Moontide (Tides of Atlantis Book 1)

by Amanda V. Shane

  “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” tears splashed onto Ronan’s chest.

  Then she thought of Thema’s words that she would soon die too, because their lives were linked. Already she felt drained, it had to be her own life force ebbing away. Being conscious of their struggle to find one another through a slew of incarnations, even if she couldn’t pin down every exact memory, was an exhausting kind of knowledge. She dropped her head to his chest, and waited to join him.

  “Shhh, Aureliaura.”

  The sound, softly whispered, came from above. When she brought her head up, there stood another shining ghost like the sea god but this one was a woman. She smiled down at Cindy, her face serene, with glittering aquamarine eyes. In her hand was the crystal dagger and she offered it to Cindy.

  Cindy shook her head then looked at Poseidon, seeking guidance from the only other celestial being she could find. He was scowling at the new angel on the scene but the female just flashed her eyes at him and continued to hold the crystal out. Poseidon nodded and Cindy took the blade.

  “All will be well, just do as I say,” the angel said, though it seemed that no one but Cindy could hear her, “this needs to go back into him.” She pointed a graceful hand at the dagger.

  Cindy’s mouth fell open.

  “I can’t,” she said. But the angel just continued to smile.

  Cindy looked down at Ronan’s lifeless form. She’d never harmed anyone before in her life, much less stabbed someone but…

  “You must,” the goddess said.

  Cindy took in a quavery breath and let it out in a rush then she lifted the dagger over her head in both hands and squeezed her eyes shut. With a force that shocked her, she brought it down into Ronan’s perfect chest and held it there with all her strength as the crystal started to shake in her hands. She opened her eyes to look up at the goddess but she was gone.

  “Hold tight,” she heard Trent say.

  She looked down at her hands holding the blade.

  The dagger glowed where it met Ronan’s flesh, just like it had when Thema had stabbed him. The glow slid deep into him and spread throughout his body.

  He gasped as his body lifted. Then the dagger shot into the air and disappeared again and Cindy didn’t wonder that the angel woman had taken it back. Ronan calmed finally and lowered back down to the ground. His eyes opened and the corners of his mouth edged up.

  “Ronan?” she asked.

  He looked up at her face with a languid gaze, as though just waking from a deep sleep and brushed the side of her cheek with his knuckles.

  She flung her arms around his neck and began smothering him with kisses, never mind the crowd. His chuckle reverberated through her and his hands, strong and powerful again, came up to either side of her face. He held her and kissed her then pulled away to look at her.

  “Cara…” he started to say before what had transpired came back to him.

  His hands dropped down to tug at his shirt and he dropped his chin to his chest in a search for where the dagger had penetrated then he looked up at all the people watching them and frowned.

  “Thema…where is she?”

  He jerked up to sitting.

  “She’s gone Ronan,” Cindy clasped the amulet in her hand. “It was awesome, you should have seen it. We kicked some serious nymph ass!”

  Everyone laughed at that but she only had eyes for Ronan.

  Cindy placed her hand over his chest where his heart beat beneath, strong and steady.

  The sound of someone clearing their throat cut into the moment though and they both turned to see Poseidon standing a few feet away, still in hologram form.

  Everyone seemed to take in a collective breath at the sight of him and moved away to clear a space around the god. He was the biggest man Cindy had ever seen and he definitely wasn’t the common fisherman he had portrayed himself as the last time they’d met. Every inch of his bronzed form rippled with muscle and he exuded an aura of power that was absolute. A golden halo of light fringed his whole majestic presence. His eyes were stormy, seeming to match the ever changing movements of the sea while, in his right hand, what Cindy had mistaken for a huge fork was a golden trident that she fully expected to shoot fire, if not lightening, at any moment.

  There was no lightening, but there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere before everything settled into an eerie calm. Ronan rose, pulling her up with him, and then moved to stand half in front of her like a shield. She blew out a breath that pushed a few curls from her face and rolled her eyes to herself at his action as she peeked around his shoulder at Poseidon.

  The god’s turbulent stare measured them even as a small smile played at his lips. He looked from her to Ronan then back again and stroked his coppery beard. After what seemed like an eternity of standing there under his quiet scrutiny, he sighed.

  “Your prophecy held true,” he said but he spoke past them to where Trent was standing with Leslie, and Cindy’s dad and uncle before bringing his gaze back to her and Ronan again.

  “Unfortunately, the disturbance that Thema has caused in the realms cannot be undone. I’m afraid that the rift in the Tides that was created here tonight will require constant monitoring.”

  Cindy shifted her weight and Ronan squeezed her hand.

  “The two of you are joined together by a powerful force. Humans, in this pass of the wheel but strong enough together to hold the Tides if you are willing.”

  “Willing?” Ronan repeated and Poseidon nodded.

  “I may be a god but I cannot force the human heart,” Poseidon’s stare shifted behind them and they followed it to where Adam stood.

  “I had hoped,” he continued, “to bring all ten kings together to guard the entrances between worlds for only at ten strong and with all the pieces of the great Fire Stone intact can our defenses be complete. But time is running out, more armies are already forming to fight against us and my search for the other nine kings has been, for the most part, unfruitful.”

