by A. C. James
As you all know, Everyday Supernatural often seeks to test the limits of what exists and what is fiction. We love a good scare as much as we love the truth, but in order to be a discerning paranormal investigation team, sometimes we have to uncover unpleasant truths. For instance, do you readers recall the reports of werewolves pillaging and looting a village in the Carpathian Mountains? It was one of the most convincing stories I’d ever heard. As you all know, I’m a lifelong sceptic who always looks to be proven wrong. So Felicity and I journeyed all the way to Slovakia. There were reports of Russian werewolves attacking the small town of Levoca, and the local people were looking for answers. Felicity researched, but we found no real proof. Attacks were happening all the time, and dozens of villagers were murdered. It was hard to convince the villagers otherwise, and it was hard not to accept the werewolf story as the truth. But then Felicity uncovered some recent immigrants to Levoca who had medieval ties to the town. Through great investigative research, she was able to uncover a feud that could be traced back through centuries. The real criminals weren’t werewolves at all. It was a band of surly teenagers employing gangs in order to scare the town.
I wish what I was about to tell you could be explained as easily as the werewolves of Levoca, but as you’re about to find out, the púca are real.”
Nathan paused and took a gulp of sherry from the bottle in his lap. The dry, yeasty taste lingered in his mouth. His tongue and teeth were fuzzy, and daylight filtered into his study, but he kept going. He knew he’d lose his resolve once he ran out of alcohol. Damn her. A vision of Cyn danced saucily into his head. She’s going to regret choosing that creature over me. She’ll see what she’s done once the truth comes out. Carrying on as she does with half of England is one thing, but I won’t allow her to destroy her life with that beast.
As he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, a memory pushed its way into Nathan’s head. He tried to shove it back, but it was too bloody insistent.
“Nathan!” Cyn chirps as she lowers herself into a chair on the opposite side of the table. “I’ve missed you so much!” She grins at him and winks, gesturing to her pink leather jacket and black satin pencil skirt. “I went shopping. It’s my first big pay cheque from a gig.”
“Cyn! You didn’t tell me it was today,” Nathan says, taking a long drink of beer. “You look fabulous.”
Cyn grins as she basks in Nathan’s compliments.
“Please.” Felicity rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell you. She wouldn’t shut up about it to anyone else.”
“Shush,” Cyn says playfully. “I did not.”
“Oh, if I had to hear just one more word about a certain male model who happened to be on the shoot with you I’d gag,” Felicity says.
Nathan makes a face, but Felicity is looking at Cyn and doesn’t notice.
“You should have heard her go on,” Felicity says. “It was like he could turn water into cream ale.”
A hot flash of jealousy surges through him as Cyn laughs.
“That’s not true. I mentioned him once or twice, that’s all.” Cyn shrugs, and turns her gaze to Nathan. “It was a great shoot, but you wouldn’t have cared for the art direction.”
“And why is that?” Nathan asks.
He plucks a piece of bread from the basket on the centre of the table and begins shredding it on his plate.
Felicity sighs, turning back to Nathan. “Now, what assignment did you want to tell me about?”
Ignoring Felicity, Nathan regards Cyn carefully. He’s almost afraid to hear the truth. “Who’s this?”
Cyn sighs. “He’s nothing, Nathan. A bloke I worked with on the shoot.”
“D’you like him?” Nathan asks quietly. He leans across the table.
Felicity sighs and gets up, stalking off. Most likely to the loo.
Cyn grins. “Of course, he was great fun. We had a blast, but it’s over.”
Even though Nathan should be relieved, he deflates at her admission. “What happened?”
He’s punishing himself, but it’s better than wondering and thinking the worst. Nathan doesn’t have a claim on her, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her.
She shakes her head. “It was nothing, really. We went on a couple of dates, but it didn’t pan out. He was dishy. But it was just a fling, you know? He’s not really the kind of bloke I’d see again.”
Nathan furrows his brow. “Why not?”
Cyn sighs, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. “No particular reason. He was a bad snogger. Can we talk about something else, please?”
