Seeress: Book Three (Runes Series) (17 page)

He sat up. “What is this about? Are you trying to replace me?”

As if that would ever happen. “Maybe. I’m partial to black hair and blue sapphire eyes, and if something happened to you…”

He laughed. “I’m not going anywhere, and if someone somehow chops off my head, I’ll be the headless Valkyrie hanging around you and haunting the both of you. I’m going to bed, luv.” He planted a quick kiss on my lips and got up. I watched him until he disappeared through the portal. He was in a strange mood.

Femi finished with her call and came back to the living room with a broad grin on her face. I had the schedule of
Ylvis’
tour
. “How is she?”

“She’s fine, but I’ve warned her about the visitors. She has a sister in New Orleans and will stay with her for a few weeks.”

One life saved. “That’s great.”

“Yes, you did good, doll. Your vision saved someone tonight. You just altered a future.”

Yay for me, but it sounded too Nornish. “How am I ever going to know whether what I’m seeing is the future, the past, or the present?”

“I wish I could answer that. I think it’s one of those things that comes with experience or you are taught by someone better at this sort of thing.”

By the Norns, no doubt. “So
Ylvis
is really coming to Philly in two weeks. Are you going?”

“I was planning to, but I’m needed here now.”

“I can watch Dad. It’s only for one evening.”

“Oh, you’re sweet, doll, but no. I can see them some other time.” She took the remote from the coffee table and switched off the TV. “Come on, it’s getting late.”

“I still think you should go,” I repeated as we headed upstairs. “I won’t watch Dad alone. Torin is next door and a portal away. If you haven’t noticed, there’s nothing he can’t do.”

Femi chuckled. “I’ve noticed. I’ll think about it. Goodnight.” She disappeared into my parents’ bedroom while I headed to mine.

Torin wasn’t there. I looked out the window, but his home was in total darkness. Maybe he was at the mansion. I crawled in bed, but I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something wasn’t right with Torin. He’d seemed so, I don’t know, sad.

***

Torin wasn’t around in the morning. I missed my morning coffee and kiss. Voices filtered upstairs from the kitchen. Smiling, I flew downstairs expecting him. But when I cleared the last step, I recognized Andris’ voice. He was already dressed for school, though he looked like he was off to a photo shoot for some hipster magazine.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Andris said. “I was about to wake you up with a cup of coffee.”

I glanced out the window at Torin’s. Where was he? “So are you riding shotgun with me to school?”

Andris scoffed at the idea. “Nope.
You
ride shotgun. Come to the mansion when you’re ready.” He kissed Femi on the cheek. “Thanks for the coffee.” He disappeared through the portal.

I got a bowl, poured myself some cereal, and munched on it without tasting it, my mind on the two girls at school. How was I going to get close to them without giving scaring them? If Ingrid was right, they must have recognized me as a witch.

“Hey,” Femi said, and I looked up. “You okay?”

I wasn’t. Where was Torin? It wasn’t like him to disappear when I needed protecting. Not that I needed him now. He’d runed everything, and Andris was pretty capable. And from Femi’s stories, she was a one-woman army. “Yeah. I’ll see you at lunch.”

Upstairs, I grabbed my stuff and left for the mansion. The others were waiting in the foyer. Ingrid looked amazing as usual in a high-low dress, cute cashmere sweater, tights, and boots. I really liked the bob haircut on her. Very high fashion.

Blaine had that preppy thing going. He came from a loaded family and his clothes screamed it. I looked like Orphan Annie beside them in my jeans and red sweater. Good thing I didn’t let clothes define me, and the others never pointed out my penchant for jeans.

“Come on, Seeress. Time to go,” Andris said. He moved fast and grabbed my backpack before I realized his intention. “Since I’m on bodyguard duty I get do everything Torin does. Maybe I’ll get a hot kiss before math class.”

I laughed. I waited until we left the house, engaged my speed runes, and moved just as fast as he’d done. I grabbed my backpack back from him. “Haha, I did it.”

“Working on your reflexes?” Ingrid asked, watching me with a weird smile. I could tell she wished she were the one goofing around with Andris.

“Yeah. I’m a bit slow engaging my runes, so Torin is helping me get better. We worked on it yesterday and we’ll probably continue today.”

“I don’t think so,” Andris said as he opened the SUV. He disappeared inside.

I yanked the door and hopped in the back passenger seat. “What do you mean?”

“Torin is chasing a shadow that doesn’t want to be found,” Andris said and started the engine.

“What shadow? Is it about the pendant or the Seeresses?”

