The Veiled Descendants

by Sophia Menesini

  “Perses now has the power of the sea god. So he can also bring down Ami’s boundary. We should probably expect another army, not to mention convincing the elves to help a bunch of humans,” V tacks on to the list.

  There’s silence around the group.

  Shea feels despair trying to settle, but the words inside of herself come back to her.

  Fight, Shea. Gods damn it all, fight for them.

  ​“We’ll do it,” Shea says.

  ​“How?” Jo argues, looking completely overwhelmed.

  ​Shea turns, looking back out at Arethusa, falling away in the distance.

  ​“I don’t know,” Shea chuckles. “But I refuse to let him win. We’ll get Triton to the throne. We have to fight, because I have people worth fighting for.”

  ​Shea looks back at Jo, who is smiling at her widely.

  ​She pulls her into a kiss, and she can tell Triton and V are still watching.

  ​“As long as I have all of you, I can do anything. We’ll beat him. He’s not just dealing with one demigod now, right? It’s two gods against one.”

  ​Shea holds Jo, and they watch their city fading in the distance.

  Jo orders V to help get Triton and Shea below to the medical quarters.

  ​Shea laughs when Caen runs over after seeing her limping toward the deck doors and scoops her up into his arms so she doesn’t have to walk.

  ​They’re going to make it to Erebos, and she’s going to find her mom. She’s going to make Perses pay for everything he’s taken.

  But for now, she rests her head against Caen’s chest and lets the voices of those she loves to lull her into a moment of hope.

  Chapter 46: Epilogue One

  Perses

  The light fades from around him, and the next thing Perses knows, he’s holding a blade out in thin air.

  Poseidon is gone, but he can feel his father’s power running through his veins. He feels stronger—and alive. He looks over at where Shea and Triton were before and notes their absence.

  ​The woman known as Thetis comes limping into the room. The bodies on the floor are steaming, smoking, burned from the celestial light.

  ​His magic is running wild through his entire system, so that he almost doesn’t notice when one of the corpses twitches.

  ​He walks around the remaining throne, and down the steps onto the scorched floor.

  ​Thetis limps toward him and then Coral Fang and a group of Merrow enter the throne room as well. He gestures for them to secure the perimeters and they get to work.

  ​Perses stops in front of the burned body.

  The creature is shaking, shivering in pain.

  ​He coldly examines Ceto’s bloodied form, her body covered in burns, pieces of her hair missing—and the gold spikes that adorned her once regal head seem to have melted to her scalp.

  He can’t quite believe she’s still alive as he takes note of the three stab wounds on her chest. But then again, serpents have always had a way of surviving even the worst of events.

  ​He squats down beside her, running a finger along her face, and she can barely squeak out a moan.

  ​He cocks his head, smiling at her predicament.

  ​Her burned lips move, and her eyes glisten at the effort.

  ​“Help me,” she rasps.

  ​Perses grins. “Oh I will, my love. I know just how to help.”

  ​There’s relief in her eyes and he shakes his head at the blind trust.

  ​“There’s only one way to finish off a serpent,” he tells her, standing.

  ​He strolls over to her abandoned broadsword, enjoying the weight in his hands, and then walks back to her.

  ​“You cut off its head,” he finishes.

  ​Thetis stands still, watching, hoping she isn’t next.

  ​Ceto’s eyes widen when she sees the sword, and she uses all her strength to shake her head.

  ​He swings the sword up over his head and brings it down on her neck, severing her marred face from the rest of her disgusting body.

  ​There’s a shocked expression on Ceto’s decapitated head, and Perses laughs at it.

  ​He turns to Thetis with the blade still in his grip and she takes a step back, stumbling right into Coral Fang, who secures her arms behind her.

  ​“No. Please, I did as you asked, I still want to help you,” Thetis pleads as Perses comes closer, until he’s standing right in front of her. “They have my son! He’s your nephew!”

  ​Perses pauses, then lifts her face from under her chin as he examines her expression, forcing her eyes to meet his.

  ​“Triton’s boy?”

  ​She nods, confirming.

  ​“I had no plans of killing you before. You’re an elf after all. One of the gods’ children, so you were safe from me, but now…” Perses drawls, he leans in and kisses her cheek. “Now…you’re family. Release her, Coral Fang, there is much to do.”

  ​“What do you want to do about the Lycons?” Coral Fang hisses, releasing Thetis from his grip.

  ​Perses brings his hands up and a dark blue energy, like little sparks of underwater lightning, courses over his fingers. He peers up at them, his green eyes swirling with pieces of gold in them now. His immortal power on display.

  ​“Bring them to me, for they shall receive an eternal reward. We’ll need more Merrow anyway if we’re to attack Erebos.”

  ​Coral Fang smiles in delight and he orders two of his fellow creatures to begin rounding up the remaining Lycons.

  ​“The king is dead,” Perses crows, walking back to the thrones.

  ​He gathers some water from the fountain and uses it to right the knocked over throne. He takes a seat and Thetis and Coral Fang follow, kneeling before him.

