Page 10 of The Tides of March (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Nine

H e was back on Pooles Island but Tony could tell that something wasn’t right as he climbed over the last dune and up the footpath. Tony let himself in, but the cottage was empty—no trace of Ronan or the dogs. When Tony stepped back out onto the stoop, a great, tentacled monster breached the waves, screaming like a banshee as it approached the shore.

“Ronan!” Tony’s eyes snapped open and he muffled an anguished sob as heat and pain exploded in his side. “You motherfucker!” he gasped, writhing under the duvet. “Whatever you’re doing, knock it off and leave me alone!”

Eventually, the pain subsided and Tony was able to fall back asleep. He awoke cranky and groggy, rueing Ronan for yet another miserable night. Tony had a similar nightmare almost every night after being evicted from Pooles, but last night had been the worst in weeks. The dread and the pain had almost convinced Tony to ask for a ride to the ER.

He should have said something to Nox and Nelson over breakfast, but Tony was too tired to answer questions about mating with a merrow. They wouldn’t have judged him, knowing Nox and Nelson. Tony just felt like a loser and often like he was a third wheel around the perfectly matched and blissfully happy couple, having been dumped by Aubrey and Ronan. After the questions, there would be more pity and Tony would rather run naked into traffic than deal with that.

Thankfully, there were papers to be graded and the townhouse was buzzing with activity, everyone was preparing for Bryn and Everly’s wedding the following Friday. Tony was honored to have been invited to the very small and private affair at the couple’s new home and had begged to be put to work.

“Did you know I will be officiating?” Merlin asked Tony while helping himself to the whiskey in the study.

“I did know but congratulations,” Tony said with a soft laugh.

It must have been the tenth time the older man had mentioned it over the course of the last week, Merlin was so excited to have been asked. “Stopped by to borrow all of Nox’s rose quartz for the ceremony next weekend. I want to shower the yard in rose petals and rose quartz since it’s Everly’s favorite crystal and perfect for the occasion. Mercury will bow to Venus and a pink star will shine upon us!”

“I’ll mind my head,” Tony teased, making Merlin titter.

“I’ll do so before the guests arrive and make sure to avoid leaving any where they might get stepped on.”

“What’s that?” Nox asked as he joined them, heading around his desk to his chair.

“We were just discussing Bryn and Everly’s wedding and how I’ll be officiating,” Merlin informed him and Nox and Tony shared amused grins. The doorbell rang and Merlin gestured for Nox to remain seated. “I’ll get that.”

“You feeling okay, T? You seem a little drained,” Nox said but Tony shrugged it off.

“Had a little trouble sleeping but it’s nothing serious.”

Nox frowned, studying Tony. “Are you sure? I’m here if you ever need an ear.”

“I know. I’m fine,” Tony said, turning when they heard Merlin’s delighted greeting. Both Nox and Tony were surprised when Howard was shown into the study.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the bookstore?” Nox asked as he hopped up and hurried to shake Howard’s hand and kiss his cheek.

“I have Everly and Bryn to mind the store when I need to run errands now, thanks to you,” he said, patting Nox’s cheek and looking around the study. “And I have been curious to see what this place is like.”

“Really? It’s just my study but have a look and make yourself at home,” Nox insisted with a wave around him.

Howard shook his head. “Just his study!” he whispered to Tony. “Not many witches of his caliber and pedigree left these days,” he said and Merlin frowned.

“You’ve visited my home plenty of times,” he noted but Howard waved him off.

“Yes, yes, but you aren’t of his caliber,” he replied, causing Merlin to gasp and splutter.

“I taught him everything he knows!”

Howard made a knowing sound as he nodded. “It’s like that awful, old saying, ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’”

“I can so!” Merlin countered, then gestured dismissively. “What brings you all this way, or did you simply come to malign my talents?”

“Oh, stop being so touchy!” Howard told him, smiling at Nox and Tony. “I did have a reason… Two , even!” he said, holding up two fingers. “I rode the bus into Georgetown to pick up their wedding gift and because I received a very strange and concerning report about some…developments at Tor Mór.”