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Ingrid asked, getting in the front passenger seat. She closed the door and turned to face Andris.

“Long story, girls.” He left the driveway, following Blaine. “Don’t bother to question me because my lips are sealed.”

He sucked at keeping secrets. I’d wait until it was just the two of us. “Ignore him.”

“I always do.” Ingrid said. “Hey, I’m close to finding the witch at school.”

“Me too,” I said.

“What witch?” Andris asked.

“Long story,” I said, repeating his words.

“And our lips are sealed, too,” Ingrid said.

“Really, Ingrid?” He glanced at her. “I can understand Raine being difficult, because that’s who she is. You know better. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

Ingrid lifted her chin. “How come you’re not teaching me to engage my speed runes like Torin is helping Raine?”

Andris groaned. “She needs them, sweetheart, and you don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re sweet, and nice, and harmless. There’re no bad guys coming after you. Your life is perfect.”

“You mean boring,” Ingrid retorted. “Nothing fun or exciting ever happens to me.”

“You are an Immortal, sweetheart. Make fun happen. Find a hobby.”

Poor Ingrid. She really needed to stop wanting Mr. Pigheaded here to take her seriously. She had money and could be whatever she liked. I tuned them out and texted Torin. Chances were he hadn’t taken his cell phone. He’d only bought it to shut me up after I’d nagged him.

We pulled up outside the school. The spot on the curb where Torin usually parked his bike was empty. It wasn’t official, but everyone considered it his spot. Seeing it only reminded me he was out there, probably doing something dangerous.

Andris and Ingrid were still arguing when we left the SUV. Ingrid took off in a huff and joined her friends. Andris watched her with narrowed eyes.

“She’s becoming so mouthy,” he griped.

“That’s because you ignore her. She likes you. Why won’t you give her a chance?” I asked. “It’s obvious you like her.”

“As cute and adorable as Ingrid is, I don’t have the urge to kiss her. She doesn’t make me lose sleep, and she’s definitely not the person I think about when I—”

“I don’t want to know,” I said. He could become crass in the blink of an eye.

“You have a dirty mind.”

“Yours is twisted.”

“Don’t insult my mind. You want to have lunch at home or school?” he asked as we entered the school building.

He was being really sweet. Normally he’d tell me where we were having lunch and try to bully me into agreeing. “School, unless I’m needed at home.”

“Okay, we’ll meet in the cafeteria unless I get a text from you.” He took off with a bunch of his hipster friends. I went toward my locker and kept an eye out for the two witch sisters. I did that a lot during the day, even heard their Seidr song a couple of times.

***

Andris and Blaine were waiting by the SUV when I left the building at three. Usually, they couldn’t stand each other. Today they were chatting like old buds. No, they were laughing.

“Okay, Seeress, we’ve decided to pick up where Torin left off,” Andris said.

I frowned. “Pick up what?”

“Your lessons,” Blaine said. “Where did you two train yesterday?”

When I finished explaining, they were staring at me as though I was an escapee from PMI. “What?”

“There are no trails to speak of up there, and the place is crawling with wild animals,” Andris said with a shudder.

“There are plenty of trails and you can outrun wild animals,” I said and threw my backpack and oboe in the back of the car. “So is the offer still on, or do I run alone?”

They looked at each other.

“Chickens,” I teased them, getting inside the car.

“She has a point,” Blaine said. “We can run faster than any animal, and if she trains in such an environment, anything else will be a piece of cake.”

“I don’t care if she’s right or wrong. We are not running through some damn jungle like a pack of wild animals. We’ll take the back roads and race cars. You two have lived here long enough. Find us a route that’s not busy this time of the day. I’ll show you who is chicken.”

“See you guys at home,” Blaine said and hopped into his seat. He was already driving his sports car with the top down.

“Tell me about this witch at school?” Andris asked as we took off.

“I think there are two of them. Sisters. And they are new because I’ve never seen them before.”

“Why didn’t you tell Ingrid this morning?”

Torin’s words rang in my ears. “I don’t know. I want to see if we find the same girls. There could be more.”

Andris shuddered. “Witches.”

“I understand Torin’s aversion to witches. What’s yours?”

“None of you beeswax,” he said rudely.

He entered our cul-de-sac, and my eyes went to Torin’s place. It was still locked up. “Where is he, Andris?”

“Searching for the person that put his stuff up for auction,” he said.

“Why is it so important?”

Andris brought the car to a stop at the curb by Torin’s mailbox. “I never question why your man does the things he does. I just go with the flow.”

“Should I worry about him yet?”

