Goblin Moon (7 page)

"Did Shayla tell you anything about the other inhabitants of this forest?"

Kathy stopped to face him. “Yes. Having seen Shayla's powers and yours, I'll believe what she says about them is true. I got the impression she wouldn't have told me about the Fairies and all the rest except she was leading up to revealing your situation. I pretended to be quite shocked by all her descriptions of mythical creatures lurking about. She had no way of knowing I'd already been flummoxed by you in Goblin form."

Tearach seriously doubted this woman had ever been flummoxed, as she put it, by
anything
. Except for the times she'd been provoked, Kathy seemed to be in total control. How did a person get so mentally harnessed? His desire to see her shrink in terror was gone. Somehow, he didn't want to make her fear him. But why? She was his people's enemy. “Why didn't you tell Shayla you'd seen me as a Goblin last night?"

"It was between you and me.” Kathy left it at that. Some instinct had told her that Shayla wouldn't approve of him revealing his form. Had that same instinct prompted her to protect him? He was her abductor, albeit an unwilling one. Why should she care what a Druid Sorceress did to him?

"Well,” he tossed his hair back over one shoulder, “I've put my foot in it by trying to show you
anything
."

"I gather she thinks it's her business to reveal this forest world.” She lifted her hands toward the surrounding scenery.

"By rights, it is. And you should try and remember she's very powerful. Provoking her isn't wise."

Kathy laughed in disdain. “She won't do anything but scream a lot. That woman's got plans for you and me. Besides, I don't see
you
walking on egg shells around her."

"That's different. There's not much she or anyone else can do to me anymore."

Kathy noted the sad tone in his voice. They walked further without seeing anyone, and she realized it might be due to her presence. Instead of feeling trepidation, there was a kind of excitement in being in a place so unreal. She found herself wishing the others would show themselves.

Tearach glanced at Kathy. She was wearing the same kind of clothing as some of the women in the Order. But she was so very different. She had no powers save those of her mind. Considerable as that brain of hers was, things could get very dangerous for her. For
all
of them. Still, there was a kind of exhilaration about her. The first time she met a Fairy, they'd probably be answering questions all night. He wouldn't put it past her to ask to touch their wings or gather up some Fairy glamour to study. Goddess help them if she ever got her hands on a microscope and a field notebook. The scene, as he imagined it, almost caused him to smile. Kathy would do exactly what pleased her. The woman seemed to approach life fully. No apologies or explanations, so why had she stopped saving lives and buried herself in a city where she had no friends and worked at a job that offered little challenge? He stopped walking, sat on a downed tree and invited her to join him. It was time for her to answer a few questions.

"So tell me about yourself."

She shrugged, pulled at a tall blade of grass and looked away. “What's to tell?"

"Did you know the Sorceress and her staff did extensive research on your background? They wanted to know who they were dealing with before deciding to kidnap someone."

"So I've gathered.” She turned to look at him. “If you know all about me, why are you asking?"

"Maybe because I've been volunteering a lot of information and getting nothing in return. I don't want Shayla's version of your history, however thorough that may be. I want to hear it from you."

"Hear what?"

"All right, you seem to handle things bluntly so I'll just come right out with it. Why did you stop saving lives to become a temporary secretary?"

She turned away. “Shouldn't we be getting back? Your Sorceress might have her people looking for us."

He pulled her around to face him. Her expression was shuttered, but he gently persisted. “You aren't worried about her. Answer me."

Kathy took a deep breath and studied her feet. “I decided I ... wasn't able to help anyone anymore."

Tearach softened his tone. “Because you saw your father and fiancé die?” He watched her hands clench.

"Your Sorceress
is
thorough, isn't she,” came her breathy response.

"What happened, Kathy?"

She swallowed very hard. “There was only one other person who used to shorten my name, you know. Everyone else always calls me Kathleen."

"
Talk
to me,” he quietly insisted.

"My dad. He always called me Kathy. All my life I saw him pick up his gear and go to the station. To me, he was a hero. I never wanted to be anything else but a firefighter, just like him. When I graduated from the academy, it was one of the happiest days of my life. Daddy was so proud.” She stopped and sadly smiled. “We even managed to get stationed together."

