Page 19 of The Tides of March

“I would have incinerated the whole house and everyone in it, if Nelson hadn’t stopped me,” Nox murmured from the stairs, his head in his hands as he studied his feet.

“How could they do it?” Tony whispered, utterly lost as he went to Nox and joined him on the steps.

“I don’t know. Love?” Nox guessed but held up his hands, his eyes were puddled with tears as he offered Tony a wobbly smile. “They sacrificed my dad to save me and set that whole awful chain of events in motion. We were able to save the other girls and Walt will know nothing but blinding light and bees for the rest of his days. I won and survived the transition but I still can’t make sense of it and the abiding emotion is still…grief.” He pressed a hand against his sternum, considering, then nodded. “Yup. All I feel is grief and so much confusion when I think about all that has happened. How do I put that into words and explain what’s been lost when I can barely face it?”

“I understand now,” Tony said shakily, ashamed at himself for being so selfish when Nox had faced unimaginable horrors and had been betrayed by the people he loved most in the world. “I’m sorry I made it about me, when you were dealing with all of that.”

“Don’t be!” Nox cupped Tony’s cheek and pinned his gaze. “I’msorry if I made you feel like you didn’t matter or couldn’t be trusted. Sometimes, you wereallthat mattered and there were days when you and Nelson were the only people I trusted. I thought I could protect you and keep things between us from changing, but I put you in danger. Twice. I’m sorry for that too,” he said and pulled Tony into a tight hug. “But from now on, no more secrets.”

“It’s cool!” Tony laughed as they held onto each other. He thought about telling Nox about all that had happened between him and Ronan. But that wasn’t as much as a secret, just over, so he didn’t see the point. And Tony really didn’t want more of Nox’s sympathy after his remark about Aubrey. They had better things to do than dwell on his pathetic love life. “No more secrets. I’m ready to move on and I’d like to help you find whatever it is that’s killing these kids and kick its ass.”

That chased the haunted look from Nox’s eyes and brought a smile to his face. “Now, you’re talking!”

Eight

It was said that desperate times called for desperate measures. But Ronan wasn’t sure who was more desperate: him or Tony. And Ronan wasn’t sure what he was most desperate for: a cure for Tony or the remedy. They had tried everything else to heal Tony since the attack and his arrival on Pooles Island and this was the last resort’s last resort.

IfRonan could muster the courage to face Tony and tell him.

“Oh! Wine with dinner? What’s the occasion?” Tony had said when Ronan set the tray on his lap.

“Thought it might make it more pleasant is all,” Ronan muttered.

“Make what more pleasant?” Tony asked but Ronan stomped off and gulped down a glass for courage.

After dinner, Ronan played one of the Dean Martin records Tony liked and dragged the tub in front of the fireplace. Ronan moved his chair and pipe by the window where it was cooler and to give Tony some privacy, but every splash and drip gave him goosebumps and made him more anxious.

When Tony was done bathing and soaking, Ronan grit his teeth and helped him into bed. Instead of refilling the tub so itwas fresh and cold, Ronan undressed and lowered into Tony’s tepid water, ignoring his discomfort.

“Are we out of water?” Tony asked cheekily, glancing over his book and raising a questioning brow.

“This’ll do fine. Ye don’ get that dirty, layin’ there and practicin’ bein’ beautiful,” Ronan replied as he lathered his cloth with soap.

He went to work, scrubbing his arms before Tony noticed the goosebumps or that the hairs were standing. The water was still too warm but Ronan shivered at the thought of bathing himself in Tony. He’d thought about drinking the water after Tony got out and had a good chuckle imagining the reaction that would get.

But Ronan felt bolder and a bit naughty as he bathed, especially when he caught Tony stealing glances. He prayed that Tony likedsomethingas he stood and slowly dried, then stepped out. Ronan usually dressed after he bathed, preferring to sleep in an undershirt and dungarees for his own modesty’s sake. Instead, he donned a nightshirt and retrieved an old tub of Vaseline from under the sink.

“There’s somethin’ else we can try, but yer probably not gonna wanna,” Ronan mumbled, setting the tub on Tony’s lap.

He sat up straighter and frowned at the Vaseline, then at Ronan. “What do I do, eat it? Can I get some crackers or do I have to use my fingers like it’s peanut butter?” Tony curled two fingers and made a scooping motion as he picked up the tub and inspected it.

Ronan’s face burned beneath his beard as he scowled down at Tony. “No, ye don’ eat it, ye—!” He scrubbed his face, muffling a frustrated whimper. He thought about putting his head under the faucet to cool it. “It’s…fer our backsides…if ye wanna try…it…to undo what’s left of the enchantment,” he explained in an awkward rush and offered Tony a pained grimace.

“Oh!” Tony drew back, blinking. “You think sex will work?” he asked and Ronan nodded quickly, his gaze darting around the cottage.

“That’s what the legends and me mam said. Only the merrow that sang the spell can release its captive and I’ve done everything else a merrow would do but that.”

“But you didn’t enchant me, technically,” Tony argued. “That zombie kid did it,” he said, earning a dry snort from Ronan.

“Then, ye’d be free because he’s dead now, isn’ he? He used my magick that he stole from me to bind ye, right? None of MacIlwraith’s or Oglethorpe’s magick worked so by my logic, I’m the one that would have to do it,” he explained.

“With sex?” Tony clarified and there was a growled swear as Ronan swung away and paced towards the fireplace.

“Nothin’ else I’ve done has worked,” he said, then tossed a hand at the bed.

There were no spells or potions to break a merrow’s enchantment but Ronan had prepared every tonic and restorative recipe he knew. His mother had said that it was up to the merrow to decide it was done with its victim, that there was no joy left to be had there. For the most part, Ronan was done with Tony and knew that sendin’ him back was for the best. But there was stillsomejoy to be had between them, and Ronan could think of little else around Tony. “Told ye, ye wouldn’ wanna do it.”

“No! I do!” Tony nodded quickly. “I have been curious about it since I first woke up and I’ve had some really wild dreams about us lately,” he admitted, causing Ronan to spin back around.

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