Moontide (Tides of Atlantis Book 1)

by Amanda V. Shane

  Ronan just snorted.

  “I wish it were that easy my friend, but there is still too much that I don’t know and even if I’m not a danger to her, my nearness would lead Poseidon to her all too easily.”

  Finn only nodded.

  “Aye, Captain,” he said, though he didn’t seem convinced. His brown eyes glinted, then he pointed down the open hallway they had moved into as they spoke.

  Cindy was just rounding the corner.

  When Finn looked back, Ronan had vanished. No doubt, back out into the bushes again. The Irishman sighed and pasted on a smile for the woman. She looked terrible – Finn knew a broken heart when he saw one. He knew nothing he could do would cheer her, but perhaps another turn about the gardens…

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  When Ronan ran through the open doorway to his rooms, he could instantly tell that he had another visitor and not of the human variety. He turned expecting a demon or even Poseidon himself.

  Thema sat in the middle of his bed drinking a glass of wine and eating fruit that had been left by one of the Dionai. Her hair shimmered from deep purple to black like a midnight ocean cascading in waves to well past her waist. Translucent pale blue skin marked her as a Nereid but her ebony eyes flashed with desire and hatred at the same time when they landed on him.

  “What are you doing here Thema?” Ronan demanded, his voice full of barely contained rage at the sight of her.

  “You are not supposed to show your face here…ever! What will Poseidon think of you disobeying his orders?”

  “I didn’t come on my own. I was sent,” Thema said then she smiled as if amused by some private joke, “for the woman.”

  Ronan felt like he’d been hit by an ox. Poseidon had warned that he would come back for Cindy ─ for the elixir. He’d expected it. But Poseidon’s choice to send Thema in his stead was the ultimate betrayal. Ronan and his men would have to keep Cindy hidden from the entire otherworld it seemed. No small feat, considering they were in a realm of others.

  ***

  Thema rose off the bed and slunk toward Ronan like a cat. She walked in a circle around him while he stood rigid, defiant of her perusal. Stopping in front of him, she trailed a cold finger down his chest. A sinister smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

  How she’d desired him once ─ this lost son of the sea god, a king of Atlantis. He had been promised to her from the beginning. She should have been made an Atlantean queen, but Poseidon had gone back on their agreement and married his son to a moon goddess. He’d formed an alliance with the sky gods to strengthen his own power. Gadeiros, the young king, had welcomed the opportunity for more riches and had easily forgotten her as well. Thema was cast aside, discarded, and made to watch as he fell deeply in love and was wed to his Emanian princess.

  They’d ruined him! All that beautiful anger and merciless might he’d had was wasted, changed into the weakness of love for the one who’d stolen Thema’s rightful place as queen. She’d seethed over the slight even after the great nation of Atlantis had been desecrated.

  All through the ages, she’d vowed to get her revenge against Poseidon. When she’d found Ronan floundering in the sea, she’d recognized him at once even though he’d had no recollection of her or his royal history. She had immediately hidden him away on Gades as her captive slave and had set about stoking the buried embers of his past identity back to life.

  ‘Cursed by the blood fury,’ she’d told him and made him believe it was her doing. Oh the power she’d been poised to hold over him. She’d already be ruling the Tides by now if Poseidon hadn’t banished her from the Isle.

  Old fool.

  He’d never even suspected that his son was hidden within his own realm all these years!

  ***

  Ronan pushed her hand off his chest.

  “What do you want, Thema?”

  “What do I want?” she ran a hot gaze over the length of him and said, “Oh, I can think of several things I want from you captain.”

  He crossed the room in angry strides to stand outside on the balcony. His hands gripping the railing, his only thought was that he had to get away from the witch. Her wicked laugh followed him and, in the next instant, she was behind him, her voice a hiss in his ear.

  “It’s not about what I want, Ronan. The Olympians are very angry with you for stealing Panacea’s healing potion. I’ve been sent to tell you that they will not be denied amends for the situation.”

