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“You’re right,” he starts, sliding his hand into mine. “There are questions we may never find answers to. What I do know is that we need to keep this to ourselves. Who knows what effects it could have on a different monster or cryptid? In the wrong hands, this could be dangerous.”

“Thankfully for us, no one else knows, and we'll make sure it stays that way.”

“I have to get back to the bakery now,” I say, lips pressed to Sterling’s, his hands gripping my hips. We’re standing in the small park in the middle of the village, after taking a short stroll together while the bakery was quiet.

“Okay.” He leans in and kisses me again.

“You need to eat.” I pat his stomach. He’s explained to me what he needs to survive and though I cannot get my head around him snacking on a poor little hare, I understand that’s how nature works. Some creatures are predators and others are prey.

My boyfriend sits at the top of the food chain.

“I’ll be back to help you close up.” He presses his lips to my forehead, then turns and strolls out of the park, his muscles bunching beneath his tight black shirt. The sun is shining, sweat beading on the back of my neck, not a hint of a breeze in the air. The closer I get to the bakery, the stronger the tug in my chest is and I know instinctively when Sterling has crossed out of Newbridge and into the woods of the neighbouring village. I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to this connection we now share. Although there may come a time when he has to move on and then…I shake my head. I don’t want to think about that day because I never want to be apart from him.

Pushing open the door to the bakery, I stop short when my eyes land on my best friend, standing eerily still on the far side of the counter. I follow his gaze to the corner of the bakery where a shadow looms, hovering inches off the ground. It has large wings reaching towards the ceiling. Its glowing eyes are locked onto Kiernan.

Rushing around the counter, I take up position next to Kee, dropping my voice to a whisper.

“What is it?”

He shakes his head, then slowly turns to face me. His eyes are wide, but excitement gleams in them, brightening the blue of his irises.

“My guess is a ghost or some sort of shadow demon.” I am astounded by how nonplussed my friend is by the existence of something supernatural right in front of him.

“What do you want?” I ask the shadow, my voice shaking. I’ve seen him before. Here and in my home. I’m certain of it.

It flies up to the ceiling and then drops back down, two large clawed feet landing with a thud.

“No choice. I…have…no…” His voice comes out like an untuned radio, cracking on each word.

“What are you talking about?” Kiernan asks.

“Forgive me.” The creature lets out a horrid wail that I feel right to my core, and then it’s gone. Not a single piece of evidence that it was ever here left behind.

“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” Kiernan asks, the grin so big on his face, it makes the skin crinkle around his eyes. “Jesus, I’m shaking.” He leans against the counter, holding out his arms to show me the tremble running through them. “Have you ever seen anything like that?”

I wander over to the spot the shadow had been standing, my eyes trailing over the little lending library against the wall. The book on cryptids is sitting on the top shelf, a smudge of icing across the cover as though a child had read it while eating.

Picking up the book, I page through it, stopping on the darkened photo of what I now know to be Sterling. I don’t even consider lying to Kiernan.

“Kee. I have something to tell you.”

Book in hand, I head to the front door, lock it, then flip the sign to say we’re closed. Kiernan pulls out a chair at one of the bistro tables. He leans back, feet crossed at the ankles, following my movements as I sit opposite him, the book splayed open between us.

By the time I’ve told him everything, from seeing this same shadow previously to the truth about Sterling, he is barely able to sit still; the excitement winding him up like one of those old toys.

“I knew it. I fucking knew it!” He bangs his hands on the table.

“Knew what, exactly?”

He rolls his eyes. “That monsters are real. That one saved you. That it was Sterling all along.”

I point a finger at him. “I call bullshit on that last one. You did not know it was Sterling.”

Kiernan shrugs. “I had my suspicions.”

“Sure you did.”

“So what do you think Shadow Daddy meant?” He leans his elbows on the table, steepling his hands in front of him.