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Chapter 9
Nayome couldn’t quite believe it, but Balfor had kept his word. He had walked her to her car, still parked in the park’s lot, and waved as she drove off into the sunrise.
I’m free. And alive.
It felt surreal to be driving. She had seen no real technology in what felt like weeks, even though it had only been a couple of days, most of which she had been unconscious for. Gabe’s house in the trees had been decked out, but it had been all natural, with solar panels to feed any electrical needs, and real wood fireplaces for heat, it had felt like going back in time, even though the place had been full of creature comforts and luxury.He had a butler, for Christ’s sake.
As she pulled into the old stone hotel’s front drive, Nayome almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of a soft tap on her driver’s side window. It was just a pimply, pale-skinned teenager with a valet vest on. Nayome cracked her window, smiling weakly at the kid.
“Would you like me to park your car, Miss?” He asked.
“Yes, thank you.” Nayome said, getting out of the car, grabbing her small bag and leaving the keys in the ignition. She watched as the kid steered her little rental into the underground garage.
Nayome glanced up at the charming Stone Inn. To her left, she could see a spanse of the green canopy of trees stretching off as far as the eye could see. This charming hotel, perched on the side of a hill, boasted sweeping views overlooking the conservation area. It had seemed like a perfect choice when she had booked, but now the proximity to the forest felt oppressive. She would have felt better being deep in the city, surrounded by people.
Glancing at her arms, Nayome was relieved to see there was no longer any trace of that silver dust. Whatever it had been, had faded away as the first rays of sunlight had warmed her skin. As she entered the Inn through the double glass front doors, the concierge was there to greet her, smiling behind a polished walnut desk.
“Ah, Miss Nayome. Welcome back.”
Nayome smiled, hesitating. She had booked her room for a week and had planned to do some sightseeing after she had collected samples. So, she still had a few days of her booking before her scheduled flight home.
“Fran, was it?”
“Aye Miss.” Fran beamed at her.
“I’m thinking of heading back early. Can you recommend another hotel closer to the airport?”
“Sorry to see you go early, Miss.” Fran hesitated.
“What’s the matter?” Nayome asked.
“It’s just that…Miss, it’s the weekend in high season. The chances of finding a last-minute hotel or flight…well…”
“I see.”
“I can make some calls. We are partnered with a few Inns in Glasgow.”
“I would appreciate it. Thanks, Fran.”
Nayome made her way upstairs to her room, unlocked the door and let it close behind her, surveying the room in front of her.
Her suitcase was where she had left it, partially unpacked and stacked neatly in front of a large, solid wood wardrobe. Housekeeping had turned the bed down in her absence, crisp white sheets under a plush feather duvet looking inviting.
Nayome made a beeline for her suitcase and pulled out her charging cable, plugging in her cell. She needed to contact her office and figure out what they had been told about her absence. Then she would look for an earlier flight out of here.
When her phone had enough juice to power on, Nayome watched, tears of relief welling in her eyes, as messages and notifications rolled in from the last few days. Mostly work emails, unsurprisingly. Though, as her screen lit up with another ‘ding’, she was surprised to see Nick’s smiling contact photo pop up as a few messages came through.
Why on earth would he be contacting me? Nayome frowned as she considered it, they hadn’t spoken in almost two years and she doubted there was anything to say now.
Swiping the notification away, Nayome resolved to deal with that mystery later, after she figured out how to get the hell out of Scotland as soon as possible. Dialing her office, she paced the small distance her charging cable would allow, while the phone rang.
When she heard a gentlebeepfollowed by the generic robotic tone greeting her with “You have reached CRINA, the Climate Research Institute of North America. Our offices are currently closed. Please try again during our business hours of—” Nayome cursed and hung up. She was five hours ahead here, of course, they weren’t open yet.
Cracking open her laptop, which she had left behind in the hotel when she had set out to collect samples, Nayome tested her luck finding another flight home. It didn’t take long for her to realize the concierge had been right, flights were fully booked and waitlisted. The earliest she was getting out of here looked like the flight she was scheduled on, which wasn’t until Monday afternoon.
Hoping for some better luck, Nayome waited on hold for what felt like ages before getting through to her airline. She put herself on standby for a few of the earlier flights back to the United States—some of them were so far off her destination she would need to take a train or bus home afterwards, but she would take anything if it got her out of Scotland sooner.
Nayome hung up with the airline, feeling hopelessness creeping in. It was looking like she was stranded here for three more days. Glancing out her room’s window, she could see a piece of the forest stretching into the distance, disappearing on the horizon. She had been so happy about that view before she had left, but now it felt like she could feel eyes on her. Watching, and waiting to see what she would do next.
