The Gazing Globe (4 page)

"Come, meetAftonO'Malley." Shayla stepped aside and drew him to where a young woman stood, transfixed, near the rear of the car.

He gazed into summer blue eyes and, for a moment, forgot to speak. But only for a brief moment.

"Hello,Afton. I hope you enjoy your stay," he said lamely and held out his hand.

As her hand slid into his, his first thought was that he'd never seen eyes so blue or a face so pretty.

Strangely, pictures began to enter his consciousness. He looked at her and imagined a summer day, fields of flowers and sunshine. Her light brown hair was pulled back with a white scarf and when she smiled, the sweetest dimples appeared. She was truly an enchanting girl. Freckles faintly dotted her sweet face with its perfect, even features. Her slim body invited closer inspection. She could only be summed up in one word. Adorable.

Something about her radiated innocence, laughter and fun. And why did a picture of her walking through a thick forest wearing a white robe enter his mind? As bizarre as the image should have been, it somehow seemed right. The thought of it made him want to hold her hand longer, to imagine more. But his gaze came back to her eyes again. They were gorgeous.

"Blain, are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help me with the luggage?" Hugh's voice broke into Blain's obvious gawking.

"Coming," Blain reluctantly dropped her hand and grabbed the nearest bag Hugh placed on the ground.

He was embarrassed at having stood and stared atAftonfor so long. She'd think he'd never seen a woman before, or that he was some ignorant plow boy. Hugh had told him Shayla would be bringing an assistant, but he hadn't mentioned her age, or the fact that she was one finely-crafted piece of work.

***

"Sorry I wasn't able to go to the airport with Hugh, but I had a feeder to fix. My livestock couldn't get food without it," Blain said after sipping at his second cup of coffee and looking around the dinner table at his guests.

"No problem, dear boy. We quite understand." Shayla reached out and patted his arm.

Aftonwatched her mentor closely. The old woman was absolutely gushing over Blain. It seemed that every syllable the man uttered was of vital importance to her.Aftonhad never seen the Sorceress behave in such a way. Shayla had always been more reserved and dignified, tending to be aloof with everyone except Hugh.

ThenAftonturned her attention toward Blain and saw the unusual grey-green eyes of many of the fairy race. He wore his thick hair tapered long in the back. It curled near his collar, and the breeze blowing through an open kitchen window pushed strands of it over his forehead. She had to physically stop herself from raising her hand to push them away. Like his forebears, he had a noble countenance. His jaw was square and his expression intelligent. The power of his bright smile invaded her senses. She'd almost swear she was being enchanted with fairy power, but she had little experience with such things. Gawain had throttled the only fairy who had ever tried to come near her.

"So,Afton, are you fromCornwall, too?" Blain leaned forward, propped both elbows on the table and held his coffee cup between his hands.

"Yes, my parents and brothers all lived there, but we've made our home north ofLondonin recent years."Aftonwasn't sure how much she should reveal. If he knew she came from a family of Druids and that they lived in an enchanted forest, what would he say?

"You're the youngest. Right?"

"How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

"What crops do you grow on your farm?" Shayla asked as she accepted a cup of tea Hugh brought to the table.

"Right now, I'm putting in corn, pumpkins, tomatoes and some other summer crops. I expect to have a good year. But then the land here is very fertile. I haven't had a failing crop yet."

"I remember Syndra had an amazingly green thumb," Shayla remarked as she added cream to her tea and stirred it slowly.

"She did. I learned practically everything I know from her. I went to an agricultural college for a while, took night courses. But everything that really matters came from Mom. Of course, Dad knew everything there was to know about herbs. Even wild ones. Both of them were always in the woods or the garden." Blain stopped speaking, the memories suddenly becoming too painful.

Aftonwatched Blain's expression as he spoke of his parents. They hadn't been dead all that long, and he obviously missed them. There was no hiding the sadness in his beautiful eyes.

"They'd be proud of what you've done here, lad," Hugh said as he lit his briar pipe.

"I'd like to think so. I've kept everything as they would have wanted it and made some improvements we'd discussed. But I'm afraid I haven't had time to complete the new plans Mom had for her herb garden. Maybe I can get to it later in the summer."

