Goblin Moon (6 page)

"Where do you think you're going?” He caught up with her, grabbed her arm and held on.

"You people are in so much trouble it isn't even funny! I'm going to start out by filing every criminal charge I can. Then, I'm going to get the best attorney in London and sue all of you back into the Stone Age. When all that's finished, I'll make sure you're locked so far away that not even God will find you!"

He dropped his hold on her arm and began to pace. “What deity in what forest did I piss off enough to deserve this? You are the most contrary woman I've ever met in my entire life!” He stopped long enough to point a finger at her and continued his agitated walking. “I can't believe Shayla put me in the middle of this insane situation. Out of all the women in the world, I have to be saddled with you. Hang it all!” He threw his hands up in despair.

Kathy watched the man's tirade come to an end. She'd seen circumstances where all kinds of people had come to the end of their proverbial rope. Tearach Bruce, whatever he thought himself to be, was at such an end. He stood with his back to her, shaking his head. He was in the same wobbling boat as she, and neither of them would come any closer to solving their problems by losing control.

"I'm sorry,” she quietly relented, “but I haven't had a lot of experience with
green
people. I'll bet you don't get to see much of my kind, either."

He turned around and stared at her. The last time he'd been this close to outsiders was eight years ago. It was an experience he never wanted to repeat. “No. My people avoid yours at all costs."

"Is Shayla one of you?"

"She isn't Goblin, if that's what you mean."

"Then what..."

"Direct the rest of your questions to her. We've both had enough for one night.” He wrapped his fingers around her arm and began to walk back toward the castle.

"So, how did it go?” Cairna asked.

Tearach drank his morning coffee and looked across the table, noting her anxious expression as she chewed on her bottom lip. “She doesn't think I'm a real Goblin; she wants Shayla's head on a spike; and as soon as she gets back to London, she's filing a lawsuit. Any more questions?"

Cairna's dark eyes widen in shock. “
She knows about us
?” Cairna ignored the rest of his sarcastic remark. “I thought the Sorceress said we weren't supposed to..."

"I know what the Sorceress said, Cairna. Shayla Gallagher doesn't have a clue as to how intelligent this woman is. That outsider probably has an I.Q. that's out of orbit. In the short time she's been abducted, Kathleen Parker has just about figured out the full extent of what goes on here. I can practically hear the gears turning when she thinks.” And that could make her very dangerous, he reminded himself.

"And she knows about ... about ... you know...” Cairna shrugged and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Yes. She even knows Shayla plans to breed the two of us like livestock. She's as furious about it as I am.” He threw down his napkin, left the rest of his breakfast untouched and walked to the door.

"When may I meet her?” Cairna stood and walked toward him.

Tearach looked at his niece in surprise. “Why would you want to?"

"Well, she'll sort of be my aunt, won't she?"

He took his hand off the doorknob, placed it on Cairna's shoulder and gently pushed her into the nearest chair. Kneeling so they were at eye level, he tried to explain the situation yet again. She just didn't want to see the full impact of this entire mess. “Cairna, this woman doesn't want to be here, and
I
don't want her here. Don't make something romantic out of this situation. If she won't cooperate Shayla may see her as a threat. And if by some miracle she
does
cooperate, I'll be in a relationship with someone I don't even know and consider an enemy. And Kathleen will hate us all. She won't see us as friends or family. If a child should come from this farce, it will likely die as all the others have done. Then, probably, so would Kathleen. There would be no reason for Shayla to keep her safe anymore. So, there's no way out of this for any of us. But I
will
keep my promise to you. I'll try to do the best I can."

Cairna frowned. “If Kathy decides to have your baby and it lives, you won't know what to do. You haven't thought that far ahead, have you?"

"So, it's Kathy is it? You don't even know the woman and you're shortening her name as if you were friends."

Cairna angrily slammed her fists down on the arms of the chair. Unused to such a show of emotion from her, Tearach simply stared.

