Page 11 of Rescued By the Great Grim

Thinking about Miriam’s death again makes my eyes tear up and I wipe my cheeks as I finish the story.

Nick takes my hands in his and leans forward. His gaze meets mine. “You’re not stupid for going to the retreat. Anyone who got that invitation would have done the same.” He squeezesmy hands. “You should put the blame on the people who took advantage of their status, only for their own gain.”

I shrug. “Yeah, but someone more experienced and less flattered would have caught on earlier and could have prevented Miriam’s death.”

“Don’t take that on,” Nick growls. “The only person who’s guilty here is Johnny.”

Hearing him say those words loosens something hard that I’ve been carrying inside me ever since I got out of that whirlpool. My damned eyes won’t stop leaking and I wipe another tear from my cheek.

Nick stands and pulls me into a hug, stroking my back with his strong, warm hands. His body heat surrounds me and I bask in the comfort of it for about two microseconds before my hormones go on full alert and make all my girly parts stand at attention.

Oblivious to how he affects my body, Nick slides back into his chair and pulls me into his lap. I lean against his chest, hiding my face in his neck to stop him from seeing how flushed it is.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself,” he says. “You were smart and resourceful in how you dealt with these evil people.” He pauses for a while. “I’ll tell you a story about someone young and experienced who did an idiotic thing,” he growls, and I feel the vibrations of his words through his chest wall.

CHAPTER 9 (NICKUR)

Hailey feels so right in my arms and I try to hold her gently while on the inside, I am filled with rage against the two people who tried to hurt her. To me, she’s everything that is good in this world and I want her with me forever. But before I can tell her that—and probably scare her away—I need to share who I truly am. Tell her what a totally dimwitted, fucked up, cursed creature she’s gotten herself entangled with.

She sits patiently in my lap, waiting in silence to hear my story. I hug her closer and she snuggles into my embrace. If I could have this moment last forever, I would be the luckiest and happiest of men.

But I muster up some courage, clear my throat, and start my shameful tale. “I’m a lot older than I look.”

Hailey leans back and looks at me. “How old?”

“How old do you think I look?” I stall.

She studies my face. “Living in the outdoors has probably put some lines in your face, but you look like you’re in your early thirties.”

I make the mental calculations. “Try one hundred and seventy-five.” Hailey’s mouth drops open and I gently close it, using the tips of my middle three fingers. I cradle her head and push her back against my chest. She lets me and I’m grateful because I don’t think I can take seeing the disappointment in her face when she learns my shameful secrets.

“Okay,” she says. “So living off-gridreallyagrees with you.” Her voice is a little shaky, but I’m grateful for her trying to lighten the situation.

“When I was twenty-five?—”

“A hundred and fifty years ago,” Hailey interrupts. The woman is smart and pretty.

“Yes,” I say. “Way back in the olden days.” That earns me a chuckle and I continue, “I arrived in Idaho to make money in the fur trade.”

“But—”

I interrupt her, “I know, there was no longer much of a fur trade by then, but I was an arrogant twenty-five-year-old. Bored with hunting, fishing, and growing crops on my father’s farm in Norway, I wanted an excuse to leave. I didn’t bother with things like researching an area and potential ways of earning a living before I jumped on a boat and sailed across the ocean.”

“And yet, now you do a lot of hunting, fishing, and growing.” Hailey interjects.

I chuckle, but the sound is bitter. “Yes, the irony has not escaped me.” I pause and collect my thoughts before I continue. “I also had a falling out with my father, which was another reason I wanted to leave. He wanted me to pull more of my weight on the farm and not spend so much time in the tavern with my friends.”

“That sounds like most parents of people in their twenties.”

She’s right, but my father’s complaints were justified, especially since I lived under his roof and ate at his table. I skip ahead a little in the story, omitting the boring parts of endless traveling across the United States. “I arrived in Idaho, just as arrogant as I left my father’s farm. Back then, it was not a state yet, just a territory. You could still make some money from hunting and trapping, so that’s what I set out to do.”

I take a sip of water before I continue. Hailey stays silent, but I can tell she’s listening from how she holds her body. “One day, I stumbled upon this clearing. A small yurt-like construction stood where I built this cabin now.” I pause for a moment. “Do you know what a nixie is?”

Hailey leans back again so she can see my face. “I think so. A kind of water fae, but they’re cursed to be tied to a particular body of water. They lure people to their lakes or streams and drown them.” A horrified look takes over her face. “Oh no, you stumbled on a nixie?”

I nod. “I did. And this particular nixie had enough power to transfer their curse.”

“How?” Hailey asks. “I know little about nixies. They’re very unusual, but I’ve never heard of one who could transfer their curse.” And then it dawns on her what she’s just said. She sits up a little straighter. “You’re a nixie.” Her eyes grow large. In a way,it’s easier to explain all of this to someone who also is a creature of water. But that also means she catches on quickly. She scoots out of my lap and stands. “You invited me to go into the water when you washed. Were you going to drown me?”

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