The Gazing Globe (20 page)

"The estate?" Blain looked at Shayla.

"That's another name for our place in England. The wooded area where we live is part of a very large estate belonging to a member of our Druid faction. The place has been in his family for centuries. It's large enough to offer privacy and very well guarded. You'll also hear it referred to as the Shire. Afton or Lore can show you some of the more historic sites there."

"Oh, there are some lovely ruins, Blain. There are all kinds of sacred stone circles and ancient abbeys to explore." Afton looked at him and smiled.

Blain returned her smile with one of his own. He didn't know what would be expected of him, but it all began to take on the air of an adventure. Talk turned light-hearted as Afton began to ask about her family and explained about each of them for his benefit. The countryside became more wooded and looked as if it were the exact kind of place a creature of legend would haunt. A creature like him.

They drove on and stopped only to get a quick bite to eat and refuel the car. Though the lanes were very narrow, and they had to occasionally slow down, they made good time. It was late afternoon when they finally drove through a massive wrought iron gate and up to an old but beautifully restored castle.

Blain was dumbstruck. The place had parapets with flags flying from them as if knights would arrive home any time. A set of arched oak doors graced the front. As they drove up to them, people began to exit the dwelling by the scores. Some walked toward them from the woods.

Blain's heart was in his throat and beating faster. Shayla took his hand in hers and smiled at him before they got out of the car.

"Welcome home, Blain," she whispered and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

He squeezed her hand back, careful not to squeeze as hard as he'd done Afton's. Swallowing hard, he got out of the car and stood as tall as he could. These people had to perceive him as strong. Anyone who might not accept him would use any excuse to start something. He now understood what some of those people claiming to have been abducted by UFOs must feel like. Or a fish in a bowl.

"Welcome, Shayla, welcome." A man and woman the Sorceress's age greeted her with hugs and kisses.

Afton came to stand on one side of Blain while Lore stood on the other. "Steady on, Blain," Lore advised. "There's no one who resents your being here. The two people with Shayla are the Earl of Glen Rowan and his mate, or wife. That's how the outside world knows them. To us, they're James and Gwyneth."

Blain wondered if the man had sensed his fears. If he did, then others would too. He had to control himself better. He had to.

A beautiful woman with flame-red hair came forward. She greeted Lore and Afton with a smile and a hug then stared at Blain.

"You have the look o' a Heelander," she said.

Blain smiled at her and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Lore.

"A Highland fairy," Lore interpreted with a grin. "Bonny has a thick accent, but you'll get used to it."

"And you've no' an accent at all?" She winked at Lore. "Come, Blain. Ma sisters are cryin' ta meet ya."

The girl led Blain toward a group of amazing beauties standing just outside the castle doors.

Lore began to laugh as he and Afton watched Blain's progress. "Well, it didn't take her long. Bonny has a way of getting what she wants, doesn't she?"

"Bonny needs to slow down or people will think she's forward," Afton groused.

"Well, well, young Afton. Anyone would think you were jealous." Lore smiled when he noticed her frowning at the women surrounding Blain.

"That's ridiculous. The man might at least notice other people. There are many members of the Order here to meet him. Not just Bonny and her top-heavy sisters."

"Afton!" a familiar voice shouted from behind her.

She turned to see Gawain waving at her. Thoughts of Blain's present predicament fled as she saw the other members of her family in the crowd. "Gawain! Oh, Gawain, I'm so glad to be home," she cried as she ran toward him. Her parents and other siblings were close behind.

Blain heardAfton's name being shouted , and he saw her run toward someone. The man she embraced could only be described as a mountain with long brown hair. She was soon surrounded by many other men of equally menacing size. One of them had graying black hair and a barely lined face. Her father and brothers, he guessed.

After hugging all the men, an iridescent woman took Afton into her embrace. That was the only word Blain could come up with to describe her. Her hair was lighter than Afton's, but she had the same sweet face, and she moved as gracefully as a dancer. Probably her mother. That's what Afton would look like in thirty years. Blain smiled just thinking of how Afton's dainty physical attributes would blossom in the years to come.

