Torin's eyebrows shot up. "Scaly?"
"They are part of a disfigurement he inherited from his mother." I wondered if she was a mermaid. "You don't happen to know scaly beings in," I waited for some students to pass us before whispering, "Asgard?"
"No, but I've heard of some that can shift into serpents and animals." I didn't know if he was serious or not, but he became very quiet. After history, I didn't see him until lunchtime.
He was by the door with Drew and Keith, the jocks hanging on his words. Students passed and turned to smile or say something. Torin seemed so at ease, like he was a normal student. Why did he insist on keeping secrets from me? Maybe after centuries of getting close to people so he could reap their souls, lying came easily to him.
He pulled me closer when I joined them, the sexy grin I loved curling his lips.
"Later, guys," he told his friends. Outside, instead of going to a restaurant, he headed east and away from the town square.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Home. I want to do something special for you."
"Something special" often involved decadent and mind-numbing things that could shock the pants off every girl, and guy, around my age. Having a boyfriend with centuries of experience under his belt had its perks. My imagination went into overdrive.
"Special?"
He chuckled. "You have a one-track mind, Freckles."
He sounded pleased with himself. My face warmed. I hated that he could read me so well. "And whose fault is that?"
"I'm not taking all the blame. Your enthusiasm matches mine." He put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me closer. "I do have other favorite pastimes, you know."
"I hope it involves food."
He laughed and was still laughing when we pulled up outside his place. Inside the house, he directed me to a stool, offered me a can of soda, and disappeared behind the fridge door. "Are you allergic to any vegetables?"
"No, but I hate mushrooms."
He peeked at me from behind the fridge door. "How can you possibly hate mushrooms?"
"They taste funny." I made a face.
Laughing, he came back to the counter with bags of frozen vegetables, including fresh shiitake mushrooms, and arranged them on the table. "You see this? It cures ulcers, high and low blood pressure, liver problems..." Still listing mushrooms' healing powers, he dived into the fridge and came back with cooked pasta.
"It doesn't matter what you say, mushrooms are disgusting. Uncooked they taste like... cardboard. Cooked, they are slimy."
"I'll make you change your mind." He got a cutting board and knife.
I watched in awe as chopped up vegetables. Then he slowed down before he started cooking. I joined him. I had no idea what spices he added. It didn't matter. He was poetry in motion, and the food smelled so good. Too bad I had no appetite and my insides churned with nervous tension.
Usually, I liked being alone with him, when nothing else mattered but us. Today I felt like a fraud. A traitor. Who in their right mind would suspect the guy she loved of doing something so evil? Part of me wanted to give him a pass, which was the right thing to do when you loved and trusted someone. No, loving him messed with my reasoning. I should at least get mad at him for keeping a secret from me. Unfortunately, all he had to do was smile and I forgave him for everything. Gah, I was so whipped.
"You're not eating?" he asked.
I tried to eat, but every time I swallowed, my throat closed and my stomach threatened to rebel. I pushed a piece of shrimp around the plate like a puck on an ice rink, guilt tugging at my conscience.
"You don't like my cooking?" he asked, his eyes volleying between my face and the food.
The flutter in my stomach grew. "No, that's not it. I'm worried, uh-"
"About Eirik," he finished, putting his fork down.
That too, but at the moment I was more worried about him and how he would react to what I was about to ask him. Taking a coward's way out, I forked a piece of shrimp, placed it in my mouth, and chewed without tasting it. "This is really good."
He rolled his eyes. "Now she humors me."
"It really is."
"You just ate a piece of mushroom."
I reached for the paper towel to spit it out, but the way his eyes lit up told me he'd been teasing. "You're a jerk."
"Love you, too." He went back to his food as though he hadn't just told me he loved me. He'd never told me he loved me, not even before he lost his memories. Should I ask him if he'd meant it, or should I focus on what the Norns had told me about Eirik?
Thinking about the Norns only made things worse. My mind kept going in circles. Torin got a second helping, while I struggled through half of mine. When he was done, he sat back, sipped his drink, and studied me with a questioning expression. I squirmed. I hated it when he stared at me as though he could read my mind.
"Okay, Freckles. Out with it."
I bristled. "Out with what?"
"Whatever is on your mind," he said.
"I got a tardy today because you refused to help me," I said, and pouted.
"You can move fast, fade, and sketch forgetful runes. You don't need my help anymore."
"I've barely learned those things, Torin. I can't practice on a teacher."
"Why not?"
"Because... because she's my teacher and I could do something wrong, and I didn't carry my artavus."
He sighed. "Don't worry about Mrs. Bates. I already took care of her memories. In the meantime, talk to Lavania about carrying an artavus. You need two, one for your skin and another for portals." He looked at his watch and leaned forward. "We don't have much time. Tell me what's really bothering you."
I took a deep breath and steeled myself. "You said, uh, that you came back because you owed a friend a favor."
His eyes narrowed. "Yes."
"What's the favor?"
He shook his head. "I can't talk about it."
"Does it have anything to do with Eirik?"
Torin frowned. "Eirik? Of course not."
I studied his face. He seemed genuinely surprised, which meant he wasn't the one hurting Eirik. Still... "Why can't you just tell me what it is?"
