Prophecy (23 page)

“I’m real sorry, Callie. I didn’t know.” Sorrow and embarrassment weighted Justin’s words. He thought he’d brought this on us. My heart broke for him, but he’d understand soon enough. He’d become a Viking and help set things right.

“S’okay.” I forced a smile. “Hey. Have you heard those guys mention someone named Stian?”

He frowned. “Calder’s got that tattooed on his chest with some other weird stuff. Do you know him?”

“The one in the back, bald head, hoop earrings?”

He nodded once, sharply.

I did now.

Motorcycles revved outside, vibrating the wide glass windows. I shook my head, indicating I didn’t know Calder. Justin swept his focus between me, clearly keeping something from him, and the crowd of miscreants waiting outside.

“I’ll text you later. Tell Allison I’m really sorry.” He squeezed my hand and walked out.

I made a thousand mental notes to tell Liam. There were at least five of them left, and they were practically rabid. The quiet one was Calder and, I suspected, their leader. Definitely a Stian.

Justin’s Jeep crawled past the window. He lifted a hand in good-bye.

I needed to know how someone became a Viking, because Justin needed to change while I was around to get Liam for him.

Liam showed up five minutes before closing and took me straight home. I gave him the short version of my night as he drove. He nodded, grunted, and flashed his green eyes all the way to my house.

He shifted into park at the curb. The power locks popped up. “The Stians believe you’re with Justin. That should keep you safe for now. Oliver and I will take care of things.” Liam reached across me to push the door open.

No long good-byes then. “Keep him safe.”

“Of course.”

I climbed the front steps with a heavy heart. The moon hung low and bright in the sky. “Keep them safe,” I asked the stars. “I love them.”

Mom and Chester were in the foyer when I opened the door. I waved over my shoulder at Liam’s car then pulled the door shut tight and locked it.

“We just finished with our walk.” Mom rubbed Chester’s shaggy fur. “You want some hot apple cider?”

“Sure.”

When Mom went to bed, I alternated texting Liam and Justin with researching mythology. Liam needed to protect Justin somehow. I couldn’t help thinking there was an answer somewhere. A way to help them both. Justin was alone with all those Stians for hours before Liam arrived, and I was helpless. Helpless wasn’t an emotion I tolerated well. Hence the obsessive researching. Every question had an answer.

Justin texted apologies for Adam and his goons. When he claimed he was ready for bed at eleven, I sent him one more text. He agreed to have lunch with Mom and me after he finished his morning chores. A least I’d see him soon.

Liam didn’t return my texts.

As tired as my body was, my mind reeled with worry and questions. I made coffee and read random stories from Greek and Norse mythology for hours. Most of what I read didn’t have anything to do with Vikings or the goddess Nike’s brothers. Every site hinted at legends and prophecy within the mythologies. None gave away the details. My eyes blurred with fatigue. Then I saw the crows.

An online drawing depicted two crows in beautiful shades of sepia and gold. Instead of heralds of death as I imagined, eating the rotting flesh of roadkill, the Internet crows had names and belonged to a god. Like the stories of Vikings and demigods Liam had shared with me, I recognized the truth about the crows. In fact, for a brief moment, I thought I knew their names before I read them. Maybe I’d spent more time in Mom’s old books than I remembered.

Huginn and Muninn were the ravens of Odin. The ravens flew over the world bringing news to their king. The translation of their names stole my breath: thought and memory. Were they the reason Liam’s order to forget didn’t work on me? I sat straighter and typed “Odin” into my search engine. Liam had mentioned his table. What kind of news did the ravens bring him and why? Who was Odin? I pressed the heels of both hands against my eyes. This was the last search before I slept. If I kept losing sleep, I’d never earn a scholarship for anything. My brain cells would die of fatigue and little children would beat my swim times.

I blinked through the haze of fatigue and clicked on the top result for Odin. The screen switched to a clinical-looking site with encyclopedia style entries. Odin was depicted by a tree. The caption explained he’d hung there by his own spear for nine days seeking wisdom of the nine runes. Ew. I scrolled. Who was he? My tired, aching eyes skimmed the words, seeking the crux.

“Oh.” I brushed the screen with my fingertips as if the words might disappear. Maybe I was already asleep.

Odin was the highest deity. The most supreme. He summoned the lucky ones, the fallen heroes and kings, to Valhalla.

