by Candace Sams
Cairna's infectious laughter made Kathy grin. “When the Sorceress pronounced me pregnant, she said something about a ... What was the name she used? Dolmen. She said Tearach was to take me there when it was my time to deliver. Do you know what she meant by that?"
The girl nodded. “All Goblins are born outside. We're creatures of nature, and it's easier on the baby and the mother to be close to the earth. The Dolmen is an upright, granite structure that looks something like a door. There's a stone top supported by large, upright stones. In this case, there are three stones."
Kathy had certainly remembered reading about such places and seeing pictures of them, but she couldn't remember the specifics. “I know what you're talking about. How does Tearach come into it?"
Cairna's eyes widened in surprise. “Why, Kathy, he delivers the baby.” Then she laughed. “Of course, you wouldn't know that. All our men are taught such things from the time of their thirteenth birthday. The fathers are expected to deliver the babies under the Dolmen and keep the mother and child safe there for three days. As next of kin, I'll be the one to make sure the supplies are at the Dolmen when it's time. Uncle Tearach and you will have everything you need. Then, you'll come back home and there'll simply be tons of celebrating. Since this birth is so very special, the celebrations will probably go on for days and days.
Kathy felt her heart drop. She wasn't sure she wanted a man near her who couldn't believe the baby would survive, not at the time of delivery. She glanced back toward the bed. Some kind of arrangement had to be made. Tearach would have to promise more compromising behavior, which was more than his attitude suggested he could give. All of this would probably have been explained to her sooner had it not been for his punishment. But she simply hadn't known to ask. She and Cairna had never actually gotten around to speaking of the birth in such detail. Or maybe Cairna had thought it was Tearach's place to explain it.
Cairna squeezed Kathy's hands. “I'll let you be for now. If you don't mind my saying so, you're looking a bit tired and need your rest. I'll be in my room. Later, you can ask anything you want. Just relax for now."
Kathy watched Cairna glance at Tearach again and then leave. For an eighteen-year-old, Cairna showed an amazing amount of maturity at times. Then, when she was excited, her youth showed through.
The breeze picked up and warmed the room to a level that was becoming uncomfortable. She wondered if it seemed so hot because her nerves and patience were both coming to an end. She pulled off her jerkin and placed it over a leather chair. Her long-sleeved, cotton blouse was still so warm that she rolled the sleeves up to the elbows. Concern for her patient made her check his pulse again. His respiration and skin color seemed normal compared to what she'd learned by using Cairna's vital signs as a gauge. The heat, however, had caused a fine sheen of sweat to break out on his forehead and arms. She retrieved a cloth from a bathroom cabinet, wet it and sat on the edge of the bed.
She stared down at him and carefully blotted the sweat from his skin. He had the body of a god, and memories of the night they made love came back. It had been breathtakingly beautiful and satisfying beyond words. She put her hand to the tiny scars where he'd bitten her. That bite had caused intense pleasure. It was as though she could still feel it pounding through her body. As if she were in a trance, Kathy pulled down the covers and stroked the top of one very well developed thigh. He still seemed sound asleep. Her hand moved higher and her pulse responded to the feel of him. She convinced herself her next actions were purely for his sake, as a patient.
She carefully slid the cloth over the flesh of his abdomen and almost to his penis, enjoying every small inch she cleansed. The treatment was helping him cool down, but it was bringing her temperature ever higher. Still, she continued. He moaned and, thinking she might be disturbing him, she stopped.
"Don't stop,” he whispered. “Keep going."
Shocked, she almost got up and left the room. How long had he known she was touching him in such a way? What had happened to her professionalism? She had never taken such advantage of a man before, and never of a patient in her care. That's what he should have been. Not some green, forest god lying there for her pleasure and use.
"I'm sorry, Tearach. I shouldn't be pestering you.” She got up to leave, but he caught her arm and pulled her back to the bed.
"I'm not sorry and there's no reason for you to be. Don't stop,” he softly repeated.
