Witches (Runes series Book 6) (32 page)

She chuckled and patted my shoulder. “I’m sure they did. Your grandmother was an elemental witch just like you.”

I turned and stared at her. She rarely talked about her past. I’d just assumed she’d either forgotten or it was too painful. Then there was the gag order the Valkyrie Council had slapped her with when she quit being one of them. “She was?”

“Oh yes. I left to train under a high priestess when I was young, but I remember she used to make these amazing vases and pots using magic, and people would come to our house to get special herbs and ointments. Witchcraft was openly practiced during my time.”

“Which was…?”

She dropped a kiss on my forehead. “A long time ago. She would have been proud her powers remained in our bloodline. I’ll let you finish your work. Your dad and I want you to join us downstairs for dinner. Torin too.”

“Okay. Wait, Mom? What happened to my prom dress? It’s missing.”

Mom paused by the door. “I took it to a local seamstress to make a few adjustments. It’ll be here before Friday.”

“Adjustments? It looked completely fine when I tried it on.”

“I want it to be perfect.”

I groaned. “As long as you don’t turn me into mini-you.”

“I heard that,” she called out from the hallway and I grinned. I pulled out books from my backpack and got to work.

~*~

We had dinner without Dad.

“He’s a bit under the weather,” Mom explained, but she didn’t seem worried. We ended up eating just the four of us—Torin, Femi, Mom, and me.

Torin helped me with the dishes, while I put leftovers in a bowl. Femi raised a questioning brow when I put a helping of leftovers on top of my copy of
The Scarlet Letter
.

“For Beau. His mother broke her arm, and last time he came without eating.”

“Oh, isn’t she a doll,” Femi said.

“No, she’s not,” I retorted, cradling the bowl of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

“Maybe she should tell you how she knows Beau’s mother broke her arm,” Torin added.

If looks could kill, he would be charbroiled. I waited until we were at his place before saying, “She doesn’t know I snuck into his house.”

“I figured as much. Your mom?”

“She knows. We talked this evening. I had to tell her about the Norns. Her attitude is exactly like yours.” I put the bowl on a tray and got juice from the fridge. “I trust your opinion, so I’m not going to worry.”

“You know, if I didn’t know that you are crazy about me, I’d be jealous of the way you’re fussing over this boy.”

I chuckled. “You are jealous of him.” I put the fork and the glass by the bowl, stepped back and shook my head. It seemed too pre-planned. I removed the bowl and stashed the tray.

“Why can’t he get a girlfriend to feed him and fuss over him?” Torin asked.

“There’s Ellie, but she doesn’t look like the fussing type.” I walked to Torin and invaded his space. “If you taught me how to cook, I’d feed you.”

He chuckled. “Nah. It’s my job to feed you. Yours is to love me. Everything else is window-dressing. He’s here.”

I looked toward the living room. “I didn’t hear the doorbell.”

“He doesn’t need one. That truck of his has a distinct annoying sound.” He planted a kiss on my forehead and lifted me out of the way. “When will people ever understand that an engine is like a relationship? You have to take care of it or it falls apart.”

I giggled. His love affair with engines was comical. Sure enough, when I peered out of the window, Beau had pulled up into Torin’s driveway. He was early. I moved away from the window before he could see me.

“That’s his stepfather’s truck. Yes!” I pumped my fist.

Torin eyed me with a dubious expression. “What’s so great about that?”

“The old goat is changing. It doesn’t matter what the Norns said.” I moved toward Torin, smiling triumphantly and doing a little dance. “I have changed their relationship.”

Torin rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. Once a drunk and a wife beater, always a drunk and—”

“Shut up.” I covered his mouth. “You’re not allowed to steal my moment. Besides, I’d like to see you do better.”

He pulled my hand down. “I can’t, but I know one thing that could spook his old man and keep him on that path.”

“What?”

“Pay him a visit.”

I frowned. “Like in the middle of the night in my pjs?”

He groaned. “Never. I meant stop by Beau’s house. Imagine his reaction.”

