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A pulse ran through Niall, setting his stallion on high alert. It was the same force he’d felt pulling him when he’d followed the priest into the pub. Except this time when he followed his stallion’s lead, he ended up at a construction site. It sat on the ocean side of the island—not far from the cottage—overlooking a steep cliff.
The unforgiving waves beat against the cliff’s stone face as he watched the man who’d been talking to the priest at the pub the night before. Now he appeared to be arguing with a man in a grey suit. The well-dressed gentleman was probably mid-thirties, though Niall had never been good at guessing human age. ‘Suitman’, as Niall decided to nickname him for now, looked completely out of place with his fancy shoes, slicked-back hair, and expensive suit. He was definitely agitated by the angry Irishman invading not only what appeared to be his site, but his personal space, as he shook a fist at him.
As soon as Niall tried to eavesdrop on the conversation, the man from the pub spat on the ground and turned away.
“Well, I think we have a new suspect,” Tomas said, nudging him.
Niall turned toward Tomas. Behind the stone wall, they were secluded from view as they watched the scene unfold. “Aye, but why do I feel the force responsible for thinning the veil coming from a human? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It is peculiar. Humans haven’t believed in us in a very long time.”
“No, they haven’t,” Niall agreed. “Did you catch what they were fighting about?”
“Aye, only a little. Something about defiling the land.”
Niall nodded. That he could understand.
The island remained unchanged in some ways, but in others, the fifty years since his last visit seemed longer; or maybe it was just the technology and the way humans talked now that felt foreign. The Realm beyond the veil was his homeland, but he’d always felt like this was a close second. Now, as he looked at the foundation being constructed, he wasn’t sure. And he wondered what this had to do with the veil. He’d have to ask their bartender friend what was being built and why.
From the looks of it, at least one local didn’t seem to like the idea. Not Suitman, but the man from the pub who’d spat on the ground seemed unhappy about the construction. Then the priest, the woman that had briefly visited their table last night, Felicity, and her friend walked up to the man. His stallion’s ears perked up as he tuned in on what they were saying.
“This is my brother, Michael,” the priest said. “And this is Felicity Forrest...she’s the blogger sent here to write about the púca haunting,” he continued.
The priest has a brother. He’d been the one arguing with Suitman moments ago. Niall didn’t know why, but that seemed relevant somehow. Maybe he hadn’t felt the surge from the priest, but rather from his brother. He’d been at both the pub and the construction site.
“I’m going to head on now,” Michael said. “Glad you’re here to put a stop to this. They’re building on sacred púca land. It’s bound to disturb them, and then we’ll all be cursed.”
Niall huffed at his nonsense. All land was sacred. It’s why they’d blessed farmer’s crops in exchange for human cooperation to ensure they didn’t become extinct.
The priest let out a nervous laugh as his brother walked away. “You’ll have to excuse my brother. He’s always been a superstitious sort of fellow.”
“Are there others on the island that share his feelings about the resort being built?” Felicity asked.
Smart woman. Brains and beautiful lush curves.
Niall thought she’d asked the most burning question in his mind. At least now he knew they were building a resort. Their island was known for its peaceful serenity, seclusion, history, and traditions. The people still spoke their native tongue, and he highly doubted they would view a resort favorably. Although tourism was a big part of the local economy, those who travelled here came to connect with the traditional roots of the island.
The priest shifted to his other foot. “Aye, there’s a few that aren’t too fond of the idea. Believe me, I had to get used to the thought of relocating my church. This place will bring good fortune to many, and they’ll tolerate the idea once they can see that.”
“Why do you have to relocate?” Felicity asked.
His stallion strained to hear her soft, almost musical voice. Niall wondered if she were an enchantress. The priest pointed to a small church that stood adjacent to the foundation they were constructing.
“Aye, my church is on the property these developers bought, but they paid me more than I require to build a new one.”
Niall hadn’t put two and two together, but now he figured maybe the priest and his brother were responsible for the veil’s disturbance. They could be working together. He didn’t know which one he trusted less, but his stallion seemed pleased it had nothing to do with the curvy woman with hair like honey. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“This isn’t far from where Jenna took the picture of the púca, either,” Felicity said as she nodded toward the woman. “But I didn’t see anything when she took us there this morning.”