"Leave off, Bonny. The man needs to meet other people," Lore gently chided as he rescued Blain from the growing crowd of young women.

"May I ask a strange question?" Blain said as he looked around him.

"There are no strange questions here, Blain. Only strange answers. Fire away."

"Many of the men have very long hair and the clothing is...well, some of the people are dressed in an almost medieval fashion. Why? Doesn't that draw attention to yourselves?" Blain asked as he looked at many of the men wearing leather jerkins, leather pants, boots and armbands. Some of the women also wore similar attire or had on Druid gowns.

"While we're in the middle of sacred and protected land, we maintain our heritage as much as possible.

No one is allowed on the grounds who hasn't proper business here, and that means customary dress and habits can be followed. There's no real rule about it. But once you've worn that soft leather or loose Druid cloth, anything else becomes damned uncomfortable. Speaking of which, as soon as I've introduced you around to a few more folk, we'll make our excuses and head inside. We can change and get out of these heavy outsider garments."

Blain nodded. He wondered when he'd be expected to not only change clothing, but his form as well.

What if his appearance was so different from the others they couldn't accept him? As he scanned the crowd, he couldn't see any signs of ethereal creatures lurking about. No little green men and women roaming around. Nothing with wings on it. But as he focused on the woods, a strange feeling came over him He was being watched. There were eyes everywhere Hundreds. These must be the guards Shayla had told him about. For some reason, Blain felt a pull toward those woods. It was as though he needed to be there, and the more he focused on the trees and the lush undergrowth, the more he wanted to go and explore.

"I know. I feel it too," Lore spoke from behind him. "We're drawn to the earth and its denizens. Our kind has always been more at peace in the woods than any other place. The first time you sleep in this enchanted forest, you'll be lost to its charm forever. That's what this land does for us. Especially at night."

"You seem to sense everything I feel. Is that common?"

"Most of the time. But we can mask our feelings and thoughts from one another if we choose, though I'm sure you've realized that by now. But doing so depends upon your mood."

"But I can't sense things the way you seem to," Blain told him.

"That comes with time. When we're in the woods, we'll do some experimenting with your powers. I've a feeling you'll be finding out things about yourself for the rest of your life."

Their conversation was interrupted when hoards of men and women pressed forward to meet Blain.

Some of them professed to know his parents and told him how glad they were that Shayla had changed the way the laws were interpreted.

All of them seemed genuinely happy to meet him, and several of them invited him to visit them at their homes. He was surprised to learn that many of them lived in cottages on the grounds. Others had journeyed a great distance just to meet him. He felt flattered and awed. More than that, he felt warm. His apprehension melted away, and he was able to be himself.

"Blain, I want you to meet my family," Afton called from a nearby group.

Blain and Lore moved toward her and the bevy of hulking giants who were her brothers. They looked like a bunch of New England lumberjacks. Blain had the feeling that if anyone ever hurt her, the offending party might as well dig his own grave. Judging by the expressions on their faces, her brothers and her parents so clearly loved her that he had no problem understanding why she was still a virgin. It would take the bravest of hearts—or the craziest of fools—to plot an amorous tryst withAftonO'Malley.

But the family was all smiles now. From the way her parents and brothers gathered around her, it was apparent Afton had been greatly missed.

After Blain's introductions were made, Lore joined the O'Malley family in friendly banter. Afton's parents, Deirdre and Markham, offered Blain an invitation to visit whenever he liked. They even gave him directions to their cottage and were overwhelmingly warm. He could see where Afton acquired her openness. Smiling and laughing came easily to these people.

Afton pushed her way through her family to stand next to him. "I'm going home for the night, Blain, but I'll be back tomorrow. I'll find Pluck and bring him along. He's annoying, but rather dear to me," she said as she picked up her bags. Several of her brothers came forward and took them from her, and she laughed at their antics when they pretended the luggage was too heavy.