“Fine.” Nathan’s tone is short, and he turns away.
He concentrates on his breathing and tries to push his anger toward Cyn down. Finally, he spots Felicity walking back to the table slowly, eyeing them both.
“All right?” Felicity asks as she sits down.
Nathan sighs. “Fine.”
“Now tell me about that assignment,” Felicity says.
He shakes his head and gets up, muttering under his breath.
“What?” Felicity asks, concern furrowing her forehead.
Nathan figures lying is easier. “Nothing. I don’t feel well.” He tosses a few quid on the table. “You have a drink for me, ladies.”
Although Felicity tries to get him to stay, he brushes off her efforts. As she protests, Cyn sits at the table and scrolls through her phone, laughing at something she reads, probably from that guy. Maybe his imagination is getting the better of him, but either way she’s oblivious to his pain.
Nathan exhaled slowly. He’d never quite gotten over the hurt from that night. He wasn’t really angry about the bloke Cyn had dated—not after a while—but he was incredibly sad she never looked at him as anything other than a brother. Felicity tried to tell him so many times, but Nathan wasn’t able to accept the truth. Cyn didn’t care about him in that way. She never would. With renewed enthusiasm, he chugged the rest of the sherry and continued the blog post.
The initial reports came to me almost a year ago. Someone had spotted púca in the Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland. Now, if you need a refresher on the púca and don’t feel like scrolling back, here you go:
The púca, creatures first mentioned in Irish folklore, are often seen in rural or marine communities, and some people have embraced them. But they’re not always seen as creatures of good luck. Sometimes, the púca can be dangerous and deadly. Humans should fear for their lives and stay away from them.
Nathan read his work. He almost deleted the last sentence about the púca being dangerous, but only because he wasn’t sure if it would make people want to discover more about them and flock to the Aran Islands. After thinking about the modern world’s dreadful penchant for inflicting pain, he left the sentence.
Púca are shape shifters and are often seen as black horses, goats, and rabbits, but they can take human form. These creatures are far from human, however.
He thought that was a particularly clever part.
Sometimes in human form, the púca retain animal characteristics, like ears or a long tail. This isn’t always the case, and spotting a púca masquerading as a human is not always easy. They can also manipulate humans, convincing them to fall in love with them.
He knew that part was his anger and the alcohol doing the talking, but didn’t bloody give a damn.
Reports on púca behaviour have been mixed, with some researchers calling the púca malevolent and others considering them a blessing. However, if you’re to visit the Aran Islands, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t consider the púca a good thing. There was an incident a few months ago involving the death of a local girl, which I’m sure could be traced to the púca, as well as the occasional disappearing tourist. Felicity Forrest and Cynthia Beckett have not returned. Make no mistake, they’ve been seduced and lured in by the púca.
Nathan thought of Cyn, his ‘disappearing tourist’, in that beast’s arms, enjoying the lush green world she’d told him about. She’d described
the place with misty eyes and the naïveté of a woman in love. His fury was appropriately stroked, and after another massive drink of sherry, he continued his coup de grâce.
Some local agricultural festivals and celebrations on the Aran Islands have revolved around the púca. For instance Samhain, a harvest festival, has been associated with the púca since ancient times. After harvest is taken in, anything that’s left inedible and unable to be harvested allegedly belongs to the púca. Some farmers even go so far as to leave a specific amount of their harvest for the neighbouring púca, out of fear their crops will suffer if they don’t take action.
Purportedly, November is the púca’s month, and the first of November is the only day where púca will be on their best behaviour. In many regions you’ll find púca are only spoken of with respect.
He took another swig.
Fear them as the farmers of the Aran Islands do. They are more than superstitions. There are very real dangers from these beastly creatures. Islanders know better than to provoke an ancient supernatural beast. Beware of the púca and don’t speak of them lightly. They’re said to be incredibly proud creatures, with a tendency for violence.
