The Hollows Of Hiraeth (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book I

Chapter Ninety-Six

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T h e H o l l o w s   O f
H I R A E    T    H
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"Sky?" My name echoed down the tunnel and I confusedly tried to find my caller.

"Sky?" This time I felt my senses jump as my upper right arm was touched. My dazed senses awoke as my eyes fluttered open, but I still couldn't think straight. Frowning, I lifted my head up from a shoulder—Kai's shoulder. I mumbled an apology as I tried to rid of my groggy state, but got nothing from Kai except a smile as he looked down at me.

"What's happening?" I asked him, trying to order my thoughts as I tried to find a way to tell the time. Apparently the car was switched off, and I didn't know where else to turn to.

Kai rummaged through his pockets as I turned to glance out the window, seeing nothing but the pitch blackness of the night, only a glimmer of light being shone by the very few street lights that were trailed along the road.

"It's nearly twelve in the morning, we have arrived at a private hotel," I raised my eyebrows at the mention of our whereabouts as I reached behind me to open the car door. I slipped out of the van, nearly tripping over my own feet, before waiting for Kai to follow suit.

"So," I spoke, before being interrupted by the sound of the car door slamming shut. Kai apologised quickly then we began to make our way towards what looked to be a very fancy and big 'private' kind of hotel.

"This private hotel," I began the conversation as Kai slipped the van keys into his jean pocket after locking it up. "Will there be fast room service and pure cotton towels?" I asked, mocking the idea of a 'private hotel'.

Kai laughed, "Maybe," he said first, "I'm not sure." He replaced his first answer and I stifled a laugh. I then spotted a couple of other vans, occupying the whole front of the hotel.

"Should've brought our own car park," I tried again for a joke and Kai turned his head to smile at me. I sighed, "But seriously, are you sure that this doesn't look suspicious?" I asked Kai, who was still laying low on the conversation.

"Everything is fine, Sky." Kai reassured me, giving me my answer as if he had buried it and I had to dig deep for it.

Timidly, I considered asking something that could make me look suspicious. But I was done with reason;

"Will Jameson be here?" I asked Kai but my question remained unanswered for a few seconds longer than I had wanted. Then it wasn't answered at all. Kai, a seemingly talkative, maybe charming, young man refuses to give fifteen year old, temperamental, maybe hormonal, Sky Forest her answer—what does this mean? Why would he suddenly stop talking to me? I'm not going to see Jameson here, am I?

Kai's voice in the distance startled me before I had a chance to wallow in self pity, and I'd hoped he was talking to me, giving me the answer. But, no, he was talking to the receptionist. A few more words were exchanged before Kai turned around, two room keys in his hands.

Smiling at my frown, Kai handed me mine, "I have somewhere to be," Gesturing to the key he added, "Go find your room." Kai instructed and I frowned at the number on my key—twenty-three—before looking back up at Kai, who was already striding away from me. I muttered to myself many names I could call Kai in this moment before locating the twenties in the hotel. I'll admit, the private hotel was very fancy, and I hoped I would get that fast room service and those pure cotton towels.

I reached the door with the number twenty-three in stainless steel, laying against the firm wood of the cream coloured door. I stuck in the key and twisted it until the click of the lock told me I had been granted entrance. I tiredly pushed open the door, my fingers on the key, ready to pull it out after I had walked in. Instead, my fingers were left lingering as an array of celebratory decorations greeted me. My jaw dropped.