My parents spent the rest of the evening talking about growing up in Ireland and their trip to America. Mom often gravitated toward farming because she grew up on a farm, and Dad gravitated to creative writing whenever they started a new life.
Echo was quiet most of the evening. Then he kissed me goodnight and disappeared. I had no idea where he went, whether he’d gone reaping or to find Dev. Wherever he was, I hoped he was thinking about my parents’ story.
Chapter 8. Dev’s Resurgence
I was on my way to my third hour on Friday when Dev appeared. He wore a broad grin on his face, and I saw why. He had shed his gray energy. Instead of going to class, I hurried to the nearest bathroom and ordered him to enter my phone.
“Where have you been?”
“Following a lead about the thing outside your school when not doing my purification.”
“Forget about her. We found someone to anchor your soul to your body.”
Silence followed.
“Dev?”
“The only way someone can help me is if they can manipulate people’s life force. They must take another’s to give it to me. I do not want someone else to die in order for me to live.” He was so noble.
“What if she shares hers?”
“That gift is rare, and those with it never perform that ceremony unless it involves their loved ones.”
Dev was loved. He just didn’t know it.
“Then you haven’t met Celestia. She’s going to share her life force. She said it might take days and she’ll need to rest in between sessions, but she offered to do it. She hoped you wouldn’t mind that the two of you would be linked forever.”
This time the silence was longer.
“Dev?”
A string of Gaelic was all I got. He sounded choked up. I grinned. Families who worked together freaking survived together, and he was part of mine.
He disappeared again until I was grabbing my things from my locker. Looking solemn, he floated through the wall and stood silently beside me. I lifted my phone and silently invited him to enter, but he shook his head. Instead, he walked beside me as I headed toward the front of the school.
“So how many Mortals did you help?” I asked.
He flashed his fingers several times.
“You lost me at twenty-five. You need to talk to me.” A few students walking by stared at me strangely. My phone was back in my pocket. I pulled it out. “Please.”
He indicated talking and tears. He was so melodramatic.
“You do know I won’t see you cry through the phone.”
He pressed his hands together, mouthed, “Thank you,” and blew me a kiss.
“I have nothing to do with this. Eirik and Celestia came up with the idea because you’re now a member of our family.”
He palmed his face.
“Seriously, talk to me, Dev. And no you’re not going to cry,” I added when he peered at me. “Souls don’t feel emotions,” I teased, messing with him.
He dropped his hand and glared at me.
I grinned. Souls experienced a wide range of emotions. I’d seen them happy, sad, frustrated, vengeful, bitter, and pissed off.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Raine’s wedding and the part you played?”
He pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key.
“Who told you to keep it a secret?”
He pursed his lips in a silent whistle and looked at the ceiling. Students walked through him, a few shuddering and frowning at the sudden chill. I’d heard Dad use the expression, “Someone walked over my grave” whenever he felt a sudden chill. I’d bet souls were responsible for that.
“Okay, Charlie Chaplin. Keep your secrets.” Dev did the Chaplin walk while I laughed. I was going to miss hanging out with him. He always cracked me up.
We reached the foyer, and I could see Echo waiting by my Elantra. I stopped by the window and studied him. I loved that man, but he was driving me crazy.
“Echo is being an ass,” I said.
Dev slithered into my phone so fast I swear I felt a displacement of air. “Why?”
“Now you want to talk?”
“Anything that makes you unhappy concerns me. What did he do?”
“I’m planning on visiting Helheim, and he wants to hide our relationship from my biological parents.”
“Why?”
“Thank you. That’s the problem. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”
“I agree with you. He’s an ass. The smarter move is to claim you before some god from another realm begs your mother for your hand in marriage. I’ve heard about Goddess Hel. No one likes her, so she could use you to form an alliance with other gods. Anything to stick it to Asgard.”
