Free Witches (Runes series Book 6) by Ednah Walters Page B

that he would ever admit to owning a pair or loving books. Ingrid and Lavania’s bedrooms were on the other side of the second floor. Blaine’s and Eirik’s old bedrooms were downstairs by the pool. Torin could have taken Eirik’s room but he chose to stay closer to me.
    “I met your cat earlier when I stopped by your place,” Lavania said as soon as I entered the library. The entire wall of the room overlooked the pool below, which wasn’t being used today. The gang wasn’t around. Blaine, being an Immortal, was probably out on an assignment. Ingrid was probably at cheer practice or out with friends.   She’d gotten an intern position in New York with some editor, but I didn’t know whether she still planned to take it. She was taking runic lessons from Lavania first.
    Andris had turned Ingrid into an Immortal using his personal runic artavo, instead of ones specifically chosen for her. Runes were weird like that. Each person had to use his or her own artavo. If you use someone else’s the effect only lasts a few centuries no matter how often you add runes. Ingrid was only a couple of centuries old, yet a few weeks ago, she’d found out that she was starting to age. Lavania was nice enough to get some artavo for her from Asgard. Lavania was also the one who’d given me my set, which covered artavo for body runes and special ones for surface runes that are used for creating portals or fixing things.
    Lavania was what you called an Immortal Maker. She had the authority to rune people, or Mortals as they called them, and turn them into Immortals. It was a long process that took months and lots of runes. I was still etching runes on my skin though not as often as I did seven months ago when she started training me. She’d been doing this a long time. She was the one who’d turned Torin and Andris centuries ago.
    I kicked off my shoes and sat on the mat across from hers. I’d gotten used to sitting on the floor on mats and using a low table when she taught. Usually the tables were lined up side by side and covered with runic text books, our books, and artavo holders for the three of us—Cora, Ingrid, and me. Since we weren’t working on runes and she was doing a one-on-one session with me, she’d pushed the three tables aside to create more room. If anyone walked in on us, we’d appear to be meditating.
    “Did you have a cat too?” I asked her.
    “Yes, before I joined the Vestal Virgins. I even named her Vesta after the goddess. We had several cats in the Temple, where we lived. In my time, cats were seen as the Gods of Liberty and sacrifices were made to them.”
    She’d joined Valkyries during the period when ancient Rome was at the peak of its civilization. “There should be a manual for all this, you know,” I said. “What to expect when a witch’s abilities start to show? How to train your familiar? What to do about visions or Norns?”
    She chuckled and took my hands. Torin poked his head inside the room and she shooed him away. Once the door closed, she focused on me.
      “We’ll figure things out,” she said. “I’ll show you how to channel your power, when to let it flow and when to shut it off. It will help you control your visions.”
    Yes! Exactly what I wanted to hear. “I know I have you, and some Witches like Rita and Gina have their mentors and parents to help them. But what about those who don’t have anyone and don’t belong to a coven? Do they freak out when their powers appear? I didn’t even know what the Call was until the Witches appeared here and Gina mentioned it.”
    Lavania sighed. “That’s because you’re a lot more powerful than most Witches and your powers are appearing much faster. Most times, the gift of sight is passed from parent to child, and the child learns from the mother.”
    Yeah, except my mother was a Valkyrie but hadn’t revealed that to me because she’d fallen in love with my father, a Mortal, and renounced her calling to be a soul reaper.