Goddess: A Runes Book

  Goddess

  A Runes Novel, Book 7

  Ednah Walters

  Contents

  GODDESS, A Runes Novel Book 7

  Also by Ednah Walters

  Acknowledgements

  Trademark List:

  Glossary

  Chapter 1. Are You Dying?

  Chapter 2. The Truth

  Chapter 3. Another Orphan

  Chapter 4. My Brother

  Chapter 5. A Goddess

  Chapter 6. Celestia Knows

  Chapter 7. My Parents And The Past

  Chapter 8. Dev’s Resurgence

  Chapter 9. A New Realm, A New Life

  Chapter 10. Mother

  Chapter 11. Dwarves, Grimnirs, And Warriors

  Chapter 12. My Echo Is Back

  Chapter 13. New Suitors And Bodyguard

  Chapter 14. My Mother, My Clan

  Chapter 15. I’ll Die For You

  Chapter 16. The Imp, The Peacocks, And The Gods

  Chapter 17. Stupid Fight

  Epilogue:

  THE RUNES SERIES READING ORDER

  PRE-ORDER THE NEXT FROM EDNAH WALTERS

  NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  RECOMMENDED READS

  A WORK BY EDNAH WALTERS WITH

  Copyrights

  Reproducing this book without permission from the author or the publisher is an infringement of its copyright. This book is a work of fiction. The names characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to any actual events or persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Ednah Walters

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Kelly Hashway Cover Design by Cora Graphics. All Rights Reserved. Front Matter Design and Formatting by Carolina Silva. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by Firetrail Publishing: February 2017 www.ednahwalters.com

  Also by Ednah Walters

  The Runes Series:

  Runes (book 1)

  Immortals (book 2)

  Grimnirs (book 3)

  Seeress (book 4)

  Souls (book 5)

  Witches (book 6)

  Demons (Book 7)

  Heroes (book 8)

  Gods (book 9)

  Goddess (book 10)

  The Guardian Legacy Series:

  Awakened (prequel)

  Betrayed (book one)

  Hunted (book two)

  Forgotten (book three) Phantom Islanders:

  Storm (Book one) Coming 2017

  WRITING AS E. B. WALTERS:

  The Fitzgerald Family series:

  Slow Burn (book 1)

  Mine Until Dawn (book 2)

  Kiss Me Crazy (book 3)

  Dangerous Love (book 4)

  Forever Hers (book 5)

  Surrender to Temptation (book 6)

  The Infinitus Billionaires series:

  Impulse (book 1)

  Indulge (book 2)

  Intrigue (book 3)

  Acknowledgements

  As always, I’m grateful for the amazing members of my

  support team. My editor, Kelly Bradley Hashway,

  thanks for streamlining the book and weeding out the verbiage. Cora of Cora Graphics, your covers are stunning as always. To Carolina Silva, thank you for combing through this and weeding out the inconsistencies, taking my finished product, and formatting it so perfectly, and for being such an amazing PA and friend. I’m in awe of you, woman. Love you, lady. To Melissa Haag, best author buddy ever. Thanks for giving it to me right between the eyes. Your honesty, bluntness, and fresh eyes are so welcomed. To Irina Wolpers and Jeanette Conkling, thank you for finding those pesky typos and missing words. Your meticulousness never fails to humble me. You two are the best Omega-readers ever. To my Beta Reader Meghan Johnson & my launch team, you guys rock. Your keen eyes didn’t miss a damn thing. You guys are the best. To my family, as always, thank you for your love and support. I love you, guys.

  Dedication

  To my fans…

  For hanging with me from the beginning to the end.

  Trademark List:

  Elantra

  Twizzlers

  Supernatural

  Vikings

  History Channel

  Warner Bros

  Starbucks

  The Flash CWTV

  ABC.COM

  Marvel

  The Fifa World Cup

  DC Comics

  Glossary

  A ghrá geal (uh GHRAH gyal): Gaelic for bright love.

