“His skin is warmer, too,” I said, squeezing his hand.
“I’ll feed him a few more times. Then he should have enough life force to open his eyes,” Celestia said. “His heartbeat is steady, and his soul is sealed in.”
“Really?” I searched her face. She looked like she could faint at any second.
“Yes. I can feel it. I’ll be right back.” She staggered out of the room, where Eirik was waiting for her.
“She looks terrible,” Raine whispered.
“I know. I feel bad because I know she’s doing this for me.”
“For Dev.” Raine touched Dev’s forehead. “If you want to lie down and rest, I can keep an eye on him.”
“No. I’m okay.” I wanted to be there when he opened his eyes. I knew it was only a matter of time. I could feel it.
Raine sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were helping him this weekend? I would have been here with you.”
“You are on your honeymoon, silly. I wouldn’t want you to interrupt mine either.”
She smiled. “I’m a portal away. If you are about to do something this big, get me.”
She had a point. “Then you should know I’m going to Helheim after this.”
Her eyes widened. “Okay. Count me in.”
I shook my head. “I’d love to have you there, but not this time. I want to do this on my own.” Just like Echo had said. I needed to know my mother without others or my relationship with them coming into the equation.
Thoughts about Helheim became secondary as I inched closer to Dev. His breathing was shallow as though he was struggling for air. Suddenly, his skin grew clammy and pale.
“No, no, please. Don’t die, Dev. Fight,” I begged, gripping his hand. “Please. Celestia!” She rushed back with Eirik behind her. The others followed. I didn’t realize I was crying until Echo put his arms around me. Raine went to Torin while Nara and Rhys stood at the foot of the bed.
I touched Dev’s face. “He’s getting cold. What’s happening?”
Celestia touched his neck, checking his pulse, and frowned. “I don’t know, but I think we might be losing him. The life force is leaving his body. It’s like it is not holding anymore. Like he doesn’t want to come back.”
“But you can fix him, right? Please, Celestia. Help him.” My voice caught on a sob, and Echo muttered a curse under his breath. Celestia looked at Eirik, but he shook his head.
“You are too weak already,” he said. “You need to rest, Stjärna mín.”
She gripped his hand. “One last time. I promise.”
“But what if…?”
She silenced him with a kiss. “Then you’ll catch me,” she said, looking into his eyes, love and understanding passing between them. Then she turned around and moved closer to Dev. A worried Eirik stayed by her side.
“Now you listen to me carefully, Dev,” Celestia said. “I have spent the last three days here with you, giving you my life force when I could have spent them with Eirik, so you better wake up because I’m not letting you go. Do you hear me? You and I are linked now, and anyone with my life force in them isn’t a quitter. They’re fighters. Tammy fought and won. Merle did. And you damn well better, or I swear I’m going to personally make sure Eirik drags your soul to Corpse Strand for a week before you’re allowed in a Resting Hall.”
I stared at her, hoping for a miracle. She placed her hands on his chest.
“And if you didn’t already know,” Celestia continued, “Cora hasn’t left your side or slept in a bed since Friday. She’s been holding your hand and urging you to wake up every night. She’s fought so hard to help you, fought so you can be back with your Druid family, so now it’s your turn to fight to live. Fight like you’ve never fought, Dev. Echo is here, too. He hasn’t reaped in three days, and although I’m sure he won’t admit he’s worried about you, he is. He’s driving me crazy with his grouchiness and constant pacing.” She was weakening. Her lips lost color and her eyes glazed. She slurred her words as she continued. “Then there’s Rhys…” I didn’t hear what she said about Rhys because her voice grew weak. Slowly, she whispered, “Nara, tell him how you feel.”
“I’m not going to cry over you, you insufferable, arrogant bastard,” Nara said, tears swimming in her eyes. “You’d better fight and get up so I can knock you on your ass again. Don’t think I’ve forgotten our last fight.”
“He’s warmer,” I said, feeling his forehead and cheeks. “And his color is improving.”
“Keep talking,” Celestia urged.
“Come on, Dev,” I said. “Fight. Students at Mystic Academy will need you in the fall.”
