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Balfor hesitated before he spoke “She has lost touch with the world and how it operates. She suffered great losses—more than most of us—at the hands of outsiders. But she is loyal to our people, to Gabe. I do not believe she would have harmed you, if it came down to it. Unless you posed a true threat.”
“Comforting.” Nayome muttered. Glancing at him, she felt a million other questions on the tip of her tongue.That kiss? The fireflies? The wolves?But she was being lead home, she didn’t want to bring up anything that might remind him that she had seen too much.
As Balfor led them down some steps, and Nayome heard the welcome sound of the river rushing up ahead.
How were they going to cross? Seeing Balfor’s strong silhouette walking ahead of her, she felt the familiar fingers of dread creep up her spine. Maybe, after all this, she was being led to her own slaughter.
She would not feel safe again until she was on a plane, halfway back to New York.
“The bridge will be just ahead.” Balfor said, as he disappeared around a bend in the path.
Nayome rounded the corner and let out a relieved breath that there was, indeed, a bridge just ahead. It looked sturdy, just like the suspension bridge network that had brought them through the canopy.
Glancing at the opposite bank, she frowned. It looked just like where the main tourist path had ended and where she had collected her samples. Wide, sloped bank. Cliff’s framing the river to the east, lit up in warm tones of orange and red, as the early rays of sunrise hit them.
“There was only one path on the map.” Nayome said slowly, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
“Yes, that is the main path, don’t you recognize it?”
“I do, but…it can’t be. There was no bridge.”
“You see the bridge, then?” Balfor asked, eying her with an intensity that had Nayome shifting uncomfortably.
“Well, of course I see the bridge. What—”
“Cross with me then, Nayome.”
Nayome eyed Balfor hesitantly. She had almost forgotten to be weary of him after he helped convince the others to let her leave. But he was still part of their weird community, and he was acting strange again, so her hackles rose.
“Yeah, let’s cross. I need to get back to my hotel.” She agreed, taking a tentative first step onto the bridge. Mayone held her breath until her shoes made contact with solid wood, eying Balfor suspiciously as he watched her progress—an odd glint shining in his eyes.
The bridge was wide enough that they crossed side-by-side. Balfor kept watching Nayome curiously, as though he expected something to happen.
Nayome tried to keep her breathing even under his gaze. Unbidden, her mind flashed to that moment when she had woken up in the forest, body warm and cradled under him, her hands reaching out for him as though they had a mind of their own. Blushing, she looked away from him, focusing on the familiar river bank ahead.
As they reached the bank on the other side, Nayome turned around. Yep, it was still a bridge. They must have just built it. It made little sense, but it hadn’t been there when she was here before.
“You still see the bridge?” Balfor asked quietly, but he was already nodding, seeing the answer in her eyes.
“Of course. I don’t know how you guys built it so quickly, but whatever. I’m just glad we had a way across the river.” Nayome said casually, not liking his tone but wanting to continue on. Her car was only a couple hours walk away now, she could almost taste freedom.
“It is not new.”
“Right.” Nayome couldn’t keep the sarcasm from creeping into her voice. “Well, for people who don’t want company, a new bridge right off the tourist circuit probably wasn’t a good idea.”
“Nayome.”
Nayome turned to glance back at Balfor, who was just standing on the bank watching her, with that strange look in his eye that was setting her teeth on edge.
“You said you would take me to my hotel.” Nayome stated, trying to keep the dread from her voice. He was just standing there, and she was very aware of how alone she was, still far from civilization, with a man who may or may not want to harm her.
“Show me where you found the clearing.”
“I thought you said it didn’t matter—”
“I was protecting you from the others, then. Show me.”
“Urrg. Fine. I’ll show you, then I go home. Right?”
