We were communicating at a subliminal state. I followed the energy I had tugged to a young Jötun with messy brown hair. He gave me a toothy grin, and I waved back, smiling.
“We thought you were another dragon who’s plagued us for months and forced us to move from home to home,” Trym said.
“Is it my grandmother?” Eirik asked.
Trym nodded. “Sadly, yes. How did you know?”
“Because we are looking for her too. Do you know what she wants?”
“We don’t know, but she tried to take one of our children once. Come here, boy.”
The messy haired boy stepped forward, but his eyes were on me.
“This is Drifa,” Trym said. “When he was a baby, Angrboda snatched him from his mother, but his brothers caught up with them at the Gjöll Pass and brought him home.”
“She bit you, didn’t she?” I asked.
Trym translated, and the Drifa nodded. He extended his arm and pointed at his scars.
“She bit me too,” I said, pointing at my foot.
“If the Ironwood Maiden returns, tell her you are under my protection and any attack on you is an attack on me and Eljudnir,” Eirik said. “If she attacks you again or if you see her anywhere in the realm, find me. I will take care of her. You have my word.”
Trym faced his people and spoke in his language. A cheer rose among the gathered. He raised his hand and silence followed.
“Would you like to break bread and share mead with us, Eirik Baldurson and Celestia Deveraux?”
“Not this time, Trym,” Eirik said. “But we’ll come back to break bread and share mead. Celestia must return to Midgard now.”
Trym translated and everyone stepped back to give us room. Then Eirik took off. Listening to him reassure those scared Jötnar made me so proud of him. He would inspire people to follow him because they trusted him, not feared him.
“You did great back there,” I said, and he laughed.
“Yeah, because of you. I would have attacked first and asked questions later.”
~*~
I stayed outside while Eirik went inside to change. I tried to create a snowman, but the snow was too dry and flaky, so I focused on the snow angels. Mine hadn’t survived the whirlwind created by Eirik’s wings when we landed. His was still intact. It looked like a mini crater.
I put one foot in front of the other, counted, and walked across the imprint, measuring his wingspan. Then I moved on to his tail, starting from the base to the pointed tip.
“What are you doing?”
I looked up and grinned. I hadn’t heard him come outside. “Measuring your tail. Already done with your wingspan.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a morbid fascination with your dragon. Can you melt an area and make it wet, so I can make a snowman when I’m done?” I continued walking, my arms stretched out for balance.
“Tomorrow. Come on. I’m starving.” He offered me his hand.
“I thought I was coming to watch you fight the warriors tomorrow.”
“Watch, then make a snowman. Fun after the gore.”
I grinned. “Hmm, how considerate. Okay, I’m in, but you need to help. Since it’s perma-cold here, the snowman won’t melt. We could even make it a giant. Yes, a Jötun snowman sounds awesome. Hey, I’m not done,” I protested when he grabbed my hand.
“I’m starving, and you talk too much.”
“I’m not hungry, so you go, and I’ll catch up.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s almost five. I have to head home soon.” The next second, he scooped me up and cradled me to his chest. I had no choice but to grab his shoulders. “Now you messed up my counting.” I eyeballed the snow angel. “Ten more I think. That’s some serious tail.”
“Not so bad for a medium-sized dragon,” he mumbled.
“Medium? Your dragon is massive and magnificent. Put me down.”
“No. You’re likely to run back outside to play in the snow. And the damn dragon is not all that. I’ve met bigger ones over the last few weeks. White ones. Grey ones. Red ones. Green ones.”
“Bigger is not always better, and I love gold. Besides, you kicked all their butts. You should be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.”
He looked down at me and slowed. “You are?”
“Yes, the dragon side of you.” He groaned and slung me unceremoniously over his shoulder. He ignored my protests. “Maera brought food for two and she won’t be happy if it gets cold because you were busy going on and on about dragons. She already mentioned a gown you refused to take with you. You hurt her feelings.”
“Oh come on. The dress is gorgeous, but where am I going to wear it? It is too fancy and the emeralds are real.” A portal opened into the rotunda, and he walked right through it without slowing down. The guards watched us and smirked. My face warmed.
“And your point is? You don’t deserve emeralds or fancy clothes? I think she’s already making you more.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be visiting Asgard in the near future, and I might need to take a companion.”
He opened the door and was lowering me down while my mind was still on what he’d just said. “Asgard?”
“Your dress is in my closet if you want to take it. It might be perfect for prom.” Litr had already laid out the food on the table in Eirik’s quarters, and my mouth watered at the smell of fresh bread, but I didn’t think I could eat anything.
“Asgard, Eirik?”
“Yes, that is the realm where my grandparents live.” He sat and started to eat. There were slabs of meat and a platter of fresh fruit—grapes, strawberries, and some berries I didn’t recognize. “Eat.”
“You can’t just say something like that and act like it’s nothing.”
“Okay, then I won’t. Do you want apple juice or mead?”
He could be so annoying. I shrugged off my coat and cloak, threw them by the door, and joined him. The bread was still warm and the meat tasty, but the strange berries were amazing.
“What are these?”
