The Misadventures of Annika Brisby (48 page)

BOOK: The Misadventures of Annika Brisby

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I suppose I should be glad we have time on our side,
she thought miserably, recalling his wedding gift to her.
I’ll need it
.

Annika’s family took her out to breakfast, but she didn’t enjoy any of it. Most of it came back up, and the entire time she could hear their thoughts wondering what was wrong with her, wondering what she’d endured that she needed to make up such an outlandish story. When they returned to the hotel she fell into a fitful sleep, where every time she caught a glimpse of her dark-haired elf, he was covered in those thick, blood drinking roots, or pulled under water by the beguiling sirens. She felt Talvi’s hand smoothing her hair, and she began to cry. He felt so real, as if he were there right beside her. She could even feel him sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Talvi, is that you?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if she was awake or dreaming.

“Sweetie, you need to get up. We have to get to the airport extra early for the international flight,” her mother said, patting her back. Annika rolled over and wiped the tears from her eyes. She got up and reluctantly packed the rest of her things, fitting everything into the Fairy Poppins box and sticking it in her backpack that bore the burnt hole from the lightning bolt attack. They were getting ready to part with her uncle when she had a last minute idea. It called for a pen and a sheet of the hotel stationary, and she motioned for her uncle after her parents left the room with their luggage.

“Vince, do you think you could do me a favor?” she asked. She scrawled across the paper, then crumpled it up and started over.

“
Mais oui bien sûr
. Anything for my favorite niece,” he said, watching her with an unlit cigarette hanging in his mouth. He’d already become thin and gaunt again as a result from his terrible cooking, and probably from worrying himself sick for the past two months.

“Can you give this to the owner of the used bookstore that I went to in Sofia?” she said as she handed him the paper, and then a few of the golden and silver rings. “I’m sure that’s the first place Talvi would go. I just know it. And on the back of the paper, put your address next to mine, so he can find us.”

“Annika,” his cigarette bobbed as he spoke, “Don’t you think your family has suffered enough?”

“I know you all think I’m nuts,” she stammered, trying not to cry, but she couldn’t help it. “I just wish I could count on someone to believe me, even just a little bit. I’m back safe, aren’t I? If Talvi wanted to kidnap me, I never would have come home that day I met him in Sofia.” Vince took the rings and the paper from his niece.

“So that is his name,
oui
?” he smiled, and put his arm around her as they left the room. “The young man from the bookstore who called you a ‘saucy girl’? I suppose he can’t be all that bad.”

Chapter 47

long time passing

Annika touched her ring for the millionth time that day, deep in her thoughts. She hadn’t been home more than forty-eight hours, and she still couldn’t escape the haunting images of her sword covered in blood, plunging into numerous bodies, and of those blue-green eyes being the last thing she saw. It was New Year’s Eve and everyone was getting ready for the big countdown. She felt so alienated, even though she was surrounded by her friends and her brother, whom she had missed so much in the nearly three months she had been gone. She hadn’t left the house since she walked in from the airport.

“Five…four…three…two…one!” everyone shouted. She felt tears form in her eyes, and a well-manicured hand took hers, holding it gently.

“Happy new year, Annika.” It was James. He planted a kiss on her cheek and smiled sympathetically. She smiled and abruptly pulled him close, hugging him tight.

“Happy new year, James.” She could barely get the words out, her throat had swollen shut so fast.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked, trying to be comforting.

“Yeah…” she gasped before letting him go and taking another big gulp from her plastic cup. She’d told her brother and James all of the highlights from her trip, and gotten the same reaction as her parents had given her.

The holiday festivities never really ended for Annika, with the sedation they offered. The pain in her heart and the trauma of battle were watered down right along with the melted ice cubes in her vodka. It was also uncanny how many things besides eggnog could be jazzed up with a splash of top-shelf rum. Orange juice, fruit smoothies, coffee… And then of course, it was so sophisticated to drink wine at dinner, and it was so European to drink wine at lunch, and it was just plain fabulous to drink Bloody Mary’s at breakfast. With the leftover money from Finn, she was maintaining quite the well-stocked bar in the fridge, right next to Charlie’s organic orange juice and James’s gourmet coffee.

As the weeks went by, little changed. She only left the house if she was out of booze, mixers, or guitar strings. Everything reminded her of Talvi or his world in some way, of Runa and her other friends there, of her whole experience, even though she was surrounded by familiar things like cars, concrete sidewalks and roads. When she bothered to do her laundry, or used the microwave, she caught herself thinking of the appliances as micro boxes. She could hear Runa’s laughter, and Finn’s deep voice singing along with hers when she had band practice with James and Charlie out in the guesthouse. It hadn’t lasted very long or been very productive, the few times that they made the effort. It just wasn’t the same as before.

