Puca Read online

  Puca

  Pin said.

  “Father can help with Daniels as well, I’m thinking, being his boss,” Aiden said with a smile.

  “And now we must be deciding what is to be done, for Finvarra will be attacking again,” Kian said with a heavy sigh.

  “Why don’t you set a trap for this clown?” Molly asked.

  “A trap,” Aiden said, his voice dripping sarcasm,

  “don’t be daft, woman.”

  “You got a better idea, Mr. Brilliance?” Molly shot back.

  “A trap is a typically foolish female idea,” Aiden retorted, “Kian might as well just challenge the King to a duel.”

  “A duel,” Kian said slowly, his eyes lighting up, “a trap with a duel as the bait.”

  “I was not serious,” Aiden said alarmed.

  “But I am, brother,” Kian smirked. “I say we set a trap for the lying cheating bastard. I will challenge, he will not be able to resist the chance to show off his skill with the sword. And he will cheat,” he added.

  * * * * * *

  Kian sat on the small-screened private porch and carefully honed the blade of the bronze sword he’d chosen to use. The air was damp and smelled of the coming rain. Finvarra had quickly accepted the challenge just as Kian knew he would. The Elf was vainly proud of his swordsman’s skills. Kian awaited 230

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  an answer to his other message.

  He looked up as Emma walked out onto the porch.

  She sat down in the rocking chair that was furthest from him and watched him in silence. He sighed softly; he knew her heart was breaking. She had not spoken more than a few words to him since they had formed their plan. Putting the sword down, he went to where she sat and knelt beside her.

  “Everything will be all right, poppet,” Kian said softly, reaching out to gently caress her cheek.

  “I’m trying to believe that, I really am,” she said tearfully.

  “Emma, he will not give up. Had he only struck at me I could walk away, but he did not do that. He reached out and touched one I love, an innocent in all this, and I cannot walk away from that.” Standing up, he swept her into his arms and carried her inside to the bed.

  Kian took two of her fingers into his mouth and bit, nibbling delicately and exploring, moving over her wrist and arm. He was careful and gentle, making her breath catch and her body shiver. His lovemaking was an offer of comfort against the coming battle.

  Emma gave herself over to him completely.

  Outside it began to rain, a slow and steady patter of raindrops. The sky was crying with Emma for her lover while the low rumble of distant thunder echoed their quiet moans.

  * * * * * *

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  Kian stood in the moonlit meadow and watched Finvarra as he postured and posed, warming up for the duel. Emma stood at the edge of the clearing with Molly and Aiden. Everything was in place. He took a deep breath and shifted his grip on his sword as the Elf walked toward him.

  Finvarra saluted insolently. “Are you ready, Puca?” he asked in a smug voice.

  “Aye,” Kian said simply, bringing his sword up.

  Finvarra smiled slightly and appeared to step back.

  Suddenly he swung and pressed his attack. Kian blocked the move and began to give ground before the Elf’s onslaught.

  They fought viciously, and slowly Kian began to push the Elf back. Finvarra began to look uncertain, and Kian knew he had won. He fought harder, and the evil Elf gave way. Catching his foot on a rock, Finvarra stumbled and fell, his sword flying out of his hand.

  Kian stood over the fallen King, the point of his sword at the Elf’s throat. Finvarra signaled as Kian knew he would when facing defeat. Nothing happened, and the Elf signaled again.

  “They’ll not be coming to your aid this time,” Kian said with a wolfish smile. “Look about you, Elf, I’ve a few resources of my own.”

  Finvarra risked a glance at the crowd of beings surrounding the meadow. For every Red Cap and Fir Durg, there was a Puca. Kian’s grin widened.

  “Precautions seemed in order, as I knew you’d not be refraining from cheating,” Kian said.

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  “I will see you dead, Puca,” Finvarra hissed angrily.

  “I think not,” Kian said lightly. “I have followed the code set forth for duels. You will abide by them as well or lose your throne and your riches.” Kian slowly backed up, allowing the Elf to stand.

  Finvarra stood before the Puca and seethed with anger, knowing he was bound by thousands of years of tradition, knowing that if he broke the rules in this, his own minions would turn against him. Curtly he nodded his acceptance of his defeat and turned to go.

  Kian watched his enemy leave the meadow, feeling neither sadness nor joy, only a heavy tiredness. When the Elf had gone in a shimmer of black sparks, Kian turned and walked toward Emma.

  Emma took one step, then another and began to run forward.

  Kian stopped; holding his arms out, he caught her up in a fierce embrace. He threw the sword away from them and buried his face in her hair with a deep, shuddering sigh. “Let’s go home, love.” Kian turned and raised his hand in a salute to the assembled Pucas.

  They nodded silently and began to melt into the woods around them.

  They walked in comfortable silence toward the house. Molly and Aiden followed several feet behind studiously ignoring each other.

  Aiden was the first to notice the police car parked in front of the house. He caught Kian’s arm and nodded toward it. Kian squeezed Emma’s hand 233

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  encouragingly.

  “Well, it’s on to phase two,” Molly said.

