He studied me as though seeing me for the first time, then rubbed his nape, pink coloring his chiseled cheeks. He looked down and murmured, “You’re a lot different than what I thought.”
I made a face. “What do you mean?”
A lopsided grin curled his lips. “A girl like you is supposed to be the Queen B. I mean you’re hot, the most popular girl at school, and you happen to date him,”—he jerked his thumb toward the garage—“Mr. Royal Blood.”
“Noble,” I corrected, laughing.
“Same difference. I thought you agreed to help me just to get something to write about in college essays or to tell your friends that you were helping the school’s fuck up, but you’re nice and sweet. I mean, you’re just like a normal girl.”
I laughed and punched the air. “Yes!”
“What?” he asked looking thoroughly confused.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time. Normal. Yeah, I like being normal.” I wagged my finger at him. “But just so we’re clear. You’re not a fuck up, and if anyone asks why I’m doing this, it’s because I can have something to write in my college essay. I have a rep to protect too.”
Beau laughed. I walked him to the door. A thoughtful expression settled on his face when we stopped. Then he appeared to come to some decision because he smiled.
“You were right about my tats.” He yanked off his sweatshirt and tucked the sleeve of his T-shirt. “This,” he pointed at the snarling dog near his wrist, “represents my father. He left when I was five, a year after my sister Becca was born with a rare genetic disease. He couldn’t handle the fact that she wasn’t perfect. She died when I was twelve.” He pointed at the butterfly hovering above the dog, overshadowing it in beauty and size. “That’s Becca. Death freed her from pain and the vicious people who pointed and stared. She was beautiful. People didn’t see how her smile lit up a room. How sweet and kind she was, how pure her heart was.” He smiled, his eyes full of nostalgia. “She loved dream catchers. Hers is keeping my demons away.”
My throat closed and I tried hard not to show it. “Do you see your father?”
He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “Nah. He plays for the Muckdogs, but I plan to become a better player than he’ll ever be.”
I had no idea who the Muckdogs were, but I now knew what motivated Beau and it was heartbreaking. If he failed, then what? Torin entered the house, saw us, and paused when he saw us standing by the door. I gave him a weak smile.
“Thanks for the food, man,” Beau called out to Torin and patted his stomach. “Good stuff. I’ll see you Monday after school, Raine,” he added, his attention shifting to me.
I nodded and opened the door. Then I saw his truck. “Oh, you’re driving…” I caught myself before saying your father’s truck. “A new truck?” I finished.
“Hardly new. It’s my stepfather’s Dodge. Mine conked out, so he let me borrow his.” He chuckled. “Which is like saying turtles flew today.”
Somehow I knew what he meant. His stepfather had surprised him. Maybe our conversation had finally penetrated the old man’s thick skull. I waved to Beau as he took off then went back inside the house.
“An hour and a half?” Torin asked.
I ignored his griping, walked to where he stood wiping his hands on a paper towel, and hugged him. “The world is a cruel, cruel place. That guy has been through so much.”
“You’re getting too close, Freckles. The trick is to help them without becoming emotionally involved.”
Easy for him to say. I trust you. Completely. He’d lied. The display at school today was all about putting Beau in his place. I might have been insecure about us, but he was possessive. His behavior this evening just confirmed it.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the family room couch and sat on his lap. “Just hold me and never let go.”
He chuckled. “I don’t intend to.” It was a while before he asked, “Tell me what’s wrong with him.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Beau. He’s on the right track, and I am going to make sure he stays on it if it’s the last thing I do.”
Torin groaned. “I was afraid of that.” He planted a kiss on my temple. “How about I make us popcorn while you pick a movie?”
“Really?” He always bitched about my selection. I got up and went for the remote. “Anything?”
“As long as it’s not reruns of Supernatural.”
“Aw, come on. I didn’t complain when I sat through five Furious This and Furious That movies.”
He laughed. “That’s because you fell asleep. No Supernatural.”