  A mhuirnín (uh WUR-neen): Gaelic for darling.

  A rúnsearc (uh ROON-shark): Gaelic for a secret love/beloved.

  A stór (uh stohr): a treasure.

  Aesir Court: The court made of the twelve main gods led by Odin. Freyr (Vanir god) is part of this court though not counted among the twelve.

  Artavo: Plural of artavus.

  Artavus: Magical knife or dagger used to etch runes.

  Asgard: Home of the Aesir gods.

  Ástin mín: My darling.

  Ásynjur (ah-sin-yoor) Court: The court made of the twelve goddesses led by Frigg. Freya (Vanir Goddess and Freyr’s sister) is part of this court, though not accounted among the twelve. She answers to Odin, not Frigg.

  Dýrr: Dear.

  Eljudnir (El-yud-nir/near): The hall of Goddess Hel.

  Elskr mín: My beloved.

  Fensalir: The hall of Goddess Frigg.

  Fólkvangr: “Army field” for slain warriors belonging to Goddess Freya.

  Frigg: Odin’s wife, the patron of marriage and motherhood

  Freya: The poetry-loving Goddess of love and fertility; the other half of the dead warriors/soldiers/athletes go to her hall in Falkvang.

  Garm: Hel’s hound.

  Gargan: Snake in old Norse.

  Gladsheim: The hall in Asgard where all the gods have their high seats.

  Grimnirs: Reapers for Hel.

  Hel: The Goddess Hel in charge of the dead. She is sometimes called Hela.

  Hel: Home of Goddess Hel, dead criminals, those dead from

  Illness, and those dead from old age.

  Helheim: The realm where Hel’s Hall is located.

  Idun: Norse Goddess of spring.

  Idun-Grimnir: A wise Grimnir given the power to recruit other Grimnirs. Idun-Valkyrie: A wise Valkyrie given the power to recruit other Valkyries.

  Immortals: Humans who stop aging and self-heal. because of the magical runes etched on their skin.

  Jötnar: Plural of giants in Norse Mythology.

  Jötun/Jötunn: A giant in Norse Mythology.

  Jötunheim: Home of the Giants in Norse Mythology.

  Midgard: Earth in Norse Mythology.

  Mjornir (Myawl-nir/near): Thor’s hammer.

  Nastraad/Corpse Strand: The island in Hel for criminals.

  and evil Mortals, where their souls are tortured.

  Norns: Deities who control destinies of men and gods.

  Nornsgard: Norns’ Hall.

  Odin: An Aesir god, the father and ruler of all gods and men;

  Half of the dead soldiers/warriors/athletes go to live in his hall in Valhalla.

  Ragnarok: The end of the world war between the gods and

  the Fire Giants.

  Sessrúmnir: Goddess Freya’s hall in Asgard.

  Seidr: An old Norse term referring to a magical practice by Scandinavians.

  It includes act of divination or prophecy performed while in a trance.

  St
illo: A type of artavus.

  Stjärna mín: My star.

  Svartelfheim: The realm of the Dwarves.

  Utgard: Famous city in Jötunheim.

  Valaskialf: Odin’s hall in Asgard.

  Valknut: The rune formed by three interlocked triangles.

  Valkyries: Immortals who collect fallen warriors/soldiers/fighters/athletes and take them to Valhalla and Falkvang.

  Vingolf: The hall of the Ásynjur where all the goddesses have high seats.

  Völur: A group of Seeresses.

  Völva: A powerful Seeress.

  Yggdrasil: The tree of life or tree of knowledge that connects the nine realms of Norse cosmology.

  Chapter 1. Are You Dying?

  Standing before the girls’ bathroom mirror, I ignored my audience and stared at my reflection as medium runes coiled and spread up my arms and neck. I tried not to cringe. They crept up my cheeks and head, my scalp tingling. If circus freaks or mutants were in, I would be their poster girl.

