Wednesday, I snapped at Kicker at school and felt terrible afterward. When I stopped at the mansion, a pale Dev greeted me at the door. My stomach dropped when I saw his aquamarine eyes. They were clouded.
“What is it?” I asked, studying his face. “Are you in pain?”
“No, but something is terribly wrong with Celestia. At first I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. I couldn’t sleep, and when awake, I felt troubled and weak, so I tried to contact Tammy since Celestia brought her back, too, but their shop is closed. Celestia is in trouble.”
I left my car at the mansion, opened a portal, and went in search of Echo. He wasn’t in Miami or at the cottage. My parents picked up on my mood the second I entered the house, and they asked what was going on.
I explained who Dev was and how Celestia had helped him. “He told me she is not well. I need Echo to confirm it, but I can’t find him—”
A portal opened, and he walked in, his eyes flying to me. Ignoring my parents, he closed the gap between us. “What is it? Are you okay?”
“Is Celestia okay?”
“I thought you were hurt or sick.” He shook his head to clear it. “I tried talking to Maera, but I got nothing. They are getting ready for a grand celebration to celebrate your arrival. Sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise.”
“I don’t want a party.” My voice shook. “You know how Dev has a connection with Celestia? He said something is terribly wrong. I need to know that she is okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” Echo disappeared, leaving a blast of cold air behind.
I ran upstairs to change, then packed. I threw everything I’d bought into a suitcase. Some still had tags on. I added everything I believed I could possibly need, including hair products and an overnight makeup bag. I was almost done when Echo returned. The expression on his face had panic igniting in my core. I jumped to my feet.
“What is it?”
“Come here.”
I shook my head. “No. Just tell me.”
He closed the gap between us and pulled me into his arms. “Celestia hasn’t recovered since Sunday. She slipped into a coma and hasn’t come out of it.”
Blood rushed from my head. If Echo weren’t holding me, I would have keeled over. “This is my fault.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“It is. They offered to help him because of me. If I hadn’t helped Dev, he would not have helped Raine’s father and Eirik would not have felt we owe him.” Feeling a little sick, I wiggled out of his arms and went to my closet to grab my new winter coat. Eirik probably blamed me. “I’m coming with you.”
Echo shook his head. “Cora—”
“I’m coming with you, Echo, or I’ll find another Grimnir to take me.” I stood taller and stared down at him from the tip of my nose. I knew I wasn’t being fair to him, but I needed to see Celestia and be there for Eirik. There must be something I could do to help. “No one will dare refuse me once they know who I am.”
Echo’s eyebrows shot up. “Playing the daughter of the goddess card?”
“Yes, I am. I can’t just stay here and do nothing. I want to help him take care of her. And please, don’t tell Dev. He would be devastated.”
Annoyance crossed Echo’s face. I would deal with his groundless jealousy later. Right now, Celestia needed me.
“They’re not ready for you, Cora.”
“I don’t care. I need to be there.” I was the cause of their pain. I’d been looking forward to visiting, and now this. What if they didn’t want to meet me now? I’d put Ceelstia’s life in danger to help a friend. Tears rushed to my eyes.
“Hey. Don’t cry,” Echo said. “I’ll take you.”
I turned and went to get my things.
Echo’s eyes volleyed between the suitcase and me. “How long are you planning on staying?”
“For as long as they need me. Why? You think I should bring more?”
“No,” he said quickly. “If you need anything, I’ll bring it.”
I frowned. “You wouldn’t know where to look.”
“I know everything you’ve ever worn and how you organize your closet, Cora-mia. If it’s new, I’ll find it. I’m very observant when it comes to everything you do.”
Gah, I loved this man. “Okay, you win. We’ll bring only the suitcase.”
He lifted it and removed his runic knife.
The portal was starting to form when I remembered my parents. “Just a second.”
I ran downstairs and found them talking in the kitchen.
“Celestia hasn’t recovered since she helped Dev,” I whispered, my throat closing. “It’s my fault.”