  “The elixir is gone. There was no one to give it to in the earth realm. They didn’t hold up their end of the exchange.”

  “It doesn’t matter, you know how they are when they feel they have been wronged. They demand restitution. Besides, Poseidon was one of the few gods who had a vial in his possession. The elixir is a coveted magic.”

  “But, as I have said, I don’t have it,” Ronan repeated through clenched teeth.

  Thema laughed.

  “Of course you do,” she looked out over the balcony into the courtyard. Cindy stood there in conversation with Finn. Ronan followed Thema’s gaze and his stomach dropped.

  “Poor heroic Captain Garring,” Thema purred, “how could you have known that, in your daring rescue of the woman, you would be bringing her to meet her fate at the hands of the gods? I wonder if they’ll thank you for providing them with this little diversion. You know how they love a tragedy.”

  As she uttered these last words, she licked the back of Ronan’s ear.

  He pushed up from the railing and turned to face her in a rage and, as he did, she pulled his head down. Her claw-like fingers dug into his scalp as she rose up, covering his mouth with her own. She held him against her with her supernatural strength and pressed her nearly nude body against his while her icy lips locked on his mouth.

  Finally, Ronan ripped his mouth from Thema’s. He gasped and tried to shove her away from him but she held fast and turned her head down to the gardens where Cindy and Finn stood looking up at the two of them locked in a seeming embrace. Finn’s brow was drawn together in a scowl aimed at Thema. But the look on Cindy’s face was one of utter betrayal. She turned away from them.

  “Cindy!” Ronan called down to her. But she left Finn and took off down the path that led out of the garden.

  Thema laughed and then vanished into thin air. Ronan ran through his room and down the stairs to find Cindy. He didn’t want Thema to get to her before he did.

  He rushed out the back doors of the villa to the gardens. As he passed by Finn, the Irishman called out to him.

  “Ronan, I tried to stop her…” but Ronan didn’t pause to listen. He darted around the the garden path, intent on finding which way Cindy had gone. Behind him, he could hear Finn shouting to the others.

  A strong wind picked up and the sky darkened. He cursed the nymph. She was bringing a storm to the island. Lightening cracked and the sky swirled overhead.

  Chapter Forty

  Cindy passed the stables and arena at a dead run until she’d left it all far behind. Thunder shook both above and below but she kept going even as the trees started to thin until her feet hit the beach.

  As she got closer to the churning sea she slowed, then stopped and doubled over with her hands on her knees. Her body heaved in great gulping breaths. The realization that her face was wet hit her just before a hard rain began to fall. Stupid, that’s what it was, so stupid, crying over someone she barely knew. A guy who'd taken her away from her home, made love to her and then ignored her for days!

  Lightening cracked again and the rain came harder. She cried harder, unable to stop. The waves crashed before her. It was a sea like no other, beautiful, intoxicating and dangerous, just like the rest of the island. Another rumble shook under her feet and she took it as a sign that this land didn’t want her here.

  It was high time she woke from this dream and returned to the real world─ her world─ where there were no mystical creatures or misty isles to contend with and certainly no devastating sea captains to fall head over heels
in love with. She’d been such a fool to think that she’d ever fit into Ronan’s fantastical life. She’d seen that woman or whatever she was that had been clinging to him as they’d kissed on the balcony. The being was a voluptuous, ethereal creature. Her curves had fit perfectly against his body. They’d looked incredible together.

  How could she, boring Cindy Pierce, ordinary human and bumbling virgin, ever compete with goddesses throwing themselves at him all hours of the day and night? She had to get out of this place, had to get back to the order and control of her own life, back to Miami where she’d left Marley on her own. Her whole reason for even leaving Colorado had been to help find Kay. She was a terrible friend for abandoning them both behind and for what? For a man? For love? Uhh! Classic.

  Her heart panged inside her chest and thunder rolled all around her, building to a deafening roar. The beach shook as she searched for a place to hide.

