Eirik. You said you could find anyone. Find him and tell him I want to talk to him.”

I don’t like him. He joined the other side.

“Really? If he’s evil, would he be warning me about the Norns? I want answers, Onyx, and he has them.”

Why can’t you just open a portal to wherever he is?

“I tried when we were in Florida and got nowhere. He’s powerful.” The doorbell rang. “Please, Onyx. Find him. I gotta go.”

I left the dagger inside the trundle bed and ran downstairs. My eyes met Echo’s when I opened the door. He was carrying boxes of pies. I hadn’t expected Cora to bring her boyfriend. He winked.

As soon as Cora and I hugged, everything faded to black before a bright hallway appeared. Moonbeam Terrace. Again. I hadn’t opened my mind, yet I was having a vision. It was the same premonition I’d had the night I met the two Grimnirs.

Cora entered the hallway, saw them and broke into a run. As she got closer, she slowed down and talked to them. I didn’t hear their conversation, didn’t need to. They didn’t grab her or open a portal. After a few minutes, she disappeared inside a room. The Grimnirs opened a portal and left.

They’d listened to my warning. I wondered what did the trick. Probably threatening to unleash Echo on them.

I blinked and the vision disappeared, my eyes connecting with his. He stared at me with a weird expression, and I knew why. He must be seeing my glowing eyes and knew I’d gotten a vision. I held on longer to Cora, not wanting her to see my eyes and start asking questions. I hoped my magic didn’t have the same effect on them as it did on Torin. I pushed the magic back. Echo nodded when my eyelids lifted and I shot him a questioning look.

“Hey,” I said in greeting, hoping he didn’t blurt out what he’d seen.

He grinned. “Do I get a hug?”

Of course, he wasn’t going to let it go. “You’re carrying pies.” Cora, completely oblivious to the vibes, plucked the pies from his hands and nudged him toward me. I had no choice but to hug him.

“What was it?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. She’ll be okay.” I stepped back. “Come inside.”

Cora glanced around. “Where’s Femi?”

There were no sounds coming from the laundry room, “With Dad,” I said. Cora glanced toward the study, but Echo continued to stare at me. He was beginning to annoy me. “Are you coming with us?”

He nodded. “Cora insisted.”

Cora elbowed him and a look I couldn’t explain passed between them. She started for the kitchen and called over her shoulder. “I’ll put these in the kitchen. Two are for your family and one is for Mrs. J at the nursing home.”

“Quit worrying,” I whispered to Echo as I walked past him. “You are the first person I’d tell if I saw something bad happening to her.” Echo tended to react first and ask questions later when it came to Cora. I didn’t want to give him a reason to turn on his fellow reapers over something that might be nothing.

“Promise?” he asked in a hard voice.

“Promise.”

Cora was arranging the pies on the counter and didn’t even notice our exchange. Her devotion to Mrs. J, the old woman she’d adopted at the nursing home, was cute. The Cora I knew a year ago wouldn’t have lasted a week at a nursing home. But a stint in a mental institute because of her ability to see souls changed all that. She went two to three times a week to read to Mrs. J and keep her company. According to Cora, the poor woman’s family dumped her at the nursing home and ignored her. They never visited or called.

“Someone should track down her daughter and force her to visit. It’s been what? Three months since you started there and she’s never visited?” I asked.

“The nurse said it’s been six months. Maybe there’s something you can do.” The glance she gave Echo said she was only teasing. Echo’s response was classic.

“Sure, hun. I can scare Mrs. J’s daughter to death, then take her soul to Corpse Strand for being ungrateful.”

“Good one,” I said laughing.

Cora sighed and shook her head. “Don’t encourage him.”

I led the way to the mirror and opened a portal, going for the last area I’d seen during my search. The foreboding feeling was there, only stronger. I stepped into the forest and it hit me from all sides like thousands of ants crawling all over my skin. Goose bumps spread across my skin despite the blazing spring sun and my jacket.

~*~

Cora and Echo stayed behind me. “You’re sure this is the place?” he asked.

It was. There was nothing evil lurking in the trees. It was the forest itself. It was suffering. Where was the source? I closed my eyes and let the power surge to the surface. It was coming from our left.

“I’ve spent the last couple of hours searching different sections of the forest, but I couldn’t see—”

I gasped, the pain so sudden it paralyzed me. I stopped and pressed a hand against my stomach, but it only grew stronger. Cora ran to my side and said something. I could barely hear her above the pain. The trees were dying.

I followed the scent of death, and the closer I got the more excruciating the pain became. I should have come here right after we came back from Florida to make sure the Norns did their job.

I reached the clearing and fought tears. The devastation was too much. The trees were either snapped off at their trunks or completely uprooted. The leaves drooped, starving for water and nutrients. The roots of the uprooted ones were caked with dry soil. It wasn’t just the trees. They were crushing the vegetation underneath them.

Cora appeared beside me. She didn’t speak, which I really appreciated because any sign of sympathy and the tears I’d been fighting would escape.

“I hate them, Cora,” I whispered. “They could have fixed this, but they chose not to.” No, I should have listened to them when they’d said I must fix the forest. They said it the night of the battle and yesterday at school. This was also my fault. I was the nearest witch with the ability to communicate with nature. Why hadn’t I felt their cry for help?

Cora put her arms around me and whispered, “Can you contact them to fix this?”

Yes, I could contact them, the manipulative hags, but what good would it do? I shook my head. “I’m fixing it. It’s my fault.”

“How do you figure that?”

“It just is.” My chest hurt and my stomach felt gutted. In the back of my mind, I wondered if they were deliberately making me feel their pain because I’d failed them.

I’m so sorry, forgive me.

I wiggled out of Cora’s grip and reached down to connect with one of the fallen plants. Then another. The pain in my core grew, making me feel worse. A sob rose from my chest and escaped my lips. I felt, rather than saw, Cora squat beside me. I knew she spoke, but I didn’t hear a thing.

I engaged my strength and pain runes, closed my eyes, and pushed my fingers into the soil. The connection was instant. Magic flowed through my fingers and into the earth. I struggled to find the words of apology and ended up repeating the same words.