“Great, wonderful.” Mia let out a relieved breath. “That’ll … hopefully, that should make things easier. So … I guess, right now, I think the best thing is for you to bring Hanna with you to Merellä. You have to keep going forward, and we won’t be able to make it to wherever you are tonight.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” I said, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Hanna twirling about. “I guess I’ll call, um, my new flatmate and see how I can make it work.”
“Thank you, and again, sorry about all this, Ulla.”
“Yeah, I understand. We’ll talk more later.”
I ended the call and turned my attention back to Hanna. She was smiling widely until she saw my face, and her attempts to appear remorseful only made her look like she was holding back a sneeze.
“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend that you feel bad.” I shook my head and managed a crooked smile. “You owe me big-time for this. Huge.”
“I know, I know.” She ran over and threw her arms around me. “Thank you so much!”
“Don’t thank me so soon. I haven’t figured out how you’re gonna pay me back yet.”
7
Merellä
It appeared like a mirage in the dark of night.
There was little to see until a lighthouse, flashing onto angry waves crashing against the cliffside. Miles of empty coastline stretched out before us … until it didn’t. The air shimmered and bowed, then shadows began to take shape.
“Oh jakla!” Hanna said in surprise, and she leaned forward, practically resting her chin on the dashboard, as she watched the cloaking magic fade and the buildings materialize.
Merellä—the ancient city on the sea—loomed before us like a gothic fairy tale. A ten-foot stone wall protected the inland side of the citadel, and to enter we had to pass through a massive gate made of wood and wrought iron. Two guard towers sat on either side, and I had to show them my official acceptance letter from the Mimirin as well as Finn’s identification and voucher for me.
The guard handed me back my papers and asked, “Do you know where you’re going, miss?”
“Not really, no,” I admitted. “This is my first time here.”
He tapped the address on my papers. “The place you’re staying is in the Olde District, down by the stables. Stay on this road until the Ogden Tower, then take a left down toward Wapiti Way. It’s only about a block or so away west of that.”
“Thanks.” I rolled the window back up and headed off the way he’d pointed me.
I drove slowly down the narrow dirt roads. The village houses along the road were practically built on top of each other, with hardly a gap between neighboring houses. A hazy fog drifted in off the ocean, and the dim kerosene lamps that hung on lampposts only added to the eerie feel.
“Do they have superheroes here?” Hannah asked.
“What are you talking about?”
She pointed out the window, and I looked up to see the dark silhouette perched on the peak of a thatched roof. A cloud shifted over the moon, illuminating the figure and her long, iridescent hair. In the moonlight it shimmered and shifted color like a silken rainbow.
“What the hell—” I slammed on the brakes a split second before I drove into the corner of a house.
Seconds later—barely long enough for me to catch my breath—the fabric roof of the Jeep caved in.
Hanna yelped and crouched down, and I threw the car in park. One of the bags came flying forward, as the figure in the back flailed.
In a clunky but effective move, I opened the door and grabbed Hanna, pulling her out with me. Looking back over my shoulder as I yanked her to safety, I caught a glimpse of the rainbow, then the figure dove out of the Jeep and took off down the street.
“What was that?” Hanna asked. “Is that a troll? Or a unicorn?”
I shot her a look. “Hanna, did you see a horse with a horn?”
“I’m just keeping my mind open. I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She looked up at me. “Have you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Since we don’t know what that was, I think we should get in the car and get to our apartment and maybe make sure that we lock the door behind us.”
Hanna didn’t move immediately—instead preferring to scan the skyline for signs of anything else unusual lurking about.
8
Flatmate
“You’re late.” That was how my new flatmate answered the door.
Hanna and I were huddled up on the landing at the top of the stairs with all of our bags piled around us, and Dagny Kasten—the aforementioned new flatmate—stood just inside, frowning at us. Her long black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and the old plaid shorts and the pillow imprint on her tawny skin led me to believe she’d been asleep before we got here.
“I’m really sorry about that. We ran into some trouble on the way here,” I said, and Hanna was still scanning the nearby rooftops for any signs of the rainbowed creeper.
Dagny narrowed her eyes at Hanna before looking back up at me. “You are the boarder, right? I thought you were coming alone.”
“Yeah, I am Ulla Tulin,” I assured her, and she relaxed some. “Hanna wasn’t supposed to be here, but she’s only staying until her parents can come get her.”
Hanna smiled up hopefully at her and waved. “Hi, I’m Hanna. I’m twelve, and I’m quiet, clean, and I know how to make a mean carrot cake.”
“Well, I don’t know where you’re gonna sleep, but you might as well come on in.” Dagny finally stepped back, letting us into the apartment.
The place was small and rustic. Exposed beams ran along the vaulted ceilings, and the small galley kitchen had butcher-block countertops. Since this was temporary housing, it came sparsely furnished—a lumpy sofa, a battered bistro-style table with four stools, and ratty curtains over the windows. My bedroom was a small, open loft above the bathroom at the back of the apartment, accessible only by ladder. It was large enough for the twin mattress on the floor, a nightstand on one side, and a small dresser at the foot of the bed.
A door off the living room led to Dagny’s bedroom that went unseen in the tour, and she immediately declared it was “completely off-limits” to me and Hanna, for any reason, ever.
After that, she gave us a brief rundown of the house rules—which basically amounted to us not touching her stuff, cleaning up after ourselves, and being quiet.
“Any questions?” she asked when she finished.
Hanna’s hand shot up. “Do you have rainbow-haired trolls here?”
“Are you talking about those silly troll dolls?” Dagny asked derisively.
“No, we saw … something when we came into town,” I explained. “I think it was maybe a troll or a person, with long crazy rainbow-colored hair.”
“The Mimirin is filled with magic and attracts trolls from all over the world.” Dagny shrugged. “With brightly colored hair being so in right now, the wilder coeds here have to find new ways to stand out, so you’re bound to see some crazy hair and inexplicable fashion choices while you’re here.”