  This part of the shore rose up into a cliff and she recognized it as the area that hid Ronan’s ship. Was it really just a few days ago that she’d sat in his cabin and listened to his pirate’s tale, enthralled by it – by the very sound of his voice?

  Her hand came up to the dusky gray stone that hung from her neck. She grabbed at the chain, meaning to wrench it from her and hurl it into the sea but she stuffed it under the neckline of her blouse instead. It was warm against her skin which was odd considering the rain but she had no time to wonder about it because, over the storm, she thought she heard her name being called and she rushed toward the rocks.

  An overhang lured her under it as shelter from the storm, proving to be a lucky find as it deepened and made a small cave. Probably was home to some woman eating sea monster Cindy thought but she didn’t care as long as it hid her from the rain and from Ronan.

  Upset as she was, she didn’t realize that she wasn’t alone until she felt herself being studied from behind. When she jerked around, she saw two dark eyes. They hadn’t met yet but she knew that this creature had to be the nymph queen that Ronan had talked about with such supposed contempt. His rancor towards the goddess must have been all for show though because, by Cindy’s way of thinking, you didn’t go around kissing people you hated. At least not the way she had seen the two of them kissing.

  Thema stood at the back of the cave. She wore a thin filmy robe that was transparent in the sea spray that shimmered around her perfect form. Her long dark hair whipped around her in the wind that blew into the space.

  Cindy took in the sight of her cold beauty, then she gave an irreverent snort.

  The nymph queen cocked her head to the side.

  “You mock me little human?”

  Cindy shrugged her shoulders and looked back out to the sea.

  “I’m just a little tired of coming across divinities,” she explained, “all the shining auras and mystical visions ─ I’m over it.”

  She looked directly into Thema’s eyes and held her gaze, refusing to be intimidated. The Nereid sighed.

  “He’s been here with me a long time,” she said as if Cindy hadn’t just insulted her entire being. “I saved him from the sea. He’ll always belong to me. You understand don’t you?”

  Cindy met Thema’s exquisite face and shivered even as hot tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Like I said, I’m done with this place. I just want to get back to Miami, find out what you people did with my friend and go home.”

  Thema came closer. Cindy had the overwhelming urge to move away but held her ground.

  “You are right. This is no place for you,” the words snaked cruelly into Cindy’s ear. “How selfish it was of him to take you out of your world and bring you here to be his…plaything,” Thema tsked. “Oh, little one, you could never have had him. He’s not like you, in fact, he’s more like me than any human.”

  Cindy turned and narrowed her eyes at the nymph.

  “What do you mean,” she asked, “more like you? You brought him here and made him your slave…”

  Thema laughed loudly, the sound ringing off the walls of the cave.

  “Slave,” she repeated with snide mirth, “is that what he told you? That is humorous. More like I am his slave and you could be too,” her eyes brightened with a wild excitement that made Cindy feel sick. “Is that what you want? To be the king’s slave. Is that why he tied you to him and brought you through the Tides?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Cindy’s face felt hot underneath all the moisture. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

  “Nobody tied me. He needed my help to get back…he saved me…”

  She broke off and let her eyes dart to the nymph. Thema just shook her head slowly as if she pitied her. Was what she said the truth? Had Ronan deceived her about who he was? That actually made a lot of sense. What did she really know about him, aside from the fact that he made her feel incredible in every way possible?

  Then her mind stuck on something.

  “What do you mean ‘the king’?”

  Thema smiled.

  “King Gadeiros of Atlantis, this is his island or didn’t he tell you that?”

  She clucked her tongue when Cindy said nothing.

  “He uses the Tides to visit earth for amusement sometimes, under the guise of the ill-fated sea captain. Existence can get boring for a demi-god with everything at his fingertips. You should be honored, little human.”

  Cindy didn’t speak, just absorbed the stinging words. Everything she’d just heard was so much more believable than the idea that “Ronan” had actually fallen in love with her. He’d never said that, after all, had he? They’d just had amazing sex and, in her inexperience, she’d fallen for him not the other way around. That was why he’d been avoiding her. He was done with her.

