Ronan rode a black stallion named Zenith and Cindy had been given a smaller dappled gray mare that James called Iris. She was sure she’d be sore tomorrow but it was worth it.
The path opened onto the beach and they moved toward the water. Cindy could feel her mare’s excited energy and it inspired the same feeling in her so she leaned forward in the saddle to pat Iris on the neck. All at once, a strange feeling came over her. She saw herself as she’d been in the dream she’d had two nights ago. Golden hair trailed down her back and she wore a gown of silvery blue that blended with the mare’s coat, like horse and rider had been made for each other. This time, she gave herself over to the vision.
“All right girl,” she whispered to Iris and tapped her heels into the mare’s haunches. That was all the encouragement the horse needed to spring forward into a gallop past Ronan and Zenith. Cindy laughed, glancing over her shoulder as he sat stunned at the sight of her racing ahead. He gathered his wits soon enough though, and urged Zenith forward to give chase.
She veered left with Iris once they hit the water and picked up speed, splashing through the foamy surf. The mare’s exhilaration was contagious and Cindy reveled in the feel of freedom. She’d never been so at ease riding before but something had come over her and it was as if she just knew what to do, like she was remembering. Remembering what though? The horse, the ride, the place? She couldn’t piece it all together enough to make sense of what felt like recollections but couldn’t be.
Ronan and his stallion gained on them and she pushed Iris forward, laughing into the wind. Her spirit melded with the horse’s as they pounded across wet sand. Small white flickers sped through her vision like fireflies. She raced through the tiny balls of light as they blurred, fading into the sunlight and the gleam of the water. A sensation of strength came over her, rushing through the blood in her veins as if some fire had been lit within her.
Foreign words like the ones spoken in her dreams filled her head. This time, she had a vague idea of their meaning; moon then goddess. They’d barely flitted into her consciousness when Ronan caught up and headed her off.
Both horses turned their riders in a final circle as they pranced and reared against the rolling water in a climactic end to their game.
***
Ronan was spellbound as he looked at the glowing temptress on the horse. The urge for triumph, mixed with the need to possess, felt like more than just a stolen memory planted in his brain. The mare stood on her hind legs. For a moment, the animal and her rider hung there suspended, horse and goddess, powerful and timeless and meant for him.
Cindy laughed against the roar of the sea and looked his way.
“Which way to your ship, Captain?” Her voice lifted enough to be heard over the tides of Atlantis.
He brought Zenith around to stand next to the mare and pulled her reins into his hand. Cindy shook her head at his maneuver but smiled anyway.
“Upset to get beat by a girl?”
She said the words, full of cheek. Instantly, the imp he knew was back, all traces of the vision gone.
“Not at all,” he answered, more concerned with the role she kept taking up in his sub-conscious. “I thought you said you didn’t ride much.”
“I don’t.”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“Really, that back there,” she threw a thumb over her shoulder, “I don’t know what came over me. I blame the horse.”
She laughed and patted Iris on the neck.
Ronan let the weight of unspoken words hang in the air. Was he projecting his curse onto her? Surely, that was what these odd visions had to mean. What if she could sense the blood fury in him? He couldn’t tell her that his mind’s eye kept portraying her as a creature of the other realms. She wouldn’t believe him, or worse, she would be terrified. Maybe she should be. If Thema’s curse really did take over his soul the way the Nereid had threatened it would, then everyone around him could be in danger.
He shook the dark thought away. He would not become a tool for the god’s in that way. He would just have to strengthen himself against the fury until he commanded it.
His gaze fell on Cindy again and, this time, she looked perfectly herself again. He cleared his throat and nodded toward a cliff that jutted out into the water.
“My ship lies just past those rocks.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
They rode down the beach until they came to the base of a cliff then dismounted and left the horses to hike the rest of the way. Ronan stopped and Cindy hopped off of a rock peeking around his shoulder. Across a cove fringed by a rocky beach, a handsome ship was docked.
“There it is,” Ronan said his voice full of pride, “The Victorious.”
She didn’t know much about ships, certainly not merchant ships from the seventeen-hundreds, but the sight of the magnificent vessel in the inlet was incredible. Its sails were drawn up and the fact that it had been battered out on the seas was evident, but The Victorious sat proudly in its hideaway nonetheless.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.
“Would you like to go on board?”
“Are you kidding?”
She nodded eagerly, making him laugh. When they came up to the ship, Ronan pulled open a hatch door on the side and hoisted himself up a thick rope to climb inside. His movements were fluid, definitely those of a man born to the sea. Watching his body moved Cindy’s thoughts to the gutter once again. She thought about their little session earlier in his room. Her cheeks flamed as he popped his head out of the door, reaching a hand in her direction.
“Coming?”
“Uhh, okay,” she said.
She grabbed his hand and found herself sailing through the air as he pulled her up with ease. Once on board, he led her through the bottommost level of the ship. There they passed by a bunch of heavy looking crates and barrels.
“What were you carrying on your final trip?” She asked as they walked through the hold.
