Gods (34 page)

Silence greeted us.

She knocked again. “Marguerite?” When there was no response, she opened the door and peered inside. “Strange. She said she didn’t want to be interrupted because she was working on something urgent. She might be with Miriam. She spends a lot of time with her.”

“Her daughter Miriam lives here?”

“Yes, Miriam is a resident here.” She chuckled. “Marguerite calls some of the girls her daughters. Miriam is one of the abandoned girls. Her parents dropped her here and never looked back. That was ten years ago. She was only twelve.” Paula pointed in the direction we’d come from. “Her room is this way. She shouldn’t leave the compound because she’s very powerful, but volatile.” She glanced back as though checking for eavesdroppers. “Marguerite allows her and a couple of abandoned girls to come and go as they please. I think they run errands for her.”

The three girls who’d attacked Mrs. Mouton had to be Miriam and her friends. The conversation I’d had with my grandmother flashed through my head. Einmyria had been abandoned as a child in a home.

“Was there an abandoned girl here by the name of Anne Marie?”

Paula’s expression grew pensive as she pondered my question. She shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. I’ve worked here for sixteen years and I don’t recall anyone by that name. I was supposed to take over the directorship when Marguerite was brought in. She had seniority and a unique perspective on how to treat girls with overwhelming abilities.”

“What unique perspective?” Nara asked, her voice furious. “The last time she had someone with amazing abilities, she called her evil.”

The woman stopped, her eyes wide. “She gets premonitions and separates the residents based on them. Her favorites, like Miriam, she calls them her daughters. The other ones get the worst rooms, chores, and no privileges. I’ve tried to reason with her, but I was told to leave it alone because the residents are happy. Ninety percent of them
are
happy. The other ten are not. We are almost there.”

Could Einmyria have been one of the girls? First, being on the run while Immortals hunted them, then locked up in this place. Or maybe it was the other way round. We passed empty classrooms with chairs arranged in a circular pattern, a gym, yoga room, and even an art room with easels. The place was too quiet.

“Where’s everyone now?”

“One to five in the afternoon is rest time. They stay in their rooms to nap or read. No socializing, unless Marguerite permits it.”

We took stairs to the second floor and entered a broad hallway with oil paintings on the walls and indoor plants. The carpet swallowed our footsteps, yet doors opened and teenage girls peered at us. Some smiled. Others waved. One let out a cat whistle.

“Ash, behave,” Paula told her.

“Are we becoming co-ed?” the girl she’d called Ash asked.

“I want the walking ink ad with gorgeous eyes,” a girl called out before Paula responded.

“I have space in my room, Golden Boy,” another added, staring at me.

“Girls, back to your rooms,” Paula said in a firm voice without slowing down. I was surprised when the girls obeyed her. She went to the last door and knocked. When there was no response, she removed an artavus and etched a rune on the door. It unlocked with a soft click.

The room was empty.

“She should be in here. Excuse me.” She picked up an in-house phone with labels and pressed the button above the front office. The girls had direct lines to the pool, foyer, kitchen, tennis courts, and even the spa. The place was looking more and more like a resort than a psych ward.

While she talked on the phone, I studied the room, which could be some wealthy girl’s bedroom. From the white carpet and the canopied bed with a pink floral lace, to the pink bedspread and furniture, the room was suited for a much younger girl, not a twenty-two year old. The bathroom had gilded faucets and mirrors, and a large Jacuzzi. The walk in closet was huge, and the room had a nice view of the gardens and the town.

“Was Einmyria from here?” Rhys asked.

He’d been quiet since we arrived. I debated whether to tell him the truth. Einmyria’s situation was a private family matter, and I didn’t want Grimnirs discussing her. My parents made sure of that. On the other hand, Rhys and Nara were my father’s confidants, and I would not have found her without their help.

“I don’t know, but she was abandoned in a home like this.”

There was silence from the other two, but I didn’t bother to speculate about what they were thinking. It was written on their faces. Rhys rarely showed emotions, seeing rage in his eyes was surprising. Nara was the volatile one.

“We’ll find the couple responsible and make them pay,” she vowed.