“Sweetheart, don’t,” Mom said, hugging me. I held on to her tightly.
“If she doesn’t recover, I’ll always blame myself.”
“No,” she said firmly and leaned back to peer into my face. “Look at me. Sometimes things happen beyond our control, okay? That’s just life.”
“But she wanted to give up, and I begged her not to. She used all her life force, and now she’s in a coma.”
“You will not do this to yourself, Cora.” Mom hugged me again. “You tend to blame yourself for things beyond your control. Even as a child. You care about Dev and wanted him whole. I’m sure Celestia and Eirik don’t believe it’s your fault.”
For one brief second, I wanted to stay in the comfort of her arms and push away the world, but I knew I couldn’t. She was also not an enabler. She was the first to peel me away from her.
“Go. Celestia needs you. Your brother and mother need you.”
“You are my mother,” I mumbled a tad rebelliously.
“So I am, but I didn’t carry you in my womb or nurse you for those first three days. She did. I didn’t cover every figurine, mural, and mirror in the house every year for seventeen years to remember your birthday and the day you were taken from me. She did. I’m the mother letting you go because I love you so much and want to see you reach your full potential. You, my daughter, are meant to be much more than a medium, so I’m handing the torch to the goddess, the mother meant to guide you the rest of the way. She loved you even when she thought you were gone, and she’ll love you even more now. Go to your other family. Dad and I are not going anywhere.”
Tears raced down my face, but I felt a little better. Surely, the woman who’d mourned me for seventeen years would not be angry that I came home unexpectedly.
“I’m so sorry for the way I behaved when I found out about you and the adoption,” I said.
“You were hurting,” Mom said, cupping my face. “We are the ones who should apologize. We shouldn’t have kept the truth from you.”
“Or tried to block your abilities,” Dad added.
I hugged them. “I love you guys so much. Always. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“It’s okay,” Dad said.
“We’ll take care of things at school,” Mom added.
School had ceased to matter the second I heard about Celestia. Echo opened a portal, causing a chill to fill the air, and reached for my hand. His expression was hard to read. I’d always been able to figure him out, but lately, his mood was all over the place. Yet I needed his support now more than ever. I was about to close a chapter in my life and start another. I glanced back at my parents one last time. Then the portal closed behind us.
The room we entered was huge with crystals smooth as mirrors covering the walls and rough ones on the ceiling. It was a cave. I couldn’t tell how big it was because it was wide and curved to our left and right.
Portals appeared on the walls as Grimnirs entered with souls. Some nodded at Echo, and others ignored him. But all studied me curiously. The souls looked sad and pale and followed the reapers as though tethered to them.
“Ready?” Echo asked.
“No.” I had no idea what to expect.
He studied my face, then lowered my suitcase to the floor, cupped the back of my fur-lined hoodie covered head, and laid a brief kiss on me. “I love you, Cora-mia.
No matter what happens after this, I’m yours.”
“I know. And just so you know, I’m yours, too, so I expect you to rescue me from whatever situation I get myself into while here.”
He chuckled. “I think you will rescue yourself while I cheer from the sideline.” Then his smile disappeared. “But I have your back. Always.”
“Okay. Now I’m ready.” He gripped my hand firmly and led me to the exit of the cave.
The landscape was covered with snow. There were no visible trees or buildings, only mountains. If the sun was in the sky, the mist hid it. I took a deep breath and frowned. I really hoped this wasn’t a mistake.
“You okay?” Echo asked.
“Yes. The magic here is strong.”
“Very.”
It was hard to describe. It was like waking up on the first day of summer and knowing school was out. I felt happy and relieved. Although why I should be happy or relieved boggled my mind. My reason for being here unannounced and unexpected was heartbreaking. If Celestia didn’t recover, I’d never forgive myself. I wasn’t sure what I could do to help. I just knew I needed to be here.