"You're so good at looking for the
worst
, aren't you? Well, I hope Kathy shocks the Goddess out of you, has your baby and the wee babe lives. Then you're going to owe the biggest apology of your life to me, Shayla, and everyone else who's trying to help us.” She quickly stood, causing Tearach to do the same, and then he backed up. She stormed out of the kitchen, up the stairs and slammed the door to her bedroom.

Tearach let out a long breath. It was good to be young and have dreams. Good to think there was some way out of the situation they faced by simply following Shayla's plans. But he couldn't see it happening the way Cairna envisioned. The fates weren't with his people. If this last desperate attempt failed, there would be no Goblins left in sixty to seventy years. Cairna would never hold her own child more than a few hours before it died, and part of the magic that still existed on Earth would be lost forever. He wanted to cry out in rage and fight, but how did one fight against time, against the inevitable?

He left the cottage and made his way to the castle. There was no reason to change to human form. Kathleen might as well see him for what he was, in the cold light of day. If the Sorceress of the Ancients didn't like it, so much the better.

When he got to the castle, the guards asked him to stop. Tearach ignored them and quickened his stride. By the time he arrived outside Kathleen's door, the entire castle had been alerted. The place fairly buzzed with staff who attempted to find Shayla and tell her he was at the outsider's door in Goblin form. He didn't care. The key to Kathleen's door had been removed. He assumed she was under less restraint, and he raised his hand and knocked.

Kathy came to the door expecting to see Shayla. They'd had a long talk that morning which had resulted in a longer argument. She'd finally asked the older woman to leave her room when an impasse had stopped all civil discussion. She pulled the door open and almost choked.
"Tearach!"

"In the flesh ... so to speak.” He leaned one shoulder against the door frame. “May I come in?"

For a moment, she stood still and tried to gather her wits. The moonlight hadn't done justice to the previous night's macabre change in his appearance. She nodded, stood to one side and watched as he walked by.

"Still don't believe in Goblins?"

Kathy swallowed hard, took a deep breath and willed herself to sound calm. “I guess I was wrong about that.” She wondered how much more of reality, as she knew it, would be tested.

"So, the ingenious Kathleen Parker admits to being wrong. Shall I mark this on my calendar as an event of stellar importance?"

His sarcasm was exactly what she needed to regroup. “Now I know why your eyes were so different."

"My eyes?” he asked, shaking his head in confusion.

She moved closer to him and began a more clinical inspection. Truth be told, this was an opportunity of a lifetime to study a creature unknown to anyone else. Her logical mind superimposed itself over the frightened part. “In this form, you have no sclera. Probably so you can see at night better and distinguish distance more clearly in the day."

"What in blazes are you talking about? And quit studying me like I'm an insect under a microscope, woman!"

She shrugged and continued her perusal in silence. Along with having only black orbs for eyes, his ears were pointed and his incisors had lengthened. She'd seen the green skin in moonlight, but it seemed a darker shade today. This could possibly give him an advantage when hiding in forest undergrowth. The leather jerkin he wore was sleeveless and showed taut, highly developed muscle in his biceps and pectorals. A creature built for speed, strength and agility. Some part of her brain registered that the man was just plain
built
.

"Are you quite through examining me?” he ground out.

"Well, you showed up here so I could get a good look. That's exactly what I'm doing,” Kathy explained.

"My appearance still doesn't frighten you?"

"Ohhhhh, you'd like that wouldn't you?” She smiled, placed her hands on her hips and imitated him. “What did you do today, Tearach? Well, I showed up at that human's door all green and menacing. You should have heard her scream. Why, I'll wager they heard it all the way to Buckingham. Parliament is up in arms!"

For a split second, he almost smiled. The woman had an outrageous sense of humor, even if it
was
at his expense. “Are you
done?
"

"No,” she sighed, “I've got some questions I'd like to ask."

"About me, I presume?"

She nodded. “How is it you're able to manifest different appearances? Last night, you seemed to have to concentrate to make this change."

"I
do
have to concentrate unless we've been in human form too long. Then the change happens whether we want it to or not."

She placed her hand to her chin and studied him again. “So you can only maintain human appearance for a limited time?"