“Nope. Out of the car. Be at the mansion in ten minutes or I’m coming for you.”

“Can you promise me something?”

He gave a long-suffering sigh. “What?”

“Promise to tell me the truth if he’s in danger, okay?”

“Okay.” He rolled down the window and watched me walk away.

I turned and cocked my eyebrows. “Go. I’m at home now.”

“Did I ever mention you have a sexy walk?”

I kissed my fingers and patted my butt.

He laughed and took off. I entered the house. “Femi, I’m home.”

“In here,” she called out from Dad’s room. I peeked in. She was changing the sheets on his bed. She must have seen the concern in my eyes because she said, “He’s having a bath.”

I made a face. The bath had a contraption to keep him in place. “I’m running with Andris and Blaine. I should be back in an hour or so.”

She paused in the process of fluffing a pillow and pursed her lips. For one second I thought she’d object, but Andris outranked her. “Make sure you take your cell phone with you.”

“I know.” I grabbed an apple in the kitchen before heading upstairs. In less than ten minutes, I was in the mansion.

Blaine was pacing in the foyer. He wore running tights and a shirt like Torin had yesterday, but the impact of all that hotness was wasted on me. “Where’s Andris?”

“I don’t know.” He looked up at the second floor. “Hey, Andris, move it.”

“So how are we going to do this?”

“I have no idea what he has in mind. He’s calling the shots, as he put it.” Blaine made a face. It was obvious he wasn’t used to taking orders from someone who looked around his age.

“Have you worked with a lot of Valkyries?”

He nodded. “My parents have helped quite a few. I tend to work with Mortals. You know, wars, law enforcement, and private detective stuff.”

“You’ve worked with the police? You look like any high schooler.”

He grinned, topaz eyes twinkling. “I can look older when I want to.”

“Do you see your parents often? I heard they’re in Rio.”

“A couple of times a week.” He chuckled. “Rio is a portal away.” He glanced up again. “Andris!”

“Hold your horses,” Andris said from the top of the stairs. His outfit had to be just right. Unlike Blaine’s black and gray outfit, his had neon green stripes that matched his shoes and jacket. Since he wasn’t sporty, he was probably breaking them in.

“Nice outfit,” I said.

“You’ll thank me when it gets dark. Blaine lead until we are out of town. We leave the compound with our runes engaged.”

Cora dropped her tray next to mine, and I dragged my eyes from Gina and Rita. “What do you mean we can’t have a double date tomorrow?”

“Torin is out of town. He’s been gone since Wednesday.” I picked up the biscuit and took a bite. It was the only appetizing thing on my tray.

“Gone where?”

“I don’t know.” That little fact was beginning to worry me.

“Did you two fight?” She took a bite of her pizza.

Whatever issues Torin was struggling with, I wish he would just talk to me instead of pulling a disappearing act. We’d tackled our share of issues since we met, but he’d never just disappeared. What if he was in trouble and needed help?

“Raine? Did you two fight?” Cora asked again.

I shook my head, my eyes drifting to Rita and her sister. For the last couple of days, I’d studied them. Rita was pale and timid, yet she seemed to be the more powerful of the two. I got stronger vibes from her. The few times our eyes had met, she always smiled. Gina was the poster child of teen angst: dark clothes and black nail polish, multiple ear and nose piercings. She looked like she could kick some serious ass. And she acted protective of her sister.

“Does it have anything to do with his seal?” Cora said. “Echo said he’s obsessed with finding the person who had it auctioned.”

I didn’t want to discuss Torin, so I forced a casual shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Could this food get any more unappetizing?” Andris asked, sliding beside Cora. He bumped her with his shoulder. “Hey, gorgeous.”

Cora grinned and glanced at his styled silver hair. “Right back at ya.”

“What are you two plotting?” Andris asked.

Cora sighed. “I was just asking Raine—”

“If we can get our men to get along on a double date tomorrow,” I finished. Cora studied me questioningly. “You do want that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but Torin is MIA.”

“Oh, he’ll be back,” Andris said. “He’s playing Lord of the Manor right now.”

I frowned. Could Torin really reveal his true identity to his relatives? The way he was big on rules, I doubted it.

Across the room, Rita walked away from her sister. Finally. It seemed like forever waiting to see them apart. They were always together. Gina was having a deep conversation with their new friends and probably didn’t know her sister had left.

“I’ll be back,” I said and got up.

“Where are you going?” Andris asked.

“Restroom.” I hurried after Rita, not caring if he believed me. He didn’t have to worry about me leaving the school grounds without him. With Torin MIA and someone out there after me, I wasn’t taking chances.

