Stone Heart (31 page)

For a moment, Tearach looked at him. "What's your point, Druid. I've a friend to burn."

Angus slowly lowered the glass he studied. "The point, you green fool, is that
I
was that man. And you will suffer the same consequences as I if you dunna' learn to let the hatred go."

"When I want your opinion, I'll..."

Angus quickly stalked to where the man stood, picked him up by the jerkin and shoved him into a wall. "You
will
listen, Goblin. The world is no' your enemy any more than it was mine. Any more than
I
would be. I am trying to help you."

Tearach twisted free from his grasp and pushed the larger man away. "Why, by Herne's teeth, would you give a damn?

No one
else
seems to."

"Aye," Angus nodded. "I have said those same, self-pitying words many times. But I believe there are those outside this forest who would no' fear us. Those who may one day stand 275

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

with us when the time comes. They are no' all like those who killed your people."

"The outside world doesn't, and never
has,
given a single damn about anyone or anything but themselves. Why else would they dump poison on private land so they wouldn't have to pay to have it disposed of properly? None of
them
were ever hurt by it."

"And they murdered hundreds of your loved ones," Angus softly responded. "I have heard the sorry tale."

"
Murdered?"
Tearach began to pace again. "You have no
idea
what they did. You can't begin to imagine the horror of it..."

"Let me show you something?" Angus turned and walked to the Sorceress' desk. "The waters that were poisoned were in Exmoor, were they no'? That is where some of your pools used to be."

"Yes." Tearach angrily nodded. "Exmoor was our most sacred place."

"You had best look at these images the Sorceress left for me. I canna' read well, but think you are probably quite able in that regard. So you should look over the papers accompanying the images. I ken your people were no' the only ones who suffered." Angus handed him some of the papers from the desk top and waited.

Tearach looked at him suspiciously, then he took the sheets of paper from Angus. He slowly sat down as he read each page. Then he swallowed hard when he got to the press pictures, or
images
, as Angus called them, that accompanied the papers.

276

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

"Look at their faces, Goblin. Tell me they dinna' love their children as much as you loved yours. That those little ones suffer less than yours."

Tearach looked up at him, then he slowly looked over the photos again. For a full half hour he gazed upon the horror he thought had been left behind eight years earlier. "I ... I didn't

... I never saw these."

"Karen found those images when she was doing her computer work. She gave them to the Sorceress. As I said, I canna' read verra' well. But looking at them, I think I understand what happened. You tell me if I have guessed wrong, Goblin." Angus paused. "I recognize the land as being somewhere near Exmoor. It has been a verra' long time, but the area was once described to me by my parents. My own mother was raised near there and loved it so." He momentarily stalled memories of his mother's soft, kindly voice. "While I can see much has changed, the images are no'

that old and the men and women are certainly outsiders. I think they have been poisoned by the same water your people drank. The poison placed in your sacred water must have seeped underground. At least, this is what I can guess from the images. There are many of them showing what is left of one of your pools and the damage done to them. It was no' difficult to figure out the story these images tell." Angus handed him some more papers off the desk.

Reluctantly, Tearach looked. His throat constricted at the site of a three-year-old girl, an outsider, battling the effects of chemotherapy. Underneath the picture, the caption read, '
The
Tragedy of Exmoor
'. He wanted to look away, but couldn't.

277

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

The girl's ravaged face was haunting. Beside her, there was a picture of the child's parents. They were openly weeping and the father's fist was raised in the air in anger. The caption below it stated that he wanted those responsible in hell. But no one had been able to find the men the authorities linked with the poisoning. Of course, they never would.
He
had killed them and disposed of their bodies. Angus had gleaned everything correctly just from looking at the pictures. Even if the Druid could, he hadn't needed to read the words at all.

"You know the men who did this dinna' care who they hurt.

You have told me they poisoned the water to save money.

This was not a case of outsider against Goblin. It was pure greed, and greed does no' have a race. Look at the picture and tell me you are glad that wee lassie is sick, Tearach. Can you? After all, she is an outsider is she no'?" Angus waited.

When there was no response, he continued. "Or is she just an innocent babe? Just like the ones Roland and the others lost?

You thought none of the outsiders were effected. But there are other images on the Sorceress' desk. Each tells a story just as sad and horrible. 'Tis likely your sacred pools will never recover in one man's lifetime."

For a very long time Tearach sat, looking at the papers and photos. "I had no idea," he spoke softly. "I didn't know. I

... I'm not a man who hates children."

Angus saw the expression on the Goblin's face and knew Tearach was telling the truth. No one had bothered to give him all the information. Or maybe they thought he just didn't care. Angus bowed his head and started to walk away.

278

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Tearach held out a hand to stop him. "Wait, I'd ... like to talk."

Angus nodded and walked back to the where the Goblin sat.

"Is anything being done about this?" Tearach asked. "Did the Sorceress say anything about these people?"

"I know nothing more," Angus responded.

"You might find this difficult to believe, especially after my behavior, but I could never wish anything like this on anyone." He pointed to the pictures. "And
never
a child."

Angus placed a hand on his shoulder and sadly smiled. "I believe you."

Tearach put aside the papers and photos. He slowly stood, walked toward the fireplace and stared into its glowing depths. "If you're asking me to just forgive a world that can let this kind of thing happen..."

"I am asking you to think long and hard on the effect of what you are doing," Angus interrupted. "What effect hatred will have on you and your people. It is obvious that you canna' hate the way you think you can. It is eating you alive."

"What in the name of the Goddess would you have me do, then? Forgive and forget?" Tearach whispered.