“Aye, that may be true, but like I said before, the púca are known to ride at night,” the priest said.
“Well, I best be going. I have to pack, since I leave tomorrow. Good luck,” Jenna said as she left.
Niall let out a soft laugh from his crouched position behind the stone wall. So there are still some locals who know a thing or two about the púca. It was easier to shift at night, less painful under the light of the moon. Tomas elbowed him and Niall shot him a glare.
“I’d like to meet the owner, if you don’t mind,” Felicity said.
“Of course, right this way.” The priest led them over to Suitman, who was talking to a worker. The worker looked like any other islander, but something about him had Niall’s stallion neighing as if to warn him. While Niall focussed on him, Suitman waved the worker back to his task as the priest and his entourage approached.
“What can I do for you?” Suitman asked the priest.
“Aye, Mr. Archer, I’d like to introduce Miss Forrest. She’s here to either prove or disprove the púca haunting and hopefully put everyone’s minds at ease.”
“You can call me Felicity. I’d like to ask you a few questions if that’s all right,” Felicity said. “I’m sort of a sceptic when it comes to the supernatural, and I’m hoping you can tell me what’s really been going on.” She waved a pale hand toward the construction site.
Mr. Archer recoiled slightly when her hand, which had been directed at the site, landed on his arm. He recovered quickly. It would have been barely noticeable to a human, but Niall picked up on it. Archer seemed cool and aloof. Maybe he just didn’t like strangers touching him. He couldn’t be certain, and his stallion couldn’t get a clear read on the fellow.
His stallion didn’t believe Felicity was as sceptical as she claimed—she just needed proof. She’d told him as much last night. Watching her charm the man in the suit made both him and his stallion jealous. He clenched his jaw the moment she touched Mr. Archer’s arm. But Niall had no claim on her. She wasn’t his mate, and yet he had an inexplicable urge to rush the man and tackle him to the mud.
Tomas must have noticed his mounting tension, because he gave him a concerned but knowing look.
“I need to speak with her,” Niall whispered.
“Aye, I bet you do.”
“You’ll distract her friend and keep her entertained for a while.”
“And how do ye propose I do that? She nearly jumped me last night. It was all I could do to fend her off.”
“Take her to the beach. Mesmerise her to stay with you if you have to. How you do it doesn’t matter—I’ve got business with Felicity. I know you’ve got a mate you’d never cheat on back home and I’m not asking that, but do me a solid favor and distract Felicity’s friend.”
“I know it’s been a while since you’ve gone beyond the veil, but a woman could get the wrong idea about a beach.”
“Stop being a pain in me arse. It’s just a bunch of sand.”
“Bunch of sand,” Tomas said with a snort-laugh. “Right. Maybe I should give her a box of candy while I’m at it?”
Niall ignored him, focusing on Felicity’s full lips as she asked, “Why are the locals spooked, Mr. Archer? They believe it’s a púca. But what do you believe?”
“Tools move or go missing, and there was a message carved into the foundation.”
“Message?”
“Leave here. The púca will come for you.” Mr. Archer smiled. “It’s harmless really. Probably someone is trying to tell us they don’t want us here. They didn’t need to carve it for me to figure that out. Almost everyone has welcomed us. This will expand the tourist industry and bring revenue to the island.”
Mr. Archer eyed the priest when he’d said ‘almost’, but he could’ve meant the priest’s brother, Michael, who’d been arguing with him just before. Felicity seemed to catch that too.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Archer,” she said as she held out a hand for him to shake.
“My pleasure,” he said, taking her hand.
‘My pleasure’. We’ll show him, his stallion huffed.
“Come on,” Niall said. He moved toward an opening in the wall and edged through it.
When he reached the other side and began walking toward the group, Felicity turned in his direction. His stallion heard her pulse accelerate. It was a shame she wouldn’t remember their ride, but man was he glad she wouldn’t be sore with him today. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot. She might look soft and curvy, but the lass had a wee bit of a temper on her too.
Niall swallowed. He had to admit he liked that spark and wanted to see if he could ignite it without making her practically spit fire.
