Matilda, Child of Fire

HMV: Går Gjennom Listen

5 HMV: Går Gjennom Listen

"Eg går gjennom listen og alle kjente/Prøver bare å finne ut kem eg prøver å finne"

Translation: "I go through the list and everyone I know/Just trying to figure out who I'm trying to find"

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6 am/3 pm GMT+2, Lufthansa LH 491, Airbus A340, Business Class

After a quick trip to the restroom to freshen themselves up, brush their teeth, (and in Macy's case, put on a bit of eyeliner and lipstick), Harry and Macy returned to their seats. In no time at all, the "fasten seatbelt" sign disappeared, and the terminal door opened. They had arrived at last.

"You know," remarked Harry casually as they walked out into the adjoining airport, "we really should do this more often."

4:30 pm, Erlik Kaffe, Akersgata 32, 0159 Oslo, Norway

"How'd you find about this place anyhow?" Macy asked Harry, as she stirred her almond milk café latte (or caffè latte, as it was called here). After dropping their luggage off at the front desk of the four-star Hotel Christiania Teater, a historic landmark built in 1918 known for its in-house theater and its authentic postmodern Renaissance architecture, they hurried off to Erlik Kaffe for some much-needed caffeine and Morgana search-and-rescue planning.

Kygo's "Kem Kan Eg Ringe" (Feat. Store P & Lars Vaular) played throughout the establishment, as Harry took a bite of his kanelbolle pastry, a broad, folded Norwegian version of a cinnamon roll, fresh from the oven. Delicious. I simply must get the recipe, he thought to himself as he offered a bite to Macy. "Oh, Jordan recommended it, it's a social enterprise whose staff are recovering addicts working hard for a second chance."

Macy's mouth poised mid-air before her teeth had even sunken into the pastry. "Addicts?"

"Recovered addicts, love," Harry hastened to emphasize, taking a sip of strong kaffe. "They've served their time, and much like America, I imagine it can be exceedingly difficult to pass a background check once you've obtained a criminal record."

Macy nodded upon hearing this and bit into the pastry, savoring the granules of melted sugar and spiced cinnamon notes blending together. "Dang, they sure make really good pastries," she murmured, half to herself. "Thank Jordan for me, will you?"

"Will do, once we're back," Harry answered. "Speaking of family, what do we know about Morgana?" he spoke in a lower tone, so that Macy had to bend forward to hear him over the crowded din of the coffee shop.

Macy pulled out her phone and perused her notes. "Morgana helped out at a succubus birth, then disappeared in Oslo two weeks ago. That's literally all we have to go by."

A thought occurred to Harry. "How lethal are succubus bites, if one has Morgana's magical powers?"

Macy took another sip of her latte and mulled this over. "Succubus bites, if one's unfortunate to be a mere mortal, can involve an enormous loss of blood, though are rarely fatal in and of themselves. From my research, the creature has enough superhuman strength to lift a full-grown man by a single hand. They're also skilled climbers and feed off human emotions."

Harry frowned as he tore off another piece of pastry. A birth of a succubus—birth in general, really—was an emotionally-charged event. "So, if the succubus bites aren't fatal in a mortal, what does that mean for someone of Morgana's magical prowess?"

"I'm searching..." Macy's eyes remained glued to her phone, as she read over the "Scientific Explanations" section of the topic online, which mentioned sleep paralysis and nightmares. Then her eyes widened, as she shoved her device in front of Harry's face.