Demons (Eirik Book 1) (9 page)

Their home was above the shop, and Tammy often held séances on weekends, rarely on a weekday. Hayden helped her whenever she could, except when their clients didn’t want a teenager to know their business. Friday and Saturday night appointments often went until late, so Hayden tended to spend the night at my place. We rarely had sleepovers on Mondays.

“You know she’s welcome here any time. She can tell me more about Norse gods.”

“Good. I’ll drop off her things.” She glanced over her shoulder at the squad car still parked at the curb, then peered at me, her expression serious. “Remember what I told you about getting trapped there. Please, don’t attempt to go back and help that man. Whatever his problem is, let him find a way. If he is Hel’s son, you’ll be messing with a goddess.”

Fear that she might be right had me nodding, but an inner voice reminded me I was the reason the prisoner was being starved. Me
and
his mouth. I’d never met a more stubborn guy in my life.

“Promise me, Celestia,” Tammy added, her voice urgent. “This is not a joke. Hel is real and even though we don’t know a lot about her, she is a goddess. Powerful. And she is Loki’s daughter. And from what you told us, this is a family matter.”

I nodded. “I promise.”

“Good.” She stepped back and fished the keys from her tie-dyed Bohemian handbag. It was bulging with jars and pouches of charms, healing roots, powder, and creams. She always said it never hurt to be prepared. “Your grandmother would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you.”

Had Grams known about the gods? Somehow, I doubted it. She would have told me. Grams hadn’t believed in babying people. Her bluntness was one of the reasons I learned to accept my gifts at an early age without freaking out. She was also the reason I stopped deluding myself about my mother coming back a changed Witch. I think it broke her heart that my mother—her daughter—had lost her mind.

I stayed by the curb until Tammy pulled away, then approached the squad car. The window was rolled down before I reached it, and I smiled at the bald-headed man behind the wheel. Even though Officer Davies had become my unofficial driver after Dad became chief, I’d known him for years.

“Good evenin’, Officer Davies,” I said. He was from Atlanta, Georgia and had the southern charm down to a science, so I tended to dial mine up a notch. “I hope Dad is not forcing you to stay out here for ma’ sake. It’s a weeknight and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Evenin’, Miss Celestia,” Davies said. He waved to the guy behind the wheel. “Meet Sullivan. He’s fresh out of the Academy and a little green behind the ears, but we’ll teach him the dos and the don’ts of Windfall City soon enough. Sullivan, meet the chief’s daughter, Miss Celestia.”

No wonder Dad had mentioned a younger officer. He already had one lined up. “Nice to meet you, Officer Sullivan. Would you two like something to drink? Fresh coffee? I’m not sure when Dad will be home.” Or why he’d left them behind.

“Coffee would be nice,” Sullivan said and ignored Davies’ glare. “Black, no sugar.”

“That’s not necessary, Miss Celestia. Are you going anywhere tonight?”

So that was why Dad had left them outside the house. I wouldn’t dare go anywhere after what had happened earlier. Or maybe he was taking precautions in case I needed to be rushed to the hospital while he was gone.

“No. We’re about to sit down and watch a movie.” Despite Davies’ protest, I went back inside with the intention of making them coffee. I knew how he liked his. Zack had already started munching on my Chinese food when I reached the kitchen.

“Hey. That’s mine.” I snatched the bowl from under his nose. “Eat your beef.”

He made a face, reached for one of the other boxes, and dumped its contents onto a large plate. He didn’t even bother to warm it. Just dug in.
Ew
. While I started the coffeemaker, Zack and Hayden headed to the living room.

I didn’t care what movie they’d chosen because I wasn’t really going to watch it. I had homework, even though my thoughts were with the prisoner. Guilt for leaving him ate at me as I tackled my English paper, then the math. I couldn’t focus. How could I when there was a possibility that I’d actually projected into another realm? I was still a young Witch. Only powerful Witches visited the spirit world while in a trance.

Of course, I was going to find a way to save the guy. I needed a guarantee that I would come back to my body, not end up in that icy cave again. Whatever I wore or carried often appeared with me in the astral plane. I’d done it with my backpack and once with a cup of chai latte. If I carried a journey charm, it should guide my spirit back to my body. There was only one person who could provide such a charm—Doctor B, the most powerful Witch in New Orleans.

EIRIK

The hunger pangs hit me hard the third day. To take my mind off food, I engaged pain runes, shed my shirt, and did crunches and push-ups until I was exhausted. The torch was barely a flicker. One more hour and I’d light the second one. I’d doused the second and third one to conserve the oil. After the third one, I’d be in total darkness.

A creak sounded outside my door and I paused to listen. Guards changing? No, someone was touching the bolts on the door. I moved closer to the door, engaging healing, speed, and strength runes. This was it. I was taking down whoever was on the other side with every force I had, then heading to the west dungeon to find Viggo. I might not know where the hell that was, but I’d find it. Once he was out of this realm, I’d be in a better position to make a deal with my mother.

