Runes: Immortals - Runes: Immortals Part 32
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Runes: Immortals Part 32

"I have homework packets. I'm this close," I indicated with my finger and thumb, "to getting done."

Upstairs, I glanced out the window. Lights were on in Torin's bedroom. A warm breeze drifted across my room, and I turned just as he entered. One look at his expression and I knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked, searching his face.

"I have to join the others at Chula Vista Olympic Training Center in California. There was a fire in one of the buildings, and several of the trainees and their instructors died." He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'll see you later, depending on how many souls we have to reap."

"You cover California, too?" I asked, following him to the portal.

"Just the Pacific Northwest for now, but the Valkyries in California need our help." He turned, grinned, and winked. "I'll be back."

For the rest of the evening, I kept checking their house to see if they were back, but the house stayed in darkness. It wasn't until I was in bed that I realized I hadn't heard from Cora or Eirik. I sent them text messages.

"I'm out of town. See you tomorrow," Cora texted back.

Eirik didn't return my texts.

CHAPTER 18. FIRST RUNES.

I was up early the next morning and took my time getting ready before heading downstairs. My parents weren't up. I chewed on corn flake cereal and studied Torin's place. There was no movement from the house. No sound of the Harley. Were they still in California? Valhalla? Sighing, I grabbed my backpack and headed outside to my car.

It was strange arriving at school and not seeing Eirik and Cora waiting for me in the parking lot. I hoped they made up and were making out somewhere. Torin's Harley was missing from its usual place. That felt strange, too. A few students waved to me, and I waved back. I guess being the girlfriend of the QB erased my Wicked Witch of the West past.

"Raine, wait up," Drew called out before I reached the school entrance, and I turned. He was with his sidekick Keith.

"Where's St. James?" Keith asked.

"He missed the barbecue at Coach Higgins' house."

"He had to take care of some, uh, family business."

Keith placed an arm around my shoulders. "Since you missed our game in Portland, are you attending the kickoff?"

"In two weeks," Drew added.

"Who are we playing?" I asked, trying to show some enthusiasm.

"The Crusaders," Drew said. "The best part is..." He glanced at Keith, and they both grinned. "It's a home game. We just found out."

Jesuit High at our stadium? That was huge. The Crusaders was one of the best teams in the state. They'd advanced to the Final Four several times and won state a few times. We had no chance of beating them. Once again, I faked interest. "That's great."

"Will you be with the pep band?" Keith said.

I didn't need the extra credit. "No. I'll be cheering you guys from the bleachers."

"Great! St. James will deliver if you're there," Drew added.

Yeah, like girlfriends determined who won games. But being the QB's girlfriend had its perks. The boys walked me to my locker. Along the way, a few of their friends joined us. They all wanted to know why Torin had missed the barbecue. I couldn't tell them he'd spent Sunday with me.

"You'll have to ask him," I said then groaned when I saw my locker. More graffiti. Now I had bewitched the new QB. Someone seriously had issues with me.

"Hey," Drew yelled, waving to the students walking or standing along the locker area. "Whoever is doing this shit to Raine had better stop or deal with me." He jabbed his thumb against his chest.

"Me, too," Keith added.

"And me," several jocks said at the same time.

"You mess with St. James' girl, you mess with the entire team," one of them added.

Cora arrived while they were still swearing to dismember the vandals. She made a face. "Their loyalty reminds me of the swim team's before..." Her cheeks grew pink. "Well, before the accident. When are you coming back?"

"I don't know."

"You really should. We need you." She shoved her books in her locker, selected what she needed, and added, "I gotta run. See you at lunch."

I stared after her. The way she'd ignored Drew and Keith was so unlike her. Usually, she'd flirt outrageously. I ditched the jocks and headed upstairs, but Torin wasn't in class and neither was Lavania. That must have been one hell of a fire.

Eirik appeared in the hallway surrounded by several girls from the swim team. I waved for him to come over. He placed one arm around Emma Wheeler and the other around Darby Shaw, and completely ignored me. What was he doing? First Cora acted weird, now Eirik. Getting annoyed, I walked to where they stood.

"Hey, Raine," Emma said.

"When are you coming back to the team?" Darby asked.

"I don't know." I tried to catch Eirik's eye, but he refused to make eye contact.

"We heard about you and the new QB. How did you manage that?" Emma asked.

I glared at her. "What do you think, Emma? I bewitched him. Eirik, we need to talk." Ignoring the girls' protests, I pulled him away. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't heard from you since Saturday. Are you ignoring me?"

"No, I'm surrounding myself with love." He waved to the girls. "The more the better. See you later."

I grabbed his arm and whispered, "I know why you're doing this, Eirik."

He shook his head. "No, you don't."

"Don't believe everything the Norns said. They're manipulating us."