  “For the most part?” Ronan echoed the god’s words again.

  Poseidon nodded.

  “It seems that the gods’ banishment curse was one of our better ones. The kings of Atlantis and their crystals are so well hidden that even I have only been able to find one other besides you.”

  “One other,” Cindy whispered.

  Poseidon dipped his head again.

  “Yes, there is only one other of your brothers that I have placed but he has proven most difficult,” again his eyes shifted behind them, “which should come as no surprise since he is your twin Gadeiros.”

  Cindy’s memory caught on Ronan’s fountain portal and the one under Ramone’s and drew in a quick breath as realization struck. No wonder she’d fallen in love with the statue children the moment she’d seen them, they were replicas of Ronan and his brother.

  “Atlas,” the name came forth from Ronan’s lips, another long forgotten memory dredged up to the surface.

  “Yes,” Poseidon went on with his eyes now on Adam who shrugged and crossed his arms. “He is the only one that the curse failed.”

  “I knew I detected some weirdness with that guy,” Cindy muttered, her eyes on Adam, as were everyone else’s.

  A deep chuckle rumbled out of the sea god and a beleaguered sigh escaped the stoic man in question but Poseidon went on.

  “Your brother refuses his throne. Will you do the same?”

  “My throne…” Ronan halted.

  “Gadeiros, your piece of the Fire Stone of Atlantis is there,” he looked at the amulet, “to defend the Tides in this war with the underworld, I will need you both.”

  His gaze swept over Ronan and Cindy together.

  Ronan looked at Cindy. She answered his unspoken question by squeezing his hand. They were in this together, no matter what.

  “We will join the battle,” Ronan announced, straightening to his full height. In that moment, he appeared every bit the king that he was. A swell of pride rose up in Cindy’s breast, her moontide king.
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  The crowd around them burst into cheers at his declaration, especially Finn, Cully, Bas, Will and James. Even Adam’s eyes seemed to sparkle, making Cindy wonder even more about him.

  Finally, Shep spoke up.

  “Our Time Keepers organization has kept our princess safe throughout centuries for this moment, we can be counted on to stand with her and her king as well.”

  “Dad,” Cindy said and ran into his arms. He hugged her close. “I don’t understand any of this.”

  “You will, princess,” he said and the way he said the word as an endearment was assurance that she was still herself, no matter what any curse or prophecy said.

  Poseidon dipped his head in response to Shep. He was shimmering again, the vision of his form thinning.

  “Atlantis is honored to have the alliance with the Emanians restored,” he said, “I bestow my blessing on the union of my son and the princess, once again.”

  He looked at the two of them then and Cindy was awestruck by the power that emanated from him.

  Those strong words, spoken by Poseidon in such a beautiful way, set a tight feeling in her chest. She turned into Ronan who looked down at her with total love and commitment. A tremulous smile worked its way up to her lips as she took in the meaning of the god’s blessing. Her newfound memory bank pulled at the recollection of another time it had been given then an awkward quiet intruded and they both looked at the apparition that was Poseidon.

  “This is where you seal the agreement, my son,” he said to Ronan with a fading smirk. Then a whirling spray of wind and water marked his leaving as he vanished.

  Ronan brought his full gaze back to Cindy, grasping the sides of her face in both hands he kissed her with every ounce of his restored strength. The tightness in her chest broke apart until she felt as shimmery as the sea god had been.

  ***

  Later, after Adam and Solomon had cleaned up the beach, Detective Santiago had ‘managed’ the human survivors by letting Adam erase their memories. Then everyone went under Ramone’s into The Palace. They discussed everything, everybody telling the events that had led up to the scene with Thema from their perspective.

  Cindy and Ronan told everyone what had happened on the island. Shep explained some of the history of the Time Keepers and how an oracle in Rome had led them to stage Cindy’s trip to Miami in the first place. They promised her that they would explain everything and help her sift through all the new memories that she now had an awareness of.

  “How did you guys know that I was the one,” she directed her question to Shep and the other Keepers who had formed a group on one of the couches in Adam’s great room. “I mean…that I was this Aura person?”

  “It was your mother,” Shep answered, “Your mother and I were born into the Keepers’ organization. She could trace her lineage back to relatives of the first princess’s incarnation. When you and Trent came along, we knew you were both special but, you being the girl made you the key to the prophecy. When Arianrhod entered stasis centuries ago, Aureliaura’s spirit went into a series of progressions that were supposed to end once you found the stone and your protector.”

  Here he looked at Ronan.

  Cindy’s head swam with everything that was being laid on her. At least now she knew why she’d never been able to get close to a man till Ronan. Simple matter of fate, that was all. She puffed her hair out of her eyes.

  “So this whole time you guys have been babysitting me and I never knew?”

  “Babysitting was never so much fun,” Leslie said with a wink.

  Cindy just rolled her eyes then they went wide as she realized who was missing from the group.

  “Where’s Marley,” she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten her friend in all the chaos, “is she in on all this too…”

  “She’s here.”