  “You look hot,” Andris said. He was seated on the edge of the counter, arms crossed and a cup of caramel macchiato in his hand.

  Of course, he would think a freak was hot. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I was busy trying to focus on engaging the right runes.

  “Maybe not as hot as him,”—Andris angled his head and did a slow trek down and then up the guy behind me—“but you know me. I like variety.”

  I met Syn’s eyes in the mirror and tried not to laugh. Most guys would have been insulted that Andris was coming on to them, but not Syn. The Grimnir was so comfortable in his masculinity he tended to ignore Andris. This was not the first time they were hanging out with me in this bathroom on the top floor of my school. Sometimes Echo was around to make sure the souls behaved, and other times it was just Syn. On the Valkyries’ side, it was usually Andris. I was an equal opportunity medium since prom night when souls needing closure had come to our aid and helped us with their evil brothers and sisters.

  “You can’t handle me, Valkyrie,” Syn said in his smooth sexy voice.

  Andris shrugged. “You have no idea what I can handle or dish out, Grimnir. I once had this Nubian lover who taught me amazing tricks that could rock anyone’s world. She—”

  “Shhh. Stop showing off. She’s ready,” Syn warned.

  I’d already put on my gloves and opened the notebook. I picked up the pen and glanced to my right at the line of souls. They stared at me as though I was their last hope, and I guess I was. They didn’t see the runes the way Mortals and Immortals did. To them, the black runes glowed and dazzled, drawing them to me the same way runes on a reaper’s scythe drew them. The difference was reapers could turn their scythe into a weapon and disintegrate a soul. I’d never hurt them.

  A year ago, I was just another ordinary high school girl vlogging about hot guys when a jealous Immortal etched medium runes on me and turned me into a magnet for the dead. Fear had landed me in a psych ward, but I grew stronger after that. Now that I knew how to use the runes to stabilize possession, I could listen to a soul’s last request without fainting.

  The short balding guy first in line was dressed in custom-made gym clothes. His shoes were designer and even the class rings on his fingers said he’d belonged to some exclusive secret society before he died. He looked like he was in his sixties, yet he had the body of a thirty-something, which meant he was bound for Asgard, where souls of athletes and soldiers resided.

  Behind him stood a girl in silk pajamas and a bad perm, her eyes flashing with rage. She was so thin and emaciated she must have been ill before she died, which meant she was bound for Helheim, home of the souls of the sickly and those dead from old age. I wanted to hear her story, but I had a rule I lived by. I treated all the souls the same. Young or old, rich or poor, whatever the race, it was a first-come-first-serve basis. Word had spread about what I could do, so now I dealt with long lines during each session. Today, the bathroom was packed.

  I smiled at Baldy and extended my hands toward him. He stepped forward and blended with me. A shiver crawled up my spine as my body adjusted to the invasion. The medium runes made the possession easier, but they didn’t completely stop my stomach from roiling or the slow energy drain. Souls sucked on energy of those they possessed, even mediums like me.

  Are you dying?

  I blinked when the question drifted into my psyche. Souls rarely asked me personal questions. They tended to be self-absorbed.

  No.

  You are not going to stop helping us?

  Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?

  Silence.

  Who told you I was dying? I asked.

  Instead of explaining why he’d asked, he started talking about what he wanted me to do. Sighing, I wrote. Sometimes souls conveyed their thoughts so fast I had to tell them to slow down so I could catch up. Others were hesitant to share their intimate moments, and I either had to reassure them or scold them. A few times, I cried for the ones with painful pasts. Whatever the case, I validated their feelings, justified or not.

  Baldy had instructions for his lawyer, his girlfriend—I didn’t judge—and his three children: two daughters and one son. I didn’t do wills, but I could help with the rest of what he’d requested.

