Witches (Runes series Book 6) (13 page)

Her whiskers twitched as though she was fighting a smile. I wanted to try it again. I changed into black pants and pulled on my leather jacket.

Where’s your staff?

“I don’t own a staff.”

No one can be this ignorant. Of course you own one.
She padded to my bedside chest of drawers and pawed on the lowest knob. She managed to open it.
What’s that?

I peered inside. “Oh, that. That’s a dagger the Norns gave me months ago.”

That’s it. Pick it up. Whoa, watch where you point that thing
, she added and
leaped out of the way when I picked it up. She crouched behind my desk and peered at me.

“What are you doing?”

Hiding in case you use it. That’s a Norn’s staff.

“Norn’s what? Whoa…” Something was happening. The magic deep in my core stirred and blinked into existence without my help. I didn’t even have to focus on channeling it. It swelled and shot to my arm, gunning for the dagger.

The dagger responded, the runes on its blade and handle glowing. I tried to drop it, but it was as though my hand was fused to the handle. Panic surged through me and my stomach hollowed out. But the freak show wasn’t over. The wooden part elongated while the iron blade coiled into a weird-looking knot the size of a baseball. Its core looked like a blue crystal. Or maybe the runes gave that illusion. The shaft hit the floor with a thud and stopped stretching, but the blue core continued to glow.

Onyx said something I didn’t catch, but my mind was slow processing everything. The Norns had given me the dagger months ago to use it on my best friend Eirik. Eirik was Hel’s son, raised with me on earth so he wouldn’t turn evil. They’d thought he was turning evil, but I’d refused to use it on him. Eirik was many things—confused, growing, dark, trying to find himself. But evil? No. However, the hags had known about my powers. They’d always known. What the hell was I to do with a staff anyway? I was a modern
Völva
. I couldn’t walk around with a staff.

I remembered something Cora had told me. Echo’s scythe was the size of my dagger, until he held it and engaged certain runes. Then it shifted and grew into a full length, scary-looking reaper’s weapon. He didn’t just use it to create portals. The light from the blade could disperse a soul. I’d never seen it happen, but Cora swore by it.

I lifted the staff and pointed it at my dresser.

Not inside the house,
Onyx screamed inside my head. I studied her. She still crouched behind my desk.
Turn it off.

How? I wanted to ask her, but she already thought I was a complete idiot. No point giving her more ammunition. I focused on reversing what had happened. I pulled back the energy linking to the blade, and pushed it away as though rejecting it.

And what do you know? It receded back to my core.

The crystal core at the tip of the staff dimmed and disappeared as though sucked into the staff. The wooden part shrunk and the tip uncoiled, until once more, I was holding the dagger. It now looked like any ordinary weapon without my magic.

So the Norns had known about the dagger. Was their intention to make me use my magic to hurt Eirik when I didn’t even know I had it in me? Why? That was obvious. So they could control me.

I opened the drawer, threw the dagger inside, and closed it. I was never touching that thing again.
 
Shaken, I sat on my bed, then lay on top of the covers and stared into space.

Onyx joined me, curling up a few inches from my head. For once she kept her thoughts to herself. Just stared at me without saying a word as though she knew just how shaken I was.

Their presence at the StubHub might be another attempt to control me. Maybe to stop me from helping those kids. I sat up.

“Come on, Onyx. We are visiting Jace.”

I could see part of Jace’s bedroom while we were still in my bedroom. Pinpointing people’s whereabouts by thinking about them as the portal formed was becoming easier now. Previously, I’d only focused on familiar places—the mansion, Torin’s place, our shop, or the school. Now I created air or wall portals anywhere. I bet I could find Torin if I wanted to stalk him while he was out reaping.

Air portals were tricky because it meant literally etching runes on invisible air particles. Runes had to hang in the air before they dissipated, and since they were made of light, you had to be fast. Torin and Andris made it seem so effortless. Me? It was a hit or miss. I preferred mirrors and walls.

A shirtless Jace was at the other end of the room, head bowed low as he did something on his desktop computer.

The room was filled with soccer paraphernalia—flags, posters of soccer players, teams, and trophies. He was a serious LA Galaxy fan. Among the posters was a corkboard with pinned school events and pictures. He must have been playing since he was young. He looked about five in some of the team pictures. There were also scattered pictures of a red head. She was smiling in almost all of them. Must be his mother. None showed her when she was sick. In a few, there was also a man with her. Former coach? I didn’t see any of her with Jace.

I touched the pictures, the board, even the soccer stuff and got nothing. Strange.

What is he doing?
Onyx asked, her voice startling me.

“Shhh,” I said.

Jace glanced over his shoulder and I froze, my grip tightening on Onyx. Had he heard us? I noticed something else. Bruises on his back like someone had hit him. There was no way they came from soccer. Could his father be abusive? Like Beau’s?

