Goblin Moon Read online

  Then there had been Furlon and Tressa, his younger brother and sister. The twins were never far from each other and always in trouble. But it had been fun to watch his parents’ attempts at figuring out which of them had committed some minor offense.

  His mother and father had loved them with fierce devotion. But they had all died on the same horrible day. His heart had been so badly broken he lost the ability to love anyone. Anyone but little Cairna. She was only ten when her world collapsed. She'd cried for days, wanting her parents. But they were gone, and he hadn't known how to explain what the outside world had done. And there had been no time to learn to become a parent.

  He watched her finger the edge of the top file and tried to continue being annoyed with her. As usual, he couldn't. The girl had him firmly wrapped around her little finger. He stood, walked across the room and placed a pot of water in the fireplace. “Would you like some tea?"

  She shook her head and looked down at the documents in front of her. She was going to be a beauty like her mother. Long black hair framed an elfin face, and her eyes were black as midnight. Fairy and Goblin men already vied for her hand. Sometimes, two would come calling on the same day, and he'd have to separate the suitors before a fight broke out. When she finally decided to take a mate, she deserved more than to watch her newborn children die.

  "Hand me those damned things.” He sighed and motioned toward the files.

  Cairna grinned, jumped up and brought the entire stack to him. “It'll be all right, Uncle Tearach. Shayla has never made any decision that didn't turn out for the best. And maybe one of these women will be different from most outsiders."

  "They're all the same, Cairna. I've tried to understand them, but I always come back to one conclusion. They're careless, insensitive beings who'll do anything to get what they want. Be it animal, plant or man, they hurt whatever gets in their way. They even kill each other with such ease that it's horrifying."

  She placed a consoling hand on his arm. “Surely, not all of them are like that. Shayla wouldn't give you a choice of women who were so terrible. I simply can't believe every one of them is evil."

  He looked down at the files for a long moment and remembered his dead family. “If you think that, why don't you choose one for me? It doesn't matter which one.” He handed her the stack and walked out of the cottage.

  Cairna watched him go, tears clouding her vision. “All right, then. I'll pick one,” she whispered. “Someone who'll make you smile again."

  She placed the folders on the table, sat down and began to read.

  * * * *

  "This is your choice, Tearach?” Shayla placed the file on her desk, sat and perused the contents.

  He shrugged, unwilling to admit he hadn't even looked at the papers. Cairna had given him the file, informing him the woman described within it was “perfect.” Ecstatic, his niece had begged him to look at the woman's information and picture, but he'd steadfastly refused. It was enough that he was giving up his freedom and pride to lie with this outsider, forced to breed like a prized bull. And there wasn't a remote guarantee this sick experiment would even work. If that happened, what would they do with the outsider?

  He glanced around the library, wishing he were anyplace else in the world. “How did you plan on getting this woman here? Since their kind doesn't even know about us, I assume you have a plan?"

  For the moment, Shayla ignored him and smiled as she read the file. “I must say, this woman is a marvelous choice. Outstanding, really. Our researchers have outdone themselves. I must remember to reward them properly."

  "Shayla?"

  "Yes.” She finally looked up.

  "I asked how you plan to get this woman here. And what makes you think she'll go through with this, especially when she sees me?"

  Her gaze scanned his perfectly honed body and she grinned. “Why, what's wrong with your looks, man? A number of women, myself included, believe you're quite ... acceptable."

  He stared pointedly at her. “I'm green ... for starters."

  "Well, what possible difference does that make?” Shayla asked indifferently.

  The Sorceress wasn't fooling him. The woman was far too intelligent not to have given this entire matter some very serious thought. The safety of an entire compliment of magical creatures was at stake. Nothing quite like this had ever been attempted, and the consequences could be devastating.

  He leaned upon the desk and looked down at her. “When she sees me, she'll run from this forest screaming. Every farmer, shopkeeper and law enforcement officer from here to Scotland will know about us. Now, I'll ask again. What are your plans?"