"Don't do this." He got up. "I gave my word, and I can't break it."
"Not even for me?"
He rubbed his eyes. "You should never ask me to break a promise, Freckles. I wouldn't be the guy I am if I did that."
Dang it! He was right. I looked down at my hands, my face warming.
"I don't know what happened between this morning and lunchtime, but I have a feeling the Norns have something to do with it. I'm here if you need to talk or-"
I gave an unladylike snort. "So it's okay for me to share things with you while you keep secrets? You know I hate double standards. They suck."
He sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry, but I can't explain anything now."
I got up, feeling tired and a little weepy. "You said the same thing months ago, Torin, and we almost lost each other."
"I will never let that happen again." He got up and gripped my arms. "Never."
"You don't know that. As long as you continue to keep your secrets, anything is possible." I turned and started for the door.
"Freckles, wait!"
I wanted to ignore him. My heart dueled with my mind. My heart won. No matter how much he hurt or disappointed me, my heart would always belong to him. I stopped and turned. He closed the gap between us, blue flames leaping in the depth of his eyes.
"You mean everything to me." He reached up and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, his eyes fierce. "I'm not going to lose you over this."
I searched his face and saw the truth in his eyes. I should have known loving a Valkyrie wasn't going to be easy. Yet I couldn't have him any other way. I covered his hand and pressed it against my cheek. "Of course you're not going to lose me. I just don't understand."
"The favor is personal. You'll understand once you learn the truth. Will you give me a few days, please? A week at the most. Please. For us."
How could I refuse such a plea? I reached up and touched his lips. His beautiful sculpted lips. He could make me agree to anything when he turned on the charm. "Okay."
He grinned. "Will you tell me everything the Norns said?"
I laughed. "You're charming, Torin St. James, but not that charming. You keep your secrets, and I'll keep mine. I'll take my car back to school." I turned and opened the door.
"Why?"
"You have football, and I have errands to run after school."
"My practice will only last an hour. We're tapering down."
"I need to stop by the store to see my parents then pay a certain deity a visit. Alone," I added when his eyes narrowed with disapproval.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I can handle Eirik." Torin followed me outside, still protesting, and watched me walk to my house. He was still standing on his porch, looking annoyed, when I drove past. I smiled and blew him a kiss.
If the morning had been stressful, the afternoon was torturous. Teachers taught, but I didn't hear a word they said. I kept going over what I planned to say to Eirik. He wasn't returning my texts. When I tried to catch him between classes, he was always surrounded by his groupies. I never thought of Eirik as a chick magnet, or an annoying, pigheaded douche. He was now both. I refused to compete for his attention.
I stopped by the store after school. Jared looked surprised to see me. "What's up, kiddo?"
"Nothing. Thought I'd stop by and check on them." I nodded toward the office.
He checked his watch. "They should be back from lunch any minute now."
"Lunch? Where did they go? The North Pole?"
He chuckled. "Home. I always close up when they have their late lunches."
Lunches? So they weren't just sneaking off to have private dinners. Their dinners were really extended lunches. The thought of my parents sneaking off to make out the entire afternoon and into evening was... weird. Once again, a note on the fridge door said they'd be late coming home.
Next stop was Eirik's house. Most homes in his neighborhood were gated. At least his gate was open. I tensed as I parked beside his Jeep. He couldn't avoid me now, unless he'd brought home the girls I'd seen him with.
His mother answered the door with a smile. That was a first. I guessed training to be an Immortal made me someone worth smiling at now.
"What a nice surprise, Lorraine," she said, giving me a hug.
That was new, too. Surprised, I stood stiffly until she let me go and stepped back.
"You haven't visited us since you started your training."
And way before that. I avoided coming here like the plague even though they had the perfect home, complete with an indoor swimming pool. They were cold and unwelcoming.
"Yeah, Lavania is keeping me busy, and then there's school. Is Eirik home?" Of course he was home, but her enthusiastic welcome was spooky and making me nervous. When nervous, I tended to babble.
"He's in his room. So how's your training?" she asked, closing the door behind us and walking me across their grand two-story foyer with its winding staircase and marble floor.
"Good." Her husband appeared in the arched doorway leading to the living room and smiled when he saw me. He wasn't as tall as his wife, but he had a presence and cold, steel-gray eyes that never missed a thing. While I could tolerate the wife in small doses, he often gave me the willies. "Hi, Mr. Seville."
"Johan, please," he said.
Okay, now I knew someone had replaced Eirik's parents with their doppelgangers, or aliens. Stupid conclusion. They were aliens from another realm. Or they could be trying to hide something, like poisoning Eirik.
"So have you started learning runes yet?" Eirik's mother asked.
Was she going to follow me all the way to Eirik's bedroom? I could feel her husband's eyes on us. "Last week. I'm on bind runes."
"Already?"
"Lavania said they're so complex and hard to master she wants me to learn them along with single runes."
"I can see how that can be helpful. Well," she stopped and indicated Eirik's door, "here we are. It's been nice talking with you, dear. You should visit us more often."
Yeah, right. "I will, Mrs. Seville."