I didn’t know what to make of his offer, but as it turned out, it wasn’t actually a request. He rolled in a wheelchair and lifted me off the bed as if I was made of brittle bone and silk. I could sit up well enough on my own to where I didn’t require the straps to hold me upright in the wheelchair. When he bent down on one knee to place my feet on the narrow platform, he paused, steeling himself before pressing his lips to my knee.
Jamie roared in my head as my mouth dropped open in a silent scream. I raked my clumsy and malnourished nails across his cheek, barely leaving a mark, since I’d taken to excessively biting my nails. Though I didn’t hurt him, my intention was clear.
With sad eyes that pitied me, he held my hands while still on bended knee. “Hildy, don’t do that. You love me. I knew you’d find us. I knew you would come back to me.”
I struggled to free myself from the chair and him. I didn’t care how I escaped – I’d crawl along on my elbows if that’s what it took. Though I hadn’t uttered a word, Captain Six seemed to understand enough of my disgust towards him that he pulled back, though he still held my hands.
“They all think we’re dead. They think they killed us all, but you can’t vanquish an entire race this superior!” The gleam in his brown eyes bordered on madness. “Our siren abilities don’t work on the Other Side. The moment we fled through the gates, they were stripped away. You notice my hair? It’s not the silver it used to be, coated in stars. Once we crossed over, we became common. We can’t burn with our hands anymore, and our skin that used to be translucent clouded over to look like humans.” He unloaded the information with a heavy sigh, conveying his disappointment. “Tucker St. James built us a bunker, and we’ve been down here ever since. A few try living under your sun, but most live down here. Did you figure that out, too? Did you find some way to restore our power to us, Hildy? If anyone could do it, it’d be you. This is all that’s left of our people. Please tell me you can help.”
He looked up at me with such sincerity and hopefulness, I almost pitied him as I shook my head. His shoulders sank, and he buried his forehead in my lap.
However many sirens were down here were impotent. That was good to know. I’d thought Pesta was the big kahuna, but apparently the mole people down here were still holding on. To know such power only to have it stripped away just because you stepped over to the Other Side was harsh.
Jamie raged in my head. Don’t you dare soften, Lucy! He’s part of this! He’s part of why we’re being held down here!
I know! I’m just saying it sucks, is all. Impressive they built this underground area to survive in.
Survive? You mean to torture people in!
I know, I know. Chill out.
Captain Six stood, leaning over me to kiss my forehead. I cringed at the mustache I now hated, and thankfully he pulled back. “They say they’ve got more work to do to try severing the bond before I can keep you.” He traced the curve of my cheek, so I ripped my face from his touch. “Don’t you want to be free of that Tonttu brat?”
My nose scrunched as I touched my heart with a feeble and shaking hand, indicating that Jamie was dear to me.
Six nodded, now pitying me. “Yes, you may feel that way now, but his father was one of those who ordered our banishment. Our land was taken and redistributed among Undra. They grow their crops on stolen land!”
His scandalous announcement was, I’m sure, upsetting. I, however, had been shocked around the neck too many times to feel terribly bad for anyone except for Jamie and me.
I saw the consequence of breaking the bond, clear as day. If they were successful in severing the lapland, Jamie would be unprotected. In this place, he wouldn’t last a day with the amount of jaded sirens holed up for two decades in here. I reached through the bond and clung tight to Jamie’s hand. I won’t leave you. No matter what.
Jamie squeezed my hand in response just as Six laced his fingers through mine. I held tight, meaning to attach myself to Jamie, but Six benefitted from my small compliance. “That’s right. You’re starting to remember me. I know it’s been years. Your daughter doesn’t like me much.”
My nose scrunched again. I didn’t have the psych degree necessary to deal with his level of Looney Tunes.
I yanked my hand from his, but he smiled, walking around behind my wheelchair and pushing me through the dark toward a cafeteria area. “I had them turn off the lights so you don’t hurt your eyes,” the captain explained, leaning over my shoulder to speak quietly to me. No one was in the hallway except for us, though I could hear people moving through other nearby hallways.
