Ice

by M.S Watson

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘How she felt when he kissed her – like a tub of roses swimming in honey, cologne, nutmeg and blackberries.’

  Samuel Sullivan Cox

  It was only when I heard the sound of Chrysabelle flooring the accelerator away from our home that I allowed myself to walk outside. I had my eyes closed, focusing on the calm and rhythmic breathing that caused my chest to rise and fall. I was aware of my heart beat, steady and smooth, listening as it pulsed through my veins.

  I was alive.

  With Amphitrite’s offer pounding through my mind, I barely registered the fact that Zeus had left the skies a peaceful, deep blue. Stars twinkled, piercing the darkness with their crystalline light and I breathed in the clear, crisp air that smelled of newly fallen rain. It went a long way to wipe out my mind of all the stresses, of the imminent threat that lingered as long as Cronus remained at large. He was weakened now, injured and would die if he couldn’t find a way to create a sustainable way to maintain his immortality on earth. At the very least, Lainie would be safe. In the underwater world, her power of manipulation would be thoroughly harnessed and she could be fully protected.

  I would choose to remain here, to protect the family I had come to accept. They weren’t perfect, nor were they of blood relation to me but I would protect them. They had taken Lainie and me in when no one else would, treated us as though we were their own. I couldn’t just follow my sister into the depths of the sea, leaving them to whatever he planned to do with them. They were innocent, decent people who didn’t deserve what he had dished out to them tonight, let alone whatever he might do if he’d been left to his own imagination. I shuddered to imagine it.

  ‘Iris?’

  I jumped, scratching my hands on the weather-roughened wood rail and digging tiny splinters into my palms. I cursed, looking down at their little points and Xanthias moved to stop me from trying to pull them out. Without looking at my face, he lowered a hand over my palms, leaving the skin tingling. A moment later, he raised his hand and turned it upright, displaying all of the tiny splinters as they rested against his skin. I ran my hands together gently, then with more pressure as I failed to accept the fact that he’d somehow removed them all from my skin. He laughed softly at my expression, betraying the tiredness that was etched across his features.

  With the pain gone and the splinters blowing off his skin in the wind, I took him in fully. His eyes were tired, circled with what appeared to be purple bruises and an array of bloodshot red streaks that marred the perfect whites of his eyes. It made the colour of them stand out so much more, brilliant cyan that glittered as he observed me. Pale skin, dark hair that lingered low over straight eyebrows. My heart gave a small thump as it registered just how handsome he was. The intensity with which he watched me was strong, unflinching.

  ‘Why are you still here?’ I asked, aware of the way my voice stuttered. He laughed again, this time slightly deeper. It showed in his face, minimising the effects of the battle scars that would undoubtedly linger for quite some time on all of our faces.

  He shrugged. ‘I don’t really know,’ he murmured. ‘I suppose I just received a whole new perspective on things. You know, seeing as I was on death row and all.’ He offered me a smile then, one that wasn’t so untouched by tonight’s events. I nodded, understanding.

  ‘And what insight did you come to conclude with?’ I replied, aware of his heightened breath and his close proximity to me. I watched while he bit his lip and looked down, something I did so often. He must have picked it up from me somewhere along the lines. He shrugged again and looked up at the starry night sky, taking in its intense beauty. A shooting star streaked across the black velvet night, lighting the blue of his eyes with icy fire.

  ‘I decided that life is better worth taking risks with than being cautious and missing out on opportunities,’ he murmured. His voice reverberated, low and enticing as he took a small step toward me. His hand went to my cheek, gently running his thumb in circles. He sighed, lips curling at the corners gently as he looked at me. For a moment, I completely forgot Cronus and the threat he posed. I forgot about mythology, finned beings and sirens, of Gods and Goddesses and magic. In that single moment, I simply saw Xanthias looking down at me with that small smile and the stars reflected in his gaze.

  ‘What type of risks are you after?’ I murmured, barely aware as Amphitrite and my sister came barrelling down the stairs. They didn’t notice us though, and Xanthias used a fingertip to turn my face around to him, so close.

  ‘Something exhilarating. Something that only occurs once in a lifetime.’ He smiled, gently guiding my head so it was facing him completely. Shadows danced over his face as the trees blew from a gentle breeze. ‘Something like sharing my first kiss with you.’

  I didn’t think. I simply reacted, ducking my head as an incredible rush of shyness overcame me. My cheeks were aflame, and I hoped he couldn’t see them in the faint light. His hand dropped from where it sat on the back of my neck, a faint sigh emanating from him.

  ‘Iris,’ he whispered. ‘Look at me please.’ I shook my head and forced my feet to shuffle back two steps. He advanced the same distance, slipping his fingers under my chin. When I turned my head aside, I found it difficult not just to melt in place. I didn’t move, feet like concrete as my screamed at me to look at him. ‘Please.’