Rita was disappearing around the corner. I ducked into a doorway, engaged my runes, and rejoined the students in the hallway. She was a few students ahead.

“Not bad,” Blaine said from behind me. His runes blazed, too. “Where are you going in such a hurry and fully cloaked?”

“Andris sent you to follow me?”

“Nope. I was talking to some girl when you zipped past. Nice move using a doorway to engage your runes.”

“You guys drummed that in me the last two days.” Rita disappeared inside the library. “I need to pick up a book. See ya.”

I ducked past students, almost bumping into a couple, and entered the room, but Rita had disappeared. Damn! I searched the aisles, aware that Blaine had followed me inside. I was close to giving up when I spotted her at the end of an aisle. She was chanting.

I entered the aisle behind her, made sure no one could see me, and willed the runes away. She whipped around, her eyes wide. She took a step back.

“Hey.” I wiggled my fingers. “It’s Rita, right?”

“Yes. How do you know my name?”

“You and Gina are new and you both wear the same pendant, which makes you stand out.” I paused before adding in a lower voice, “I know
what
you are.”

She swallowed and took another step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I raised my hands. “It’s okay, Rita. My name is Raine Cooper. I’m like you. I heard your Seidr song. You sing beautifully.”

She laughed nervously. “Thank you. We knew there were witches in the school, but Mom couldn’t find you by scrying.”

That was because we weren’t really witches. “We can hide our powers.”

She smiled, color seeping in her pale cheeks. “I knew it. I told Gina, but she said I was being ridiculous. She said no witch could hide from Mom’s scrying. Mom said there was a powerful magical core here. Did you answer the Call, too?”

“The Call?”

“You know, when witches are summoned to help one of our own.”

“Oh, yeah. That Call.”

“Gina and I didn’t go to the meeting, but our mother did.” She checked my chest and frowned. “You don’t wear an amulet of your coven?”

She was a talker. “I don’t belong to a coven. Do you?”

“No. We are just novices. Mom is a Seidr rep. We come from Ireland. What branch are you representing?”

She also asked way too many questions. Good thing I was good at making up stories. It was the way I’d survived high school as an Immortal in love with a Valkyrie. “My mother is local witch, and I’m still a novice, too.”

“You’re powerful for a novice.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I felt your energy the moment you entered the library. I recognized it from the bathroom a few days ago. How many of you are here? Have you met the others?”

“There’re just a few of us, and no, I haven’t met the new arrivals except you and Gina. Have you?”

“Mom won’t allow us to attend the meetings, but we’ve seen them around town. Each group wears a special amulet.” She pulled out a necklace from under her top and rubbed the white surface as though drawing strength from it. It was pretty with an intricate Celtic triquetra knot and a green agate core.

I could learn a lot about her family and the Call by touching it.

“Your amulet is pretty,” I said.

“Thank you.” She turned it. “It’s for good luck. I’ve worn it for as far back as I can remember.”

I leaned in for a closer look. “Is it made of rock?”

“No. Ivory. It’s much smoother than a rock.”

“Step away from her,” a voice growled from behind me.

Gina had arrived. I turned and smiled. Blaine was behind her. “Hi, Gina. I’m Raine—”

“Step back,” she snapped.

I pressed against the shelf and Rita scurried past me to her sister’s side. They reminded me too much of Maliina and Ingrid. The sweet sister and the aggressive one. The Irish accent didn’t help either.

“She’s one of us, Gee,” Rita said. “I mean, her mother is a local witch.”

Gina moved closer, her eyes narrowed. Blaine gave me a thumbs up, then propped his arm on one of the shelves and dislodged a few books. The sisters glanced over their shoulder and frowned. Blaine was still invisible. Grinning, he moved a few books. What was he doing?

“Did you do that?” Gina asked.

Blaine nodded, and I went with it. “Yes.”

“You can move things without incantation?”

“Can’t you?” I asked.

Instead of answering, Gina asked, “Why have you been watching us?”

“Oh, you noticed that. I wanted to confirm you were the ones singing the Seidr song,” I lied again.

Gina frowned. “The friends you hang out with, are they witches, too?”

“No, but you know what? You can meet them any time. They are cool with all this witch stuff.” Big lie.

“Well, nice to meet you, Raine Cooper.” Gina stuck out her my hand.

Our hands connected, and she started to chant. Her voice grew faint. Gina, Rita, and the bookshelves disappeared. Oh, crap. Another vision.