“I have no idea, but last weekend I heard most fruit comes from Vanaheim. Or was it Alfheim?”
“There was a woman at your party with tattoos, piercings, and a Mohawk. Where was she from?”
I ended up eating a lot more as he talked about the party and the Dokkalfr girl Niorun, the Light Elves, and the Dwarves. He demolished most of the food, but ignored the mead. Despite not drinking the alcoholic beverage, his movements grew sluggish, a sure indication that his body was shutting down.
“You need to sleep now?” I asked.
“Not yet. I’m taking you home.” He got up and staggered.
“Really, Eirik? You can barely stand. Any one of the Grimnirs can open a portal for me.” I picked up my coat and cloak. “Go to sleep.”
“After I take you home.”
Stubborn man. “If you fall flat on your face, don’t expect me to carry you.”
He grinned and took my hand under his. We were halfway to the cave when I realized two Grimnirs were shadowing us. If Eirik noticed them, he didn’t show it. We made it to the cave, and he opened a portal to my room.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked once we entered my room.
“Yeah. I have them.” The two Grimnirs waited in the cave, but had a clear view of my bedroom. Portals offered zero privacy. I was going to buy a portable mirror, make it face the door, and demand he used it as a portal.
“Okay, see you tomorrow,” I said and disappeared inside my closet to get rid of my boots and snow pants. I stashed everything in the suitcase I’d already started packing for my stay at Hayden’s. Since finding his crazy granny was a priority, I knew I’d be visiting Helheim a lot this coming week.
Wearing only sweatpants and a T-shirt, I left the closet to go find my father. The second I entered my bedroom, I noticed Eirik stretched out on my bed with his eyes closed. Why hadn’t he left with the Grimnirs?
I nudged him. “Eirik, you can’t sleep here.”
“One hour,” he mumbled.
“What happened to your guards?”
“Home. Told them.”
I guess that meant he told them to go home. Great. Just great. If Dad saw him, I’d be in some serious trouble. He’d want to know who he was. We still hadn’t come up with a backstory for him. Not only that, Dad was likely to recognize him from my sketches.
Sighing, I closed the door behind me and went in search of my father. His car was missing. I pulled out my cell phone and saw all the missed calls. Some were from him and several texts messages were from Hayden. I called Dad first.
“Ah, you are up. Have you heard anything about Witches being attacked?”
“Oh. I, uh, heard rumors,” I said, trying to be vague.
“Rumors won’t cut it, kiddo. I got an anonymous tip that five Witches were killed several nights ago and more attacks happened this morning. Then there are grave and morgue robberies, and the bodies being stolen are all dead Witches. Something nasty is happening in the Witch community and no one is telling me why. I made a few calls to my contacts, and they told me to stay out of it. This is still my town, so if my people are being attacked and bodies are disappearing, I need to know. So I’ll ask again. What is going on?”
“Okay, Dad.” Sheesh. “I haven’t heard anything about dead bodies disappearing. As for the deaths, did your contact tell you the deaths were around the world?”
“Uh no. She made it seem like it was only happening here.”
I filled him in on what I knew. “I didn’t tell you because the victims were all over the place. I told Tammy, and she said not to worry about it.”
“Where’s Tammy? I tried her number, but she didn’t answer.”
“She’s out of town shopping.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe you and Hayden should join her until things cool down.”
“Dad!”
“Something is brewing in this town, Celestia, and I don’t want you around when it explodes. Witches only call me when dealing with non-magical people. When my sources warn me to leave things alone, then I know strange things are about to happen. As the chief, I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“I get that, Dad, but why do I have to leave town?”
“Because I say so.”
I rolled my eyes. He always reverted to that lame excuse whenever he was hiding something. When I was young, he’d send me to Grams’ with “Because I say so” if I asked why. At the time, I hadn’t known he and Mom fought. I never argued with him then, and I reverted to that little girl, giving in without questioning his reasons.
“Okay, Dad. I’ll talk to Hayden about it, and she can talk to her mom when she calls.”
“Good. I don’t understand why she didn’t take you two with her. It’s spring break and you two are at home.”
I couldn’t respond to that without giving myself away or piling on more lies.
“I have to go, now. Don’t wait up, and please don’t go out tonight.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” I was still full from Maera’s cooking. I hung up and called Hayden. “You will not believe what’s happening.”
“I would. I called you several times and you didn’t pick up.” She sounded thoroughly frustrated. “Where have you been?”
I almost told her there was no cell phone reception in Hel. “I fell asleep,” I improvised. “What’s going on?”
“You go first.”
“Someone called Dad and told him about the dead Witches, so now he’s freaking out and wants us to join your mom wherever she is. Tell me what’s wrong with that logic?”
“Witches don’t run when one is in trouble.”
“You got that right.”
“And the chief often assigns deputies to keep an eye on you when he’s worried about your safety, not send you away.”
