‘You do not need to say. I have been told.’
‘What?’
‘Yes,’ he said, nodding. He cupped his ear. ‘What is that you say? Ah, yes, yes I agree.’
Chloe shook her head. ‘I don’t know why I am even going to ask this because if there’s one thing I don’t believe then it’s this but… who are you talking to?’
He was still cupping his ear like he was listening to the universe. ‘Yes, I agree with that also. Maybe, because she does not believe in enchantment she must never know.’
‘OK, that’s OK, you can keep your voices in your head to yourself. I’ll get a psych ward on standby.’
Gunnar gasped. ‘Voices in my head! You insult thehuldufólk!’
‘The what?’
He took her arm and led her further along the walkway until they were poised over the water at the very centre of the boat.
‘We must whisper,’ he whispered. ‘So they do not hear.’
‘O-K.’
‘More quiet.’
‘OK,’ she whispered.
‘So, here in Iceland there is the…huldufólk.’ He looked over his shoulder like someone or something was about to rise out of the sea and take him.
‘And that means?’ Chloe asked.
‘Do not tell the government, but it is thehuldufólkwho are really in charge of things around here. They are supernatural beings that live in nature.’
‘Like… ghosts?’ Chloe queried.
‘More like… elves.’
She laughed out loud. ‘Elves aren’t supernatural beings. They’re… well… OK, I don’t know what they are, possibly because they only exist in fairy tales and?—’
Suddenly a gloved finger was pressed to her lips and she was eye to eye with Gunnar. Those blue eyes. Bright, clear blue eyes. She went to open her mouth, resist the material resting against her lips but then:
‘Sshh. You think thehuldufólkare a joke?’ he asked. ‘In Iceland we take them very seriously and it is not right to insult them while we are on the sea and under the Northern Lights; both of these things they have deep connections to.’
Chloe said nothing, just kept their gaze fixed together somewhat in challenge.
‘So, if I take my finger away will you pledge to suspend your disbelief until we get back to dry land? It would not be good for me if how you feel about thehuldufólkmade them angry and endangered all the other passengers and crew and?—’
‘Alright!’ Chloe said, the word muffled against his finger.
He took away his finger. ‘So, now, we will both make a wish on the lights.’
‘Do we have to link hands and close our eyes too?’
The second the words were out of Chloe’s mouth she wanted to retract them. Why had she said that?
‘Yes,’ Gunnar answered. ‘That is exactly what we must do. And before the lights begin to fade.’
Before she could say or do anything more, Gunnar had taken her hand in his and interlinked their fingers. Even with gloves preventing skin-on-skin contact the connection felt as achingly familiar as it felt alien. She closed her eyes. Wishes. She had wanted to believe in those many moons ago, but it was all fiction. Her wish had been to have a baby. Have a baby with Michael. She’d been ready to settle down, start a family. Her genetics – inarguable science not anything mystical – had ended that dream and then ended that relationship. Her life was taking a different path now – a career one – and she only had one thing to wish for. That partnership opportunity with the business.
Gunnar spoke some words in Icelandic and Chloe opened her eyes.
