Hal’s heart pounded in his chest as he screamed for Robin. She’d been holding his hand not two seconds ago, and now she was gone. Vanished into thin air. Adrenaline pumped through his system, and though part of him wanted to stay there if she came back, the rest of him, the more protective side, had him striding out. He lapped the field once, twice, three times, all the while calling her name, but she was nowhere to be found.

He pulled a hair tie out of his pocket and bound his loose locks up into a quick ponytail so he could focus. The last thing he needed right now was his hair getting in the way. He’d thought about cutting it, but then when Robin ran her fingers through it and put little braids in it when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, he banished the thought.

Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he moved to the edge of the field and called Alec.

“What’s wrong?” His brother picked up after the second ring, knowing the only reason Hal would call over the next couple days was if there was an emergency.

“Robin vanished.”

“Vanished how?”

“She was standing next to me. We were holding hands, watching the fire and everything get started, and then her hand dropped from mine, and when I looked over, she was just gone. I can’t find her anywhere. There are more supernatural beings here than I thought there would be. If one of them sensed that she was a banshee, then they could have taken her.”

“Hal, you couldn’t even sense that she was a banshee when you first met her, so I doubt they took her. Who’s there?”

“Some shifters, some fae, witches. I don’t know.”

“The shifters are your best bet for tracking her scent, especially if they’re wolves.”

“Okay, okay. I can figure that out.” Hal calmed now that he had a task. The overwhelming panic that had been setting in was pushed to the side in favor of action. Alec was good at grounding him. It wasn’t often that he froze, except when it came to Robin. She made him react in ways he had never expected, and she had done ever since they’d first met.

“Call me back with what they say.”

Hal hung up and went in search of the magic he’d felt earlier. His skill with water allowed him to look at the way things worked. Usually that was restricted to the human body, but with enough focus, he could break enchantments and figure out what made something magically tick. That was the side of it he used now. It was fortunate that Ireland was an island, since it kept a lot of moisture in the air, moisture he could use.

He subtly created a water window that hovered in front of him. It was little more than a few drops of water, but it was enough for him to pick out a shifter over a witch or something else. The cold chill that went down his spine wasn’t comforting. He’d heard rumors of a resurgence of the vampire population and hoped that they were wrong. Most of the magical beings kept to themselves, or at least, their own pantheon, and out of each other’s way, but vamps and shifters tended to pick fights with one another, which drew in other magical beings, and soon, if they weren’t careful, all hell would break loose.

A trio of shifters stood to the back of the crowd. He couldn’t read into their magic enough to tell what they were, not without causing a scene and outing his own magical abilities. His only hope was that they would be concerned enough to help.

“Fellas.” He cleared his throat as he approached them, keeping his body loose and his tone low so only they could hear him. “Listen, I need your help. My name is Hal and my girlfriend has gone missing. I don’t know what kinds of shifters you are, but any help you can offer I would appreciate.”

The men all leveled a hard stare at him.

“Who the hell are you?” The first man in the group pointed a finger into Hal’s chest. He spoke with an American accent, which was surprising.

Hal was taller, broader, and probably stronger than any of them, but shifters were notoriously prideful and unwilling to back down from a fight, which was exactly what he didn’t want. “I belong to the Greek pantheon; one of my abilities is sensing magic. I just need your help.”

“She’s missin’, ye say?” A different man piped up, his lyrical Irish accent flowing off his tongue in a way that made the American in the group sound harsh and blunt.

All three were brunettes, and they all had a similar look about them, like they were distant relatives.

“Yes. She was holding my hand, I felt her shiver, and then I thought she just let go, but she was gone.”

“Is she part of our world?’

Hal nodded his affirmation, but he wasn’t about to specify what Robin was.

“I don’t like to hear of anyone being lost,” the Irishman said, rubbing the scruffy almost-beard that ran along his jaw before sticking his hand out toward Hal. “I’m Aiden. Show me where you last saw her.” They shook hands.

The three of them followed Hal over to where he and Robin had been standing. It was almost like Hal could feel her there, but she wasn’t. Most likely it was just wishful thinking on his part. He rubbed the back of his neck as the men moved around the area.

“Aiden, here,” the American said as he took long deep breaths over the area where Robin had been standing.

“Good,” Aiden said as he came and repeated the action. His eyes landed on him. “She has fae magic?”

Hal simply shrugged, neither confirming nor denying what they could probably scent from where they had been standing.

The other man seemed to have calmed down now that the Irishman had taken over. He couldn’t help but wonder what their animals were and who ranked where in their pack structure.

Moments later, Hal heard the American call out.

“Chris?” The man searched the surrounding crowd with panic, pinching the corners of his eyes.

Just like that, someone else was missing. Hal hadn’t had much of an impression of the guy since he hadn’t uttered a word, but he hoped they found both Robin and Chris soon.

“Shit,” Hal cursed. “What’s going on?”

“The veil. It’s thin tonight, so much so that Donn can sometimes pass through. He’s a fekin’ gobshite on Samhain.” Noticing Hal’s raised eyebrow, the man added, “He likes to stir up trouble for everyone. Usually he just plays pranks, like, but recent years, he’s been kidnappin’ and scarin’ folk.”

“Who’s Donn?”

“The Celtic god of the dead. The numpty’s got his own island and everythin’, but apparently it’s not enough.”

The American came to join them, confirming Aiden’s suspicions. “I can smell her and Chris, but their scents just stop, like they were plucked out of thin air.”

“Fekin’ Donn.” The man shook his head.

“So, why haven’t these disappearances been in the news?”

“Usually the people come back before mornin’, but not always. He likes to play games with them. I think he’s just bored.”

“What can we do?”

“Probably nothing, except hang around, hoping they reappear,” the American said.

“Steve’s right. It’s just a waiting game. If they are smart and crafty enough, they’ll get out. Donn’s tricks aren’t impossible.”

Hal wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. He and his brothers had all spent time in various countries at some point or another during their long lives. They had seen lots of things, met a multitude of people, creatures, and even some gods, but this was the first time he’d encountered a god who was so bored, he played tricks. He pulled his phone back out and sent Alec a quick text, advising him of the situation. All he could do was pray to any of the gods and goddesses who would listen that his soulmate would return to him. If she didn’t, he was likely to go insane.

Once souls were found each other, splitting them was not recommended and could have devastating consequences for the one left behind. He rubbed the back of his neck and stared into the fire, willing his feisty banshee to return to him.