“You’ve taken people I love from me,” I said, my voice shaking. “First my father, now Torin.”
“Your father?” Catie asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“He’s been gone for months, and we don’t know whether he’s alive or dead.”
Catie glanced at the other two. They shrugged indifferently.
Anger surged through me. “He might not mean anything to you, but he has people who love him and want him back.”
“Let me guess, you?” Jeannette said with a cruel smile.
I really didn’t like this Norn. She was right behind Marj on my hate list. The jury was still out on Catie. “Yes. Me, my mother, and Eirik.”
“Eirik?” Catie asked.
“Don’t start celebrating yet,” Jeannette snapped and glared at her.
“Sourpuss,” Catie muttered.
“Crone,” Jeannette retorted.
“Girls, focus!” Marj snapped then glared at me. “We don’t negotiate with Mortals.”
“Or Immortals,” Jeannette said. “What makes you think we would with you?”
Catie’s laugh echoed around the room. The other two glared at her.
“I’ll give you what you want in exchange for Torin’s punishment and bringing my father home,” I said.
“What could you possibly have that we would want?” Marj asked.
“Me.” A fierce intensity entered their eyes, and I shivered. “Torin saved me when I was supposed to die, and it’s obvious that’s what you want. If I go with you, it makes what he did null and void.” My voice grew stronger. “So take me, and let him go.”
“How does she know—?”
Marj raised her hand and cut off Jeannette. “She doesn’t. She’s guessing, but we’ll see if she’s willing to go through with it.” She angled her head. “Someone’s coming. Let’s go.”
They grew hazy until I could see through them. Then they disappeared. My legs gave out under me, and I sat on the nearest chair just as one of the custodial workers walked in.
“You okay, miss?” he asked.
“Yes, thanks.” I clasped my oboe against my chest and left the room, surprised my legs could carry me. Eirik was pacing the front hall when I arrived. During our walk to his Jeep, he talked about a Trojan Gazette special edition they planned to print. I must have made appropriate responses because he didn’t ask if I was okay.
I slouched in my seat and got lost in my screwed up world as Eirik started the engine. A month ago I was just your average teenager. Now I had a date with death. A date I’d made. For the guy I loved. Eirik didn’t say much during the drive home, until he turned onto my cul-de-sac. “Looks like my parents found a new tenant.”
My eyes flew to Torin’s house, and I sat up, my heart tripping. A moving van stood in the driveway, blocking the entrance to the garage door. I couldn’t tell whether the motorcycle was inside the garage or not.
Torin. Please, let him be home.
I jumped out of the Jeep before Eirik switched off the engine. “When are you picking me up?”
“I was planning on waiting for you, then going to my place and picking up my stuff.” He stepped out of the car, lifted my backpack from the backseat, and noticed I was staring at Torin’s place. He followed my gaze, his expression puzzled. “You’ve met your new neighbors?”
“No, but, uh, could you just pick me up after you collect your swim stuff? I have to do some of the exercises the doctor recommended. You know, for my wacky memories.” I made a goofy face, picked up my oboe, and raced toward the house.
“Whoa, slow down.” He ran after me and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I’m happy to see the sparkle back in your eyes, Ms. Wacky Memories.” He planted a kiss on my temple. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes, and you’d better still be smiling. I’ve missed the way your face crunches up when you smile.”
“That’s insulting.” I unlocked the door. “My face doesn’t…” Something familiar prickled my senses as I stepped into the foyer. A scent. Footsteps. “Mom? What are you doing home…?”
A tall man appeared in the doorway of the study.
“Dad?” The oboe fell from my hand. I closed my eyes, praying I wasn’t imagining him, then opened them just as fast. He was still there, smiling, walking toward me. I flew across the room, straight into his arms. He groaned and laughed when he almost lost his balance.
“It’s okay, my little warrior,” he murmured into my hair.
