The conversation somehow drifted to my childhood, and soon we were laughing over escapades Eirik and I had gotten into. Before I knew it, we were discussing my dealings with the Norns. I found myself telling her everything that had happened, including how I got my head injuries. She didn’t pass judgment on Maliina or Andris, who had obviously turned her when he shouldn’t have. Discussing my relationship with Torin was out of the question, but she blindsided me.
“What’s going on between you and Torin?”
I choked on my juice, cleared my throat, and fought a blush. “Nothing.”
Lavania chuckled. “I’m not blind, Raine. I’ve never seen two people try so hard not to look at each other, yet steal glances when the other’s not looking. He hasn’t brought a girl home since I got here, even though they trip over themselves to flirt with him wherever we go. I’ve even seen waitresses scribble their phone numbers on receipts. It’s quite hilarious.”
Jealousy rippled through me. “It’s not funny,” I said before I could stop myself. Heat crawled up my face when she cocked her eyebrows. “I mean, uh, don’t you find it annoying?”
She shook her head. “No, but what bothers me is why he’s not calling them. Why night after night he’s in his room with the lights off. Why he’s become such a grouch.” She grew silent and studied me intently. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“Really, there’s nothing between us,” I insisted.
“And I’ve also seen the way you look at him, Raine.”
My face on fire, I became defensive. “Why do you want him to call girls back? Aren’t you two, uh, together?”
“What?” She chuckled and was soon laughing so hard I felt like an idiot.
“Never mind. I should be going home anyway.” I stood, but she gripped my wrist.
“I’m sorry I laughed. Please, don’t go.”
Slowly, I sat.
“Raine, I could never be involved with one of my boys. He’s beautiful and can be charming, but…” She shook her head. “He’s like my son. Besides, I have a mate. Whatever gave you the idea about me and Torin?”
I felt even stupider, so I shook my head. As though she knew I didn’t want to discuss Torin, she switched to Eirik. “I would love to train both of you. Try to see if you can convince him to join us. There’s so much I can help him with that his parents can’t.”
“I’ll try.”
She looked ready to say more, but changed her mind, reaching for her glass of wine and sipping. “Since you insist you have no interest in Torin, have you ever thought of dating Eirik?”
I laughed. Been there and done that.
“Why do you laugh? He’s the grandson of a god and an extremely attractive young man. We don’t interact with the gods much, so you should take this opportunity to be his first consort.”
“Consort, as in his wife?”
“Wife, mate, partner, whatever you want to call it. The gods take many consorts, but the first one stays by their side until the end of the world.”
I shook my head. “I love Eirik, but I’ll never be his, uh, consort. We did date, but we decided we were better off as friends. Besides, he likes someone else.”
Lavania’s eyes narrowed. “The Mortal blonde?”
“Yes. Her name is Cora Jemison.”
“She’s not right for him.”
I frowned. “You don’t know that. Cora is nice and funny and loving. They’re perfect together.”
“She’s a Mortal, Raine. She’ll never be good enough for him,” Lavania said calmly without derision or anger. “Surely, you see that. You cannot allow this relationship to continue and must find a way to stop them.”
“Why? My parents married despite the odds. Who are we to decide who Eirik dates or loves?”
Her eyes flashed. “Eirik’s not just any deity. He’s Odin’s grandson. His family would never allow him to associate with someone like her.”
“You don’t like her because she’s human?”
“No, this is beyond the fact that she’s a Mortal. There’s something about her that bothers me.” She leaned forward, her eyes acquiring a weird glow. “Please, convince him to come here for lessons. I can help him.”
By making sure he didn’t hook up with Cora? Why did Lavania care so much about Eirik anyway? “Okay, I’ll talk to him, but I can’t make any promises.”
Sounds came from upstairs, and we glanced up. Footsteps and raised voices followed.
“They’d better not track mud on my bedroom floor,” Lavania mumbled, standing. She walked to the foot of the stairs. Her frown cleared, and she smiled. “How did it go?”