One short-haired middle-aged woman in blue scrubs turned down our hallway, saw my arms and gasped, shrieking in accusation at me. “Domslut! She should die, Captain! All due respect, but it’s an insult to have a Domslut in our home! She killed one of us and wears our blood like a medal of honor!”
Captain Six ran his fingers through my hair. I jerked my chin toward the floor so I didn’t have to see her hatred or feel his affection. “Anika, Lucinda’s of no harm to us. She did what they told her to do. This is Hilda the Powerful’s daughter. She won’t hurt us now that Undraland isn’t pulling the strings. Once we separate her from the Tomten who’s brainwashed her, I’m sure she’ll be more than helpful with our situation.”
Jamie scoffed in my head.
Anika was not pacified. “We’re fine without her. She spilled siren blood. I want hers in return!” As she walked by us, she spat at me, the wet gob landing in my hair. “Domslut,” she seethed, emphasizing the part that played best to her vindictive nature.
Sure. Now I’m a slut. Whatever.
Captain Six wasted no time in retaliating. He pulled a small whistle from under his shirt and blew on it four times in succinct blasts. He grabbed Anika and slammed her to the wall in front of me. He cupped her chin with his unforgiving hand and forced her to look at me. His words were squeezed out through clenched teeth. “That is Hilda the Powerful trapped inside her daughter’s body. Hilda fought for our freedom before she was banished, as we are. You’ll not assault her in my presence.” Though he’d been kissing my fingers minutes before, he was brutal now, and I was very afraid.
Anika gave a few attempts at breaking free, but then deflated. “Yes, Captain.”
Three orderlies wearing more official-looking shirts than the average torturer or resident ran in from other hallways. It was enough commotion that I was ignored for the moment. I had very little use of my legs, but my arms were regaining motion. I took my chance as Anika yelled her accusations at Six and flung my body forward out of the wheelchair. Jamie cried out in my mind, but the pain was quickly replaced with cheers for me to go faster, to escape. There was no plan, only away, so away I crawled, using my forearms as leverage to slink a foot at a time away from the madness.
Anika was led away after Six explained the charge. Apparently it was fine to starve me, shock me, and keep me locked up in darkness, but Heaven forbid anyone spit at me. I didn’t understand their moral compass, but I was grateful for this one finally swinging in my favor.
My victory was short-lived, if you can believe it, solid as my plan was. Six picked me up like I weighed nothing and set me back in the wheelchair. “You shouldn’t have done that! I was getting you cafeteria privileges. Hildy, I know you’re in there! Control your daughter!”
Instead of trusting me to stay in the chair, he pulled the straps that had been hanging on the arms and fastened them too tight for comfort. He turned the wheelchair around and steered me straight back to the room I’d been granted, shutting the door behind us.
Nine.
Kunna Tofs
My arms lit the room, and I was grateful he didn’t try to turn on any additional lights. The brightness from just the stars was too much still.
I thrashed against my bindings, panicking that I was in a room alone with the crazy man. He looked me over, calculating how best to approach the wild animal I was. His hand stroked his stubble in thought. “Lucinda? Can you hear me?”
I didn’t answer, only continued my struggle.
Six bent down and picked up my foot, cradling the bare flesh in his large mitts. I tried to kick him, but surprisingly enough, he was much stronger than me.
Get your hands off her! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! Jamie was beside himself, having to watch the scene play out with no control over any of it.
Six stroked behind my ankle slowly, but then delivered a pinch to my tendon that had me thrashing in pain, instead of just for freedom. He released the pressure point and rubbed my foot, speaking quietly so I had to calm down to hear him as I seethed in silence. “Did you feel that? That’s painful, right? I don’t want to do that, but you leave me no choice when I can’t get your attention. I need you to answer me.” He stroked the tender spot that made me tense up. “Nod if you understand.”
I obeyed, not wanting that all over again.
“Good girl. See? That wasn’t so hard. Am I speaking with Lucinda?”