"Were these plans on paper or just something you talked about?" Shayla asked as she put down her tea cup.

"She drew a rough blueprint, but she never got the chance to start the job. Her heart just gave out." He paused and looked out the back screen door. He desperately needed to be outdoors, though the obsessive feeling was not as bad as usual. For some reason, he really did feel better.

"May I see the plans she drew?" Shayla quietly asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Blain wasn't sure he wanted anyone else looking them over. He hadn't brought them out for a very long time, and doing so would open a book of memories he'd tried to bury. But he had to get on with his life.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally pushed himself away from the table. Several minutes later, he returned with a long, rolled up length of paper and spread it out on the table so Shayla could look at the drawing.

"This is wonderful," she said as her fingers slid over the sketch. "All of the old-fashioned plants are here. All of the most powerful curatives. Come and seeAfton."

Aftonmoved from her seat at the far end of the table and stood to look over Shayla's left shoulder. She nodded in agreement. "This is grand. It's a perfect place for fairies." She could have bitten her tongue off at her careless remark, but Hugh and Shayla didn't seem the least bit annoyed.

Blain smiled, pleased by her reaction. "It's funny you should say that. Mom said exactly the same thing when she finished the design. For some crazy reason, she loved fairies and anything to do with them. She joked that it was a childhood interest."

Hugh, Shayla, andAftonall glanced at each other meaningfully.

"She told you she believed in fairies?"Aftonasked.

"She believed in everything," he responded with a slow smile. "Mom was a dreamer. I think she and Dad believed the whole world could be a better place if more folks loved nature and kept an open mind about such things."

"And what do you believe?" Shayla asked, her gaze meeting his.

For a time he didn't answer. Then he shrugged. "I believe I'd better get to bed. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Good night, everyone."

With that, he nodded, rose and left the room. As he walked upstairs, Blain felt he should have made an effort to quiz Shayla Gallagher about his parents and her relationship with them. But some sixth sense told him she probably wouldn't answer his questions. At least, not yet. And there was a kind of...aura about the woman. When he'd shaken hands with her, he'd sensed a great strength—the way a person might feel if they were standing in the presence of a leader.

Not being able to pin his feelings down more precisely than that, he dismissed the sensation as his own response to someone who looked like they were in very good health. Something that had been denied him for a long time. While he was better physically right now, something about his mental state was beginning to trouble him. There was a dark hole in his thoughts whenever he pictured the future, and that scared him as much as his physical symptoms. Before the fear could escalate, he emptied his mind, determined to try to get a good night's rest.

***

Later that night,Aftonstood outside the old farmhouse, closed her eyes and tried to gain a sense of her surroundings. She could still feel the evil that had been present on this beautiful farm. It was readily apparent because the source wasn't natural. It didn't fit with everything else. Its presence was much like a thorn on the land, a shard of broken glass tearing at the earth's crust. It was an abominable thing.

She opened her eyes and turned to face the bedroom in which she knew Blain slept. "Be at peace.

Help is here, Blain. We won't let whoever this is destroy you. Whatever it takes, we'll save you. Even if we have to fight the blackest evil on earth." She shuddered, because even as she finished the softly spoken promise, she felt strands of a horrible evil creeping toward them all.

Three

"What smells so good? Hugh, are you actually baking something?" Blain asked as he walked into the kitchen and poured coffee into a large mug. The appetite he'd felt deserting him had suddenly reappeared with a vengeance.

"No, lad.Aftonstarted muffins baking for breakfast. She's outside looking around."

Blain looked at his watch. It wasn't evenfive o'clockin the morning. What in the world was the girl doing up so early, and what was she doing outside? The air had a chill to it this time of day.

"You mean she flew in all the way fromEnglandyesterday and got up this early? What's wrong with her?" Blain shook his head, deciding to go find her. Just as he was heading for the door,Aftonwalked in.

She was wearing a floral print shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It was neatly tucked into blue jeans, and she her small feet were shod in hiking boots. Her shining hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, and she looked all of eighteen. "What in the world are you doing up? And baking, too?" Blain wondered how she could look so well rested and gorgeous at such an early hour. She was as bright and open as a Morning Glory. All blue-eyed and ready to greet the day. Her appearance reminded him that he had a packet of those particular flower seeds he needed to plant. And why did he feel the need to wrap his arms around her and hold her? Every time she got close to him, he wanted her closer.