  She stood and stared into his black eyes. “The women we chose as possible mates all had a number of things in common. First, they were all near your age and in excellent physical condition. Second, they've no one in the entire world who'll come looking for them if they went, shall we say, missing. Finally, they all have some skill or ability that will be useful to the Order and the temperament to handle a challenge. I don't think the particular woman you've chosen would run away screaming, as you put it, unless she felt very threatened. Her personality profile indicates otherwise.” She walked around the desk to stand in front of him. “If you'd read the damned file, you'd have known that.” She threw the documents in question on the table in front of Tearach.

  He didn't bother addressing that particular accusation. “Your researchers had better be very sure about their facts. We could end up on the front page of every major newspaper in the world."

  He turned to leave, but he stopped when another thought occurred to him. “By the way, what did you mean by no one will come looking for her if the woman went missing?"

  "You're going to bring her here."

  He felt his jaw sag, and then he recovered enough to speak. “How am I supposed to do that?"

  "During their daily lives, people often fall into a routine. We're going to find out what hers is and ... intercept her."

  "Herne's blood!” Tearach gasped. “You want me to kidnap the woman."

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Kidnap is such a harsh word. I prefer to look at it as ... as an assisted change of environment."

  Chapter Two

  Up until the last minute, Tearach believed there had to be some other way of saving his people from extinction. He'd spent days attempting to change Shayla's mind, as well as those of the other faction leaders, but his efforts fell on deaf ears. That they had decided to allow an outsider among them was proof of how seriously they took this whole crazy scheme. It had all been planned down to the smallest detail. Now, the final step was up to him, and he detested it.

  He sat silently in the front seat of the parked sedan and waited. “This can only lead to tragedy,” he muttered. “The whole thing is insane!"

  From the driver's side, Cairna placed her small hand over his larger one. “You wouldn't be so apprehensive if you'd just take a look at her file."

  When she attempted to hand it to him, he threw it in the back seat. “It doesn't matter who she is, what she looks like, or her background. She's an outsider."

  Cairna sighed in disgust. “By the Goddess, you're stubborn! You don't even know the woman's name."

  They sat in angry silence, and Tearach stared out the windshield. The parked car ahead of them was driven by the Fairy Leader, Lore. Shayla, and her assistant, Hugh, sat in back. The London jogging trail they watched was empty. An occasional, early morning delivery van drove by. Other than that, there was no one in the park. The trees on either side of the road offered concealment. A thick fog hung in the air and matched Tearach's foul mood. He was about to get out, approach the occupants of the other car and tell them to take the entire idea and put it somewhere daylight never entered. This whole idea was preposterous. The very idea of sleeping with an outsider made his skin crawl.

  "It's time, Uncle,” Cairna breathed as she saw Lore step out of his sedan.

  He heaved an angry sigh as he and Cairna exited their own vehicle.
Shayla nodded at him from within the first car, and Hugh stepped out of the front passenger side.

  "Go, Cairna!” Lore urged, keeping his voice low.

  As she'd been instructed, Cairna entered the tree line and found the nearby trail. She began to jog. Tearach watched her go and his throat tightened. The girl was dressed in blue sweats and, in human form, she looked like any other city dweller out for an early morning run. If any part of this plan backfired, his niece would be the first one in danger. But no one had wanted to listen to that, especially since the girl had been so insistent about participating.

  Lore took his position on one side of the trail. Cursing beneath his breath, Tearach took his position opposite the Fairy. Because the trail circled their location, Cairna passed them twice without any sign of their quarry. On the third pass, she was being followed by another jogger. The tall, slender figure in gray was about a hundred yards behind. When Cairna reached Tearach's and Lore's position, she pretended to fall.

  * * * *

  Kathy Parker saw the dark-haired girl go down and grab her left ankle. The trail was full of ruts and could easily trip a careless runner. The fog wasn't making it any easier to see. She picked up her pace in an effort to reach the other jogger and help. Panting, she slowed and stopped beside the girl. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  "I-I don't know,” Cairna said. “I think it's sprained.” She grabbed her ankle in pretended pain.

