Foss shook his head as he, Jamie and I ran away from the lake where the Nøkken portal to the Land of Be had just been destroyed by Nik. “We stick to the plan. Let’s head for the docks. As soon as Alrik and Charles stop fiddling with the water, Tor will grab them and they’ll meet us in Fossegrim.” We were holding hands so Jamie could vanish us, which made for an awkward escape.
“What if they need our help?” I argued as we ran toward the ocean. Well, I ran. They trotted, their long legs making the trek far easier on them. “How can you be sure that bloody body we saw floating to the surface wasn’t Jens?”
Jamie’s steps faltered, but Foss righted him. Foss’s response was firm. “Nøkken have the upper hand in a water fight. If we get involved, it’ll mean death for us all. Those who can be of use are helping. We’re sticking to the plan. Let’s go.”
I wanted to run back to Nik and Jens, but part of me saw the merit in Foss’s logic. I wasn’t even the best swimmer in gym class. And tritons? Those Nøkken were no joke. Plus, given my last experience when the Nøkkendalig attacked me underwater, I wasn’t keen on getting back in a lake so soon.
Jens was probably fine. He had Uncle Rick, Charles, Britta and Tor. They would find him and help him. His body probably wasn’t the one I saw with blood blooming out into the water in red puffs, streaking through the blue in ribbons. I felt cold and empty. The limbo of not knowing felt like a vice around my throat.
When we reached the dock, Foss took the lead. Jamie kept me vanished outside a small shanty just off the dock while Foss negotiated a small boat for us to cross the water in.
I had no idea Undraland was so vast. I heard Foss talking with the merchant, and he pointed to a piece of land so far away, it was barely visible. The dock worker had a fear of Foss that went beyond being intimidated by his physical appearance. Foss’s reputation had preceded him. Whatever softening had happened as a result of Mace’s whistle stripping away layers of his curse was pushed out by his sneer that seemed even more cruel than usual.
Foss paid the man, who began loading into the small boat the baskets Foss pointed to. There was a basket of food, one with blankets and clothes, one with nets, and a few I could not tell what was inside.
When Foss gave us a discreet nod, we made our way invisibly to the dock with quiet feet. Jamie lowered me down and Foss steadied me with his hands on my hips. I didn’t love the fact that since I was the smallest of our trio, I was to sit on the floor between the two wooden seats. I curled my knees to my chest to make room for the invisible man.
The image of surely not Jens bleeding out in the water imprinted itself on the inside of my eyelids, taunting me whenever I drew breath. Since I was invisible and no one would see my miniature breakdown, I turned my head to the side and wept into Jamie’s thigh.
Jamie ran his hands through my blonde tangles. “There, there. Nik knew this was a possibility. We all did going into it. There wasn’t time for him to suffer much, and we must be grateful for that.”
“Grateful? We have no idea if Jens is even alive! Nik’s body surfaced, but Jens went down there invisible. If he’s dead, will we even know? How will they find his body?”
Jamie gripped my hair too hard to be comforting. “When Tomten die, our magic leaves us, so he’ll be easy to spot.”
“That’s it? That’s all you can say? He’s your best friend!”
Jamie didn’t answer, but looked far off into the distance. Through the psychic bond we shared, I could tell he was not anxious to reach our destination, but more nervous for what happened when we did. “It’s best we remain concealed in the land of the Fossegrimens. They don’t value women as your culture does.”
“Okay,” I answered, forsaking open grieving and turning inward.
Jens could be dead right now. The invisible force I’d taken for granted was gone. I had hope that he would survive, but no assurances. I was more connected to Jamie than to him, and I really hated that. If he died, would I feel the ping? Would I know across an ocean in my heart that he stopped existing? Would the pounding in my chest feel hollow, or would I keep hoping for his return, eternally pining in my state of relationship limbo?
I was so tired of surviving. I rested against Jamie’s thigh between his legs and closed my eyes, pretending the hand in my hair wasn’t to vanish me, but to bring me comfort. I had to do a lot of pretending lately. I could feel Jamie’s angst through our psychic bond, which only compounded my own.
Foss rowed us across the water toward the docks. As we got closer, the landscape changed. Instead of the vivid green of Nøkken with its gorgeous flowers and bursting nature, Fossegrim was only sparsely green with muted sand and limited foliage along the outskirts of the island. There were beige tents set up along the coastline with various merchants selling their wares. It was Aladdin’s town from the cartoon I always thought was a little too racy to be for children.
Foss took charge, correctly sensing Jamie and I were useless in our current state. “You’ll stay here. I’ll send Viggo for you. He’ll bring you to my house where we’ll wait. Stay hidden until you get to my bedroom.” He snapped his finger to make sure we were paying attention, since he couldn’t see us. “Not my property. Not my house. My bedroom. If the Mouthpiece catches wind of you on Fossegrim soil, you’ll be easy to find. He won’t set foot on our land, but we don’t want him to know that you have. The less people know you’re here, the better. I have business to attend to, and then I’ll be home.”
Jamie agreed for the both of us, since Foss couldn’t give a crap what I thought anyway. Sure, let’s split the group further. It’s clearly proved a solid idea. Whatever. At least I get Jamie.
Foss had rowed us for nearly three hours. I was just starting to get over my slight seasickness when we docked. “Lucy, where’s your face?” Foss asked, reaching around near his knees.
“Right here,” I said, hoping he could follow my voice and wouldn’t have to pat me on the top of my head like a dog.
He did it anyway, and I cringed.
He bent his neck to try looking me in the eye. What he couldn’t see was me obstinately looking toward the heavens. Take that.
“Look, rat. Jens and your world tolerate you better than I do or my people will. If you want to get out of this intact, you’ll keep your mouth shut and your head down. You’ll get a change of clothes from Viggo when you get to my house. Keep your head down like your maidenhood depends on it. They’ve never seen a blonde before.”
“Don’t talk about my virginity,” I scolded, clutching tighter to Jamie’s thigh. I took a breath and softened a little, since Foss was actually trying to be helpful. “But I can do that. Thanks for the heads up. No one ever tells me what to expect when we get to a new country.”
His expression was a snarl, as it usually was. “I’m not doing it for you. I owe Jens more than he’ll hold me to, and I don’t like having debts. I’m keeping you safe for his sake.”
“Aw, shucks. You say the sweetest things.”
When Foss got out of the boat, it was like losing a small elephant and a giant dark cloud. The boat floated at least a foot higher, and I felt like I could breathe well enough to feel the grief from leaving Jens and Nik behind.