Gilda dropped what she was doing and came to stand near Murphy and Gaston. “Chittering? Sort of like the noises a small animal makes? You know, squirrels, chipmunks, that sort of thing?”
Marty smiled and nodded, dotting the air with her finger to punctuate her point. “Yeah! It was exactly like that.”
Both Gilda and Sten stopped moving entirely and looked at each other with knowing glances. “Woodland troll,” Gilda finally said.
Sten smiled at Murphy, and he fluffed up a discarded pillow. “Definitely a woodland troll.”
“What?”
Sten came across the room and grabbed her hand. “You were talking to Gaston, right?”
He didn’t appear at all troubled by the notion. Not even a little. So she couldn’t be crazy, right?
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked down at the cat. “I guess I was. To my ears, it sounded like I was speaking English.”
Sten gave her hand a squeeze before he yanked his earlobe. “But to our ears, it sounds like a series of clicks and squeaks—like a woodland creature makes when they communicate with one another. Hence the name. That means you can talk to animals, Murphy. That’s part of your troll power.”
For a moment she was silent, digesting yet another facet to her new life, one she rather loved. By far, what she’d gained being turned into a troll could have been far worse, and she couldn’t wait to explore it further.
But then she remembered Gaston. Looking down at him, she asked, “Was there more to what happened when Bellamy bought the curse?”
“Yep. There’s more.”
Kneeling, she looked Gaston in the eye and scratched him under the chin. “Tell me.”
“It’s about the guy who gave Bellamy the curse.”
“What about him.”
“It was Sten.”
Chapter 14
“To our new friends, Sten, Murphy, Bellamy, and Nova,” Wanda said, wine glass in hand as they all sat around Nina’s big dining room table before a beautifully prepared dinner, courtesy of Arch. “The circumstances are almost never pleasant when we bring someone new into our group, but know that once you’re in, there’s no getting out. Like ever.”
Everyone laughed—even Nina—as they held up their glasses.
“Anyway, welcome to the fold, new accidental friends. Here’s to a successful journey to find the answer to our troubles, and the promise of lifelong—and as you know, for us, that’s a long time—friendships when we reach the end!”
Murphy’s heart swelled with acceptance from these people they’d known only a couple of days, and as they began to pass the bowls and platters of the veritable feast Arch had prepared, she felt a sense of calm.
Yes. It was probably the calm before the storm of what was ahead of them, but for now, they were sharing a meal that had more substance than kale and seaweed juice, with people who truly enjoyed being in one another’s company as they chatted about the events of the day.
She took a bite of her stuffed chicken marsala and sighed with contentment. Even Nova, who ate carrot sticks and egg whites for most of her dinners, was enjoying the fluffy rice pilaf and crisp asparagus.
Looking across the table at Arch over the candlelight’s glow, she held up her wine glass in salute. “Arch, thank you. I haven’t had a meal like this since…I dunno. I can’t remember when. But I appreciate you. You’re amazing.”
He grinned and winked at her, tipping his glass toward her in acknowledgement. “It ’twas my pleasure, Miss Murphy. One must be well nourished for the battle that lie ahead. You can always count on me to ensure you are well fed.”
The battle that lie ahead. She was a nervous wreck about the battle that lie ahead.
“It’s pretty great, isn’t it?” Sten whispered in her ear before he shoveled a forkful of chicken into his mouth.
She giggled and found herself leaning back into him. “I’ll say. I don’t know what kind of cheese he used, but it’s buttery good. I’m trying to decide if it’s Havarti or maybe brie.”
“You know enough about cheese to hazard a guess?”
She ran her hand down along her body. “Look at me. Do I look like I’ve passed up much cheese in my life?”
Sten gave her a long glance before cutting up his asparagus. “I think you look great, and I’m impressed with your knowledge of food.”
“I actually love to cook. I just haven’t done much of it in the last few years, since I’ve been with Nova. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I had a meal with other people. A real meal that doesn’t consist of air and some leafy green.”
