“If you need us, send for us,” Raine said.
“Okay.” I indicated Dev with a nod and whispered to Raine, “Did you see his eyes? He is going to be everyone’s favorite teacher at the academy.”
“I noticed. Aquamarine. Gorgeous,” Raine glanced at Torin. “I love yours better.”
He laughed.
I left them, and approached the bed. Rhys and Nara gave me room, and Dev took my hands. For a beat, we grinned at each other. I loved this man. I might have just discovered that Eirik was my biological brother, but Dev was my adopted brother. It didn’t matter that he was about two millennia old. He’d always be my responsibility.
“You are coming back to Kayville with us to stay at the mansion with Lavania, Ingrid, and Blaine. You can discuss Mystic Academy to your heart’s content.”
He grinned.
“Ingrid?” Rhys asked and tried to keep his expression clear of emotions, but his eyes brightened.
“You two can visit him there anytime,” I said.
“And you?” Dev asked, lacing our fingers.
“I’ll be there every day.” He grinned like I’d told him I’d be moving in. “The students are going to love you, Dev. You may have to walk around with a baseball bat to fend off the girls.”
“Can I date them?”
“No-ooo,” Rhys and Nara said in unison.
“Hundreds of years without a body and you still haven’t changed,” Echo muttered, entering the room with some of his clothes. “Feel free to use this place whenever you feel the urge to escape Kayville. Just stay out of my bedroom and my closet. These are loaners.” He dropped the clothes on the bed and glanced at our joined hands, his eyes narrowing. “He doesn’t need you to help him change, does he?” Then he walked out.
I stared after him and sighed. I wanted to hurl something at his head. The look on Dev’s face said he was going to have a thing or two to say to his brother before the week was over.
“Moron,” Rhys said.
“I second that.” Nara looked at me. “If you want me to kick his ass for you, let me know. He doesn’t like to hit girls, which puts him at a disadvantage.”
It looked like battle lines were being drawn and Echo’s people were on my side. I had to find a way to get them to his side. Not just these three. All his Druid family in Helheim, too.
Chapter 9. A New Realm, A New Life
We took Dev to the mansion and made sure he was settled in Blaine’s old room since the Immortal had taken Eirik’s bigger unit. Echo went back to work while I headed home to pack and wait for Eirik.
I rummaged through my closet for anything I could wear in Helheim and found very little. Winters in Kayville were mild, so I didn’t have heavy-duty outfits for extreme cold. I got online, ordered new winter clothes, and expedited the shipping.
Eirik didn’t come for me that night. The next day came and went. I figured he was busy with Celestia, so I didn’t complain. She might need a day or two to recover. I spent time at the mansion with Dev. He was eating well and resting well. We talked when I wasn’t helping souls. When Eirik was a no-show on Tuesday, I tried to get answers from my moody boyfriend.
“I haven’t seen him or Celestia since Sunday. I’ll check with Maera.”
I was brushing my teeth and wearing one of my silk lingerie, his favorite, but he refused to look at me. He leaned against the door, arms crossed and eyes on my shower curtain. There was nothing interesting about that damn curtain.
The second I started for the door, he stepped back, his focus shifting to the boxes piled in my closet. “Shopping?”
“For Helheim. Those arrived today. Want to see?” I kneeled on the floor and opened the first box. Inside were fur-lined boots. The heels were low, which was unusual for my footwear. I preferred high-heeled boots. I glanced up at Echo and caught his expression before he could hide it. “What is it?”
“I miss sleeping with you in my arms, too.”
“Are you spending the night?”
“No, I can’t out of respect to your parents. They know when I open a portal or when I’m in the house. I plan to continue coming through the front door or using the mirror downstairs.”
“Okay,” I said. That explained why he’d left after dinner the last three days and didn’t return. I couldn’t fault him for respecting my parents.
“I’ll let you know what I find out about Eirik.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead and headed downstairs.
I grabbed a robe and opened a portal to the foyer of the mansion. Voices came from the library upstairs, but I went straight to Dev’s room and knocked. There was no answer. A door to my right opened, and Blaine stepped into the hallway.
“Hey, Blaine. Just checking on him before bed.”
He sauntered toward me. “You just missed him.” He joined me and opened the door. The lights were on, and Dev was fast asleep, covers flung to the side. He appeared agitated, tossing and turning.
“Is that normal?”
“Honestly? We don’t know. Lavania and Ingrid have been keeping an eye on him, and Femi checks his aura and energy daily. He is healthy magically and physically, but he’s tormented by something. I plan to start him on a workout regiment next week. Maybe that might help steady him.” Dev turned again, almost falling off the bed, but Blaine engaged speed runes and was by his side in a fraction of a second. He pulled him back to the center of the bed without waking him. “This restlessness is new.”
Wednesday, I snapped at Kicker at school and felt terrible afterward. When I stopped at the mansion, a pale Dev greeted me at the door. My stomach dropped when I saw his aquamarine eyes. They were clouded.
“What is it?” I asked, studying his face. “Are you in pain?”
“No, but something is terribly wrong with Celestia. At first I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. I couldn’t sleep, and when awake, I felt troubled and weak, so I tried to contact Tammy since Celestia brought her back, too, but their shop is closed. Celestia is in trouble.”
I left my car at the mansion, opened a portal, and went in search of Echo. He wasn’t in Miami or at the cottage. My parents picked up on my mood the second I entered the house, and they asked what was going on.
I explained who Dev was and how Celestia had helped him. “He told me she is not well. I need Echo to confirm it, but I can’t find him—”
A portal opened, and he walked in, his eyes flying to me. Ignoring my parents, he closed the gap between us. “What is it? Are you okay?”
“Is Celestia okay?”
“I thought you were hurt or sick.” He shook his head to clear it. “I tried talking to Maera, but I got nothing. They are getting ready for a grand celebration to celebrate your arrival. Sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise.”
“I don’t want a party.” My voice shook. “You know how Dev has a connection with Celestia? He said something is terribly wrong. I need to know that she is okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” Echo disappeared, leaving a blast of cold air behind.
I ran upstairs to change, then packed. I threw everything I’d bought into a suitcase. Some still had tags on. I added everything I believed I could possibly need, including hair products and an overnight makeup bag. I was almost done when Echo returned. The expression on his face had panic igniting in my core. I jumped to my feet.
“What is it?”
“Come here.”
I shook my head. “No. Just tell me.”
He closed the gap between us and pulled me into his arms. “Celestia hasn’t recovered since Sunday. She slipped into a coma and hasn’t come out of it.”
Blood rushed from my head. If Echo weren’t holding me, I would have keeled over. “This is my fault.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“It is. They offered to help him because of me. If I hadn’t helped Dev, he would not have helped Raine’s father and Eirik would not have felt we owe him.” Feeling a little sick, I wiggled out of his arms and went to my closet to grab my new winter coat. Eirik probably blamed me. “I’m coming with you.”