  The flood gates broke. A moment later my head snapped up and he moved in close, completing the distance between us. He was warm and solid as he gripped my waist, pulling me close. His lips were soft, as though they were untouched by the dry rays of the sun. With eyes closed, I breathed in a new scent that lingered around him, something warm and spicy, but home-like too. He groaned when my sister interrupted us, pulling open the door. She looked suspiciously pleased, her dainty lips pulled into a wide grin and eyes glistening with mischievousness. She would pay.

  When I turned my gaze back to Xanthias, I noticed just how far apart we’d jumped. He could almost have cleared the porch and into the neighbour’s yard if he’d been any more surprised. As it was, he was breathing hard and his eyes flitted between my sister and me as though he was a deer caught in a hunter’s headlights. His cheeks were burning as though he’d spent too long in the sun and he hastily excused himself, rushing indoors. I tried to follow behind, to stop him and find out what was going to happen between us but Lainie stuck an arm out and blocked my access to the house. Her smile faded.

  ‘Chase after lover boy later,’ she told me. ‘Poseidon has some things to say to us before I leave. I also want to spend some time with my only sister before I go. I can’t guarantee when I’ll be back again.’ As she spoke, I watched her eyes fill with tears and I forgot about Xanthias all together. I pulled her into a tight hug, sobbing into her shoulder while her arms increasingly tightened around me. Any happiness that had occurred when Xanthias kissed me vanished, and I was left with the sadness of seeing my sister leave. She was difficult to live with but she was still a good sister, and I would miss her terribly.

  Footfalls sounded and I finally relinquished my hold on her, wiping the tears that fell in an endless stream. It was pointless. They refused to stop, pouring with emotion. Poseidon stood in the doorway behind Amphitrite as she opened the door slightly wider. Silently, she beckoned us inside and led the way to the front door. We were quiet as we walked, careful to avoid waking Chris and Nevada. They didn’t stir at all, sleeping peacefully as my sister and I crossed the threshold and down the stairs. Only when we were across the street and near the docks did Poseidon speak, his voice low and deep. It reverberated through the air, causing the water to ripple with his power.

  ‘I do wish you would consider coming with us,’ he said to me. ‘I can’t keep you completely safe on the land. If you were to live in the water, I could manipulate the currents to keep you completely out of harm’s way.’ He turned to look at me, coming to a halt on the end of the closest dock. Seagulls called overhead, alerting us to the lightening skies above us. It w
ouldn’t be long until the fishermen went out and spotted us. I shook my head and cast my eyes out to sea, ignoring the feeling of longing as the currents called to the finned side of me. My heart, however, was back in that house with two sleeping occupants.

  ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t,’ I replied, shaking my head resolutely. ‘If there was any way to bring Chris and Nevada with us, I would go without hesitation. But I can’t. They’re on the land and in harm’s way. Cronus is still out there and as long as he’s a threat, I will remain here to protect what family I have.’ Lainie cast her head down, biting her lip guiltily. I turned to her and grabbed her hands.

  ‘That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go,’ I clarified to her. ‘I need to stay. I have a future that demands I remain on the land. If there’s any way for me to learn to keep my fins from appearing, I will learn it from Xanthias and my dream of becoming a professional surfer can go ahead. But until the land is safe again, I would feel best if I stayed, but you go. I’m sure there’s many places that Amphitrite will take you to that you’ve always wanted to go to, but could never afford the airfare. There’s possibilities for you in the sea that don’t entice me.’

  She nodded but only some of the guilt appeared to vanish. She pulled me into a wordless hug, communicating all that she needed to in one simple gesture. Poseidon made a step toward us, to pull us apart but Amphitrite stepped in to stop him. With one arm wrapped around his waist, her fingers dug into his side and effectively stopped him in place. I didn’t know if they felt pain, or if they did, what their tolerance was but it was obvious that she had him held in place regardless. Only when Lainie began to pull away did Amphitrite release him, her expression mirroring Lainie’s as she felt the pain of the separation to come.

  ‘We’ve organised everything. We have a siren in place who will act as the administrative person behind the Latin school you’re meant to be attending and an official signed document has been left on the kitchen table. It has both Chris’ and Nevada’s signatures and Amphitrite has installed some snippets of memory in their minds to back up the document. The school will be based in Italy and you will have monthly video chat sessions to continue the cover story,’ Poseidon told Lainie. He turned to me and the seriousness faded slightly. He pulled me into his own hug, feather-light in comparison with Lainie’s hug. It was as though he was afraid of breaking me.

