“And we’ll do it again.”

North Basin Creek Park appears frozen in time. Barren, lifeless, tree limbs reach out over the path as if they’re pleading for help. As we approach the bend in the trail, a woman with blond hair appears on the path quite a distance ahead of us.

“Shit,” I whisper. “I think that’s Alys Morgan. Who the fuck takes a hike on a day like this, so early in the morning?”

“Actually, I’m not shocked. If anyone were to walk in the park in freezing temperatures, it would be Alys—a woman with a stiff demeanor.”

“She’s gonna fuck up everything.”

“We’ll have to wait until she finishes her hike. I doubt anyone else will have the desire to brave this nippy weather.”

Alys disappears around the bend, but we continue on the trail, giving her time to get way ahead of us. Once Archie and I arrive at the bog, we can hide in the woods until she doubles back, unless she takes the loop, and then we won’t cross paths with her again at all. But how will we know for sure she’s chosen to return via the other side? Oh, who would believe her, anyway? A fantastical story about witches fighting a fairy in the water?

We turn the corner and nearly jump out of our skin.

“Why are you two following me?” Alys asks, a stern expression on her face.

I glance at Archie. “Uhh…same as you, I guess. Racking up some steps. I couldn’t sleep, so we threw on some clothes and headed down here. Didn’t expect to run into a member of the council in the woods.”

“I’m an early riser. Out here every day,” she says. She looks at Archie and her icy expression melts into an amorous smile. “Good morning, Dr. Cockburn. So nice to see you again.”

For fuck’s sake. We don’t have time for your flirting.

She squints at me. “I know you. You’re that cashier at Mystic Sage.” She turns her attention back to Archie. “I’m surprised a man of your academic stature would date a cashier.”

I roll my eyes and bite my tongue, resisting the urge to remind her we’ve met several times outside of Mystic Sage.

“Unfortunately, you know nothing about Gwyn. She’s a very accomplished woman. In one more semester, she’ll receive a master’s degree in Public Policy from Delaware University at Bearsden.” He smiles at me. “I’m very proud of her.”

Alys glances at me and smirks. “Well, if you don’t mind, I would like to finish my morning walk in solitude and silence.”

“We apologize for interrupting your ritual,” Archie says. “Gwyn and I will head back to the car and come back later when it’s not as chilly.”

I give Archie a what-the-fuck look. Did he forget why we came?

“Well, aren’t you so kind, Dr. Cockburn?” She bats her eyes at him. “We should chat sometime about your Scottish heritage. I’ve always been interested in learning more. Could we meet for coffee?”

He clears his throat. “I’m quite busy at this time of the semester. Perhaps, during Spring Semester.”

“Wonderful. I look forward to it. Have a good day.”

Alys turns and continues on the path, and Archie heads back toward the trailhead. I rush to maintain his pace.

“What are you doing? Did you forget why we came?”

“No, Gwyn. But we can’t attempt to break the protective shield over the bog with Alys nearby. She’s too into everyone else’s business. It’s probably why she ran for city council so soon after moving here. We might as well go to the trailhead and wait for the others to arrive.”

“Ugh. She ruined everything. And holy crystals. The way she flirted with you right in front of me. Inviting you on a date as if I weren’t even there. Aghhh. What a bitch. I’m sorry I was so nice to her in the store.”

He laughs at me. “You’re jealous. I’ll admit, I love seeing you so protective of me.” He stops for a moment and kisses my cold, rosy cheek. “But you needn’t worry about other women anymore. Those days are far behind me.”

“Not to burst your bubble, but it’s more about her audacity. I’m criticizing her behavior. Who can blame her, though, right?” I kiss his warm lips and rub my cold nose on his. “You’re dashing, blond, toned from the top to the”—I cup his crotch—“bottom.”

He raises a corner of his mouth and removes my hand. “We better keep moving or my manly goods will freeze off and you’ll not have them to service you later.”

“Promises, promises,” I say with a snicker.

While we walk, I recall Alys’s amorous advances again. “I wonder if she has a thing for Scots. Or blondes.”

A sharp pain strikes me in the gut, like a dagger shoving directly into my abdomen, and I double over. A magnetism overwhelms me like before, drawing me back toward the bog. I stop in my tracks to process the signals from my intuition and peer up the trail.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. “Are you all right? Please, tell me you don’t have to pee.”

I stare at him as our misty white breath surrounds us. “Blondes.”

He cocks his head. “What about them?”

“Not them. Her. Alys must like men with blond hair.”

“How did you come to that conclusion? I’m one man. You have no knowledge of her prior relationships. And who gives a fawk what she favors in men?”

“True. But Archie. Tylwyth Teg fairies crave human men with blond hair. Remember?”

His eyes widen. “Shite.” But his expression relaxes, and he frowns. “There’s one problem with your theory, my love. When the kidnappings occurred, she was the one to introduce the ordinance. She was extremely adamant about its passing. Why would a Tylwyth Teg fairy do such a thing?”

“To cover her ass.”

“But what other evidence do you have? Taking a chance at confronting Ashley was one thing. Accusing a councilwoman who is most likely an Unremarkable? That’s a right dodgy risk to take, don’t you think?”

“Archie, she came into the store several times to buy toys for a couple of young children. Said they were for kids of a dear friend. Recently, she showed up again and brought up Ronnie’s pregnancy. She asked about the baby’s hair color…if it was red. When I told her it was blond with reddish highlights, her face lit up.”

“Fawk.”

“Exactly. The cherry on top? My intuition just hit me with the strongest pang I’ve ever experienced, and a magnetic pull is tugging at me to go back.”

Archie stares at the empty path ahead. He grabs my hand, and we run as fast as we can toward the bog. Our lungs struggle to function in the frigid air, but we have to catch Alys before she passes through the protective shield she’s created. I trip over large rocks protruding from the trail, and he pulls me up. We jump over a fallen tree blocking a section of the path and push through low hanging limbs.

Once we arrive, we scan the area for her, gasping. My lungs burn from the icy air. We examine the area. The strip of hazy white cloud hangs over the water like a protective bubble. No sign of Alys. Archie darts back and forth, inspecting different sections of the woods around the bog while I use magic to heal my aching chest. He shakes his head and returns to the pond’s edge where the lily pads lay dormant.

“We’re too late, I’m afraid,” he says, panting. “The coven will be here soon, and we can attempt to pierce the shield.”

“If my intuition had been more accurate early on, we could have saved the children sooner.”

“I think your sixth sense was more than efficient. It’s not a perfect system, Gwyn. It certainly zeroed in when we desperately needed it.”

“We should try to pierce the shield together. Combine our energy. It’s worth a try.”

“I’m hesitant to poke the bear, Gwyn. We should wait for the others.”