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“Flatterer—and ya know I love ya for it,” I said as a smile bloomed across my mouth. “The Dagda chose my family lineage for a specific purpose. We partner with Conn to keep the balance between demonkind and humans. In return, the King of All Demons supplies us with the power required to not get killed doing the work. We are an inseparable team.”

Rasmus looked at Conn. “Do you have any choice about the human chosen to work with you?”

Conn shook his head. “No, but I don’t mind because I know the person is worthy whether or not I think so. None are to me what The Dagda himself was, even though Aran comes very close. With Aran, I get to fully live my life. I appreciate and enjoy the amount of liberty she grants me. Aran uses the word ‘partner’ to describe our arrangement. Others before Aran called themselves my ‘master’ because I was contractually obligated to do as they commanded—within reason.”

I snorted as I looked at Conn. “The guardian,” I said with unmasked sarcasm since Rasmus now knew what he was, “is stuck on the idea that one or both of us are interfering daily with the other’s free will. He also thinks we’re an unnatural pairing and that we’re interfering with the free will of the bad guys when we catch and stop them. And others of his kind shared his opinion. The females dared to disagree and got stripped of their human bodies for it.”

Conn snorted at my rant. “Free will does not exist except as a brief and fleeting glimpse of having some measure of freedom of choice. You do not interfere with my free will because we are united in our purpose. Mulan, though, interferes with my free will by just existing. My love for her binds me to do whatever will keep her at my side and sharing my bed. True love thwarts free will for all beings on this plane. I’ve often thought falling in love was like a disease with no cure.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say there wasnocure,” I mused, thinking of how my feelings for Jack had transformed over the years. “The same happens as a mother. Ya do a lot for yer child even when yer brain warns ya of the stupidity of going along with their plans and schemes. Most of my discussions with Fiona these days end up as a battle of wills between us. Rarely do I think of my interactions with Conn that way.”

Conn nodded to me. “Peer pressure from friends can thwart free will as well. The Dagda could ask nearly anything of me and I’d do it for him without question. His reciprocity has kept that aspect of our friendship in place. Our love and respect for each other is greater than the bargain we struck to save my kind. Acting for his benefit improves me.”

Mulan frowned at the discussion. “Jealous siblings and weak-willed parents can also guilt you into taking unwanted actions.”

I laughed at her contribution until I saw her worried expression. “What is yer family doing to ya now?”

Mulan threw up both her hands. “They wish to visit me so they can witness the evil of my life choices. They think my high demon has corrupted me. My sister insists on her old man husband coming as well.”

Conn looked at Mulan and smiled wickedly. “They’re right, you know. Iamtrying very hard to corrupt you. The impossible challenge your goodness presents keeps me vastly entertained.”

Mulan blew out a breath as she glared at him. “Your flowery words and original compliments are not helpful to my problem. You restored the family herb farm to them, Connlander. They just want free vacation and for me to fund their trip. Where is free will for me in their manipulation? I have no money to buy family love.”

I smiled into my cup as I finished my coffee. “There’s yer first lesson about humans and free will, Rasmus. We gladly give it up for carnal pleasures and emotional debts to each other. Such concessions keep babies being born. Some would say they also keep us from killing each other. If everyone insisted on exercising their free will at the same time, the chaos would create an apocalyptic event.”

When the doorbell rang, I swore. A chuckling Conn rose to answer it. While he was gone, I glared into my nearly empty cup.

Conn returned shortly with an envelope. “I believe Ben sent that list of jobs you asked for.”

He pulled a pile of forms out and started reading.

I said nothing as I waited to hear the details.

“There have been reports of a leprechaun dressed all in red. He’s breaking into homes and stealing food. Humans are calling him Bad Santa because he takes their food and leaves them a gift.”

I stood and took my coffee cup to the sink. “That’s a far darrig, not a leprechaun. Leprechauns wear only green. Far darrigs wear red and are not as sneaky.”

“He’s leaving a few coins behind.”

My mouth twisted in irony as I looked at Conn. “Why would anyone see that as a big enough problem to report it to Ben? A far darrig never goes to the same house twice.”

“The coins are genuine gold and may be part of a Roman museum collection missing from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for two decades. People who received them without notifying the police started pawning them for money. Once museum authorities got involved, the story ended up released to the world.”

I shook my head. “Two decades, Conn. He could have been in Salem as long as we’ve been.”

“You were in prison and I was in Ireland for seven years. I doubt human authorities would have put together the details without the Shadow Breakers getting involved. We’ll be cleaning up old cases for a good long while.”

I nodded in agreement. The thought did not appeal, but we’d get paid for the work. Like Mulan, we would need a little extra cash after we bought the house.

“What else is there?”

Conn read through a couple more reports. “Some of these won’t work. We can’t travel to other states right now because of the house. I think Ben sent over everything he has regardless of where the work was located.”

Grinning, I shrugged. “Ben interrupts my requests in the most literal way.”

“There are reports of several trolls. One is destroying someone’s crops. One is raising vicious animals who appear to be eating domestic pets. One is running naked through downtown Salem. People think he’s wearing a costume despite the animation of his manly parts.”

Mulan snorted. “Trolls do not have manly parts. They have ugly troll parts.”