I winced. “Do not judge her based on what people say, Dev. From what I’ve heard, she’s changed. I know that sounds hypocritical, but I’m talking about what Eirik, Celestia, and even Hayden have said about her. If one person had said it, I would have been skeptical. But three people and Echo’s loyalty says she must be an exceptional woman. So please, wait until you get to know her first.”
“Yes, ma’am. May I say something?”
“Sure.”
“Now that my knee-jerk reaction to be your champion has passed, I can say Echo is not an ass. He’s doing this for you.”
I opened my mouth to interrupt.
“No, hear me out, doll-face. Echo loves you so much he’s willing to step back and give you room to grow. Going to see your other parents means being exposed to a different world with different rules. You are no longer the daughter of a farmer. You are a young goddess. Your grandparents are rulers of Asgard. Your mother is the one and only Goddess Hel. He’s not scared of losing you. He knows you love him, and he loves you. He is giving you room to blossom and become the woman he’s always known you’d become, but he’ll be waiting for you to come back to him. Because at the end of the day, after you’ve traveled all over the realms and been shown off by your parents and grandparents, you know that no one could ever love you as selflessly and deeply as he does.”
My eyes smarted. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so. He’s my brother, and I’ve known him a lot longer than you have. The man would do anything for you, including standing aside so you can shine.”
“Why couldn’t he explain himself the way you just did?”
“Because I’m the poet, doll-face,” he bragged. “Echo is the action man. He’s more likely to kiss you than explain what he is feeling deep inside. Or attempt to explain it and make a mess of things. Believe me, he wants what’s best for you.”
“Maybe that was why he mentioned my age.”
“There you go. You are on the verge of becoming a woman, and he wants that for you even though it’s probably killing him right now. Heck, he might even be worried about it, but he’s bottling it inside because this is about you, not him. Look at him already panicking because most students have left the building and you’re not one of them.”
Echo was staring at the school building with narrowed eyes, but he kept shifting.
“We better go before he goes full manic.” I hurried to the door.
Echo had started toward the building but stopped when he saw me.
I studied the souls milling outside. “Could you tell them the presence they felt here and at the farm doesn’t mean me any harm? I’ve told them, but they don’t seem to listen. She even returned my blanket.”
“I’ll be back in a few.” Dev slithered out of my phone.
I crossed the street and walked straight into Echo’s arms. After what Dev had said, I was done giving Echo a hard time.
He lifted my chin. “I was beginning to worry.”
“I was talking to Dev, but I’m here now.” I went to my toes and kissed him, then turned my head to search for Dev. He was surrounded by souls. I had no idea how souls communicated with each other. Heck, I had no idea they could, but Dev was holding court.
“What is he doing?” Echo asked impatiently.
“Reassuring them I’m safe. That no mysterious figure wants to hurt me.”
He winced, and I was sure he’d tell me not to joke about it. Instead, he cupped my face and kissed me but kept it brief. He’d been stingy with his kisses since I told him he couldn’t sleep over. If it was his way of punishing me, he’d succeeded. I felt terrible, especially after what Dev had just told me.
“Did you know it was the goddess checking me out? She’s the one who took my blanket.” The surprise on his face wasn’t feigned. “At least that’s the consensus among the women in my life.”
“Who?”
“Femi, Lavania, Ingrid, and Raine. They figured since the other girl pretended to be me, the goddess decided to check me out. It explains the souls inability to see her. She probably wore a cloak like the one she gifted Celestia, and I have a feeling Celestia knew it. She recognized her energy before she astral projected.”
“Ask her when we get Dev to Miami. Before you ask the goddess,” he added and opened the car door. “I don’t want you two starting off on the wrong foot.”
I hated seeing him so standoffish. I really hoped Dev was right. Not wanting to share the limelight with me was better than the alternative.
“I miss you,” I said before he closed the door.
He frowned. “I’m here, sweetheart. Always.”
“I miss sleeping in your arms.”