I didn’t know how long he held me while I cried before I leaned back and looked at him. “Where were you? We were worried and scared. I almost gave up, but Mom…” She stood behind him in the doorway, her hand covering her mouth, tears running down her face. “She never gave up. Never doubted you’d come back. You lost weight.”
He laughed and pressed a kiss on my forehead. “And you climbed your tree without waiting for me to catch you. Thank you for taking care of her while I was gone, son,” he added and extended a hand toward Eirik, who was still standing in the entry with a stupefied expression on his face.
“It wasn’t easy, so it’s good to have you home, sir.” They did their manly hug. It was great to have Dad back. It was a miracle, or maybe not. The Norns must have responded to my threat, which meant Torin was back, too. Telling them goodbye was going to be painful.
“Where was he, Mom?” I asked.
“A commercial fishing boat rescued him from the ocean. He’s been unconscious all this time at a hospital in, uh, somewhere in Central America.”
“But it’s been months. Why didn’t they call the airline? The police? The crash made international news.”
“Sweetie.” She cupped my face. “I’m sure the people on the boat had their reasons for not wanting the police involved, but he’s home now and that’s all that matters.” Mom kissed my forehead, patted my cheek, and went to pick up my oboe from the floor. “Were you two going somewhere?”
“A swim meet,” Eirik said, glancing at me. “Do you still want me to pick you up?”
“No. I want to talk to Dad first.” Then go to Torin’s.
“No, pumpkin,” Dad interrupted. “Go with Eirik. I’ll be here when you come back.”
“But I want to know what happened and…” I noticed the way Mom clung to his side, and it hit me. They probably wanted to be alone. I glanced at Eirik. “Okay. Pick me up in twenty minutes.”
“Nice to have you back, Mr. C.” Eirik yanked the door and disappeared outside.
I ran to the kitchen and looked out the window. The moving van was gone. How was I going to go next door without an explanation? I turned and found my parents watching me with indulgent expressions.
“Is he gone?” Dad teased.
He knows about Torin? “What?”
“Eirik. Since when do you watch him drive away?” he teased.
My faced warmed. If only he knew. I hugged him again. “I’m so happy you’re home, Daddy. I still want to hear details of what happened, okay?”
He grinned. “Absolutely.”
“We have a new neighbor, Mom,” I added, heading for the stairs. In my room, I knelt on the window seat and stared across at Torin’s window.
“Torin,” I whispered. “Please, come to the window. Give me a sign you’re back.”
“Hey, Freckles.”
I froze. So scared I was imagining him again, my heart threatening to pound right out of my chest, I slowly turned around. He wasn’t a figment of my imagination. He stood by the closet’s full-length mirror as though he’d just stepped through it. He probably had. Dressed in his usual black, his hands shoved in his front pants pockets, he looked so breathtakingly beautiful. The lock of raven hair brushing his forehead was as familiar as the wicked smile that often curled his lips, except the smile was missing this time.
“You’re back,” I whispered.
Blue flames leaped in his eyes, his gaze roaming my face hungrily. “I had to.”
“My father is back, too.”
“I know. I found him.”
<
br /> “You? I thought the Norns—”
“They don’t care enough. I’d risk anything for you, Freckles,” he whispered, his voice low and intense. “I’d do anything to make you happy, and that’s why I found him.”
One second he was across my room, the next, he’d pulled me into his arms. His mouth found mine, hungrily molding it and every sense in my body to his will. I grabbed his shirt and hung on for the ride. I was drowning in sensations, the haze of pleasure so intense I groaned. He became the focus of my existence. His scent, his addictive taste, the feel of his hard, hot body.
He growled something under his breath and pulled me closer, his hand caressing my sides, moving around to my chest. I stopped breathing. He tore his lips from mine, his breathing harsh, eyes intense as he stared at me. I sucked air into my starved lungs and smiled. He opened his mouth to speak and closed it without saying anything, stark pain flashing in his eyes.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I can’t do this,” he whispered achingly. “I thought I’d come here, see you one last time, and say goodbye, but it’s not enough. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before, Freckles. Make me want and crave the impossible. When I’m with you, the rules cease to matter. The reason for my existence becomes you.” He cradled my face. “Yet I know I’m not right for you.”