“Oh crap! Lavania.” I raced to the mirror portal and engaged my runes at the same time. It opened into the mansion’s foyer.
The lights were on, but the mansion was too quiet. “Anybody home?” I called out, angled my head, and listened. “Andris? Ingrid?”
A door opened upstairs and Lavania appeared in the balcony. I met her at the foot of the stairs.
“About your premonition…”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to stop it and interfere with Torin’s case.”
She smiled. “Good girl. It’s not going to be easy doing what you do, honey. You’ll have to choose your battles. And even then, you’ll win some and lose some.”
Beau’s face flashed in my head. “No. I plan to win the battles I choose.”
She chuckled. “Spoken like a true teenager. Sometimes I forget you’re one. Okay. No lessons tomorrow. I have to talk to the Council about something. I might have some good news to share when I come back.”
I hoped it was about Andris becoming Torin’s partner. “Well. Knock ’em dead.” I waved and headed for the portal.
“How’s your tutoring?”
I stopped just before using the portal. “It’s going great.”
“Make sure you don’t get too attached to him.”
Lavania too? “I won’t.”
~*~
Coffee woke me up. There was a cup by my bed and it was still hot, which meant Torin had just left. Onyx was curled up at the foot of my bed, cleaning herself.
“Good morning, Onyx.”
Is it?
Okay, she was in one of her moods. I got up and walked to the window. When I didn’t see Torin, I headed downstairs. The smell of something burning reached me, and I knew Mom must be cooking.
Sure enough, I entered the kitchen to find her cracking eggs, and something was bubbling on the stovetop. She was still in her pajamas, flowing lingerie, and a matching robe.
“Something smells good,” I fibbed, turning off the stove. Whatever she was cooking had spilled over. Worse, it looked like puke.
“Morning, sweetheart.” She cracked an egg. “Did you bring your laundry downstairs?”
“No.” I looked around. “Is Femi with Dad?”
“She’ll be here. I’m taking care of you and your dad this morning before I head to Seattle to check on things. I’m only going to be gone for a few hours, then I need to talk to Hawk.” She picked up a whisk and started beating the eggs. The bowl was slowly creeping toward the edge of the counter. I watched it with morbid fascination. “Oh, and I promised your father we’d go for a drive today. It’s a beautiful day. Did you know Torin took him out yesterday while Femi was out shopping? You have a winner there, hun. Can you check on that?” She pointed towards the stove.
My head was starting to spin from the way she hopped from topic to topic. I had no idea Torin took Dad for drives, but it explained why he’d borrowed my car.
I studied the mess. “What is this supposed to be, Mom?”
She chuckled. “Cream of Wheat?”
More like lumps of wheat. I used the spoon she’d set by the stove and tried to stir the mixture. It was stuck to the pan. I dumped the whole thing in the sink and got a different pot, and started another batch. Dad’s appetite had improved, but he was still on a low-fiber diet.
“Oh no, it got overcooked?” Mom wailed when she saw the pot in the sink.<
br />
“Yep. Why don’t you let me finish here while you, uh, get ready for reaping?”
She looked relieved. “You sure?”
“Dad likes my omelets better than Femi’s,” I fibbed.
“Thanks, sweetheart. The bacon is in the microwave.” She blew me a kiss and took off. Just before she headed upstairs, she stopped. “Did Torin tell you where he and Andris were headed so early in the morning?”
“No.” I got out my cell phone and called Torin. It went unanswered. I tried Andris. Again, no response. Strange. He and his cell phone were joined at the hip.
I finished making the Cream of Wheat and omelet. The bacon might be in the microwave, but she hadn’t started it. I hated microwaved bacon. I threw some in a pan. Breakfast was almost ready when Dad walked out of the bedroom. I hadn’t seen him on his feet in weeks.
“Are you sure you should be doing that?” I asked, hurrying to his side. I put an arm around his waist.