“Damn it, Dev,” Nara added, moving closer to the bed. “You are a fighter, so stop dragging your feet. I have souls to reap instead of cheering for you to reach the freaking finish line.”
“I didn’t keep your body in that tomb for a thousand years so you can quit, pal,” Rhys added. “Fight!”
“Listen to me, you waste of space,” Echo snarled. “I didn’t want your sorry ass back anyway because of one thing and one thing only. I’d have to apologize to you, and I don’t do apologies. Now I’m pissed off at the way you’ve made Cora cry. You want an apology? You got it. I’m sorry I overreacted and killed you. I was an ass and said terrible things before that and afterward. You and Rhys are my brothers. Always have been and always will be. And Nara, when she’s not being a pain, could pass for my sister. Now, get your sorry ass back to them, or I swear I will keep your soul tethered to me for the next millennium for the tears Cora has shed over you.”
Color returned to Dev’s face, and his breathing became regular. I don’t know how long it was before his eyes moved behind the closed lids, then fluttered open.
“You did it. You brought him back,” I cried out. I touched Dev’s cheek. “Dev. You are back. She brought you back.”
He stared straight up and kept blinking as though he was trying to clear his vision. Slowly, he turned his head to look at me.
I stared into his gorgeous aquamarine eyes. “Hey, handsome.”
He blinked, his eyes bright. His mouth opened and closed, but not a word came out. I was sure his voice was rusty from lack of use and his mouth too dry for speech.
“He’s really back,” Nara said in awe.
“She did it,” Rhys said.
“How do you feel? You want to sit up?” I asked.
He nodded, and we helped him sit up, propping him against pillows.
“You still glow, mon stór,” he whispered in a rough and rusty voice. I loved his beautiful Irish accent.
“I have no idea what that means, but I love it, Dev.” I hugged him. His body was frail but solid. No more ghost body passing through me and filling me with a cold, creepy feeling. Then I noticed Eirik headed for the door with Celestia.
“Don’t leave, Eirik. Dev, I want to introduce you to the person who brought you back. My amazing sister, Celestia. She’s my, uh, brother Eirik’s chosen mate.” Eirik walked back to the bed and lowered Celestia so Dev could see her.
“Is she going to be okay?” Dev asked, talking haltingly.
“Yes. She needs to rest now and rejuvenate. Thank her later,” Eirik said impatiently.
“Celestia,” Dev whispered her name and pressed a kiss on her cheek. “Take a piece of my heart with you until we meet again, mo mhuirnín. I’m forever your humble servant.”
“Damn,” Eirik muttered as he moved away from the bed. “Another person you share a bond with and it has to be Mr. Suave. If he calls you darling again, I’ll kill him.”
“He didn’t mean that,” I reassured Dev, patting his arm. “I need to talk to him before he leaves. I’ll be right back.”
I hurried out of the room to find Eirik had already opened a portal. A cold draft filled the room, and Echo hurried forward to tuck a blanket around Celestia. They didn’t see me, but I overheard Eirik say, “Fix whatever is broken between you and Cora, man. I don’t want to be involved, so just take care of it.”
&nb
sp; Echo didn’t like that. Eyes flashing, he disappeared into his bedroom. Eirik was already acting like my big brother, and I didn’t know how I felt about that. He and I needed to set some boundaries. He started for the portal.
“Eirik, wait up,” I called. I stopped beside them and studied Celestia. She looked really bad. I hoped she’d recover quickly. “I’m so sorry helping Dev did this to Celestia. I know I pushed her. Will she be okay?”
Eirik chuckled. “My Celestia is a lot tougher than she looks.” He pressed a kiss on my forehead. “Besides, she knows I’d hound her in the astral plane if she disappeared for too long, and she has an army of goddesses who will be pissed if she doesn’t wake up. I hope you heard that, Stjärna mín. I will contact the Ásynjur Court if you don’t wake up in the next six hours.”
I wanted what they had without my man worrying about my parents and what they’d say or do. Seeing the two of them renewed my hope.
“You really love her.”
Eirik smiled. “With every breath in my body. Just like Echo loves you.”
“I know.” I sighed. “But sometimes it takes more than love.” It takes believing that everything will be okay, no matter what fate throws your way. “Do you think they’re ready to, uh, meet me?”
