little nun was back now, moving closer on his other side. She was younger than his angel, but cute as a button.
For the first time in his life, he realized he was looking upon an eligible human female without any trace of lust. That thought had him rocking back on his heels, figuratively at least. Perhaps it had something to do with his illness, but no, he wanted his angel as much as he ever wanted any woman. Actually, more so. He didn't think he had ever wanted a particular woman this badly.
The realization confused him, but he was too weak to sort through it now. He decided to concentrate his energies on getting well first, then he would bed his angel and figure out why she was so irresistible.
"I heard, Sister. We must tell Mother Rachel."
"I know already, children. Be at ease." A new female voice floated through the chamber to him, coming closer. With it came a fragrance of flowers and earth, and a beautiful, slightly older woman stepped into his line of view. "Your arrival was foreseen.
Be welcome, Son of Amber. Can you tell us your name?"
He didn't know why, but he wanted to tell this lovely older woman whatever she wanted. He would reveal all his secret plans, if she but asked, but she only wanted his name. That he could give her before his strength failed.
"Ezekiel."
6
"Be welcome, Ezekiel." She placed her hand on his forehead and he felt a peace he'd never experienced before wash over his senses. "Rest now and recover."
* * *
That was all he knew until he woke a full day later. The angel was gone but the cute little nun was at his side, watching him with wide, almost frightened eyes. He tried to sit up, but found himself in too much pain to move very far. "Oh please, do not move, brother."
"What's wrong with me?"
"'Tis the aftereffects of the tessla we gave you to deaden the pain. Your head will clear in a few moments, but you must lie still. It will take much longer to be free of the tessla if you do not." She moved back as he resettled, then went to the doorway, calling for someone before returning to his side. "Sister Angela will come shortly. She will want to see how you're feeling."
"Who is Sister Angela?"
The young girl giggled. "I'm sorry. The other woman who was here when you woke last. That is Sister Angela. She is one of our most talented healers. It was Sister Angela who set your leg."
"My leg?" He tried to lift up again but sat back abruptly as the room began to spin.
"Your leg was fractured." A new voice sounded from the doorway. Zeke swiveled his eyes up to see the angel who had tended him. She moved softly into the room, her strides brisk but feminine in a way that caused his gaze to linger. "But it is knit well now.
After the tessla wears off, you should be ready to sit up for a bit."
"You're Angela?" She nodded, and he liked the blush that came over her pretty face as she moved closer. "Thank you for tending my injuries. You, too." He turned toward the younger girl with a small smile. "I didn't get your name."
"I'm Agatha." The younger girl blushed, too, though it didn't have quite the effect on him that Angela's blushes had.
"Thank you, Agatha. You both have been angels of mercy in my hour of need."
Angela moved closer. "It's part of our calling."
For a dreadful moment the pit of his stomach fell, as if he were in free fall. "Are you part of a religious community? Are you, uh, nuns or something?"
Both girls chuckled and it somehow reassured him. "We're part of a fellowship, but it's not religious in nature. Our ancestors banded together because of their shared abilities and left the homeworld as a group."
"Then you're not under any kind of vows or anything, right? You're not, uh, celibate?"
The blushes returned even fiercer than before, and both sets of feminine eyes darted away, but there was excitement in the air as Angela answered. "No. We're not bound by vows of celibacy, though I've read about those kinds of religious communities in the
For the first time in his life, he realized he was looking upon an eligible human female without any trace of lust. That thought had him rocking back on his heels, figuratively at least. Perhaps it had something to do with his illness, but no, he wanted his angel as much as he ever wanted any woman. Actually, more so. He didn't think he had ever wanted a particular woman this badly.
The realization confused him, but he was too weak to sort through it now. He decided to concentrate his energies on getting well first, then he would bed his angel and figure out why she was so irresistible.
"I heard, Sister. We must tell Mother Rachel."
"I know already, children. Be at ease." A new female voice floated through the chamber to him, coming closer. With it came a fragrance of flowers and earth, and a beautiful, slightly older woman stepped into his line of view. "Your arrival was foreseen.
Be welcome, Son of Amber. Can you tell us your name?"
He didn't know why, but he wanted to tell this lovely older woman whatever she wanted. He would reveal all his secret plans, if she but asked, but she only wanted his name. That he could give her before his strength failed.
"Ezekiel."
6
"Be welcome, Ezekiel." She placed her hand on his forehead and he felt a peace he'd never experienced before wash over his senses. "Rest now and recover."
* * *
That was all he knew until he woke a full day later. The angel was gone but the cute little nun was at his side, watching him with wide, almost frightened eyes. He tried to sit up, but found himself in too much pain to move very far. "Oh please, do not move, brother."
"What's wrong with me?"
"'Tis the aftereffects of the tessla we gave you to deaden the pain. Your head will clear in a few moments, but you must lie still. It will take much longer to be free of the tessla if you do not." She moved back as he resettled, then went to the doorway, calling for someone before returning to his side. "Sister Angela will come shortly. She will want to see how you're feeling."
"Who is Sister Angela?"
The young girl giggled. "I'm sorry. The other woman who was here when you woke last. That is Sister Angela. She is one of our most talented healers. It was Sister Angela who set your leg."
"My leg?" He tried to lift up again but sat back abruptly as the room began to spin.
"Your leg was fractured." A new voice sounded from the doorway. Zeke swiveled his eyes up to see the angel who had tended him. She moved softly into the room, her strides brisk but feminine in a way that caused his gaze to linger. "But it is knit well now.
After the tessla wears off, you should be ready to sit up for a bit."
"You're Angela?" She nodded, and he liked the blush that came over her pretty face as she moved closer. "Thank you for tending my injuries. You, too." He turned toward the younger girl with a small smile. "I didn't get your name."
"I'm Agatha." The younger girl blushed, too, though it didn't have quite the effect on him that Angela's blushes had.
"Thank you, Agatha. You both have been angels of mercy in my hour of need."
Angela moved closer. "It's part of our calling."
For a dreadful moment the pit of his stomach fell, as if he were in free fall. "Are you part of a religious community? Are you, uh, nuns or something?"
Both girls chuckled and it somehow reassured him. "We're part of a fellowship, but it's not religious in nature. Our ancestors banded together because of their shared abilities and left the homeworld as a group."
"Then you're not under any kind of vows or anything, right? You're not, uh, celibate?"
The blushes returned even fiercer than before, and both sets of feminine eyes darted away, but there was excitement in the air as Angela answered. "No. We're not bound by vows of celibacy, though I've read about those kinds of religious communities in the
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