He stroked my cheek and, for one brief moment, flames leaped in his eyes. Then he closed the door. By the time he walked to the driver’s side, Dev was heading back and the souls were gone. He slid inside the car stereo.
“Thanks, Dev.”
“Anything for you.”
Instead of going to the farm, we drove to the cottage and opened a portal from there to Miami. Rhys and Nara were already waiting in the guest bedroom. There were two queen beds in the room, and Dev’s body, dressed in a long white robe, was in the middle of one. Tall, masculine with defined jawline, and a shadow on his chin, he was beautiful. What was his eye color? He could rock any eye color. His light-brown wavy hair was shorter on the side, but longer at the top, his eyebrows delicately arched. His ridiculous thick and long eyelashes formed canopies on his cheekbones. Physically, I’d say he was almost as tall as Echo, but was a little on the slender side. He was barefoot and wore triskelion anklets similar to the talismans around his neck. They were similar to Echo’s rings. The rings on his fingers and charms on his wrists also had druidic symbols. A set of artavo was on the nightstand.
He looked as though he was asleep, but his hand was cold to the touch. Since the others were seated on one side of the bed, I grabbed one of the empty chairs on the opposite side and placed my phone on the bed.
“Did you bring him?” Nara asked.
“I’m here,” Dev said, sounding glum.
Everyone in the room looked worried. Was I the only optimist here? I was excited.
“Thank you for preserving my body, Brother,” Dev continued. “When Echo told me, I couldn’t believe you’d do such a thing.”
“Why not? Remember our pact,” Rhys said.
“In life and in death, brothers forever,” Dev finished.
“And sister,” Nara added.
“You joined us after the pact,” Rhys reminded her.
“I know, but Echo said I was one of you.”
“He made you an honorary brother,” Dev said and chuckled. “You didn’t have boobs then and looked like a boy.”
“Thanks for the reminder, bonehead. Are you ready for this?”
“I’m waiting to meet her first. Celestia. What is she like?”
“I’ll get them,” Echo said. “Does he need more talismans and runic rings? I have some in that drawer. I bought them from a collector who didn’t understand the value of what he had.”
“We’ll add more,” Nara said.
Echo nodded and left. I stared after him. He was worried. I could feel it.
“Why does he need more?”
“Magical objects help our young healer channel her powers better,” Dev explained.
I went back to studying Dev’s body and partially listened to Nara, Rhys, and Dev discuss their past to cover their nervousness. They added charm bracelets around his ankles and chains around his neck. They were still at it when Echo came back with Celestia and Eirik. Eirik looked worried while Celestia looked tired. I hoped she hadn’t been healing people in the other realms. The Druids created room for her, and Eirik hovered protectively behind her.
Her eyes went to my phone. “He’s in there?”
I nodded. “He wanted to meet you first.”
Dev slithered from the phone and moved closer to Celestia until they were only a few inches apart. She closed her eyes, and Dev did the same. It was as though they were speaking in a language none of us understood. Her eyelids lifted as did his.
“You have good energy, Dev,” she said. “I’m happy to share with you some of my life force.” Dev touched his chest and bowed, then blended with his body. Celestia moved closer to the bed and spread her hands above his body. Then she placed her left hand on the crown of his head and her right on his chest. I reached for Dev’s hand and watched his face.
An hour later, Celestia stopped, her skin pale and her breathing heavy. “His soul is settled in, but not sealed. For his heart to beat, it must be sealed.”
“He has a heartbeat,” Nara whispered. I was curled up on Echo’s lap on the other side of the bed and lifted my head. It was after midnight, and Echo was fast asleep.
Nara held a small mirror near Dev’s nose and gave me a wobbly smile. Then she hurried out of the room. I was sure she was going to cry and didn’t want anyone to see her. Nara might act like she was one of the guys, but from her expression, her feelings for Dev were deeper and more personal than the others. She and Rhys had chosen couches in the living room, and I could hear Rhys’ snores.
