"Thank goodness, you're still here," I said in a voice I didn't recognize.

He chuckled. "Of course I'm here. Didn't you get my-?"

"No one remembers you, your photographs are gone, and Raine..." My breathing grew raspy. "The Norns are wiping memories, Torin."

"I know," he said.

I blinked. "You know?"

"Yes. Don't worry about it. You won't be affected."

Was he crazy? "How can I not worry? Why are they doing this now?" What if this was about Echo? Did he anger the Norns by not reaping Raine's father months ago or escorting him to the luxurious wing of Hel's Hall? "Is this about Echo?"

"Whoa! Easy, Cora. This has nothing to do with Echo."

He answered way too quickly for my liking. "When did you find out, and why didn't you tell me?" I yelled.

"I barely found out," Torin said calmly. "And I did send you a text message. Blaine came to school as soon as we learned. If you need to cope, find him. He's had enough practice with this sort of thing. Don't talk to Mortals about us and try not to act differently."

Try not...? It was easy for him to say that. He'd been a Valkyrie for what now? A thousand years? People forgetting him must be as normal as breathing.

"Cora?"

"Are you and Raine going to leave? Is that why no one remembers you two?"

He groaned. "You already talked to people. Damn it." He mumbled something I didn't get. "You are one of us now, Cora. The Norns won't bother you, but you must learn to improvise. Don't talk to anyone about us. If it's too much for you to handle, come here." He hung up.

How am I supposed to focus with this over my head? A quick look at my text messages and I found the one from Torin.

"Don't panic if no one remembers us at school. Blaine will explain."

"A little too late for that, pal." I eyed the mirror and debated whether to just forget school and go to the mansion. I didn't want to deal with this alone, and I didn't trust Norns. They'd deleted Torin's memories to punish Raine. What if they came after me?

"You okay?" Dev asked.

"No. You heard?"

"Yep. I've never had the pleasure of dealing with Norns, but I hear they're powerful."

"Raine is more powerful." They would not dare mess with me with Raine around. She'd kicked their wrinkly asses often enough to make me want to stay glued to her side, but I couldn't bother her now while she was in mourning.

Blowing out a breath, I left the bathroom. Nara and Rhys weren't around. They were probably consulting with their people.

From the lack of students in the hallway, the second bell must have rung. I wished I was confident engaging my runes. I'd shift to hyper-speed, cloak, and slip into the class undetected.

"I had to use the restroom," I said when I entered the class and Mrs. Bosnick looked up. She took one good look at me and grimaced. Maybe the pants did it, or maybe I looked like I felt, ready to barf.

"Do you need to see the nurse?" she asked.

"No." I avoided looking at Kicker even though I felt her eyes on me. Thankfully, I didn't get a tardy check.

Nara and Rhys sauntered into the classroom halfway through the class and stayed out of the students' way at the front of the room. I preferred them in the back, where I didn't have to see them. Worse, they stared at me and whispered the entire time. I'd bet they knew about the Norns and the deleted memories.

When the class ended, I took off before Kicker could catch up with me. She had the look in her eyes that said she was after information. She even called out my name, but I faked temporary deafness.

I disappeared in the throng of students hurrying to their next classes. Despite the crowded hallways, I felt alone, miserable, and sick to my stomach. Last time I felt like this I'd just seen my first Valkyries escorting the dead. I imagined my life without Raine. She'd been my friend since forever and we often discussed the supernatural world.

Just before I entered my next class, I bumped into Blaine with a bunch of guys. I'd never been so happy to see him. I elbowed the guys around him and hugged him tight.

"That bad?" he whispered.

"You have no idea. How do you do it?" I whispered back.

"You adjust slowly. It gets easier with time." He leaned back, looked into my eyes, and said, "You'll be okay."

"Do I get a hug, too?" Drew said from behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder. The cocky jock was back. Even his smile appeared genuine and relaxed. "I like your new style," he added, giving me a onceover. The other two guys with them smirked.

"Um, thanks." I gave him a wobbly smile. The Norns had deleted his memories too, which meant he didn't remember my Doppelganger messing with his head or being ditched in the middle of his party for Echo. Hugging him was not the way to go, though.

"It has its perks," Blaine added and squeezed my shoulder. "See you after school."

"What has perks?" Drew asked as the four continued down the hallway. I understood what Blaine meant. The Norns had just taken care of my problems with Drew.

The Grimnirs trailed me the entire morning, but kept their distance as per Torin's instruction. Juniors were excited about the prom and girls in my classes yapped about outfits and prom dates. Apparently, junior prom court had been posted yesterday afternoon and some of the nominees were doing their best to sway voters.

I walked past Sabrina 'Bree' Hinckley and her friends passing out Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and bags of Skittles with Vote for Bree stickers. Bree was an assistant head of the cheer squad. Caryn Jennings, the girl I'd locked out of the bathroom, turned out to be the captain of the basketball team and a nominee. She elbowed her friends and they gave me the evil eye as I walked by. They were handing out homemade cookies and complimentary tickets to Walkersville Girls Basketball Team games. She didn't stand a chance against Bree or me.

Funny how I'd looked forward to attending the prom and now I couldn't be bothered. Raine and I would have rocked the All That Jazz theme with our outfits. Her mother had picked her a gorgeous dress.

I couldn't wait to leave. I was collecting my backpack from the locker when Kicker stood right smack in front of me and blocked me, demanding my attention.

"What?" I asked.

"Do you want to have lunch with us?" she asked. Sondra and Naya flanked her, and I didn't care for their this-is-an-intervention expressions.

"Can't. I'm having lunch with Blaine." I wedged my hands between Kicker and Sondra, pushed them aside, and walked past them. They turned and flanked me.