  “Yeah, let’s hope this works,” Emma took a deep breath and they continued on to the house.

  Emma stopped next to Kian and crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at Officer Steven Daniels and Brian, who stood on her porch.

  “Your owner has been defeated. It is over,” Kian said formally.

  “Wrong, dog boy, it isn’t over until I say it is,”

  Daniels said. He drew his service revolver and snapped off the safety.

  Emma stepped in front of Kian. “That would not be a good idea, Steven. Especially not with so many important witnesses,” she said.

  “Witnesses? Where? You’ve been out in the woods too long, girl, now move aside,” he said calmly. When she did not move, he shrugged. “Fine, makes no difference to me.” He raised his gun and aimed. Brian watched with an unholy excitement burning in his eyes.

  A quiet, deep voice spoke out of the shadows. “Put the gun down, Officer Daniels, you’re under arrest for threatening these nice people with your service revolver,” the shadowy figure said.

  Steven Daniels paled and turned, slowly lowering his weapon. He glared at Emma and her companions, his expression pure hatred. An elegantly dressed man stepped out into the moonlight and smiled at them before he turned and snapped a set of cuffs on his errant officer.

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  A pair of officers came out of the house and led Daniels away. Emma turned to Brian and just looked at him for a long moment. “It is over, Brian, go home,” she said.

  “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer,” Brian said angrily. He turned and started walking toward his rental car.

  “I wonder if any of my editors would like a nice front-page story on fraud in the art world,” Molly said, looking at her nails.

  Brian froze mid-stride for a brief second, then continued walking away. They watched him go, then all walked into the house together.

  Tilly and Pin greeted them with fresh chocolate-chip cookies and a pot of tea.

  “Tea? Is that all you can offer a man after a weary day?” the man in the navy suit asked indignantly.

  “Y-you’ll be-be ha-having t-tea and li-liking it!” Pin said smacking a cup and saucer down in front of the man. “I-I’ll n-not be ha-having y-you g-getting my b-boys d-drunk
.”

  “But, Pin,” he said with a familiar pleading whine.

  Emma looked at Kian, raising her eyebrows.

  He grinned at her, pulling her into his lap as he sat down in the chair next to the man arguing with Pin.

  “Father, this is my love, Emma. Emma, this is Mahon, my father.”

  Mahon Puca, also known as Police Chief Mahon, smiled kindly at Emma and patted her knee. “A fine, sturdy woman,” he said, then glared at his eldest son.

  “And what are you doing still here when you’ve 235

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  celebrating to do?”

  Emma watched, fascinated, as Kian blushed scarlet. “Yes, what are we still doing here when we have celebrating to do?” she asked with a seductive smile, tracing her finger over the crest of his ear. He looked at her wide-eyed and swallowed hard.

  Standing up, she pulled him along with her out into the hallway.

  “Kian,” she said.

  “Emma,” he replied.

  “Have you ever made love outside?”

  “Aye, a few times,” he answered carefully.

  “And is it as wonderful as I’ve always heard?” She smiled.

  “Let me show you.” He led her out into the night.

  They walked up toward the pond and the meadow he had taken her to when he had come to her in his horse form. He could see she recognized it, and smiled. With a wave of his hand, a low bed appeared, covered with soft silken sheets and pillows. Touching a fingertip to the deep red cotton dress she wore, it disappeared in a shower of sparks, along with his clothing.

  Laying her on the bed, he knelt over her; his hands were fire and his kisses soothing as he took her. She held him and rocked against him her eyes reflecting the stars above them. A shooting star passed overhead and she moaned softly, making a wish that they would be like this forever. He gasped and cried out her name with his release.

  She held him as he continued to move and 236

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  whimpered tears trickling from her eyes as the sensations built again. Emma opened her eyes and threw her head back in a wordless cry as she tumbled over the edge. The sky was filled with shooting stars as her body shuddered in ecstasy.

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  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ian lay on his back on the front porch, his head Khanging off the edge. Life had settled into a comfortable routine in the weeks since the battle.

  Emma opened the door and stepped out. His tail thumped against the leg of the chair. She stopped and looked down at him for a long moment, her hands on her hips. He waved a paw at her, and she rolled her eyes at him.

  “You’re blocking the doorway,” she said.

  He snorted at her.

  “Move, the Mastersons arrive today.”

  He returned Emma’s glare with a lick to her ankle.

  ‘Tis a fine day, Emma love, too fine for working, I’ll just be staying here.

  The sound of a car pulling into the tiny gravel parking lot distracted her and she started down the steps. The Puca whined at her and she stopped, giving him a dirty look.

  “I am not rubbing your belly.”

  He sneezed at her.

  “Pervert.” She walked away to greet the new guests.

  Kian rolled over and shut his eyes. Pervert indeed, just you wait until tonight, poppet, I’ll show you pervert.

  I’ve watched a new video... He bolted upright, eyes wide, at the sound of a familiar screech. He clenched 238

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  his teeth and shook his head as the sound escalated into the ultrasonic, matched by three other notes that could bend metal. Well, sure, and that will have bent the silverware, he thought sourly.