“You and Nova don’t eat together?” he said with a surprised frown. “I thought you guys did everything together?”
“We do, but we don’t eat anything worth talking about. And we definitely don’t eat without our phones right next to us in case someone texts or whatever. Arch made us give up our phones the moment he said dinner was served, and I’m kind of loving it.”
Sten grinned as he took a sip of his wine, his lean fingers wrapping around the stem. “Arch is a true character, but a loveable codger if I ever met one.”
She nodded with a small laugh as she tried not to gawk at him in the candlelight. If he didn’t have green hair, she might have mistaken him for a bronzed god. An incredibly appealing god.
“That he is.” Pushing some fluffy rice onto her fork, she asked, “So what about you, Sten? Do you have dinners with your family? A girlfriend, maybe?”
Yeah, yeah. She could pretend she was just making conversation, but really, she was digging as sure as Nova had dug a hole in Nina’s floor. She wanted to know if Sten was single. Was there a law against that?
“Not the way we used to. No. We’re always so busy with one thing or another. Especially Bellamy, who eats the way your sister does. So really, how is that a meal?” he said on a chuckle. “And no. No girlfriend, either. Single troll who lives on a lot of fast food here.”
His single status thrilled her, even if she didn’t know what to do with the information. She wasn’t terribly aggressive when it came to men, but it was nice to know this flirty girl she’d quite suddenly become wasn’t behaving inappropriately by thinking about stepping into someone else’s territory.
“Hey, Dr. Doolittle,” Nina called from across the table over her glass of synthetic blood. “I hear you got some fucking skills today.”
Murphy held up her glass in salute and winked. “That’s what I’m told. I think I’m going to be very popular at the animal shelter.”
The large teddy bear of a man they called Darnell, sitting to Murphy’s other side, laughed and nodded in approval, giving her hand a pat with his beefy palm. “You all right, Miss Murphy. You’re gonna be all right.”
She fought the fear in her tightening chest for what they were about to do. “I hope you’re right, Darnell.”
He grinned at her, his eyes swallowed up by his chubby cheeks. “You gotta trust, Miss Murphy. Trust me. I’ll say it again. It’s gonna be all right.”
Sure. Right now, everything was all right. She was all right. She could talk to animals—or at least two animals, and that was hardly a hardship. In fact, for an animal lover like herself, it was a huge bonus as long as no one outside this circle caught her having a conversation with a squirrel.
But while they were all laughing and talking and eating, seemingly unconcerned about the journey ahead, she had to wonder, would it really be all right?
And what did the information Gaston gave them mean?
“I’d offer you a penny for your thoughts, but do pennies even exist anymore? You want my Venmo instead?” Sten asked, his eyes searching her face.
Murphy gave him a lopsided grin. “I was just thinking about what Gaston said. He said the man who gave Bellamy the curse was you. Does that make any sense to you at all?”
Naturally, they’d followed up when Sten denied the allegation, and he’d been telling the truth, but it troubled her that someone was impersonating him.
“It makes
no sense at all. I’m just glad Gilda was able was able to see I was telling the truth and that I really was with my poker buddies, because that was a tense five minutes while I waited with the ladies of OOPS staring me down as though I’d kicked a walker out from under a senior citizen,” he joked.
That was true. Sten claimed the night Bellamy had bought the curse, he was playing poker with some of his troll friends, and Gilda vouched for him. Besides, if he was always trying to keep Bellamy out of trouble, why would he incite more?
But Wanda and Marty had been on that information like flies on shit until they’d verified he was telling the truth with his friends, proving once more how fierce they were.
Cocking her head, Murphy asked, “So, what’s your best guess? I don’t know enough about the troll world to even venture one at this point. You guys have all sorts of things most people only see on TV. Why did Gaston think it was you?”
Sten lifted his big shoulders in a shrug. “Maybe he, or even she, changed their appearance? There are some trolls who can change their external bodies and make themselves look like almost anything with magic. Though, I have to wonder, why would someone use their magic to make themselves look like me, but then erase Bellamy’s memory?”
