Chapter 37
Sitting by, doing nothing but watching, was not a great feeling. Mattie would have given anything to be able to help Gunnar, but what could she do?
“Do you have any snacks?” Blueberry whispered into her ear.
“No, sorry.”
He sighed loud enough that she could hear him over the falls.
“I know, it’s no fun just sitting here, but that’s all we can do for now.”
Gunnar had surfaced four more times so far. He’d come up, take a gulp of air, and head back down.
She didn’t even know how he was doing. Obviously, he hadn’t found the amulet yet or he wouldn’t keep going back under, but she wondered if he felt like he was close or what.
If she concentrated, she could just make out that the water was a little lighter under the falls. It was hard to see, almost like a mirage, because when the bubbles caught the moonlight, they distorted the surface.
But if she didn’t look directly at it, she could pick up in her peripheral vision that there was a faint bit of green glow in that area.
Once, she thought she’d detected a shadow moving through the water, but Gunnar hadn’t come up for air that time, so she wasn’t really sure if that had been him or her imagination.
She lay down and stared up.
Stars filled the sky. It was a beautiful night. Cool, but she was comfortable in her hoodie. She hoped Gunnar wasn’t freezing. She imagined his fur kept him pretty warm, but at some point, wouldn’t the cold water seep through?
She really had no idea.
Her thoughts wandered toward Sheriff Merrow, keeping watch in the parking lot. He seemed like a smart man. He had to wonder what was going on. Why making a new wish would take so long.
If he came to check on them, the truth would come out. Or maybe he’d been told to leave them alone. That any interference would disrupt the process or something like that.
She shifted position slightly and frowned. If her witchy skills went beyond bees, she might actually be able to help Gunnar.
Instead, here she was. A literal bump on a log. Well, rock, but same thing. And Gunnar was searching that water like a champ, trying to save the town.
It made her sad that no one would ever know what he’d done for them. That didn’t seem fair to her. She understood it, knew they both had to keep the secret for the rest of their lives, but still.
At least he’d be getting a raise. That was good. That was better than nothing.
She didn’t feel bad about not asking for anything more than the two maple trees. She really didn’t need anything. Some money would have been nice. Her truck ran all right, but it was old and wouldn’t last forever.
Honey, candles, and magic balms weren’t going to make anyone rich. She did fine. She loved her life. But having to buy a new truck someday would definitely put a dent in her savings.
Still, taking a lump sum in exchange for keeping a secret felt mercenary to her. It didn’t sit well. Not for something she was partially responsible for.
A new sound reached her ears, a soft crack. Like a twig snapping. She went still, listening harder. The rush of water made it nearly impossible to hear anything else.
She lifted her head and looked around. A few yards farther down the bank, a deer stood at the tree line. He’d probably come for a drink. She stayed very still while he ventured down to the water, took his fill, and scampered away again.
With the deer gone, she sat up and sighed.
Blueberry’s tiny wings brushed her ear like a moth, tickling her.
“Quit that, Blue.”
“I’m bored,” he said directly into her ear.
“I understand. But try not to be.”
That earned her another deep sigh.
She stared at the dark water where Gunnar’s massive form had disappeared, the green light from the glow sticks more visible now. Maybe he’d cracked a few more? The light rippled through the water like a new kind of magic.
To keep her hands busy and her mind from spiraling into worst-case scenarios, she pulled the small suede pouch from her hoodie pocket. It was something her grandmother had taught her to make, something for protection.
Maybe that was the reason she’d grabbed it off her dresser earlier.
It didn’t hold much. A few sprigs of dried lavender, a piece of polished moonstone, a lump of beeswax from her bees, and a tiny silver bell. When she’d put it together, she whispered her grandmother’s ancient words over it, just as she’d been taught.
She took out one of the dried lavender sprigs and crumbled it between her fingers, releasing its calming scent into the cool air, then tucked another sprig behind her ear like a talisman. In truth, the pouch didn’t hold much magic. She didn’t have those kinds of skills.
But it was comforting and gave her something to do besides imagining Gunnar pinned under a rock or swept downstream.
She rubbed the moonstone idly, the polished surface warming in her hand.
A little spell came to her, something else from her grandmother, who’d whispered it over Mattie every time she’d left after visiting.
