CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Erin didn’t know how long she’d been asleep. She was pretty sure it was days. It felt like days anyway.
It was the screams, though, that finally woke her up.
She scrambled up in her bed, ready to do battle to protect her sister-Crows . . .
But these weren’t her sister-Crows. They were goats. Like ten of them.
Erin looked around. This wasn’t her bedroom, either. The last thing she remembered was taking a shower because no one would come near her until she did. Even Jace who’d tried to hug her but just kept saying, “I . . . I can’t. I’m sorry, but . . . I can’t! You smell!”
So Erin had taken an unreasonably long shower, scrubbing like she’d never scrubbed before, and then lay down on her bed “for a little nap.” That was the last thing she remembered.
Until the goats.
She had no idea where she was but she had on shorts and a T-shirt so she felt comfortable leaving the bedroom—the goats trailing her—going down some stairs, and out into what she guessed was the backyard.
That’s where she found Stieg . . . feeding more goats.
She threw her arms wide. “What have you done?”
He pointed at Hilda, who was next to him. “You said she needed a herd.”
“You could have taken her to a goat farm.”
“But she’s my goat. Why should I give up my goat?”
“Okay, but you could have just gotten two more goats. They would have been a small herd but it would have probably done the same thing.”
He looked down at the goats waiting for food. “You didn’t tell me all that.”
“At the time I didn’t think it would matter, but I’m sure you can find other homes for them all.”
“Well, I’m attached now.”
“Oh, God.” Erin turned away to go back to the house.
“Your mother called.”
Erin froze, her eyes closing. “She called me here?”
“Yeah. They tried you on your cell, of course, but it kept going to voice mail.”
“Any idea how she got this number?”
“Guess one of the Crows gave it to her.”
“Uh-huh.” Erin faced him again. “What did you two talk about?”
“She said her and your father would be visiting in about two weeks. They were going to stay at a hotel, but I said they could stay here.”
“Here? With you?”
“With us.”
“We’re an us?”
“As far as your mother’s concerned, we’re practically married.”
“How many times have you talked to her while I was asleep?”
“Just a few times.”
“A few . . .” Erin let out a breath. “Okay.”
“I like her.”
“I don’t care.”
“She says she likes me, too. She says I sound like a very nice boy.”
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Just a little.”
“I should have let the world burn,” she muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Deciding she couldn’t deal without some much needed coffee, Erin went back into the house.
As Erin stared at the coffeemaker, silently willing it to make coffee faster, she heard a tap at the kitchen window. It was Ratatosk sitting on the little ledge.
She pushed open the window. “What do you want?”
It chittered at her and Erin—much to her growing horror—realized she understood him as she’d understood him on Corpse Shore. At the time she’d believed that to be a one-off sort of thing.
Now she knew. She’d understand Ratatosk forever, and he’d enjoy driving her nuts.
“Funerals?” Erin nodded. “Yes. Of course. We’ll be there.”
Ratatosk chittered again.
“Yes, I answered for Stieg, you little shit, because I know he’d go.” Erin gasped at what he said next and was reaching for him when he jumped off the ledge and walked away. He should have moved faster, though. Hilda charged and butted his squirrel ass, sending him screaming a good fifty feet away.
“Good girl!” Stieg called out to his goat.
Knowing that Stieg had sent Hilda to handle Ratatosk . . . well, maybe she didn’t mind so much if her parents stayed here. With Stieg . . . and her. With them.
Oy! Whatever.
She slammed the window and went to get her damn coffee.
* * *
The gods, for once, did something. They provided the longboats that held the Nine Clans’ honorable dead.
While the youngest of the Crows sang a very sad but lovely version of “California Dreaming,” the Clan leaders and Kera, War General, lit the ships on fire with large torches.
The gods stood off to the side in silence, giving their unspoken blessings as the Valkyries pushed the boats out into the water and the Claws took them out to sea where they would burn through the night.
There were no tears. No rage. Just acceptance and the knowledge that they would be seeing their brethren again in Valhalla.
As each Clan passed the Crows, they all stopped a moment and nodded at a surprised and clearly uncomfortable Erin.
Then the gods passed and each, in his or her own turn, did the same.
The Ravens passed by the Crows last and Stieg winked at her, giving her one of his rarely seen smiles before flying off with his brothers.
Her sister-Crows then surrounded Erin, Kera the first to wrap her arms around Erin and hug her close, Jace quickly taking her place, whispering against her ear, “I’m so glad you took a shower.” Erin laughed as Betty kissed the top of her head and Chloe threw one arm around her shoulder and smiled at her with something like pride.
“You, Erin Amsel, are the biggest pain in the ass. And don’t ever change.”
Erin laughed but before she could tell them that wouldn’t be a problem, Brodie jumped up and slathered her tongue across Erin’s face, making her gag in disgust.
“Oh, my God,” Kera snapped, “get over it, bitch. You spent an entire day with funky corpses. I doubt a little dog slobber is that overwhelming for you.”