I wish I’d known, Asta. God, I wish you’d told me or that you had time to tell me. You must’ve been so scared. Darling girl, if I’d known, I would’ve come. I would have come to get you. I swear I would’ve moved the earth…

Anyway, we’re bivouacked on the high ground outside Prum. It’s cold. Jesus H, I’m so fucking cold all the goddamn time.

Kennet and Hook had their open-bivouac system honed to a science. First they zipped their bags together and laid them out for quick entry. They took the driest socks they had and tucked them inside their clothes. Then they did jumping jacks and pushups, getting their body heat to warm up the socks. They swung their legs in big pendulum arcs to get the blood to their feet. Then fast as possible, they kicked off boots, stripped off the dirty socks, pulled on the clean, warm ones and crawled into the double sleeping bag.

“Cover me,” Hook said, and ducked his head inside the combined bedroll. He inhaled and exhaled enormous breaths, filling the bag with warm air. Then they switched and Kennet went under. It was ripe inside the bag—fetid with unwiped butts, unwashed hair, cigarette-smoked teeth, dirty clothes and grimy skin and nervous sweat. But if they wanted to be warm, this was the only way. There was nothing for it.

“Make three wishes,” Kennet said, as he did every night.

“See this through,” Hook said ceremoniously. “Go home. Die in our sleep.”

“Remember, every night Hildur visits her elven kingdom at the cost of a human life.”

“Not tonight, you bitch.”

Both knew their friendship had no business lasting this long. Every day they survived was another day of daring Hildur to kill them. Every night they bedded down together was another night Hildur could spend angrily stewing. They were on her list. They were next. And there was nothing for it but superstition and ceremony, doing little mundane things exactly the same way every day and night, not missing a step or a word. Finding the good luck and the fortuitous signs. Playing their part in the game. If Kennet wanted to get through this, go home and die in his sleep, he had to stay on the Hook. And the Hook had to keep reeling in the Fish, if he wanted his wishes to come true.