I was at a clearing in the middle of a forest with a ring of people. It was dark, except for the light from a fire smoldering in the center. No one moved or said anything. The silence was kind of spooky.

I grinned as something else registered. I could see clearly. The faces. The trees. The fire. For the first time, my vision was clear, and I knew it had something to do with these witches.

I moved until I was close to the ring. There was an old woman in the middle of the ring. She represented everything I’d read about witches. She was old, wore a hooded cloak, and carried a long staff. The top of her staff had a green jade stone like the one on Rita’s amulet.

“Thank you for coming, daughters and sons of old religions,” the old woman said. She spoke with a heavy Irish accent. “It’s not often we come together, but then again, it is not often we all receive the same vision, a Call from one of our own. The Call has been received by our people across the globe, not just Europe. I stand before you, not as your leader, but as the oldest practitioner of the Old Religion of the land. Madam Svietlanova is holding a meeting in Kiev, Shaman Istaqa in New Orleans, Hsu Cheng in Shanghai, Sangoma Ziga in Lesotho, Machi Mariella in Santiago, Karadji Yallan in Brisbane…” She continued to list names and places. “We must answer the Call.”

“What if it is a trap?” a man called out.

“That is why we are sending a few of us to see if we support the Call or not. As usual, we’ll use people they cannot suspect. People who can blend in.” She looked at a woman standing to her right. There was something familiar about her. “Stefania, your daughters speak English. You will go with them to America. People rarely suspect a mother with children, and your girls are powerful. A change of scene might be good for your Rita.”

My hand was still clenched. Even though I couldn’t see Gina’s hand in the vision, I knew I still gripped it. All I had to do was let it go and the vision would disappear. It was the one thing I’d practiced every night in the last two days. Control over whether I saw the past, present, or future was something I still needed to work on.

I let go of Gina’s hand and the scene faded. Two faces came into focus. Gina and Rita. Arms were around me. I turned my head and smiled at Blaine, who was no longer cloaked.

“I’m okay,” I reassured him.

“But your eyes are still…” he said.

“Glowing,” Gina and Rita said at the same time. There was awe in their voice.

“They do that when I get a vision,” I said and glanced at my watch. “We’re going to be late for class. Nice to meet you two. I hope we get to talk later.”

 
“You are… not just a witch,” Rita whispered.

“She’s a
Spákona
,” Gina said.

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I went with it. “Yes.” I grabbed Blaine’s arm. “Let’s go.”
But even though I was thrilled I’d finally seen a clear vision, one worry nagged me.
Who had called the witches to Kayville?

“Do you want to borrow my sunglasses?” Blaine asked, dangling a pair.

I stared at him blankly. “What?”

“Your eyes. People are staring.”

Oh crap. “Thanks.” I took his sunglasses and slapped them on. If anyone saw them and asked later, I could always say I was wearing contacts.

***

Mr. Zakowsky was talking about the upcoming concerts and performances at Kearns Theater and Walkersville University we should attend to get extra credit, while all I could think about was witch and Seeress stuff. A few months ago, I’d been worried about Norns and Valkyries. It was always something.

“Cooper!”

I looked up. Everyone in class was staring at me. “Yes?”

“You’ll be first chair next Thursday at the performance.”

I nodded. We had only three oboe players in the band, me included. I’d stopped taking private lessons last summer, but I was still ahead of the other two when it came to technique and mastering new pieces.

As we put our instruments away, my thoughts went back to my brief meeting with the Irish witches. Who could have issued the Call? And why?

“Raine, wait up,” Heath called across the room. In addition to playing football, he also played sax in the band.

“I heard Torin’s not around.”

“He went home. Family emergency.” That excuse was getting old. Every time Torin disappeared, I always used it. I picked up my Oboe case, and we left the class. “He should be back today.”

“I hope he makes it to the club tonight. It’s not really Sloane’s birthday party. The cheerleaders are throwing us a party for winning state, and it won’t be the same without the QB. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

I smiled. “How come you know about it?”

He grinned. “My girl is a cheerleader. If he makes it tonight, bring him to the club. We won’t be done until the club closes at one.”

While he headed toward the front entrance, I went to get my backpack. Andris was charming a girl by my locker. Not just any girl. Sarah Lee Jepson, the co-captain of the volleyball team. She braced herself against his chest, reached up, and whispered something in his ear before walking away. He stared after her.

“Another conquest?”

“They can’t get enough of this.” He indicated his body. For someone who didn’t like sports, he tended to go for sporty girls. I put my folder and books in the backpack and locked my locker. “Why the long face? Missing Torin?”