“Mom and Dad?” Eirik asked and grinned. “They were ready the moment I told them about you. No, the moment they learned you were still alive. They’ve been giving you space because I told them you needed it.”
Space? Right. I didn’t bother to correct him. Whatever doubts the goddess might have had about me, I hoped they were gone now. I didn’t want to visit her while she had doubts about my identity.
“I’m ready to meet them.” Having said it, I felt both relieved and apprehensive. “Will you and Celestia be there? I’ll need the support.”
“Of course, we’ll be there, but you won’t need us. They’re pretty awesome as far as parents go.” He looked down and frowned. “Okay, I need to take Celestia home now, but I’ll be back for you.”
“Thanks, Eirik. It’s weird thinking of you as my brother, but it just seems right at the same time.”
“I don’t know. More weird than right,” he said, laughter in his voice.
“Thanks, Celestia.” I kissed her cheek. “I look forward to getting to know you. Later, Eirik.”
I waited until the portal closed, then walked back to join the others. Echo, Torin, and Raine were by the doorway while Nara and Rhys were busy monopolizing Dev’s time. I slipped my hand through Echo’s, and he tugged me closer.
“Sip slowly,” Nara said, giving Dev water through a straw. “You’ll have to start with fluids and work up to pureed foods.”
“Disgusting,” Rhys said, making a face. I’d never seen him this playful. “She’ll treat you like a baby if you let her. We need to hit a bar and party. Beer, burgers, and women. And not necessarily in that order.”
“That’s disgusting,” Nara retorted.
“Where is he going to stay?” Torin asked.
Echo shrugged. “Here, though I won’t be around to help him adjust.”
“He could stay at the mansion in Kayville,” Raine suggested. “He already knows Ingrid, Femi, and Lavania. Blaine could show him around, and Ingrid could take him shopping.” She looked at me and cocked her eyebrow.
“I agree. He won’t be lonely there.” I glanced at Echo and caught him scowling at me. “You and the others can visit him whenever you like.” That didn’t seem to placate him. “Or not.”
“I don’t care where he stays. I’ll make sure he has an account and a credit card,” Echo said. He glanced at Torin. “Can Andris get him an ID?”
Torin chuckled. “He’ll consider it a challenge. Country of origin?”
“Ireland. Our people moved there before they ran us out.” Echo studied Dev and scowled harder. “He looks ridiculous in that gown. I’ll get him some clothes.” He left.
“Thank you for suggesting the mansion,” I whispered to Raine. “It is much more convenient despite Mr. Grouch’s attitude.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing that a knock on his thick head wouldn’t fix. I don’t know how to convince him nothing has changed between us because of my biological parents.”
“Oh, man,” Raine said on a sigh while Torin chuckled. She glared at him. “It’s not funny.”
“Sorry, Freckles, but it’s bloody hilarious. He has a dragon for a future brother-in-law. If he steps out of line, he gets barbecued. And he’s in love with his boss’s daughter. He steps out of line and it’s Corpse Strand for a few hours.”
I punched Torin’s arm. “Stop being mean. Everything will be fine once we are in Helheim.”
“When are you going?” Torin asked.
“Whenever. Depends on when Eirik comes for me.”
“Do you want us there?” Torin asked. “We can postpone the honeymoon if you do.”
I shook my head. “No, I need to do this on my own.”
“Are you nervous?” Raine asked.
“Petrified, but I’ll be okay,” as long as Echo was by my side.
“If you need us, send for us,” Raine said.
“Okay.” I indicated Dev with a nod and whispered to Raine, “Did you see his eyes? He is going to be everyone’s favorite teacher at the academy.”
“I noticed. Aquamarine. Gorgeous,” Raine glanced at Torin. “I love yours better.”
He laughed.
I left them, and approached the bed. Rhys and Nara gave me room, and Dev took my hands. For a beat, we grinned at each other. I loved this man. I might have just discovered that Eirik was my biological brother, but Dev was my adopted brother. It didn’t matter that he was about two millennia old. He’d always be my responsibility.
