Eirik shrugged. “It didn’t stop them from coming here.”
“But some of their members chickened out, so when they arrived here, there were a lot fewer. They lost because of you.” Dad swept the room with a glance. “All of you and your friends. No matter what happens, you should all know we feel a lot safer because you dismantled Lord Worthington’s movement.”
I glanced at Torin. He was listening without speaking, but I knew he heard every word. This could not be a fun conversation for him. Even Eirik kept glancing at him. My parents continued to talk, completely clueless about the connection between Lord Worthington and Torin.
“We’ll continue to keep a close eye on them.” Eirik touched Celestia’s cheek and frowned. “What’s going on, Dimples? Come back now. Can you hear me?”
“Is she okay?” I asked, moving closer. The others flocked around the bed, too.
“Her heartbeat spiked. She’s panicking. Come on, Dimples. Come back.”
The words barely left his mouth when she whooshed into the room so fast she was a blur and rejoined her body. She sat up and launched herself into Eirik’s arms.
“It’s okay, Dimples. I got you. I got you.” He hugged her and rubbed her back. Our eyes met. “She’s shaking.” He leaned back and studied her face. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I was coming back when I felt a menacing energy. They chased me back.”
“They?”
“I don’t know how many there were, but there was more than one. I didn’t look back, but I heard snickering and felt them.”
“Do you need a pen and a paper? Did you see anything?” He looked at me. “She sketches whatever she sees in the AP.”
“No, there’s no need. I saw a woman wearing a cloak, but before I could see her face, she used an air portal and disappeared with the blanket. I don’t think she means any harm.”
My eyes went to Echo. I was sure we were thinking the same thing. She’d seen exactly what I’d described. Should I tell them now or wait? Maybe the vision was a fluke and I’d look stupid claiming clairvoyance.
“So she wasn’t a soul?” Raine asked.
Celestia shook her head. “No. Flesh and blood. I think she was attracted to the runes on the blanket. I followed her to other places around Kayville.”
“Was she at my school?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes.”
The goddess. It had to be. I wondered why she’d taken my blanket. Why she was stalking me. Did Celestia know?
“Okay, forget about her,” I said.
Raine didn’t mask her surprise and traded glances with Torin. Echo wore an unreadable expression. Celestia was busy whispering something to Eirik. Then she rested her head against Eirik’s chest while he rubbed his cheek against the side of her head. They looked so cute together the green monster reared its ugly head again inside me. That had been Echo and me a week ago.
“I want to know how I met you, Hayden, and the redhead. So someone needs to start talking,” I said.
“The redhead is Trudy,” Celestia said.
“Wait? You know who took your blanket, don’t you? Both of you.” Raine pointed at me, then Celestia. Smart girl. I could never hide anything from her.
“No, I don’t,” Celestia said quickly and shook her head. “The energy is familiar, but I couldn’t see anything under the cloak.”
Oh, she knew. I bet she’d recognized the goddess. Probably known all along. I wondered why she didn’t want to admit it. I followed her lead.
“I don’t, but I’m not going to stress about it,” I said. “Blanket or no blanket, I believe everything Eirik told me. If the person hopes to stop me from going to Helheim, they are in for a huge surprise because I plan to go.” Raine still looked suspicious, but I was done worrying about the goddess’ motives. “Okay, Eirik. Talk.”
“It started with Torin,” Eirik said, and Raine who was getting comfortable in her man’s arms turned her head and looked at him. “I stopped by his place and found him in a shitty mood because he had to surprise Raine with a wedding and Cora couldn’t be there,” Eirik continued. “He knew Raine would not go for it and would always feel guilty if her best friend didn’t stand by her side.”
I hadn’t expected this. From Raine’s expression, she hadn’t either.
“Torin suggested Cora should attend the wedding then hide in Helheim with Echo until the Norns learned Raine was bonded with Torin and beyond their reach. Mother would have known the second she appeared in the realm.”
Celestia nudged him and whispered, “The story.”
“I’m getting there, love,” he whispered back before adding in a louder voice, “So I went to Celestia and suggested that she, Hayden, and Trudy get dressed, stop by Kayville High to pick up Cora, and take her to the wedding.”
“What?” I asked, my eyes flying from Eirik to Celestia to Raine, who was also sitting up in shock.
Eirik grinned at our reaction. “Look at their faces. Man, I wish I had brought my camera. Priceless. Celestia was at school, but since she’s such a sweetheart and crazy about me”—she rolled her eyes—“she agreed to help. She and Hayden left school, picked up Trudy, who was already at her house, and opened a portal to a certain Kayville High bathroom. Hayden and Trudy are amazing at mind control, so…” He kissed Celestia’s temple. “Your turn.”
“The girls did their mind control on the students and your attendance lady, who paged you, Cora. You were convinced we were Norns and refused to come with us. Trudy wanted to zap you. She gets very impatient. I told you everything I knew about you from Eirik, but you kept saying the Norns would know all that. I think Hayden was contemplating getting inside your head and forcing you to come with us when I dropped the magic word. Raine. I told you Raine was getting married and she needed you.”
“I was there?” I asked, my voice squeaking.
“She was there?” Raine asked at the same time.
“Yes. You were there.” Celestia glanced at Raine. “And she cried the entire time.”
This was confusing. “Why can’t I remember anything except the flashes of memories I’ve been getting? Who messed with my memories?”
“Hayden and Trudy suppressed them, but they can be retrieved,” Celestia explained. “You watched her walk down the steps to the foyer and took pictures with Raine and her parents. I met Dev that day, too. Raine’s father wasn’t going to make it down the aisle on his own, so you released Dev from your phone and asked him to help Mr. Cooper. He possessed him and anchored his soul all the way to the altar.”
I didn’t realize I was crying until Raine hugged me. She was crying, too. Memories of moments we’d been there for each other flashed through my head, starting with the awkward hug Raine had given me in the girls’ bathroom when we’d first met.
“Thank you,” Raine whispered. “For being the best friend in the world. I wanted you by my side, but I was so scared for you. I kept thinking the Norns might go after you if you supported my deception, and I wouldn’t be around to stop them from hurting you. But you were there, and without you, Dad would not have fulfilled his promise.”
“I can now stop threatening not to invite you to my wedding.” We laughed. “And we have a new sister to thank for making everything possible.” She knew exactly who I meant. We went to Celestia and gave her a hug.
“Thank you, Sis,” I whispered.
“Welcome to the family. I’m claiming you, too,” Raine said.
The guys watched us with such smugness I had to ask, “When did Echo learn about it?” He and Eirik exchanged glances. “What?”
“Do you want to tell her?” Eirik asked.
Echo shook his head. “No, you do it.”
“The day of the wedding, he heard you weren’t there and was ready to fight me for excluding you, so I told him the truth,” Eirik explained. “I made him swear not to tell you until it was safe.”
Echo and I swore never to keep secrets from each other, but this time, I forgave him. As though he knew I needed a hug, he left his position by my dresser and walked to where I stood. For a moment, our little disagreement was forgotten.