Free Foretold by Rinda Elliott

laid-back unless she gets really ticked off. Then watch out. Kat, the youngest, is pretty much the opposite.”
    He laughed. “People need to watch out for her all the time unless she’s mad?”
    I pursed my lips, lifted my eyebrows, then nodded with an answering smile.
    “So where does that put you?”
    “I’m the boring, responsible oldest. I don’t have time for moods.”
    “Funny.” His tone said he didn’t believe that for a second. But then his expression went flat, his gaze turned serious. “Raven, when I first came into the bathroom downstairs, you looked—” He broke off when there was a muffled crash down the hall. Vanir quickly pulled away from the wall and put his hands on my shoulders. The guy did like to touch. Heat crawled through my gut.
    “Hey,” he continued. “I’m sorry your car went into the river. I’m sorry to meet you during all this—the weather, my friend...” He trailed off and I knew he thought of Steven.
    “I’m so sorry about that.”
    He cut me off, cupped my face again. “ I wasn’t done apologizing.”
    “Okay,” I whispered, surprised. He had nothing to apologize for.
    “I’m sorry you came at such a bad time, but I’m not sorry I met you.”
    Any chance at saying something intelligent took flight. I got the feeling he was looking beyond the scratches at my thin face, my overly large eyes—maybe even looking beyond my face altogether to what lay beneath.
    I just hoped he missed that black, yawning chasm of guilt.
    “You should probably go back before Hallur figures out where you are. You can explain the runes tomorrow.” He let go and stepped back, his words still a breath of sound. “I just needed to see that you were okay after you nearly hit the floor.”
    There was a sudden thump, thump, thump in the hallway and I froze. Sheesh, we weren’t doing anything, yet my heart pounded like I’d been caught with my pants down and scorching fire burned my cheeks. The door slammed open.
    “I had a feeling.” Shaking his head, Hallur leaned in the doorway, and even in the near-dark I could the sheen of perspiration on his face. “She should be in bed. Her own. I only let her go so she could use the restroom. Did you even give her time to do that?”
    Vanir let go of me, crossed his arms. “Didn’t think I’d have much time before you came thumping after her.”
    Another dark head popped around the corner as Ari joined Hallur in the hallway. “Did the boy sneak her into his room?”
    “The boy?” Vanir growled, and started across the floor.
    Hallur laughed. “You’re three years older, Ari. You’re both boys. Go back to bed.”
    Ari’s chuckle faded as he complied. Vanir reached his brother and draped one of Hallur’s arms over his shoulders. “Come on, I’ll help you back. Or I can help you to your room and take the next shift.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    I cleared my throat. “If you guys don’t care, I’m going back through there. I want another glass of water.” And a shower, I was thinking, but that would have to wait.
    Hallur nodded, but Vanir’s wink had me grinning back at him before I opened the door. We’d left the light on and one look at my dirt-encrusted hair and scratchy, red face had me shaking my head. I had to have imagined the warmth in his stare.
    Had to have.

Chapter Seven
    The next morning, the abrupt silence yanked me from a nightmare. I scrambled out of the covers until my back slammed against the headboard. Morning light filled the room and I scanned the corners, sniffed for smoke. Looked for fire. Luckily, I was alone.
    It was just a nightmare , I reassured myself. Kat is okay.
    Tremors shook my hands and I fisted them in the blue-and-white-striped comforter before burying my face in it. The faint scent of lemon chased away the lingering odor of smoldering hair.
    Kat had been hanging upside down from a branch in a giant tree , one sheltering the world , the Yggdrasil.
    The Norse believed Yggdrasil was at the center of