She was just cooling him down and trying to prevent dehydration. It was a common enough medical practice. Kathy tried to justify it in a hundred different ways. Her hand kept moving over his body, the cloth still cool enough to give comfort from the heat.
Kathy was undoing Tearach one nerve at a time. She was temporarily taking away the pain of the infected wounds and heating his blood all at once. After a few more moments, he could feel nothing but her incredibly, soft touch. Trying to focus on controlling his thoughts and body didn't work. He'd almost swear there was magic being conjured. His hands clenched and his hips pressed deeper into the soft bed. His full erection must surely be springing straight up for her to see, yet he didn't care. He sank into the thickness of the soft coverings. It felt good when he moved his hips. He finally turned so he was facing her. Kathy leaned toward Tearach wanting to be so much closer. Her logical mind kept telling her the man was recovering, that she could be doing more harm than good. With a will of its own, her head moved toward his. His mouth met hers in a hungry kiss.
She responded by pushing his hair back and gently sucking his tongue. Their breathing came in rasping gasps.
Tearach reached up with his uninjured arm and tore her blouse, and she hurriedly shrugged out of the tattered remains. He pulled her down beside him and lay facing her, his injured arm cradled against his side.
Her hand stroked his hip. She couldn't wait to have him closer, nearer. He rose up enough to unbuckle her belt, and then proceeded to kiss his way down the valley between her breasts to her abdomen. His tongue ran across her skin there. With one hand, he pulled her trousers further down. Kathy managed to kick them and her boots off with amazing ease.
"Open for me,” he demanded.
"Tearach, you can't be serious. Some very light petting and a little kissing is one thing, but you've just had a serious bout with an open wound."
"Look at me,” he said as he glanced downward, toward his erection. “Somehow my lower body doesn't seem to register what happened to my left arm. We'll just go slow,” he instructed. “I like it that way anyhow."
Kathy did so, moaning as he moved lower still. Finally, his tongue flicked at her most sensitive flesh. She was careful of his bandaged arm, but her back still arched off the bed as wonderful sensations tore into her. Before she could reach full climax, he was inside her, but resting his weight on his one good arm. She was filled with him and had never been so well loved. Only with this man had she experienced such intense waves of pleasure. They took her to a reality where nothing and no one existed except the two of them. If the world outside their room had stopped, she would have been totally unaware of it. More, it wouldn't have mattered. When he cried out with pleasure, his eyes had that unearthly gleam.
Tearach rested his head against Kathy's shoulder and let her hold him. He pulled her into a tight embrace, using his good arm. There was nothing that dwelled outside the space of this bed. His senses only registered the woman in his arms. How incredibly soft and smooth her skin seemed. The weeks away from her had made her seem more feminine. The heat that had caused their passionate encounter seemed to dissipate. A gentle wind lifted the ends of Kathy's long hair. The strands settled around his head and neck like an enchantress weaving tendrils of a love spell. It grew cooler. She shivered, and he pulled her closer and tugged a blanket over their entangled bodies.
Gradually, his senses returned. Kathy's deep breathing told him she was fast asleep. She had pressed her cheek against his chest, and he scooted away only far enough to rest most of his weight on one side. It was a warm and restfu
l nest they shared. It had been a long, long time since anything had felt so right, so remarkably peaceful. He looked down at her abdomen. Was he imagining she was showing signs of the life growing within? The life that would break his heart when it left his presence? He gently touched that area of her body and tried to force that horrible thought from his mind. The drugs he'd been given had taken more out of him than he thought, however. Despite his terrible thoughts, sleep came to him. In his dreams, he saw Kathy in the garden with a tiny girl. They laughed and chased lightning bugs the way he and his siblings once had. The scene was enchanting. What a wonderful dream it was. He felt warmth and comfort in the space around his heart. If he could only have them in his life, a woman who was not only lovely beyond words, but whose intelligence matched her beauty. And the little girl who would grow up to be a heartbreaker. Like her mother, she was breathtakingly exquisite. A tiny little poppet with both her parents’ best attributes.
