Torin shuddered. “Why?”
“Some of my friends died during the meet. I left before the funerals and uh... Anyway, I thought I’d place flowers on their graves.” His eyes grew intense as he studied me. Heat crawled up my face. “I know it sounds morbid. Even Dad said I’d done, uh, enough. Will you stop staring at me like that?”
“You’re amazing.” He pressed a kiss on my temple. “No, it’s not morbid, but I’m starting to learn it’s the kind of thing you, Lorraine Cooper, do. Better go inside before your father comes to the door with a shotgun.”
“Dad doesn’t believe in guns,” I said. “Goodnight.”
“Really?”
I reached up and kissed him, taking my time. “Better?”
He chuckled. “For now. See you tomorrow.”
He waited until I was inside.
***
Upstairs, I changed into flannel pajamas, brushed my teeth, and glanced out the window, but Torin’s room was in total darkness. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. I slipped under the covers and relived the evening. I was almost falling asleep when my cell phone buzzed.
I dived for it. Eirik. Disappointment rolled over me. Of course Torin wouldn’t text me. He shunned modern technology.
“I’m coming over,” Eirik’s text said.
“Now?” I texted back.
“Yeah. We need to talk.”
“Tomorrow.”
A warm draft swept across my room, and I sat up, my eyes flying to the mirror. It rippled like water. Sighing, I scooted to the edge of my bed. By the time I turned on the bedside lamp, my mirror had become a churning whirlpool of cloudy mass. I seriously needed to rethink having the mirror in my room. It didn’t even have stupid runes on its frame. The a vortex turned into a doorway, and Eirik entered my room.
“It’s after midnight, Eirik. Did you read my last text?”
“Yes, but tomorrow is not good enough for me. I can’t sleep. I haven’t been able to sleep for weeks.”
Something in his voice killed my protest. I patted my bed. “Come here. Why?”
He sat, leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He scrubbed his face.
“What is it?” I asked, moving closer to rub his arm, his back. He was trembling. “Eirik?”
He blew out air and sat up. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, but after the incident at Cliff House, I had to talk to you. Every night, I go to sleep, and the next thing I know, my parents are holding me down, trying to calm me. I wake up sweating, breathing hard like I sprinted, and my heart pounding, Raine. My parents said I bolt upright screaming.”
“Are they nightmares?”
“No. Mom said they are night terrors. I wake up scared out of my head. Can I, uh, sleep here?”
“Sure.”
He got up, pulled out the rollout bed, and grabbed extra pillows from my bed. He knew where everything was because he often slept over. He plopped on his back, hands crossed behind his head. Torin had pulled that move earlier, baring his body for me to explore. Thinking about him made me ache. I swallowed and pushed the image aside, forcing myself to focus on Eirik, who needed me.
I lay on my stomach and studied him. He looked like crap. I’d noticed the shadows under his eyes this morning, and he’d lost weight, which now made sense.
“When did these night terrors start, and how often do you get them?”
“They started right after the meet. They happen every few days, but they’re getting worse. I think I hurt my mother last night.” He paused and scowled. “She seemed afraid of me.”
“What’s causing them? I mean, do you remember anything when you wake up?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Tonight, I felt the same intense panic before I blacked out. I blacked out at Cliff House, didn’t I?”
I nodded. “You looked confused, didn’t recognize me or Cora when I asked you where she was. Did you see any strangers before that happened?”
His scowl deepened. “You think the Norns are doing this to me?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t see anyone. One second I was watching Cora flirt with some stupid jock, the next you were yanking my camera and telling me to snap out of it. I have no idea what went down. When did you go back inside? The last time I saw you, you couldn’t wait to disappear with St. James.”
There was just a slight bite in his voice, which told me Torin was still a sensitive subject. “We were outside when I felt a presence so powerful I couldn’t ignore it. At first I thought the Norns were back, but there was something different about the vibes. It’s kind of hard to explain.” I told him everything—what we’d seen, including him smirking and taking pictures of the people fighting, then his reaction when I’d approached him, the shadow in his eyes. “It was as though you were, uh, not you.”
