Moontide

“Cin!” a little louder, another knock, “open up!”

Cindy blew out an agonized breath then jumped up off the bed and ran to the door. She cracked it open a little bit and peered into Marley’s worried face.

“Hi, how’s it going?” Cindy asked her friend, her smile over bright. She peaked out into the hallway, trying to keep the door from opening too far and revealing the man in her room… on her bed!

Marley pulled back a little and gave her a weird look but didn’t say anything.

“Did you speak to that… uh… woman that Kay was staying with?”

“Yeah, a bit. I don’t know that it was all that helpful,” Marley mumbled a little too dismissively for Cindy to ignore. Hearing the whole story would have to wait though.

“Are you feeling okay, honey,” Marley asked, “you’re a little flushed and your eyes look kind of glassy.”

“Actually, uh, I do feel a bit under the weather,” Cindy fibbed.

Her mind raced to come up with some sort of malady, something that would get rid of her friend before Ronan wasted away on the bed. She had it! In a stage whisper, she rasped, “I think I had some bad Cuban.”

“Ooooh,” Marley’s face crinkled up. She stepped back in a way that made Cindy really wonder what the heck some ‘bad Cuban’ could do to a person.

“Well, you just stay here and get some rest tonight. I’ll check on you later.”

“Thanks, Mar. Sorry to wuss out on you like this.”

“No problem, just take it easy. I’m going out again, but I’ll have my phone if you need anything. Oh, and next time,” she continued, as she turned to walk down the hall, “ask my advice on the restaurants, I know all the best places.” Her voice faded out as she neared her own room.

Cindy waited for a moment then closed the door and turned back to Ronan. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. She moved as fast as she could to place her hands on his shoulders. He straightened his back then took both of her hands in his, instantly coming back to her.

“Sorry about that,” Cindy told him, “I just wasn’t sure that now was a good time to introduce the two of you.”

He smiled a time wearied smile that made it almost easy to believe that he really was hundreds of years old, then traced the side of her face with his finger.

“And I am sorry to once again, be interfering with your plans, cara,” his voice was rough.

Cindy shrugged. She hadn’t minded his ‘interfering’ a few minutes ago… at all.

He gave her a heated stare that she was beginning to think was an expression he might have invented. She shook her head to clear it then tugged him up off of the bed.

“Come with me.” She said, pulling him across the room toward the closet. She dug around for a little while before popping back around.

“Here it is,” she said, holding a cloth pouch in her hand.

He pulled the little pink bag from her grasp and lifted an eyebrow as he held it at eye level.

“Open it up.” She urged, then slipped her arm around his waist to stand next to him, careful not to break contact.

He pulled the drawstring and took out the copper vile that was the bane of his existence. Cindy reached up to still its spinning.

“It feels warm,” she marveled then released it and pressed closer into Ronan’s side. “I didn’t notice that before.”

Ronan’s face darkened.

“You weren’t handling it overmuch were you?”

“Well, I was looking at it…”

“But not touching?”

She didn’t answer.

“You didn’t try to open it did you cara?” He pressed.

“Of course not.” She blurted out too quickly.

He canted his head at an admonishing angle, the stern captain again.

“This is a relic of the gods. It’s very dangerous. You saw today what can happen…”

She shuddered then nodded. How could she forget that terrifying experience? He squeezed her into his side even tighter.

“So what does this thing do anyway,” she asked, trying to change the subject. “Why’s it so important?”

Ronan’s hand closed around the vile.

“It’s a charm,” he said, “innocuous itself, but inside, it holds a potion. A powerful nectar of the gods that contains special restorative powers. It was my task to see to its safe passage between worlds and to deliver it to a messenger. An immortal from one of the heavenly realms needs it to save a human life.” Cindy’s breath stopped short, but he went on. “I wasn’t given all of the details. My task was only to exchange the elixir for an amulet that Poseidon wishes to acquire.”

“So, now that you have it back, you can make the exchange and everything will be alright?” Cindy asked.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead then stayed silent a moment.

“It seems that nothing ever goes smoothly where the intrigues of the gods are concerned. The Olympian and the amulet are missing. So even with the elixir…”

“You’re S.O.L.,” Cindy finished for him. He stiffened, looking at her in confusion. “You’ve still got serious problems.” She clarified.

“Yes,” Ronan said, “this is the case. But I think I may have a plan.”

“Cin!” a little louder, another knock, “open up!”