He opened the door and was gone before I could react. By the time I reached the front porch, he was talking to Beau. Mrs. Rutledge peered out of the window. I wondered how long before she complained about Beau’s truck and music, which he had blasted as he pulled up.

Torin and Beau were having a bro moment, so I went back inside the house. Was Torin right? What if the poor guy had a heart attack?

There was a brief knock at the door, and then Beau entered.

“Kitchen,” I called out.

He looked a little sheepish. “Sorry I came early.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay, although my neighbor will call the police if you continue playing your music that loud.”

He smirked. “You don’t have a noise ordinance around here, do you?”

“No, but don’t be surprised to see one. Mrs. Rutledge owns this cul-de-sac. Is Torin outside?”

“Yeah. He said he’s good with engines and was going to take a look at my stepdad’s truck. It makes this weird sound whenever I step on the brakes.” He sat and his eyes went to the bowl of food. He actually swallowed. An engine started, and I knew it was his truck from the way he angled his head. He jabbed his thumb toward the garage. “Is he good with cars or is he going to screw my stepdad’s up and get me in trouble?”

“Oh, he’s good. He’s better than good.” Except he could spend hours tinkering with the engine and we only had an hour. I opened a drawer, pulled out a fork, and handed it to Beau. “I know it’s my fault you came here before you had dinner, so I put something aside for you.” I pushed the bowl closer to him.

He looked at the food, then me. “How is it your fault?”

“I chose the time, which works in my favor.” I waited until he pulled the bowl closer, then added, “I’m going to check on Torin.”

I left Beau munching. Torin was dismantling the engine at super-speed, which explained why he’d brought the truck into the garage and closed the door.

He slowed down long enough to say, “Keep him away from here. I’ll come inside when I’m done.”

Like I needed to be reminded. I went back to join Beau. He was halfway through the food. I grabbed him a can of soda. He asked about my father, and I asked him about his love life. It took guts, but dating a Valkyrie and having tangoed with Norns had given me extra confidence I had never had before.

“Anyone I know?” I asked.

He just smirked and shoved more food in his mouth.

We went to work as soon as he finished eating. An hour later, we were still at it and Torin hadn’t come inside. An hour and a half, and I excused myself and went to check on him.

My jaw dropped.

The entire engine was on the floor. Some of the parts looked new, which meant he’d used a portal and gone shopping for parts. He had grease on his clothes, his face…

“Now, I put it back together,” he said, flashing a kid-in-a-candy-store smile that sucked the anger right out of me.

“How long?” I asked.

“Ten minutes.”

“Do it in five,” I said and left. Beau looked up when I rejoined him.

“I should be going.” He started collecting his things, and I began to panic and curse my boyfriend and his obsession with engines.

“So what do you think of Ellie Chandler?”

That got Beau’s attention. He shrugged. “She’s cute.”

“Cute? She’s beautiful.”

“Your friend, Ingrid, is beautiful.”

“Ingrid is taken,” I fibbed. “Would you date Ellie if she weren’t with Justin?”

He frowned, but at least he stopped putting his books away. “No.”

“No?”

“I like the chase. Once I’ve had the girl, they lose their appeal.”

My jaw dropped. “OMG, you’re so rotten. So who
haven’t
you slept with?”

He made a face. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Who am I going to tell? Come on? Don’t pretend you’re a gentleman now.”

He laughed. “I’m not that bad. What exactly do people say about me?” The sound of the engine starting reached us and I sighed with relief. I wasn’t sure how long I would have kept that going. I had zero interest in his conquests. Still, I pointed at Beau. “Saved by the truck. I think he’s done.”

We were still laughing when we joined Torin outside. I left them talking engines, grabbed my jacket, and headed home. Voices came from downstairs, but I didn’t join them. Onyx wasn’t in my room.

Where are you?
I asked.

Busy eavesdropping downstairs.

I sure loved that cantankerous cat. I showered and was changing into my pajamas, when Femi knocked on my door. I held the pjs in front of me and opened the door.

“Hey, doll. Your mom and dad want to see you downstairs.”

“Is he okay?” I asked, my stomach dropping.

“Your father? Oh yeah, he’s fine.”