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night, Afton." Blain smiled back at her and nodded to the others. He was about to turn away when she stepped forward and kissed him on the lips. The kiss lingered for a moment, and he placed his hand in the small of her back. When she finally backed away, Blain forgot anyone was there and wanted more.

"You'll be glad you came. You'll see," she whispered

"I'm already glad," he responded, grinning.

The O'Malley family waved goodbye and left with Afton in the middle of them, but Gawain took his time before leaving. He stared at Blain for longer than was polite.

Blain returned the intense stare. Then Gawain glanced at Afton's retreating form.

"You andAftonhave become close?" Gawain asked, returning his attention to Blain.

"Yes," Blain admitted, not feeling obliged to explain more.

"I guess people can never have too many friends." He paused and deliberately stared Blain down again.

Then, he slowly followed his family into the woods.

As he lumbered away, it didn't take any fairy sense to figure out that Gawain didn't want him around Afton. Blain's original thoughts about her family were correct. The little Druid had bruiser brothers who weren't about to let their baby sister get hurt by anyone. The biggest of them had just sent him a not so subtle, unspoken warning Come near her, and I 'II break you in half

"Well, you had to have felt that." Lore grinned "Gawain was warning you off. The man should have openly ordered you to keep your bloody hands off his sister. It would have been tactless, uncalled for and rude, but the impact would have been the same."

"He can warn away. I'm not giving up my relationship with Afton for anyone. She's been like a rock through this whole thing, and I'm not about to let her go."

Lore burst out laughing. "She'd be very flattered knowing she'd been compared to a rock."

Blain grinned. "I'll have to ask you to keep that description between us. Besides, I now know I can pick up on what others are feeling."

"A graveyard headstone could have picked up on that message, my friend. Be careful about Afton.

Gawain is a good man, but where his sister is concerned, he's always looking for a fight." Lore clapped Blain on the shoulder and said, "Come on. Let's get out of these clothes.

Before walking into the castle, Blain paused outside the door and turned to face the woods. For a moment, he was frozen in place. That eerie, terrible feeling was back. It hovered around him like thick black smoke that just wouldn't go away. When he glanced at Lore's retreating figure, he knew the fairy leader wasn't sensing it. That made the feeling even more menacing. Something was coming for him. It wasn't there yet, but it was coming. He could feel it approaching, and he didn't even know how to explain what it was he felt.

But whatever it was, thousands of miles and an ocean hadn't stopped it. More than ever, he knew he had to learn about his powers. Instinct told him there wasn't much time, and he couldn't run any more.

This was the last place he could go, and he'd make a stand on the ground his parents had been forced to leave.

"No matter what happens, I'll see this to the end," he quietly muttered. Then he turned and walked into the castle.

Nine

Blain stood in the middle of his assigned room and finished drying from his shower It was late afternoon, and he probably shouldn't have slept so long, but jet lag wasn't something he could control After last night's initial introductions and a late supper, he'd excused himself and gone straight to bed Deep, restful sleep had come to him A tact that, given the events m his life and his premonition of doom, was a surprise But maybe it was his decision to finish this once and for all that had allowed him to rest so peacefully He was tired of being plagued, hexed, followed and tortured It would stop One way or another, this had to end

He heard sounds of movement about the building and hoped Shayla was among those present He didn't want to run into one of the denizens of this environment without knowing the correct protocol for establishing his presence Startled, one of them might turn him into something inhuman He didn't fancy spending the rest of his life as a toilet seat or something equivalent He quickly dressed in the soft leather pants, boots and jerkin which had been laid out in the room He had to admit they were a definite improvement upon the jeans and shirts he'd brought The dark green leather pants and matching leather jerkin molded comfortably to his body and moved with him The feel of the soft garments against his flesh was sensuously appealing Ostensibly, the colors would allow him to blend in with the greenery in the woods And the high, black leather boots fit to perfection They'd make no sound as he moved Just as he finished dressing, there was a knock on the door He ran a blush through his hair before answering