Page 17 of The Tides of March (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Sixteen

R onan thought he was dreaming again when Tony barged into the cottage. It had been memories of Tony and the magickal weeks they shared that had sustained Ronan when he was barely hanging on. And it was those memories that had given him the strength to fight every time the evening tide came in.

He should have been disappointed to see Tony, knowing what was said and the danger he’d put himself in by returning to Pooles Island. But damn it, he was like an angel and Ronan had never been so happy when he opened his eyes and saw Tony’s beautiful face again.

“Have ye been well?” Ronan asked when Tony sat on the bed next to him with a bowl of tomato soup. Tony cut him a hard look but was quiet as he raised the spoon to Ronan’s lips. “Ye look well,” he said cautiously, earning a dry snort from Tony.

“Looks aren’t worth shit.”

“Aye… I can tell yer still mad at me but I had to do it to protect ye,” Ronan explained quietly.

“I’m not mad at you,” Tony replied and the steadiness of his voice and his calm tone were concerning as he smiled and serenely served Ronan his soup.

“Yer not?” he asked nervously. He’d survived numerous duels with a kraken but Ronan was quaking as he awaited Tony’s wrath.

Tony shook his head, his smile stretching. “I understand now and I’m mad at myself—mostly—because I bought that steaming pile of bullshit when I knew better.”

“I was convincing and?—”

“I knew better,” Tony snapped, his voice shaking. “But my pride! You knew exactly which bait to put on that hook and boy, did I bite,” he said and Ronan nodded.

“I just wanted ye to be safe and happy.”

“Safe?” Tony squinted at the ceiling. “I didn’t feel that safe whenever I woke up in a cold sweat, my side on fire, and the sound of your screams echoing in my ears.”

“So ye did feel all of that,” Ronan said sheepishly. “I was hopin’ ye wouldn’ have noticed.”

“Ha!” Tony bit down on his lips and sniffed hard. “He was hoping I wouldn’t notice…” There was another long silence while Tony continued to calmly feed Ronan. “I knew you were dying and I told myself you’d brought it upon yourself.”

“Aye. I had,” Ronan agreed and there was a loud clatter as Tony dropped the spoon in the bowl and set it on the nightstand.

Tony rose to leave, then dropped back onto the mattress and leaned in until his nose was touching Ronan’s. “You might not have a problem betraying the man you love but I’d die before I lied and said I was over you. Nothing could have brought those words out of me but I believed your lies and let them poison my heart so I could abandon you.”

“But ye didn’ abandon me. I made ye go,” Ronan argued but Tony shook his head.

“I should have known better. But I wasn’t doing well at all and I sure as hell wasn’t happy, so what was the point, Ronan?”

“I dunno. Yer alive and that was all I cared about.”

That earned a belligerent chuckle. “Barely. Whatever was going on with you almost killed me,” Tony muttered as he reached for the buttons on Ronan’s pea coat.

“Leave it be. I’m already feelin’ better,” he said, blocking Tony and getting a swift slap on the hand.

“Don’t you dare tell me to leave it be after you spent weeks nursing my ‘lazy ass’ back to health.”

“Yer not gonna let that one go, are ye?”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” Tony said and shoved hard against Ronan’s chest so he’d sit back and be still.

“It’s nothin’ worth worryin’ over,” Ronan said as the coat was opened and Tony lifted his shirt, exposing the raw gash in his side.

“Nothing?” Tony said loudly as he turned. “Arawn, would you take a look at this?”

A handsome lad with an ancient, canine soul stepped around Tony and offered Ronan a friendly wave. “I’m also a doctor,” he informed Ronan, as if he’d read his thoughts.

Ronan chuckled softly, nodding as he relaxed. “Yer more hound than human so I already trust ye.”

“And here I was, expecting you to be irrational and difficult,” Arawn murmured while he inspected the wound. “That does look nasty,” he said, pressing his hand to the skin below the slice. He smiled at Tony. “But it’s healing quickly.”

Merlin leaned in for a closer look and hummed in approval. “He should be fine by morning, now that his mate has returned.”

“If the kraken hasn’t killed us all,” Ronan countered as he fixed his shirt and closed his coat. He glanced at the window just as the last traces of the sun were blotted out by the oncoming storm. The sky turned an inky, murky navy blue and Ronan closed his eyes and listened, waiting for a distant shriek. He heard it, calling over the crashing of the waves and shuddered. “It’s comin’ and it won’ be long. It knows yer here,” he said to Nox.