Carefully, I skirted around the dirty pile of clothes, socks, and cleats on the floor. I was done touching dirty gym clothes to get visions. I stood behind his chair. No reading on the chair. He was on a popular social website.

“Faced my bullies tonight. Got a black eye, but made sure they’ll never come after me again,” I read what he’d just posted on his timeline and my eyes flew to his face. He was pressing a bag of frozen peas on his left eye, but I could still see the split lip and the cut above his right eye. He also had bruises on his knuckles, which explained the online comment.

He chuckled at a response to his post and clutched his side. He dropped the peas to respond, and I slapped my hand on my mouth to stop from gasping. His eye was almost swollen shut.

Oh, poor kid,
Onyx murmured.
His eye is swollen.

Thanks for stating the obvious, Onyx.

Beiskaldi! Don’t call me Onyx.

Runes could take care of his wounds. I could add just enough to lower the swelling without arousing suspicion.
You use that word a lot, Onyx. It had better mean sweetheart or gorgeous.

Onyx gave a gleeful chuckle that said it was none of the above.

If I put you down, can you stay invisible?
I’d forgotten to ask her before I scooped her up in my bedroom.

Oh, I’m perfectly happy being carried around.

I put her down.
Self-serving
Beiskaldi!

Who are you calling a bitch? I’ll have you know—

Stop yapping for one second. I need to think.
Surprisingly, she clammed up. From the way she sat on her hind side and lifted her chin, she was pissed. Too bad. She had called me a bitch first. I pulled out my artavus.

What are you going to do?
Onyx asked.

I should have known she wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Ignoring her, I engaged speed runes and etched on Jace’s back just enough to take care of severe damages. By tomorrow, his face wouldn’t look like his attackers had used him as a soccer ball.

He turned suddenly and looked around, almost brushing against me. I stepped back, careful not to make any sounds. His eyes zeroed in on my position as though he felt my presence. Someone rattled the door and Onyx practically leapt into my arms. We backed away from Jace.

He dove for his T-shirt and yanked it on before yelling, “Come in.”

I was by the mirror, ready to create a portal when a man stuck his head inside the room. Taylor senior. His pictures had captured him perfectly, brown hair with a receding hairline, gray eyes, and a nicely trimmed moustache. The dark shadows under his eyes and the gauntness weren’t in the pictures though.

“Mr. Worthington is leaving now,” Coach Taylor said. “Would you like to personally thank him?”

What? Torin’s father was here? Unless there were two Worthingtons in L.A., the evil bastard was up to something. Could I sneak into their living room and confirm it?

“I already did,” Jace mumbled.

“He wants to know if you’re ok, son.”

“He shouldn’t have interfered. It was none of his business. And he creeped me out by following me home.”

His father sighed and stepped into the room. “He witnessed those boys attack you, Jace, and did what any decent man would do.”

Decent my ass. I bet he knew of Torin’s interest in Jace and had been following Jace around. What did he want?

“I intend to file charges against LA Galaxy, and Mr. Worthington said he’s willing to testify. All you have to do is tell us their names.”

“No, Dad,” Jace said, standing up. “Please. You’ll only make things worse for me. Let it go.”

His father moved closer. “Why are you protecting them? If they get away with it, they’ll do the same thing to someone else. That’s what bullies do until they’re forced to stop.” His father peered at him and frowned. “Hmm. The swelling on your face is down and the redness in your left eye is gone. Even your lip seems less swollen.” He stopped and straightened. “Jace, I need the names of the boys who did this to you.”

Jace sighed. “I didn’t see them. It was too dark.”

“Son…”

“Dad, please. Just let it go.”

His father sighed. “Fine. Here.” His father held out a locket on a gold chain. “He found this on the ground by the bus stop.”

Jace took the necklace and stared at it, a weird expression crossing his face. “I didn’t know I’d lost it.” He opened the locket and his face crumpled. “If I’d lost this…”

“I know.” His father patted his back. “Come on. Your mother raised you better than this.”

Jace pocketed the locket and followed his father out of the room. Once again, Jace’s eyes swept the room as though he knew they weren’t alone. Then he followed his father. I wondered what was in the locket.

Follow them,
Onyx said.

Do you know who could be in the other room?

I know who the Earl of Worthington is. He’s your boyfriend’s father and an evil Immortal. We watched the battle last week, and I overheard your conversation with the pretty Valkyrie.

Relieved I didn’t have to explain, I followed Jace and his father. Voices came from straight ahead—Jace’s high-pitched one and a deeper voice. British accent. I’d only heard the Earl yell during battle, but I’d seen and heard him in my vision and knew what he looked and sounded like. I slowed down as we got closer. Jace’s father was talking about filing a report with the police. How to look at them without alerting Worthington? As an Immortal, he’d see me cloaked.

