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Chapter 12
Nayome barely felt the bumps in the road on her drive back to the hotel. They had spent hours, spread out comfortably on that picnic blanket. Bal had shared more about what he knew of her ‘powers’. His knowledge seemed to be limited to second hand information he had learned as a child from Nayome’s suspected grandmother, who had been the last in her line to demonstrate the ability to call the fireflies.
He told her about the raids that happened in the nineteen seventies, where they had lost a great number of their people. And about how that had been the final straw that led to completely shutting themselves off from the outside world. He had also spoken of some of the others, and what they could do. Communicating with animals, psychic shields, healing the earth…it was all so fantastic, her mind was still struggling to process any of it.
On one hand, Nayome wanted to celebrate. This was what the world needed! Humans had been moving closer to the point of no return with respect to their impact on the planet and climate. Natural disasters were already being reported in record numbers, the earth’s temperature having risen to an all time high.
If these abilities could combat that in some way, it could be what humanity needed to turn the tides. But if the people were discovered…Nayome had no doubt it would mean disaster. People were threatened by what they didn’t understand, it was human nature, demonstrated time and time again throughout history. She would like to believe she lived in a world where knowledge was king, but the reality was, Balfor’s people would be hunted, studied, and anyone who posed some kind of threat…Nayome shivered, not wanting to let her thoughts go there.
She didn’t owe those people anything after how they had treated her, but they had let her go in the end, at great risk to themselves and their secrecy. So she didn’t wish them any harm. She had decided she would keep her mouth shut about her experience in Scotland, both for her own sake, and for theirs.
Nayome rounded a steep bend leading up to the Old Stone Inn, as her headlights cut through the dense fog. The warm glow from the Inn’s windows shone invitingly, and she could see the pub was bustling with their dinner rush.
She pulled into one of the few empty parking spaces out front, since the kid who did the valet service was nowhere in sight. Cutting the ignition, the parking lot turned dark as her headlights turned off, the only light spilling from the Inn’s windows. Nayome stepped out of the car, her door opening with a rusty creak. The car she had rented wasn’t the newest, but it had gotten her around just fine on these bumpy roads.
Humming like a besotted fool, Nayome couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across her face.That kiss though.She felt giddy remembering how her body had responded. Locking her driver side door, she stepped out onto the driveway leading up to the Inn’s sliding glass doors. Nayome knew she was in trouble with Balfor. After today…she was already struggling to remember all the reasons why she should stay wary around him.
She had just slid her keys into her purse when she heard someone step onto the gravel drive behind her.
“Hello,daonna.” The last word was dripping with so much scorn, Nayome’s grin withered up so quickly, it was as though it had never been.
Turning, she faced the threatening figure approaching her from behind.
“Wynn.” Nayome was happy she managed to keep her head held high, voice steady. All the fear and confusion she had felt back in the forest came flooding back.
Glancing back at the hotel, she could see the pub patrons chatting merrily through the windows. Nayome wondered if anyone would hear her if she screamed for help.
“Thinking of running,daonna?” Wynn taunted, as she stopped close enough that Nayome was forced to crane her neck to look up at the taller woman’s face.
“What do you want, Wynn?” Nayome asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice. “I haven’t said a word about you or your people to anyone.”
“Yes you’ve been a good littledaonna.” Wynn agreed, smiling cruelly down at her. “Except…”
Nayome was glad for the dim light at dusk, so Wynn wouldn’t see the color draining from her face.
“I’ve been watching you. With Bal.”
Nayome lifted her chin, in a way she hoped looked defiant. Somehow, she didn’t think Wynn would respond well to her weak-kneed, babbling with terror. Even though that’s about how she felt right now.
“You’ve had your fun,daonna, it’s time to leave well enough alone. Bal is not from your world. He breaks our rules with you, this puts you both in danger. I dinnae care about what happens to you, but him…”
“In danger from who, you?”
Wynn chuckled.
“I might carry out the punishment, but I dinnae make the rules.”
As Nayome watched a cruel gleam flash through Wynn’s eyes, Nayome had no doubt she would enjoy the opportunity to dole out some pain.
“My flight is two days, then I’ll be long gone—and happy to forget all this.”
“See that it remains so.”
“Are we done here?” Nayome asked. She needed to get inside before her courage failed her and she started visibly shaking.
Wynn reached out, and dragged a sharp fingernail, painted black and filed to a deadly tip, down the side of Nayome’s cheek.
“I dinnae ken what he sees in you,daonna, but stay away from Bal. If you don’t, you may not make it to your flight. It’s no trouble to make someone…disappear, in these parts. Or maybe I’ll get to watch while Gabe breaks your mind. It’s his specialty, after all.” Wynn smiled at that before she turned and headed into the foggy night.
