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Chapter 38
Guests had started to close in, grouping around Gabe from the corners of the clearing where they had been mingling at small standing tables. Gabe was standing in front of an ornate looking table, which had a curious array of objects on it, surrounded by candles and crystals that glowed in the early evening darkness. Nayome’s eyes were drawn to them, as they appeared to reflect moonlight and the flickering glow of the candles.
Swallowing her nerves, Nayome followed Bal through the crowd, hand in hand. She gripped his hands harder than necessary, as the anxiety she had been battling all day came out in full force.
“Nayome,” Gabe greeted warmly, arms spread in welcome. She smiled back nervously, eyes resting on his long sleek silver blond hair, rather than the eyes she knew were seeking hers. Old habits. She knew all too well what his stare was capable of, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet it head on.
Gabe proceeded with the ceremony, which consisted mostly of him addressing the rest of the elders, formally acknowledging their acceptance of Nayome into their Glen. The druid elders were lined up behind Gabe, in identical ceremonial robes. Deep hoods kept their faces shrouded in darkness, keeping them anonymous. Nayome frowned as she heard a few dissents from the figures.
The assents far outweighed the naysayers though, and the ceremony continued without a hitch. Bal’s mother was the last to voice her acknowledgment, her gravely voice recognizable behind the robe. Nayome felt relief at that small victory.
Soon Nayome found herself standing at the center of the cleared circle with Gabe. Bal had backed away, melting into the crowd somewhere behind her. Gabe gave her a reassuring smile as she handed her one of the crystals. Smaller ones had been picked up by each of the elders, who had set them on the ground before themselves. The crystal Nayome was handed was large, the color of Himalayan salt rock, and appeared to have absorbed the moonlight the way it was reflecting light. Gripping it, Nayome felt ahummof connection that flowed through her body, grounding her through the soles of her feet to the earth.
“Oh,” she gasped. Wonder filled her at the harmonious sensation. For a moment, that current of power she had felt earlier, the one that connected everyone, was heightened. She could almost see the energy, the ebb and flow of it as it was called and released, transferred between people, taken, then returned to the earth. Cyclical, recurring…beautiful, she thought as her eyes grew wet with tears. Too beautiful for words.
In that moment she even felt the connection between Gabe and herself, and looked up to meet his eyes for the first time that evening. He smiled knowingly at her when she met his gaze head on. There was no room for fear here, in this moment, when everything was momentarily clear. Gabe was of the earth, and so was she. They were on the same side, at least for tonight.
“Welcome, Nayome Miller,” Gabe repeated his words from earlier, but this time Nayome felt the impact as the crystal reached for it’s mates, which were grounded in the earth surrounding her. Energy flowed between the crystals, and through her as she gripped it tightly between her palms. As the sensations faded, a gentle applause sprung up from within the crowd. Nayome was approached by countless people afterwards, offering welcome and congratulations, her head spinning with the new names and faces.
A few hours later, Nayome sank gratefully into the plush armchair in front of a roaring fire, kicking off her shoes with a groan of relief. The ceremony had been lovely, but quite overwhelming. She couldn’t remember the last time she had met so many new people at once.
“So, this is your place?” Nayome glanced around appreciatively at the minimally decorated space. Lots of thick wood, with warm accent colors had Bal’s front room feeling masculine, yet inviting. The natural stone fireplace and large windows, which showcased the forest canopy just outside the doorstep, gave the space a cottagey feel that Nayome immediately felt at home in.
“You approve?” Bal asked, as he set a couple of mugs of steaming tea down. “We can redecorate, if you like. Especially if we will be splitting our time…”
“No, it’s perfect,” Nayome smiled at him, taking a sip of the hot tea. Citrus burst brightly on her tongue, mellowed out by a warm thread of sweet honey. Nayome watched Bal curiously as he puttered around the room, tidying up the stray books or jackets that had been left out. “What are you doing?” She asked him, curious why he was acting so antsy.
“Remember, I told you I had a surprise for you?” Bal raked a nervous hand through his chestnut hair, rumpling it in a way that reminded Nayome of how he looked first thing in the morning.
Smiling a little bit, Nayome nodded curiously. Now that the ceremony was over, she felt a lot less anxious and was looking forward to whatever he had planned.
“He’s running late, should be here soon. I think maybe I should have warned you first.” Bal gave her a helpless look as there was suddenly a knock at the door.
Alright, not what she was expecting. Sitting up straight, Nayome wondered who could have put Bal on edge so much, and why he wanted her to meet them. Surely his big surprise wasn’t another elder relative? Nayome felt some of that anxiety creep back into her system as Bal pulled the door open. Standing in the frame, the full moon lit night at his back, was someone Nayome didn’t recognize. He wasn’t old enough looking to be an elder. He had sandy blond hair, and looked to be somewhere in his late thirties or early forties, though Nayome knew now that wasn’t necessarily representative. Some fine lines at the corners of his eyes gave him a distinguished, mature look, where he otherwise might have been boyishly handsome. When he looked at her, Nayome felt a shock of recognition run through her. The eyes she was staring into were identical to her own.
Standing up, gripping her amber necklace tightly, Nayome felt her heart rate increase. She knew who this was, and didn’t need the introduction Bal was making.Graeme, son of Shorcha.Glancing at Bal, she felt a shot of panic shoot through her. This was his surprise? What had he been thinking?
If an apology could be spoken with no words, Bal was doing his best. His body language screamed regret, as he realized how put on the spot Nayome was feeling. Eyes moving back to the man that was supposedly her father, Nayome put Bal out of her mind for now. The man had a tentative smile on his face and had stepped into the room, approaching her slowly. Nayome realized at that moment that Greame had been well prepared for the meeting, so she shot another dirty look at Bal, who shrunk back into the coat rack.
“Nayome?” Graeme asked, softly.
Closing her mouth, which Nayome realized had been hanging open like a dead fish for the last few moments, she cleared her throat awkwardly, releasing the amber necklace. Graeme’s eyes caught the movement, drawn to the little pendant hanging around her neck. Nayome caught his quick, indrawn breath as he took a surprised step forward to get a better look. His eyes rose to meet hers, shock and recognition shining in them.
“It’s true,” he said, eyes raking over her necklace, then flashing back to her face to take in her features. Her eyes that were so much like his own.
Curiously, Nayome held the little amber pendant up, resting it in the center of her palm. “You recognize this?” She asked, tentative.
“Of course. It was my mothers, mine after she passed. I…I never expected to see it again.”
“You gave it to my biological mother,” Nayome said quietly, certainly creeping in. How else would a young waitress in Wisconsin have come to own a precious magical artifact.
“I did…Wendy,” Graeme trailed off, looking pained as his eyes filled with ghosts of the past. “Nayome, I had no idea that she was…that you are…”
“Would she have been able to get a hold of you, to tell you?” Nayome asked, an edge working it’s way into her voice.
“No, she wouldn’t have,” Graeme said after a brief hesitation, and Nayome thought she saw real regret flash in his eyes. “If I had known…”
“What’s done is done,” Nayome said quickly, not liking how sentimental things were getting. She didn’t know this man. Biological father or not, she didn’t owe him anything. “I was raised by a lovely family, I had a good life. No harm done.”