“Then why do they want to see me?” I asked, pulling on my pajama bottoms, which wasn’t easy while trying to cover my chest.

“You’ll find out when you get downstairs. Come on. Hurry.” She left.

My heart pounding with dread, I dressed quickly and used the portal, something I rarely did. The first person I saw was Hawk. Something was definitely wrong. This was the first time I’d seen him in my house, although I knew he visited to discuss the store. I didn’t think tonight’s visit was about business though. He and Femi sat side-by-side, talking to Ingrid and Blaine in low tones. They stopped talking when I appeared and stood.

“What’s going on?”

“Go on in,” Femi said, detaching herself from Hawk’s side.

I knocked on the den’s door and pushed it open. My eyes widened and my stomach hollowed out when I saw who else was in the room with my parents. Torin and Andris. The Earl of Worthington, Eirik and Goddess Freya. Onyx sat on her lap.

This was not good.

“What’s going on?” I asked, closing the door, my eyes moving from face to face.

No one spoke.

Torin stood and came around the couch to take my hand, his eyes intense. “Remember I’d said I had a surprise for you on my birthday?”

I nodded, glanced at the others, but he moved and blocked my line of vision, forcing me to concentrate on him.

His birthday was on Friday, prom night, and I had already decided on his present. We were going all the way. “Yes.”

“I was planning to ask you to marry me.”

My eyes clung to his, the panic receding. “Really?” Then I processed everything he’d just said and my chest started to hurt. He looked nervous, which was bad. Very, very bad. “Was?”

He smiled reassuringly. “That was the plan. Things have changed, so I’m asking you today. Now. Because—”

“Yes.” I tried to look at the others, but Torin blocked me again. “The answer is yes, I’ll marry you.”

His expression grew serious. “I haven’t finished explaining.”

“You don’t have to. I will marry you.” I smiled and lowered my voice, “Are they against it? I hope not because I’m not going to choose the Norns or the gods,”—this time I managed to make eye contact with Goddess Freya—“I don’t belong in their realm. I belong here on earth with those I help. With you and Mom, and—”

Torin covered my mouth. “Slow down. They are on our side. My father found out that the Norns have the means to do something terrible and he contacted Eirik. Raine, they are going to try and separate us.”

He had my full attention. My stomach started to churn.

“Eirik talked to your father the last time he was here about it, then me,” Torin continued. “We discussed what to do about it, and I came up with a solution. Eirik contacted Goddess Freya, who confirmed what my father had said. Remember I told you you’d make a choice and I’d be with you every step of the way?”

I nodded, trying to follow his convoluted conversation. Plus I’d gone to selective listening at, “Separate us?”

“The Norns found a loophole in their binding law and plan to use it to bind you to them,” Torin explained. “Once bound to them, you’ll always be loyal to them. No one knows what this loophole is, but they’re all here to stop that from happening.”

“How?” I asked, my eyes finding Freya’s. I didn’t trust her, and I sure as hell didn’t trust the Warlock.

Mom got up and walked to where I stood. “Sweetheart, let Torin finish.”

Torin was on his knee. I’d missed watching him go down on his knee. This was not how I’d pictured him proposing. Not with my father watching us with concern, my mother hovering and trying to act like everything was perfect, and Eirik looking like he wanted to seriously hurt someone, while Freya and Worthington smiled smugly. This was too much like a shotgun wedding. I wanted flowers, candles, and a romantic setting. How did we know whether we should trust the Goddess and the evil Warlock?

“Freckles, focus on me,” Torin said.

I did and the love in his eyes pulled me into that place where nothing else mattered but us. I heard music. Saw candles floating in the air. Inhaled the scent of flowers swirling around us. Then Torin spoke, and every word was an affirmation of our love. Of us.

“Lorraine Cooper, you are the love of my life, the keeper of my soul, and the realization of my dreams. My life would be empty if you weren’t in it. You drive me crazy, yet you keep me sane. You are the reason I wake up in the morning and spend sleepless nights, yet you complete me. I dreamed of you before I ever met you. Loved the idea of you before I knew you. Wished for you without hope of ever finding you. Then we met and I couldn’t see beyond making you love me, want me, and need me. Sometimes I wonder if I’m worthy of your love, and think up ways to prove that I deserve you. But you keep showing me that worth and proof have no place when it comes to love. Love is selfless. Love is kindness. Love is you, Freckles.”

