Goblin Moon by Candace Sams

little of each other. Cairna would be upset with him, Shayla would be incensed, and Kathy ... probably wouldn't give a hang either way. The woman might even attempt her escape, and Shayla would have to pronounce judgment. Except for Cairna's welfare, it made very little difference what happened to him. His niece was old enough to care for herself. The girl would eventually take a mate, and then she wouldn't need him at all. What would he have left? He'd be the leader of a doomed people, Cairna included.
    As he saw it, things were going from bad to worse. The Sorceress seemed so intent on this latest plan, and she was unwilling to take any other course of action into consideration. Each day that passed meant less time to discover the reason why their children died. For the thousandth time in eight years, he questioned why his people were being persecuted. So far, he'd done nothing—not one single thing—to give his people a reason to hope. And he didn't have a clue what to do next. Mating with Kathy was not only inappropriate, it was impossible.
    He found a Fairy guard to replace and let the man go home to his warm mate. Positioning himself next to a giant oak, he peered into the darkness. By the time all this was over, he'd be very popular with the men who stood nightly guard duty. The darkness was peaceful, and in its presence, he might be able to contemplate the utter chaos Shayla had made of his life.
    * * * *
    Three days later, Kathy was standing in the lovely pale green and white guest room she'd been given. Her window overlooked the garden, and flower scent permeated the air. But no matter how enchanting the cottage and the scenery were, she was still a prisoner. Escaping was out of the question since doing so would endanger Tearach. She told herself her abductor's welfare shouldn't matter. Under any other circumstances, the very hounds of hell could have been tied outside and not stopped her from leaving. But Tearach was as unwilling a partner in this ordeal as she, and she didn't have it in her to hurt Cairna. Shayla's maneuvering had firmly entrenched her into Tearach's home, but he had instituted his own bit of strategy and stayed away most of the time. While she noticed his absence, the affect it was having on Cairna was devastating. The girl constantly stared toward the forest and moped. Kathy helped with the garden and housework and tried to stay out of the woods. On several occasions, people stopped by. But as Cairna introduced them, she explained that they were in human form, and they never stayed long enough for Kathy to get to know them. Kathy's innate curiosity about the place, its origins and the people kept her asking hundreds of questions. Cairna answered those she could. Other things, she seemed to want Tearach to explain.
    She was in the garden, helping Cairna gather herbs, when Shayla and several men appeared at the edge of the woods. Cairna shaded her eyes from the sun with one hand. She ran forward, met Shayla halfway across the little meadow, and walked with her to the cottage. Kathy only caught the last part of their conversation.
    "Yes, child. I'll see to it,” Shayla said to Cairna and then turned toward Kathy. “Are you settling in well enough?"
    "Why does it matter? I'm here against my will,” Kathy quickly replied. She was tired of being outmaneuvered by the older woman.
    "I've promised Cairna that her uncle will be home more often. It's poorly done of him to leave you when he knows what must be done."
    Kathy opened her mouth to ask Shayla just exactly what she meant. Tearach had promised to enlighten her about this relationship between them, and then he'd disappeared into the greenery. And Cairna was a clam on the subject. Kathy held her questions when the subject of their discussion came walking across the meadow with four large men. It looked as though he was being escorted, and the expression on his face could only be described as thunderous.
    "I was told you wanted to speak with