“What do you think Femi and I do when you’re at school?” He put an arm around my shoulder. “We run and jog, and throw parties.”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” I waited until he sat, handed him the paper, then finished with the bacon. He put aside the newspaper when I joined him.
“Mom! Breakfast.”
Dad shook his head and shot me a censuring look. “You can do better than that. Find her, or create an air portal to where she is.”
I grinned. “I need an artavus to create a portal, Dad. Otherwise, I have to use a mirror portal with runes. Besides, she’s changing. Well, what do you think?” I indicated the table.
“This looks nice, pumpkin,” he said. “And now for the taste.” He served himself, his movements slow and unsteady. Then he picked up a spoon and sampled the Cream of Wheat. “Nice. I can taste cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh apples.” He took another scoop. “Granny Smith. Cooked to perfection. Have you been taking lessons from Torin?”
I grinned. Even if it tasted like goop, he’d say it was perfect. I never did wrong in his eyes. I was Daddy’s girl. “Nope. I watched you. Next time, I’ll make blueberry pancakes.”
He pointed his spoon at me. “No. I plan to make those one more time before I check out.”
My throat closed and tears rushed to my eyes. He always made blueberry pancakes with extra berries on my birthdays. I hoped he’d be around for my next one. In less than four months, I was going to be eighteen.
“Here I am,” Mom announced as she floated into the room. As usual, she nailed the Boho chic style. Long skirt, lacy duster, charm bracelets galore and a necklace. She looked like my idea of a witch, not me and my jeans and layered tees.
“You look beautiful,” I said.
“Thank you, sweetie.” She dropped a kiss on Dad’s forehead and took the chair beside his and scooted closer. “We need to talk accessories for your prom dress. Then I want you to try it on for us. I’m thinking…”
We let her dominate the conversation. I didn’t care. I couldn’t remember the last time the three of us had sat down for a meal together. Watching them reminded me how lucky I was to have them as parents. They raised me with love and laughter. Open displays of affection and passion, sometimes embarrassingly so. But I wouldn’t trade them for Beau’s. Thinking about Beau reminded me of his sister and death. The crash…
Dad headed back to the study after breakfast, and Mom left. After cleaning the kitchen, I threw my laundry in the washer and headed back to my room. Femi wasn’t back yet.
I booted up my computer and went online. Half an hour of researching the airplane in my vision was enough to convince me to go back to StubHub and revisit the scene. I couldn’t explain why I was doing it. It wasn’t like I was going to do something about the crash. And watching the scene play out was gut wrenching. I couldn’t explain my need to know every detail of that day, including where the heck the plane was coming from.
I changed and created a portal. Someone was cutting the grass. I groaned in disappointment, but then I felt magic stir and surge through me at the smell of freshly cut grass. I needed to connect with Mother Earth. It was calling to me as though I was tethered to it.
Could I get away with lying on the grass in my backyard? Or would a neighbor see me and call PMI, our local crazy house? They would. That left going to the forest. I could use the opportunity to check on whether or not the Norns had fixed it.
I pulled on my boots and reached for my new leather jacket.
I stood in front of the mirror and opened a portal. Lush vegetation stretched before me and animal sounds teased my ears. The pull to connect with the land grew stronger. I wanted to reach out and touch every leaf and flower. Kick my boots off and feel the earth underneath my feet.
I took a step forward and froze as two hikers walked by. This couldn’t be the place. The battle had taken place far from regular trails. I spent the next hour opening the portal to different parts of the forest. The tug on my magic was there, but a sickening feeling accompanied it, like something bad was lurking in the woods. It grew stronger.
Did I want to go out there alone? I didn’t need someone holding my hand, but at the same time, I wasn’t an idiot. Something was out there, but with lost souls after me and the Norns playing their stupid mind games, there was no knowing what could be hiding. I needed to go with someone.
Ingrid.