I gripped Dev’s hand and studied his face under the yellow light from the bedside lamp. Celestia had made it clear that if his heart didn’t start to pump, he wouldn’t make it. I kind of liked that she hadn’t sugarcoated anything.
I glanced at the other bed, where she slept in Eirik’s arms. I didn’t wake her up to give her the good news. She needed her rest. Every time she’d shared her life force with Dev and grown pale and weak, guilt had chewed my insides. Part of me had wanted to tell her to stop. I was happy I hadn’t. Now there was hope.
“Go back to sleep,” Echo urged and tugged me against him. He tucked the blanket around us. “He’ll be fine.”
“Do you really think so?” I asked even though I knew he was in no position to guarantee anything. I just needed to know he believed in what we were doing.
“Yes,” Echo said with such conviction I believed him. I reached for Dev’s hand and sighed.
When Echo had marched into the room with a blanket and lifted me up, I’d protested, thinking he meant to carry me to bed. Instead, he’d sat with me on his lap and covered us with the blanket. It didn’t matter that he was conflicted about what to do when I visited Helheim. He’d known I needed him. Sinking into his chest, I closed my eyes and fell asleep surrounded by his warmth.
The next day, I woke up to find him gone. I showered and changed, then went back to the other bedroom. I continued to keep vigil as Celestia worked, ate, rested, and worked some more. She was determined to help Dev. Eirik had even brought a pitcher of special apple juice just for her, pouring her some whenever she needed it.
Dev’s body warmed up, but his temperature was below normal and his heartbeat stayed low. We covered him with a blanket to keep him warm, but that didn’t help. Outside the bedroom, people visited to check on Celestia. She had some serious friends. Two Grimnirs—one cowboy and his Japanese reaper buddy—dropped by a few times as did Hayden, Jessica, and Trudy. I didn’t get to talk to them, and they didn’t interrupt Celestia. In fact, I doubted she noticed them. She was focused on Dev and when not with him, she ate and slept. Everyone was not just rooting for he
r to succeed. They were worried about her, too. That night I thought I heard Echo snarl, “Damn it, Dev. Fight to live. Celestia can’t help you if you don’t fight.”
Sunday brought more people. Andris, Ingrid, Lavania, Femi, and Raine’s mother, Svana. “Why didn’t you tell Raine about this?” Svana asked.
“I didn’t want to interrupt her honeymoon.”
She dismissed my words with a flick of her hand.
“She’d want to be here for you and Dev.” When she left, I knew she was going to tell Raine what was happening. People continued to stream in—the cowboy and his partner, Trudy and her blond friend. I supplied Celestia with juice and Eirik made sure she ate, but the process was taking a toll on her. By evening, despair hung in the air and tempers frayed.
“How is he doing?” Rhys asked Celestia.
“Leave her alone,” Echo snarled from behind him, and I groaned. He needed to go reap or swim or something. Sleeping on the chair with me at night and being cooped up in the house was not helping his crazy mood.
“You’re not the only one worried about him, so back off,” Rhys shot back.
“The way you two are behaving, you’d think you hadn’t cursed him out the last several centuries,” Nara cut in.
Celestia sighed. I could tell their bickering was irritating her, but she was too exhausted to reprimand them. Eirik must have felt her frustration because he appeared. His eyes became slits, and scales covered his arms. He looked scary.
“Out or I’m ripping heads off. All of you. Yes, even you, Echo. Go outside and snap each other’s necks for all I care. Just let Celestia work. You are messing with her concentration.”
The three filed out, and Celestia smiled at Eirik. “Thank you.”
She was still working when Torin and Raine arrived. Raine hurried to my side.
“How’s he doing?” Raine asked. She sat on the arm of my chair and rubbed my back.
“Not so good. Celestia’s been great, but he’s still not waking up. He has more color in his cheeks, though.”
“Yes, he does.” Celestia placed a hand on his forehead.
Goddess: A Runes Book Page 14