He nodded, no longer cocky and smirking. “Can you show me where the most dangerous parts of the island are? I can draw it inland and away from the dock while you all make a getaway with the dogs,” he suggested but Ronan shook his head, laughing.

“I’d much rather die than let a kraken run me off me own island. Yer barkin’ if ye think it’s gonna notice a few claymores and grenades. I took one of its tentacles and the fucker grew back by the time I saw it again.”

Nox shrugged. “All I care about is slowing it down until you’re all clear of the island. I just need to get my hands on him and then he’ll see the light.”

“Is that all?” Ronan laughed at him. “Yer a baby as far as gods go, but ye already think ye can take a kraken. Good luck, lad,” he said as he tossed a hand at Nox.

“Well…” Nox scrubbed his hair, cringing. “I didn’t say it would be easy but I figured I had the best shot. What would you suggest?”

“Hmm…” Ronan considered the various beings assembled in his cottage. “Yer hellhounds are just about useless unless ye can push it into the spirit world. But a kraken can’t pass between realms like a hellhound or a demigod, so ye have no choice but to fight it here. I assume there’s more to ye, when yer in a fight,” he said to the twins and they both nodded.

“We bite and we’ve got claws,” Bryn boasted, making Ronan chuckle.

“I should hope so. What about on this side? Can ye use yer claws and scary fangs here?” he asked and Bryn’s face fell.

“No… We can get…larger and we’re damn near unbreakable,” he said with a shrug. “If anything, we can wear him out so Nox can finish him off.”

“Aye, that might be yer best bet and how I’d go about it,” Ronan said and raised a brow at Merlin. “What are ye good fer? It’s not gonna drink any of yer potions or yer poisons,” he said, making the wee wizard hop and bristle.

“Is that the thanks I get for coming all this way? I’ll remind you, that of all the beings in this room, I am the only one who could drop a kraken—or a merrow—with a potion. And I can cast spells and help all manner of beings heal faster,” he added with a tilt of his nose.

“Maybe…” Ronan agreed. He pointed at the exquisite little creature by the fire, giggling as his face and ears were licked by four of Ronan’s largest dogs. “Why’d ye bring a changeling, though? Ye think a muse can charm it to death?”

This time, Merlin laughed and clicked his teeth at Ronan. “Underestimate our sweet Everly at your own peril. He’s the one who put an end to Hugh Dùbhghlas’s undead monstrosity and unlike a kraken or a merrow, Everly can pass between realms at will.”

“Did he?” Ronan was indeed impressed and eyed the beautiful waif with awe. “How’d he figure out how to do all of that? No offense, but he doesn’t seem like the brightest bulb in the box.”

Bryn crossed his arms over his chest, his shoulders swelling as he grew taller and loomed over the bed. “Offense taken, you ungrateful fuck. Ev’s been worried sick about you and he didn’t hesitate when he heard we were on our way here to help.”

“It’s okay!” Everly said from his spot by the fire. “I’m not very smart and I was surprised too when I found out I could do all that stuff,” he said and shrugged.

“Aww! Bless yer heart.” Ronan felt like an ogre. “I take it back, then. Ye can stay,” he said with a fond chuckle. “A truly smart man knows there’s always more to learn.” Ronan bowed his head at Bryn. “My apologies.”

“Accepted,” he said flatly and went to sit with Everly.

Tony groned as he rubbed a temple. “We’re going to have a talk about alienating our friends later too.”

“Don’ remember sayin’ I wanted friends,” Ronan muttered, then ducked when Tony pointed threateningly. “Sorry.”

A delighted gasp burst from Nox. “Well done, Tony! And you said you weren’t magick,” he said with a playful wink. “You cast a spell on Ronan and gave him manners.”

Ronan was about to mock him but the roar of the kraken stilled his tongue. He reached for Tony’s hand, afraid their hours together were numbered. “Get to the lighthouse with Bixby. It’s the safest place on the island fer the two of ye.”

“No thanks,” Bixby said. “I’ll stay and fight with my husband and my family.”

Tony’s hand tightened around Ronan’s. “I didn’t come all this way to hide in a lighthouse with a ghost.”

“Very well…” Ronan sighed heavily as he looked around. “Then ye best get ready. I figure ye’ve got about an hour before the blue bastard makes landfall.”