Grimnirs passed us with souls while others headed out. Some were in groups of twos while others moved as a group, talking and laughing. We got more nods and stares than smiles. It was obvious I wasn’t a soul because they wore whatever they’d died in—hospital-issued gowns, robes, or regular clothes—while I wore a fur-lined coat, gloves, and boots.
“Do you know the other reapers?”
“Yes. Some have been around as long as I have, while others I trained.”
The cold was crawling under my pants. Maybe I should have worn snow pants. I’d let fashion dictate my attire. My fur-lined white boots had heels, and my hooded coat was chic and cinched at the waist. Its gold buttons matched the long-sleeved wool sweater underneath it. I had layered the tops and worn a black silk shirt, but the cold in this realm crept everywhere. I should have gone for long-sleeved thermal underwear. Echo didn’t appear bothered by the cold, but I’d warmed him often enough when he returned from reaping to know he felt it.
The sound of rushing water reached my ears before I saw the bridge. Echo had told me about the bridge and Modgie, the giant guarding it. I didn’t see anyone when we approached it. The roof of the bridge appeared to be made of gold, and the river rushing under it had snakes and razor-sharp icicles visible from where we were. Anyone stupid enough to fall into it would die. Everything was like Echo had described it.
I moved closer to him and wrapped both my arms around his. The cold air stung my face, but I didn’t dare warm it on his coat. It was frozen.
“You cold?” he asked.
“Freezing.”
“I’ll carry you as soon as we pass the gate. Modgie usually locks it.” He peered ahead. “I’m not sure where she is. I didn’t see her earlier either.”
Below us was a boat moored on the banks of the river. Some Grimnirs were standing by the boat with souls.
“Those are damned souls heading to Corpse Strand. They’re waiting for Trudy’s father,” Echo explained.
We stepped off the bridge, and something dark and huge loomed ahead. As we drew closer, I realized it was the gate. It was open, and no one was guarding it. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“Do you think Celestia has gotten worse?” I asked.
“No. If she had, Eirik would be in the air destroying everything in his path.” Echo scooped me up and went into hyper speed. I buried my face in his neck to block the biting wind. Going at a hyper speed didn’t bother me anymore. The first time had been scary.
Just before we reached the building, something huge appeared as though spat by the air. Echo stopped and cursed as snow flew around us. When the flying flakes cleared, a giantess with wavy blond hair visible under her hat peered at us. Man, she was huge.
“Out of the way, Modgie,” Echo snapped, not intimidated by her.
“That’s not a soul you have there, Grimnir,” she said in a deep, smooth voice. “You know the rules about bringing girlfriends to this realm, you rascal.”
“This is Einmyria.”
Modgie studied me as though trying to see past the hood covering my head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Damn it, Modgie. She is freezing. How will you explain that to the goddess?”
“It’s okay,” I said. I wiggled until Echo lowered me to the ground. I didn’t dare remove the glove to shake the giant’s hand because my fingers were frozen, but I looked up and smiled. “I’m Cora, but people here know me as Einmyria. You must be Trudy’s sister, Modgud.”
The giantess frowned and continued to peer at me. Then she put four fingers inside her mouth and let out a deafening whistle. The ground shook and icicles fell from the turrets. I knew what was coming and braced myself. Echo planted himself between the hound and me, but I didn’t escape being showered by fresh snow. The hound wagged a tail as big as a tree branch, his breath steaming the air. He sniffed Echo, then licked him.
“What the…?” Echo muttered.
The hound moved his massive head and continued to sniff as though determined to find me. I shivered, cold and fear colliding inside me. He nudged Echo, knocking him sideways. I froze as four eyes stared at me and hot breath fanned my face. Then he did something strange. He lay down on the snow and made mewling noises, his tail slapping the snow.
“It’s okay,” Modgie said, stepping out of the way. “Garm can tell you are Einmyria.”
“How?” Echo asked, not masking his annoyance.
“Her essence is similar to the goddess’.”
“He’s been unfriendly the past year, and now he’s licking me.” Echo put his arms around me and headed for the entrance. “Crazy hound.”