“Exactly. I have a bad feeling about this.” The only time he’d sent me away was when he’d feared my mother would hurt me. I’d skip school, and Grams and I would take a mini vacation. Of course, I only learned later that my mother had been in town at the time. A shiver crawled up my spine. No, I was reaching just because he’d reverted to his “Because I say so” excuse. My mother could not be back in town. I’d sense her a mile away. Besides, I wasn’t scared of her anymore. I was as powerful as she was.
“You still there?” Hayden asked.
“Yes. Have you heard anything about dead bodies disappearing from morgues and the cemeteries? All of them Witches?”
“Ew, no. That only happens when necromancers are up to their usual tricks. They do a spell to reanimate the dead without caring which soul they use. Most of the time, the souls are evil. Draugr are nasty beings, but Witch Draugr are even harder to kill because they are one with the earth. They disappear into the earth and reform at will. Who told you about body snatchers?”
“My dad. Draugr. Never heard of them before.”
“Draugr, revenants, mummies, ghouls... Every culture has them.”
I shivered. “Now, you have me all spooked too. Maybe we need a vacation. So what’s up with you?”
“We’ve had a flood of customers this afternoon. Now it makes sense. The Witches are not only scared of the killings, they’re dealing with body snatchers too. Anyway, we’re opening late tonight and early tomorrow. Can you help?”
“I can’t now. I promised Dad I wouldn’t leave the house.” And Eirik was asleep on my bed. And my mother might be out there. I shuddered. Damn, now that I’d let the idea that she might be in town take root in my head, the hollow pit in my stomach widened. “But I can come in early tomorrow. That means I’d have to cook Dad’s special meal in the evening. When are you opening?”
“Eight. Please say you’ll come.”
The date with Eirik was out the window. He could take a rain check. Now if we were going evil-dragon hunting, I’d be in a serious problem as to whom to choose—my best friend or the guy slowly beginning to consume my waking moments.
“Okay, I’ll be there,” I said. “How come you don’t sound worried about these attacks and body snatchers? I’m starting to freak out.”
“There’s a reasonable explanation just like Mom said in her note. She said not to worry, and she’s always right. See you tomorrow.”
Her indifference didn’t make sense. We were talking about killings and dead bodies disappearing. Nothing like that had ever happened in my lifetime. Tammy leaving after an attack was also weird. I still hadn’t told Hayden she’d left with a man, but since I had secrets of my own, I wasn’t sticking my nose into their business. Besides, the guy might be a boyfriend or a business partner. I still believed he was an Immortal capable of opening a portal. It was the only explanation for the way they’d disappeared.
I started the coffeemaker and went to check on Eirik. He was still out, one arm covering his face and the other over a pillow. I was tempted to crawl beside him and use his arm as a pillow. I might later.
I grabbed my cloak and went outside, my hand gripping the runic clasp to see past the Veil. I could see Rhys and Nara through the window. They’d replaced the other couple. They looked up when I stepped on the porch.
“Do you guys want to come inside? I’m about to make coffee.” They glanced at each other, but didn’t move. “Look, Eirik is asleep inside and not going anywhere any time soon, so you can either wait for him out here until he wakes up or come inside and drink something hot. It’s up to you. Oh, and we can always order pizza,” I added.
I entered the house and was surprised they followed me all the way to the kitchen. They took stools and looked around with interest. I tried to see my house through their eyes. Other than my bedroom, which tended to be messy, I kept our house neat. Our cleaning lady came once a week and took care of serious cleaning and laundry. Dad often helped, except when it came to cooking. That was my department. I loved to cook.
“What toppings do you guys like?”
I wrote down their pre
ferences and placed the order. They both insisted on paying. Rhys pulled the seniority card. Funny how they shunned modern technology yet had credit cards. I was so going to pick their brain while we waited for Eirik to wake up. But first things first. I placed steaming cups of coffee in front of them and offered them a creamer and honey before asking what was bugging me.
“So, did you guys distract my father by calling him anonymously about the dead Witches?”
“No,” Rhys answered.
“Of course not,” Nara said at the same time.
“Echo left a message that three Witches were attacked this morning too. Are they dead?” Nara glanced at Rhys and an alarm went off in my head. “What is it?”
“They should have been because their necks were broken,” Rhys explained. “Instead, they’re in a coma. That in itself is strange.”
A coma meant hope of survival. “Were they holding séances?”
“Yes. One of them lives here in Windfall.”
No wonder my father was panicking. The attacks were closer to home.
CHAPTER 11. TESTING
EIRIK
It was dark when I woke up. I looked around, a little disoriented, before I recognized Celestia’s room. The clock on her nightstand said it was eight. Damn, I must have been exhausted to sleep for so long. Where was she?
I engaged invisibility runes, sneaked out of her room, and followed voices into the living room. The scene in the family room had me grinning. Only Celestia could pull off something like this. Rhys and Nara had shed their coats and gloves, and were cheering some gamers on the screen while pigging out on pizza. They must have felt my presence because they looked over their shoulders and stood.
“Don’t mind me,” I said.
Celestia joined me. “You okay? You were out for hours.”
I took her arms and wrapped them around my waist. Then I pulled her closer for a hug and buried my face in her hair. It was good to hold her. My dragon side purred.
Heroes (Eirik Book 2) Page 18