Nathan sat in his chair, rubbing his eyes. He felt a slight touch of guilt at remembering everything good Felicity shared with him about the púca. But this isn’t about her. It’s about me. It’s about getting Cyn out of a bad situation.
Do you really believe that, mate? his conscience seemed to say. Who was he trying to convince anyway?
The Aran Islands are the home to the fearsome púca. When Everyday Supernatural’s very own Felicity Forrest went to investigate...she never came home. I was left in suspense for days, terrified for her safety. Even though the Aran Islands are quite removed from the dangers of city life, there are various cliffs and overlooks from which she could have fallen. You can imagine my relief when she phoned. Felicity informed me she wouldn’t be able to finish the article until she’d done more research.
I thought this sounded a bit suspect, considering the length of time she’d spent in the Aran Islands. Felicity returned to London for a brief visit and we went to luncheon together to discuss her findings. Much to my shock and absolute horror, she revealed that the púca really do exist. She told me of a púca she had met. He sounded like an extremely dangerous individual, and I warned her to watch out for her own safety. Instead, she was seduced by one of them and decided not to come home. These creatures have the ability to manipulate and trick our women into scandalous deeds. Beware. They are the most fearsome creatures I’ve ever encountered.
I cannot speak to how Felicity discovered the púca. The image below is a photo of a púca included by an anonymous tipster (good job, readers) when I was first informed of the Aran Islands púca. Please watch out for these animals, and only go in search of them at your own risk.
Nathan sat back in his chair and cracked his knuckles, quite satisfied with his work. He opened his browser and went directly to the blog site, then copied and pasted the text from his rant into the blank paragraph body. His right thumb hovered over the “post” button, and Nathan closed his eyes for extra resolve. Click.
Nathan slumped in his chair and nodded off. He was too tired to proof the article he posted to the blog titled, which was titled: “The Púca of the Aran Islands by Felicity Forrest.”
Chapter Seven
“What a relief that’s over,” Cyn said.
She and Fallon were walking back to the castle together, her hand on his elbow. Niall had returned to bring food to Felicity, and hold Kira and Braden, one in each arm. His gentle, protective manner of tucking them into his arms as he rocked them was endearing. Tomas, Kieran, and Maelíosa all went for a stroll in the village to share the good news. Before, she’d been a stranger, but the simple gesture of returning and declaring her love to Fallon was more than enough to make her feel at ease.
“Indeed. Are you hungry, love? You must be, after such a long journey,” Fallon said.
“Why don’t we hit the kitchen?” she asked in a cheeky voice. “We might be able to scrounge something up.”
She wasn’t hungry, not exactly, but a part of her was jet-lagged. She couldn’t believe that within twenty-four hours, she’d left her flat in London, had a disastrous lunch with Nathan, and made it back to the arms of her mate.
Fallon smiled at her. “Of course.”
Cyn reached a hand up and stroked his face. For as much as he called her gorgeous and lovely, she’d never measure up to his natural, rugged beauty.
“I missed you so much, my love,” Fallon said.
Her breath caught. She’d never get tired of how he looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. None of the slender, well-built women in the Realm meant anything to him. No one had ever made her feel more wanted or desired. And she should be jealous, rightfully so, because Fallon was quite a catch and she’d seen the way women eyed him. It was like he was a tasty carrot, and she was certain they’d love to get their hooves into him. But Fallon was her mate and he only had eyes for her.
Cyn smiled. “I’ve missed you more than you could imagine.”
As they walked, her thoughts lingered on the whirlwind day. She’d never thought of leaving London, let alone becoming an auntie—to twins. Seeing Felicity and Niall cuddling little Kira and Braden melted something within her soul. She still wasn’t sure if she wanted children, but Cyn had to admit Felicity had never looked happier. She was overjoyed for her friend. Cyn and Nathan had spent far too much time coaching Felicity out of misery, and her happiness with Niall was exactly what she deserved. And, if she was being honest, she was bloody thrilled Fallon had come into her life.
