The Gazing Globe (19 page)

Afton stepped in front of Hugh so she could see his face. There was terrible sorrow in his downcast expression and tears glittered in his eyes. She had already delayed the ceremony as long as possible by walking slowly to the pasture where the bonfire was situated. She moved forward to hug Hugh and tried to convey some hope to him when she felt none herself. He responded in kind, then quickly released her from his embrace. Afton saw him take Shayla's hand in his. With the joining of their hands, she knew Shayla would utter the ancient words as the sun set. And Blain's final decision would become forever recorded.

"Is it too late to join you?" Blain called out. He saw Shayla turn to look into the inky depths of the woods. He hadn't meant his entrance to be so dramatic, but after everything the woman had put him through, it was rather gratifying to see the startled look on her face. He slowly walked forward and watched Shayla's eyes widen in surprise. It had seemed appropriate to make his appearance in fairy form. Their response to him would tell him a lot about what would happen with this mythical Order and how they would react to him.

"By all that's holy! Blain, you're magnificent," Shayla gasped, "and I didn't sense your presence.

Blain stepped nearer to the fire. It was the first time Afton had seen him in well-lit surroundings, and her expression reflected pure astonishment. He'd made the transformation in the woods. It had come much easier than expected and with none of the pain he'd suffered before. In this form, he felt almost invincible.

It was as if even the laws of gravity changed for him. His movements were light and quick, like those of a predator. He could see in the coming darkness with ease. His senses were sharp enough to tell him that no human, other than the three people before him, was within miles of the pasture. It wouldn't do to start this new life by revealing his alter ego to some hapless farmer who'd then be destroyed because of his carelessness. Changing at will was something he'd have to be very careful about in the future.

Some instinct told him that Shayla had masked the bonfire's presence, and no one would ever know they'd been in this pasture burning anything at all. Unlike the Druids, he couldn't stand the feeling of clothing upon flesh that seemed much too sensitive. A piece of leather from the barn was tied loosely about his waist.

Shayla moved closer to him and placed a hand upon his cheek. "You have the look of your mother.

She was a Highland fairy. Depending upon the weather, they move about a great deal between England and Scotland. She spent most of her time teaching the children at our ancestral grounds in England. She'd be so very proud of you."

Afton could see that, possibly for the first time in her life, Shayla was hard-pressed to find words. So the Sorceress did what most people do when they were flummoxed—she began babbling.

"Come, Blain," Afton said as she reached for his hand and took him closer to the fire. "It isn't too late to join us."

The gaze he turned on her was elemental. Since the colored part of his eyes were star-shaped instead of round, it gave him an even more ethereal look than most fairies already possessed. His skin was green, but a lighter shade than usual. As before, his ears were pointed and his hair had grown much longer than its normal collar length. The light from the fire cast eerie shadows upon his features which would have frightened anyone who didn't know him.

"What do you think, Hugh?" Afton asked.

"By stars! He's remarkable. Simply remarkable," Hugh choked out.

"Well, that makes it unanimous. I'm odd even by your standards, whatever those are," Blain quipped.

Then he changed his tone of voice to reflect his feelings. His inflection was more serious and primitive.

"After I changed forms, I saw my reflection in tonight. I fully accept what I have to do. Whatever happens from now on, I place my future in your hands, Shayla. I can't live with one foot in this world and one in yours. This is what I am. This is who I'll stay. Teach me. Show me what I need to know. If your Order can accept a half-breed, then take me to them."

Shayla took his hands in hers as tears of joy coursed down her cheeks. "The pledge has been made. It will be honored. So mote it be." After she spoke, the wind rose and the fire burned a deep orange.

Afton watched Blain's face as he stood beside her. His starry-eyed gaze never faltered, and his solemn expression endured throughout the evening. She'd never known anyone with more courage. She did know she was falling deeply in love with him. This was the warrior of her dreams. Though she believed he'd never reciprocate her feelings, she still wanted him so much it actually hurt. If Blain could draw forth the courage to face the challenges ahead of him, then so would she. One way or another, she'd find a way to make him see her as something more than just a friend. And she'd find a way to be worthy of him and obtain the strength it would take to be warrior class. In unison, they all turned together and stepped forward, joining hands as Shayla spoke the ancient words to celebrate, to thoir taing—give thanks to the Gods for their plentiful bounty.

