“Okay, it was cute the first ten minutes, but I can’t take much more of this. Where’s Alrik?” Nik complained, looking out from behind a grassy hill that stretched seven stories high. It was one of dozens in this area, and made for a nice waiting spot.
It was dark out, and Jamie and I were lying in the grass on either side of Britta, looking up at the stars and laughing at the dirty shapes the bright dots made. Britta told us the story of one of the constellations before we lost focus and started making up our own “hilarious” versions. Most of them involved bowel movements at inappropriate times, which could not have made us laugh more. Britta was absolutely crimson, and had given up on shushing us long ago.
Jens was sharpening his knives on a stone while Foss gulped from his canteen, exhausted from carrying Jamie for the better part of a day. “You’re too far away!” I complained to Jens with a giggle, rolling over onto my stomach and propping myself up on my elbows. “I miss you like a warm, fuzzy mitten, you handsome man! Come be my warm, fuzzy mitten.” I gave him my best come hither eyes and my most dazzling grin.
Jens’s smile returned to me wary. “Keep talking, nympho! I’m staying right here until you get some actual adult supervision.”
Foss was flabbergasted when I blew Jens a kiss and then stage whispered some very unladylike things to him. He turned to Jens with admiration in his eyes. “You deserve some kind of medal for this. She’s bent on you, but you’re over here with a bunch of smelly men.”
Jens clapped Foss on the back too hard to be genuine. “What can I say? You’re a lovely bunch.” He took a bite of his apple, looking at me like he wished he was by my side. “I can’t go over there. If I do, I’ll… you can tell she’s not right in the head. I can’t take advantage like that.”
Nik chuckled from his lookout position. “You’re a good man, Jens.”
“Yeah. Lucky me. Where the smack is Alrik?” He looked up to the heavens in exasperation. “Great, Mox. Now you’ve got me saying it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And why didn’t she fall asleep last night with your song, Nik? She’s laplanded to Jamie.”
Nik shrugged. “You know sleep isn’t connected between laplanders.” He had tried singing a song to calm Jamie down, but it didn’t work on either of us. “Her hands are ice and her pupils are dilated. She’s been bewitched by Mace. It’s the only explanation. The Nøkken song is powerful, but it doesn’t control people. It only suggests. Mace has to undo it.”
I started reassembling the braids Jamie had taken out of Britta’s hair with fingers that were trembling with jubilation. I could not help but kiss her cheek every few seconds. “I’m so happy for you!”
Jamie took the responsibility of smooching her other cheek in rhythm with me. “I’m so happy for me! Let’s get married tonight, my love. This very night!”
“Why wait?” I agreed, high-fiving Jamie, our matching grins making Britta bury her face in her hands. “Oo! I’ve never been to a wedding before!”
We kept smooching her cheeks until Nik pulled me away. “You are a problem, aren’t you? Worse than your wolf with all your energy.”
“Oh, Nik! Isn’t it all just so wonderful! Undraland is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen! Nøkken is amazing. Except for all the rapists.” I don’t know why, but this made me laugh so hard, I doubled over on the ground. “Get it? Because rapists, they’re not amazing! Ha!”
Jamie giggled into Britta’s cheek. “I get it, Lucy! And now they’re dead! Ha!”
Thankfully Uncle Rick and Mace turned up before we found anything worse to laugh about.
“You!” Jens called out through the night in accusation.
“What?” Mace sneered, taking a defensive step back.
“You did something to her in your whistle. I know you did. What did you make her feel? She’s been out of her mind for two days now!”
Uncle Rick whirled on Charles after glancing at me. “What happened, son?”
“Nothing!” Mace’s hands were raised in surrender.
Jens was in no mood. “What was the third whistle for? I know it was you.”
Mace shrugged. “Oh, you know. Just general health and stuff.”
Jens clenched his fists. “Are you trying to be a bad liar, or are you just trying to get me angry?”
Tor pushed his hand to Jens’s chest to keep him from lunging. “Easy, boy.”
Mace eyed Jens in challenge. “Maybe both at this point. Although, I really don’t have to try to get you angry. Seems like existing does the trick well enough on its own.”
Uncle Rick took one look at Jamie and me on the grass, checked my pupils, touched my hands and turned to Mace. “Undo it, young man. Your spell shouldn’t have lasted this long. Most Huldras’ wear off in a few hours.”
I pointed and guffawed at my half-brother. “Uh-oh! He young-manned you, Mace! That can’t be good.”
Jamie pointed to the hill. “Go sit in the corner, young man!”
“Time out for you, young man!” I giggled on the grass even as Mace knelt next to me. “Get it? Because he’s mad at you, and you’re a boy! You’re in trouble!” I teased, grinning up at him. “You know what else has tails like you? Comets! You have to help me find one!”
Charles smiled forlornly at me. “Look up at the stars, beautiful girl. Find my comet.” Then he pulled me onto his lap while I giggled at the sky, searching for any sign of a comet to report and make my joke complete.
He pressed his lips to my ear, and more laughter bubbled out of me like a fountain filled with cola. “Uh-oh! You’re kissing my ear again. Jens is not gonna be happy about that. Big trouble… young man!”
This set Jamie off in hysterics again.
Mace whistled a slow, steady note in my ear. At first, I was grinning so wide, I thought I might split my face. As the note progressed and mutated, my smile wilted. My eyes drooped as my muscles began to loosen from the tension built over the course of two days spent laughing. Before I knew it, my whole body was jelly, and I flopped back lifelessly in my brother’s arms.