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“Fine, have it your way. You and Gabe…you have grown too soft, and put all of us in danger.”
“I disagree. You…you have grown short sighted and lost sight ofdòigh.”
“You would have us lose everything we have left—” Wynn was hissing, her tone full of resentment, but cut off as another figure emerging from the darkness, interrupting her thought.
“Wynn. There is no room for negativity in such a place as this.” Gabe declared, as he stepped up beside her, the moonlight illuminating his icy blond hair as he stepped out of the shadows cast by the trees. “We should celebrate the reappearance of our belovedteine. They have not blessed us such for generations.”
“Gabe, we can’t just—”
“I have sent the twins to gather supplies. We will celebrate in the old way at my homestead.”
Wynn sighed, almost wistfully. “It has been so long…”
Gabe smiled kindly down at her. “Yes. We need this. Let us re-connect and enjoy the moment. It is a gift.”
“But we don’t understand how, or why.” Wynn protested, but Nayome could see that some of the wind had left her sails at the mention of the celebration. Nayome shuddered at the thought of Wynn after a few drinks.These people are unpredictable enough sober, I’ve got to get out of here.
“We will investigate on the morrow. There is nothing to be done here that cannot wait.” Gabe continued.
“What do we do with thedaonna? She cannot be a part of this.”
“I think—” Balfor cut in, finally. “Our guest has been here long enough. She has expressed her desire to leave. I will escort her back to her hotel.”
Wynn opened her mouth to argue, but Gabe cut in before she could voice her thoughts.
“Are you certain, Balfor?” Gabe asked, his gaze shifting between Nayome and Balfor, taking in the silver dust covering them both. “We still do not know how she breached our barriers.”
“We also do not know why the forest called backteinetonight. I think we have much to investigate, and Nayome may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Nayome’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she wasn’t about to argue with her ticket out of here.
Gabe was nodding thoughtfully. Nayome flinched as his eyes cut through the layers of her psyche. “I would ask that you keep your silence about our home. We are a private people.”
“Of course.” Nayome mumbled. What would she even say to anyone? They hadn’treallyharmed her, aside from the bondage and kidnapping…
“Then we bid you farewell. Balfor will escort you safely out of the forest.”
“Thank you.” Nayome said, stupidly. What was she thanking them for? Not cutting her up and scattering her remains through the rainforest?
“Watch yourself,daonna,” Wynn murmured. “We will know if you talk.”
Nayome eyed Wynn, and wondered again,what were they hiding? Something strange was happening in these woods, that was undeniable. But Wynn looked perfectly capable in that moment, of disposing of her in another manner entirely.
* * *
“What doesdaonnamean?” Nayome asked, as she followed Balfor across the network of bridges, back towards the south. It looked like she may actually be getting out of here, afterall.
“It means human.”
“Oh…I expected something more insulting, from the way Wynn was looking at me when she said it.”
“Wynn believes she is above most people. To her, it was the most insulting.”
“Ah. okay. Great.”
Balfor chuckled, his back muscles pulling his black t-shirt tight against his skin as he turned to face her. “Do not pay any attention to Wynn, she dislikes everyone.”
“She seemed ready to do bodily harm to me, if given free rein.”
