“I worked hard for that money,” she said. “I don’t need much, so I’ve saved a lot. I did that so I’d have it if I needed it, and I need it now.”

So I stopped arguing with her and just hugged and thanked her, and I let her buy us tickets.

Dagny was staying behind to hold down the lab while Elof was gone, so she went to work in the morning, like normal. I stayed at the apartment, packing and watching Bryn make arrangements and work out.

Around lunchtime, a knock at the door interrupted our planning and packing. I answered it to find Pan standing on my doorstep. He ran a hand through his disheveled curls and gave me an anxious smile.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, yeah.” He nodded, but his gaze went past me, watching as Bryn moved around the apartment. “Can we talk for a minute?”

There wasn’t anywhere private inside the apartment—only the bathroom and Dagny’s room—and I wasn’t comfortable hanging out with Pan in either one. So I ushered him out onto the landing and closed the door behind us.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I saw Dagny at the Mimirin.” His expression faltered. “She told me you’re going to Fulaträsk.”

“Yeah, it was Bryn’s idea. Last night,” I said. “But we just got everything finalized. I was going to tell you today when you were done with work.”

“No, you don’t have to rush and tell me the second you make plans. I wouldn’t want that or expect that of you,” he said, but he sounded sullen.

“You seem upset,” I said carefully.

“I’m not upset. Exactly.” He frowned at his own words and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s hard to explain.”

I leaned against the railing beside him. “About me going to Fulaträsk?”

“Yes and no.” His eyes were downcast, and he exhaled. “I think you know that I care about you.”

“Yeah, I guessed that when we made out in Isarna.” I laughed, hoping it would hide how nervous I felt.

He smiled crookedly at me. “I guess it was pretty obvious.”

“Not too obvious,” I allowed, and my stomach was twisting up.

Was he breaking up with me? How was that even possible when we weren’t really dating? Were we? I hadn’t even really had a chance to talk to him about us or what our romance really was. Every time we were together, we just were. And for me now—

—my mind suddenly flashed back to the Älvolk dungeon, the dark stone, Pan’s arm stretching through the iron bars, straining for me, and our fingers barely touching before Noomi and Tuva yanked me backward—

—being with him was enough, and I hoped he felt the same way.