“Did you, uh, remember anything?”
He shook his head. I started to worry when we sat in the car and he helped me make bouquets without saying a word. It was as though his mind was elsewhere. When we finished, he insisted on coming with me to the graveyard behind the church, which was totally sweet.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He shot me a tiny smile. “Someone has to protect you from wandering souls.”
My feet faltered, cold fingers crawling up my back. I couldn’t tell from his expression whether he was serious or joking. He could be messing with my head again.
“Are you saying there could really be ghosts in the graveyard?”
“Lost souls. I’ll let you know when I see one or two. Or three. Or—”
“Quit scaring me.” Swallowing, I moved closer to him, and his arm tightened around my shoulder. “Let’s finish and get out of here.”
Grandview graveyard wasn’t spooky like some cemeteries I’d seen around the state. It had trees on the outskirts, well-tended grass between tombstones and colorful silk blooms in the built-in vases. I pulled out the piece of paper with the locations of six graves circled in red. Cora had given it to me a few days ago, though she wasn’t exactly sure about the exact location of some of them.
“There’s one,” Torin said. I jumped and looked around frantically. “The child’s tombstone to our right with daisies. Don’t look right now. She’s studying us as though she knows.”
“Knows what?” I managed to squeak, my heart pounding.
“That we’re Valkyries.”
“I’m not one yet,” I protested.
“But they can sense your connection to us,” Torin whispered in my ear, laughter in his voice. When I looked at him, he was trying hard not to laugh.
“That wasn’t funny.” I jabbed him with my elbow.
“You should have seen your face.”
“I can’t believe you’d joke about something so,” I shivered, “creepy. I’ve walked across cemeteries and never worried about ghosts until now.” I tried to elbow him again, but he jumped out of the way laughing.
We moved from plot to plot. Even though Torin was relaxed, I knew we weren’t alone. Call it sixth sense or whatever, I just did. A few times, cold air rushed past us and I looked at him to see his reaction, but he just grinned.
“How many were there?” I asked when we went back to the SUV.
“Five. Four men and a woman.”
I shuddered. “What were they doing?”
“The woman was near the grave with the daisies. The men just floated around looking lost. One looked angry. He was younger than the other three.”
Poor lost souls. I didn’t say anything until we left the cemetery and headed toward the city center. “Why can’t you just reap them?”
Torin shrugged. “They are not my responsibility. They had their chance to leave but chose to stay. Idiots.”
His indifference surprised me, but I guessed he’d grown numb after centuries of reaping souls. “So they just wander around forever?”
“No. The Grimnirs will collect them.”
“Grimnirs?”
“Hel’s soul collectors. Skeleton faces, black robes, huge artavo or as humans call them, scythes.”
“Grim reapers?” I asked.
“Yep, cold and unfeeling bastards. Working with them is a nightmare. Whenever a Valkyrie is punished, they’re sent to Hel to help the Grimnirs.”
He and Andris once worked for Hel, I’d overheard him say. I never got a chance to ask him about it, and I probably never would. From her pictures, Hel looked scary. One half of her face was human-like while the other half was blackened skeleton. “I’ll never look at cemeteries the same again.”
“You think cemeteries are eerie? Try hospitals. They—”
I covered my ears with my hands. “La-la-la-la-la-la. I’m not listening to you anymore. You’re ruining things for me.” He was still laughing when he parked outside the Creperie. “What are we doing here?”
“Getting lattes. We need something hot after tramping through cemeteries.”
The Creperie, a favorite hangout for students, was only a block from our school. The four major groups—the jocks, the nerds, the rebels, and the preppies—each had their corners, so I wasn’t surprised to see Andris and Ingrid with a bunch of preppies at a table.
“Great game, St. James,” someone called out as soon as we stepped inside the restaurant. Everyone’s attention shifted to us.
“Hail the new QB,” a jock shouted from their corner, and his friends pounded the table with their fists and yelled, “OOH! HA! HA!”