"The Norns didn't hurt you, Raine," he said through clenched teeth. "I did."

I waited for some students to pass then said, "Torin healed me."

"It doesn't matter. This is how I make sure it never happens again."

"By not returning my calls and texts?"

"No, by staying away from you and anyone I care about." He jerked his arm away from my hand. "Leave me alone." A few students walked past and stared. They'd probably heard him.

"That's stupid," I called after him.

"Yeah, whatever." He went back to the girls, who'd watched our exchange and were now busy whispering. By lunchtime, I'd bet they'd have an explanation for the incident.

Shaking my head, I went to class before the second bell rang. Torin's chair was still empty, as was Lavania's. They weren't there in the second period or during lunch. Eirik, once again, was surrounded by swim girls. When Cora slid across from me, I cocked my brow.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you seeing that?" I nodded toward Eirik. He was still in line.

She glanced over at him and shrugged. "He seems happy."

"So you're okay with him hanging out with other girls?"

"It's his choice. As for you," she pointed her fork at me, "if you ever ditch me again like you did on Saturday, I will officially disown you."

I made a face. "Sorry about that. So what happened on Saturday? I thought Eirik came back to the movie theater to see you."

She grinned. "More like to humiliate Jaden. It was epic."

"What did he do?"

Her eyes lit up. "He waited until we left the theater, walked up to Jaden, and told him if he ever treated me with disrespect again, he would break both his legs." She laughed. "Jaden laughed in his face and started to walk away. Then Eirik grabbed him by his collar and slammed him against his car. I thought the car would have a huge dent."

Jaden was a few inches shorter than Eirik, but he was wider and buffer. I would have loved to see him humiliated. From Cora's voice, she'd enjoyed it.

"Eirik held him against the car with one hand, Raine. One freaking hand and Jaden couldn't break free. I don't know how he did it, but he was amazing."

"Did you two talk at all?"

The light disappeared from her eyes. "No. He drove away. I came back with Andris and Ingrid."

I frowned. "So you two haven't spoken since?"

Cora shrugged. "No. So what did you do yesterday?"

How could she give up on Eirik so easily? "Torin and I went to Multnomah Falls."

She wrinkled her nose. "Boring."

I grinned. "It's not the place, smarty pants, but the person you're with. What did you do?"

"We went to visit my mother's friends in Salem." She crossed her eyes. "All they talked about was organic this and organic that. Even their daughter, who's my age, just yapped about composts and cow manure... Disgusting." She shuddered then looked up, and her lips tightened.

Eirik sat across from us at a different table with the four girls. Cora's eyes kept straying to them even after Drew and Keith joined us. Eirik completely ignored us. I wanted to march to their table and kick him. I felt so bad for Cora.

Torin's garage door was open when I entered our cul-de-sac. They were back! Grinning, I parked and debated whether to stop by their place first. Even as the thought crossed my mind, their front door opened and Andris stepped out. I waved.

"Wait up," he called and partially jogged across their lawn.

"How did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"Reaping," I whispered.

He shrugged. "Same as usual. 'But I can't be dead,'" he said in a falsetto voice. "'You most definitely are dead, but you're lucky because I'm taking you to Flkvangr, where you'll live in the lap of luxury for thousands of years until the big battle at the end of the world,'" he added in his normal voice. "'Can I say goodbye to my parents?'" he added again in a high pitch. "'Uh, they can't see you, stupid. You're dead,'" he finished, reverting into his regular voice again. He shook his head. "Idiots."

I tried hard not to laugh. Despite his annoying disregard for life, his narration had been funny. "Don't call people names," I said, starting for the front entrance.

He followed me. "They're not people. They're souls, ghosts. Do you have time to hang out?"

Hang out? Okay. "Depends. Where's Torin?"

"Practice, and Lavania won't be here until five. She helped, too, and is still in Valhalla."

"Okay. Come inside." I unlocked the door and stepped aside for him to enter.

"Thank you." He paused before entering. "Did I mention you look rather fetching in your outfit?"

I snorted. "Fetching?"

"Gorgeous?"

I made a face. "You don't have to compliment me, Andris. I've already agreed to hang out with you." I closed the door, putting down my oboe and backpack at the foot of the stairs. Andris looked toward the living room.

"Can I get something to drink?" he asked.

"Sure." I waved toward the wet bar.

He retrieved a glass from above the sink and poured a generous amount of one of my father's alcoholic drinks. "Want some?" he asked, holding up the drink.

"There's soda in the fridge behind you."

He removed one, even got me a glass. I usually just drank from the can. He came around the counter and sat on a stool, then took a long sip of his drink. "So, how was school?"

"Really? You came to my house to discuss school?"

"It's an icebreaker." He drank another mouthful, and I realized he was nervous. Weird.