“How long have you known Einmyria, Grimnir?” Modgud asked.
“None of your business, Modgie,” Echo retorted.
Man, he didn’t even try to be nice. “About a year, but he didn’t know who I was,” I said.
“You are the reason Garm’s been growling at Echo whenever he returns from Midgard,” Modgud called out. “The hound recognized your essence on him.”
I didn’t care why the hound had been mean to Echo. I wanted to get out of the cold and stop my man from making an enemy of everyone. Someone opened the front entrance of the hall, and Echo ushered me inside. He undid his coat and pulled me close, pressing my face on his chest. It was cute how he was trying to warm me. Usually, I was the one who warmed him. I turned my head to the side of his neck and sought the warmth there.
“Creed, find Maera,” Echo ordered. “Tell her Einmyria is home.”
I turned to see the person he was talking to, and my gaze met the guard, who stared at me with wide eyes. I was too cold to smile or speak. He bowed before a portal appeared, voices reaching me before it fully formed. He turned and hurried through it. The other guards lined up and bowed. I glanced at Echo, but he wasn’t paying them any attention. Warming me was his focus. He removed his gloves and cupped my face. Usually, he wore fingerless gloves. Not this time. My cheeks tingled as circulation returned to them.
“The magic here doesn’t use runes?” I asked.
“No. It responds to your thoughts,” he said. “If you want to go somewhere, you visualize it, and the portal opens to that place.”
Finding him was going to be easy. “Are you going to keep calling me Einmyria here?”
He studied me, a frown pulling his eyebrows down. “I’ll call you whichever name you prefer, Cora-mia, but to the people of the hall, you are Einmyria. If you prefer Cora, that’s okay, too.”
“No, I’m okay with Einmyria.” It was a beautiful name, and that way I could separate the person I was here from the one back at home.
The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as the portal opened to reveal a pretty blond Dwarf. She stared at us, her hands clasped together on her bosom. Her chin started to tremble, and her eyes grew bright. I smiled tentatively, not sure whether I should say something.
“That’s Maera,” Echo whispered. “She took care of you as a baby, and was devastated when she thought you died.”
Tears streamed down her face as other Dwarves appeared behind her. They gasped and smiled or turned to whisper to each other.
“Our baby is home,” Maera whispered and walked through the portal, her arms stretched out. I went down on my knees and hugged her, fighting tears. I was a sympathetic crier. Behind her, the other Dwarves were either crying or fighting tears, too.
“She has the Golden One’s hair,” one of the Dwarves whispered.
“Her face. Look at her nose,” another said excitedly.
“And her lips.”
“They turn up the same way.”
“She’s the one.”
Maera stepped back and wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron. “I’m sorry for breaking down, but it’s a miracle to have you home.” She glanced at the staff peering at us through the portal. “Of course, she’s the one. Back to work everyone. The food will not cook itself. Astrid, come with me.” One of the younger Dwarves with black hair and green eyes removed her apron and curtseyed when she joined us. Maera waited until the portal closed before saying, “Welcome home, young goddess. This is Astrid. She will be your maid. Any time you need anything, find her and she’ll find me.”
“Thank you. You are Trudy’s mother.”
“That’s me, dýrr mín.” She turned to the guards and introduced them one by one. Each bowed before straightening up. I didn’t catch their names. “Creed,” she told the last guy. “Find Litr and bring him to me. Do not tell him Einmyria is home, or he will tell the Golden One. I want him and the goddess together when I give them the good news. Dagr, take the young goddess’ suitcase to her chambers. Astrid, go with him and take care of the rest. The rest of you, don’t say a word to anyone until I speak to the goddess.” The entire time she spoke, her eyes didn’t leave me and the smile didn’t waver from her lips. “Will you excuse us, dýrr mín?” She waited until I nodded, then gave Echo a censuring glance. “Come with me, young man.”
Goddess: A Runes Book Page 16