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Chapter 28
Nayome spent a few restless, yet uneventful, nights in the FBI safe house.
She was anxious. In a perfect world she should be getting back to work today, but she hadn’t heard anything yet about being released. She hadn’t heard a peep from Bal and Gabe, or anything from Agent Garcia. It had just been her and John, or Agent Smith, killing time watching the news, or sports.
Stretching the sleep out of her muscles and grabbing a robe, Nayome wandered across the hall to the bathroom. The decor was consistently dated throughout the house, with beige being the paint color of choice, coupled with dark maroon carpeting. The fluorescent lights flickered on in the bathroom, leaving her squinting until her eyes adjusted. What was she going to tell the office if she had to call in again?
“Hey John?” Nayome called, as she heard the floors creak under his weight as he made his way down the hallway.
“Morning,” John grumbled on the other side of the bathroom door.
“Should I be getting ready for work today, or calling it in?”
“I haven’t heard, so call it.”
Nayome sighed, feeling disappointed. It had only been a week since she had been in the office last, but she felt like her career was unraveling. The reality was, it would be waiting for her when she got back. She had more than enough time banked to justify her absence. What wouldn’t be the same, though, was her. Nayome didn’t think she would be capable of the same level of focus that she had before. Maybe that was a good thing, a healthy thing? She had been borderline obsessive before Scotland, leaving no room for anything outside of work. But she was anxious to get back, sink into a normal routine, and see if she could get some of her old self back. She felt like if she didn’t get back soon, she wouldn’t fit back into the routine at all. A round peg trying to fit into a square hole.
“Wait, I got somethin. A message just in,” John said, his voice still muffled through the door. Perking up, Nayome turned towards where she imagined he was standing outside in the hall, as she gripped her toothbrush halfway to her mouth.
“Looks like you’re going to work today.”
“John, you’re the best!”
Nayome got an unintelligible grumble in response, as she heard him make his way down the creaky stairs. He would be putting on a pot of coffee, strong and sludge-like. The big guy had grown on her over the last few days. He was not one to mince words, but he brewed the coffee in the morning, and knew where to order the best pizza in the evenings.
Not a bad guy to get stuck with, all things considered.
She had packed one outfit that would be acceptable for work, so it didn’t take long to get ready for the day. Heading downstairs, Nayome nodded her thanks to John as she grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed out into the small fenced in courtyard out back. A picnic table sat in the center of the space, shaded by a mature oak tree. The roots, thick and twisted, were starting to dislodge the patio stones that spanned the full length of the small yard.
As Nayome trailed her black leather shoe over the springy green moss that clung between the gray stones, she felt herself drifting. Taking a sip of hot coffee, she let her senses take over. The aroma filled her nose, the warmth radiating from her hands where she gripped the chipped blue ceramic mug. After she took a sip, Nayome felt the hot liquid trail a line down her throat, warming her from the inside out, seeming to settle in her chest.
It felt good to be still. It feltright.
Allowing her racing thoughts to quiet for a moment, Nayome felt a sense of wonder at the peace she was able to find in this quiet moment. Maybe this meditation thing was paying off. Magic or no, she felt clear, alert, yet settled and content. Even if it was just for a single moment, the feeling was powerful.
Tuning into the sound of a bird singing in the branches of the tree, Nayome let her eyes drift shut, getting pulled into the moment of serenity. Lord knew they were few and far between these days, so she let her walls down easily, eagerly, at the promise of a respite. Even though she was in a tiny little yard in the East Village, she felt transported. The sounds of nature, even in the city, reminded her of the thick pure forest she had breathed in while she was in Scotland. A memory flashed behind her lids as she was reminded how clean, refreshing the air had tasted.
The ancient yew tree.
She hadn’t thought of it in some time, with everything that had happened these last weeks. But she could see it clearly in her mind now. The old, twisted trunk that appeared to have layers of gnarled bark, each representing decades, or era’s of time passing.
As her mind drifted to the fireflies that had surrounded the ancient Yew, Nayome felt her amber necklace heat up against her chest, and she smiled at the familiar comforting feeling of it. Until she realized what that meant. Eyes flying open, reality slammed back into her like a freight train. She suddenly realized what she was doing and glanced around in horror. The courtyard was full of fireflies, meandering playfully around her and through the branches of the old oak.
“What in the…”
Nayome turned, eyes full of fear, as she saw Agent Smith peering out at her through the open backdoor. He was slack jawed, staring at the phenomenon with wonder shining in his eyes. As his gaze moved to Nayome, she saw his guard go back up, as his eyes dropped to where the necklace was pulsing with heat. Glancing down, Nayome was horrified to see that it glowed. The light was clear, despite the layer of silk from her blouse, which trapped it against her skin and should have been shielding it from view.
There was a moment where neither Agent Smith or Nayome knew what to say. The heavy silence got interrupted by a phone buzzing. Not breaking their eye contact, John picked up his phone and brought it to his ear.
“Agent Smith,” He answered, voice tense and clipped. “Yeah, I’ve got eyes on her. We will hold here and await your arrival.”
Nayome started to tremble, fear creeping its way through her body as she watched him place his phone back in his pocket. In a moment, he had gone from being friendly, to looking at her likeshewas a criminal he needed to cage.
“Miss Miller, I think it’s time you come inside. Agent Garcia is on his way with further instructions.”
Nayome shook her head slowly. She didn’t want to go in. If she went inside, she would be trapped, she knew that instinctively. While she remained out here, the connection to nature could give her strength. She wasn’t sure what was about to happen to her, but she had a feeling she would need all the strength she could get.
As Agent Smith stepped down the few steps to approach her, Nayome took a step back, clutching her amber pendant. It was pulsing, rhythmic, reminding her of what had happened in her apartment. Maybe, if she focused…maybe she could travel. The clearest image in her mind was of the Ancient Yew. She brought that image to the forefront of her mind, shutting her eyes and letting the pendant center her, as the pulsing matched the beating of her heart.
Focus Nayome, she thought desperately, as she felt the familiar feeling of weightlessness engulf her. She remembered a passage in one of the books Bal had found for her in the library.Distance is irrelevant when traveling, the ease at which it can be done will depend on clarity of mind and the power in the earth at the origin and destination.She let the fear of Agent John Smith’s approach fade to the background, and focused on the picture she had in her mind of the clearing, the Yew. The image was so clear, Nayome could almost feel the gritty bark, and hear the sounds of the rainforest.
It happened quicker this time. Last time, she had been caught in that in-between with Bal, seeming to drift there forever before her feet hit solid ground. This time, she knew. She knew what she would see when she opened her eyes.
She had done it.
Flicking her eyes open, Nayome gazed reverently at the ancient yew tree towering above her.Holy shit.
She hadtraveled. On purpose. In front of a US Government agent while being surveilled. All the way to freakingScotland.And now…now, she was so screwed.