  ​Perses opens his mouth to continue, when he feels a disturbance within his mind. He closes his eyes, venturing to his room of mirrors inside Olympus. He looks around, nodding with satisfaction when he sees Poseidon’s mirror shattered. Triton’s swirling looking glass is where it’s been since they trained together in the Underdeep. They formed their connection long ago, but a new mirror is now in his inner circle.

  ​One he unveiled but couldn’t access without her permission. He strolls over to the magic mirror, placing his hands through the surface, and he can see her standing there on her ship, staring out at Arethusa.

  So, they made it.

  ​“Were you concerned, sister?” he teases.

  ​And she doesn’t like that. Her turquoise magic bursts with sparks of gold. She doesn’t like that at all.

  He boasts of his success and laughs at her predictable counter, but a seed of doubt plants itself in his gut as he tests her magic.

  He examines it and compares it to his own. They’re almost identical.

  ​But not to his mortal magic, no, to his now immortal magic.

  She’s a mortal god, somehow, not a demigod like he once was. She’s like Triton. Suddenly there’s cause for concern, indeed, particularly since she’s not on his side at the moment.

  ​But she could be, a voice whispers from his mind’s shadows.

  ​He recalls the memories that he saw when he opened the connection, the man who wished to be king, the empress of slaves, her fears, yes. But also, those she loves. The queen, the governor’s boy, the cropped elfling, the giant, the one-armed Tauri, and the half man.

  ​There’s power, and darkness in her. He just needs to expose it.

  ​He threatens her life as casually as advice, and then she fades away. But he needs to deal with this, quickly.

  ​“Sire?” Coral Fang asks, and it seems as if they’ve been trying to get his attention for a while as they’re no longer kneeling.

  ​“Gather a group. Swim out to the Duchess and their fleet of refugees, and sink them. All of them.”

  ​“Survivors?” Coral Fang inquires wickedly.

  ​Perses smiles. “Those strong enough to survive the siren cliffs, you can let those go, but the ships, I want them all
sent to the Underdeep.”

  ​“Yes, Master,” Coral Fang replies, bowing and stepping away. He whistles for the remaining Merrow to follow him and they do, out the garden.

  ​Thetis steps closer to Perses with a harried expression.

  ​“Please…my lord,” she struggles to find the right title before continuing her request, “I believe my son is on the Duchess, you can’t sink it.”

  ​Perses stands, storming closer to her until their faces are inches apart. “I will do as I please,” he hisses.

  ​Thetis looks down at the ground, cowering in fear.

  ​“Besides,” Perses tells her sweetly, and she looks up reluctantly, meeting his gaze, “he’s with his father, and I’m sure Triton won’t let anything happen to him.”

  ​Perses pushes past her and heads for the broken-down doors.

  ​“Follow me,” Perses shouts back to the other elf, and he can hear her high-heeled boots clicking on the marble as she runs to catch up.

  ​“Where are we going?” Thetis asks.

  ​“To make an army,” Perses answers. “We’ll need one, if I’m going to become the king of the sea.”

  ​And with that, they continue the rest of their way in silence.

  Perses smiles to himself. Let’s see how powerful my dear sister is…when she loses everyone she loves.

  Chapter 47: Epilogue Two

  Atlantis

  Deep within the Underdeep, away from the monster’s trench, past the shipwreck graveyard, and the merfolk’s lair…

  Black gates rise from the ocean floor.

  Sentinels stand along each iron spike, and their electric spears stomp the seafloor in a steady pace, a funeral rite for their beloved king.

  Through the gates, the black city awaits.

  Atlantis.

  Her stunning buildings made of black pearl shimmers from the blue lights trapped within streetlamps along the paths and corners. The towers and mansions reach high toward the surface. Coral trees lay scattered throughout the magnificent city, once home to the old gods of all the oceans.

  All of them, the mother of water nymphs, the father of tides, the son of a king, and the old king himself. How Atlantis yearns for the days of old, the days she could taste the power with every step her gods took.

  She’s waited dormant, longing for her king’s return. She mourns the loss of the old sea king. But the throne of power has been empty too long.

  Atlantis is alive.

  She was here long before Poseidon won her in a game of chance as a guardian of the seas, mistress to the titan Oceanus.

  She feels her king’s death like the loss of a child.

  Her core burns, and her existence tortures her to find the oceans’ new master.

  Through the city to the palace, to the twin towers, and the royal hall, deep within the immortal rooms, and waiting in the throne room of the gods—the trident pulses, brimming with power, calling to its next master.

  The throne is empty; the king is dead; Atlantis cries for her guardian.

  Cracks and earthquakes shatter the seafloor.

  She extends her power to the surface, past the merfolk, and graveyard of ships, away from the monsters of the deep, and the Merrow hiding in the shadows.

  She extends her call to the portal.

  The portal leading into Erebos, into Nereid.

  She makes the vines surrounding it glow a pale white, and once she feels them in her grasp, she forces them to grow. She imagines the vines crawling toward the elven city, ripping apart the buildings and the earth, swallowing it back into the depths.

