Page 43 of The Tides of March

Tony had only brought the one harpoon so he waited, sweating and chest heaving. The twins, Nox, and Fletcher had moved up the beach with the kraken but were no longer attacking, seemingly waiting for Tony to make his move. Tony held onto the rail and the harpoon until the kraken was about forty meters away and he could clearly make out its flaming red eye.

“Please work!” He hurled the harpoon as hard and as straight as he could and Tony held his breath as it soared. Tony begged all the gods and goddesses, praying that his visions were true because everyone’s fate was resting on that throw. If they couldn’t stop the kraken there, on Pooles Island, there was no telling what havoc it would wreak later.

The harpoon hit its target, piercing the kraken’s eye. Another deafening roar came from the beast as it staggered backwards, tentacles flailing. It crashed back into the sea, creating an enormous splash but time stopped on the beach and everyone was silent as they watched to see if the kraken would rise again. The beast remained still so Nox aimed and hit it with another fireball but nothing happened.

“It worked!” Merlin waved excitedly up at Tony. “You brilliant boy! It worked!”

“It worked,” Tony whispered but held onto the rail as his legs gave out. He collapsed onto his knees, laughing in disbelief and immense relief. “It worked!”

There were more cheers and whistles from the beach as Nox, Fletcher, Everly, and the twins celebrated. They kicked sand and water at the beast, chanting Tony’s name. Eventually, Tony was able to make his way down the stairs but it was a much slower trip. He was still shaken and overwhelmed, yet stopped and searched around the inside of the lighthouse for any sign of his helper.

“Thank you, Elijah,” he said, then locked the door behind him.

Nox was waiting and tackled Tony, laughing. “That was incredible! I can’t believe it worked but it was incredible!”

“An anthropology professor would remember!” Merlin said as he wagged a finger at Nox. “Balor was felled when Lugh shot him through the eye with a spear.”

“I didn’t forget!” Nox said, then flashed Tony a guilty wince. “I might have forgotten but let’s go and let Ronan know it’s over and you saved the day.”

“Me?” Tony waved it off. “We all did it and I wouldn’t have remembered if you hadn’t shot it in the eye first.”

Regardless, Tony was lifted and they all cheered his name as he was carried back to the cottage.

Eighteen

“They’re still alive, then,” Ronan noted as he heard cheering and an idiot’s chorus singing Tony’s praises. He smiled and thanked the gods, then buttoned it up before the cottage’s front door was thrown open.

“Behold: the champion of Chesapeake Bay!” Nox declared as Tony was carried inside and set down by the bed. He received congratulatory nudges and claps on the back but Tony protested and waved everyone off.

“It was a team effort,” he said, earning several grumbled arguments from Fletcher and the twins.

Nox threw an arm around Tony’s neck. “You should have seen him, Ronan. He was amazing! We were on the ropes until Tony climbed up to the top of the lighthouse and zinged a harpoon right at the kraken. It was just like the old stories!”

“Did he now?” Ronan chuckled softly. “No offense but I already knew he was worth more than the rest of ye.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Tony said but his eyes glittered as they held Ronan’s, making the cottage feel way too crowded.

“Suppose the rest of ye can take off, if the matter’s been settled,” Ronan suggested and Tony scolded him for being rude.

“We wouldn’t have lasted the night without our friends,” he said, then remembered who else had helped. “Could a hellhound free a ghost?” Tony asked Bryn and glanced hopefully at Arawn. He explained about the Williams brothers and Arawn said he’d swim out and see if he could find James while Bryn went to the lighthouse to investigate. They warned that there might not be any trace of James and it was up to Elijah, if he was ready to let go.

Thankfully, Arawn returned just a moment later and reported that he’d found the ghost of a very young man clinging to a piece of wreckage in the bay. And Bryn was right behind him, happy to report that Elijah was no longer in the lighthouse. Elijah was able to move on and rest now that his brother had been found.

“Really? That was fast!” Tony noted, making Arawn chuckle.

“Time practically stops on the other side. What feels like a blink over here is like hours in the spirit realm.”

With that last bit of business concluded, Nox and his crew took the hint and shoved off, leaving Tony behind. “How are you feeling?” Tony asked as he curled up next to Ronan.

“Almost like me miserable old self.”

“Good.”

“And how do ye feel?”

Tony pushed out a loud breath, shaking his head. “Elated. Exhausted. Happy to be home,” he said, surprising Ronan and bringing tears to his eyes.

“Is this yer home now, then?”

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