***

"Everything here will be fine, lad. Shayla is sending some of our most trusted people to look out for the animals and the crops. After they've arrived and settled, I'll join you in England. It should only take a week, maybe less," Hugh promised.

Blain nodded. "I'm not really worried. When Shayla assured me everything here would be well taken care of, I believed her. It's what's waiting for me on the other side of the ocean that I'm more concerned about. But I've made my decision. I'll see it through."

"You make it sound like you're going on a death march. I think you'll have quite a few surprises waiting for you. You may even enjoy it if you'll let yourself," Hugh said as he clapped Blain on the back. "We don't bite, lad."

"We'll see," Blain remarked as he picked up his bag.

He walked toward the door to join Afton and Shayla. They had their belongings in the car and were ready for the drive to the airport. Using fake passports and I.D.'s didn't seem to faze them a bit. It scared the hell out of him. But everything had been carefully arranged to make his leaving look like a planned vacation, though no one would know where he'd actually gone. He paused and turned back toward Hugh one last time.

"Anything I should know? Any words of wisdom you care to pass along?" he asked, noting the trepidation in his own voice.

"Aye." Hugh turned to the bar, poured a large measure of whiskey into a glass and handed it to him.

"Drink this and try to relax, lad. At this rate, you'll be giving yourself an ulcer."

Blain took the whiskey and a deep breath. "Here's to fairytales, magic and the fools who believe in them." He tossed back the entire contents of the glass, hugged his uncle and walked out.

The drive to the airport went by all too quickly for Blain. He took his cues from Afton and Shayla as they got to the airport ticket counter. When Blain was asked for his identification, he was sure the sweat on his face would give him away. The man behind the counter looked him over carefully before finally processing the ticket and taking his luggage. Blain believed his heart might tear out of his chest. It was beating that hard. He saw how easily the women were getting through the entire ordeal. How the hell did they act so calm?

Finally he was on the plane. But they weren't off the ground yet. Shayla was, as always, full of poise.

Afton surprised him. She'd put her hair up in a much more sophisticated style and wore a light blue sheath dress with matching sandals. He'd been so used to seeing her in jeans and farm gear that her new look was quite alluring. The male flight attendants and some of the passengers openly stared at her. And when she answered some of their friendly questions about her destination, he felt a surge of jealousy. They were looking her over like she was a thick, juicy steak Swarming like flies and spending far too much time catering to her needs

When they were airborne, Blain forgot about the men hovering around Afton and breathed a sigh of relief But Afton's collected calm got to him While he was sweating bullets, she sat next to him and exuded confidence and coolness Occasionally, she looked up from the magazine she was reading, and smiled at him as if they were doing nothing unusual It irritated the hell out of him The least she could do was show the same concern she had while they were on the farm together This new Afton seemed too self-assured He hated being placed in a defensive position Afton was confident because she knew what she was going home to and welcomed it He was left to sit and suffer in almost complete silence through the hours it took to get to London He couldn't talk about his doubts or concerns in the plane's confined spaces Someone might overhear

The closer they got to their destination, the happier Afton and Shayla looked, and the more anxious he felt himself growing He'd never considered himself a coward, but when the flight attendant came by to check with each passenger before landing, he broke into a cold sweat Then that awful feeling of impending doom hit him He stared out the window, took a deep breath and tried to shake it off Whatever he was sensing hadn't, as he'd hoped, gone away with Hannah's death It was back with force He ordered a whiskey, drank it down and ordered another It had to be his own fear of the future eating at him That was the only plausible explanation If he told anyone, they'd think he was a fool or the coward he already thought himself. He had to find a way to fit into this Order or spend the rest of his life alone Living as they probably did, Blain believed they wouldn't tolerate someone without courage So he kept his mouth shut and tamped the black feeling down

Seeing his hand tightly clenched into a fist,Aftonplaced hers over it "It's all right. Everything will be easy from here on out, Blain. Lore is meeting us at the airport."