“A little of everything,” he said still walking, “we’d purchased rum, wine, fine cloth and other goods before we left Spain. There are items above as well. We’ve brought a lot of it up to use on the island, even some of the nymphs and sea demons have traded with us from time to time.”
“Huh,” Cindy marveled, “you wouldn’t think that they’d have any use for such things. Did you say sea demons?”
She shuddered.
Ronan chuckled at her tone.
“They all seem to have a fondness for things from the human world. Don’t worry, the demons aren’t nearly as difficult to deal with as the nymphs. Besides, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he squeezed her hand for emphasis and grinned at her, turning the chill up her spine into desire again.
They climbed up to the main deck, looking out over the cove. Ronan leaned his back against the wheel and pulled her to him until she was standing between his legs pressed against him. Spray from the tide misted up as the surf crashed, scenting the air with salt and water.
“The sea is different here,” she observed.
“Mmm,” Ronan answered, “Atlantis was favored by Poseidon at one time. You’ll see his mark on everything here, even the water.”
Cindy tipped her face up to look at him and he stole a kiss that turned lingering. When they moved apart, she rested her head against his chest, feeling the strong steady beat of his heart against her cheek. It joined in with the rhythm of the tide and lulled her into a dreamy state that matched the enchantment of the island.
“Do you miss it?” She asked, breaking the spell. “Do you ever miss being on earth?”
He looked up and took a big breath that physically moved her, then spoke.
“Aye, sometimes I miss the life I knew, my family of course, though they’re all long gone now,” a hint of sadness crept into his features that she felt a need to wipe away, “mostly, I realize, though, that I was just sailing along through life back then from one adventure to another with no real purpose.”
Those
words made her think of her own life, hadn’t she been doing the same? But then she thought of her family and friends, she’d miss them all terribly if she never got to see them again. Not that she regretted helping Ronan get back through the Tides, the alternative didn’t bear considering. She hugged him closer to her at the thought that he could have been lost forever if she hadn’t come with him. She also had the distinct feeling that the answer to the mystery behind her recurring dreams might be found in this place. Her experience with Iris on the beach had been all too real to shrug off as just excitement, she meant to explore the meaning behind it all.
Still, what Ronan had said about his family brought up thoughts of her dad, her friends, and the cats. Marley would probably have the coast guard out looking for her before long.
Ronan’s hand pressed across her back and she lost track of her runaway train of thought. The other hand played in her hair and she closed her eyes. She loved the way his hands felt and, when his lips fell on hers, that familiar spark of electricity pulsed through her. It was as if their being in physical contact spawned some kind of living thing between them.
He broke the kiss.
“Come, there’s more to see,” the smug look he wore said that he knew she would have stayed there in his arms forever if he hadn’t spoken.
They went below deck again, this time to the captain’s quarters. On the far wall of the space sat a desk strewn with all sorts of nautical instruments and old maps.
“A museum would love to get a hold of all this stuff,” she said, thinking back to the artifacts they’d seen on the lighthouse tour. Most of those had been replicas.
“What’s in there,” she asked pointing at a large chest at the foot of his bed, “pirate booty?”
“Some of it,” he said, matter of fact, “it’s full of things I collected from my travels, mostly just baubles to woo maidens with”
He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, making her laugh.
“Take anything you like, cara.”
“Really?”
He nodded, opening the heavy lid of the chest. As she peered inside, he came up behind her to look over her shoulder and she tried to ignore the way her body trembled.
“Ooooh, look at these!” she exclaimed, pulling out a pair of Persian scarves embellished with gold coins. The chest also contained a black powder pistol, several brass instruments, a spyglass from antiquity, a bunch of leather bound books and dozens of smaller wooden boxes that held coins from different countries. She pulled a long strand of Chinese pearls out of a jade box to admire then Ronan spoke.
“If you like those have a look at this,” he held out another box. She opened it and looked inside. There, wrapped in a soft cloth, was one of the strangest pieces of jewelry she’d ever seen.
Wound in a dark gold chain was a gray stone set in a heavy molding. It was a strange piece, the rock unspectacular. Cindy held its chain just as she had the pearls and, by the light from the quarter’s one small window, she could detect a faint sparkle.
“What is it, some kind of quartz or maybe opal?” She asked Ronan, still examining the stone.
“My guess would be common river rock. But I was told it was a pearl of some sort from a distant land. It came to me from a not entirely trustworthy source and the story that accompanied it was pure fantasy.”
He started to pull the box out of her hands but she held on.
“Tell me,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“The story,” she prodded.
Ronan rubbed at his jaw, studying her a moment then spoke.
“Well, I was in port off a west Welsh bay and had gone into a tavern. As I sat with a tankard of ale to warm me, a wizened old sea dog came stumbling over to my table. He was well into his cups, rambling on about his travails at sea and how he longed to make his way south to his home.
Then he brought this homely little jewel out of his pocket and asked if I would buy it off of him. I laughed and asked him, what would I do with such a worthless piece?
He waved the thing at me saying, ‘this gem be worth more than all the gold in Croesus’ Castle’.”
Cindy laughed at his impersonation of the old sailor and waited for him to go on.