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I’m not me anymore. First the night terrors, now blackouts, and you know what? I bet it has something to do with their world.” He pulled the blanket to his waist and covered his face with his arm. “Can you turn off the lights? I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
My heart ached for him. I reached down and tugged at his arm. “Hey.” He resisted before lowering his arm. “We’ll figure this out and stop whoever it is. I promise.”
He grunted. “You can’t help me, Raine. Let’s go to sleep.”
“No, you don’t understand. It is my job to protect you. The Norns told me when I saw them at the cafeteria.”
He sat up, resting his weight on his elbows, amber eyes narrowed. “What?”
“I couldn’t say anything before because I, uh, kind of didn’t believe them. I thought they were just trying to manipulate me. That’s why I asked Lavania about you.” He frowned, and I knew I was doing a crappy job of explaining. I started from the beginning, telling him what Marj and her friends had told me without bringing Torin into it. “I wasn’t sure how to bring it up because there was really no reason to, until now.”
He shook his head. “What did they mean by you’re alive because of me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they saved me because they knew one day I’d stop this monster from coming after you.”
He plopped on his back. “You’re crazy, so are the Norns. You’re just a girl, a Mortal. How can you possibly stop some supernatural monster you can’t even see?”
Maybe I had to become a Norn to see it, and the first step to being one was becoming an Immortal. The thought made my stomach hurt.
12. PLAYING CUPID
It was eight when I woke up. Sprawled on his stomach across the rollout bed, Eirik snored softly. He had removed his T-shirt during the night.
I slipped from my covers, left my bedroom, and carefully closed the door so as not to wake up Eirik. Downstairs, Mom was finishing her breakfast. The presence of a plate in the sink and a folded newspaper on the table said Dad had already eaten. The smell of coffee chased sleep from my eyes.
“Hey, sweetie,” Mom said.
“Hey,” I mumbled.
“Rough night?”
“Late night.” On the stove was a covered pan. I lifted the lid and grinned. Eggs and bacon. Enough for two. I snatched a piece of bacon, poured myself a cup of coffee, and added creamer. Mom’s eyes followed me the entire time. I sat on a chair across from her, sipped my drink and rested my head on my arm.
“Did you go out last night?” she asked.
“Yeah. We went to Cliff House. I asked Dad, and he said it was okay.”
“Who did you go with?”
“Cora and Eirik.” I got up and served myself, leaving enough for Eirik. “Are you going to the store soon?”
She checked the clock on the microwave. “Jared is opening, but I’ll be leaving around ten. Why? Did you want to come with me?”
“No. I’m running with Dad in,” I glanced at my watch, “fifty minutes.”
“No wonder he was so chipper this morning.” She sipped her drink. I
n the middle of the table were a box of chamomile tea and a bottle of honey. Mom was a serious tea-drinker. “How’s Eirik?”
She had an uncanny way of knowing things. Must be her Valkyrie abilities. She’d known the moment Torin moved next door. How had she put it? She had enough runic magic left to tell if a Valkyrie was nearby. Did her radar pick up deities or a grandson of deities like Eirik? It might explain how she always knew whenever he was in my room. Another thought occurred to me. According to Lavania, Mom was famous in their realm. Had Torin known she was a Valkyrie before he healed me? It might explain why he’d talked to me about magic and hadn’t been bothered by the runes on my car.
“Raine?”
I focused on Mom. “Eirik is okay.”
“Are he and Cora dating?”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not official or anything but they do stuff together.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “Like what?”
I rolled my eyes. “Boyfriend and girlfriend stuff. When did you say you’re going to the shop again?”
“Why do I have a feeling you’re trying to get rid of me?” Her eyes shifted to a spot behind me, and she smiled. I turned, expecting to see Eirik.