I checked the mansion, but it was quiet. Their housekeeper was humming under her breath while cleaning. She didn’t see me, of course. Humans couldn’t see portals. Ingrid was still in bed, so I didn’t dare wake her. I grinned and fought the temptation to take a picture of her and tease her with it later. She’d never forgive me if I took a picture of her without makeup.
With Ingrid out of the picture, that left Cora. She was volunteering at Moonbeam Terrace this afternoon, which meant she was free this morning. Crap! I’d forgotten to tell her Lavania was gone.
I grabbed my phone and texted her. “Lessons canceled. Lavania left this morning. Going to the site. Want to come?”
When she didn’t respond right away, I knew she was probably still asleep. Oh, well. I could either spend the rest of my morning frustrated or just go ahead and do it. Onyx could come with me. I needed a weapon. My shape-shifting dagger should do. I pulled open the drawer and reached inside.
It was empty.
Refusing to panic, I emptied the drawer. The dagger was gone. I hadn’t moved it, which meant someone else had. The only person usually in my room was my shape-shifting cat.
“Onyx?” She wasn’t in my room. I checked the closet and the bathroom, “Fur-ball, come out, come out wherever you are.” She didn’t hop onto my bed and lob sarcastic words at me. Frowning, I checked downstairs. She wasn’t there either. Dad was watching news.
“Have you seen Onyx, Dad?”
“Not today. Is everything okay?”
“I can’t find her.”
“Check with Femi. She follows her around while you’re gone.”
Whoever took my dagger had known exactly where I kept it. My phone dinged. Cora. After a few back and forth messages, she agreed to come with me. But I didn’t care about the forest anymore. Someone had stolen my dagger, the only weapon that could kill anyone, including gods and Valkyries.
14. The Forest
Maybe Torin had borrowed it. He’d seen what it did to a soul. Plus, he and I were connected in such a way that he might just have the right energy to connect with it.
I headed to his place and continued the search. Within seconds the portal opened and he walked in. My heart dropped. He looked filthy, and his clothes were ripped as though something with claws had mauled him. And what looked like blood spotted his clothes. Worries about my dagger flew out the window.
“What happened?” I asked, running to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked at the same time.
“Fine, what happened to you?” I searched his face and arms for wounds even though the runes had probably healed them already.
“The damned souls just graduated
from dead bodies to animals. Soon it will be humans. What’s wrong?” He stroked my cheek and my tears threatened to fall. I was such a girl.
“My dagger…” My voice hitched. “It’s gone.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.” My voice rose. “I was going to go to the forest to check on things and I wanted to make sure I had a weapon, but when I checked the drawer, it was gone. I thought you might have borrowed it.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t touch your weapon without asking you. I don’t have the magic or the right.” His eyebrows slammed down. “Listen, we’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise. As for the forest, leave it alone.”
“But the Norns—”
“Are manipulating you, again. It is their job to take care of the messes they make, not yours. We’ll figure out what happened to your dagger when I come back. Right now, the others need my help.” He engaged bind runes for cleansing, and the dirt and blood on his skin and clothes disappeared. “I’ll be home as soon as we round the souls up and hand them over to Echo.” He pressed a kiss on my temple, created an air portal, and was gone.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Why would anyone take my dagger? It didn’t make sense. I headed home.
Sounds from downstairs told me Femi was back, so I headed her way and found her in the laundry room putting clothes in bags at hyper-speed. She slowed down when I appeared.
“You didn’t have to do your laundry, doll,” she said. “I take all of it downtown to Carly’s and pick them up when they’re cleaned, pressed, and folded.”
Carly’s was a laundromat on 4th Street. They offered self-service, but also did laundry at a fee. I had begun to wonder how Femi did laundry so fast, because I have never seen her fold anything. Made sense though since she wasn’t really our employee.
“Have you seen Onyx? I’ve been searching for the last hour and it’s like she just vanished.”
“She’s probably visiting her family. She disappears sometimes when you’re at school too. What’s going on? You look worried.”
Witches (Runes series Book 6) Page 23