Read Online The Gazing Globe by Candace Sams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Candace Sams
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weak and trembling. "Why don't you bring out those garden plans tomorrow? Maybe we can start on them."
Blain sighed when he sensedAfton's reluctance. She wasn't ready for his advances, which was just as well. He had someone else to think about. Rhiannon. Though he knew it wasn't fair, he couldn't help comparing the two women. One of them was a like a glittering gem—cold and lustrous. The other was like the reflection off a pond—deep and entrancing. And of the two,Aftonwas so much easier to talk with. "All right. We'll look at the plans tomorrow," he said.
"Good. I guess I'd better get inside. Shayla will be wondering where I've gotten to, and she's sort of my boss."
Blain watched her rise and walk gracefully away. "How am I ever gonna let you go, little sunflower?"
he whispered.
"How?"
***
Later that night, Blain woke up in a cold sweat. It had been so long since he'd felt ill that he'd thought he was permanently over whatever had weakened him. Using his night stand for support, he tried to rise, but a sudden bout of dizziness sent him and the table straight to the floor. He tried to sit up, and everything went black.
Aftonwoke up immediately at the sound of furniture and a body hitting the floor. She turned on her lamp and grabbed her robe. By the time she was in the hallway, Shayla and Hugh were there as well.
"What was that sound?" Afton asked as she stood beside Shayla, her hand gripping the older woman's arm.
"It came from Blain's room. We'd better check on him," Hugh advised as he moved down the hallway.
"Blain, lad, are you all right?" Hugh called after sharply rapping on Blain's bedroom door. When there was no answer, he opened the door. Blain was lying unconscious on the carpet. He was bare from the waist up and a fine sheen of sweat covered his torso.
"Hurry," Shayla urged as she rushed into the room. "We need to get him back into bed."
It took all three of them to move Blain's six-feet-three inch frame onto the bed. Afton left the room, but quickly returned with a bowl of cool water, a clean cloth and some herbs. She watched as Hugh sat on the bed and tried to wake Blain. "Do you think he can hear us?" She asked as she handed him the cloth.
"No, lass, I'm sure he can't." He began to clumsily dab at Blain's forehead. "While I've been living here, nothing like this has ever happened, and I don't mind telling you it scares the bloody hell out of me. Why is he so ill?"
Aftoncould see the distress in the older man's face and the clumsiness of his movements. She moved forward to take the cloth from Hugh. "Here, let me do that."
Shayla looked around the room. She studied the rows of books on a nearby shelf, walked to the fireplace then slowly turned and said, "We need to check this room thoroughly."
"What are we looking for?" Hugh asked.
"I don't exactly know, but we need to search everything. Look for an amulet, something small." Shayla began to run her hands over the items on Blain's dressing table.
As the two Druid elders searched the expansive room,Aftondid her best to lower Blain's temperature.
From her pocket, she added a small sprinkle of herbs to the cool water and dipped the cloth into it.
Blain sighed in apparent relief when she gently touched the cloth to his face and bare chest. It was the first time in her life that she'd ever been so close to a half-clothed man, other than her own father and brothers. She tried not to stare at his muscular shoulders and chest, but she couldn't help it. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. The muscles of his flat abdomen and sculpted arms were equally well developed. Anyone unfamiliar with the Order would look at him and attribute his wonderful physique to hard manual labor, butAftonrecognized him as one of the fairy race's finest warriors. Afton guessed he could easily wield one of the heavy, ancient weapons fairies or Druids sometimes carried. Her gaze traveled down his abdomen to the top of the grey sweat pants he apparently wore as
Blain sighed when he sensedAfton's reluctance. She wasn't ready for his advances, which was just as well. He had someone else to think about. Rhiannon. Though he knew it wasn't fair, he couldn't help comparing the two women. One of them was a like a glittering gem—cold and lustrous. The other was like the reflection off a pond—deep and entrancing. And of the two,Aftonwas so much easier to talk with. "All right. We'll look at the plans tomorrow," he said.
"Good. I guess I'd better get inside. Shayla will be wondering where I've gotten to, and she's sort of my boss."
Blain watched her rise and walk gracefully away. "How am I ever gonna let you go, little sunflower?"
he whispered.
"How?"
***
Later that night, Blain woke up in a cold sweat. It had been so long since he'd felt ill that he'd thought he was permanently over whatever had weakened him. Using his night stand for support, he tried to rise, but a sudden bout of dizziness sent him and the table straight to the floor. He tried to sit up, and everything went black.
Aftonwoke up immediately at the sound of furniture and a body hitting the floor. She turned on her lamp and grabbed her robe. By the time she was in the hallway, Shayla and Hugh were there as well.
"What was that sound?" Afton asked as she stood beside Shayla, her hand gripping the older woman's arm.
"It came from Blain's room. We'd better check on him," Hugh advised as he moved down the hallway.
"Blain, lad, are you all right?" Hugh called after sharply rapping on Blain's bedroom door. When there was no answer, he opened the door. Blain was lying unconscious on the carpet. He was bare from the waist up and a fine sheen of sweat covered his torso.
"Hurry," Shayla urged as she rushed into the room. "We need to get him back into bed."
It took all three of them to move Blain's six-feet-three inch frame onto the bed. Afton left the room, but quickly returned with a bowl of cool water, a clean cloth and some herbs. She watched as Hugh sat on the bed and tried to wake Blain. "Do you think he can hear us?" She asked as she handed him the cloth.
"No, lass, I'm sure he can't." He began to clumsily dab at Blain's forehead. "While I've been living here, nothing like this has ever happened, and I don't mind telling you it scares the bloody hell out of me. Why is he so ill?"
Aftoncould see the distress in the older man's face and the clumsiness of his movements. She moved forward to take the cloth from Hugh. "Here, let me do that."
Shayla looked around the room. She studied the rows of books on a nearby shelf, walked to the fireplace then slowly turned and said, "We need to check this room thoroughly."
"What are we looking for?" Hugh asked.
"I don't exactly know, but we need to search everything. Look for an amulet, something small." Shayla began to run her hands over the items on Blain's dressing table.
As the two Druid elders searched the expansive room,Aftondid her best to lower Blain's temperature.
From her pocket, she added a small sprinkle of herbs to the cool water and dipped the cloth into it.
Blain sighed in apparent relief when she gently touched the cloth to his face and bare chest. It was the first time in her life that she'd ever been so close to a half-clothed man, other than her own father and brothers. She tried not to stare at his muscular shoulders and chest, but she couldn't help it. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. The muscles of his flat abdomen and sculpted arms were equally well developed. Anyone unfamiliar with the Order would look at him and attribute his wonderful physique to hard manual labor, butAftonrecognized him as one of the fairy race's finest warriors. Afton guessed he could easily wield one of the heavy, ancient weapons fairies or Druids sometimes carried. Her gaze traveled down his abdomen to the top of the grey sweat pants he apparently wore as
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