Dad, in black running pants with matching shirt and a red and black jacket, walked toward us. In his hands were a fuel band with four empty water bottles, several packets of energy gels, and a bottle of electrolyte tablets. He planned to turn our morning run into a training session. Go figure. The tablets were for replenishing the salts he was sure to lose sweating, and the gels were energy boost packs. On his wrist was a band, which contained his ID and emergency contacts. He covered all bases when he ran or biked long distance. I still thought he wasn’t ready for serious training.
“Want some?” he asked, dangling the electrolyte bottle.
“No, thanks. I plan to be back in an hour.”
He chuckled, putting everything down. “You’re going to desert me?”
“Oh yeah. Thirty minutes out, thirty back. I’m not training for the Ironman.” I went back to my breakfast while he kissed Mom. She got up to help him fill the water bottles, which he put back into the pouches on the fuel belt. He slipped a few power gel packets in the narrower pouches. When they kissed again, I rolled my eyes.
“I’m eating you know,” I reminded them.
“Then don’t watch,” Dad said.
I left them kissing and went back upstairs to change. Eirik was still out. I put my hair into a ponytail and checked my iPod. It was fully charged. I still had time to spare, so I powered up my laptop to read up on night terrors.
There was so much information on the subject. Words popped out at me, confirming what Eirik had told me. Bolting upright. Screams. Excessive sweating. Harsh breathing. Pounding heart. Eyes wide with terror. Punching. Swinging. Kicking. Acting like you are fleeing, which could translate into sleepwalking. People with night terror could seriously hurt themselves. When awoken, they experienced confusion, inability to be consoled, and they were unresponsive and unable to recognize anyone. Most often they lashed out at the person waking them, physically hurting them. Worse, they didn’t remember the incident. No wonder Eirik thought he’d hurt his mother.
I saw the time and winced. Grabbing my iPod from the recharger, headphones, and a baseball cap, I ran around to the pullout bed and tried to wake up Eirik. He mumbled something and turned. Dang it. I scribbled him a note, taped it on the mirror since I knew he’d use the portal, and hurried out of the room. Mom was still in the kitchen, cleaning.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Garage.”
“Bye, Mom.” I slipped on the baseball cap.
“Do you want me to wake up Eirik before I leave?”
Damn her Valkyrie antenna. Grimacing, I turned. “Will I be all-knowing once I become a Valkyrie?”
She grinned. “Maybe. How’s the training?”
“Great. I got my artavo and next week, we’ll start on runes.”
“Wow, you’re on a fast track. Okay, go. I’ll wake up Eirik before I leave and make sure he eats breakfast.”
I ran back and gave her a kiss. “You’re the best.”
“No, I’m not. I plan to show him the pull out couch in the den and remind him of what I told him weeks ago. I don’t mind him sleeping here, but he cannot do so in your room.”
“It’s okay, Mom. I don’t mind.” I ran toward the garage door.
“I wasn’t asking for your opinion,” I heard her retort before I closed the door.
Dad was adjusting something on his bike. “You’re not planning on biking today, too”
He glanced up. “Maybe tomorrow if the weather behaves. Come on.”
I studied him as we started down the driveway. Maybe I was worried about him for nothing. He seemed to be in a happy mood. Mrs. Rutledge peered at us from behind her curtain. Dad didn’t seem to notice because his attention was on Torin’s house even though no one was outside. I waved to Mrs. Rutledge, and the curtain fell back in place. Grinning, I adjusted the strap of my iPod around my arm.
“You’re going to listen to that?”
“Yes, once I leave you behind.” I grinned.
He laughed. I shoved the headphones in my pocket because I knew he liked to talk. It was warmer than usual, though the sky was overcast, and we weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the weather. Kayville had numerous walking and running trails. Some looped around the parks scattered around town, while others led to the nature trails east of town and the surrounding mountain range. We headed toward the closest park, Willow Community Park. It had a 1-K trail.