“Football is life,” the same jock yelled.
“Get in the game,” his friends finished the slogan.
“Hustle and heart…” another one yelled.
“Set us apart,” echoed around the room.
“Winning isn’t everything.”
“It is the ONLY thing,” they hollered and drummed on the tables. Torin bumped fists with those near us.
Stares and whispers followed us to the counter, where we placed our order. I caught sight of bold girls with raised cell phones taking pictures. Did Torin bring me here to get people talking about us? Brilliant as it might be, I was sure not all were impressed. I was still Kayville High’s wicked witch.
“Not joining us?” Andris asked when we stopped by their table.
I didn’t mind staying, but Torin gave me an intimate grin. “Nah, we have other plans.” He didn’t bother to lower his voice, giving the people listening something more to text about. Next, we stopped at the jocks’ table.
“Raine, meet the gang. Everyone, Raine Cooper, my girlfriend.”
Nods, smiles, and nice-to-meet-yous came from the guys. I didn’t care that the girls’ smiles were stiff and their expressions resentful. I’d known most of them since elementary school, but they acted like we didn’t breathe the same air because they were popular. Having Torin claim me was the perfect ending to our crazy date, especially when he smiled down at me and slid a possessive arm around my waist.
My cell phone buzzed as we left the restaurant. It was a text from Cora.
“Is it true about you and Torin? Is it official?” she wrote.
I laughed and texted her back. I guess it was official. I was Torin St. James’ girlfriend. It felt right. “It’s Cora,” I explained when Torin cocked his eyebrow. “Word travels fast.”
“About?”
As if he didn’t know. I reached up and kissed him. “How you’re an amazing boyfriend.”
“Oh, so I’m your boyfriend?” His eyebrow shot up again and met the lock of hair on his forehead.
I reached up and swept the bangs aside. “You claimed me back there, so I have no choice but to take pity on you and claim you, too.”
“I think I’m going to like being claimed by you, Lorraine Cooper.” Grinning, he took my drink, placed it on top of the SUV with his, then rested his hands on my waist. Slowly, he pulled me closer until our bodies touched, a wicked grin dancing on his beautiful lips. Then he proceeded to claim me in front of the customers of the Creperie, who could see us through the glass windows.
***
Eirik’s Jeep was parked at the curb when we entered our cul-de-sac. Torin pulled into his garage, hopped down, and came around to open my door. Not that I was complaining, but I wasn’t sure whether he was just being a gentleman or if he feared I’d trip and hurt myself again. I wasn’t accident prone or anything like that, but I’d noticed how gentle he was whenever his hand came anywhere near my cranial scar. It was sweet, but so unnecessary.
Eirik stepped out of his Jeep, but he didn’t come toward us. Instead, he leaned against it and crossed his arms. That usually meant he wanted me to go to him.
“Give me a minute,” I told Torin and headed down the driveway. Torin crossed to their patio and lounged on the swing chair Andris had used earlier. Aware of his eyes on me, I hugged Eirik. He was tense. I stepped back and studied his face. He l
ooked a lot better than yesterday. “You okay?”
He nodded, his eyes darting to where Torin sat before shifting back to me. “I didn’t, uh, wake up or anything last night, did I?”
I shook my head. “No. You were dead to the world when I left this morning.”
“Yeah, that was the first time I slept through the night without, uh, you know.” He glanced at Torin again. “Does he know?”
“Of course not.”
“Good.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “The fewer people who know the better.”
“I was hoping you’d tell him.”
Eirik scowled. “Why?”
“Because I’ll have to explain why you sleep in my room. I’m assuming you plan on coming back.”
He grinned. “If we can fool your mother. She wasn’t too happy this morning and gave me a long lecture about proper behavior now that we’re older. What did you tell her?”
“That it was okay for you to stay over. She wasn’t happy with me either. Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?”