An idea popped in my head and I went with it. I lowered Onyx to the floor.
Go and see if he’s facing us or not.

Glowing runes were visible through Onyx’s fur. She padded to the entrance, then crouched low and peered inside. Immediately, she scooted back and came back to my side.
He’s a big man.

I know.

He looks like your Valkyrie, only older.

I know that too.

He’s facing this side and might see you.

Damn it.

“Isn’t that right, Mr. Worthington?” Jace’s father asked. I’d missed part of his question.

“Yes, the boys responsible should be held accountable,” the all too familiar British accented voice said and a shiver crawled up my spine. “If this was an attempt to force him to leave the team, the league should be notified. I played football in England growing up and know that every league has a code of conduct. You break it, you get a suspension. Physical altercation means immediate expulsion from the team. It is within your father’s rights to report this to the police and file charges, young man. He’s only looking after you.”

Which century did he play football? This was clearly an attempt to make himself look good, and crawl back into Torin’s good graces. I picked up Onyx and backed up.
Let’s go home.

And leave him with them? I can keep an eye on him and come home once he leaves. Even better, I can follow him.

No. He’ll know you’re there. Chances are he can feel our presence right now too.

Then I’ll keep an eye on the boy only and report to you.

Are you that bored?

YES!

Fine. Stay here until he leaves. Listen to anything he says and does.
If you’re not back in thirty minutes I’m coming to find you. And do not follow Lord Worthington.

She nodded again.

Jace’s father was explaining the mentality of bullies when I lowered Onyx to the floor. This could be disastrous. If Worthington saw Onyx, he’d know we were onto him. I bit my lower lip, wanting to call her back. Then she did something that didn’t make sense. The runes disappeared then she meowed.

“What is a cat doing in our house?” Jace asked.

The last image I had of her before the portal closed was Jace bending to check for a tag. I was so happy I hadn’t put one on her.

~*~

In twenty-four hours, Onyx had become a fixture around my bedroom. It seemed empty without her. I actually missed the ornery cat. Lights were on at Torin’s, but there was no one there when I stopped by. I had to talk to him about his father. Talking to Mom was out of the question because this was a private matter for Torin, which left Andris.

I went to the mansion and followed the sounds to the pool. Blaine and two girls were in the hot tub. From the looks of it, he was making out with both. Finally, he was letting go of his dead girlfriend. He’d been pissed since Casey died during a football game.

One of the girls saw me first and said something to Blaine. I didn’t recognize her, which meant she was either a local girl who’d graduated high school before my time, or a college student. Kayville had one private university.

Blaine was out of the tub before I reached them. He shrugged on a robe. “You didn’t have to get out,” I said.

“The look in your eyes says I do.” He waved to the two girls. “And they’re not going anywhere tonight,” he added in a whisper.

“Two of them?” I asked.

He grinned. “Why not? I’ve accepted that Casey is gone, so this is me moving on. So what’s wrong?” he asked after we left the deck and the pool door closed behind us.

“I’m looking for Torin and Andris. Have you seen them?”

“Torin stopped by hours ago then left for L.A. Andris said he had a date. Lavania is visiting her husband and Ingrid is in her room. You know, just in case you want to see them next before you decide to ask me for help.”

I winced. He was newer to the group and tended to be overlooked. “I wasn’t.”

He shrugged. “I know I have to earn my stripes. So, what is it?”

I couldn’t tell him about Torin’s father any more than I could Mom. That was Torin’s story to share. “Someone I know might be in danger.”

He sighed and chuckled. “Oh, phew. I thought you were about to tell me you saw the Earl.”

I blinked. “You know?”

“That he’s back? Yes. Torin told me. I’m to keep an eye out for him in case he decides to pay you a visit at school.”

I shook my head. “He wouldn’t dare return to Kayville, the scene of his crime. He couldn’t be that bold. And I don’t need to be protected.”

“This is not about protecting you.”

“Yeah. Sure. I think he’s after someone Torin plans to reap.”

“The asthmatic boy?”

Okay, so he was in the loop on everything. “Yes.”

He swore softly under his breath. “That bastard. I need to find Torin ASAP. Jace cannot be touched.”

“I left my cat to keep an eye on him.” Saying the words sounded ridiculous, but Blaine didn’t miss a beat.

“Good move. Meanwhile I’ll track Torin down.” He started to walk away then glanced at me. “Stay away from the boy. You don’t want to spook him.”

“I’m always careful,” I called after him.

He chuckled. “He’s different.”

Different how? Because Torin had taken a special liking to him? Back in my room, I watched the clock and paced. Lights were still on downstairs and I could hear a band playing. Femi was probably watching TV while Mom was probably with Dad. She slept with him downstairs sometimes, even though they didn’t share a bed. I hoped Torin and I would be like them. Loving. Supportive. There for each other, in sickness and in health.