“No, Nara. My sister is home now, and that’s all that matters. We are focusing on her, not avenging those who’d hurt her.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t kick some Immortal ass,” she shot back. “What if they adopted another child and treated her or him the same way? People like that ought to be taught a lesson.”

“I’m meeting with Norns in a few days and plan to talk to them about moving orphans from other realms to Midgard. Each village, town, and realm should find a way to deal with their own orphans. I’ll make sure of that.” Paula finished her phone conversation and rejoined us.

“Are all rooms like this?” Nara asked her.

“Miriam’s is larger, but they are furnished according to each resident’s preferences. We want to make sure they feel at home. We encourage them to bring personal items with them when they check in. The rooms on the ground floor are smaller, but the ones in the basement are barely furnished.” Anger crept in her voice.

“Are there other homes like this for girls?” I asked, hoping that Einmyria had found a nicer home.

“No. There’s one for boys and a couple of co-ed ones. The rest are retirement homes for those who’ve chosen to die rather than continue being Immortal. Some of them work with the younger generations as teachers and mentors. The ones here have apartments on the third floor.”

“Does Marguerite live here?”

“Yes, but the third floor is off limits to guests, even you.”

“Show us the other rooms.” Just before I left the room, pictures on a corkboard drew my attention. Three girls: a blonde, a brunette, and a black girl. I recognized Miriam right away from Nidavellir, but not the other two. They also fit the description Celestia had given me in New Orleans. They were the three who’d stalked us at the mall.

“That’s Miriam and her best friends, Kallie and Jeannie. They are always together. I’ll check their rooms to see if Miriam is with them.”

“Were they out of the home last weekend?”

“I was off last weekend, but I can check with the front office.” The other two girls’ rooms were empty, too. Paula called the office again and sighed. “They were officially signed out last Saturday by Marguerite. They’re not signed out today. She must have left with them. Usually she tells me before she leaves the house.” She led the way to the stairs before adding, “They must have left just before you arrived. Her office is one of the few places you can create a portal in the building.”

Or she’d left much earlier, which explained her presence at the hospital. “Do you guys own a black SUV?”

Paula chuckled. “No. We have a van for special outings and to keep appearances.”

“We need access to a portal now.” I glanced at Nara. “Warn Ranger and Daiku to be on the lookout for three girls. They were at the mall on Saturday and they also attacked Mrs. Moutons.”

“Are you saying our girls attacked someone?” Paula asked.

“Yes. A Mortal. On Monday.”

“That’s serious. Did the person survive?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness. Still, they’ll lose many privileges for that.” She led the way back to Marguerite’s office.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll find you,” Nara said and disappeared inside.

The downstairs rooms were similar to the ones upstairs, just smaller. A ten year old screamed when she saw us. “Go away. You took Mother away.”

She launched herself at Rhys, who was nearest to her and tried to claw him. A male staff member subdued her with a rune and carried her to her room.

“Meghan is a powerful clairvoyant and the youngest resident. She gets violent visions, but has difficulty explaining them so she reacts.”

“I hope she meant she saw Rhys carry Marguerite away,” Nara said, not bothering to lower her voice. I didn’t know she’d returned until she spoke. “The guys were insulted we warned them. According to Ranger, they’re always vigilant. Celestia is still asleep.”

I didn’t care about how they felt. This was Celestia we were talking about. If I had to tell them a thousand times I would.

In the basement, two female guards sat behind a long desk and watched a montage of screens showing inside the girls’ rooms. While the girls upstairs were awake, the ones down here slept. The rooms looked more like cells, with a bed and a nightstand in each room.

“These are ones that hurt themselves and are monitored 24/7,” one of the guards said. “They wear runic anklets to prevent them from using their powers. Each anklet has a unique chip that allows us to monitor them at all times.” She pointed at a screen showing the map of the compound. The red dots were not moving, except when one of the girls turned.

“There are only a dozen girls?”

“Right now, yes. But we’ve had twice as many. Others got better and were moved upstairs, then sent home,” the same guard said.

“And wound up killing themselves,” the second guard said. “They’re better off here.” As though she realized we weren’t impressed by her statement, she added, “But we have our success story. Our own Orphan Annie. She finally found a home and is happy.”

“Who?” I asked, not sure I’d heard right.