“You are coming back to Kayville with us to stay at the mansion with Lavania, Ingrid, and Blaine. You can discuss Mystic Academy to your heart’s content.”
He grinned.
“Ingrid?” Rhys asked and tried to keep his expression clear of emotions, but his eyes brightened.
“You two can visit him there anytime,” I said.
“And you?” Dev asked, lacing our fingers.
“I’ll be there every day.” He grinned like I’d told him I’d be moving in. “The students are going to love you, Dev. You may have to walk around with a baseball bat to fend off the girls.”
“Can I date them?”
“No-ooo,” Rhys and Nara said in unison.
“Hundreds of years without a body and you still haven’t changed,” Echo muttered, entering the room with some of his clothes. “Feel free to use this place whenever you feel the urge to escape Kayville. Just stay out of my bedroom and my closet. These are loaners.” He dropped the clothes on the bed and glanced at our joined hands, his eyes narrowing. “He doesn’t need you to help him change, does he?” Then he walked out.
I stared after him and sighed. I wanted to hurl something at his head. The look on Dev’s face said he was going to have a thing or two to say to his brother before the week was over.
“Moron,” Rhys said.
“I second that.” Nara looked at me. “If you want me to kick his ass for you, let me know. He doesn’t like to hit girls, which puts him at a disadvantage.”
It looked like battle lines were being drawn and Echo’s people were on my side. I had to find a way to get them to his side. Not just these three. All his Druid family in Helheim, too.
Chapter 9. A New Realm, A New Life
We took Dev to the mansion and made sure he was settled in Blaine’s old room since the Immortal had taken Eirik’s bigger unit. Echo went back to work while I headed home to pack and wait for Eirik.
I rummaged through my closet for anything I could wear in Helheim and found very little. Winters in Kayville were mild, so I didn’t have heavy-duty outfits for extreme cold. I got online, ordered new winter clothes, and expedited the shipping.
Eirik didn’t come for me that night. The next day came and went. I figured he was busy wi
th Celestia, so I didn’t complain. She might need a day or two to recover. I spent time at the mansion with Dev. He was eating well and resting well. We talked when I wasn’t helping souls. When Eirik was a no-show on Tuesday, I tried to get answers from my moody boyfriend.
“I haven’t seen him or Celestia since Sunday. I’ll check with Maera.”
I was brushing my teeth and wearing one of my silk lingerie, his favorite, but he refused to look at me. He leaned against the door, arms crossed and eyes on my shower curtain. There was nothing interesting about that damn curtain.
The second I started for the door, he stepped back, his focus shifting to the boxes piled in my closet. “Shopping?”
“For Helheim. Those arrived today. Want to see?” I kneeled on the floor and opened the first box. Inside were fur-lined boots. The heels were low, which was unusual for my footwear. I preferred high-heeled boots. I glanced up at Echo and caught his expression before he could hide it. “What is it?”
“I miss sleeping with you in my arms, too.”
“Are you spending the night?”
“No, I can’t out of respect to your parents. They know when I open a portal or when I’m in the house. I plan to continue coming through the front door or using the mirror downstairs.”
“Okay,” I said. That explained why he’d left after dinner the last three days and didn’t return. I couldn’t fault him for respecting my parents.
“I’ll let you know what I find out about Eirik.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead and headed downstairs.
I grabbed a robe and opened a portal to the foyer of the mansion. Voices came from the library upstairs, but I went straight to Dev’s room and knocked. There was no answer. A door to my right opened, and Blaine stepped into the hallway.
“Hey, Blaine. Just checking on him before bed.”
He sauntered toward me. “You just missed him.” He joined me and opened the door. The lights were on, and Dev was fast asleep, covers flung to the side. He appeared agitated, tossing and turning.
“Is that normal?”
“Honestly? We don’t know. Lavania and Ingrid have been keeping an eye on him, and Femi checks his aura and energy daily. He is healthy magically and physically, but he’s tormented by something. I plan to start him on a workout regiment next week. Maybe that might help steady him.” Dev turned again, almost falling off the bed, but Blaine engaged speed runes and was by his side in a fraction of a second. He pulled him back to the center of the bed without waking him. “This restlessness is new.”
Goddess: A Runes Book Page 15