"No. But hate the action and those who committed it if you must, no' a whole people. Those children in the images dunna' hate. They are no' even old enough to know what that is. And dunna' hate Karen because she is one of them. For three hundred years, her family kept the secret of my existence. They kept a promise, as I must now keep mine to her where you are concerned."

279

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

"What do you mean?"

"She does no' want any ill will because she is present. And she is beside herself with grief because a man is dead. Hers is a kind heart. She nor I want a thing from you but a promise to live in peace. A promise that no one else will die or that blood be shed."

For a long moment Tearach stared at Angus. "I told you earlier that I couldn't apologize for Roland, but I
am
responsible for my peoples' actions. What he did was because of me and the feelings that I have expressed. And while I can't say that I'll ever harbor good will toward an outsider, I no longer consider Karen as such. She's a creature of magic now. None of my people will harm her
or
you. I swear it on my life. After all, she's one of a kind. Even more rare than the Goblins." He took a deep breath, then slowly released it.

"Does she like the small glade where she was supposed to be buried?"

"Aye. She feels a need to be near the trees there."

"As a Dryad, she'll protect it?"

"Always."

"Then she may have it. But I insist on one condition," he said as he raised his index finger.

Angus smiled. "Thank you, Tearach, and you may name any condition."

Tearach was surprised at the trust that statement revealed, especially after what Roland had done. "I have a very inquisitive niece. She's the only family I have left, and she has been pestering me to death to meet the Dryad ... er, 280

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

Karen," he amended. "I gave her a command to stay away from the both of you. I'd like to rescind that order."

Angus nodded. "I think a meeting can be arranged." He watched a ghost of a smile touch the other man's lips. "And you need no' be a stranger. Or your people. All we want is to live in peace."

Tearach looked at the other man and held out his hand.

"My word is the only thing I have to give you. Since Roland dishonored us once, I won't let it happen again." He paused after Angus shook his hand. "If you had known him eight years ago, you'd have seen a different person. Roland didn't have it in him to hate anyone then. I saw him once leave small gifts outside a cottage for the outsider children within.

The family was very poor, and he went out of his way to make trinkets for the little ones. Of course, they never knew who had done it. Perhaps that was why he changed so dramatically when his own children died at the hands of outsiders." He stopped to remember that man from long ago.

"But everything that happened ... It forever altered us all."

"Hate has a way of doing that, my friend. I am an expert on the subject. Your heart and mankind would be better off without it."

"Maybe one day.
Maybe
." Tearach nodded. He thought for a moment about the consequences his next words might bring. But the Druid
was
trying to help him. "You should know that Roland killed an old Druid herbalist. My people found what was left of her in the peat bogs on the other side of the forest. We think she made the potion he used, and that he killed her because he didn't want her to give anyone an 281

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

antidote, so we'll never know exactly what was on his arrow."

Tearach picked up his glass of whiskey and drank it down.

"He has dishonored us several times over. It was hard for my people to believe he'd sunk so low. Before eight years ago, murdering an old woman was an action Roland would have considered vile. It's as you said. Hatred has a way of changing people. I've a taste of it in my
own
mouth. And I knew Roland when we were boys, playing together. I wish..."

His voice trailed away. There was no use in wishing. It had done him no good. He took a deep breath, nodded to Angus, then slowly walked out of the room.

Angus shook his head. "It will take a hard lesson to teach you to let all that anger go, Goblin. Your head is as hard as mine ever was," Angus murmured to himself.

* * * *

Karen walked into his embrace. "
I'm much better now. I'm
sorry for all the hysterics before
."

"'Tis no' your fault, m'love. I have had some experience being changed into something the likes of which are unknown. And it is fair hard on a body." He pulled her into the small glade and sat with her beneath a tree. "Where is the Sorceress?"

"I told her I'd be fine. She has much more important
things to do than baby-sit me."

Angus hugged her hard and smiled at the bell-like quality of her voice. He knew he would never get used to the 282

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

wondrous sound of it. After a time, she pushed herself away from him.

"Watch what I can do."
Karen stood, closed her eyes and concentrated. Her Druid attire began to glow and sparkle. A diaphanous, transparent gown of light green took the place of her robe. As she had hoped, it did absolutely nothing to conceal her form. Karen opened her eyes and saw Angus'

stunned expression. "
Remember that silver gown I was
wearing? The one you tore off me when you pulled me from
the tree?
"

"I thought it was some garment placed upon you for ... for burial."

She shook her head and laughed. "
No, it was a little sheer
for that. This is called Dryad gauze. The Sorceress and I
experimented with some powers and I found out I could make
the gauze appear. I just wanted to see if I could make an
entire gown from a Druid robe. Somehow, I made that first
one when you found me in the tree. It's more comfortable
than anything else.
"

"Aye," he whispered and ran his hands down the length of her body, "it does feel good!"

While Karen watched, Angus took his clothing off as quickly as he could. It was as if it burned his skin to have it on any longer. He pulled her roughly to him, teased the tips of her breasts until she cried out, then kissed lower still. She writhed against him and called his name over and over. It seemed the very heavens were with them. A perfect night sky glittered with a billion stars as Angus lifted the sensuous fabric off her body and picked Karen up. He impaled her on 283

Stone Heart

by Candace Sams

his rigid manhood and moaned deeply as she took every inch of him deep within her womb. His need was too great and there was an urge to waste no more time. He thrust over and over and willed that his seed take root, that he would give her a babe they could raise in love. Her body went rigid against him and she dropped backward onto his hands and forearms.