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Bal hesitated a beat too long. “Yes. Stay with my sister though, Gabe and I will return tomorrow morning, once everything is taken care of here.”
“Bal, what aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s…it might be nothing.”
“Tell me.” Nayone glanced at Ce who had abandoned her ruse of giving them privacy and was looking concerned at the tension in Nayome’s tone.
“Felix came across some information that indicated the agents were tipped off about you. That’s why they came after you so aggressively. It could be nothing, but…Nayome, did you tell anyone? Anyone at your work, friends?”
“No, of course not!”
“Well if you didn’t tell anyone, then—”
“Someone here? You think…one of your people may have done it?” Nayome swallowed hard, shooting an uneasy glance around herself and at Ce who had picked up on the tension and was now unabashedly listening in.
“You will be safe with my sister. Stay there, Gabe and I will get there tomorrow morning.”
“How will you get here so soon?”
“We have a private plane. It’s easier than dealing with borders and passports…especially with Gabe, who hasn’t aged a day in decades.
“Ah, of course.”
“Sit tight, I’ll be seeing you soon. Don’t let my sister talk your ear off.”
Nayome stared down at the blank screen for a moment before glancing back up at Ceana, who was observing Nayome with interest.
“He hung up? Typical, didn’t even say goodbye to his sister.”
Nayome smiled weakly and set the phone down on the counter top. Bale trusted his sister, and Nayome hadn’t gotten anything but kind vibes out of the woman thus far. So she relaxed a bit, knowing that even if someone in Scotland had it in for her, they didn’t know she was here.
Something was nagging at the corner of Nayome’s mind as she observed Ceana. The silence continued to stretch between them, allowing the thought to take shape, forming into a full idea. “You’re doing it, aren’t you?” Nayome asked, elaborating when she only got a blank look from Ce. “Regenerating the forest, keeping it healthy?”
Ce’s eyes widened, her sparkling green eyes growing bigger. Her small, pixie features didn’t seem capable of hiding any of her thoughts, emotions crossing her face freely. Taking a seat across from Nayome, she reached out and took one of Nayome’s hands in her own.
“How could you have guessed that?” Ce asked.
“I saw it in the samples I took. The water, the soil…everything was pristine, as though the forest lived outside the bounds of pollution. And the mushrooms, they were regenerating too quickly. And when I saw you earlier…”
“Ah, I suppose that’s what the boys are off cleaning up. That information in the wrong hands…”
“Yeah, it got noticed. I…the FBI had me in custody, when I escaped, came here.”
Ce sighed wistfully. “I have so much I want to ask, but you’ve had a rough enough time without me pestering ya with questions.”
Nayome felt her lips pulling up in a reluctant smile. There was something comforting about Ceana. Knowing she had played a direct role in the healing and preservation of the forest made her seem less threatening. Nayome found herself feeling as though she was in the presence of someone special. Someone who she wanted to protect. The thought of Ce, with her innocent wide eyes and bright red hair, in the hands of the government, being studied in a lab…it made Nayome shudder.
“Is there anyone else who can do what you do?” Nayome asked, curious.
Ce smiled sadly. “Just me that I know of. I go out as much as I can, but I run out of energy so quickly.” Sharing a conspiratorial glance with Nayome, Ce continued “Bal would kill me if he knew how often I go out…let’s just keep that between us gals, yeah?”
Nayome smiled back, “My lips are sealed. The work you are doing…it’s amazing.”
That seemed to perk Ceana up, and she launched into a detailed summary of the types of things she did around the forest, and what her plans were. Nayome was nodding along, trying to follow as Ce jumped from one topic to the next. It was impossible not to be impressed, she had devoted her life to the preservation of her home. From the sounds of it, the energy required was immense. Ce was doing incredible, selfless work. Nayome wished there was something she could do to help. She had devoted her life to climate research, and Ce was doing more for the planet than Nayome could do even in her wildest dreams.
“I wish I could do what you do,” Nayome breathed, mind racing with the possibilities.
Ce smiled to herself, as she twirled a strand of gleaming hair between her fingers. “I wouldn’t change it for the world, the connection I feel to the earth…it’s everything. But it’s hard. I wish there were more of us. Sometimes I can feel the earth screaming, and I dinnae have the reserves to help. It breaks my heart.”