Afton immediately looked toward Hugh for some backup, but he just smiled and left her floundering.

Blain wasn't supposed to know she'd been in the garden looking for anything that didn't belong—dead wood with figure carvings, noxious herbs which had been bundled, or cloth dolls that could be used in black magic. Hexes that would harm or sicken the very man who now stood before her. Flustered by his appearance, coupled with his questions, she swallowed hard and made something up.

"I hope you don't mind, but I found blueberries in the fridge, and I love blueberry muffins. I always get up early back home. There's so much to see and do."

She knew she was babbling, but she wasn't good at making things up on the spur of the moment. No one had prepared her for this, and Hugh wasn't helping a bit. He was the one who had instructed her to go look for the talismans in the backyard in the first place. She was supposed to have been replacing anything evil she might find with articles of protection, like yew, oak and ash branches. So far, she hadn't found any hexes. But she suddenly remembered the one yew branch sticking out of her back pocket, and that made her even more nervous. Blain would certainly notice it.

Blain watchedAftonmove about the kitchen, setting the table for breakfast. He listened to her bright chatter with suspicion. If ever anyone was hiding something, it was the pretty English woman skittering around his kitchen and trying to force small talk. She also had a yew branch stuck in her back pocket, but there wasn't a yew tree anywhere near his yard. Something weird was up. But he kept silent and amused himself by watching her cook and listening to her chatter. Strangely, Rhiannon came to mind, and he didn't know why. Rhi wouldn't be caught out of bed beforenoonif she could help it. Why he'd think of that at this precise moment was absurd. Comparing the two women was like comparing the sun to the moon.

"I'm a bit confused as to why you were outside. You couldn't see anything out there. It's still dark,"

Blain pointed out.

"Oh, I was just getting a feel for the place. You know, listening to the last of the night animals and the first sound of birds,"Aftonreplied, keeping her gaze averted. Every lie she told sounded so stupid. Why wouldn't Hugh say something?

Blain looked at Hugh when she topped off his coffee cup and motioned for him to sit down at the table.

Whatever was really going on, Hugh was in on it. His face was a smiling mask. What the hell were they up to?

"Oh, these came out well. I wasn't sure they would because I'm baking in an oven I'm not used to. We have different settings on them inEngland."Aftonbabbled as she pulled a tray of huge blueberry muffins out of the oven and began to pop them into a bread basket.

Despite all the ridiculous subterfuge, Blain's mouth began to water and his stomach growled at the wonderful smell.

"You don't mind do you?"Aftonturned to the men and placed the basket on the table in front of them.

"Pardon?" Blain looked at her wondering what in hell she was talking about. For the moment, he wanted nothing more than to dive into the muffins, slather them with butter and reach for more

"That I've used your oven. I love to bake. You don't mind, do you?" She repeated and stopped to wait for his answer. She nervously twisted her fingers together, caught him watching the small gesture, and quickly put her hands behind her back.

"No. Of course not. It's just that I hope you didn't think you had to get up and make breakfast. You're a guest, and it's really early." When she began to babble again, Blain became even more suspicious.

Clearly she wasn't used to hiding things, and it didn't come naturally. He'd love nothing more than to get her alone and question her. Or just get her alone.

"Good morning, everyone. It's going to be a lovely day, isn't it?" Shayla walked into the kitchen wearing a long skirt and long-sleeved blouse in matching soft blue shades.

Blain looked her over and likened her quick, graceful movements to those of a butterfly. Especially in the blue, floating material she wore. It was as though the woman was trying to present herself as airy and flighty. Something told him otherwise, and he closely watched as Shayla took a seat next to Hugh. He saw Afton pull the yew branch out of her back jeans pocket, nervously look for a place to put it, then stick it behind some crockery At the same moment, he saw Shayla nod at the younger woman as if some secret message had passed between them. Things were getting more intriguing by the moment, and Blain began to wonder what Shayla's story was.