Dad avoided talking about Valkyries or my training as we walked first then jogged. Instead, he focused on upcoming local events. He planned to participate in 5K and 10K races. After two loops, we stopped and drank some water. He munched on an energy bar after chewing on an electrolyte gel. I liked the gels because they tasted like gummy bears.
“I’m going down to Baker Creek Road, then loop back on Fox Ridge.”
“That’s a long stretch,” I said, not sure whether to worry.
“Three hours.” He rotated his head and flexed his shoulders.
Even with the electrolyte and engine bars, marathon runners’ legs tended to cramp if they pushed themselves too much. Mom had picked up Dad a few times after he cramped.
“Do you have your cell phone?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Yes. I’ll be fine. Go.”
I took off, glanced back a few times, and found him watching me while jogging in place. Soon I took a corner and couldn’t see him anymore.
I hadn’t gone for ten minutes when Torin suddenly appeared beside me. I slowed down to a walk, surprised, and not in a good way. I looked like a walking ad for sweat. I pressed stop on the iPod and removed my earbuds.
“What are you doing here?”
“Jogging. Don’t stop on my account,” Torin said, turning to jog backwards.
He looked sinfully hot in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt that bared his arms and clung to his sculptured chest. There was sheen of sweat on his arms and face, and an appreciative gleam in his eyes as he studied me. How could he possibly find me attractive now? I was a serious sweater, and this morning was no different. I had removed my jacket to cool off and tied it around my waist, leaving me with my fitted tank top.
“You didn’t see me earlier?” he asked.
“No. Was I supposed to?” I tugged at the visor of my cap and wiped the sweat off my forehead.
A sexy smirk curled his lips. “I was behind you and your dad. The best view I’ve ever had during my morning runs.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “I’ll tell Dad he has an admirer.”
Torin laughed. “Come on. Let’s go.”
I put the headphones in the pocket of my jacket and started jogging again.
“You want to have lunch with me?” he asked, falling beside me.
“Today?”
“Yes, and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after…”
/> “If you catch me before we reach the entrance of the park, then I’m yours.”
He flashed another wicked grin. “You are mine.”
Shameless. “You know what I mean. And no cheating with runes.” I took off. I could hear him behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and shook my head. He wasn’t even trying. Instead, he winked at me, clearly patronizing me. I faced forward and sprinted toward the entrance. Next second, I was airborne.
I screamed and grabbed his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Catching you. Claiming you. You’ll always be mine.” He stopped jogging and kissed me. He didn’t seem to care that I was sweaty. Oh, he tasted great and salty and naughty. He lifted his head. “Lunch?”
“Yes.”
He put me down and took my hand. We walked all the way home.
***
The house was silent when I entered, but I still called out, “Mom?”
No response.
“Eirik?”
Again, silence greeted me.
There was no message from Mom, so I assumed she had left for the store. Upstairs, Eirik had pushed back the rollout bed and put away the beddings and pillows. My note was gone from the mirror, but he’d sent me a text to call him when I got home from my run.
I showered first, blow-dried my hair, and curled the tips. I was really loving my hair curled. Carefully, I applied make-up. The skinny jeans I chose hugged my hips, and the green cowl-necked top was sexy without being too much. I added boots and texted Eirik as I headed downstairs. Dad still wasn’t back. I tried his cell phone, but he didn’t pick up. I hoped he was okay.
Outside, I took a deep breath and started toward the driveway. Anticipation rolled through me, and my heartbeat kicked up a notch at the thought of seeing Torin again. I noticed a movement at their patio, but it was Andris. Dressed in his trademark black—silver hair disheveled—he lounged on a patio swing chair for two, coffee mug cradled between his hands. The chair was new. He watched me intently, until I stepped on their porch and he stopped rocking the chair.
“Nice. The outfit says available without screaming desperate,” he said.
Immortals (Runes book 2) Page 17