Page 18 of The Tides of March

Tony opened his eyes and his shoulders immediately drew in as he smothered a squeal. There were covered corpses on metal autopsy tables on either side of him. “Oh, fuck!” he whimpered and bit into a knuckle to keep from screaming. “You could have warned me that there would be more bodies. You know how freaked out I get about morgues and cemeteries!”

“You wanted to learn and help me make sense of this,” Nox pointed out. “I’m too scared to take you back to Julian Sherwood’s basement and I didn’t think you wanted to watch him die in prison.”

Tony shook his head. “No! Is he…?” His finger shook as he pointed at each of the corpses.

“Here,” Nox said as he went to the smaller one and drew back the sheet, revealing Julian’s face. “He came to his senses and he regrettedeverythingat the end,” he whispered, his voice a sorrowful rasp as he traced Julian’s cheek with his knuckle. “Your father has forgiven you and he still loves you.”

“Do you think Julian can hear you or see us?” Tony asked.

Nox shrugged. “We’ve found our way back here. Or to some version of the Hoover Building’s basement. It seems possible that Julian could as well. To me, at least,” he said and canted toward Tony. “I’ve heard rumors that the basement was haunted. What ifwe’rehaunting it right now?”

“No way!” Tony spun and searched around them for witnesses but they were alone. Except for the other corpse. “Who’s that?”

“Ol’ Colin MacCrory. But he’s not the one who haunts me,” Nox said as he eased the sheet back over Julian’s head. “Like you, he had been manipulated by Walt. But Julian was nursing a broken heart and Walt had twisted his love for Elsa into something so dark and vicious, Julian turned on his own father.”

“Poor Howard,” Tony said, making Nox sigh.

“A sweeter or more generous soul doesn’t exist,” he stated sadly.

“No. Howard’s the best. I’m glad you asked me to help out at the bookstore. He’s like the dad I never had.”

Nox’s smile was sincere as he turned, giving Tony’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “I’m glad. You’re a lot like the son he lost, from what Howard tells me. I didn’t know Julian before Walt got his hooks into him, but Howard says he was a gentle, sensitive soul.”

“Love can really do a number on you,” Tony said with a wince. “Especially when you give one-hundred percent of yourself and it still isn’t enough.”

“I’m really sorry about Aubrey,” Nox said, giving Tony’s arm another tender knead.

“Aubrey? Right!” Tony nodded. “I’m pretty much over that,” he said with a dismissive wave. Because he was. Thanks to Ronan.

“Are you sure? You’ve seemed…more down about her since you came back from Pooles Island.”

“Have I?” Tony asked cluelessly, then wrinkled his nose. “Could we…not discuss this…here?” he requested and Nox hissed apologetically.

“I might be stalling. This next part is the hardest and still hurts the worst.”

“We could skip it,” Tony suggested but Nox clicked his teeth.

“I can’t chicken out now. Not when you’ve been so brave.” He drew Tony to him and kissed his forehead. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Tony pushed out a steadying breath and shut his eyes. “Okay.” When he opened them, they were in Nox’s foyer. “We’re back? Is it over?” he asked Nox, then spun when he saw another Nox out of the corner of his eye in the study with Nelson.

“Welcome to my worst nightmare,” the Nox beside him said and gestured at the study.

“This?” Tony frowned as he noted that Nox was talking—yelling—at Merlin and Clancy while Nelson’s head hung. The study doors were open but Tony couldn’t hear what Nox was saying. “What happened? What did they do?”

“Go see,” Nox insisted. “I’ll wait over here.” He went to the stairs and sat, resting his forearms on his knees. “They won’t see you or hear you.”

“Okay.” But Tony didn’t feel okay as he approached the quarrel in the study and stepped over the threshold.

“Tell me again!”Nox roared, one hand twisting in his hair and the other clutching his robe as he rocked. “I need you to explain this so I understand becauseI can’t!” Tears spilled down his face and his eyes burned, bright red and huge as he stared at Nelson.

“Alright…” Nelson nodded and forced out a long, hard breath. “It was their job to protect your family—but mostly the heir—and they’ve beentryingto prepare you to meet the Dagda,” he began and Tony let out a loud, horrified gasp but no one in the room noticed as he clapped his hands over his mouth and shook his head, sickened and scared of what was coming next. Nelson shot Nox a pained, pleading look but continued. “Clancy allowed the cult to happen because he thought it would awaken the god in you and Merlin thought that if he…designed you to channel the Dagda and be strong enough, that you might have a chance of beating this. They’ve been working together in their shitty, dysfunctional way and agreed that my return and our attraction to each other was a sign. They’ve been pushing us together with the investigation and drugging my tea becauseI’myour connection to the Dagda and it’s my duty to bind you to him and protect that bond.”

Tony’s legs became too weak and he dropped to his knees, crying. He was stunned by Merlin and Clancy’s betrayal and heartbroken as he witnessed Nox’s utter devastation.

“How could you?”Nox bellowed as he pointed at Clancy. The walls shook as wind filled the room, swirling and sending pages and pens flying.“How could you? Those girls!”His voice thundered as Clancy was hurled back, into the bookshelves behind him.

That was more than Tony’s heart could take. He got to his feet and backed out of the study, grateful for the peace of the foyer once he’d cleared the threshold.

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