His face grew hazy, and I realized I was crying. He had an amazing way with words. I blinked and his face came into focus.

“Will you marry me?” he finally asked in a voice gone husky.

I could swear I heard sighs from around the room. Wasn’t sure whether it was a that-was-beautiful sigh or thank-goodness-it’s-over sigh. I didn’t care. He made the moment perfect.

“Yes, Torin St. James. I will marry you.”

Then he was sliding a ring on my finger. It looked old, yet the hazel and green stone looked new and the diamonds surrounding it shone like a pool of a billion stars.

“Now get rid of these and let’s talk,” the goddess said impatiently. I looked up. Candles hovered around the room, flowers were on every surface, and I could hear music. I hadn’t imagined them.

“I did this?” I asked.

Torin nodded, grinning. I closed my eyes and let the image of the study as it usually was fill my head, then I willed it. When I opened my eyes, the room was back to normal. Mom hassled us to join the others. I sat at the foot of my father’s bed while Torin stood beside me.

“Your marriage must take place before they know you’re onto them,” Goddess Freya said.
 

“Tristan and I will fill out the paperwork first thing tomorrow morning,” Mom said. “The state allows seventeen-year-olds to marry with parental consent.”

“Lorraine, for the next several days, until you two get married on Saturday, act normal at school,” the goddess continued. “Your friends cannot know about this, including your Immortal friend, uh, what’s her name?”

“Cora,” Mom said.

“Yes, Cora. Do not do anything differently. The ring is beautiful, but you cannot wear it.”

I looked up from admiring my ring. “What?”

Torin squeezed my shoulder. “It’s okay. You’ll have it with you at all times. I have the perfect necklace.”

“If the Norns approach you, act the way you’ve always acted,” Goddess Freya added. “We do not know what this loophole is, but we know that the first step is separating you from your family. In past eras, most young Witches were sent from their homes to study under a more experienced witch or a high priest, priestess, shaman or medicine man. This was done to remove parental influence over them or their decision to become an Immortal, a Valkyrie or a Norn. They believe that Torin has had a major influence on your choices and they want the two of you separated until you’re old enough to decide. While under their care, they’ll bind you to them.”

“They can’t do that.” I looked up at Torin. “Can they?”

“Not if we are legally bound to each other first,” Torin said.

What should have been the best moment of my life was turning into a nightmare. I heard them discuss places and people, but my mind was locked in one place—a place without Torin. I slept in his arms every night, ate breakfast with him, discussed everything that happened to me with him. He was so much a part of my life I couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing him.

I studied the people gathered in the room. They were being given parts to play, and I sat there like a zombie, listening without really understanding. The Earl wasn’t talking much, but he listened and watched.

Onyx hopped up on my lap and I sank my hand in her fur.

It’s okay. This will work out,
the cat said.

How do you know?

Because I now know what this is about. She wants revenge for what happened to her husband and winning means beating the Norns. The same with Frigga. She also blames the Norns for what happened to her son, Eirik’s father. The Norns punished them for refusing to join them. The two of them, powerful Witches in their days, chose love and became goddesses. They want you to win.

Now I was a pawn. Great. But what would the Norns do to punish me for refusing to join them? Would they take Torin like they’d done to Goddess Freya’s husband, or my child like they’d done to Frigga?

~*~

The meeting ended, and I went upstairs to bed. Onyx curled up beside me and for once, I didn’t shoo her away. When Torin arrived a few minutes later with a platinum chain, I was staring into the darkness, my mind a jumble of scenarios that solved nothing. Either I married Torin and had a few centuries of happiness before they take him from me or joined the Norns and never know life as Torin’s wife. Either way, I could lose Torin.

“No, I’m not removing my ring,” I said.

“Yes, you are. Come on. You know that they’ll know the truth if they see it.”

“I don’t care.
 