  A moment later, Amphitrite was tapping on his shoulder and he shuddered, recoiling with tears that remained glistening in his eyes. Amphitrite launched herself at me then, her hug tight enough to almost break bones. I choked and she relinquished me, pulling back in much the same motion as Poseidon. With the tears clearing, Poseidon’s seriousness returned.

  ‘Amphitrite will check in regularly,’ he told me. ‘She will check in shortly before the video calls are scheduled for Lainie to speak with you and your family. Make sure she is unseen. If there’s any conspicuous activity, contact us immediately. Cronus has vanished for now and without a corporeal form to bind him, he’ll be weaker than ever. He’ll also be looking for a body to bind with, so the hospital is being watched regularly by both my sirens and Hades’ invisible hell hounds. Only those who know they are there will be able to see them.’

  ‘You need to stay away from dark alleys, too,’ Amphitrite continued, though her tears refused to fade. ‘Anywhere that you can be taken without being seen by witnesses will be the perfect place for Cronus to steal you away. Don’t give him that chance.’ She stepped toward me, hands shimmering as a bracelet appeared between her hands. It pulsed like a heart, regularly but so slightly that a human wouldn’t even notice. It was dark, almost completely black with shimmery onyx tones inside. Inside the very heart of it contained a deep red circle of shimmering tones, much like the onyx but such a rich red I wondered if it contained blood.

  ‘A gift, from Hades,’ Poseidon explained while Amphitrite fastened it around my wrist. ‘It contains enough of Hades’ power to capture Cronus should you come into contact with him. It contains hell fire, which is what you see pulsing in the middle.’ He nodded toward the redness, watching it pulse as though by order of his words. Next, Amphitrite presented a strand of pearls through the strands of her hair that I was sure weren’t there seconds before. She simply lifted her hand gently, watching as my hair gave a small tug and the pearls fastened themselves into the strands.

  ‘Our gift of the sea,’ she whispered lovingly, letting my hair fall back into place. ‘They contain a potent amount of power from Poseidon and I, enchanted in such a way that it shall enable you to increase your powers and provide significant protection for you. They will become intangible whenever you will them to, and can only be removed by lovingly coaxing them with your fingertips.’

  I nodded, running my hands gently over them as they pulsed with warmth. A small tinkling sounded in my ear closest to them and Amphitrite giggled.

  ‘You’re tickling them,’ she laughed. ‘That’s the tingling sensation you’ll hear.’ In awe I raised my hand once more and tickled them again, listening to their chimes as they grew in volume. Poseidon rolled his eyes and wrapped a strong arm around his wife’s shoulders, pulling her toward the edge of the docks. Horns echoed in the distance as fishing boats began their day, prompting a worried expression to cross Amphitrite’s face.

  ‘We must hurry,’ Poseidon cautioned, turning a warning glance on my sister. She nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. She gave me a hurried hug once more, her hair tickling my face.

  ‘Goodbye my sister,’ she whispered. ‘I will see you again.’

  Without a moment of hesitation, she turned on her heel and strode past Poseidon and Amphitrite, leaping in a graceful arch that entered the water without barely breaking the surface. She appeared a moment later, beckoning for the others to follow. Her tail surfaced as she waited, splashing water up to me. It narrowly missed my legs, leaving droplets smearing against my face. Small chimes echoed in my ear and I realised that the water must have splashed on the pearls, tickling them.

  With a small wave, both Poseidon and Amphitrite stepped down from the dock, the water rising up to meet them like a red carpet to a pair of celebrities. It all passed in a blur then. As the first fishing trawler appeared around the corner, the sea swallowed the three of them. Fingers pointed and feet pounded. Water bubbled, the only remaining evidence that the God of the sea and his wife had just taken my sister away.

  ‘Hey! You!’ Fingers pointed. People yelled. I had to get out of here. Without looking back, I forced my legs to pound up the ramp and across the street. The fishermen yelled after me, trying to make sense of what they had seen but I didn’t stop. I ran down the street, far from home then cut into a backyard and started leaping over fences until I reached home. By the time finally got back, I was panting from exertion and my entire body ached. My leg bled from a snag on a fence and sweat poured from every inch of my body.

  ‘Hey honey,’ Nevada addressed me as I entered. ‘Been for a run, I see.’ I nodded, passing her as I ran upstairs. I bypassed my own room and went to Lainie’s, noticing how unchanged it’d been left. As I lay down on her massive bed, I finally let the pain of separating from my sister sink in. Tears came in an endless flow. Chest spasmed, fingers clenched. Finally, after what felt to be years, I calmed enough to feel the gentle pulsing of the amulets at my neck and wrist. It was calming, letting me know that everything was going to be okay. Now, I had to be strong. Now, I had to protect my family no matter what.

  Now, I refused to break.

  The Aftermath

  A Short Story

  What happened following the completion of Ice, but before Frost.

