Runes #03 - Grimnirs by Ednah Walters Read Free Book Online

to ignore him, but something weird had happened to me and I wanted answers. I eased the car into a parking spot across from my school, switched off the engine, and turned to look at Echo. He was dressed in all leather again today. I realized that what I’d assumed was a leather shirt was actually a vest of some kind. Once again, he wore fingerless gloves and silver Gothic rings with weird markings.
    “Please,” I said through clenched teeth.
    He touched his lips. “I want a kiss, too.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you such a tool all the time? You think this is fun for me? Not remembering things? Waking up one morning and seeing souls? Ending up in a psych ward, where they pumped me full of drugs, then coming home only to be met by you, a reaper?”
    “Grimnir,” he corrected then frowned. “Are those the fake memories the Norns gave you? Psych ward? That’s just wrong.”
    “I was in a psych ward,” I snapped.
    He raised his hands. “Okay. No need to be snippy.”
    “I’m not—”
    He covered my mouth then smirked when I bit his hand. I bore down until I tasted blood. He didn’t even wince. His grin broadened instead.
    “Drink my blood, doll-face. Bond with me for eternity.”
    The thought was scary. I pushed his hand away and wiped my mouth. “Ew. Can your blood do that?”
    He laughed.
    “Will you be serious for even a second?” I asked.
    “Don’t you want to be mine forever?”
    “Ew, no.” I made a face. “I don’t even like you.”
    “What’s liking me got to do with anything? As long as you want me, I’m good.”
    “I don’t want you.”
    He gave me a slow wicked smile. “Want me to prove it?”
    Silence followed, and I could feel heat crawling up my face. He reached out to touch my face, but I dodged his hand.
    “Okay, I’m kidding about the blood,” he said. “But you can bite me any time.” He proudly showed me the bite mark I’d left on his hand. The runes on his hand glowed bright and the wound sealed, the blood disappearing too. “It’s nothing my runes can’t heal. To bond with me, sweet-cheeks, I’d have to rune you.”
    “Rune me?”
    “Etch these,” he pointed at his tattoos, “on you with my blade. Don’t say anything. Your father is here. I’ll explain about Norns later. Right now, I gotta go. Souls don’t wait around forever, you know. They run, and the lucky ones follow hot Grimnirs like you.”
    I turned to find Dad by my door.
    “I’m not a grim,” I said through clenched teeth.
    “Grimnir, doll-face. Stopping calling us grim. It’s insulting. Do I get a kiss before I leave?”
    “No.”
    “Oh, come on.”
    Ignoring him, I opened the door and hauled out my backpack. Echo was already outside, looking like the angel of death in his black clothes and duster, the only color was his smooth golden skin with glowing tats. No, not tats. Runes.
    I glared, but it was wasted on him. He just smirked, leaned against my car, and gave me a slow perusal from under heavy-lidded eyes. I shivered. Did he have to do that? He must have perfected that pose in front of a mirror, but he looked so hot. Ignoring him wasn’t easy, but I managed to drag my eyes away. The parking lot was empty except for a few cars, but soon it would fill with cars and bikes. Oregon was a green state and unless it was snowing, a lot of students biked to and from school.
    “I’ll carry your backpack,” Dad said.
    “It’s okay, Dad. I got it.” I locked my door. Echo still hovered.
    Dad touched the bottom of my backpack. “What are you carrying? It looks heavy.”
    I rolled my eyes. “They’re just books, Dad. And please, stop treating me like I’m sick. If I can drive myself to school, I can carry my own backpack.”
    “And if you engage your runes, you can carry him without breaking a sweat, too,” Echo added.
    I didn’t look his way, but I put that information away for later. Not that I had any runes or intention of engaging them. Whatever that meant. Dad still studied me