“Jessica Carpenter. She was one of the abandoned orphans.” The guards exchanged grins. “Ms. Marguerite found her home with a family in Louisiana, a police chief in a small town outside New Orleans.”

That sounded too much like Chief Deveraux. “Why did you call her Orphan Annie?”

“We’d nicknamed her Annie because her birth name was hard to pronounce.”

“Einmyria?” I asked.

The guards looked at each other and made faces.

“Maybe. I mean, we don’t know for sure,” the first guard who’d spoken said.

“Ms. Marguerite told us that when she hired us,” the second one added. “She said Jessica decided to use a corrupted version of her birth name after she was adopted, so now she’s Anne Marie. She said she’s finally happy. She has a brother who loves her and adoring parents.”

Why had Marguerite made such an elaborate lie about where Anne Marie was? What else had she lied about? Was I going to end up thanking the woman for rescuing my sister from this horrible place?

“Do you happen to have a picture of Jessica?”

“I can print out a copy from the front office,” Paula said and we followed her back to the front entrance.

CELESTIA

Trudy and I were feeding Merle’s family cold fries and burgers when Eirik arrived. He sat so he faced me, his eyes probing. Trudy left to give us space.

“How are you feeling?” Eirik asked.

“Better. What happened? I remember my energy level going down and a void inside me spreading. I tried to move my arms, but couldn’t. I felt tired and cold, then I felt nothing.”

“You grew pale and your heartbeat slowed down. It scared the crap out of me. Still, I shouldn’t have ordered you to stop.”

I frowned, trying to remember our conversation before I blacked out. “You ordered me? I couldn’t hear a thing. My ears were ringing. My heartbeat slowed down?”

“Yes. I was watching you grow weaker and weaker and couldn’t do a thing to stop it.”

“I’m sorry you had to watch that, but I’m happy you were there to stop me from giving her too much.”

He took my hand. “I cannot lose you again, Dimples. I get that you want to help people, and I respect that, but sometimes you have to put your wellbeing first.”

“I’ll try.”

“Thank you. We’ll figure out how much of your life force you can share without blacking out.”

I smiled. “That’s funny. After this afternoon, I decided on the same thing. I need to understand how this new ability works and how I can control it. I thought I’d start with Tammy. I’m going to see her this afternoon.”

“We should pay my grandmother a visit.”

I frowned. “Crazy Granny?”

Eirik laughed. “No way. Frigg. One of the goddesses in her court is a healer just like you. I’d completely forgotten about her, until Trudy mentioned her.”

I was going to Asgard. Yikes. “When were you thinking of going?”

“This weekend sometime. I’ll talk to Mom. When were you planning on going to Tammy’s?”

“Now.”

“Take Daiku and Ranger with you. Please do not lose them.”

Something in his voice bothered me. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll talk later. Right now, I need to take Trudy home.”  He studied my face as though memorizing my features. “I think I forgot to tell you how beautiful you looked today?”

Now I knew something big was bothering him. “No, but that’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” He stroked my hair, pressed a kiss on my forehead, and stood. I watched him walk away, beginning to worry. He stopped by the porch and spoke briefly with Daiku and Ranger, then disappeared inside. Seconds later, Trudy left the house. We hugged.

“Are you coming to the hall this weekend?” she asked.

“Yes. Once I graduate, you should come for sleepovers.”

“That would be awesome. I’ll start working on Mama.” We hugged again, and she ran back to the house. I finished feeding the crows and got up. Dizziness washed over me, forcing me to lower my head.

“You okay?”

I glanced up at Ranger and Daiku. “I think I need to take it easy for a few more hours. I was going to go to Tammy’s, but I need to rest a bit. Come inside the house.”

“Is it okay if I carry you?” Ranger asked.

“No, I’m fine. Stop looking at me like that.” I straightened, took a step, and my leg nearly gave out. I was mortified. Before I could react, Ranger picked me up. Merle didn’t approve. The crow cawed and hurried after us, wings flapping. I was sure she would peck Ranger’s legs.

“Daiku, tell that damn bird I’m helping her,” Ranger snapped.

“I don’t talk crow.”

“I thought you said you are a descendant of one.”