“At Tor Mór?” Merlin and Nox echoed, causing Tony and Nelson to trade baffled looks.

“What’s Tor Mór? Why do I know that name?” Tony asked them.

“Allow me!” Merlin insisted, his little hands waving excitedly as he hurried to retrieve the proper book from the shelves. He dropped it on the desk and quickly flipped to the desired page, then pointed at a speck on a map, just off of Ireland’s northwest coast. “This is Tor Mór! Said to be the resting place of Balor,” he added and Tony slapped himself on the forehead.

“Oh…! Right!” He turned to Nelson, excited. “Balor was one of the last great Fomorian warrior kings. He was defeated by his grandson, Lugh, at the Battle of Mag Tuired. His remains were said to be in an undisclosed cave on Tor Mór, hidden for all of eternity.”

“Not for all of eternity, it seems,” Howard said, widening his eyes at Merlin. “Someone may have discovered it and opened it. Several months ago, the locals found what looked like a rockslide on the side of one of the cliffs, and a new cave .”

Nox’s neck craned as he frowned. “A new cave? I didn’t hear anything about that or any notable Celtic or pagan artifacts being found recently,” he said and Howard rolled his eyes.

“You wouldn’t have because some local numpty described them as Viking remains. But I had a few friends investigate and they called me last night. They’re certain the drawings and artifacts are much older than that and predate the Romans, even the great flood.”

“Shut the front door!” Nox whispered excitedly. Both Howard and Merlin turned to check the door, then raised confused brows at Nox, making him laugh and wave it off. “It’s a thing the kids say. Did they find anything else?”

Howard nodded. “Yes! There are some ancient remains and they don’t appear to have been disturbed, but a sacrifice was made,” he said heavily.

“What kind of sacrifice?” Nelson asked, his tone wary.

“It’s worse than you think,” Howard said as he looked around the room. “An adult male seal and the head of a young man. A young Roman, coincidentally.”

“A Roman?” Tony croaked. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing.

“Yes,” Howard confirmed. “My sources tell me his body was found just a few miles down the coast. He was on leave and visiting a parish in Galway. But from what I understand, the poor dear was a seminarian and a guide at the Vatican and still lived with his parents in Rome.”

There was a worried groan from Nox. “Gods, what are the chances he wasn’t a virgin?”

“Why?” Tony asked. “Do you think Balor might be back and about to rampage all over Ireland?”

Nox’s nose wrinkled as he shook his head while Merlin made a dubious sound. “Not likely, lad. But if I wanted to raise a Fomorian kraken, I’d appeal to Balor,” he said and Tony held up his hands.

“Alright… Same thing. Wouldn’t we know if it had worked and a kraken was terrorizing Ireland?”

Merlin made a worried sound. “Not if it’s being fed and if it’s been summoned elsewhere,” he said and Nox nodded.

“From what I understand, a kraken isn’t necessarily a mindless thing that rampages once it’s let loose. They can be, if they’re not handled and fed properly.”

They heard a soft cough as Nelson raised his hand. “What do krakens eat?” he asked and glanced at the rolling board with the victims’ names.

“Lots of things,” Nox said, then winced. “But they’re particularly fond of virgins. Obviously.”

“What are the odds that all of them were virgins?” Nelson asked but Nox snorted.

“Come on! All four of them? In this day and age?” He laughed and threw a hand at Nelson. “I bet you couldn’t find four men over the age of twenty who were still virgins if you searched the entire state.”

“Someone might have,” Nelson said as he wagged his finger at the board.

“Maybe…” Nox said, sounding dubious and squinting at the map and the dots along Chesapeake Bay. “Ronan would have called one of us if he saw something out of the ordinary, especially if it was a kraken.”

Tony shook his head “I’m not so sure. Not if he could handle it himself,” he said and a laugh burst from Merlin.

“Handle a kraken? Himself? What do you think Ronan is?”

That earned a chuckle from Nox. “Ronan’s as surly and stubborn as they come, and he’ll sink a boat before he lets it come ashore on Pooles Island. But a merrow is no match for a kraken.”

“He told me he’s practically indestructible,” Tony said, shaking his head. “He fought something nasty the night before I came back and managed to send it packing.”