“As expected,” Andris said, his feet appearing first and then the rest of him. “Torin owned the field. She thinks he cheated.” He jabbed his thumb to indicate Ingrid, who was right behind him. “I’ve seen Torin play all sorts of sports, and he’s a natural. The Titans didn’t stand a chance.” He turned and saw me. “Still here?”
“Don’t be rude,” Lavania said, smacking the back of his head as he walked past her. “Did you have fun, Ingrid?”
“Yes.” Ingrid smirked and threw Andris a mocking look. “Torin cheated.”
“Torin would never cheat,” I jumped in. “He’s honorable, hard-working, and noble. He’d rather lose than take shortcuts.” Silence followed my outburst. Three sets of eyes studied me with varied expressions. Lavania’s was thoughtful, but Andris smirked with amusement while Ingrid’s could only be described as mocking. Once again, heat crawled up my face. I stood. “I gotta go.”
“Not after such a heartfelt speech. Don’t you want to know how your man did?” Andris asked, stopping by the counter and throwing me a teasing smile.
I cringed. “Uh, we won, and that’s all that counts.”
“So true,” Lavania said. “I’m out of here, children. I’ll be back tomorrow night. Don’t mess up the house while I’m gone. You throw a party, you clean up. Andris, remind your brother to get a portal and put it in this room or you will start using the bathroom mirror or walls.”
“Already bought two,” Andris said with a proud grin. “I’ll pick them up tonight.”
Lavania blinked. “That’s great. Thank you.”
“Told you I’d remember.”
“So you did.” She patted his cheek. “I’m proud of you.”
Andris grinned. “Say hi to old man Belmar.”
“My mate is not old, but I’ll tell him you said hi. Be good. Tell your brother I’m proud of him, too. Ingrid,” she pinned the girl with a censoring glare. “My boys don’t cheat.”
Ingrid swallowed. “I didn’t mean it. I was just, you know, messing with Andris. Tell her we were just goofing around.” She threw Andris a pleading glance. He smirked, but didn’t come to her defense.
“Then all is forgiven, Ingrid, even though I think the joke was in poor taste.” Lavania glanced at me and added, “I’ll see you tomorrow, but we will start early on Monday. I’ll let you know when.” She didn’t wait for my response. As she disappeared upstairs, I started for the door.
“Whoa, where are you going, Raine? Stay with Ingrid until Torin gets back.” Andris glanced at his watch. “Or until I get back.”
I didn’t want to stay with the Valkyrie. She didn’t like me.
“I don’t need a sitter,” Ingrid snapped.
“She does.” He pointed at me. “Torin’s orders. I have a hot date I can’t afford to miss, so see ya. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He chuckled and disappeared toward the garage, but I saw the pain in Ingrid’s eyes. She liked him. Maliina had bragged how she’d asked Andris to turn her sister into an Immortal just because he had once shown an interest in her. How had she put it? You always keep your enemies closer than your friends. She’d seen her own sister as an enemy because Andris had shown interest in her. Some sister.
“Where are you going?” Ingrid asked when I started for the door.
“Home. Goodnight.”
“But you heard Andris.”
“I
sure did, but that doesn’t mean I have to do as he says.” I reached for the doorknob.
She moved so fast she was by the door before I opened it. “You’re going to get me in trouble. When Torin gives an order, we follow it to the letter. You can watch TV or read something. I’ve plenty of books on my Kindle.”
“You know something? Torin is not my keeper or whatever, so I don’t have to listen or agree with everything he says.” Annoyance flashed in her eyes, and I felt bad for putting her on the spot. “Why don’t you come over to my place instead?” I heard myself say.
Ingrid’s brow rose. “What?”
“Come and hang out at my house. I have homework packets I’m still working on, but I can take a break. We can get to know each other.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why would I want to do that?”
For one brief moment, something in her eyes reminded me of Maliina. She definitely hated me. Could she be the one vandalizing my locker? “I’m leaving. You can either follow me or stay here. That’s up to you. The invite is open.”