"Yes, but there are others who..."

"
Enough!
” A voice echoed off the walls and shook the windows.

Tearach and Kathleen quickly turned to see Shayla standing in the doorway. She was in the traditional white robe of her Druid forebears. Several staff members and guards stood behind her.

"Tearach Bruce! What could you
possibly
be thinking to come here and show yourself in Goblin form? My instructions specifically forbade you from doing such a thing.” Shayla walked into the room and glared at him.

"She isn't stupid, Sorceress. Kathleen noticed some unusual things about me before I ever showed her my true form."

"Be that as it may, you did
not
have my permission to come here like this.” She raised one hand then dropped it to indicate his full length.

"Fine! Punish me if you wish, but it won't change the fact that she'd have found out everything sooner or later. That was one of the drawbacks to bringing an outsider here. A choice
you
decided to make."

"
When
she was supposed to find out was not up to you, Goblin. That was my decision and you've undermined plans that could negatively impact the very survival of your race."

"Excuse me, but the
she
you're speaking of is standing right here and doesn't like being discussed as if she were a nonentity!” Kathleen snapped. “And how could my knowing who he really is impact the survival of his race?"

"Quiet, woman!” Shayla spoke, using her powers over the elements. The amplification of her voice resounded through the room.

Kathleen raised her hand, pointed an index finger at Shayla and moved forward. “Wait just one damned minute..."

"Kathy, stop!” Hearing the anger in her voice, Tearach caught her by the shoulders and held her back. He'd inadvertently used the abbreviated version of her name, but she was too irritated to notice. If he'd let her step any closer to the Sorceress, the outsider would only be a memory.

Shayla turned toward the younger woman. “You've seen him like this before, haven't you? Was it last night?” When Kathy didn't answer, Shayla raised her voice again. “Answer me!"

"What happened last night isn't any of your business,” Kathy said belligerently.

"You insolent creature. With a wave of my hand I could..."

"Yes, Shayla, you
could
do a lot of things,” Tearach interrupted. “All of them quite terminal I'm sure.” Before anyone could utter another word, Tearach grabbed Kathy's arm and pulled her toward the door.

"Just where do you think you're going? I'm not finished with either of you,” Shayla declared.

"Kathy and I are going to the woods for a while. She needs to understand who you are. You need to remember she was brought here against her will. And
all
of us need a break.” With that, he stalked to the door. When Kathy began to protest at the indignity of being half-dragged, he took a firmer grasp on her arm. “Not
now
, Kathy!"

As soon as they were outside the castle, Kathy jerked her arm free. “That woman..."

"Could easily end your life,” Tearach finished. He kept walking toward the woods.

"She told me all about being some kind of Druid Sorceress with powers over the elements. I suppose, if Goblins exist, so can Druids."

Tearach stopped walking. “When did she tell you this?"

"Earlier this morning. But I started asking too many questions, and we had an almighty row."

"You mean you
knew
about her powers and argued with her anyway?"

Kathy shrugged. “I wasn't sure I believed in her powers any more than I believed you were a Goblin. When she's angry, however, your Sorceress can certainly rattle windows and enhance her voice well enough. Now, I'm certain she does have powers. I argued with her only because I dislike being treated as if I'm some lower life form. Just because I don't have control over the elements and can't change my appearance doesn't make me inconsequential. And, for some reason, she certainly thought enough of me to abduct me, though I still haven't figured out why
I
was chosen."

Tearach shook his head. “I don't get you. Even when you're furious, your mind still keeps analyzing."

She walked by him, held her hands up and sighed. “Can't help it, my Goblin friend. It's the way I'm made."

Tearach stared at her. Were they friends? Had their forced relationship proceeded to that point so quickly? It was true they had enough in common. Neither of them wanted to be in their current dilemma. But she was still an outsider. Her kind had all but destroyed his. It wasn't possible to be friends with one of them. Or was it? He quickly caught up with her. For some time they walked in silence. Knowing others were close, he risked yet another reason for Shayla's wrath.