I nodded once.
“Is there a chance you’ll let me speak to Hilda? To your mother?” He was on bended knee in supplication, fingers poised over my freezing foot to inflict more pain if I didn’t answer.
I mouthed, I’m not Hilda. I’m not my mom.
Captain Six smiled that I was answering and calming down enough to communicate. “This must be very confusing for you.”
I nodded.
He rubbed my ankle, stretching my foot forward and back to relieve the echoes of the sting. “I wasn’t sure when they brought you in, but when I saw you, I knew she’d done it. It’s a rare bit of magic, older than laplanding. So few even believed it could be done, but they didn’t know Hildy like I did. She took limitations as a challenge. She was amazing like that.”
I had no clue what he was talking about, but he seemed to like it when I nodded, so I stuck with that.
He blew warmth onto my toes, and as much as him being near me was upsetting on every level, my freezing skin relaxed involuntarily as he rubbed sensation into my foot. “Are you familiar with the Nøkkendalig?”
I recoiled in disgust, nodding as I clenched my fist.
“If I untie you, will you behave? I don’t relish the idea of taking a switch to Hildy’s daughter, but I will if you force my hand.”
I was horrified at that mental image. I nodded, letting my clenched muscles go limp so there would be no confusion that I would not try to escape.
For now.
Captain Six undid my arm restraints, and the release of blood through my veins was a painful relief. “You needn’t worry. The Nøkkendalig don’t plague the rivers anymore. You can thank your mother for that. One of her friends, Malin, was taken by them, and the Nøkken did nothing, as is their usual stance on unpleasantness. Look the other way and trust someone will handle it.” He gave me a conspiratorial scoff. “Your mother wasn’t one who tolerated such complacency, so she set out with a few of us to destroy the Nøkkendalig. My best friend and I were by her side the entire way, along with a handful of soldiers from various regions who were equally sick of their women disappearing into the depths. We slaughtered a great number of the underwater abominations that night.” His eyes hardened. “Hildy was the bait, but she was a fighter if I’d ever seen one. They took her and she fought with everything she had. We were all swinging swords and doing everything in our power to end them while keeping her safe. That’s how your father and your mother became laplanded.” He waved his hand. “But I’m sure you know all that.”
I shook my head, my mouth open in surprise. I hadn’t thought to ask how Mom and Dad laplanded.
Six raised his eyebrow. “Oh, really? Well, I would have assumed she’d told you everything.”
I didn’t know about Undraland until last year. She never told me a thing, I mouthed.
Six’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m sure I caught that wrong. Did you mean to say you didn’t know about Undraland until last year?”
I nodded, earning an incredulous gasp.
“But then you have no idea who your mother was! Who your parents really were! Do you know who you are?!” He touched his salt and pepper brow, searching for the right place to start. “This… well, no wonder you’re fighting so hard against us. You have no idea what’s going on.”
I nodded, finally allowing a little of my fear to surface in my expression.
Careful, Lucy! He’ll say anything to get to his end goal.
I knew that was probably true, but I ignored Jamie, grasping at the serpent in front of me to tell me something I could hold onto – to give me truth that was pretty to distract from the ugliness of my reality.
“Lucinda, here, let me help you.” Before I could acquiesce, Six was lifting me out of the chair and helping me to the bed. I scooted far away from him, as was our understood dance. I didn’t want the old man in the bed with me, George Clooney or not. He raised his hands to prove their innocence and sat in the chair at the desk a safe two feet from the foot of the bed.
Six’s voice was filled with passion when he spoke. “Your mother was Hilda the Powerful. She understood magic better than most, and had a courageous spirit that could inspire even the most cowardly. When she lost Malin to the Nøkkendalig, that was all it took. She told me she was leaving, and I rallied her followers.”
I raised my eyebrow at this.
“Your mother drew quite a few eyes, and those eyes followed her without much coercion. I was one of a long line to get to Hilda’s right hand.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed by Six’s account of my mom. Sure, she was awesome, but we moved so often, there was little momentum built in the way of making friends. Thinking of her with followers was a huge leap I couldn’t quite picture.