  "Here, let me see.” Kathy knelt beside the younger girl to look at the injured ankle.

  Two men leaped out of the trees, and Kathy immediately realized she'd been setup. She fought with all her might as a very big man with long black hair grabbed her from behind, pinned her arms to her body with one arm, and covered her mouth with the other hand. A tall, blond giant tossed his ponytail over his shoulder, pulled something from his pocket and walked toward her. She was able to get one good kick against her attacker's shin and heard him curse. The blond man placed a gauze pad over her mouth and nose. A sickly-sweet smell entered her nostrils, and she tried to pull the hand from her mouth. But the arms around her were too strong. It was either breathe in the substance on the gauze or suffocate. Her senses began to dull and she felt the world tilt.

  "Don't hurt her!” the girl cried, as if from a distance.

  Kathy continued to fight. She tried to scream, bite, and do anything else that would get the attacker to let her go. The last thing she remembered was looking into a pair of eyes so black they seemed demonic.

  When the woman finally collapsed, Tearach let her fall against him and then slid his arm under her knees. Long blond hair, bound at her nape, spilled over his bicep. He stopped and stared at her face.

  "Well, come on, man! Before someone else comes down the trail,” Lore ordered.

  He and Cairna led the way back to the cars. Tearach carried the woman, amazed that a female so slender could put up such a fight. Still, he could feel strong, well-developed muscles in her back and thighs.

  "Did everything go all right?” Shayla asked as she walked toward them.

  "Yes, but she fought like a wild cat!” Tearach muttered. His shin and ribs were still hurting.

  "Hurry! Get her in the back seat and stay with her.” Shayla motioned to the car. “Lore, you drive them. Hugh and I will follow behind to make sure we're not being followed. Now go!"

  Lore opened the back door and Tearach slid inside. The woman's body lay motionless in his arms. Cairna sat in the front, and Lore soon had them speeding away from the park. Everyone was silent until they were well away from London.

  "We've done it!” Cairna smiled and looked back at Tearach.

  He simply glared back in silence, refusing to look at the woman's face again. Her head rested against his shoulder, and all that long, blond hair pooled on the leather seat. Because his shin still ached from her kick, he held her body with one arm, and reached down to rub the wound with his free hand. “Damned woman. I'll probably be limping for days."

  "Did you expect her to just get in the car and come with us?” Lore grinned, looking at Tearach in the rear-view mirror. “Her behavior is exactly what I would have expected from someone who fought fires and saved lives for a living."

  "Uncle Tearach doesn't know anything about that. He wouldn't read her file,” Cairna informed the Fairy and glanced back at Tearach with a smug expression.

  She was a firefighter? The woman didn't look big enough to carry the kind of equipment that job required. Reluctantly, he looked down at her face. She certainly didn't look like a fireman. Her complexion reminded him of fine Irish porcelain. Full pink lips sat beneath a small, classic nose. Her high cheekbones boasted a faint scattering of freckles only visible from close up. And he'd caught a glimpse of aqua-colored eyes. All this was contained in a heart-shaped face.

  "She's breathtaking, isn't she?” Cairna smiled at her uncle's scrutiny of the woman in his arms. “But you wouldn't have anything to do with her file, or you'd know that and a lot more."

  He sighed in exasperation. “All right, Cairna. That's enough. Just hand me the damned file. I suppose I should at least know her name."

  "It's Kathleen Parker. She was a firefighter/paramedic until about eighteen months ago. Her father and fiancé were also firemen and died on the job. It's all in here."

  She handed him the file. He cradled the woman closer so he could free one hand to read. When he was sure Cairna and Lore had their eyes on the road, he dropped his gaze back to the woman's face. It would be easier to ignore her if she was plain, but he was certain the Sorceress had considered her looks an added incentive for him to breed. His victim could have graced the cover of any fashion magazine, but for some reason, she'd decided to make a living by running into burning buildings. Crazy. Even most animals wouldn't do such a dangerous thing. But since he regarded outsiders as some of the most ignorant creatures on Earth, it stood to reason some of them would have to save their sorry lives.