  He watched Emma greet an unpleasantly familiar fairy and a man he did not recognize. Three small carbon copies of the fairy followed her around the car toward the porch. Oak, ash and all the stars above, she’s spawned, Kian thought, horrified.

  “And this is Pookie, don’t be afraid, he won’t bite.”

  Emma fixed him with a look that said he damn well better not bite. She turned to the guests. “Kian will be along shortly to help with your luggage.”

  The three small fairies shrieked again and headed for him at a run.

  The Puca took his cue and leapt up. He bolted inside and straight to the kitchen, changing on the way. “Mother, we’ve trouble at the door,” he said as soon as he stepped into the Brownies’ domain.

  “Tr-trouble?” Pin asked.

  “Aye, Twinklebell has arrived with a human man...”

  “O-oh?”

  “And three children. They all look just like her.”

  Kian shivered.

  “Oh, d-dear.” Pin clutched her snowy white apron.

  “I-I su-suppose it’s t-too m-much to ask th-they ta-take after th-their fa-father...”

  “The poor bugger, he has my sympathies.” Kian said. He turned and headed out to get the luggage.

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  Tilly, no Pin, no Aiden and Molly fussing, no guests, just us.” He shot a glare at the three giggling children hiding under the sofa. “And no wee fairies. Let’s go to the tree house, I’ve something there for you,” Kian whispered softly in her ear.

  “Your tree house? What do you have for me there you can’t give me here?” she whispered back, mystified.

  “Ah that would be telling. You’ll have to come with me to the tree house to find out.”

  She raised her eyebrows, looking at him as if she had never seen him before. Ten minutes later, they were on their way to Kian’s home in the old oak.

  He took her hands and led her outside. She watched the intent expression on his face as he began to speak slowly.

  “Emma, have you felt my presence? Have you felt me near even when I’m far from your side? Have you felt my love?” he asked seriously.

  “Kian,” she began. He touched his fingertips to her lips stopping her.

  “Emma, my own, do you love me?” He asked.

  “You know I do,” she answered him, puzzled.

  “You must tell me now, Emma, do you love me?”

  Emma noticed the strange light in his eyes, the glitter of tears and the mingled ruby and emerald glow of uncertainty. Something whispered to her telling her everything hinged on her answer, and she chose her words carefully.

  “Yes, Kian Sean Puca, I love you, all that you are and all that you might be,” she said solemnly.

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  “Emma Cora O’Neil, I can give you naught but myself, you are the heart of my soul and the breath of my life, and I will be with you forever if you will be having me,” he said breathlessly.

  “I need nothing but you and your love, Kian. With you, I am complete,” she said smiling.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her close, burying his face in her hair with a deeply contented sigh. Slowly drawing away from her, he led her deeper into the forest. They walked in silence, hand in hand, toward the ancient oak at the heart of the woods.

  * * * * * *

  Pin and Aiden watched from the back porch with Tilly. Pin’s hand crept up to brush away a tear. A loud noise startled them all, a new arrival to the house. A deep voice boomed out from the hall and Pin rolled her eyes. Aiden cringed slightly.

  “G-go and t-tell your father th-there’s din-dinner in f-five minutes, b-but only if-if he’s qu-quiet.” Pin gave Aiden a swat.

  Aiden strode down the hall to try and quiet his father. Pin and Tilly followed.

  “I’ve come for the festivities. Boy, where is your mother?” Mahon Puca said in a jovial, loud voice.

  “Father,” Aiden said.

  “What? Speak up, boy, which are you now? And where is my new daughter-to-be?” Mahon demanded as Pin walked into the kitchen.

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  “Oh, h-hush, M-Mahon, You-you’re l-late as us-usual. I-it’s already be-begun,” Pin said exasperated.


  “Drat. Well then, there’s nothing to be done. Aiden, my boy, will you be fancying a run through the woods after dinner?” He asked.

  “I would at that, it’s been a while since I had a good run,” Aiden said, smiling at his father. He knew what the elder Puca was up to, and would stop it if he could. Kian deserved this time alone with his new bride.

  * * * * * *

  Emma looked at the huge oak. Recognizing the tree where they had made love not so long ago she could see no steps or ladder or even a hint of a tree house for that matter. Turning to Kian, she opened her mouth to question him about it.

  “Hush,” he said softly, touching her lips, and then kneeling before her. “As my fathers before me have done, I have waited for the one who would be my true love. In all the worlds, only one would ever lead me home. My Emma has brought me home twice, first to oak, then to heart.”

  Suddenly they were surrounded by tiny blue firefly fairy lights. The full moon broke through the canopy of oak boughs and bathed them in silver light.

  Kian stood and leaned forward. Emma closed her eyes, parting her lips expectantly and he placed a soft butterfly kiss over each eyelid and stepped back.

  Emma opened her eyes and gasped. They were 242

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  surrounded by soft beams of moonlight sifting through the treetop. She saw the carved silver-washed steps that led up into the old tree to the ornately painted door. Looking back at Kian, she saw the invitation and the longing there. She squeezed his hands and he began to lead her up the stairs to the door.