Cindy blew out an agonized breath, then jumped up off the bed and ran to the door. She cracked it open and peered straight into Marley’s worried face.

“Hi, how’s it going?” Cindy asked her friend, her smile over bright. She peaked out into the hallway, trying to keep the door from opening too far and revealing the man in her room… on her bed!

Marley pulled back a little and gave her a weird look, but didn’t say anything.

“Did you speak to that… uh… woman that Kay was staying with?”

“Yeah, a bit. I don’t know that it was all that helpful,” Marley mumbled, a little too dismissively for Cindy to ignore. Hearing the whole story would have to wait, though.

“Are you feeling okay, honey?” Marley’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a little flushed, and your eyes look kind of glassy.”

“Actually, uh, I do feel a bit under the weather.” Cindy fibbed.

Her mind raced to come up with some sort of malady, something that would get rid of her friend before Ronan wasted away on the bed. In a stage whisper, she rasped, “I think I had some bad Cuban.”

“Ooooh,” Marley’s face crinkled up. She stepped back in a way that made Cindy really wonder what the heck some ‘bad Cuban’ could do to a person.

“Well, you just stay here and get some rest tonight. I’ll check on you later.”

“Thanks, Mar. Sorry to wuss out on you like this.”

“No problem, just take it easy. I’m going out again, but I’ll have my phone if you need anything. Oh, and next time,” she continued, as she turned to walk down the hall, “ask my advice on the restaurants. I know all the best places.” Her voice faded out as she neared her own room.

Cindy waited till the coast was clear, then closed the door and turned back to Ronan. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. She moved as fast as she could to place her hands on his shoulders. He straightened his back and took both of her hands in his, instantly coming back to her.

“Sorry about that,” Cindy lamented. “I just wasn’t sure now was a good time to introduce the two of you.”

He smiled a time wearied smile, making it almost easy to believe he really was hundreds of years old, then traced the side of her face with his finger.

“And I am sorry to, once again, be interfering with your plans, cara.” His voice was rough.

Cindy shrugged. She hadn’t minded his ‘interfering’ a few minutes ago… at all.

He gave her a heated stare that she was beginning to think was an expression he might have invented. She shook her head to clear it, then tugged him up off of the bed.

“Come with me.” She said, pulling him across the room toward the closet. She dug around for a little while before popping back up.

“Here it is!” She said, holding a cloth pouch in her hand.

He pulled the little pink bag from her grasp and lifted an eyebrow as he held it at eye level.

“Open it up.” She urged, then slipped her arm around his waist to stand next to him, careful not to break contact.

He pulled the drawstring and took out the copper vile that was the bane of his existence. Cindy reached up to still its spinning.

“It feels warm,” she marveled, then released it and pressed closer into Ronan’s side. “I didn’t notice that before.”

Ronan’s face darkened.

“You weren’t handling it overmuch were you?”

“Well, I was looking at it…”

“But not touching?”

She didn’t answer.

“You didn’t try to open it did you, cara?” He pressed.

“Of course not.” She blurted out too quickly.

He canted his head at an admonishing angle, the stern captain again.

“This is a relic of the gods. It’s very dangerous. You saw today what can happen…”

She shuddered, then nodded. How could she forget that terrifying experience? He squeezed her into his side even tighter.

“So what does this thing do anyway?” She asked, trying to change the subject. “Why’s it so important?”

Ronan’s hand closed around the vile.

“It’s a charm,” he said, “innocuous itself, but inside, it holds a potion. A powerful nectar of the gods that contains special restorative powers. It was my task to see to its safe passage between worlds and to deliver it to a messenger. An immortal from one of the heavenly realms needs it to save a human life.” Cindy’s breath stopped short, but he went on. “I wasn’t given all of the details. My task was only to exchange the elixir for an amulet that Poseidon wishes to acquire.”

“So, now that you have it back, you can make the exchange and everything will be alright?” Cindy asked.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead, staying silent a moment before he spoke again.

“It seems nothing ever goes smoothly where the gods are concerned. The Olympian and the amulet are missing. So even with the elixir…”

“You’re S.O.L.,” Cindy finished for him. He stiffened, looking at her in confusion. “You’ve still got serious problems.” She clarified.

“Yes,” Ronan said, “this is the case. But I think I may have a plan.”

**What’s the plan, Captain? Anyone have any ideas? Stay tuned! ;)

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