Cyn grinned to herself as they walked in silence. She snuck a peek at Fallon, and excitement coursed through her. She’d always been incredibly attracted to him, but being around him now was intoxicating. She wanted to drag him to their chamber and shag until they were too worn out to do anything but spoon together as they slept. The breeze blew a lock of hair away from Fallon’s face. She admired his dishy profile and big, serious eyes. His irises were such a dark shade of brown she could barely make out his pupils.
Fallon squeezed her hand a little too hard. “I’m so pleased to have you back where you belong. I never gave up or lost hope for us. Help me trust my heart with you. Hear my heart, and my soul. Don’t ever leave. It would break me, love.”
“I told you—when I was gone, I was a wreck...a complete mess. Everyone knew it. My sister, Mum, Nathan.” Tears welled up. Cyn wiped her eyes hurriedly so Fallon wouldn’t see, but her voice was shaking. “I tried to contact you all the time. Every day. And you never answered me.”
A tear slipped out from beneath one of her eyelids and Fallon wiped it away, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.
“Love, I am so very sorry for that,” Fallon said softly. “You must realize it was because I couldn’t let you see me like that.”
Cyn wiped her eyes and looked into her mate’s face. “Why not? I missed you so bloody much.”
Inside, her heart was breaking. All the time she thought he’d been ignoring her, he was suffering in silence as the mate bond ripped him apart.
Fallon shook his head. “I know, my love. But I was so sick, and I couldn’t allow you pitying my condition. If you returned I needed to know it was because you loved me, not because you were obligated.”
“I would have wanted to come back,” Cyn said as she wrapped her arms around the back of Fallon’s neck. “Don’t you know how much I need you?”
If she’d have stayed in London for a day too long she could have lost him forever. Her heart thudded with panic at the idea. She never would have known. Thank God I came back when I did.
“I do,” Fallon said. “But the only way I could allow you to return was out of love, not out of guilt. Don’t you think that if you’d known I was sick, you would have rushed back here immediately?”
Cyn bit her lower lip. “Don’t put it like that. It was
my choice to make, and you should have told me the truth.”
“You had to realize how much you loved me in your own time. And there’s nothing wrong with that, love. You’re here and that’s what matters. Besides, no one would accept you as my queen if you didn’t choose life with me on your own,” Fallon said.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” Cyn said, feeling ashamed. “I was so scared of being with anyone that it took me forever to realize I had to be with you. There was no other way.”
It was strange to profess her love with so much conviction, but she didn’t have a choice with him. She meant every angst-filled, soul-consuming sappy sentiment. He inspired that kind of passion and emotion.
Fallon coughed. “There were times when I was unsure...”
Cyn stopped dead in her tracks. “I love you. And I’ll love you forever, with every cell in my body.”
Fallon smiled. He leaned forward and brushed a strand of Cyn’s hair away from her ear. “I love you, too, my beautiful queen.”
Cyn reddened. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used being your queen.”
“Really, my love? I thought you wanted to be in the spotlight,” Fallon said, grinning.
She laughed. “Bloody rubbish, all of it. I gave up the life of a silver-screen queen to be your queen.”
“What’s a silver screen?”
Cyn chuckled. “I adore you. Don’t worry about anything else.”
She leaned forward, kissing him. Fallon groaned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She’d intended for the kiss to be mostly chaste, but desire flooded her body at the slightest touch of Fallon’s skin against hers. Cyn kissed him harder, and he slid his tongue between her lips. Between her legs was a puddle of desire—it had been far too long since she’d relished his touch, and the intense, almost instant response it provoked.
Cyn had been gone for almost nine full months, and in that time parts of her body slowly shrivelled and died. Now, under Fallon’s touch, her nerves were awakening. She shivered as Fallon nipped her lower lip. He tilted her chin back, licking his way down her neck. Cyn moaned and closed her eyes. The universe tilted as Fallon dipped her down and scooped up her curvaceous body. She’d never given herself so completely, not even with the lovers she casually took to her bed. He stood above all those experiences. It was her body she’d given freely, but not her soul. Not until now.
