Feather Dark

Chapter 25

Keira

I tugged at the skin around my fingernail with my teeth as Noah turned along the narrow road that split off the main drag through town. Although, calling it a 'main drag' was being generous; it was a wide double lane that meandered through the collection of quaint antique shops and organic cafes. Ancient oak trees sheltered the buildings, while well-dressed couples and families smiled and strolled.

"It's pleasant here," commented Noah. "Aesthetically very pleasing."

"How much further?"

He didn't need to consult the map; the advantage of having someone with a photographic memory as the driver and navigator. "Ten minutes, with a two minute margin of error."

"Okay." I caught a particularly chunky strip of dry skin with my front teeth and pulled at it viciously. The strip began to unpeel, exposing raw flesh to the air.

"You're nervous," Noah noted.

I wiped the droplet of blood that had formed on my finger against my jeans. Angsty, I put my feet up on the dash of the Volkswagen Golf we'd borrowed from the safehouse. "I am."

Pop would have tried to allay my fears. Leigh would have found a way to make me laugh. Noah simply shrugged. "We don't have enough information to make an informed deduction as to your mother's reaction upon seeing you after so much time. Once we see her, we'll know more."

"I guess you're right." Weirdly, it helped to think in his clear-cut way. One way or another, I'd have answers in only a few minutes. Worrying more now wasn't going to change the outcome.

The Golf hummed happily as we followed the winding road up and away from town. The adorable homes with their immaculate gardens and vintage vibes grew fewer and further between until we were surrounded by rolling fields. Each paddock was a different hue: glowing green, shining gold, pretty purple. They blended together, the lavender and wheat and grass, creating a flowing patchwork that stretched towards the mountain range that boarded the area.

Exactly ten minutes later, a driveway appeared on our right. A large wooden sign hung over the open gates. Welcome to the Roost, it proclaimed in old-timey letters. "This is it," said Noah, steering the car up the sealed driveway, which was flanked on either side by chartreuse cypress trees. Between their boughs, we could see cows and sheep grazing contently, while a long lake sparkled in the sun.

The driveway sloped upward, and the mountains towered closer as the VW gave a growl of exertion. My fingers clenched on the sides of my seat, and I leaned forward in anticipation.

Noah patted my arm. "We don't have to do this," he said. "Or I could approach alone. From my research, this property does not appear to pose a threat – it's only an Airbnb – but I can secure you in a safe house and I could investigate on my own."

We'd looked online at the coordinates and I had a suspicion about the property, but the only real information we'd been able to find was the listing for the glamping accommodation onsite. Guests from near and far raved about the experience of staying at the luxurious tepee-style tents with their king-sized beds and bamboo silk sheets, but thanks to a strict no-technology policy, there were barely any photos of the place – and none of the host, who went by the ambiguous name of 'Cookie.' Nickname? Real name? Was Cookie a grizzled prospector-type in a battered hat with a pail of beans over the fire, or a wealthy divorcee who'd abandoned big city life to run her own business – or the woman I was desperately seeking? I had no way of knowing.

Finally, the driveway levelled out and spilled itself onto a circular roundabout. A pond lay in the centre with lotus flowers and koi existing peacefully as decoration, while a minibus sat idling in front of the magnificent homestead. With its pale pine exterior and vaulted diagonal roof, the building sat in perfect alignment against the mountains, and the views over the valley and the town were glorious. The morning sunshine dappled the main building, and I could see white stone paths stretching away towards twenty or more triangular tents dotted throughout the fields and beside the forest flanking the property.