She sat on a stump and looked into the distance. Tearach wondered if she'd finish. It seemed she was fighting for control. He'd done it often enough to recognize the signs.

She eventually continued. “Steven was a paramedic as well as a firefighter. He convinced me to get paramedic training, and we found ourselves becoming ... very close.” She stood and wrapped her arms about her chest. “We got a call one night. It was very late. There was a high-rise apartment complex on fire. People were trapped inside. My father and Steven were the first two men in the building. When they got to the top floor, the roof collapsed. I was in charge of the medical team outside. There was nothing anyone could do. End of story."

Something in his heart twisted. “You have no one else? No family?"

"You know I don't. My mother died when I was little. There's no one else."

"I'm sorry, Kathy."

"So am I. But it can't be changed. While neither my father nor Steven would have wanted me to dwell on it, I just didn't want to watch it happen to someone else. So, I left the department. It was over for me when they caught the men who set the fire."

"It was arson?"

She nodded. “The apartment building was occupied by foreign nationals. Some people on the block wanted to run them off. But they didn't consider the full consequences of their actions. They didn't give a single damn!"

Tearach noted how she ended the story on a bitter note, belying that the tragedy was really over for her. How similar their circumstances were. Both of their worlds had ended because of someone's illegal, careless actions. Shayla's researchers were very good indeed.

"So now you know everything.” She sat back down beside him. “It's your turn. Tell me why the Sorceress wants us in a relationship."

Before that story could be told, Tearach needed to have some space. Adding his sad tale to hers wasn't going to make the day go any better, and it had already started badly. “I will. But I want you to meet someone first."

When he stood and offered Kathy his hand, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for her to take it and go with him. She was often confused by his behavior. One moment it seemed he didn't want to have her anywhere near. The next, he was sharing confidences that had him in trouble with his so-called Sorceress.

"By the way, does it bother you if I call you Kathy instead of Kathleen?” he asked.

She seemed to contemplate the matter. “No, I think I like the short version better. It's less pretentious."

They walked into an area where the undergrowth was at its very thickest. Tearach pushed brush aside and a path suddenly appeared. It was well hidden and meandered past a source of running water. She could hear a waterfall and wished it was visible through all the green shrubbery. The leather clothing and tall boots served them well. Kathy finally understood the need for the leather clothing.

"We're here,” he announced and pulled her out of the shrubs and into a small clearing.

Kathy gasped. In the middle of a perfect little meadow sat a two-story Tudor cottage. It had a thatched roof, stone walls and a split rail fence around the yard. The windows were framed, crisscross fashion, to form elongated diamond shapes in the glass. Flowers grew from well tended beds, and birds ate seed from various feeders. Smoke wound in a welcoming spiral from one of several chimneys.

"This is beautiful,” Kathy breathed. “Whose is it?"

"Mine. And there's someone inside I want you to meet. She's the love of my life.” He eagerly walked forward.

Kathy hung back for a split second. No one had said he was involved with anyone. Why in the world would Shayla want
her
kidnapped if Tearach was in love with someone? Some small part of her didn't want to know who was in the cottage. She'd assumed, wrongly it seemed, that the Goblin was alone. When he turned and motioned for her to catch up, she did so with great reluctance.

"Cairna,” he called out and pushed the front door open, “I've brought someone for you to meet."

As Kathy stepped inside, she heard a sound from the staircase, and she turned to see a beautiful young girl descending. She was dressed in the same kind of medieval clothing she and Tearach wore, but her elfin features and long black hair were striking. And like Tearach, the girl was one-hundred percent Goblin.

When Cairna saw Kathy, she grinned and launched herself into Tearach's embrace. “Ohhhhh, you brought her."

Kathy stared at them. This was growing stranger by the moment. This girl
wanted
her here? She was still a teenager, and Tearach had to be twice her age. He didn't seem the type to cradle-rob, but what did she know about the Goblin social structure?

Tearach gently disengaged himself from Cairna's hug and turned her toward Kathy. “This is Cairna,” he introduced.

