Death and Relaxation (Ordinary Magic #1)(103)

“Who?” he asked.

“Bast. She was driving to a hair appointment and saw it coming. Drew on her power. Saved those children.”

“But… Jesus.”

“Hasn’t come by as far as I know. The mudslide that should have wiped out half the town, but somehow missed every house, did no damage to the roads, and instead left behind a rather nice waterfall and hiking trail? Nilus wanted a new park. The lighthouse—”

“Okay. There’s been some weird stuff.”

I nodded.

“But gods? In Ordinary? In this crummy town?”

“In this crummy town.”

“Crow and Herri?” he asked.

“And others. Aaron, Kim. Um…Zeus and Odin, obviously.” I rolled my eyes. “Heim,” I added, a little more softly.

“But Heim’s dead.”

“I know. His power isn’t. That’s why I’m here. It’s my job to make sure his power is picked up by a mortal worthy of it. A mortal who will become a god.”

“That comes with the badge?” he asked.

“Nope. That comes with being a Reed. I think you came back to this crummy town for this. For power.”

“I came back because I thought I left something behind.”

“I think you’re right.”

He rocked back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. When he dropped his palms, his smile was still confused. “I’d be crazy to believe you.”

My stomach dropped and all the butterflies turned into razor blades. There wasn’t much time left. What could I say to make him believe me? I opened my mouth, not ready to give up. He spoke before I could.

“But I’ve always been a little crazy, right?” He grinned.

I exhaled a shaky breath. “Yeah, you have, Coop. It’s one of the things I like about you.” My hand trembled as I dragged it back through my hair. “So what do you think about becoming a god?”

I could practically see the gears in his head working through hope, fear, lust, doubt, and a chaos of other emotions.

“Me?” he finally said.

“You.”

“What…what kind of god?”

“Heimdall’s power is one of protection. He is the watcher of the gods, the sentinel with his eyes on the horizon, the one who will warn the other gods of war, of the end of times, of Ragnarok.”

“He’s the amber alert god?”

I grinned. “He’s whatever it is you make the power become. He has a magical horn. And he was in that superhero movie.”

“I haven’t seen it.”

“You should. Heimdall was badass. Hot.”

“Yeah?” His grin was back.

I resisted rolling my eyes at him again. “You know this isn’t a movie, though. You will have responsibilities you can’t ignore. For all of your life, which might be very, very long. It’s a big commitment and one you have to step into willingly. It will change everything.”

He shifted in his chair, fingers gripping his knees as he leaned forward. “Tell me honestly that you’re not bullshitting me, Delaney.”

“God power is real. I think you’re strong enough to take one on. I think…I think that’s what you came back into town for. What you were really looking for. Not me. You were looking for the power that belongs to you. I am not bullshitting you. All you have to do is say yes, and the power will be yours and then you’ll know I’m telling the truth.”

He held his breath, his eyes searching my gaze, no longer lingering on my mouth.

I tipped my head. “Breathe, Cooper,” I said gently, reaching over toward him. “You’ve still got a little time to decide. To think this through.”

I pressed my palm against his hand on his knees, and the shock of that connection rocked through me.

A small moan escaped his lips, and I had to catch my breath at what that sound stirred in me. Not an emotional need—or not my emotional need. That sound, that desire I could feel rolling off Cooper stirred the power.

And the power was hungry, singing, calling.

For him.

“Do you feel that, Cooper?”

His eyes were glazed with heat. With desire.

“That’s the power. Your power, if you’ll take it.” I kept my hand firmly over his, the contact of our hands strengthening the connection.

All the worries, all the butterflies, all the tension in me was wiped away. Just asking that question, offering the power to someone as my family had done throughout the generations, seemed to settle something in me. It was like climbing a rope and finally reaching a knot I hadn’t ever made it to before.

“If I say yes?”

The power’s song shifted again. Harmony and trill.

“If you say yes, then you’ll need to come back with me to Ordinary. I’ll give you the power, and then…” I shrugged.

“And then?” He leaned forward, rolling his hand beneath mine to slot our fingers together.

“And then you’re a god,” I said.

He stared at my mouth a moment before his gaze lifted to my eyes. “Yes.”

The song roared to a stunning single note that swelled with joy. It was so loud I didn’t know how everyone in a three-mile radius wasn’t hearing it.