Chapter 32
Gunnar kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was elsewhere. He’d never faced a challenge quite like this. It would take everything he had. He glanced over at Mattie, who hadn’t smiled in a while. “I’m worried about you being there with me, but I’m also grateful you’re willing.”
That got her a little smile. Didn’t reach her eyes and vanished almost instantly, but it was something. Blueberry, full of tarts, cookies, and the little cakes off the tea service, slept on her lap.
“I’m worried about you,” she said. “This is going to be dangerous.”
“I know. But I’ve done dangerous things before. I know how to manage situations like that.”
“Really?” Her brows rose. “You’ve been forty feet deep in pitch-black, churning water, trying to find an amulet that’s probably no bigger than most of the rocks down there?
And how do you know it isn’t buried under a rock?
They must fall off the falls all the time. Not to mention, people throw them in.”
“No, I haven’t been in a situation like this before. But I’m going to take my time and do it carefully. If it takes a hundred trips to the bottom of the basin, so be it.”
She sniffed as he pulled into Full Moon Provisions and parked. “I know this needs to be done. I just wish you—”
“Hey. Don’t say that word.”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter if I say it. I don’t have any wishes to use up. Anyway, I wish you weren’t the one who had to do this.”
“I’m the whole reason this problem exists. I am exactly the one who should be doing this. And I’m okay with that.” He grabbed her hand. “Having you on the bank waiting for me is going to help a lot. Just knowing you’re there, that I’m not doing this alone, that’s huge.”
The smile came back. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“I’m not. I promise.” He squeezed her hand before letting it go. “Do you want to wait in the truck, or do you want to come in with me?”
“I want to come in with you.”
Gunnar tipped his head at Blueberry. “Don’t leave him in here. I don’t need three more wishes because he thought he was trapped.”
“Right.” She scooped Blueberry up and gave him a gentle shake. “Hey, you. Wake up.”
His eyes opened. “I’m sleeping.”
“You can’t stay in the truck alone. We’re going into the store. I need you to sit on my shoulder and stay invisible. If you do, there will be a treat for you later.”
The imp huffed out a breath. “Fine. But it better be a good treat.”
“Is there any other kind?”
“That granola you gave me was ew.” He stuck out his tongue. “Like rocks and sand.”
“It was not.” She lifted him to her shoulder. “Get settled. We’re going in.” She looked at Gunnar. “We’re ready.”
“In we go.” He glanced at her as they walked to the store’s entrance, just to be sure Blueberry was invisible. He was.
Gunnar got the door and came in behind her.
Warm amber light from vintage Edison bulbs spilled over the wide plank floors.
The tall wood and metal shelves were packed with gear of all kinds: sturdy backpacks and sleeping bags, coils of rope, folded waterproof maps, racks of safety orange and camo clothing, a section of fishing gear, and reliable compasses.
Tucked away in a glass display case near the register was a selection of gleaming knives, multi-tools, fire starters, flare guns, and some specialty watches.
At the back of the store, a massive stone fireplace loomed. A few camp chairs sat around it. The air smelled of pine resin, leather, and woodsmoke. He loved this place. Hadn’t been here in ages, but nothing had changed.
“Cool place,” she said. “Do we need a basket?”
“Yeah, probably not a bad idea.”
She got one. “Okay, what are we looking for?”
“Chem lights, to start with.”
She made a face. “What are chem lights?”
“Glow sticks.”
She leaned in, voice lowered. “Don’t you have to bend those to make them work?”
“Yes. And?”
“You won’t have thumbs.”
He snorted. “I’ll be able to manage.” It wasn’t a bad point, though, and it made him realize he’d need a way to secure the amulet once he had it. A small thing in his giant bear paws wasn’t going to be easy to hold on to.
He pointed toward an aisle. “Let’s go that way.”
With her following, he picked up the things he thought he’d need. A hundred feet of paracord went in the basket first.
“What’s that for?” Mattie asked.
“I’m going to tie pairs of chem lights along the length of it.
In theory, that should help with visibility and give me depth markers.
Practice might prove different. Alice said the amulet is under the falls, but if she just threw it in there, it could have snagged on something on the way down. It could be anywhere in that basin.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. I guess the current could have even swept it into a crevice on the way.”
“Also possible. I’m going to attach the chem lights with carabiners, too. That way, if I need one, I’ll be able to take it off.”
“Even with paws?”
“Even with paws.” He looked at the shelves again and grabbed something else off one. He held it up. It was a mesh basket. “This will go on the end of the line with some fishing weights. As soon as I find the amulet, I’ll put it in here. Then you can haul it up.”
“So I’m going to hold the end of that line?”
“You’ll hold a section of the line. We’ll secure the end to a tree or something sturdy before I go in. You’ll just have to keep your hands on it to feel for my signal. Then you’ll know to pull it up.”
“What if you need pulling up?”
He hesitated, understanding what she was asking. “I won’t.”
“But what if you do?”
She wasn’t going to like his answer. “It won’t matter. You won’t be able to lift me out of the water anyway.”
Her brows bent. “Gunnar.”
“In that form, and wet, you’ll be dealing with close to twelve hundred pounds. Easily. Maybe more. It’s not like I’ve been on a scale lately. That paracord only has a tensile strength of about five hundred and fifty pounds.”
She swallowed.
“Getting the amulet back is what matters.”
She looked away.
“Hey, I’m going to be fine. I can hold my breath for a long time. And I already told you, I’m going to go at a pace that makes sense. No rushing. No foolish risks. I’m going to be methodical.”
She tipped her head to the side, and he realized she was listening to Blueberry.
“What did he say?”
“He said you should also be careful.”
“I will be. I promise.” He went back to gathering supplies. Next he found the carabiners. He bought sturdy ones large enough for him to operate with paws, which wasn’t something he’d ever had to consider before. Then it was on to chem lights.
He knew which ones he wanted and found them on a lower shelf. He grabbed two boxes of the six-inch Cyalumes. Green, because those would be the most visible in the dark, churning water he’d be submerged in.
She took another brand of chem light off the shelf. “Do the ones you picked out have a little hole in the end like these?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you get a lanyard or something like that and add another couple on a carabiner around your neck?”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll use a length of the paracord and make one. A regular lanyard won’t fit over me anyway.”
“I wish you could take an oxygen tank with you.”
“There would be no way for me to use it.”
She came closer. “If you shifted back to this form you could.”
“True, but my other form can hold its breath a lot longer and withstand the cold.” He understood. She wanted him to be as safe and prepared as possible.
“What about something to dig with? Or a knife? You could add it to the paracord.”
“In my other form, I have claws like you wouldn’t believe. They’ll be sufficient for the job.”
She sighed. “I can’t help it. I hate that you’re doing this by yourself. Yes, I know I’m going to be there, but moral support isn’t physical support. I just want to do more.”
“I love that you feel that way.” He gently took hold of her arms. “I’m going to be all right.”
She nodded unconvincingly. “Yeah.”
He kissed her forehead, then pulled her into his arms. He didn’t care if someone saw them or if a public display of affection wasn’t appropriate; she needed reassurance. “I’m going to get through this, we’re going to make things right in town again, and then we’re going to go out to celebrate.”
She pushed away from him. “Out? As in here? In town?”
“Yeah, as in that.”
“But you hate—”
“I won’t. Not with you next to me. Deal?”
She took a shaky breath. “Deal.”
“Good. Let’s go grab the rest of the stuff and check out. And get something to eat. I can’t do this on an empty stomach.”