Page 10 of The Tides of March

He was a voracious reader—mostly classics, poetry, and history books—but Ronan was grateful for a way to keep Tony entertained and quiet. His nonstop questions could make Ronan weary, he wasn’t used to so much talking. But Ronan cast a nervous look at the loft as he considered the shelves. That was where he did most of his paintings and Tony had yet to ask what was up there.

“Think I can go outside later?” Tony asked from the bed, staring longingly out the window.

Ronan shrugged, turning to check the view. “Dunno. It’s a bit brisk out there for ye this mornin’, but I’ll carry ye out if the sun should show itself today.”

“Thanks!” Tony replied, cheerful again as he smoothed the covers over his lap.

The cottage was cramped and dark so Ronan carried Tony outside whenever the weather cleared, because there was no better medicine for a sick human than sunshine and fresh air. Tony was delightfully easy to please and could happily sit for hours on a blanket in the sun with a book and a few dogs at his side, much to Ronan’s surprise. He had never had to nurse a human back to health, but Ronan had expected the experience to be far more inconvenient and irritating.

Most humans were an inconvenience when they arrived on Ronan’s island and were endlessly irritating. They were often arrogant, assuming they were the most important species and that they were welcome wherever they went. Even Winston tended to forget the tenuousness of her welcome and occasionally arrived without a dog offering.

Ronan recalled the “offering” he had discovered on his walk and stifled a shudder. He told himself it was a bizarre prank or ritual as he buried the seal, and that it had nothing to do with him. It had to be a coincidence that it was a seal. Only a very small handful of souls knew what Ronan was or that there was a merrow inhabiting Pooles Island.

Buthowit arrived without his knowledge troubled Ronan the most. Was it connected to the monstrous child that had attacked him, as Ronan’s instincts warned? That, too, had appeared suddenly and without warning. Or, had Ronan been so distracted by his new guest that he hadn’t noticed that a boat had landed? Both options were troubling and Ronan wondered if all three events were connected—the evil child entity, Tony’s arrival, and the dead seal—and if there would be consequences.

“Actually, it might be best if we stayed inside today. Looks like the weather will only get worse,” he said, selecting a plant guide and a collection of nature poems. If he couldn’t take Tony outside, he could at least bring naturetoTony.

“Nice!” Tony said when he was handed the books. He opened the plant guide to the index and his lips twisted as he searched. “Maybe there’s a recipe in here for undoing a merrow’s enchantment.” He winked at Ronan, making his stomach tickle like it was full of flies.

Ronan blinked back at Tony, waiting for the sensation and the urge to giggle to pass. “I told ye, there ain’t no potion or spell for it. The enchantment’s been broken and it’ll wear off with time,” he predicted.

That was Ronan’s best guess, if he was being honest. His mother had spoken about ensnaring human men and Ronan had read several accounts, but all had been a little hazy when it came to theliftingof enchantments.

“Not that I’m in a hurry to go back,” Tony confided as his smile and his mood faded. He looked toward the window again and a sad sigh wafted from him.

“Why not?”

Tony shook his head faintly, distant as he stared. “What’s there to go back to? It looks like everyone I loved has been lying to me and I don’t think I’m missed. In fact, my students and the school are probably glad that Nox is covering my classes. I’ll never be half the speaker he is.”

“Aye, he’s a pretty slick speaker, that one,” Ronan recalled and rolled his eyes. “Why’d ye care about the rest of ‘em, if that’s what ye love to do?” He didn’t know much about anthropology or universities, but Ronan thought Lennox MacIlwraith was a slick shit and too cocky for his own good. And he thought that Tony was just as clever and learned enough to teach whateverthe university wanted the kids to know. “Other people’s lies aren’t yer burden either, lad.”

“Normally, I’d agree, but it’s hard not to question everything I know about myself when a lot of those lies were about me.”

“Still not yer problem as far I can tell,” Ronan replied with a shrug. “If ye worked hard to get there and that’s where yer heart’s at, why’d ye care?”

“Not sure my heart’s still there,” Tony confided in a whisper, wincing at Ronan. “I’ve always loved history and learning and I felt drawn to Nox when I was a student. Ithoughtit was fate telling me to be an anthropology professor, but it was this other thing that really didn’t have anything to do with me. It was Nox and my secret Epona ancestors drawing us together,” he said as he held up his hands cluelessly.

“Possibly…” Ronan conceded. “That don’ mean that fate didn’ want ye to be a professor too,” he suggested, making Tony smile.

“I think I’d be a lot better at it, if that was the case. But I still can’t get past the fact that my mom might have known too and didn’t tell me. She’s always been my best friend and we tell each other everything.”

Ronan made a thoughtful sound. “Has it ever occurred to ye that there were more important reasons not to?”

“Um…” Tony’s head cocked and his brow furrowed. “My mom might have lied to me about my own identity and one of my best friends was hiding that he was a murderer and the other is a demigod. That’s not the kind of shit you hide from people you care about.”

“Aye, I might, if I had a good reason,” Ronan countered. “And I might not want to know about the murderin’.”

Tony nodded quickly. “You would if you were being manipulated and unwittingly aided in said murdering,” he argued but Ronan gave him a flat look.

“Why do I get the feelin’ yer blamin’ yerself for a lot of things that were out of yer control?”

“That’s a distinct possibility,” Tony said sheepishly, unleashing another pesky smile that would pester Ronan for the rest of the afternoon. “And another reason why I’m not in a hurry to go back. I was blind to a lot of things and easily manipulated. I’m not sure if that’s a good enough excuse or if it means I need to grow up and harden my heart so I can’t be used and hurt so easily.”

“There ain’t nothin’ wrong with yer heart and the sooner ye figure that out, the better,” Ronan told him, shaking his head. “This ain’t a resort and I don’ actually enjoy playin’ nurse,” he lied as he went back to his chair. He stretched and crossed his legs, groaning as he rested his chin on his chest. “Miss sleepin’ in me own bed too. This ol’ body isn’t as forgivin’ as it used to be.”

“We could switch! I wouldn’t mind and I feel terrible, kicking you out of your own bed,” Tony said but Ronan waved it off.

“I’ll be fine and all that matters is ye get yer rest or I’ll never be rid of ye.”

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