“Would you like to see Mr. Cooper’s room?”
“Yes.” I could tell Raine I saw her father.
She flicked her scepter, and runic writings appeared in the air and floated to the door. When it opened, Mr. Cooper was reliving memories of his family. Some had Eirik, and I was in one of them. I couldn’t have been more than twelve. I didn’t realize I was crying until the goddess waved her scepter and the doorway closed.
“Don’t cry,” she said, rubbing my back. “He is very happy. You saw that.”
“I wish Raine could see him.”
“Invite her to visit.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “She is like a sister to you, according to Tristan. He and your father spoke at length about the two of you and your friendship with Eirik.” A frown chased the smile off her face. “If I had known you were my daughter, I would have moved every obstacle to bring you home, Einmyria.” Regret laced her words. “But you are here now, so no regrets. Tell me about Raine.”
I talked as we walked back to her quarters to see more pictures and watch videos. She had questions about my work with souls and the dying, Raine’s interaction with the Norns and Maliina, and how I’d blamed Maliina for my ability to see souls.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that alone, dyrr mín,” the goddess said. “The runes Maliina etched on you only stabilizes a possession so the two of you can coexist within one body, which is what she wanted. They are very unique, so she must have learned about them from evil Norns. The locator runes I etched on you when you were a baby are the ones that attract souls. Your grandmother etched them on me, so she could always find me, but I’d forgotten to use them on Eirik. I thought he was safe here in the hall. They are harder to bring to the surface because you don’t really need to, except when someone with them needs to track you down. But if you want to learn to engage them, I’ll teach you.”
She engaged hers, and mine appeared.
“See? They are the same ones I have and the ones Maliina etched on your brother when I was trying to find him before she switched allegiance to the evil Norns and started adding others.” She pointed out the one I should focus on first and how the others follow. There were about five bind runes, but the first one was the most complicated. I studied it and engaged it on and off. “Just continue working on it until you can do it without thought. One day, you can etch it on your husband and children so you never have to go through what I endured.”
“Is there a way I can expel a soul once I allow it to possess me? I always worry one would refuse to leave, especially when Echo is not around.” I realized what I’d said, but I couldn’t take it back. “Or Syn and Andris. They are the other reapers who tend to keep an eye on me when I have a session.” Now I was blabbering. “Are there such runes?”
“I was going to discuss that with you. Warding runes can be engaged to stop a soul from possessing you and expel it when it stays too long. We’ll work on those.”
Chapter 13. New Suitors And Bodyguard
Days went by fast as I got to know the goddess and Baldur. They wanted to know about everything—my teachers, my life on the farm, my likes and dislikes. I explained every picture and video. I loved seeing them together. He teased her a lot and made her laugh. They reminded me of Mom and Dad. They answered every question I had about them, and slowly, I started seeing them not as a god and a goddess, but as a loving couple, people I could relate to. I learned from Baldur that the goddess could have easily entered my mind and seen all my memories. Instead, she’d chosen to sit through hours of videos and pictures, and listened to my version of events. Only a mother would put up with that.
In the afternoons, I learned how to engage my locator runes without locking on to my medium runes. She taught me warding runes, which I added to mine.
“We can test it with souls here when you are ready.”
“But they are solid here,” I said.
“Yes, but they switch back and forth from physical to energy form based on your will. Think of them as newborn babies, completely dependent on you. If you want them to be in their physical form, you force your will on them. If you want them to be pure energy, you will it. Your father, for instance, has stayed in his physical form for so long you can’t force your will on him. Even I can’t do it. He controls the form he takes, and he’s chosen the physical. Working with souls will help you test your warding runes.”
We often ate breakfast and lunch with Eirik after checking on Celestia. He no longer looked like a hobo, but he wasn’t the old Eirik either. Celestia meant everything to him, and his world wasn’t going to be right until she came out of the coma.
Maera fed Celestia some green liquid stuff that looked like blended spinach. It kept her healthy and hydrated. Twice a day, Eirik kicked everyone out, except Maera. I didn’t know what they were doing until Trudy explained that they massaged Celestia’s body.
The emissary to Asgard hadn’t yet returned. I wasn’t sure whether the goddess would go there as she’d threatened or whether Baldur had convinced her not to go.
Trudy, Hayden, and Jessica spent so much time in the pool I rarely saw them, but when I did, Jessica still couldn’t look at me without turning pink. I’d catch her glancing at me from the corner of her eye. I tried to make her feel at ease, but something about me kept her on edge. I hoped she’d talk to me about whatever was bothering her. Zack was often with them or at the Grimnirs’ gym working out.
Nighttime was my favorite because I got to see Echo. Like clockwork, he never failed to come to Eirik’s to check on Celestia. He often stayed until I fell asleep. I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find his arms around me. The lounge became our bed, just like the chair had been ours when we’d kept vigil by Dev’s bed while Celestia treated him. Unfortunately, Echo was often gone by morning.
Sunday morning—or was it Monday?—I woke up disoriented. I wasn’t on the lounge or in Eirik’s guest room. Someone had finally carried me to my own bedroom.
The scent of bacon and eggs reached me, and my stomach growled. I followed the smell to the dining room, where breakfast was laid out on the side table. Litr was issuing instructions to Astrid like a drill sergeant. He stopped when he saw me.
“Morning, Litr, Astrid.”
They both bowed, despite me repeatedly telling them not to.
Litr pulled out a chair for me. “I hope the young goddess slept well,” he said.
I couldn’t get rid of the title “young goddess” either, but I was determined. “Einmyria, Litr. You too, Astrid. Where is everyone?”
“The goddess has joined Baldur in the Throne Hall. They are deciding on what to do about the new arrivals.” He placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me.
“More villagers?” I’d only seen them from afar.
“No, the ones arriving in my realm without permission,” the goddess said from behind me. As usual, I hadn’t felt the portal open. “The nerve. They’ve come because of our Celestia, or so they say. I’m sure some had never even met her.”
“Where are they from?” I asked, cutting the bacon.
“All the other realms. I have sons of kings and their entourages, young gods and their mothers, men of noble and not so noble birth outside my gates asking for entrance. I will not allow it. I can understand those she’s dealt with in the Eastern Gj?ll Pass and J?tunheim worrying about her. Thank you, Litr.” She took the chair he’d pulled out and picked up the goblet of apple juice he’d set by her hand. He always anticipated her every demand. “Pour Einmyria some apple juice, Astrid,” she ordered and waited while the girl did.