She lay on the couch watching zombie movies for hours on end, with one hand on the remote and one hand holding a drink. With her bad luck at getting food poisoning more than once a week, it seemed only rational to take in calories that were triple distilled.

“You know, Annika,” James pointed out one evening just as Charlie came home from work. “My couch has a permanent dent where your ass has been. If you don’t get off of it once in a while, I’m making you buy me a new one.” Normally he would be tapping his foot impatiently if he was irritated with her. This time he wasn’t. Something was off.

“Put it on my tab,” she replied, taking a sip from her glass.

“As if you’re ever going to
pay
it,” he snipped, but then he grew serious. “I’m worried about you. I’ve never seen you this depressed.” James looked at Charlie for support.

“What is this, an intervention?” she asked, frowning at her roommates. They looked at each other before looking back at her. Maybe it was.

“You weren’t even this bummed when you and Danny split up,” her brother pointed out. “Maybe you should go talk to someone. You know, like a therapist.”

“And we’re never going to get the new album recorded if you don’t cut back on the booze. The songs you wrote at your uncle’s place are good, but you can’t keep rhythm during practice. Besides, do you realize how many calories are in vodka?” James said.

“I know,” she sighed, knowing her playing had been sub-par over the past couple months. But it wasn’t his comment about the calories in vodka that bothered her. It was the one about her less than stellar performance during the few band practices they’d had. James wouldn’t over-exaggerate about something like that, not when it came to her music.

“Why don’t you get a job or volunteer or do
something
just to get out of the house for a while?” Charlie urged. “I’m sure the restaurant would hire you back, at the very least. Plus our friends are always asking about you, and I’m tired of telling them that you have a really contagious case of mono. I thought you’d snap out of it, but now I’m not so sure. I wish you’d try channeling your feelings into your music, instead of drinking it away. You know that doesn’t work. It just makes you sound like shit.”

“Fine,” Annika mumbled and set her drink down on the table. She curled back up on the couch and ignored them, the signal that their conversation was over. But the fact that she didn’t argue was the signal that they had made their point.

“James, are you sure you’re playing in D minor? I think you’re a little off,” Annika said a week later, tossing her hair out of her face before taking a drink of her soda.

“No, I think
you’re
the one that’s a little off,” her friend kidded from behind the keyboards. “Speaking of which, our power’s going to be shut off if we don’t pay the damn electric bill soon. You’re over two months late. Shit…it’s almost three.”

Annika choked on her drink as he said this, and her drink went up her nose, burning her sinuses. She felt slightly sick as she recalled how many times she’d had ‘food poisoning’ over the past few months. Her portion of the electric bill was not the only thing almost three months late. No, there was something else much more important to her that was long overdue.

“I’ll take care of it tomorrow,” she said quickly, her pulse racing. “But only if you try it in D minor!”

“Actually, she’s right James,” Charlie said, laughing at his roommate. “You’re the one who’s off.” James plunked the keys differently, and he and Annika nodded, and tore into a dark and angry song that Charlie complimented with piercing polyrhythms. It was the most productive practice session they’d had since Annika had returned.

“Hey,” James shouted above the noise. “I think someone’s knocking at the door!”

“Well
you
heard it,
you
go get it,” Charlie yelled from behind the drum set. “I’m not expecting anyone!”

“What if it’s the cops again?” James argued. “I don’t need another noise complaint.” He rolled his eyes as the knocking came once again, and he went down the steps to check on their visitor. He came back a moment later with a bewildered expression.

“Hey, Annika, it’s for you.” James was trying his best to keep a straight face, but his best was not good enough. “He says…he says he’s…”

“Who the hell is it?” demanded Annika.

“He says he’s…your little bumble bee.”

Annika jumped down the stairs and ran to the entrance of the guest house, where a tall, slim figure stood at the door, wearing a blue winter coat. He pulled down the hood and his wild black hair gave him away immediately.

“You’re a hard girl to find, Annika Marinossian,” he said with a twinkle in his blue-green eyes. “That was by far the largest meadow I’ve
ever
crossed.”

to be continued…

Annika’s misadventures continue in
The Silver Thread

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about the author

After bouncing around from Paris to Portland, Emigh Cannaday now lives in Wisconsin with her husband and a pack of Pembroke Welsh Corgis. She grew up drawing, painting, and writing down her elaborate daydreams that focus on nature, intuition, and a bit of magic. She spends her free time testing out new recipes in the kitchen and playing with houseplants and horses. She also co-hosts the
Wine Wars podcast
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