It didn’t help that I wasn’t sleeping, so there were bags under my eyes, and my skin had an unpleasant pallor. I hadn’t been eating well either, since it was hard to find anything that sat well with me on the road. I’d made the mistake of grabbing turkey jerky in desperation last night and ended up throwing it up.
So far, my only plan was to get south and lay low for a little while until I felt like most of the heat was off. I knew Evert wouldn’t want to spare many soldiers to go after me, but he would probably send a few. The Skojare would definitely send some of their guards, not that I thought they’d be able to do anything.
But since I was accused of killing a Prince, other Skojare allies might send troops to help find me, like the Trylle or maybe even the Vittra. They lived farther south than we did, which meant I’d have to go even farther to get out of their range until everyone got tired of looking and went home.
I didn’t know where I was exactly, but the last sign I’d seen had been for Missouri. I hadn’t decided if this was far enough, or if I should keep going. I didn’t know where the end of this journey was for me.
The waitress brought back my tea, and I pushed away the napkin holder so I wouldn’t have to look at myself anymore. I leaned forward, letting my hair fall over my face as if I could hide myself, and went back to my staring contest with the phone.
I heard the stool next to me creak as someone sat down, which annoyed me since the entire bar was empty. There were plenty of seats for them to sit in without crowding me.
“Need any company?” the guy next to me asked.
“No, I’m good,” I said firmly, and tilted my stool away from him a bit.
“A girl alone like you, I really think you could use a friend,” he persisted, and it didn’t look like he’d get the hint without more force.
“Listen—” I turned to him, preparing to tell him off—but when I saw I was face-to-face with Konstantin Black, the argument died on my lips.
He looked exactly the way he had in the lysa—his hair longer than it had been before, the raven curls framing his face. From the scruff on his cheeks it had to have been a couple days since his last shave, and he wore all black. His smoky gray eyes studied me, and he offered me a hopeful smile.
“So, what do you say, white rabbit?” Konstantin asked. “Friends?”
GLOSSARY
Changeling A child secretly exchanged for another.
Doldastam The capital and largest city of the Kanin, located in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, near the Hudson Bay.
F?rening The capital and largest city of the Trylle. A compound in the bluffs along the Mississippi River in Minnesota, United States, where the palace is located.
Hobgoblin An ugly, misshapen troll that stands no more than three feet tall, known only to the Vittra and Omte tribes. They are slow-witted but possess a supernatural strength.
H?gdragen An elite guard that protects the Kanin kingdom. They must go through a specialized training process after tracker school, and many prospective guards are unable to complete it because of the difficult requirements in order to graduate. Members of the H?gdragen are respected and revered throughout the kingdom, despite the fact that most are born lower class, because of their skill and their unparalleled ability to protect the royal families and the kingdom at large.
Host family The family a changeling is left with. They are chosen based on their ranking in human society, with their wealth being the primary consideration. The higher ranked the member of troll society, the more powerful and affluent the host family their changeling is left with.
Iskyla Small Kanin arctic community in northern Canada.
Kanin One of the more powerful tribes of trolls left. They are considered quiet and peaceful. They are known for their ability to blend in, and like chameleons their skin can change color to help them blend into their surroundings. Like the Trylle, they still practice changeling exchanges, but not nearly as frequently. Only one in ten of their offspring are left as changelings.
Lysa A telekinetic ability related to astral projection that allows one troll to psychically enter another troll’s thoughts through a vision, usually a dream.
M?nsklig Often shortened to “m?nks.” The literal translation for the word “m?nsklig” is human, but it has come to describe the human child that is taken when the Trylle offspring is left behind.
Markis A title of male royalty in troll society. Similar to a human duke, it’s given to trolls with superior abilities. They have a higher ranking than the average troll, but are beneath the King and Queen. The hierarchy of troll society is as follows:
King/Queen
Prince/Princess
Markis/Marksinna
H?gdragen
Troll citizens
Trackers
Humans
Marksinna A title of female royalty in troll society. The female equivalent of the Markis.