He awoke with a start and looked down at the woman sleeping in his arms. He wanted her. Not just because of the magnificent sex, but because she was everything that would make life complete. He knew she'd defend all those she loved with a passion and intensity even one of his own kind would envy. In his heart, he also knew she'd be a wonderful mother.
But, she'd come to hate him. The moment their child withered away and died like all the rest, she'd blame him and rightly so. He'd taken her from her world and forced her into his. She moaned softly in her sleep. He gathered her to him. “One day, I hope you'll forgive what we've done to you,” he whispered. “I hope you forgive me."
He rested his head beside hers. She wasn't an enemy any longer, and he made a silent pledge that as long as she bore his child, he'd treat her as if all would be well. Maybe if he left her with some good memories of him, she'd forgive him when the time came for him to join their dead baby.
In years past, he'd had a gentler nature, a kinder soul. Perhaps there were some of those feelings left. It struck him that, in many ways, he'd become like the very men who'd killed all those he loved. He'd wrongfully abused others and had carelessly treated Kathy as if she'd been personally responsible for the loss. Perhaps he could salvage some honor and walk with dignity into the fire. With this resolve made, he finally slept once more.
Chapter Nine
Kathy awoke warm and comfortable. Tearach was holding her so gently, careful not to rest his full weight upon her. She tried to ease his body weight aside, but she only succeeded in rousing him. “I'm sorry, Tearach. I didn't mean to wake you. And I shouldn't have come on to you when you're still so ill. Something came over me. It's inexcusable, really and I..."
"It's all right, Kathy,” he interrupted. “If I hadn't wanted it, I wouldn't have responded.” He paused to choose his words carefully. “Truth is, maybe the Sorceress actually worked some sense into me. After you fell asleep, I did some evaluation of my behavior. I realize I've wrongly blamed you for circumstances, and I want to make amends. I'm not the bastard I've been acting like."
"I never thought you were."
He arched his eyebrows, leaned on his elbows and looked down at her. “You're a horrible liar."
She smiled up at him. “All right. I did have some uncharitable thoughts about you."
"Under the circumstances, I'm surprised you haven't murdered me in my sleep. You've had more than one chance."
She slowly shook her head, gazed into his black eyes and said, “I don't want you dead. You've done nothing to me I haven't allowed."
"Even kidnapping you?"
"Well ... there was that, but you were forced into it. If you hadn't done it, someone else would have."
He looked into her aqua-blue eyes for a long time before asking, “Where does that leave us?"
"Maybe we should just take things one day at a time. See what happens."
He nodded in agreement. That wasn't asking so much. Not after all that had happened between them. He lifted her toward him and gently hugged her. “No more fighting, Kathy. Life's too short."
Part of her was elated, but something in the way he said it alerted the logical part of her brain. He was playing the same game with her as he had with Cairna. Pretending to acquiesce when he truly had some other agenda. She wished he would smile or show some sign of happiness. But this was a start. She had months to bring him around, to try to make him accept what everyone, including herself, believed. Their baby would live.
* * * *
The days that followed were strange for Kathy. Tearach was loving, attentive and never showed any of the ready temper she'd come to associate with him. Cairna talked him into fixing a spare bedroom into a nursery. At nighttime, he'd take Kathy into the garden and they'd sit and talk for hours.
One evening, she said, “Tearach, when can I see the people of the Order as they really are? Other than the Goblins, I mean?"
There was no reason why she shouldn't. He and the Sorceress had literally dragged her into their world. Why not show her the whole of it? “On the next full moon, there'll be an herb gathering. Everyone will be milling about the woods near the great clearing. I'll take you to them. But, be warned, Kathy. There'll be a lot of magic used that was never meant for outsiders to see. Stay close to me and remember where you are. If you see anything you question or that concerns you, tell me and I'll try to explain."
She smiled and nodded. The moon would be full within a week. Kathy vowed to sleep all day so she could stay awake and see the wonders of these enchanted woods. She found herself growing more and more excited. It would be like walking into a fantasy.