“Merle, stop,” I said before the men turned on each other. “Good birdie, I’m okay. Stop.” The bird actually stopped following us. Our relationship was beyond weird.

Inside the house, Ranger lowered me to the couch and asked if I needed something to drink. “No, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Why were you asleep when Eirik brought you home?” he asked.

“And why did Nara come to warn us to keep an eye out for three Immortals who’d stalked you at the mall?” Daiku asked. “Who are these three girls? How come we didn’t notice them?”

I explained what happened at the mall, which was the wrong thing to do. They got pissed and were insulted they hadn’t noticed the girls. I was more concerned with why Nara was calling them Immortals when Eirik had said they were Norns. And why they were important now, when I hadn’t seen them since Saturday.

“Was Nara sent by Eirik?”

“We don’t know,” the two Grimnirs said in unison, and I sighed.

“Can you find out where she got her information?”

“Later,” Ranger said. “Right now we’re sticking with you.”

“I have the drawings of the three girls.” I sat up and started to stand up, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Daiku went to get my sketchpad.

They studied the drawings.

“I don’t remember seeing them,” Daiku said.

“Me neither,” Ranger added

“They kept disappearing. Even Eirik didn’t get a good look at them.”

I didn’t tell them about my healing gift and rested for a couple more hours. When I woke up, I felt much better. School was almost over. I asked them to open a portal to TC. They did, finding a deserted corner of the store.

Tammy was finishing up with a customer when we walked to the cashier area. She blinked. “Celestia, what are you doing here?” She checked at her watch. “Is school out early?”

“No. I thought we should talk.”

“Yes. I’ll lock up, and we can go upstairs.” She started toward the front door.

“We could keep an eye on the store for you, ma’am,” Daiku said.

“We are trustworthy and can operate the cash machine.”

Tammy smiled. “Thank you. Uh, we’ll be in the séance room if you need me. Oh, let me show you one thing.”

While she showed them how to use the card reader, which was a new technology, I walked to the séance room. There was an empty pizza box in the middle of the table and empty cans of lemonade. I picked them up and dumped them in the garbage can.

“Oh honey, you didn’t have to do that.”

I shrugged, feeling foolish. I’d fallen back to the way I used to act before the mess with the orphans. Their home had been like my second home and the shop, the place I’d spent hours after school and weekends. Without saying anything, I went to sit down.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. But I knew something happened several hours ago that scared you.”

“What?”

“I knew you were in trouble several hours ago, because you shared your life force with me and now we are linked. When you experience intense emotions, I feel them too.”

Like Merle. I hoped Mrs. Mouton wasn’t linked with me now. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m the one who must say thank you and ask you for forgiveness.” She sighed. “I’m so sorry, Celestia. I was wrong to use you and your grandmother. What I’m about to say doesn’t justify what I did, but I hope it might help you understand why I did it. Would you like a drink? Bottle water or soda?”

“Water is fine.” I waited while she opened the fridge and retrieved bottled water. She was a hot mess, her hand shaking when she handed me one of the bottles. “An old woman in Jötunheim said she remembered you. I think she was Chief Skavnir’s mother. She called you Tamsin.”

Tammy smiled as though remembering. “I haven’t heard that name used in almost two hundred years.” She sat. “I’m one hundred and ninety-seven years old. I used to play with Skav’s sister, and he was a total pain. Now he is chief of his clan.” She chuckled softly until she looked at me and the laughter disappeared from her face. “I don’t remember my home or where I was born, but I remember my years in Jötunheim. I was nine when they came for me and took me from the only home I’d ever known and brought me to Earth. Victorian England. My guardians were what they called lower upper class, ship owners, very wealthy. They moved to New England, and that was where I grew up. And in all those years, I never forgot where I came from and wanted to go back. My parents were nice, but I was angry. At age eighteen, I left home and moved to New Orleans. With time, I gave up hope of going home. We, Immortals, weren’t so organized then, and it took a long time before I heard about the orphans needing homes. When I adopted Hayden, they didn’t explain who the orphans were or where they came from but I knew. I was tired of the wars and the craziness of this world, but then I fell in love with my little girl, and I forgot about going home.” She sipped her drink. “That changed ten years ago when she was eleven and a couple with an adopted orphan invited me to join their group for our protection. That was the first time I heard about the wealthy Immortals who wanted to go to the realms of the gods. The difference was, they weren’t even from there. They were from here and were once human. We thought it was the most hilarious thing, until they started coming after us. We’ve moved a lot during the last ten years, met many Immortals with orphans. Some joined our group and some left. Others refused to join us.”