  Iris stood by the end of the road, staring at the waves that crashed against one another in the raging storm. Weeks had gone by and there was no sign of Poseidon, Amphitrite, her sister Lainie or any of the Gods that she had encountered that fateful night. She missed Lainie more than she’d ever thought possible, despite her sister’s short comings. She missed the few times she and Lainie got
along together, laughing along with one another whenever times got tough. Craving the feeling of her sister’s presence was an understatement. Lainie was connected to her on a level that few twins ever experienced.

  As she gazed, the sun set before her eyes and cast the sky a dazzling array of pink and violet hues, leaving her dazzled in a way that the ocean could never satisfy her. Though her soul and body were connected, bound by the bacterial agent that tampers with her D.N.A., she couldn’t help but feel as though the idea of flying was liberation in physical form. Shortly after Poseidon and Amphitrite had returned to the sea - taking Lainie with them - Iris had chosen to remain behind and protect her adopted family, Nevada and Chris Glass. Their house fronted the ocean and was a short walk from the Beaufort docks, South Carolina, which was just fine by Iris due to her finned predicament. ‘Being kissed by the Goddess of the sea isn’t really all it’s cut out to be,’ she thought to herself, looking down at her wriggling toes.

  ‘Iris?’ a rough voice called her name. ‘Is that you?’ She turned.

  Starden stood before her, just as she remembered him from weeks ago when she’d driven Lainie to his door to explain that she’d been accepted into ‘Latin school’. It was a hoax, much like her relationship with him, but wouldn’t be for much longer. The desired effect that Lainie had been yearning for was long gone. He sighed and brushed a large hand through his golden hair, raising his eyebrows awkwardly. He was attractive, in a cliché footballer way, but it was lost on Iris. All she felt was a deep sense of sadness and guilt that pressed against her skull and drove a migraine deep into her brain.

  ‘Uh-oh,’ he said, half laughing. ‘I know that expression. Something isn’t right.’

  She smiled in return. Indeed, something wasn’t right, but it was going to be. She sighed and stared him deep into his eyes, the inane temptation deep inside to freeze time and flee bashing against her rib cage, urging her for reprieve. Alas, though, she would have to tell him, right now before she relinquished the urge and fled. She didn’t break her gaze from him, instead using the fear inside to push back her shoulders and place determination into the depths of her aqua-blue eyes. In that moment, she willed all her memories of Lainie’s cruelty toward him to surge forward and reinforce her.

  ‘Starden,’ she addressed him, her guilt surging through her very blood cells. ‘I have to tell you something about my sister.’ His smile fell.

  ‘What?’ he asked, his brow furrowing. ‘Tell me, Iris. I want to know.’ He stepped toward her by way of encouragement and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, arousing a short squeeze of his fingers.

  She sighed and bit her lip, casting her gaze to the calm of the ocean before she dared to look back at him. She drew strength from the waters’ presence and finally dropped the bombshell.

  ‘Lainie’s intentions haven’t been true,’ she admitted, feeling her breath rush out in a giant swoop. ‘They never have. I’ve known for a while but never had the courage to tell you. Starden, the only reason why she’s with you is to elicit some form of jealousy from Ryker. The moment she ensnares him - and she will - you will be long forgotten.’

  His hands fell away.

  She’d expected him to put up some form of denial but the anger and sadness that flared in his eyes told her all she needed to know: he knew what Lainie was doing. The cold wind blew, chilling her to the bone despite her thick jacket. Winter was coming, but first it was autumn’s turn to play with them. Starden seemed calm, nodding to himself. But he didn’t fool her. She could see the wetness of his eyes as he cast them downward, falling into his own internal blackened pit of misery. She longed to reach out to him, take him into her arms and stroke his soft golden hair. But she couldn’t, because he still belonged to her sister and always would. And she, to her own torment - Xanthias, intriguing and non-human.

  ‘Life isn’t fair,’ he whispered.

  Finally, after a few long and painful moments, he turned away without a single word more. Pained, Iris watched after his retreating form and noticed for the first time the level of his intense love and commitment to her sister. And deep inside, she knew she had made a mistake about confirming his suspicions, because deep inside he hid behind his doubts and lied to his soul about the lies she had woven around him. The sea breeze picked up and whisked autumn leaves around his feet, falling in his hair. He didn’t seem to notice or care. Iris knew she’d made a terrible mistake.

  Now her soul would pay the price.

  About the Author

  Other books by this author

  Please visit your favorite eBook retailer to discover other books by M.S Watson:

  The Poseidon’s Girls Trilogy

  Ice – Out Now

  Frost – Coming Soon

  Tempest – Coming Soon

  The Katherine MacLaine Trilogy

  Illusion – Out Now

  #2: Yet to be named

  #3: Yet to be named

  Stand-alones

  Glass Bones

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