The bolts snapped one after the other. I crouched low. The door opened slowly, but I was ready. It was another guard. I’d come to recognize their black outfits and cloaks. As soon as he stepped into the room, I flew at him, knocking him to the floor. Rage and the need to escape pulsed through me. I raised my fist and rammed it down.

A hand locked around my hand and stopped me. “It’s me!”

I stared down at my father. “Where have you been, and why are you dressed like a guard?”

“It was the only way I could come down here unnoticed. As for where, it’s always better to let your mother get her way. Pull me up, Son. We don’t have much time.”

I rolled off him, stood, and offered him a hand. Once up, he reached under his cloak, pulled out a water satchel, and opened the lid. I dove for it before he offered it to me and guzzled the water, some dripping down my chin to my chest.

Water had never tasted so good.

“Here,” he said, thrusting a piece of cloth in my hand. Inside it was a loaf of bread. I tore into it. The outside was hard, but the inside was soft, like French bread. It was still warm.

“Your mother has a certain way of doing things that others may find cruel and unorthodox, but her heart is in the right place and she’s always right. This time, I think she’s gone too far. I have a plan. There’s a Grimnir who will lead you out of this realm,” he whispered. “You can trust him. For the last seventeen years, he’s given me news about you, even bringing me pictures of you and your friends.”

I almost choked on the bread. I stopped eating and gawked at my father. “You’ve known where I was all these years?”

“Shhh,” he hissed. “Keep your voice down. Of course, I knew where you were. I personally approved the Sevilles, and I made sure the Norns understood what I wanted. At the time, I felt they owed me. I’d assumed what your mother and I had was just a fleeting thing. An infatuation. I didn’t know she would come to mean everything to me.”

I stared at him in shock, trying to wrap my head around what he was saying. First was the fact that he’d been involved in my kidnapping, then enabling my mother and her craziness because she was always right. Talk about whipped. And now this.

“You had a Grimnir keep an eye on me?” I asked, speaking slowly.

“He kept me updated on your welfare. Not the same thing. He showed me pictures of you and the Cooper girl. Is she your future mate?”

“Raine? No. She’s my best friend. Cora is the one.”

Disappointment flashed on my father’s face. “The blonde? She has no magic in her. Raine is the one. You could use her to help your mother see the errors of her ways.” He frowned. “Her plans are more dangerous than anything out there.”

“Yeah, avenging her. No one fights the Norns and wins. Raine tried, but they keep coming up with better ways to torment her.” I finished the bread, grabbed my shirt from where I’d left it, and shrugged it on. “I wouldn’t want her fighting my battles.”

“If she were your mate, your battles would be hers. A consort with her powers can be very helpful, just like your grandmother has been to your grandfather. There are so many things he would not have done if it weren’t for her.” He glanced toward the door. “We will discuss this later.” He unbuttoned the heavy coat while barking instructions. “This is what I want you to do. Give me a couple of minutes, then come out and head left. You’ll see a set of stairs heading toward the outer wall of the south tower and the roof. Take it to the ground level. You’ll know it’s the ground level because of the outside-facing windows. Check under the next set of stairs for a secret door. It’s easy to miss, but it’s there. It leads into the east armory. It’s unlocked. Use it. They’ll be waiting for you.”

“They who?”

“Two Grimnirs, a man and a woman. You should recognize the man. Most Grimnirs have tattoos, but this one’s violet eyes make him stand out. That and the fact that he is very discreet. He will help you across the Gjöll then lead you to the cave where Grimnirs create portals. There’s less magic there. Once you are back in Midgard, find your sister and bring her home.”

If he’d reached out and gutted me, I would not have been more shocked. “Sister? What sister?”

He scratched his forehead. “Sorry to break it to you like this. I was planning on telling you about her when you turned eighteen, but you came here.” There was no censure in his voice this time. “The Norns didn’t just take you, Eirik. They took your sister, too, the night she was born and your mother was told she lost the baby. Norns take souls of babies for recycling and they claimed to have taken hers.” Anger flashed in his eyes. “They gave your mother a body to bury. That, coming on top of your disappearance a year before, pushed her over the edge. She’s never been the same. She blames the Norns for doing this to her. I’ve done everything to find your sister—with little success.”

I had a sister. This changed everything. I stopped pacing when something else occurred to me. My father had sent me away.

“Did you do this? Send her away, too?”

“No.” His outrage sounded genuine. “I couldn’t do that to your mother again. I may have sent you away to keep you safe, but your sister was never in any danger. You were. You still are.”

“Obviously. Look where I am.”

