Page 10 of Inferno

“Maybe there’s another way,” Acid suggests. “What if we just tail her until something bad happens? Then we’re right there to save the day, and then we can go home.”

Shooting to my feet, I slam my fists on the table, and flame shoots from my hands to the wood. Quickly, I cover the fire with my palms to snuff it out before dropping back into my chair and thrusting a hand through my hair.

Viking eyes me suspiciously. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” he barks. “You’re getting to the point where you’re not able to control your power. That’s dangerous. So fucking talk.”

“It’s just…” I take a deep breath as I try to come up with the words to describe what is going on in my head. There are none that they will understand so I just spit it all out. “You’re all talking about her like she’s nothing. She’s not nothing. Her name is Emmaline Daniels, and I didn’t die saving her life just so she could still die young.” I whip my head around to glare at Acid. “And home?” I sneer. “Valhalla isn’t home. It’s the afterlife, a very poor simulation of what home is.”

With that, I rise from my chair and storm out of the room. I know I’ve just invited the wrath of Viking, but fuck it. I might have been able to treat this like any other job, but then Odin had to throw the word soulmates out there, and everything changed.

Thinking about that one bit of information has flipped my world on its axis, made me consider things I never would’ve considered before. It’s made me want more than what Odin’s provided for us in Valhalla.

Knowing there’s a deeper reason I’m here in the human world has made me… crave.

5

Emmy

“Have a nice day.”

I smile at the cashier as I shove my change into my purse and push the cart out of the store and toward my car. Going shopping the other day with Steph was great, but it didn’t fill the fridge.

“Hey, Ms. Daniels!”

Stopping a few feet away from my Volkswagen Jetta, I turn to see Jack, from the trauma group, walking in my direction.

“Hi, Jack.”

He looks at my bags and grins. “Doin’ some grocery shopping?”

This is a grocery store.

“Yep.”

“Me too.”

An awkward silence ensues, and I’m the first to break it when all he does is stare at me like I’m a science project.

“Well, I really should get this stuff in the car and get home. I don’t want anything to spoil.”

When I try to move around him, he grabs the cart, halting my movement. “Wait, um…”

Jack rocks back on his heels and shoves his hands into his pockets.

“Did you need something?” I ask, suddenly concerned.

“I just wanted to thank you,” he blurts, averting his eyes.

“Thank me? For what?”

“For being so nice to me in group the other day.”

“Oh. You’re welcome, Jack.”

I don’t bother telling him I’m nice to all of my clients. Sometimes, a person just needs to feel special.

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