  Still, he almost felt sorry for her. She'd suffered recent tragedy in her life and was now a kidnapping victim. They were both being used, and he had no idea what the future held. At least, one way or another, she had a future.

  And what would happen tonight when she awakened? Unlike Lore, he and Cairna could only maintain human form for a day without resting, and then Kathleen Parker was going to get the surprise of her life. Getting her to the point where she'd accept her current circumstance could take months, or she might never come to terms with her kidnapping. Then what would the Sorceress do?

  He shook his head at the futility of the situation, opened the file and began to read.

  * * * *

  The hours went by slowly. Like all of his kind, he detested being confined in the automobile for so long. He felt himself tiring and knew he couldn't hold his human form much longer. When he saw Cairna drop her head and heard her moan, he knew her endurance was waning as well. They were very near the Shire, as they called their sacred woods, but not close enough. Nature couldn't be put off, and if they didn't change on their own, it would happen anyway. Kathleen's breathing was lighter now, an indication she'd soon awaken, and either she or a passing motorist would see them.

  "Stop the car as soon as you find some woods,” he instructed Lore. “Cairna and I have to make the change."

  Lore nodded. “I'll signal Shayla and Hugh."

  When it was safe to do so, both cars pulled to the side of the road. Tearach and Cairna quickly exited the sedan and dashed for the thick forest to their right. Tearach scanned the area. Once their appearance altered, they wouldn't be able to assume human form again for hours. They'd have to hide if anyone came upon them. But hiding was something Goblins did with an uncanny expertise.

  He nodded to Cairna as soon as he determined it was safe for her to alter. Helpless while the change took place, he let her go first and stood guard. She knelt, lowered her head and let the transformation happen. When she stood, he took his turn. The relief at letting go of that odious human form was immediate. The weak feeling
caused by maintaining human appearance left, and his strength returned. He stood in time to see Hugh and Shayla walking into the woods.

  "I've left Lore with the woman. She'll be awake soon,” Shayla advised. “I wouldn't put in an appearance until you're able to do so in human form. You might be able to safely travel to the Shire from here, but I'm not taking any chances. I'll send a car for you after dark. Will the two of you be all right?"

  He looked at his niece and saw her nod. “We'll be fine. But I wonder why you even ordered us to come along. If something had happened to the car, or we'd been delayed for some other reason, Cairna and I would have been hard pressed to hide ourselves."

  "I haven't obtained my position by being an idiot, man! Both of the sedans were thoroughly serviced before we ever left the Shire and our route to and from London was carefully planned. And both of you were needed. Cairna presented a non-threatening decoy. You were along because a second man was necessary. That woman is an athlete. If she'd somehow escaped, you and Lore are two of the fastest runners in the entire Order.” Shayla paused. “Besides ... she's to mate with you. Your people need to believe you'll do anything to try to help them, even if it means placing your own safety at risk."

  His head shot up proudly. “I would do anything! But this plan to mate with an outsider is asinine. I expect the worst."

  She sadly shook her head. “Then, that's all you'll get, Tearach. And all your people will get as well."

  He watched her turn away. Even some of his own advisers had agreed to this travesty, and he pounded his fist against a nearby tree, never feeling so alone in all his life. The only day of his existence that had been worse was in Exmoor.

  "Uncle, please!” Cairna begged. “Our lives are cursed. If outsiders placed the curse upon us, then maybe an outsider can take it off. Kathleen won't ever let you near her if you insist on acting like this."

  "I could just rape her and be done with it!” he snarled. He turned to look at Cairna and saw a disappointed expression on her face he'd never seen. There were tears in her eyes, and she began to walk away. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Where are you going? We have to wait here."