“You are.” I reached up and gripped his hands.
He shook his head, his expression wreathed with torment. “No, you can’t live in my world,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “To do that, you must be like me, and I’ll never let that happen.”
I pressed my fingers on his lips to stop him from saying anymore. “I know what you are, Torin. Andris told me everything.”
He frowned. “When?”
“The night of the Homecoming Dance.” I searched his face. “I don’t care that you are a Valkyrie. Why didn’t you heal me when you had a chance and start turning me into an Immortal?”
Torin closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against mine. “I couldn’t do it any more than I could let you die. You’re not some unhappy girl in a bad situation that needs to be rescued like Maliina and her sister. You have a wonderful life, Freckles. People who love you.”
“I don’t care.”
“Don’t say that when you know it’s not true. You care.” He cupped my face, caressed my cheeks. “I ignored their existence because I loved how I felt when I’m around you. You made me laugh, chased the loneliness away. For once, I was willing to ignore the rules and go after what I wanted. What I needed. But then I saw how your friends rallied around you when you were at the hospital, saw the look in your mother’s eyes when she thought she’d lost you, learned about what she’s been through for you, and I couldn’t ignore them anymore. I knew this was where you belonged. With them. Alive.” Sounds came from downstairs. He stepped back, his hands falling to his side, runes appearing on his perfectly chiseled face. Behind him, my mirror became smoky. “I have to go now.”
My knees threatened to give out as I stepped toward him. My attempt to save him had failed. “You can’t leave me.”
“Don’t make this more difficult than it already is, Freckles.” Desperation clouded his brilliant eyes and more runes appeared on his skin. The mirror was now swirling gray smoke. It was nothing like the portal Ingrid had created. “You have a chance to live a normal life with your father and mother. Do it. Enjoy it. Make my sacrifice mean something.”
“But you promised…” My voice trailed off, and tears sprang to my eyes. The portal formed. I couldn’t see where it led. It was a murky, dark mass of nothing. “You promised you’d do anything to make me happy.”
“Anything but take you away from your family. They love you as much as you love them. They need you.”
“I need you.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re strong. Be happy. For me.” He stared at me one last time as though memorizing my face. The runes started to glow, highlighting his handsome face, his raven hair, and sapphire eyes. Then he turned and walked toward the portal. Smoky tendrils leaped from the dark walls and grabbed him. As I watched, the darkness swirled around him, swallowing him. Then the mirror reformed.
My knees gave out, and I folded on the floor like a wet cloth. My breathing hitched, tears racing down my face. I curled up my legs and wrapped my arms around them as though to make myself small and invisible, but my pain was big, consuming. Torin had shattered my heart into tiny pieces. No, he’d ripped it from my chest and left with it, leaving behind nothing but a giant hole. It hurt to breathe, to think, to imagine my life without him.
It was a while before I noticed the chill. It crawled under my skin, causing me to shiver. Soon, I couldn’t feel the cold either as numbness crept through me.
17. CHOICES
It seemed like forever before a knock resounded on my door.
“Just a minute.” I swiped at my cheek and struggled to my feet, my movement sluggish and automatic, like a robot. I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. My eyes were red. One look at me and anyone would know I’d been crying.
“Pumpkin, Eirik’s downstairs,” Dad said from the other side of my door.
I didn’t really want to go, but if I stayed, I’d have to explain why to my parents, especially Dad. I’d never been able to hide anything from him. Then there was Eirik. He and I might have a special relationship, but he deserved more. I had to break things off with him. Tonight. He was a wonderful guy who deserved a girl who was crazy about him. I wasn’t that girl.
“Raine?”
“I’ll be out in a second, Dad,” I called.