Cairna stepped forward, smiled and held out her hand. “I've wanted to meet you properly, but I had to wait for Uncle Tearach to give his permission."

Uncle
Tearach? Kathy felt a little silly. And why had the thought of someone being in Tearach's life bothered her? It wasn't as if she was going to consent to Shayla's crazy scheme and have sex with him. “Hello, Cairna. Tearach didn't tell me he had a niece.” She smiled back and shook hands with the girl.

"I'm sure he's had a lot on his mind.” Cairna shot an accusing glance toward Tearach.

"You two have met before. Remember?” Tearach looked pointedly at Kathy.

Something about Cairna
was
very familiar. Then it hit her. “You're the girl on the trail. The one pretending to be hurt!” Only
that
girl had looked human.

Cairna lowered her head and nodded. “I'm sorry about that, Kathy, but Shayla said we had to get you into the car. It seemed safer if you were stopped when Uncle Tearach grabbed you. If you'd been running, he might have had to knock you down."

Kathy wanted to be furious at the girl's part in her kidnapping, but logic told her if Cairna hadn't participated, Shayla would have had someone else do the job. “I don't suppose you had much choice in the matter."

"Neither of us did,” Tearach answered for her.

Kathy looked at them, shook her head and sighed. “It's water under the bridge now. Shayla seems to be calling the shots for everyone."

As if the whole matter were a minor inconvenience, Cairna smiled again and grabbed Kathy's hand. “Come into the living room. I'll make us some tea. If Uncle Tearach had said you were coming, I'd have spruced the place up a bit."

Kathy followed the girl, looking around as she did so. The cottage was immaculate. The walls were white, furniture polished and book shelves dusted. Pots of flowers crowded windowsills, and of all things, a blue stuffed cat rested on the sofa. Cairna picked it up, flopped onto the cushions and hugged the cat to her. It could be any cottage in any meadow anywhere in Great Britain. Cairna could have been any teenager sitting on the sofa with her stuffed animal. But it was a
Goblin
home in the middle of some enchanted forest. Kathy began to wonder when she was going to wake up and find her dreamworld had disintegrated. She sat on the sofa next to Cairna. Tearach threw himself into a larger chair near the fireplace and propped his booted feet on the coffee table. Much to Kathy's amusement, Cairna leaned over, pushed them off, and glared at him.

"We have
company
,” she growled from between clenched teeth. “Anyone would think you'd been raised in a barn!” She turned and smiled at Kathy as if nothing had happened.

"
Oh, for the love of Herne
,” Tearach muttered in exasperation, got up and went into the kitchen.

Kathy had to bite her lower lip hard to keep from laughing. It was priceless to see the Olympian-sized Goblin verbally trounced by his pint-sized niece. Green or not, these people seemed to live their private lives much like anyone else.

"You
will
stay for lunch, won't you?” Cairna addressed Kathy and ignored her uncle's lapse of decorum.

This was getting sillier by the moment. While Cairna's etiquette was impeccable, Tearach had suddenly reverted to acting like a cave dweller. “Well, um ... of course. I'd love to, if it isn't an inconvenience,” Kathy responded, still trying to hold back her mirth.

"Cairna, I'm starving,” Tearach yelled. “When do we eat?"

Kathy watched him walk back into the living room munching an apple. He nonchalantly leaned against the wall and waited for Cairna to answer. Kathy wasn't fooled a bit. He was behaving boorishly on purpose.

Cairna let out a loud sigh and responded with barely controlled irritation. “If you'd be so kind as to set the table, I'll be right there. Kathy and I are conversing."

"Since when do we set the table? We usually eat standing over the sink?” he innocently replied.

"Uncle Tearach!
We have
never
eaten while standing over the sink. Kathy will think you're an ill-mannered boor.” Cairna stood up, dropped her stuffed cat onto the sofa, and stalked toward him. “You'll have to forgive him, Kathy. For some reason, my uncle seems to have forgotten how to
spell
deportment. Let alone
practice
it!"

When Cairna grabbed the apple away from him and stormed into the kitchen, Kathy buried her head in her hands and laughed to the point of tears. She finally looked up to see Tearach staring at the floor and shaking his head.