  He moved out of me, and I studied the letters—one for his children, one for his girlfriend and soon-to-be-born son, and the last for his lawyer. It turned out his wife had died and his girlfriend was expecting. His squiggly handwriting was barely intelligible, though. I might have written down his thoughts, but the handwriting wasn’t mine. Even the signature at the bottom was his. Any forensic expert would not prove he hadn’t written the letters.

  I passed them to Andris, who shoved them into envelopes and wrote the names on the outside. He didn’t bother to wear gloves like I. He didn’t care if they tried to find where the letters came from and found his fingerprints. Soul reapers were hundreds of years old, Immortal, and used runic magic. He had no problem making people forget things, including him. I, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to leave evidence behind. I didn’t deliver the letters either, not after that first time. People asked way too many questions.

  “Over here, Dunbar.” Andris waved at the empty stalls. “When Cora is done, you’re leaving with me.” He glanced at the remaining souls in line, his eyes narrowing on a woman. “I promised to take her with me. She’s Svana’s, and so is the dude in the ill-fitting suit. How many can you do now?”

  “Twelve. Maybe fifteen.” Surprise flashed on his face while Syn frowned. I usually only managed to help half that number of souls during lunch. “I’m skipping first period after this.”

  “Why?” Syn asked, straightening.

  “We have a substitute teacher this week. A total creep. Plus, it’s a writing class, and I’m done with my piece.”

  “Creep how?” Andris asked.

  “What has he done to you?” Syn added.

  “Down, boys. He hasn’t done anything to me or I would have dealt with him by now.” I hadn’t learned cool runes only to have them fight my battles. Besides, Ockleberry hadn’t done anything to deserve letting these two loose on him. He just liked staring at cleavage a little too much. I wasn’t sure what runes to use on him yet, but he was going to wish he never did that again.

  “You have the addresses?”

  Andris looked at the letters. “No, but I know where to find his people. I’ll be invisible, so they won’t see me coming or going.”

  I focused on the skinny girl and gave her a smile, but her expression didn’t change. Most souls looked confused right after death, but these weren’t recently departed. They were runners hoping to communicate with their relatives one last time and were usually angry. Before I started helping them find closure, they’d try to fix things their own way with little results.

  I allowed her to possess me. The first emotion to hit me was rage. It was more than usual. I waited until the runes dampened the effect of her emotions.

  “What’s wrong with y
ou? You don’t look sick or like you’re dying, drifted into my thoughts.

  No, I’m not sick. Jeez, why do you souls think I’m dying?

  Rumors. I hope they are mistaken, because I need your help, and I’m not leaving until my killers are exposed and stopped.

  Her name was Jenny, and she was fifteen, not as young as I’d thought, and she had a lot to say. The more she talked, the more pissed I got. I didn’t realize I was crying until a tear fell on the book. I’d written several pages of everything that had happened to her, including the names and the addresses of the girls responsible.

  Anything else? I let the thought drift through my head.

  Tell my reaper I would have possessed those bitches and driven them crazy, but I chose to work with you because I knew you’d help me. I’m counting on you, Medium. I want them stopped before they do to other girls what they did to me.

  Jenny was bossy, but I forgave her because she’d been through a lot. She and I separated.

  “What happened to her?” Andris jumped off the counter and offered me a handkerchief. Only Andris would accessorize his outfit with a handkerchief. Syn was in the process of pulling wads of tissue and stopped.

  I wiped at my cheeks. “Jenny was a student at an elite boarding school. Unlike the other girls, she was on scholarship, not one of the paying girls or children of the founding fathers, who bullied her constantly. They called her fat, so she tried to fit in. First, she became bulimic. Then, she ended up being”—I waved toward the skinny girl—“anorexic. All to fit in. They mocked her hair, so she changed it. Or tried to. Her clothes. Everything about her was just never good enough. The bitches did it at school and online. There’s a website where these private prep schools socialize. They posted her pictures there and basically terrorized her. When she thought she was in and started dating a boy at a neighboring school, it turned out it was all a bet to see if he could get her in the sack. He posted intimate pictures of her online.”