Immortals Of Byolla Bay : Homecoming

The morning paper read like this:

“Happy day for a local who has been reunited with her family after nearly twenty years. Lyra Preden went missing almost two decades ago, after an accident sent her vehicle careening off a bridge. Her car was found and hauled out of the river, but Lyra was not inside. The search and rescue team dragged the river for months, but after she was still not found, she was presumed deceased. However, a fisherman in Zephyrs Landing found her along the shoreline. He took her to the hospital, where the medical staff immediately took her into their care. When Lyra awoke, she struggled to remember who she was. She was kept in their memory-care ward, as she could not identify herself or where she came from. After successfully recovering her memory, Lyra has been returned to her daughter and grandchild. This is a day to be celebrated in Byolla Bay.”

“Grandma, I have a hard time believing this story.” I held up the paper and pointed at the front page. “Well, luckily, nobody else other than you, me, and the Vikings is going to know the difference. It was all I had to work with in the time given.” She drank the rest of her morning coffee and smiled at me.

“We could have said you ran off to Vegas with a handsome guy half your age.” I playfully nudged her in the arm. She scoffed, “Have you met the sticks in the mud that run this town? They would have put in the paper, ‘harlot granny returns home after abandoning her family. How is this going to affect Erin, and is she afraid of the negative influence her mother will have on Kinsley?’ Yeah, that would have gone over well. You know how everyone here talks. I would rather they feel pity for us than disgust.”

A mischievous smile graced her face. “How did you like the story I spun about how lightning burned the house down? When the insurance check comes in the mail, and all this mess is over, we’ll build your mother a house by the bay. The water may be green and unsightly, but hearing the waves hit the shoreline at night makes sleeping so much better. It’s good luck and will grant her pleasant dreams.”

“Grandma, you are too much.” As we walked back down the driveway, my eyes were drawn to a gorgeous blonde-haired, emerald-eyed man laying shingles down on the rooftop of the newest section of the house. Keri talked Mom into moving us here after we lost our house. Mom only agreed to stay if she could pay rent or help with groceries. Keri reluctantly agreed. She couldn’t explain to her that they didn’t need anything in the finance department.

He caught me staring and winked. A billion butterflies took off at one time within my stomach. He never fails to take my breath away. Grandma sighed, “I know that look. It was the same one I used to give your grandfather. He was my everything. Well, up until Erin graced our lives, of course. Then, I was blessed once more with you.” My attention instantly went to her. “Speaking of, now that I know who you actually are, why don’t you tell me the real story of how you and Grandpa met, instead of the version Mom told me? She said you two were high school sweethearts.”

About that time, I heard Mom calling for us. “I’ll take a rain check on that one, as it’s a pretty long story, and your mom doesn’t need to overhear it. We’ll talk more tonight.” Grandma smiled and led me up to our temporary home. It was the garage that the spectacular Keri had turned into a three-bedroom apartment overnight. Her skills never cease to amaze me. She said this was only until the new section of the house was built for us. My mother doesn’t know it, but we will be staying here for a while. Mainly for safety reasons, until the Drakkar threat is over.

Mom was in the garage, sorting and stacking all the stuff that wasn’t destroyed in the attack. Keri informed us yesterday that our section of the house will be ready by tomorrow, which is also the day we graduate. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost four months since the “lightning storm” hit our house. That’s all anyone in town remembers that night, but we saw a much more vivid description of just how powerful our enemies are.

Drakkar.

That name strikes fear into my heart every time I even think of his name. He vowed revenge, but so far there has been no sign of him. I know that any minute now, the peace that we have worked so hard to rebuild can shatter. It is a whole new level of anxiety I am not used to, knowing that we could be attacked again without warning.

There is another name that bothers me in a different way. I twirled my ring around my finger and stared at the garnet stone. The night I released my grandma, I trapped someone in here. How I did any of it, I am still clueless. I just sensed the power, and I used it. I have not felt it since, but that doesn’t mean it is not there. The ring shimmered slightly as if reminding me of the soul inside.

Trygve.

He’s imprisoned there, and any day now, we are sure the Dark Oracle will come for him. We don’t know what that’s going to mean for me. No one seemed willing to discuss this whenever I brought it up. There are also these dreams I’ve been having that I refuse to mention to anyone, even Rikki. With everything happening, it’s best not to add this to the mix. I don’t want anyone to worry when I am handling it just fine on my own. Grandma patted me on the back and whispered, “Stop it, Kinsley. Now is a time for celebration, not trepidation. Let’s help your mom pack.”

After about an hour, Keri opened the door. “I’m sure you ladies have worked up an appetite. I made lunch.” My mother smiled, “Keri, you are a saint. After I eat, I have to get ready to head out. My shift starts at 2:00 today.”

Grandma talked Mom into quitting her job in Zephyr’s Landing after Margaret, the grocery store cashier, gave her two weeks’ notice. She was moving out west to be closer to her daughter, who was about to have a baby. The owner asked Mom if she wanted to upgrade from part-time shelf-stocking to a full-time cashier position. Mom didn’t need too much convincing, as she was beyond fed up with her horrible boss at the factory. Within a week, Mom moved up to shift leader and the closing store manager. She makes more money now than she did when she was working two jobs. She seemed a lot happier. Of course, I also think it has a lot to do with her mom’s return.