* * * *

“Callie?” Mom called up the stairs. Her voice filtered into my nightmare. I worried for her. “Callie?”

“Mom!” I jumped out of bed and darted to the top of the stairs.

“Callie!” She jogged into view, one hand pressed to her heart. “What’s wrong?”

My heart pounded in rhythm with my head. “You scared me. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why’d you scream?”

“You screamed first.”

She rubbed her temple. “Honey. You have company.”

Crap. Shoot. Ugh. “Okay. Hang on.” I ran toward my room. “I invited Justin for lunch.” I looked in my mirror and cringed. “Oof. I look nasty.” The remnants of a dream whisked away, lost to the day.

“Here.” Mom handed me a laundry basket full of neatly folded clothes. “Take a shower. I’ll handle the boys. Did you tell them what we were having for lunch because I had no idea I was hostessing a crowd.”

“I don’t have time to shower. Make anything. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Wait. Did you say a crowd?” I stopped on one foot. One leg in my jeans, one leg in the air. “What kind of crowd?”

“Unless anyone else shows up, I have Justin, Liam, and his brother Oliver in the kitchen. I told them to make themselves at home and I’d check on you.” The amusement on her face surpassed the irritation.

“I didn’t invite the Hales. I swear. I only asked Justin. His folks are gone till tonight and I thought he could use a homemade meal.”

Sounds of running water and clanking dishes mixed with the rumble of male laughter.

“Uh huh. I’d say they get along well, considering.” She motioned to me.

I yanked my zipper up and stretched a fitted T-shirt over my wild puffy hair. “I’m a wreck.” I twisted my hair into a knot and jammed a handful of pins into the mess.

“Take a shower. I can entertain a handful of teenage boys. If you dally, I’ll get out our old photo albums.”

“Mom, no.” I tripped over my feet, kicking free from my jeans. She was right. I needed a shower.

The doorbell rang.

She scoffed. “Seriously, Callie. You haven’t had more than two friends over at a time in five years. Those were always girls. You usually can’t wait to get away from me. What’s going on?” Mom planted her hands on her hips and turned for the stairs.

“I got it,” Oliver called up the steps.

Mom’s palms went skyward.

“Ollie!” Allison’s shrill voice hurt my head.

“What time is it?” I squinted at my phone. Eleven. Bleh.

Footfalls beat against the wooden steps. “Callie? Oh, hi, Mrs. I.” Allison stood in my doorway, smiling extra wide. She handed me an enormous lidded latte from my favorite coffee shop. “Ollie said you could use this.”

Mom stared at me. “I’ll go start lunch. For… How many are there now?”

“Six.” Allison hugged my mom. “I’ll be right down to help. The boys started without you.”

Mom’s eyes widened.

Allison wrinkled her nose at me and pointed her finger in big looping circles. “You should take a shower.”

She followed Mom down the steps. They left me alone, debating the merits of running interference in a kitchen full of Vikings and humans versus the desire not to look like barf. I chose vanity, swore to move at lightning speed, and plugged my flat iron in to heat up while I showered. Twenty minutes later, I was presentable but frightened. Who knew what I’d missed.

I crept down the steps, listening to the chatter in the kitchen. Scents of warm toast and salty cheese floated in the air.

“You don’t have to do the dishes,” Mom chided.

“We made the mess.” Liam’s voice was like warm syrup to my soul.

My shoulders relaxed and my feet moved faster on the steps.

“Precisely why you shouldn’t do the dishes. You cooked.” Mom didn’t sound upset. She sounded happy. Of course, the Hales would charm her and she already loved Allison and Justin.

“Where’d you learn to make this?” Allison sounded awestruck. I imagined her falling all over Oliver.

Oliver laughed. “We travel quite a bit. We’ve learned many things.”

Oh boy.

Liam cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”

Chester raced into the foyer where I stood on the bottom step. I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking.

Liam was behind him. “Sorry I didn’t respond to your texts.”

I backed up a step, leveling my eyes with Liam’s. “I worried when you didn’t.”

His cheek kicked up in a lazy half-smile. “You were safe. I assure you.”

“I was worried about you. Not me. And about Justin.”

“Don’t worry. Never worry. After Allison texted Oliver from the ladies’ room, he and Mason went to look after Justin.”

I curled my fingers over my hip bones. “I’m allowed to worry.”

