"It's only a little way to the city," he said. "I can try another door, if you want. "
"No! No, I'm good with walking, thank you very much. "
We were quiet for a bit, picking our way through the evergreens and gray rocks. It was beautiful. Or it would have been, were I not soaked to the bone and freezing.
"What were you saying about making a new friend?" Jack asked.
A rush of cold swirled through my heart and veins, like an injection of river water. Maybe it would extinguish the tingling in my fingertips.
"Umm, yeah, if by friend
I mean someone who tries to drown me. Ever heard of a fossegrim?"
He shook his head.
"Kelpie? Nix? No? All variations of the same lovely type of paranormal who hangs out in the water and drowns people for kicks. " I'd learned about them from Lish. Different areas of the world had different breeds, varying from horselike creatures to dragonish things. Judging by the beautiful-man appearance and music, I'd run into a fosse-grim. Supposedly you could kill them by saying their name but a) how would you find it out in the first place, and b) it's a little hard to talk when your lungs are slowly filling up with water. Still, legend had it they were occasionally benign, giving music lessons and even marrying mortals every now and again.
I didn't get the impression this one had any intentions of taking vows.
"So you aren't going to be best friends. "
"I dunno-he could be fun at a pool party. Assuming you hated everyone you invited. "
We walked in silence for a while, both of us hunched against the evening's chill, until we entered the outskirts of a city that was far too beautiful and charming to be mistaken for anywhere in America. The buildings were red brick and wood, with a classical feel that made the cars parked out on cobblestone streets look ridiculously out of place. I half expected a horse-drawn cart to come prancing down the street, followed by villagers in braids, singing and dancing. Or maybe I watched too many musicals.
"The neighborhood is a few blocks this way," Jack said, after reading some street signs to get his bearings. Lamps flickered on and I added Trollhattan to the list of places I'd like to visit for fun someday. I could totally see myself in a traditional Swedish outfit, my hair in ribbons, walking hand in hand through the streets with Lend.
How would he look in lederhosen?
Come to think of it, no one here was wearing lederhosen. That didn't mean Lend couldn't, though. . . . Of course, first he'd have to forgive me for sneaking around behind his back. A celebratory trip to Sweden would be a nice way to make up, right? Tucking that idea away for a later date, I started looking-really looking-at the people we passed on the street as we got closer to the potential troll district. For once I blended in well, a much better fit in Scandinavia than most other countries.
"Anything?" Jack whined after we had been wandering for close to half an hour. It was nearly dark now, and we were both shivering. Blisters already claimed every available surface of my wet-socks-and-shoes-clad feet. If I didn't see something soon, this whole trip was a bust. I hated to think that the poor people kidnapped and forced into slavery by the trolls would have to wait until next week to be rescued, but there wasn't anything more I could do tonight.
"Nope. Not a-"
A young girl darted across the street in front of me. Cute thing with a pug nose, ruddy cheeks, blond hair, and . . . a little tail sticking out from under her skirt.
Chapter Eighteen
Tourist Friendly
I grabbed Jack's arm and pointed to the girl. He looked at her, then shrugged. "Does that mean we're done?"
"Come on. Let's check to be sure we know which house. " We trailed her down the streets, winding through shopping areas and into a residential district. The brick-and-wood homes were neat and well tended, the streets clean under warm lights. The window boxes were empty now, but I imagined how charming this place would be in the spring and summer, lined with flowers.
I tried to keep a discreet distance from the girl. My only job was to figure out where she was staying and report back. No contact of any kind, which I was more than fine with. I hadn't even brought Tasey along-a fact I was now grateful for, since my little swim wouldn't have been good for her.
We passed a few people sitting on porches. When I made eye contact, I smiled, and they nodded back hesitantly. If they only knew what was in the midst of them. One woman in a pretty red wool coat stood next to a lamppost, dialing her phone. She glanced up, a small look of surprise on her face as she met my eyes, probably because my hair was still dripping wet. She winked at me and I gave a small wave. The Swedes totally deserved their friendly reputation.
Another corner and the little girl bounced up steps and into a nondescript house. "Bingo. " I was about to tell Jack we could finally go when a throat clearing sound behind us made me turn.
Every single person we'd passed on the way here, including the woman in the red coat, stood behind us, forming a semicircle. A distinctly menacing semicircle.
"Umm, Jack?" I tugged on his arm.
He glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at the house, pulling a communicator out of his pants pocket. "What?"
The crowd moved in closer.