  “And what of this friend you speak of?”

  Thema’s voice broke through her muddled awakening to reality.

  “Kay,” Cindy choked out. Shame washed over her. She’d left off in the search for her friend for a guy. She’d left everything, Marley, her family even her cats dammit! She’d made a mess of everything by trusting Ronan.

  “I’m looking for her,” she finally answered. “She’s in trouble. I think one of your kind has her. Maybe Ronan…” she gasped as her mind stopped on the all too real possibility, “maybe he has her too. I saw her with a man but it was a trick. Everything here is a trick!”

  Her mind started to race.

  A cold finger brushed against the side of her forehead.

  “I think I have heard of her. Let me help you.”

  Thema’s touch left any icy trail against her skin. Cindy jerked and turned to the sea queen. Instinctively, her hand went up to her chest and she pressed the necklace she wore under her shirt to her skin. Its warm weight vibrated in response.

  “You would do that?”

  Thema nodded.

  “I will try to find your friend and I can help you return to your world. Would you like that?”

  “When?” Cindy was determined to leave this place for good and not look back and if the mer-wench here could help her solve Kay’s missing persons’ case, she'd take her up on her offer. The sooner she got back to all things normal, the sooner she could forget this whole nightmare.

  Thema’s lips shaped into a wicked smile.

  “Meet me at the waterfall tomorrow at sunrise,” she said.

  She caught Cindy’s chin in her hand and forced her to look up.

  “I’ll need a trinket, something he gave you, to pay your way through the Tides.”

  She leveled her gaze at Cindy’s chest where the dull gray stone rested. It was hot now, reminding Cindy of the dream she’d had back in her hotel room. Thema nodded, then dematerialized in the mist and was gone.

  Bringing the heavy necklace out from under her neckline Cindy held it away from her. What would Thema want with it? Oddly, she found that she was loath to part with the charm because it was a gift from Ronan but she pushed that reason aside. Let the witch have it. Once she got back
home, she wouldn’t want anything around that would remind her that this whole experience had been anything more than a bad dream.

  Tomorrow morning, Cindy thought, she’d leave this place and all its enchantments behind her. She didn’t trust Thema a bit but if the nymph could give her information about Kay and get her home too, that was all that mattered. The image of Ronan and the Nereid locked in an embrace flew up into her consciousness and her stomach clenched. Desire had made a fool of her.

  Outside, the wind and rain had calmed but fog rolled in off the sea. She should get up before the whole area was obscured but the weight of everything she now knew kept her fixed to the rocky cave floor. Hugging herself into a miserable little ball, she dropped her head into her knees and let the tears fall.

  Part III

  Atlantis 10,500 b.c.

  For a whole day, they evaded two divine courts and the duties of their stations. Gadeiros showed Aura the sights of his region by transporting them to all the secret areas he had secured against prying eyes. The crystals of Atlantis were many splendored things, affording the Atlanteans with wonders like energy, transport, communication, storage of words and cloaking abilities that Gadeiros had discovered even Poseidon couldn’t see through.

  They went to the volcano and walked along its base where evidence of past eruptions had cooled then he took her to a hut he kept outside the training grounds for his soldiers, but it was the hustle of the Gadean people in the market that Aura most wanted to visit.

  “Can we go that way?” She asked.

  Gadeiros shrugged.

  “It will be the end of our concealment if we walk through the agora.”

  Her eyes flashed up at him and held his gaze as he offered her his arm.

  They stepped into the dirt packed thoroughfare just as a group of children trundled past, ruffling Aura’s skirts and making her jump backward in surprise. Laughing, they tossed a bundled mass between them. Gadeiros caught her to his side and reached around her with one hand to catch the package mid-air. The rowdy lot stopped immediately and their playful expressions were replaced with horrified ones when their king stepped around her. They froze and stared up at him, too frightened even to bow. Silence stole over the entire square as everyone looked on to see what their king would do with the miscreants.