“Not interested. Oh, and Raine,” she added, stepping away from the door. “Just because you have everyone around here panting to turn you doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. You’re too emotional and juvenile to make a good Valkyrie. Maybe you should just do everyone a favor and tell them you’re not ready.”
Please, who did she think she was talking to?
She glared as though my face reflected my thoughts. “Don’t leave the cul-de-sac without telling me first.”
I waved and left. After her smug speech, I couldn’t wait to become an Immortal just to rub her nose in it.
10. UNEXPECTED RAGE
Hours later, light flashed on and off outside my window. That had been our signal when Eirik lived next door, but Torin had used it once, too. I ran to the window and sighed with disappointment when I realized it came from Eirik’s Jeep, not Torin’s window. I crawled out of the window to the balcony and peered down. Cora and Eirik waved.
“Keep it down, guys.”
“Then get your butt down here,” Cora yelled. “We won.”
“Come on,” Eirik added. “We’re going out to celebrate.”
I missed my tree and the way they’d just climb up. Across the street, Mrs. Rutledge pushed aside the curtain and peered outside. Any more yelling and she’d slap me with a noise ordinance. She hated me. Always had.
I checked my watch. It was almost ten. Crawling back into my room, I pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Lights were still on under my parents’ bedroom door. I knocked, heard Dad’s deep voice respond, and opened the door. He was doing something on his laptop and had headphones on. Mom snored slightly on the other side of the bed.
“Can I go hang out with Cora and Eirik?” I whispered. “They just came back from Portland, and we won.”
He smiled. “I heard.” He checked at his watch. “Isn’t it a little late to be going out?”
“It’s only ten.”
He went silent, and I was convinced he’d say no. “Be back by midnight.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I hurried beside him and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight. Love you.” I raced for the door.
“Uh, Raine,” he said before I closed the door, and I turned. He studied me intently, a gentle smile on his narrow face. “Do you want to go for a run tomorrow morning? I plan to leave around nine.”
Somehow, I had a feeling he’d meant to ask about my time with Lavania. Was he ready to start running? He’d been in a coma for months and still looked, I don’t know, sickly. “Okay. Be ready to eat my dust.”
He chuckled. “We’ll see. Have fun, and be careful.”
I closed the door and frowned. He was taking this Valkyrie business hard. Running with him might bring some normalcy back into his life. Dad was a triathlete and had done several triathlons the last couple of years. Before the plane crash, he’d been training for his first Ironman competition. Even when I used to swim, he and I would run on weekends. We often entered local 5K and 10K races together.
Makeup done and hair brushed, I grabbed my ID, debit card, and a jacket. Downstairs, Cora met me in the driveway with a hug.
“You should have been there, Raine. Torin was amazing.”
I glanced over at his house. The lights were on. Was he home? “Where are we going?”
“Cliff House,” Cora said.
Cliff House was on 14th North and had arcade games, bowling, and rock walls, which was the biggest attraction for most teens. I slipped in the back while Cora took the front passenger seat.
Funny how everything was reversed now. I often sat in front with Eirik even before we’d started dating. Cora always took the backseat. Sitting in the back felt weird. I stared at Torin’s house as we drove past and wished he was with me. I hated being a third wheel.
***
We parked behind the tall L-shaped, two-storied building and piled out of the Jeep. The taller part was in the back, the climbing walls with their color coded rocks visible through the glass walls. The entrance was located on the center of the lower rectangular building. Visible through the walls were the Jump Zone’s huge, colorful air-filled slides, hoops, trampolines, and a karaoke stage. In the middle, separating Jump Zone from the rock walls, were the video games, bowling lanes, and the rollerblade track. Cliff House was a giant money-sucking den of badassness, and I’d blown away part of my allowance in this place countless weekends.
Eirik slung his Nikon around his neck. He worked on Kayville High’s newspaper and never missed a chance to photograph students. The parking lot was crowded, which meant inside was packed.