“The codger’s beady eyes darted from side to side.” Ronan acted that part out, getting into character, “He leaned in close to me so as not to let anyone else hear what he was about to say. His breath stank and I’d grown weary of the tavern, wishing to seek my bed aboard the ship. But he placed the necklace in my hands and started telling me the most amazing tale.”
“Me captain,” Ronan mimed, urged on by Cindy’s laughter, “dragged his ship and crew half ways ‘round the world on a fool’s errand searching for a gem, the likes of which no man has ever laid eyes on. So convinced, he was, that this jewel held the secret of eternal youth, that he set his life to finding it.”
Ronan straightened and winked at her after the impression.
“So, what happened then?” She asked.
“According to the old sailor, one night when leaving a pub, the lunatic captain was making his way back to his ship but the fog was so thick that he couldn’t see past his face and he stumbled aboard the wrong vessel. It was a grave mistake to make, because the ship he boarded belonged to a fairy queen.”
“Fairy queen?”
“Mmm, a goddess, to hear the old sailor tell it. On her silver ship she’d come to earth to take the souls of the dead to Emania.
“Emania,” Cindy repeated the name, her interest growing, “what is that?”
Ronan shrugged.
“I asked the same question and the codger said it meant, ‘moon land’, but the story goes on.
When the Captain finally realized that he was surrounded by the faces of the dead travelling to a land of enchantment, he let out a bellow of fear, crying out that he was there by mistake. This ruckus caught the fairy queen’s attention and she had him brought to her. When it was discovered that he’d made his way onto her ship by accident, she considered what to do with him. Being a fair queen and the goddess of time and order, she didn’t wish to send him to Emania before his time. She decided to return him to his own ship on the provision that he seek out and obtain a specific stone of enchantment for her. It belonged to the people of Emania she said and had long ago been lost and found its way into a sea cave off the coast of the Mediterranean. The captain agreed to find the stone for her and she released him to his ship.
Blissful was the captain because he knew that the gem the fairy queen had sent him to find was none other than the very stone of everlasting life that he himself sought, so he wasted no time in setting course for warm waters. When he arrived, he followed the queen’s instructions and found the stone just where she said it would be. But the captain never had any intention of relinquishing it to her, instead, thinking to keep it and its magic for himself.
The queen learned of the captain’s treachery and caused a great storm to rise up, sinking his ship and drowning him and his crew. All except for one mate,” here, Ronan slipped back into his portrayal of the drunken old sailor, “and I be he ─ Davy Tackett, the sly dog that swam away from the wreckage with nothing save his own scurvy neck and this trinket sir. I had it from me cap’n that night before the sea took him to his final restin’ place. I’m willin’ to give it ta you sir, for a price ─ the gemstone of a moon goddess and fairy queen herself’.”
Ronan finished the tale with a grand flourish, nothing short of pleased with his delivery. Cindy was holding her sides now she was laughing so hard.
“I didn’t believe a word of it,” Ronan said, “but his theatrics had been amusing. So I agreed to buy the sad rock off of him. He was overjoyed and said that, with the money, he could return home at last.”
“Wow,” Cindy looked at the necklace, “a real pirate’s treasure, the enchanted stone of a fairy queen.”
“Mmmm, that is if you believe the old scalawag’s tale.”
“You really don’t? Not even after everything th
at’s happened to you?”
He shrugged
“I didn’t believe the tale at the time and I hadn’t thought much more about it until now.”
“Well, I like it,” Cindy said, and she did. Something about it struck her fancy. She slipped the chain over her head and the stone rested against her chest.
“I like the story too.”
“Then it’s yours,” he said shaking his head as he looked around his quarters, “all the treasures on my ship and you choose the item of the least value.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said smiling up at him.
Then she tried the sexy eyebrow trick.
He laughed and plopped down onto his bunk, pulling her into his lap as he went.
Cindy shrieked and placed both of her hands behind his neck. He reached up to push a curl out of her eye but she fended him off with a shake of her head that sent her mop flying in every direction.
“Contrary wench,” he said, but the words had no steam.
She giggled then leaned in and kissed him light on the lips. He skimmed his hand up the outside of her thigh and spanned the very top of her leg so that the tip of his thumb grazed against that needy little button at her center. She inhaled when he added a slight pressure and let her eyes close only to have them fly open again when he squeezed. She jumped but he pulled her down tighter so that she couldn’t squirm away.
She had no intention of escaping though, making that clear by deepening their kiss. Her fingertips wandered down his neck to the open front of his shirt and she ran her hands over his chest until it fell off his shoulders. She tugged and he obliged, shrugging the rest of the way out of the garment. She loved how all the fabrics he wore were so soft and covered in his scent.
Ronan might not have felt the same about her clothing though, as he had already worked her ruffled shirt off over her head and was slipping his fingers into the waistband of her pants. He pulled them past her hips then stood her up in-between his legs so she could step out of them. She’d never found her panties at the falls so she stood before him in only her bra. He gave her a quick once over from head to toe then, before she knew what he was about, he reached out one wicked finger and popped the little clasp between her breasts.
Moontide (Tides of Atlantis Book 1) Page 17