She was no Angela Lansbury, but that sure didn’t make any sense. “Yeah. I’m stumped.”
“None of what’s happened makes much sense to me. Who knew a curse as old as the one Bellamy got her hands on still existed? You heard what Gilda said. They outlawed that kind of magic years ago. Certainly long before I was king.”
Wiping her mouth, her belly about to explode and put her in a food coma, Murphy sighed. “And nothing on the phone. I can’t believe it turned out to be Nova’s makeup artist’s phone.”
“Yep. A false lead. Disappointing, to say the least.”
She leaned on her elbows, cupping her chin. “But at least something good has come of this.”
“Like?”
She pointed across the table. “Like look at our sisters…”
Murphy’s eyes followed his across the table, where Nova and Bellamy sat together. Bellamy spooned another helping of rice onto her plate, and her sister giggled at something Bellamy said.
Her heart warmed in her chest at the sight. Mortal enemies making nice was encouraging. Once again, Nina was right. Change was inevitable on this journey.
His chuckle was warm and sounded a bit surprised. “Would you look at that.”
“Do you think this will end the online war between them for good?”
“I sure as hell hope so, because if it doesn’t, I wasn’t kidding. I will put them in isolation. And I mean that, Murphy. I won’t have any more nonsense between them. We have enough trouble to deal with as it is. I don’t need an ongoing war on social media.”
His authoritarian tone made her shiver—and not unpleasantly. “Aye-aye, Captain.”
He raised his eyebrow and gave her a haughty look. “That’s king. King Peerson to you, underling.”
She snorted, cupping her hand over her mouth. “Do you go up for reelection every four years like we do here?”
“Are you thinking of running for office?”
“I dunno. I kind of like the sound of King Murphy,” she teased, taking the last sip of her wine.
“Like I told you, you’d have to inherit the title, and that would mean we were related…and that would really suck for me,” he said with a teasing grin.
Was he flirting with her? She tried to keep her cool, but her cheeks were flushing hot. “Oh, right. I forgot. So no government coups for me.”
“Though, I can’t say I might not be willing to hand off the responsibility of running Troll Hill to someone else so I can surf in peace.”
She let her head fall back on her shoulders and laughed out loud. “I forgot you like to hang ten.”
“You laugh, but you should try it sometime. In fact, why don’t you try it with me?”
Murphy fought not to freeze at his suggestion—or preen—or say something stupid. She decided to aim for cool and collected. “Where does one surf in New York?”
“Not here. I meant in Troll Hill. We have an a-ma-zing beach. I think you’d like it.” His eyes gleamed in the glow of the candlelight, highlighting the obvious love he had for the sport.
But Murphy winced. “I’m not sure I’m a very good candidate. I can barely walk and chew gum.”
“I like a good challenge. And when this is all handled, I’ll need some decompressing, and so will you. So say yes to the idea you’ll at least try it with me.”
She was so caught up in the moment, she didn’t even bother to hide her pleasure. “Yes.”
Sten smiled back, leaning into her, making her heart skip a beat. “Then it’s a date.”
But then Murphy sobered. “So, on to what happens next.”
She’d been avoiding it all night. Avoiding what she knew they had to do. But there was no way she wasn’t going to be a part of this. No way.
“Are you sure you’re up for this, Murphy? It’s not a pretty trek to the north end of The Realm. It’s long and arduous and the terrain is rough.”
She was up to whatever would change Nova back. Though, in truth, she rather liked this subdued, kinder Nova.
But taking her sister worried her more than anything else. Would she be able to make the trek?
And that was when something occurred to her.
“I’ll be fine. I used to hike a lot in Vermont. But let’s talk about something I’ve been wondering ever since everyone decided we should try to make that meeting on Thursday. If you can zap yourself from place to place, why can’t you just zap us to the north part of Troll Hill and avoid the long trek?”