  Adam’s dark voice came from behind her where he’d been in deep conversation with both Ronan and Detective Santiago.

  “I want to see her,” Cindy said and started to get up but stopped when Adam shook his head, a grim look passing over his features.

  “She was attacked in the fighting and can’t be moved yet. Don’t worry. I will make sure that she is cared for.

  Cindy started to argue but then Shep wrapped an arm around her.

  “Don’t worry honey, it will be alright. Marley is one of The Keepers’ best agents. We’ll see that she comes out of this okay.”

  Cindy wanted to press the issue and make mister dark and forbidding take her to Marley but she was hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion. It must have shown because Ronan moved toward her and when Shep stepped away she slid into his arms.

  “We should be going,” he said and she pulled back to look up at him.

  “Back to the island?” She asked.

  “We’ll come back here soon. For now, you need to rest.”

  She started to protest but he stopped her with a fingertip on the end of her nose that she really could have just killed him for except that she was really tired.

  “We also promised Poseidon we would keep watch over the portal from our side of the Tides. No one is there right now except for the Dionai and, from what I hear,” he looked at Adam and Santiago, “the underworld is poised for more uprisings.”

  Adam nodded.

  “It’s true princess. I suspect others from the underworld will try to take up what Thema has started now.”

  “What about all of you,” she asked looking around the room at everyone and thinking of Marley suffering from a demon attack, “what will happen here and what about Kay? I have a feeling she got mixed up in all of this too and…”

  “Marlowe told me about her cousin,” Adam broke in, “I have certain…resources at my disposal that may be helpful in locating her.”

  “We’ll keep looking too,” Shep said with a nod, “you better get going sweetheart. Don’t worry about us, we’ve been waiting for things to come to a head for a long time and we’re ready.”

  He looked at Trent and the other two Keepers who all nodded.

  “Okay Dad,” Cindy slipped away from Ronan to give them all one last hug then let herself be ushered over to the fountain. Truly, she wanted to collapse back into his arms but she turned back to the room full of people as a nagging thought struck her.

  “Before I go,” she said, taking them all in with a stubborn expression, “enough of this ‘princess’ business. I’ll learn about the moon goddess part of me and how to play my role in all of this but I’m still the same old me,” she took in Ronan’s crew who stood as a formidable group, “and so is he,” she jutted her thumb back at Ronan’s chest.

  The tile and stone room echoed with laughter and Cindy was relieved that, no matter how many ancient spirits resided inside them, to friends and family they could still be just Cindy and Ronan. The future might be uncertain but, at least, she took comfort in that.

  Ronan did gather her up then and they each placed a hand on the amulet and slipped through the Tides.

  Chapter Forty-nine

  The Isle of Gades

  Cindy stretched against the soft warmth of her bed in the villa. She snuggled up close to the sleeping male form behind her. An appreciative sleep sigh came from Ronan as he roped an arm around her middle and pulled her to him. She couldn’t help but wriggle against the alarmingly hard part of him pressed against her bottom. Eyes still closed, she smiled when a deep moan rumbled in his chest and he pulled her even tighter to him. His hot breath fanned over her neck.

  “Be still, cara, unless you’re ready for what comes next,” he said against her ear.

  His voice was low and husky from sleep. The warning in his tone made her game to accept his dare. She pushed her backside into the crook of his hips again as the arm around her middle tensed. His hand traced a path down her stomach to wedge itself between her thighs and her legs opened of their own accord. Lightly, his fingers brushed over her sex, bringing her fully awake to a state of hungry need but she knew he’d never give in that easy.

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nbsp; His hand pulled away, moving in a feathery soft trail along the outside of her thigh and up her side, then further to trace the outline of her breast. She squirmed against his warm body, willing him to commit to his caresses. He chuckled deep and gravelly and dove forward with his head to lick the back of her ear with his tongue. Then his large hand came fully over her breast and squeezed.

  “Mmmm, Ronan,” she said in a lusty whisper.

  “Remember cara, I gave you fair warning,” he murmured.

  She arched her back.

  “That’s it, Kassa. Just know that I’ll be giving you no quarter.”

  Her eyes flashed open at the dire words. He laughed under his breath and turned her, covering her body with his own and stealing her breath with a smothering kiss. He was hard and ready for her and her womb tightened as he moved over her.

  She had no intention of lying docile while he set the pace though. She brought her hands up behind his head and thrust her fingertips into his hair then pulled as she thrust her tongue inside his mouth and tasted him. Her fingernails raked downward, softly scoring his flesh until they made it all the way to the extent of her reach and rested on each side of his hips. She sank them into his firm backside briefly then squeezed.

  He bucked against her in surprise and she took full advantage of the moment to grind against him. His body answered her demand by thrusting again. Cindy smiled into his mouth at the thought that the daring captain might not be in full control of himself.

  He broke their kiss then and looked down at her, one eyebrow cocked at a menacing angle.

  “I’ll give you points for bravery dear one, but rest assured, you’re no match for me.”

  At this, she gave him her best temptress’s smile and cocked her own brow up in a perfect imitation of his.