"Why can't you admit you two are dating?" Kicker asked.

"Why are you interested? You want him?" I cocked my eyebrow, wishing they'd just disappear.

Kicker giggled. "Doesn't every girl? He's so hot, the most popular guy at school, and he hasn't dated anyone since Casey."

"And he's staring at you right now," Sondra added.

Sure enough, Blaine and the invisible Grimnirs were at the end of the hallway waiting for me. "Blaine and I are just friends, Kicker."

"Is it true they finally found Raine's father's body?" Sondra asked.

"Are they burying him here?" Kicker asked.

My first instinct was to say, "Yes." But then I remembered Torin and his lecture. I had to tread carefully. "What?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to tell them, but it kind of slipped out," Kicker whispered and twirled a lock of her hair. I couldn't get mad at her when she just gave me the opportunity to fix this mess.

"That's okay. I misunderstood her text."

"Is it a memorial service then?" Sondra asked. "The plane crash was last year in April. Or was it May?"

"April," Kicker said.

"May," Sondra insisted. "First the crash, then the accident at the pool. No wonder her family moved."

Twilight Zone anyone? These girls were at Raine's yesterday, and now they couldn't remember anything about it. Totally weird.

"I gotta go, guys." I took off.

"We'll swing by your place at four," Kicker called out.

I glanced at her. "I told you I'm not going."

"Uh, makeup and hair. You promised," she said, and Sondra nodded.

"I'm coming, too," Naya added.

I so didn't need this. I could tell them to come to Raine's or Torin's but they'd just get confused. Maybe the mansion? It was closer and bigger, and they believed I still had a crush on Eirik. Lavania could continue to pretend she was Eirik's aunt. It might work, except Kicker was nosy and everyone might be there, including Raine.

"I'll come to your place, Kicker. Between four and five. The prom starts at six, right?"

They nodded, eyes sparkling with excitement. To be that carefree again would be amazing. Or not. I couldn't trade Echo for prom.

Blaine was talking to Jess, or should I say Eel was attempting to wrap herself around him. Weird, the Norns hadn't erased her obsession with him. I wondered why. Rhys and Nara seemed to have disappeared.

"Ready to go?" Blaine asked when I reached them.

"Nope." I ignored the venomous look Jess threw my way. "I need to talk to my counselor."

"Is Dev on duty?"

"Always." I patted the side pocket of my pants. Jess frowned.

"Who's Dev?" she asked as I walked away.

"A friend," he responded. "So, about the prom..."

They followed me and stayed by the entrance of the hallway leading to the counselors' offices. I was beginning to notice a pattern with Blaine. When talking to me, he often spoke like the others weren't there. How did he explain things to his Mortal friends? First, he'd mentioned perks of being an Immortal in Drew's hearing, and now Dev in front of Jess. I might have to learn how to survive as an Immortal from him.

The waiting area in the counselors' offices was packed with students. The seats and the wall between them were taken. Mrs. Fennier, the dragon lady guarding the counselors' offices saw me and smiled. Her husband was a farmer and often sold goods at the Farmer's Market with my parents.

"Hey, Cora. What's going on?" she asked.

I ignored the students. "I want my name removed from the junior prom court. I won't be going."

"Oh, that's too bad. Why?"

"A dark soul is after me and my best friend's father is being buried tomorrow morning and no one remembers anything that's happened the last year." No, I didn't say that. I should have just to see people's reaction, but I wasn't that girl anymore. "Outrageous just for crap and giggles" was the former me.

"I'm coming down with something, and I'd rather not spread it." The students nearest the door shifted away as though not to breathe the same air as me. "In fact, I really shouldn't be near people right now."

She smiled. "That's considerate of you. I'll let your counselor know."

"You can be crowned even if you're not there," a girl seated near her desk said. I recognized her from my math class. I gripped the straps of my backpack and shrugged.

"Thanks, Mrs. Fennier." I turned, took two steps, and a hand cupped my elbow. I stared over my shoulder in confusion. "Drew?"

He indicated the door behind him with a conspiratorial nod.

I frowned. "What's going on?"

His grip tightened as he pushed the door. "We need to talk."

My jaw dropped. His voice. I tried to jerk my arm free, but he pulled me inside the room and closed the door. Adrenaline surging through me, I reached into my pockets and pulled out two artavo.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend, Cora?"

I pointed at him with the magical weapons and, at the same time, engaged my pain and strength runes. "You and I were never friends, Maliina."

CHAPTER 21. MALIINA.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

Drew crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Your body." He smirked. I had to remind myself that this wasn't Drew talking. Maliina had taken him over. Just like she'd taken over his head before and screwed with it. Every word from his mouth was hers.

"Let him go, Maliina."

"Why? He's perfect. You know how to pick them, don't you? First Eirik, whom I played like a banjo. Now this knucklehead. At least Eirik got over you fast. This idiot will always be crazy about you. Even the Norns scrambling his memories didn't take away his feelings. All I did was plant an idea in his feeble Mortal brain and he did my bidding."

Her voice grated on my nerves. I opened my mouth to tell her exactly what I thought about her, but she, he, or whatever you called a possessed person chuckled.

"Get her alone, Drew, and ask her to go with you to the senior prom," she said in a sweet voice and rolled her eyes. "Blaine already told him there was nothing going on between the two of you, paving the way for lover boy." He pushed against the door and moved toward me. "Guess he doesn't know about Echo."

I stepped back, almost tripping on a chair. We were inside someone's office. It was empty, but not for long. Today was Teachers' Work Day, so teachers were going to be around most of the afternoon.