father, who’d abandoned her after their one night together. But I couldn’t wrap my mind around her behavior now. Crazy or not, she’d never left us, and as far as I knew, she’d never hurt anyone. I had such a bad feeling that she was trying to hurt Vanir.
I stumbled again and worked to focus on the problem now. The snow wasn’t that deep here since the trees were close together and their canopies were catching most of it before dumping chunks that created drifts here and there. Every now and then, I heard it spill in heavy thumps to the ground. The lavender smell wafted by again and I stopped, tried to pinpoint its origin. If only I could sniff her out, follow the strength of the nasty flower scent to its source.
A sudden, low cry of anguish pulled me from my lull and I gave up trying to snag a ride on my mother’s magic. Instead, I shot forward, running as fast as I could manage with my body ready to shut down. That sound had come from Vanir. I knew it.
I spotted glowing canine eyes before I realized the wolf had stopped in a clearing. I burst from the trees and promptly tripped over another stump and went right through at least a foot of snow.
This time, the dizziness hit me so hard I could only roll onto my spine and shut my eyes. My back stung as the snow seeped under Vanir’s coat. The world spun around me like I was caught in the center of a tornado and I moaned when one of the wolves nudged my leg off the stump or log or whatever.
Then I realized it was too soft for a log.
I reached down, feeling around until my hands closed over denim—wet, freezing denim that obviously covered a human form.
“Oh, no,” I whispered on a choked sob. “Oh, please, no.” I rolled over and got onto my hands and knees. “Hey. Are you okay?” The dark coat had me nearly freaking out until I realized it wasn’t a sweatshirt with a hood.
It wasn’t Vanir.
But my heart caught for whoever this was. Moonlight reflected in the empty gaze of one dark eye, in the strands of snow-dusted blond bangs over his other eye. A boy who favored Vanir only in coloring. I looked for a wound, anything, but it was too dark to tell what had happened to him. Everything was too wet.
CPR! He needed CPR. My hands shook so hard I could barely get them on his chest.
I didn’t hear Vanir approach. When his palm rested on my shoulder, I sucked in a breath, my head jerking up.
“It’s too late.” His voice broke, the sound of grief gravelly on his tongue. “I already tried that.” He fell to his knees next to me. “Whoever killed him is long gone or the wolves would be running after him.”
Or her. Oh , gods , or her! I sagged back to the ground. Killed him? A roaring filled my ears. Blackness edged my vision and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. The urge to scream my own grief raged in my throat. I couldn’t understand.
Cold that had nothing to do with my surroundings swamped my body like an arctic wave. The world swirled around me much like it did during my rune tempus , but this was something entirely different. This was me, dealing with the soul-changing second, the slicing knowledge that nothing would ever be the same now.
I blinked into the darkness of the forest as I bit down hard on my lip to keep in the keening wail flooding my throat.
If I’d driven down here sooner... If I’d searched out Vanir before the idea had come to her...
Opening my eyes, I stared at the boy on the ground. Steven, Vanir had called him. His life was over and I was scared to death that my mother might have been the one to take it.
Vanir stared at his friend, face slack with shock. “I don’t see a mark on him. I need my cell phone.”
“Maybe he fell and hit his head?” Even as I said it, the cold, black heartbreak crawling through my chest branded me a liar. I sat up and dug into my pants for the cell phone. The sharp stinging in my fingers and the icy tight jeans had me blinking back frustrated tears. “You can call 9-1-1 from my
I stumbled again and worked to focus on the problem now. The snow wasn’t that deep here since the trees were close together and their canopies were catching most of it before dumping chunks that created drifts here and there. Every now and then, I heard it spill in heavy thumps to the ground. The lavender smell wafted by again and I stopped, tried to pinpoint its origin. If only I could sniff her out, follow the strength of the nasty flower scent to its source.
A sudden, low cry of anguish pulled me from my lull and I gave up trying to snag a ride on my mother’s magic. Instead, I shot forward, running as fast as I could manage with my body ready to shut down. That sound had come from Vanir. I knew it.
I spotted glowing canine eyes before I realized the wolf had stopped in a clearing. I burst from the trees and promptly tripped over another stump and went right through at least a foot of snow.
This time, the dizziness hit me so hard I could only roll onto my spine and shut my eyes. My back stung as the snow seeped under Vanir’s coat. The world spun around me like I was caught in the center of a tornado and I moaned when one of the wolves nudged my leg off the stump or log or whatever.
Then I realized it was too soft for a log.
I reached down, feeling around until my hands closed over denim—wet, freezing denim that obviously covered a human form.
“Oh, no,” I whispered on a choked sob. “Oh, please, no.” I rolled over and got onto my hands and knees. “Hey. Are you okay?” The dark coat had me nearly freaking out until I realized it wasn’t a sweatshirt with a hood.
It wasn’t Vanir.
But my heart caught for whoever this was. Moonlight reflected in the empty gaze of one dark eye, in the strands of snow-dusted blond bangs over his other eye. A boy who favored Vanir only in coloring. I looked for a wound, anything, but it was too dark to tell what had happened to him. Everything was too wet.
CPR! He needed CPR. My hands shook so hard I could barely get them on his chest.
I didn’t hear Vanir approach. When his palm rested on my shoulder, I sucked in a breath, my head jerking up.
“It’s too late.” His voice broke, the sound of grief gravelly on his tongue. “I already tried that.” He fell to his knees next to me. “Whoever killed him is long gone or the wolves would be running after him.”
Or her. Oh , gods , or her! I sagged back to the ground. Killed him? A roaring filled my ears. Blackness edged my vision and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. The urge to scream my own grief raged in my throat. I couldn’t understand.
Cold that had nothing to do with my surroundings swamped my body like an arctic wave. The world swirled around me much like it did during my rune tempus , but this was something entirely different. This was me, dealing with the soul-changing second, the slicing knowledge that nothing would ever be the same now.
I blinked into the darkness of the forest as I bit down hard on my lip to keep in the keening wail flooding my throat.
If I’d driven down here sooner... If I’d searched out Vanir before the idea had come to her...
Opening my eyes, I stared at the boy on the ground. Steven, Vanir had called him. His life was over and I was scared to death that my mother might have been the one to take it.
Vanir stared at his friend, face slack with shock. “I don’t see a mark on him. I need my cell phone.”
“Maybe he fell and hit his head?” Even as I said it, the cold, black heartbreak crawling through my chest branded me a liar. I sat up and dug into my pants for the cell phone. The sharp stinging in my fingers and the icy tight jeans had me blinking back frustrated tears. “You can call 9-1-1 from my
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