My father shook his head. “You are not in danger from your mother. You never were. Someone else wanted to hurt you. She still does.” He moved to the door and looked outside. “One day, I’ll explain. Right now, remember what I told you. Once I leave, go left, head upstairs to the ground floor, and find the door under the stairs leading to the south tower. Rhys and his partner will be waiting for you. They are also the ones who’ve been searching for your sister. They will fill you in on what they’ve found. You’ll need this.” My father removed the heavy coat and put it around my shoulders, then pulled me in for a hug. “Find your sister and bring her home, Son,” he said. “It’s the only thing that will make your mother happy again, and she can stop this nonsense about your training and revenge.”

“She’ll send Grimnirs after me,” I said.

“Not this time. I’ll explain everything to her once you leave. She’ll be mad, but she’ll understand.”

The thought of leaving filled me with euphoria, yet I knew I couldn’t do it. Not without Viggo. He would be at her mercy.

“I can’t do it,” I said. “I can’t leave without Viggo.”

My father leaned back and scowled. “Viggo already left.”

“No, he hasn’t. He’s in the west dungeon.”

“That’s not possible. I would have known. I’m in charge of security.”

“She takes pleasure in telling me about him every time she visits.”

“Then I’ll talk to Rhys and make sure they get him out tonight, too. You’ll go first.” He gripped my nape and squeezed, pressed his head against mine, his eyes boring into me. “Be safe, Son.”

Then he was gone.

My thoughts were all over the place. My mother. The things she had endured at the hands of the Norns were horrific. No wonder she was angry and bitter. No wonder she wanted revenge. I wanted it for her. There was only one problem. Going after Norns would be suicide. Then there was my sister. Knowing the Norns, they’d placed her with Immortals. If I had to break down every door belonging to an Immortal, I was going to find my sister and bring her home. My mother would be too happy to care about the Norns. Maybe my father was right. She’d stop this nonsense about going after those hags once she had both of us at home.

I glanced at my watch. The waiting was killing me. I buttoned up the coat my father had given me, found gloves in the pocket, and put those on too, then pulled the hoodie over my head. I peered out the door and smothered a curse. The guards were coming back. As I watched, the redheaded servant who’d walked behind my mother during the party appeared and started flirting with them.

What was she doing? She was gesturing something. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was telling me to go. I carefully stepped outside and closed the door. She indicated that I hurry up, her laughter echoing in the hallway. I took off, only glancing back once before I took off up the stairs. She was hugging the arm of each soldier, leading them up the opposite stairs.

I reached the ground floor and found the stairs leading to the south tower. The door was unlocked just like my father had said. I pushed it open and entered a huge room with every ancient weapon imaginable. Maces, lances, hammers, and axes covered a wall with high ceiling and shelves.

The door leading to the outside was wide and high enough for a giant to walk through. Before I reached it, it slid open to reveal a tall man with tattoos and violet eyes. A dark-haired woman stood behind him. They were risking a lot doing this. Part of me was grateful and the other was annoyed they would betray my mother. I didn’t owe my mother anything after the way she’d treated me, yet I felt a sense of loyalty I couldn’t explain.

“Are you ready?” Rhys asked.

“Have you talked to my father about Viggo?”

“Yes. We’ll help him
after
we take you across. ”

Just then, everything fell into place. I couldn’t do this. Not to Viggo and definitely not to my mother. “Viggo goes first. In fact, he is the only one leaving this realm.”

The shock on their faces was comical. “But your father—”

“Doesn’t understand,” I finished. I understood what my mother wanted. Maybe it came from years of watching Raine and her father compete in marathons, where endurance came from training, and age, gender, and size had nothing to do with it. My mother had no time for the weak. To prove myself, I’d have to show her I was strong and my strength came from within, not from runes or from wielding a magical mace.

“What do we tell your father?” Rhys asked.

“That it was my decision to stay. Take Viggo to Earth and bring back my things. Warm clothes, sweaters, boots, sneakers, T-shirts… anything I can wear and use around here. They are in my bedroom at the mansion in Kayville.” I removed the guard’s coat and the gloves my father had given me and handed them to Rhys. My mother would be devastated if she learned about this. “Burn them. Make sure my mother never learns what my father tried to do tonight.” Rhys nodded. “Could one of you come with me? I want the door to the dungeon locked behind me.”

I turned, opened the door, and headed for the stairs. Yellow light from torches flickered, creating shadows. The girl and the guards were gone when I reached the dungeons. She must be keeping them busy. I was aware of Rhys’ presence behind me as I headed back to my room, but neither one of us spoke.

I entered the room and turned to face the door. Rhys stared at me with an expression that was hard to describe. I’d say respect, but that was wishful thinking. The man had known me since I was in diapers. Probably saw me run around my backyard in my birthday suit.

“Lock it up,” I said.

He grinned and saluted. “Yes, Baldurson.”