The Wild Heir(59)

That sharp lance of fear that I’ve been trying not to feel over the last few days comes in and comes deadly.

We really don’t have much time.

“Are you okay?” she asks softly, frowning as she looks me over.

I shake my head. “Yeah. Sorry. Just spaced out there.”

“I’m used to that,” she says and then gently touches my arm, as if to say she knows, as if to say she’s here.

Helvete.

I need something to drink.





Thirteen





Magnus





Once the fire is roaring in the cabin and things are starting to warm up, candles flickering all over, the four of us sit down around the rough-hewn wooden coffee table that I’m pretty sure my grandfather cut from a tree around the corner. In fact, I think the whole cabin was built by trees felled just feet away.

On the center of the coffee table are bottles of aquavit, scotch, wine, beer, and a deck of cards. Even Einar is drinking, light beer, but still beer, since he doesn’t really have to be on his guard up here. I think that’s why he likes coming to the cabin. He can actually relax a little.

And we’re all feeling pretty relaxed as the night goes on. Ella is beside me on the couch, and I’m doing the very adolescent thing where I’m taking up most of the space so she has no choice but to be pressed against me. She doesn’t seem to mind though, and when she’s laughing especially hard, she leans into me.

Jesus. It feels like I’m fifteen again and flirting with girls at a party, concentrating on every look, every touch. Gone is the Magnus that never had to choose because women were always throwing themselves at him. Here is the Magnus that has to work hard for every single inch.

“So, Ella,” Viktor says to her. “Magnus tells me that you’re into environmental issues and that sort of thing.”

“That’s right,” she says. “Hope to have my own non-profit one day…perhaps here in Norway.” This is sounding hopeful. “Something to keep governments accountable, to keep the people involved in what’s going on with the resources, with the environment.”

Viktor presses his lips together, impressed. “Considering how much alcohol we’ve had at this point, I’m impressed that you sound so articulate.”

She shrugs and gives him a sloppy smile. “Perhaps the alcohol is tricking you into thinking I make sense.”

But I’ve been watching Ella, and though it seems like she’s drinking the same as the rest of us, she’s been very slow to take sips and often has a glass of water in between. She’s not drunk, she’s acting the part.

Then, as if on cue, Einar gets up and tosses his two empty beer cans in the trash, which prompts Ella to get to her feet.

“What are you doing? Is that recycling?”

Einar gives her the funniest look, as if she’s speaking some alien language, and I know his English is pretty good. “I beg your pardon?”

Ella marches over to the bin and pulls out the cans. “It’ll be too gross to separate them later. Do you have a bag for them?”

“Ella,” I tell her. “Just leave the cans on the counter. We’ll deal with it the next time Viktor and I come up here. Come back and join the party.”

She relents with a sigh and sits back down like nothing happened.

“Princess Planet,” I start singing under my breath, leaning into her. “She’s a hero.”

“Gonna put pollution down to zero,” Viktor finishes, grinning maniacally.

“Why do you keep singing that?” Ella asks me. It’s true, I do hum it in the halls when I pass her.

“It’s your song.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you have a song, too.”

“Was it on a kids’ TV show in the nineties?”

“Prince shitbag,” she starts singing into her beer, “oooh yeah, he’s a bag of shit.”

“That,” I start, wanting to tell her that’s not even a real song. But I say, “was pretty amazing.”

“Princess Planet and Prince Shitbag,” Viktor says, nodding his approval. “I’m rather liking this coupling.”

“Shut up, you damn Swede,” Ella tells him with a wicked grin.

“Fuck, that’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said,” I tell her, my dick getting stiff. I have to adjust myself and hope she doesn’t notice. With her angelic face, swearing has never sounded so good.

And then of course it turns into one long lesson of Norwegian swear words where I teach her the importance of the following swears: Ronketryne = whack-off face

J'vla bonde = fucking farmer Kuktryne = dickface J?vla hore kuk = fucking whore dick

Jeg driter i melka di = I shit in your milk

After that last one, when everyone finally stops giggling, Einar suddenly shouts out, “Jeg har runka bestefaren din!”

Which causes both Viktor and I to exchange a look of shock before we burst out laughing.

“Einar!” I exclaim. “I never knew you had that in you.”

“What does it mean?” Ella cries out. “Tell me!”

“No, no,” Einar says quickly, and lo and behold, I think his face is going red. “It is not meant for your ears.”

“Is it about me?” Her eyes are wide.