I changed my shirt, brushed my hair, and put on sunglasses. Downstairs, Dad studied my face and frowned. Please, don’t ask me what’s wrong. If he did, I’d start crying again.
“Love you, Dad. So happy you’re home.” I gave him another tight squeeze, kissed Mom, then joined Eirik. We ran to the Jeep. It was raining, typical fall weather in Oregon.
“It’s great to have your dad home, isn’t it?” Eirik said instead of starting the engine.
“Yeah. It’s a miracle.” My voice shook.
Eirik lifted the sunglasses from my nose. “You don’t have to hide behind the sunglasses, Raine. I know you’ve been crying. I also choked up when I saw him.”
I laughed, faking amusement. But having Eirik believe I’d been crying because my father had returned was a relief. I took the glasses from his hand and threw them on the tray between our seats. “Okay, let’s go. Warm ups will start in,” he checked his watch, “five minutes.”
He started the engine and took off.
I didn’t bother to glance at Torin’s house as we drove by. He was gone. It didn’t matter how much it hurt, I had to learn to live with the fact that he was gone and was never coming back. Tears filled my eyes again. Eirik reached for my hand and squeezed it.
***
We parked behind Draper Building, which housed Walkersville University’s pool, racquetball courts, indoor basketball and tennis courts, and the gym. College students were everywhere. Inside the building, I headed to the balcony while Eirik disappeared in the boys’ locker room.
Since this was an intrasquad meet, the bleachers were empty except for the girlfriends and boyfriends of some of the swimmers. I ignored them and moved to the lower row of seats. Some of the swimmers were in the pool, warming up. Others had towels around their waists or shoulders and were busy talking. I spied Cora. She was in the pool and hadn’t seen me yet.
I pulled out my phone and headphones. Right in the middle of checking my music playlist, I felt the telltale prickly feeling on the back of my neck. Someone was watching me. I turned my head, checking my right then left. My eyes widened when I saw Andris and Ingrid.
What were they doing here? Was Torin around, too?
I searched past the few students seated behind me to the top of the bleachers. My stomach dropped. Marj, Catie, and Jeannette stared at me with unreadable expressions. Norns and Valkyries in one place meant bad
news, but I didn’t care anymore. Marj and her friends had turned down my deal and taken Torin, so let them do their worst. In fact, they could all go rot in hell. The real hell with eternal suffering and Lucifer, not theirs run by some goddess living in a fancy-shmancy hall.
Ignoring them, I turned around. Eirik entered the pool deck, and I tried to catch his attention, but he was staring at someone. I followed his gaze and frowned. He was staring at Cora with a weird expression. She’d just pulled herself out of the pool.
I blinked, not sure if I was reading him correctly. He’d never looked at me like that. Could Eirik be into Cora? Had I been blinded by our friendship and not seen something right under my nose? Or maybe I was imagining things. His expression soured, and I saw why. Cora was hugging one of the senior swimmers and laughing at something he’d just said. Wow, Eirik was definitely into Cora.
Jaw tense, Eirik turned and looked toward the bleachers, obviously searching for me. I waved. He saw me and waved back. I reached a decision. Just because my heart was broken and my dreams were shattered didn’t mean I’d let my friends die. Eirik deserved a chance to win Cora’s heart, and I planned to bring them together.
I glanced to my left, and my eyes collided with Andris. He scowled. Another turn of my head and I had a stare down with Marj. She looked away first, then glanced at the skylight above the pool. I followed her glance and wondered what they were planning. It was still raining, but it was just a drizzle.
You’re not winning, crone.
She smiled as though she’d heard my thoughts. I got up.
“Where are you going?” Andris asked, appearing suddenly beside me. Ingrid appeared on my other side.
“What do you want, Andris?” I asked rudely.
“To reap the souls of your friends, that’s what.” He gripped my arm and pulled me down on the bench beside him. “You shouldn’t be here, Raine. I already told you. No one can change their destiny.”
Runes (Paranormal Romance, YA,) Page 26