Setting his fork and knife on his plate, he sighed. “Unfortunately, my magic is like a homing beacon when I use it in Troll Hill. Whoever this is obviously knows their way around magic, and they’d make easy work of locating us if I used my own. It’ll be enough that word will get around when I’m back in Troll Hill, but I can’t set up a sneak attack if the enemy knows I’m coming.”
Murphy didn’t know how to respond to that. “So it’s like your own personal GPS?”
“Sort of. Suffice it to say, it’s an easy way to track someone who doesn’t have the ability to hide it. A tracking troll would find us in two seconds flat.”
“Tracking trolls,” she murmured, considering another glass of wine just to dull her heightened fears. “So, do you think we should consider him our enemy? Like a violent-criminal enemy?”
Sten’s lips thinned. “Listen, Murphy, he’s obviously not a good guy. Gilda confirmed that. She said his magic was bad—that makes him, at best, malevolent. I’m pretty sure he knew what he was doing when he sold Bellamy that curse. I think he knew Nova would turn into a treasure troll, and he planned to grab her and drag her off to the mines before anyone knew she was even gone. The more I think about it, the more I think he was the one who tossed your place. I’d bet he thought she was going to be there, and when she wasn’t, he got angry and trashed your apartment.”
That sparked a memory about a post Nova had made on Instagram just an hour or so before she’d been turned into a troll.
“You know, now that you mention it,” she said excitedly, “Nova posted a picture she took of me, and she captioned it with something about how she couldn’t wait to see her ‘nephew’ Pancake later that night when she went to visit her sister.”
Sten rasped a breath of air. “So she basically told everyone she was going to your apartment. Like I said, that explains why he tossed your place, and not Nova’s. He was upset she wasn’t there.”
Her palms instantly went clammy. “Great. So an angry troll, on top of everything else?”
“After what Gilda said, I have no reason to think otherwise. And an angry troll with a wealth of magic is really bad news, Murphy.”
Another, even more terrifying thought came to her then. “Here’s something else to think about—what if he’s going around Troll Hill masquerading as you
?”
Sten’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t even consider that. I guess the sooner we get to The Realm, the better.”
His words made her wonder. “How do we get to The Realm, anyway?”
Now he smiled wide. “We go through the gate in the back garden at my house.”
“You have a house on this plane?”
He nudged her shoulder with his and gave her a teasing look of approval. “Look at you, using the lingo. You’ll be a full-fledged troll in no time. And yes, I have a place in Brooklyn and one in Troll Hill. How do you think I keep such close tabs on Bellamy? You don’t think I’d leave her at the mercy of innocent humans, do you?”
“Point well made. That’s probably why I’m at Nova’s so much. To babysit because I’m afraid she’s going to do something awful, and she still did something awful with me in the next room. But make no mistake, Bellamy just beat Nova to the punchline. Had Nova had access to a curse, she’d have put one on your sister first.”
“Damn. We hit the sibling lottery, didn’t we?” he joked, tipping his head in her direction until their noses almost touched.
That was when she grew serious, even while fighting the butterflies in her stomach at the nearness of his lips. “I swear, Sten, if I’d known she was taking out a bunch of fake user IDs to terrorize Bellamy, I would have put a stop to it right away. I do know what she’s capable of, and I do try to keep her in check.”
Pushing a strand of her hair from her face, his orange eyes went soft, and he was so close, she smelled the faint scent of wine on his breath.
“It’s not your job to babysit her, Murphy. Nova’s a whole adult. She knew what she was doing.”
If her heart pounded when he was near before, it was going to jump out of her chest and dance on the table at the feel of his touch.
“Hey, kissyfaces!” Nina barked from across the table, tapping her fork against her wine glass. “There are other fucking people in the room. You wanna share with the class what you two lovebirds are whispering?”
Arch threw his napkin at Nina. “Mistress Nina, let the children be. They’re getting to know one another under very stressful circumstances. Surely you remember what that was like.”
The Accidental Troll Page 13