He shrugged. “I will when I’m ready.” His glance shifted to Torin again, but this time he nodded and said, “Hey.”
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled. Torin was coming toward us. He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. I liked that he couldn’t keep away from me. Or maybe he was jealous. I leaned against him and forced myself to focus on Eirik. “You want to hang out with us or are you going to Cora’s?”
“Cora and I are done.” He pushed against the Jeep and straightened his body. “See you two around.”
“What do you mean done?” I asked, my voice rising in shock.
“Nothing is going on between us.” He walked around the hood of his car and slipped behind the wheel.
“I’ll be right back.” I wiggled out of Torin’s arms, yanked open the passenger door, and slid inside.
Torin didn’t look happy. As I watched him walk away, I reached a decision. He was my boyfriend and shouldn’t come second to Eirik. He might not remember the past, but I’d put him through the same crap before, always putting Eirik’s feelings before his. I refused to do it again.
I waited until he was inside the house before I turned and faced Eirik. “Start talking.”
“Can we do it inside?” He indicated my house with a nod. “I need something to eat.”
“We can go to my place after we talk. Why are you pushing Cora away? She’s crazy about you, and you’re crazy about her.”
He threw me an unreadable glance. “Crazy is not how I would describe it.”
“Crazy, nuts… It doesn’t matter what you call it. You like her, and I’m not going to enable you.”
He snorted. “Enable me?”
“Yes, enable you. As long as you have me to hang out with, you don’t need to have someone special in your life. We did that for sixteen years, Eirik. We are best friends, and we’ll probably be…” I had no idea how long Valkyries and gods lived. “Forever.”
“But?”
“But I have Torin now, and he means a lot to me, too.”
A lost puppy expression settled on Eirik’s face. “Does that mean we’re not going to hang out anymore?”
He wasn’t being fair. “We will, just not all the time. I hurt Torin a lot when you and I were dating because I knew how he felt about me, but I was determined to make things work with you.”
A thoughtful expression entered his eyes. “You were?”
“Of course. I can’t put him through that again by hanging out with you all the time and keeping secrets from him. Not being honest with him will destroy our relationship just as it will destroy whatever you and Cora have.”
He was silent for a long time then he sighed. “I don’t want whatever is after me to hurt her.”
Oh, that was sweet. It also confirmed what I’d suspected all along. He was totally into her. “That makes sense, but you won’t let anything hurt her just like I won’t let anything hurt you and Torin won’t let anything happen to me. We are all connected whether we like it or not. We’re all in this together. If anything affects one of us, it affects all of us.”
Silence followed.
“Okay. I’ll take care of it,” he said. “I don’t like it, but I don’t see any way out.”
“Good. I hope she doesn’t freak out.”
“You think I’m going to tell Cora the truth about me?” He snorted, opened his door, and jumped down. “I’m going to talk to your boyfriend. And thanks for telling me you fought for us.”
He’d never stood a chance the moment I met Torin. I left the Jeep and followed Eirik as he strolled toward Torin’s front door. By the time I reached the steps leading to the porch, Torin stood the doorway. His eyes swung from Eirik to me, then to back to Eirik.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“She said no more secrets because she won’t enable me and she doesn’t want you hurt like before.” When Torin looked at me and lifted his eyebrows in question, Eirik added, “She explains it better. The bottom line is we need to talk.”
Torin stepped aside to let Eirik enter. They both turned as though to make sure I was following. I shook my head. “You two talk. I’m going to call Cora and have a little girl talk, so I’ll be at my house.”
I turned and hurried away before either of them could protest.
***
I texted Cora several times, but she didn’t return my texts. I still couldn’t believe Eirik had pushed her away. He could be so stubborn sometimes. I glanced outside, but there was no movement at Torin’s. Sighing, I sat at my desk and started on one of the homework packets the teachers had given me.