The day of the herb gathering, Cairna brought her a dark green Druid robe. “It's tradition to wear forest-colored clothing for an herb gathering, and you'll find Druid clothing more comfortable as the baby grows,” she explained.
"Thank you, Cairna. It's lovely.” She wondered if Tearach had noted her expanding waistline. When she came downstairs wearing the robe that evening, his gaze registered approval.
He carefully placed his hand over her abdomen. “This color suits you, and you'll feel less constrained. But I think I'll have Cairna find something in blue. It will match your pretty eyes."
Though he hadn't smiled when he'd said it, it was the first time he'd ever paid her a compliment. She'd truly believed he'd never care a smidgen whether a woman grew round with his child. In her world, some men found pregnancy a turnoff. As Tearach led her toward the great clearing, he was infinitely careful about where she stepped and coaxed her to take her time. When they neared the clearing, Tearach found a bed of ferns in which they could sit and watch. He looked at Kathy and placed his hand upon her abdomen again. His child ... no ... their child was growing within her. He could feel a life force so strong it was mesmerizing. It was as if the tiny baby was already claiming part of his heart, and he was helpless to stop it. More, he didn't want to. That new life reminded him of all his people had lost and all they would still lose. It reminded him of poor Mabb and how she'd been sent away from her people to keep from interfering with his and Kathy's relationship, such as it was. And he remembered his family that was gone forever. His baby would be with them someday soon, as well as he. The tragedies kept piling up and he was helpless to stop any of it. Still, he didn't want to deaden his heart to the baby he'd carry into the fire. Joining her would ensure that her little life would be led to his ancestors. He'd be the guide for their journey of death.
Kathy noted his frown, even in the moonlight. She placed her hand over his. “It's amazing, isn't it? I've gotten big so quickly. But, I've heard that can happen sometimes."
His fingers gently pressed inward on her abdomen. He almost believed he could feel the baby's tiny heart. It seemed so strong.
"Cairna says you'll deliver the baby.” Kathy waited to hear his response and watched for his reaction.
"If that frightens you, or you'd rather have a doctor, we can go to the castle."
"No. Your father delivered you, didn't he? That's what Cairna told me."
"Yes, but
I can't impose any more of our beliefs on you, Kathy. Especially when it comes to something so personal. You'll have to decide what's right for you."
"Will you take me to the Dolmen and let me see it before my time comes?"
He nodded. Something in him was glad that such a tradition didn't frighten or repel her. But Kathy was a strong woman. It was part of what attracted him to her more and more each day. “If that's what you want."
For a time, they sat in companionable silence. He pulled her against him so she could rest. As night fell about them, Fairies began to play music and other creatures began to stir. Then the bushes began to rustle with activity. Kathy looked about her, anxious to have her first glimpse into another realm. She gasped when three beings walked into the clearing ahead of them.
"I'm sorry, Tearach. We didn't know you had this part of the clearing to yourselves,” a woman said as Kathy noticed the two figures in the ferns.
Tearach rose and held out his hand to help Kathy stand. “It's all right, Clove. Kathy wanted to watch an herb gathering.” He turned and almost smiled when he saw Kathy's awed expression. Even in the dark, Kathy could see Clove and her two children had a full set of wings.
"Tearach!" Kathy gasped. “They're ... they ... Oh, how lovely."
Clove smiled. “I take it she hasn't seen us with in our true form, yet."
"No,” he responded. “Kathy, this is Clove and her two children, Merry and Timmon."
"Say hello to Kathy, you two,” Clove instructed.
The children dutifully repeated a greeting, but Kathy wanted to get closer. She knelt in front of them. Not only were the three Fairies sporting wings, but she suspected their skin color was unusual. It was too dark to see what the colors were, though she imagined their wings would probably match some sort of camouflage.
"You're the very first Fairies I've ever seen,” she breathed.
Timmon moved forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You're pretty,” he announced.