Sounds from video games, music, and children screaming greeted us when we pushed open the door at the front entrance. People milled from machine to machine, some paired while others hung out in groups. I didn’t see anyone from the football team, which meant Torin wasn’t here. Disappointment rolled through me.
“Are we rollerblading, bowling, rock climbing, or just blowing our money on video games?” Cora asked, waving to someone she knew.
“Rock climbing.” Eirik glanced at me and cocked his brow. I shrugged. I didn’t care what we did. It was nice to be around people who didn’t recognize me and treat me like stale leftovers.
We paid the climbing fee, got our wristbands, and headed toward the arc leading to the high-ceilinged rock climbing room. Most parents preferred to keep their kids jumping, tumbling, and playing dodge ball in the Jump Zone, so there were very few under-ten kids around machines. The walls were popular with people of all ages. I’d seen kids half my age race up the walls like giant spiders.
Boisterous laughter welcomed us when we entered the rock climbing room, and I saw why. The football players, their girlfriends, and fans filled most of the tables and chairs, eating pizza and recapping today’s win.
My eyes found Torin, and something inside me wilted. He was getting the star treatment, two cheerleaders by his side and two more seated behind him. He looked up, and our eyes met. He cocked his brow, as though surprised to see me.
Yeah, right back at you, pal.
Despite my mental bravado, it hurt to see him with other girls. Drew and Keith saw us and waved.
“Maybe we should start with the games,” Eirik suggested, and I knew he was trying to spare my feelings.
“No. Let’s do this.” We found an empty table, left our jackets, then headed to the counter and showed the guy behind the counter our wristbands. We had passes to try all four levels.
Cliff House color-coded their levels. Orange was for beginners and corresponded to levels v-zero to v-two according to the outdoor rock climbing grading system. Green was for intermediate climbers on v-two to four, yellow for advanced climbers on v-five to seven, and red markers were for seasoned climbers like my parents. They’d passed v-seven eons ago. During our last climb, I’d made it to v-five. I sucked at rock climbing. Even Cora had passed me a while back. Eirik often climbed with Dad and was a monkey in human form. But then again, he’d had plenty of practi
ce climbing the tree outside my window.
“Can we have a contest?” Cora said, coming to stand beside me.
“That’s a no-brainer. He’ll win.” I jabbed my thumb to indicate Eirik.
“No, he won’t,” Cora retorted. “I’ve been practicing.”
“Since when?” Eirik asked.
“Since our last contest. Just so I can beat you.” She went on her toes and pushed her face closer to his. “So bring your a-game, hotshot.”
“How about a dare?” he said so softly I barely heard him.
Cora nodded. “Okay.”
“If I win, you go a whole day doing everything I ask without being mouthy.”
Cora’s eyes narrowed. “If I win, you’re mine for a day, too.”
I loved the way she’d worded it and grinned when uncertainty flickered in Eirik’s eyes. Poor guy. He had no chance against Cora. My eyes went to the ballplayers. Torin was gone. Where did he go? I started to search the room, but the vibes from Eirik and Cora drew my attention.
They were both still, their faces inches apart. The next second, they stepped away from each other, both of them blushing. A near-kiss and they didn’t even glance at me? Progress.
“We’ll start on green,” I told the guy behind the counter.
He checked the computer scene, tapped a key, and signaled his coworker. Soon we were strapping on the harnesses. I was halfway up the first wall when I felt like I was being watched. I looked over my shoulder to find Torin’s eyes on me. If he continued watching me, his harem would notice. For the rest of the climb and the next one, Cora and Eirik were lost in their little world. I was happy for them, but at the same time, envious.
“You’ll have to wait,” the harness guy said. “There’re only two open.”
“I don’t mind sitting this out.” I glanced at Eirik then Cora. “You guys go ahead.”
Cora shook her head. “No, I need a break and a drink. Eirik?”
“I’ll get us some.”
Immortals (Runes book 2) Page 14