“You texted Justin quite a bit.”

“I texted you, too. You didn’t respond.”

“I was watching Justin. Getting him back to our place wasn’t easy. He’s not fond of me. Oliver, he likes.” Liam rolled his eyes.

I smiled despite myself. “He’ll warm up. You stole his girl, after all.” I slid my hands around Liam’s waist.

He brought his nose closer to mine. “You’re not having a rain check on that sleepover, by the way.”

“You read his texts.” I shoved Liam back.

One stiff nod assured me he didn’t feel guilty for invading Justin’s privacy and he’d do it again.

“Your people are nosy.”

“So are decent boyfriends when their girlfriend’s in a dangerous situation and it’s all his fault.” His eyes drooped at the corners.

“Stop brooding.”

“I’m not…” He huffed. “Fine. Are you hungry?”

“Always.” He pulled me by my fingertips to the kitchen.

Oliver and Justin held hands at the kitchen table. Each guy had an elbow anchored between them. Allison rubbed Oliver’s shoulders. Her bottom lip held tight between her teeth. The guys stared at one another in silence. Arm wrestling.

“There you are,” Mom called.

Justin turned his head. His hand hit the table a second later.

Oliver jumped to his feet. “Win!” He twirled Allison in the cramped space as if he’d won a gold medal.

Justin found my fingers twisted in Liam’s. I dropped his hand and immediately regretted it. All eyes lingered on me. Heat clawed up my neck to my face.

“What can I get you?” Mom came to my rescue. “The boys made croquet monsieur. I have fruit, yogurt, and granola.” She opened the refrigerator. “There’s juice in here.”

Nerves coiled my stomach. “I’m fine. I had coffee before the shower. What are we doing today?”

Justin motioned between Liam and Oliver. “I’m taking these two for a ride on the trails.”

Oliver hugged Allison to his side. “You should come.”

Allison frowned. “I don’t ride.”

Justin shook his head. “She never learned.”

Mom nudged my chin with a fist. “We bought Callie a pony once but she refused to ride. The horses gave her nightmares.” She shrugged at my glare. “It’s a cute story.”

“Adorable,” I deadpanned.

“I’ll leave you guys to talk.” She took her plate and left.

I shook my head. “You came over and made lunch without asking my mom to use her kitchen? And you ate without me. Shame on you.”

“We couldn’t expect her to cook for six when you only invited one of us.” Oliver pointed at me. “We aren’t intrusive
and
rude.”

“Of course not.” I eyeballed the leftovers on the stovetop. “You made croquet monsieur.”

“It’s like hot ham and cheese.” Justin approached with his empty plate and rinsed it in the sink. “Only there was egg and sauce. I need that recipe.”

Who were these people?

“Horses give you nightmares?” Liam interrupted. “How are the two of you friends?”

Justin looped an arm around my shoulders. “Horses only bother her when she rides.”

I pinched Justin. He swatted my hand away, unaffected.

“I’m an excellent rider, thank you very much. I prefer not to.”

“She is good.” Justin backed me up. “Horses love her. She just... I don’t know.”

I beamed at Liam. “See. Horses love me.” I turned to Justin. “Where are you taking them? Which trails?”

“Depends. How good are you guys? I don’t want to get you too far from home or into a predicament. What kind of horse are you most comfortable riding?”

Liam looked amused, but eyeballed Justin’s arm hanging over my shoulders. “We ride rather well. Any horse or terrain will do.”

Allison pushed her backside onto the kitchen counter and kicked her feet. “What will we do today, Callie? Are you going swimming?”

“I should, but I have a paper due in Ohio History. I hoped to work on it with Liam.”

“I can help,” she said. “Then I can time your laps if you decide to swim. I have nothing going on today.”

Oliver jumped into our conversation. “You should stick together. If we’re spending the day with Justin, you guys should hang out. I don’t want a repeat of last night.”

Tension filled the kitchen.

Me either. I wasn’t sure Allison and I were much more powerful together than apart, but if Adam and his clan bothered us, I supposed one of us could capture the attack on our cell phone camera while the other called the police.

Leaving Mom alone was out of the question.

“I’ll skip swim practice. The school’s pool is closed and I don’t want to risk running into Dad at the club. Let’s stay here and do nothing.”

Allison clapped her hands in quick silent motions.