She whispered it now, into the thunder of the falls. “Dìon mo chridhe, thig air ais sàbhailte.” Protect my heart, come back safely.
Moonstone still in her hand, she traced idle patterns in the moss beneath her with one finger, murmuring the Celtic words over and over under her breath. If it was good enough to whisper over her hives during storms, it was good enough for this situation, too.
Blueberry yawned loud enough for her to hear, then flew to her knee with a dramatic sigh. “He’s taking forever. Want me to turn the water into chocolate syrup so he’ll come up faster?”
“No, thank you.” Mattie managed a half smile, shaking her head. Even if she had wishes to use, that wasn’t something she’d ever want. “No chaos tonight, Blue. We just have to sit and wait. I promise Gunnar is doing his best.”
She showed him the moonstone in her palm. “Isn’t this pretty?” Anything to distract him and fill the anxious silence while the bear she couldn’t stop thinking about hunted below.
“Oh, shiny,” Blueberry said, touching it.
Gunnar broke through the surface with a soft growl, flinging something onto the rocky bank. Several somethings, but it was hard to make out what they were in the dim light with so much other noise.
He seemed frustrated. She got off the rock and picked her way toward him. “What was that? Did you find it?”
He hauled himself up onto the rocks, shook once, sending sheets of water everywhere, and shifted back to his human form. He was once again in jeans and a flannel shirt, but now he was soaked to the skin. The lanyard with its glow sticks hung nearly to his feet. “No.”
“Then what did you throw out of the water?”
He heaved out a breath. “Coins.”
She didn’t understand. “But not the amulet?”
“The bottom of the basin is covered in coins. Tourists apparently think throwing a coin into the falls is the same as a wishing well. We should really put a sign up.” He growled something that sounded like idiots.
“Oh no. That can’t be helping your search.”
“It’s not. At all.” He put his hands on his hips and twisted to stare into the softly glowing water.
“Okay, hang on, there has to be a way to fix that.” She looked around for Blueberry only to see he hadn’t left the rock. “Blue, come here, please.”
He flew over at speed. “You want the chocolate syrup after all?”
Gunnar frowned. Mattie quickly shook her head. “No, listen. There are coins all over the bottom of the basin under the falls from people throwing them in to make a wish.”
Blueberry laughed. “That’s so dumb. That’s not how you do it at all.”
“For once,” Gunnar said, “I agree with the imp.”
That put a big smile on Blueberry’s face.
“We know that,” Mattie said. “I was wondering if there was something Gunnar might wish for that would get all the coins out?”
Blueberry frowned. “I can’t do that. Alice already said the amulet was protected against magic.”
“Not the amulet’s coin, Blue. The rest of them,” she explained. “All those other coins are making it hard for Gunnar to find the one we need.”
“Oh,” Blueberry said, drawing the sound out as if everything had just clicked into place. “It’s like finding a needle in a … stack of needles.”
“Now he’s got it,” Gunnar said.
Mattie nodded. “And we need it to be more like a needle in a pile of feathers. Or something. What matters is, can you help? Is there a wish Gunnar might make to get rid of all those other coins that wouldn’t do anything more to the amulet? If you were in Gunnar’s position, what would you wish for?”
Blueberry hovered a little higher. “A hot fudge sundae.”
Gunnar tipped his head back and sighed.
Mattie understood his frustration. When Blueberry got hungry, his fixation on food was relentless. “Blue, focus. On the coins.”
“Right. I’d wish for all the non-magical coins to be heaped up in the back of his truck.” Blueberry shrugged. “Might be enough to at least buy a hot fudge sundae.”
The side of Gunnar’s mouth twitched. “You get those coins out of there, I’ll buy you one myself.”
Blueberry flew closer to him. “Then make that wish.”
Gunnar glanced at her like he wanted to be sure this was the right thing to do. She had no idea, but if Blueberry suggested the wish, it seemed solid to her. She nodded. “Might as well give it a try. But maybe be more specific than all non-magical coins.”
“Good point.” He took a breath. “I wish all the non-magical coins in this falls’ plunge basin would be heaped up in the back of my truck.”
The shimmer of magic that rippled over them was barely noticeable in the dark. Blueberry did a little spin. “All done! I can already taste that ice cream!”