When I heard Eirik’s voice, I rushed to the window. He was crossing the lawn alone and talking to someone in my driveway. My parents were home already? I checked my watch. It was almost five. I tried to attract Eirik’s attention, but he didn’t look up.
The door opened downstairs, and Dad’s voice drifted upstairs, mingling with Eirik’s. Dad must be home early to start on dinner. I’d noticed the leg of lamb and chicken breasts he’d left in the fridge. Once again, I checked Torin’s bedroom window. He wasn’t there. I wished he could embrace modern technology and just buy a cell phone.
Sighing, I left my bedroom and started downstairs.
“You know our rules, son. In this house, if you want to eat, you cook. So grab an apron,” I heard Dad say and grinned. Eirik had just been roped into helping Dad cook. It wasn’t the first time either.
Dad had taught him everything, from shaving to changing a tire, making a mean burger to mixing a dirty martini. Whatever that meant. Did he know about Eirik’s true identity? Somehow I doubted that it would matter. Eirik was like a son to my father.
I watched them from the bottom of the stairs, where I had a clear view of the kitchen. Dad had a barbecue apron with “Super Dad” written across the chest. Below it was “Tristan, King of the Grill.” It was last year’s Father’s Day gift from me. I’d bought it at an online site, where you personalized apparel. Eirik’s said “Real Men Grill.”
Hoping they didn’t hear me, I retraced my footsteps and checked my phone again when I reached my room. There was still no message from Cora. I grabbed my keys and went back downstairs, making as much noise as I could.
“Where are you going?” Dad called out.
“To Cora’s.” I joined them in the kitchen. Eirik was washing baby red potatoes while Dad shoved garlic into the leg of lamb. “She’s not answering my calls, and I’m kind of worried about her.” I shot Eirik a mean look.
He made a face and dangled an apron my way.
“You’re not going to help us cook?” Dad asked.
“Uh, I wasn’t planning to. I’ll only be in your way.”
“Okay, go. Dinner is at seven, so be back to set the table.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I stuck my tongue out at Eirik and ran out the door. I was backing out of our driveway when Torin stepped outside and waved me over. I slowed down and turned
into their driveway. I pushed down my window. “How did it go with Eirik?”
“Good. We’ll need to come up with a plan to stop whatever is messing with his head.” He reached inside the car and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Where are you going?”
“To see Cora. I’m worried about her.”
“You know you can’t force two people to be together unless they both want to.”
I snorted. “Watch me.”
He chuckled. “You’re stubborn.”
“No, I’m right. The two of them belong together.”
“Is this a guilt thing? Because we’re together and Eirik has no one?”
“Eirik has me, you, Andris, my parents, and his parents. I’m not sure about Ingrid cause she hates me, and Lavania is an unknown entity. I told him that if one of us is not okay, we’re all not okay. Just as we will all work together to stop the shadow from hurting him, we will get him and Cora back together.”
Torin shook his head and rubbed his finger across my lower lip. “You should come with a warning label, Freckles.”
My lip tingled, and I found myself licking it. “And what label is that?”
“Snarky, bossy, pain-in-the-butt.” He stepped back. “See you at seven. Oh, Ingrid doesn’t hate you. She just happens to be in love with someone who’s in love with someone else, too.”
Too? Did he believe Eirik was in love with me? Not wanting to argue with him, I ignored his statement. “Could you buy a cell phone?”
He cocked his eyebrows. “Why?”
“I want to be able to text or call you instead of always looking out the window to see if you’re in your room.”
He grinned. “We don’t need modern technology to communicate, Freckles. If you need me, I’ll know it.”
Nice. “Really? How?”
He touched his chest. “Right here. Your essence knows mine, just like mine knows yours. We can still communicate when all our other senses fail. I can hear you if you don’t speak. Sense your presence without seeing you. Feel you without touching you.” He winked and sauntered away.
14. THE DARKNESS INSIDE
Immortals (Runes book 2) Page 19