Blain recognized the name as belonging to the leader of the fairy clan. He remembered Afton saying Lore was the one with the dubious ancestry and never used his real last name. There was some fairy tradition having to do with the magical quality of his surname. As Blain tried to remember everything else he'd been told, he clenched his hands around the arms of his seat and physically willed himself to take deep breaths. When they landed, he only hoped he could get through customs as easily as any other passenger on vacation. Afton took his hand as they disembarked. He squeezed it tightly.

"Ouch, not so hard, Blain."

"Sorry," he apologized and raised her hand to his mouth for a soothing kiss. Showing his current state of nerves wasn't going to win him any points with this Lore person. And apparently, as leader of the fairies, Lore was the one to impress. Shayla hadn't yet decided who was going to train him in the Druid ways.

Shayla led the way to the baggage claim area. Blain held his breath, trying to look nonchalant as the authorities checked his passport and asked a few mundane questions. He surprised himself by being able to joke with the man looking at his documents. It must have worked because the man smiled, handed him back his passport and wished him well.

When he turned and walked toward Shayla and Afton, he noticed a man matching his own height standing beside them. His hair was long, blond and pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a black leather jacket, boots and jeans. He could have been anyone from any part of Europe or the States. As Blain approached the group, the blond giant pulled off the sunglasses he was wearing. The green eyes gazing into his own were full of curiosity and welcome.

"Blain, I'm Lore. Shayla has told me all about you. It'll be my job to make sure you're properly introduced to everyone. Sure 'n it's good to meet you."

Blain noted the Irish accent and took Lore's outstretched hand in his own. He immediately felt some kind of electric quality in the touch. Since Lore didn't mention it, he chalked it up as something ordinary between people of their race.

"I'm glad to meet you, Lore," Blain said, meaning it. Lore's handshake was made in earnest. This was his first contact with the fairy race or Sidhe, as they were called. If this had been a dream, he'd have awakened laughing. But it was all too real. It was ridiculous to have ever imagined that fairies were tiny people flitting around in a garden. While Lore seemed genuinely glad to meet him, Blain had a hunch it wouldn't do to anger him. Ever.

"Come. Let's hurry I want to be home by dark," Shayla announced.

Lore led them outside to a large sedan. He quickly drove them away from the airport and headed north. Afton sat in the front passenger seat and smiled at the fairy leader. Blain wondered what their history was together. Did Afton have a thing for the man? In that blue dress, she was downright titillating.

"You look glad to be back," Lore remarked as he returned her smile, "and you're as lovely a sight as ever a man dreamed."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She laughed. "Now tell me all the gossip since we left."

"Pluck has been driving your poor mother daft. That wee rascal needs someone to put him back in line."

Afton looked over the back seat at Blain "Pluck and I have been friends since we were babies. He's one of the elf faction and doesn't know how to stay out of trouble."

"That's the way of elves, I'm afraid." Shayla clucked, shaking her head. "You'll meet everyone soon, Blain. Don't let anything overwhelm you. If you have any questions, simply ask."

"Questions? I don't know where to begin," Blain responded. He trained his gaze on the passing scenery, just as Shayla was doing. The two of them shared the sedan's expansive back seat, which was wide and very luxurious. And Blain thought this Order must be doing well for itself. Large sedans of this type were hard to come by, even in the States. And, as he kept his mind on these mundane thoughts, the horrible, dark feeling he'd felt on the plane disappeared But that only left him believing it represented something very important. Something he should be recognizing and wasn't. He shook his head as if doing so could rid him of his doubts.

"I can't imagine what this must be like for you," Lore said as he glanced into the rearview mirror at Blain. "But you're in for a very warm welcome. Since Shayla told us you'd be coming, members of different factions have been showing up at the estate for days. Everyone wants to meet you."