She drained her drink and got up to throw away the empty bottle. I waited patiently.

“The Webbers were some of the first orphans brought here. They’ve changed their names over the years. From Wiggen when they lived in a village in Norway to Wagner in Germany, and finally to Webber in England. Like most Immortals, they moved around and reinvented themselves every couple of decades. They practiced the old religion of the Norse,
seidr. Seidr
practitioners can travel to the other realms and communicate with the dead when in a trance. They taught me how to do it.” Her face lit up as she continued. “I traveled home, and even though my people couldn’t see me, I saw them. The Webbers introduced me to their goddess, Angrboda. Not only could we talk to her, she could appear to us, and talk to us. She promised to bring us home as long as we brought home the orphans.” She sighed. “She was a Seeress and would tell us what she saw. She had a vision of you traveling to her realm and destroying her grand plans, which included bringing us home. Hearing that filled me with dread. I could finally go home, and the only one that could stop me was you. So when Angrboda asked me to come to Windfall, get close to you, and shroud you with a locator spell so she could find you when the time was right, I did it.”

I tried to see things through her eyes. She was right. When I was trapped in Helheim, I would have done anything to come home.

“I was just a stranger, so you had no reason to be loyal to me.”

“In the beginning, yes. But I got to know you and your grandmother, and struggled with what I’d done. I tried to reverse the locator spell with little success. So I added a camouflage spell, so she couldn’t find you. I also used spells to hide Hayden’s scar and the pull to other orphans. Then the Webbers stopped by and said it was time to go. They’d received instructions. Angrboda was angry you’d slipped through her grasp. The Webbers made sure we got the kids, including one your mother had found, a blonde with gray eyes called Anne Marie. I was supposed to bring you, too. She wasn’t happy when she found out I’d left you behind. I told her you were in Helheim with the goddess, but she didn’t care.”

No wonder Angrboda had beaten her. I felt bad for her, but now that I understood her motive, I couldn’t continue judging her.

“I’m so sorry for betraying you and your grandmother, Celestia. If I could take it back, I would.”

“But I would not have met Eirik if I hadn’t gone to Helheim,” I said.

“I don’t know. I think you two are meant to be together. You would have found each other eventually. The one thing I’m not sure about is your ergokinetic abilities. We might not have known about it this soon if you hadn’t brought me back.” She leaned forward and reached for my hand, then stopped before she could touch me. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing. I mean I didn’t plan it. So it’s called ergokinesis?”

“There are many names for it. Some people just call it energy manipulation. In your case, the energy you manipulate is your life force. It’s an extension of your telekinetic abilities. How did you do it?”

“I just knew you weren’t supposed to die yet, so I pushed your soul back into your body and pressed on your chest. I grew weak, until I passed out. Just like today when I helped Mrs. Mouton. The difference is I did it in the astral plane when I helped you.”

She pressed a hand to her chest. “I knew it. When you remained in a coma and Eirik couldn’t find you, I suspected you’d used your life force. Because of me…” Her voice trailed off and her chin trembled. “We… We almost lost you.”

“Yet, here I am.” I spread my arms, hoping to ease her guilt. “It all worked for the best. How do I control it?”

“I don’t know, honey. Only another healer can explain that.” She reached for my hands and this time gripped them. “However, I can share with you what I know. You have a rare gift coveted by many in our world. It is unique because you can share your life force. Life force is the energy running through our bodies, tethering our physical bodies to our souls. It keeps us alive. Most elemental Witches act as conduits and become one with an object, so the energy flows through them as they manipulate elements.” She chuckled. “They can become quite drunk with it. Your life force doesn’t mix with those of the people you help. You give, and as a result, you grow weaker as you use it. Please, be very, very careful choosing who you help with this ability. An evil Witch can absorb your life force and kill you. People will exploit you because of it, appeal to your kindness, and make you feel guilty if you don’t help them. Pick and choose those you help.”