Jewels and Feathers (Race Games 3)

CHAPTERFORTY-THREE

EIRIK

Lily and Kline stood against the backdrop of Valhalla, both wearing clothing that didn’t seem to fit in the space of warriors. Though Eirik himself had never worn battle leathers until his second life, seeing his brother and sister in normal clothing here made him realize how out of place he must have looked to the others when he’d first arrived.

“Eirik!” his sister exclaimed, a warm smile on her face. Something about the smile made him pause in his excitement running up to them. He couldn’t put his finger on why, on what made him pause, but still, he stopped further away from them than he would have normally. He was prepared for a bear hug, but that didn’t feel appropriate now. Why?

“Lily,” Eirik murmured, his brows furrowing. “What are—”

“We’ve missed you,” Kline interrupted. “Where have you been?”

Eirik frowned and looked around, as if suspecting this was a prank. “But you two were healthy. How are you here?”

“It’s been so long,” Lily said, avoiding the question.

Eirik took a step back. This was wrong. Neither of them answered the question of how they found themselves in Valhalla. His sister had a baby now. Kline was travelling. They couldn’t be there, right?

At his movement, Lily’s face grew tense. “How could you have not come to see us?” she asked. “You’ve been back, and you never tried.”

Guilt slammed into Eirik. “I thought it was better not to traumatize—”

“We thought you were our brother,” Kline accused. His face twisted with hate and Eirik’s heart kicked hard in his chest. These were his siblings, but they weren’t. They would never do this, never look at him like that.

“I am, but. . .”

“You’re a liar,” Lily spat and Eirik began to look closer.

The more he studied her, the more things seemed off. Her hair was a slightly lighter shade than normal, and Lily never dyed her hair. She loved having the same color as mom. One of her eyes was the wrong color, but it was hard to tell unless the sun caught on it.

Kline was the same way. There were small inconsistencies, as if there was a glitch in the system. That thought entering Eirik’s mind was the moment he blinked and looked around, confused.

“But you two are alive,” Eirik murmured, and then he blinked again. “This isn’t Valhalla. I didn’t die again.”

“Eirik, wait.”

“Don’t leave us here.”

“You’re supposed to be our brother!”

“You’re not here,” Eirik said, backing away.

At his retreat, Lily reached for him, her face morphing into something other. It still wore her face, all the features were still there, but his sister had never made such a grotesque expression before. This was wrong. Her fingers were suddenly tipped with razor sharp points, and Eirik stumbled back. When her fingers touched his arm, Eirik grunted at the burn, as if she was so hot, her very skin burned.

Kline lunged for him, claws outstretched.

Instinct had Eirik pulling the dagger from his hip. He hadn’t had to pull it out the entire race, but now, he drew it on his siblings.

“You should have stayed dead,” Kline snarled. Together, Kline and Lily circled him like sharks.

“You were a terrible brother,” Lily purred. “Useless. And then you left us.”

“I didn’t,” Eirik argued, but then he clamped his lips shut. It would do no good to argue. This wasn’t his brother and sister. This was something else and he knew that. His siblings didn’t feel this way, would never. Despite knowing that, they still wore the faces of those he loved, and he hesitated when they both lunged toward him.

On instinct, Eirik lifted the dagger, but he didn’t swing. When Kline slammed into him, throwing him a few steps backward, the dagger sunk into his chest, and they froze. Immediately, Kline’s image disintegrated, collapsing in on itself as if he was never there at all.

Eirik choked on the emotion of having killed what looked like his brother before turning to Lily.

“You’re going to die on this track,” she growled.

“I’m not afraid of death anymore,” Eirik rasped. “Next time, choose your threats better.” And then he swung the dagger again. The image of his sister shredded and collapsed in on itself.

Illusions. This was all illusions. They hadn’t died. This wasn’t Valhalla. The race was still happening.

With the realization, Eirik whirled to face the car behind him and cursed.

The doors were open. The car was empty. And the others were nowhere to be seen.

“Fuck!”