She and Titus now stood in the attic, having one final look around.
“Still smells like sulfur up here,” he said.
She nodded. “Did you notice Alice used that when she did the blood tests?”
“I did. What does that mean?”
Jenna shrugged as she searched the shadows with the flashlight on her phone. “Just that it must be a common ingredient in magic. Enough so that it might not have been added to the spell used on us for the purpose of making us think there was a gas leak. That might have just been a side effect. Then again, how was anyone supposed to get in range of that bomb if they weren’t in here investigating?”
“Are you saying you think it could have been aimed at the first person to happen upon it?”
“No, I don’t think that was the case. First of all, that’s a lot of work and setup to make a random person fall in love with you.” She turned her phone’s light off and faced him. “That part of it makes me think they were aiming for Pandora. She was the one most likely to be in the house.”
He crossed his arms and leaned against one of the trusses. “But?”
“This house is on my regular patrol route. My routine isn’t hard to figure out. Look at it this way: If the smell of gas was intentional, that means they were trying for a fireman. But that’s random. So if the smell wasn’t on purpose, then they must have been trying for me.”
He seemed to think about that. “So it was supposed to go off while you were here alone.”
“I’m starting to think that. But who would target me? And why?”
“I’d say for that sword of yours, but after seeing how impossible it is for anyone else to get their hands on it, that can’t be the reason. Although…”
“Although what?”
“Is it common knowledge that a valkyrie’s sword can’t be held by anyone but her?”
Jenna thought that over. “I mean, maybe? If you did some research, I suppose you could find that out. But not everyone knows we carry our weapons on our bodies like we do.”
“So then, let’s say you are the target. If that’s true, and someone was going to make an attempt at your sword, that narrows down the suspect list a bit.”
She nodded. “They’d not only have to know I’m a valkyrie but also about my weapon.” She took a sharp breath. “Or maybe they know that when we die, our swords separate from our bodies. Same with berserkers. It’s how our souls are carried to Valhalla. In our blades. It’s why the walls of Valhalla are covered in swords.”
“Okay, that’s pretty interesting. Who would know that?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Besides you now? A few people would know some of those things, but probably not all of them. And none of those people would qualify as viable suspects.” She ticked them off. “Your brother, Birdie, Tessa, Sebastian. I suppose all of the Ellinghams, really. Maybe someone at Harmswood that Tessa works with?”
“Yeah, none of those people are suspects.” He sighed. “This seems like an impossible—” His eyes widened, and he stood up straight. “Behind you, Jenna. The wraith is back.”
“Holy Loki.” Jenna whirled, whipping out her sword in one smooth motion. The wraith was indeed behind her, looking more solid than the last time they’d seen it in the forest. In fact, it looked more human. And slightly, terribly familiar. But that couldn’t be. Could it?
She brought her sword to bear in its direction. “There is nothing here for you, wraith.”
Those burning ember eyes stared into her, but the wraith came no closer, just hovered in the attic’s dark recesses.
Something was different about those eyes now. Something that felt like a memory.
She shook that thought off, refusing to believe the impossible. “Go! Back to the dark realm you emerged from.”
But the creature still didn’t move.
She wasn’t about to stand here all day, waiting for it to do something. She lunged, sending the sword into the creature’s amorphous belly. “Be gone!”
The creature dissolved, only to reappear a few feet away. This time, it opened its mouth, a dark gaping hole, and growled something at her.
“Did it just say ‘Blythe’?” Titus asked.
Before Jenna could answer, the wraith reached for her. For her sword.
Titus stepped slightly in front of her and let out a hair-curling snarl.
The wraith shrank back.
Titus kept his gaze trained on the wraith. “Looks a lot more solid this time.”
“It does. That’s not good. Means it’s getting stronger.” Although its soul could be collected when it was solid.
“So what do we do?”
The wraith moved to the side, swiped at her again, this time connecting with the tip of her sword. Helgrind sang out with a metallic hiss.
Jenna jumped around Titus and jabbed, driving the wraith back. “There’s only one thing I know to do. I’m going to have to trap it, collect its soul, and get it out of the mortal realm.”
“How do we do that?”
“We don’t. I do. But I need the help of a seer.” She glanced at him. “Fortunately, I happen to be having dinner with one tonight.”
“Great. What are we going to do about the wraith right now?”
“Didn’t you scare it off last time while you were a wolf?”
“I did. Guess it’s worth a shot.”
In seconds, Titus shifted from man to beast.
The wraith seemed transfixed. Until Titus snarled again, teeth bared, fur raised along his spine.
Then the wraith shuddered and vanished, this time curling out in shadowy wisps into the darkness until nothing remained. Jenna exhaled in relief.
They stayed in battle readiness for a few moments, then Titus shifted back to his human form. “You need to get ahold of your seer friend and meet with her sooner.”
“Agreed. But let’s get out of this attic first.” She didn’t want to risk the wraith coming back while they were still there.
“I’m with you on that one.”
They descended the narrow attic pulldown stairs, closed up the house, and
