The Proud Paladin’s Devilish Dullahan

By J.B. Black

True love is a matter of life and death.

Padraig is a paladin and wizard in a world where magic is fading. Fae have moved onto Faerie, and most magical beings have followed, but sworn to his oath to protect life, Padraig remains.

When a plague sweeps town, the paladin finds himself face to face with a devilish rider. Every night, the dullahan comes, carrying off more and more souls to bring under the mound. Determined to stop him, the paladin rides.

Except the man he made his enemy is destined to be his mate.

Daithi is one of the few dullahan fae who remain in the mortal world. The rest have moved on or spend their days living in the Underworld, only returning to ferry the dead safely into the afterlife.

When a plague takes root, Daithi works tirelessly to feed the living disguised as a hunter and comfort the dead in his role as ferryman, but a madman chases him, threatening the souls in the dullahan’s charge.

Can these two enemies overcome the dissonance between them? Or will this fight of life versus death spell the end of their romance before it can even begin?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.B. Black
• Release date: Oct 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215397190

J.B. Black

Three sides to take care of all your wanton desires:Jess adores the steamy side of romance, exploring the quick scenes that leave your heart fluttering as strong, fertile heroines find their Happily Ever Afters!If you enjoy mpreg and a wake on the more fantastical side with fated mates, JB Black will fulfill your every desire.Brendol enjoys M/M without the fantastical edge. No pregnancies, just gay sex and romance!

Book preview

The Proud Paladin’s Devilish Dullahan

M/M Gay Fantasy Romance

J.B. Black

True love is a matter of life and death.

Padraig is a paladin and wizard in a world where magic is fading. Fae have moved onto Faerie, and most magical beings have followed, but sworn to his oath to protect life, Padraig remains.

When a plague sweeps town, the paladin finds himself face to face with a devilish rider. Every night, the dullahan comes, carrying off more and more souls to bring under the mound. Determined to stop him, the paladin rides.

Except the man he made his enemy is destined to be his mate.

Daithi is one of the few dullahan fae who remain in the mortal world. The rest have moved on or spend their days living in the Underworld, only returning to ferry the dead safely into the afterlife.

When a plague takes root, Daithi works tirelessly to feed the living disguised as a hunter and comfort the dead in his role as ferryman, but a madman chases him, threatening the souls in the dullahan’s charge.

Can these two enemies overcome the dissonance between them? Or will this fight of life versus death spell the end of their romance before it can even begin?

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

The Proud Paladin’s Devilish Dullahan

by JB Black

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

PROUD PALADIN’S DEVILISH DULLAHAN

Copyright © 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Chapter One

Padraig raced across the sloping green hills. Beneath the ghostly galleon of the crescent moon, the paladin chased a phantom. On and off the road, they rode. Cobblestone shifting to dirt pathways. Through the woods and higher and higher they went. The sea still roared in the distance, crashing against the rocky shore, but the lights of the church twinkled as cold as starlight in the dead of this misty night.

The beast didn’t even turn — made no show that it even understood someone followed it. The sheer disregard left the paladin wondering if the horse were the true creature and the rider only an illusion of the monster beneath. A black cloak fanned out, sparkling at the hem. Slick boots rose up to the knee, but even when the horseman lifted himself from the saddle to urge his steed to ride faster, there was no clear separation of rider and horse. They blended, one into the other.

Shifting from the dirt paths, the phantom took off into the hills. The distance between them shrunk as Padraig did the same. His heart thundered in his chest. They were gaining on them. On the prior night’s ride, the horseman remained a good five horse lengths ahead at all times, and that was a gain from the night before. Tonight, Padraig’s horse closed that distance to only three lengths. If he could only reach ahead, Padraig might grab the rider’s cloak, pulling him from his nightmarish steed and freeing the soul. If he could return the soul to its body, perhaps Cormac might awaken.

He had two daughters waiting for him. His wife suffered beside him. If she followed him to the grave, their daughters would be alone. Orphaned. The youngest had only just married. The eldest girl only had her first child some two months ago. Now both hid inside their home, praying to not catch the curse which had their parents struck low. What a cruel fate. By the head healer’s orders, they couldn’t even visit their loved ones. All the sick gathered in the church.

Families fell like dominos. One falls and the rest come tumbling down. Their grief swallowed them. If Cormac’s soul vanished into the mound, his wife would surely soon follow. That was the dark truth of this beast. Its hunger never ended.

Dullahan! Padraig bellowed, swinging his sword above his head.

In the monster’s hand, where Padraig expected to see the legendary head, he saw a lantern instead. Riding high in his saddle, he pulled closer, hoping to cut a blow and free the spirit from the glowing flames inside the demon’s lantern. The wisps of the ghost wailed in the streets, twisting and flailing in the throes of death’s agony until the dark rider came down from the hills. All in black with silver stitching on his cloak, the headless horseman wore a collar of silver around the stub of its neck, but the paladin expected it did little to hide the gruesome sight of bone and muscle, sinew laid bare.

For a beast with no head, the horseman rode without even the slightest sign of difficulty. Faster than any horse, the nightmare which was his stead left sparks upon the ground with each clomp of its mighty hooves. When the steed whinied, the shrieking sound echoed across the moors. Every drop of blood in Padraig’s veins went cold. His own horse rebelled beneath him, trying to veer off course, but he held fast, reassuring the stallion.

Not much further, Padraig promised, though the reality stood grim. Faster, Hoshea. We’ve almost caught him.

Crossing the narrow strait between islands, Padraig came to Eire with hopes of a new life. His wizardry found only persecution, and his faith could not save him from the judgment which weighed the worth of his service poorly in comparison to the taint of magic. Mortals had won. They conquered and pushed the fae to Faerie. Fear of monsters — creatures like this dullahan — sent all the good ones into realms of their own making. The celestials who once held protection of realms retired to the last domain of the gods. No more blessings. No more sacred woods. No one to answer the call of men lost at sea or children dying due to failed crops. Mortals had won — but at what cost?