I’m sleeping with it.” I turned over. Yet I couldn’t fall asleep. And when I did, I was trying to stop the plane from crashing while the Norns chased me with my dagger. Worse, Torin wasn’t there to help. I woke up screaming for him.

“I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Yet I had the same dream again and again. When I woke up in the morning, I was in a crabby mood.

~*~

I finally agreed to wear my ring around my neck. I kept touching it to make sure it was there, or maybe to remind myself there was still a chance for us. I should be happy, darn it. I was going to be Mrs. Torin St. James. But I could be leading him to his death.

I didn’t see Cora until lunch when she dragged me to Echo’s place to discuss her boy problems and the dark soul she was helping, Dev. Was it just last week I’d worried about souls and fought
Draugar?
It seemed like ages ago.

“Echo and I fought,” Cora said, looking ready to cry. “I know. Shocking. I don’t know if I should really call it a fight. He refused to help me with Dev and I, uh, got pissed.”

I listened and tried to be supportive. Part of me wished I could share my problems with her too. I stroked my ring through my shirt, finding comfort from it, and made appropriate responses as she talked. We got lunch ready, soups from a nearby restaurant.

“I told him I didn’t want to see him for forty-eight hours,” she continued.

“And he listened?”

“Not really.” She went on and on about their fight and his attempts to reconcile. “I miss him.”

Forty-eight hours was nothing compared with what the Norns were planning for Torin and me. Would we have a year if we married? Ten? A century? Or a day?

She frowned and studied me as though she knew something wasn’t right. “Once he finds out about what happened yesterday with the Grimnirs,” I told Cora, trying to act normal, “he’ll be here breathing fire and threatening to decapitate someone.”

“He’s not going to find out because Rhys, the walking ad for tats, used to be the third member of their trio and they don’t talk. And you guys are...” she zipped her lips.

“You’re forgetting the girl,” I reminded her.

“Nara is a pain. Everything about her bugs me.” She yanked her cell phone from her pocket. “Dev said she and Echo dated.”

“Oh. I don’t know what I’d do if Torin’s ex appeared,” I said. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Norns unearthed one to mess up my relationship with Torin. “Probably put a hex on her.”

Cora laughed. “You wouldn’t. You know he loves only you, and you’d ignore her the same way I’ve been ignoring Nara. The problem with her is she keeps saying things that make me want to punch her in the nose.”

“She’s jealous, that’s all. You have the power.”

Then Cora did something weird. She lifted the phone to her lips and said, “Hey, Dev. You there?”

“You talk to him on the phone?” I asked.

“He likes to commandeer my electronics to communicate. He’s not back. Come on, let’s eat.”

My stomach still churned and food was the last thing I wanted. I studied Cora’s phone. I didn’t care that Dev was a dark soul. Any soul who used electronics rather than dead bodies or dogs had to be worth knowing.

Cora noticed that I wasn’t eating and pinned me down with a speculative glance. “How are things with you?”

The soup smelled amazing, but it tasted like salted water. Fighting my gag reflex, I shrugged.

“Not you, too,” Cora griped. “I have had enough of reading body language, so talk.” She moved closer. “Watching you do magic is amazing. Does it affect you?”

I couldn’t come up with an answer to such a simple question and stared blankly at her. Concern flickered in her eyes.

“Oh yeah,” I said lamely, wracking my brain for a decent response. “The rush is off the charts. Scary.”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“There’s a lot more going on with you, Raine. Spill it.”

She wasn’t going to stop digging until I gave her something. Since I couldn’t tell her the truth I tried to give her clues. “I need to marry Torin.”

She choked on her soup. I thumped her back, trying hard not to laugh at her expression.

“Really?”

“Really. I need him in so many ways it scares me, but marrying him is at the top of my list. It’s the only way we can survive all this mayhem. We need each other.”

“Does he know how you feel?”

I nodded, but she didn’t see it because a gush of frigid air swept through the kitchen and Echo entered the room. I was forgotten as she jumped into his arms and they got lost in each other. When she lifted her head, our eyes met and I indicated the pool deck. I disappeared outside, giving them privacy.