“What did he fight?” Nox asked but Tony shrugged.

“Ronan didn’t want to say, but he didn’t seem that worried about it. If anything, he was more bothered by my presence and was in a bigger rush to get rid of me.”

“That does sound like Ronan…” Nox said, sounding unsure as he turned to Howard. “Let’s check on him.”

“He’s terrible about answering his phone but he stops in at Bowleys Marina once a month. I was already planning to send some books his way. I’ll ask Bryn to run a care package over when I get back and ask if anyone’s spotted Ronan or his boat recently and if they’ve seen anything unusual.”

“Good thinking,” Merlin said distractedly, chewing on his pinky nail as he studied the calendar.

“What is it?” Nox asked him and the little man jumped and gave himself a shake.

“Mercury is approaching retrograde and will be at its most visible next weekend,” he said and Nox nodded.

“There will be a pink star and it’s said to be an omen of good communication and intellect. That’s why we’re having the wedding next weekend. Everly’s favorite color is pink and he said he needed all the help he could get when it came to communicating and intellect.”

Merlin hummed and nodded. “All very good reasons and I’m certain their union is blessed. But the tide will be higher and the seas will be wilder next Friday evening due to Mercury’s pull,” he predicted, looking even more pensive. “The following Saturday is the Ides of March.”

“As in Julius Caesar’s Ides of March?” Tony verified and Merlin cast Nox a worried glance.

“The date had far more significance to the Romans than that!” Merlin said heavily. “‘Ides’ from the Latin ‘iduare’, meaning to divide because by their calculations, full moons often fall in the middle of the month. The Romans honored Jupiter during the full moon on the ides and March’s ides was the first full moon of the year and was a notable day for settling debts .”

“That is…concerning,” Nox agreed. “Let’s get word to Pooles Island and make sure Ronan’s alright,” he said, glancing at Tony. “You don’t want to give it a shot, do you? Ronan’s more used to your face and your voice. He might answer and be more cooperative if he knows it’s you.”

Tony laughed and shook his head. “Doubt it and I wouldn’t piss on that lousy asshole if he was on fire,” he stated with a firm nod.

“Alright…” Nox traded grimaces with Nelson and Merlin. “Bryn can check on Ronan,” he decided.

Deep down, Tony knew he’d regret the decision. There was an anxious tickle in his gut, warning that the strange deaths and the vandalism at Tor Mór were somehow connected to Pooles Island.

“Don’t even think about comin’ back. Move on with yer life, lad, and forget about me. Better yet, do us both a favor and stay the fuck away from Chesapeake Bay.”

Ronan’s last words didn’t just haunt Tony, they were a fresh slap in the face every time he recalled that awful morning. Now, Tony wondered if that had been the point and if he’d been too quick to accept being ejected from the island without more of an explanation. He thought about the ominous dreams he’d had and decided it was time to tell Nox.

“Hey, Nox. I—” Tony started, then covered his ears and swore when he heard a loud, high screeching.

“What is it?” Nox asked as he hurried over but Tony was blinded by bright, white light and he heard seagulls and waves crashing before he could make out the shape of a giant man with massive tentacles for arms. Tony was on a beach and he was hurling a spear before the entire vision was swept away by a wave and more bright light. “What’s wrong, T? Talk to me!” Nox gave Tony a hard shake.

“I saw…” Tony blinked and took a deep breath. “I keep having these strange dreams about Pooles Island and I just saw…something. It might have been a kraken but it was probably my imagination,” he said with a dazed shrug.

“Maybe…” Nox said but he looked concerned. “I want you to lay down and I want to have a talk about these dreams.”

Tony shook his head but allowed Nox and Nelson to guide him to the sofa. “No! I’m fine and we have too much going on with the investigation and the wedding.”

“I don’t know…” Nox frowned as he studied Tony. “This might have something to do with the investigation.”

“How?” Tony laughed. “What could I possibly know that could help? I might have seen a kraken and I was throwing a spear?” He held up his hands. “What good is that?”

The room was quiet and no one seemed to have any ideas until Nelson said “I guess it depends on whether you missed or not.”