  It’s begun.

  She can feel her master’s heirs.

  Her children above the sea.

  She’ll bring them down, and back home to take their rightful place in her underwater city, and then, she’ll never let them go again.

  The thrones of the ocean kingdom groan.

  They need a successor.

  Without one, the sea will grow untamable, and the world will fall to chaos.

  There must always be a king.

  Or queen, Atlantis muses, feeling the female child near.

  And if they won’t come to her, then she’ll bring Nereid down with them.

  For the ocean must have a master, and Atlantis looks forward to seeing which one that will be.

  The story continues in book three of the Veiled Duchess series, The Veiled Throne.

  Glossary

  Achelous the white cliffs of Achelous; The crying god cliffs; where elves claimed by Triton go to claim their conch shells from the sirens; the siren cliffs that protect the ocean side the Eastlands.

  Achelous Gulf Siren territory, a graveyard of ships in shallow water that protects the ocean coast of the Eastlands.

  Acheron ​ Capital city of Lycos, translates in elvish to the City of Pain.

  Aiolos reef the reef that used to serve as a barrier between the Old Sea and the Nereidan waters created by Poseidon to expel monsters from the inland waters.

  Aphrodite​ Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation.

  Amphitrite ​ Greek goddess of the sea, wife of the god Poseidon, and one of the fifty (or one hundred) daughters (the Nereids) of Nereus and Doris (the daughter of Oceanus). Poseidon chose Amphitrite from among her sisters as the Nereids performed a dance on the isle of Naxos.

  Amidship​ The middle of the ship.

  Arethusa​ Northern queendom on Nereid ruled by a matriarchal line.

  Arethusian Rose The official flower of Arethusa; white with blue on the petals.

  Aurai Wind spirits that live over the Aiolos reef.

  Aquarian Elves who can use water elemental magic.

  Aquarius Magic A common gift of the elves and one that solidifies a bond with Water

  Azulean Lionbird A creature with the body of a cat and the wings and neck of an owl. It has both vibrant fur and feathers on its body varying in shades of greens, blues, purples, and reds. It has razor sharp talons on its paws and eats small creatures like mice and bugs. They are loyal creatures and will often bond with one being for either it or their entire life. They live an average of 40 years.

  Azulshade A plant that grows in the Underdeep and the shores of Tenaro; it has healing properties if turned into a salve, but is deadly if ingested. A black plant with blue veins.

  Atlantis​ The black city and kingdom of Poseidon in the Underdeep; an entity that grants the gods their power (she/her); mistress to the titan Oceanus.

  Bos’n​​ A warrant officer or petty officer in charge of a ship’s rigging, anchors, cables, and deck crew.

  Bow​​ Front of a ship.

  Bowsprit​ The slanted spar at a ship’s prow jutting out in front of the ship. It is usually used as a lead connection for a small navigational sail.

  Brizo River The run off river through Oceanus that stems from the Nereus River.

  Broadside​ A general term for the vantage on another ship of absolute perpendicular to the direction it is going. To get along broadside a ship was to take it at a very vulnerable angle.

  Charis Hidden country to the north of Nereid.

  Cabin boy/girl ​A child employed to wait on a ship’s captain or passengers.

  Captain​ Captains were selected because they were respected, not because they were feared. When electing a captain, the crew looked for someone who was capable of commanding and navigating a ship. Also, it was crucial that captain had courage and skill in sword fighting and leadership.

  Celestial Steel The only material that can kill an immortal god or titan. If used by a mortal to kill a god it can transfer the essence of that being, turning the mortal immortal. It was created by Hephaestus after the Titan War to keep the Titans at bay.

  Claiming​ When elves are claimed by the old gods and trained in their specialty of magic, they are claimed priests and priestesses. Some elves come into their magic without being claimed due to many elven children being born outside of Erebos in slavery.

  C
ocytus Elven province in Lycos.

  Crow’s Nest​ A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.

  Council of Nobles The advisory council of elected nobles selected by the Queen of Arethusa to advise and counsel alongside her supreme rule.

  Eastlands​ Elven country on the east coast of Nereid, home to the last of the free elves and guarded entrance to the Underdeep.

  Elder Council The high council of elves that lead the separate tribes of the Eastlands and reside in Erebos, the elven capital city that protects the portal to the Underdeep.

  Elvish The language of the elves.

  Elysium The afterlife for the virtuous souls and heroes of the mortal world. A underworld realm of peace.

  Erebos​ Capital city of the Eastlands where elven clans and tribes gather for the Elder Council meetings, claimings, and other events.

  Fates Three women who weave the fate of mortals.

  Fire Daisy’s Tavern Tavern in Port Town on Orena.

  First Mate​ First mate had rank just below the captain. He would take control of the ship if the captain could not perform his duties any longer. However, pirate ships usually did not have first mates; quartermasters performed their duties.

  Forecastle​ The section of the upper deck of a ship located at the bow forward of the foremast.