“You think I exaggerate?” he said with a small smile beneath his mustache. “She and I were together more in secret than in public. I treasured every second of our connection. I digress.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I gathered a small group of men and we marched to the river Malin had drowned in. Hilda didn’t bat an eye when she choked down the vatten liv weed and jumped into the water, but she did scream when they took her down.” A shadow of torment crossed his face. “That’s a sound you never forget.” He sat up straighter. “We all jumped in to attack the Nøkkendalig, slaughtering a fair few in the first go. I was focused on taking their leader down, so I didn’t see. I didn’t notice anything but the light.”
I remembered a bright light just before I was yanked to the surface. I nodded vigorously, pointing to him.
“What? The light? Yes, there was a light. Are you familiar with Kunna Tofs? Will o’ the Wisps?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t remember Uncle Rick mentioning anything that sounded similar to that in his bedtime stories.
“Kunna Tofs are elves who have gone down into the depths and escaped death at the hands of the Nøkkendalig by using a bevarande charm. Only the most powerful can manage it, but when worked effectively, it can make you immortal, though the cost for it is high. A Kunna Tofs escapes death, but they are stuck forever where they enact the bevarande charm. Their skin becomes translucent, and while they never die, they never really get to live anymore. It’s not a charm that’s used often.”
Well, that’s jacked up. I tried to think of places I wouldn’t mind being stuck forever, but even the best Chinese food joint would get boring after a few days.
“Most who die in the Lugn River at the hands of the Nøkkendalig are women, naturally. But there are men who have tried to save them that have died there also. I’d never seen a Kunna Tofs until the day your mother jumped into the river. Understand, the charm is so hard to do, that only those who have the most magic in their blood can execute it. One such elf enacted the bevarande charm in the Lugn River. He became what’s known as the Will o’ the Wisp. He rests on the bottom of the river and traded his ability to float to the surface for his life. So he lives, but in a watery prison far underneath the Nøkkendalig.”
I shuddered.
“Fro
m what I understand, the Nøkkendalig won’t go near him. To touch a Kunna Tofs is dangerous, unless they invite you to touch them. That much magic being traded for continued life has an unstable quality to it.”
Six paused his recollection to look into my eyes for something I couldn’t give him.
He cleared his throat and continued. “The Nøkkendalig and all of us were afraid of the Kunna Tofs, but your mother wasn’t afraid of anything.” He smiled in a far-off manner filled with tenderness when he spoke of my mom. I hated him one degree less, which by proxy, made me hate myself one degree more. “She got past the Nøkkendalig and swam to the bottom of the river, awakening the Kunna Tofs and begging him for a portion of his magic, so part of him could live on the surface through her.” He chuckled. “I couldn’t believe something so simple worked. She promised to use the extra magic to help right some of the wrongs in Undraland, and the Kunna Tofs consented. It took a kiss of the lips, and a blast of light that temporarily blinded all of us, and that was that. When she swam to the surface, the Nøkkendalig swarmed her, attacking with fervor. Now it was personal, since she’d passed by them unscathed.”
Six’s brown eyes hardened with regret and unrequited vindication. “I was fighting them off and didn’t see in time, but my best friend did. He swam to Hilda’s aid and plunged his dagger into the heart of the leader of the Nøkkendalig. Of course, he did this at the same time she slit the brute’s throat. Rolf didn’t mean to lapland with his best friend’s girlfriend, but that’s what happened. It was not half a year before they fell in love and married. I lost the love of my life and my closest friend in one go.”
There was a heaviness that fell over us both, and I knew Jamie could feel the gravity on his end, too. He did his best to reassure me. You are my syster. That will not happen to us. It would have happened already if it was going to. I love Britta, and you love Jens.
At the mention of Jens’s name, I flinched involuntarily, recalling the shocks that came whenever I’d been treated to a recording of his voice.
Lucy at War Page 4