Grandma had to erase Mom’s memories of the night she presented herself to us in the remains of our living room. She protected Mom from her realm for as long as she could. She thought all was lost when Trygve entered their lives. He made Mom fall in love with him because he thought she would be the one to whom the ring of souls would be passed down. When she got pregnant with me, though, he tucked his tail and ran away like the coward he is. That brought me back to the dreams I have been having. No. I don’t need to do that right now. I can’t get sucked back into my thoughts and what plagues me every time I close my eyes.

Shaking my head to clear it, I followed Mom into the kitchen, where a wonderful smell was coming from. The talented Keri can not only fix the house from top to bottom, inside and out, but also outcook the best gourmet chefs in the world. That is my opinion, anyway. She had enough food spread out across the bar to feed four families. It consisted of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, green beans, corn on the cob, and deviled eggs.

“My goodness, Keri, you said lunch. I believe this is a Thanksgiving dinner minus the turkey!” Mom exclaimed. Keri beamed at the compliment. “Well, when the guys take a break, they will be famished, so I wanted to make sure there is enough. I already made you a plate to take to work with you if you want it.” Mom also doesn’t know that they don’t eat, thanks to the accidental supernatural skills they acquired after being banished here.

Mom smiled even bigger, “Yes! Thanks, Keri. I don’t know where we would be without you and Ty’s hospitality. We were lucky to get out of the house before it burned down, thanks to Rikki. If that thoughtful boy hadn’t come by to check on us after the lightning started striking the ground, I don’t know what would have happened to us.” Mom’s eyes started to well with tears, and Keri handed her a tissue. “Oh, Erin, please don’t cry. It was the least we could do. After all, Kinsley was already becoming like family to us even before she and Rikki started dating. She was so sweet to him and Mag when they started school. We wanted to pay you two back for the kindness shown to us while we were still settling in. Rikki has always been good at knowing when something bad is going to happen. He gets what he calls a ‘gut feeling’. I’m just glad his gut told him to drive to your house that night.”

Mom blinked through her tears and hugged Keri around the neck.

What Mom thinks happened is the same story that the rest of Byolla Bay believes. A rare lightning storm washed in from across the sea and swept through our tiny town. Our house got the brunt of the storm. It all but fizzled out by the time it hit Meshella’s. There was minimal damage to the other houses, and only ours was completely demolished.

That story is more believable than the truth. It would be an incredible tale to believe if I had not witnessed it myself. I would not be able to fathom an evil Oracle granting a Viking king the power to decimate his enemies. He used that power to banish a rival Viking family from another realm into this world. Then, he came after us to get my ring, which holds the key to the king and the Oracle’s demise.

Keri gave Mom her lunch, and all three of us walked her to the shiny new red SUV in the driveway. Mom’s old car was crushed by the debris from our house, so her insurance totaled it and sent her a check. Grandma picked this out for her. At first, Mom thought it was too flashy, but now she adores it. Mom pulled out of the driveway and headed to her job. We waved until she was out of sight.

Keri spun around quicker than my eyes could follow and yelled, “Okay, boys! Erin is gone, so you can really get to work now. Double time!” All of a sudden, a flurry of blurred movements occurred on the roof and ground level of the new section. It was like watching a time-lapse video in real life. The siding was on, and the shingles were hung. All that was left to do was paint. “Awesome.” I heard myself mutter. Even though I’m used to their extraordinary strength and speed, it still blows my mind every time I see it in action.

All three men jumped down from the roof and landed in front of us. “What do you think, my love?” Ty inquired of Keri as he walked up and kissed her. She smiled up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, “I guess it will do.” Gene dropped his tool belt next to his feet while looking at his mother, shell-shocked. “What do you mean it will do? We followed everything, down to the smallest half-inch adjustments on your blueprint.”

Keri laughed at her eldest son, “No, dearest, I was joking. It’s perfect. I hope Kinsley, Erin, and Madam Oracle enjoy their new home.” Grandma snorted and rolled her eyes, “Inkeri! How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Madam Oracle? Call me Lyra, Grandma, or hey you.” Keri smirked, “When you stop calling me Inkeri, I’ll start calling you granny.” Grandma laughed, “That’s the spirit! Now, come on. Let’s continue our research. I’m convinced we are only a few pages of a book away from figuring out how to unlock the power to go home and take the clans back.”

My stomach gave a tiny lurch, like when a car is driven over a hill too fast or going through a loop on a rollercoaster ride. They think they are close to finding a way home. I don’t know what this will mean for Rikki and me. My mother is ignorant of the real truth of her ancestry, and I don’t think I could leave her. Grandma and I are all she has. Probably the hardest decision of my life is awaiting me, buried in the books of Ty’s study. The question at the end of it all is: will Rikki tear himself away from his family, or do I go on to a new world with the love of my life, who my soul is bound to?