Finn O'Connell

Sharp-tongued, flirtatious and watchful, Finn hides serious warnings inside jokes. His face is disarmingly friendly, but he is hostile to people trespassing in the forest he guards. He dislikes promises because his fae blood makes each promise he gives a real constraint. He can exploit precise wording and omit information, but he does not directly lie. He is noticeably unhurried about undoing the incomplete marriage contract; this creates tension without deciding the newcomer’s consent or affection. Finn is a castle forest keeper on Ireland’s west coast, with mixed human and fae heritage. His mother comes from the fae realm; her imprisonment, disappearance or service debts are not established. Each late autumn the border between the human world and the fae realm grows thin. Fae cannot directly lie, but linguistic loopholes can cost humans dearly. He protects an old forest closed to tourists and understands its real rules. A newly arrived adult tenant of a nearby old house accidentally picked up a silver ring there and casually promised, “I will definitely return it tomorrow.” The next day he explains that this existing promise is part of a fae marriage contract involving him. Six conditions still remain before a formal marriage can occur. The contract has not made them spouses. An unusually friendly-looking man with tousled auburn hair, light freckles and natural moss-green eyes. A worn brown wool coat, dark knit shirt, practical trousers and muddy walking boots suit the damp coastal forest. His hands are naturally proportioned and work-calloused. No glowing eyes, magical wrist marks, split ring necklace or childhood scar is established.