by Zoe Forward
She tapped a long, silver-painted nail against her teeth. “I don’t like your arrogance, but you’re smart. He violated my temple with Medusa. It’s why I turned the bitch into a monster. Poseidon refuses to meet with me to discuss matters.” Her eyes darted over Merck’s right shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Bythos?”
Bythos bobbed in the water, back in his half-merman, half-horse form. “I don’t recall you submitting a request for an audience recently. If he refused, then perhaps he doesn’t think you mean to meet peacefully. The previous two times he agreed to meet with you there were traps meant to hurt him.”
Merck took a step toward Athena. The snake men around her tensed for attack. He said, “If you require death to end this vendetta to take a throne you have no plans to rule in the manner which it will need, then kill me. Kill Poseidon’s son. But first, vow you will stop attacking Shannon and her family who have nothing to do with any of this. If the Pleiades goddesses have been assassinated, then she and the others related to her are the last of the Pleiades bloodlines. They need to remain alive.”
He stood tall, ready for the deathblow but confident it wouldn’t come. He’d never felt so certain a threat wouldn’t kill him as right now. The gods who would preside over his live-or-die judgment in the next twenty-four hours would never let him out this easily.
“To his face, I would hear you call Poseidon a dickhead.” Athena savored the last word as if highly entertained.
“I can do that.”
She gazed at Bythos. “He is ready.”
With a wave of her hand, she and all her snake men disappeared.
What did that mean? Ready for what? His meeting to determine his fate? Anger slid through his mind. Damn it. Was all of this some sort of elaborate test?
All these people hurt, possibly killed. His ocean in chaos. And it was a fucking game. He hated the gods and their bullshit.
Bythos clapped a hand onto his shoulder. He flinched. Bythos was now back in humanoid form. “That could’ve gone very differently. Glad you understand the gravity of the missing Trident.”
Merck threw off Bythos’s hand. “What the hell was all this about?”
Bythos held out a glass bottle. “This is for the straights who got scratched by the Ericthonians. A drop or two on the scratch should do the job, but it’s got to be within the next hour.”
“Thanks.” He took the vial, relief settling into his chest that he wouldn’t have to run to work to get what little he had left to help Shannon. “But it doesn’t answer my question.”
“There are things I can discuss and things I can’t.” Bythos grinned as if he was thoroughly enjoying this.
Merck held out the sword. “Tell Aphros thank you. She’s really a remarkable weapon.”
Bythos shook his head, rejecting his offer of return. “The ever-sharp blade is meant for you and no other. A gift from your mother.”
“My mother?” He palmed the beautiful blade. The intricate hilt and etched blade were not human made. The sword exuded a rich energy. Old magic. “Who’s my mother?”
“You’re no bastard.”
His eyes shot to Bythos, shocked. “Amphitrite?” The true wife of Poseidon.
Bythos nodded.
“Why’d she give me up?”
Bythos glanced out to the ocean. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but you showed grit today. That I respect. To have another child your mother had to bargain.” His deep gaze returned to Merck. “The goddesses who govern children and childbirth forbade Poseidon more after his first few were disastrous. The only way Bendis and Aphrodite would allow your existence was to have you submitted to scrutiny. Your mother had to give you up for your younger years and let you be judged. Trust me when I say the negotiation was long and bitter.”
“They wanted to test me?”
Bythos nodded. “To see if any catastrophic issues arose as did with your brothers.”
“Do you think I’ll pass?”
Bythos’s face fell. He shrugged. “The judgment is not just about you. It’s political and complicated.”
That’s what he’d suspected. It meant he could probably do whatever the hell he wanted and it wouldn’t matter. “When will this judgment take place?”
“Today or tomorrow.” Bythos shrugged again. “I’m not sure.”
“How did someone get the Trident to begin with and why is Shannon involved? What did Athena mean by he’s ready?”
Bythos grinned. He dove into the water, disappearing.
Chapter Nineteen
Merck imagined ways to kill Bythos to invoke the most pain while staring at the spot he’d disappeared underwater. He pivoted. Ahhnd…oh, boy. Another Brian face off coming his way.
Shannon, her father, and several other men stared his way. Maybe they were shocked. Maybe they were preparing to attack him. He couldn’t tell.
Brian held Shannon to him by her arms as if she’d been trying to break free, only they now stood frozen. Brian was the first to move, releasing her and stepping toward him.
Brian held out his hand. To shake? Uh, okay.
The second Merck’s hand touched his, Brian pulled him into a bear hug. The bone crusher made him realize his wounds weren’t superficial. They hurt.
Wincing, Merck put his arms around Brian and patted his shoulders. “What’d I do?”
Finally, Brian stepped away. “I misjudged you, son. I’m sorry. I owe you my life. Our lives. Those fuckers were going to rip us to shreds. Nothing we had was stopping them until you and your friends came along.”
Merck blinked at Brian while his brain blanked. “Anyone would’ve done it.”
Brian’s forehead wrinkled. “No. Not anyone would’ve confronted a goddess and offered his life in exchange for us. For my daughter. That took balls. Athena could’ve leveled your ass. You proved there’s a hell of a lot more going on between you and them than even I can understand. That was some top-notch hero shit we just witnessed.”
Before Merck could respond, Eli stepped up. Hug number two. More pain. All he needed was a few steps backward to the water, then he’d be healed.
Eli stepped away and asked Brian, “What about this guy, huh? Some kind of kick-ass for Shannon, isn’t he?”
Parallel-universe time. Brian looked at him as if he were a superman of sorts. A hell of a long way from the hostile who’d faced off with him yesterday and called him a criminal.
“Come on. Let’s get you taken care of,” Brian said.
Merck opened his mouth to say he’d be fine. If he backed up a yard or two, all would be resolved. He only needed a few moments with the water. The openness on Brian Randolph’s face strangled the refusal in his throat.
The ocean screamed her offer of help behind him. He met Shannon’s gaze, indecisive.
“Eli can help you,” she said softly.
Even so, he didn’t relish the trek to the house. The Ericthonian had done a job on his side. “All right. I need to treat everyone who got scratched to prevent the transformation into one of those snake creatures.”
Twenty minutes later, everyone had been treated, except Shannon. He pulled her into the downstairs bathroom and shut the door. “No more delaying. It’s your turn. Shirt off.”
She tugged off the T-shirt, exposing several huge slashes. He allowed a few droplets from the vial to fall into the scratches. He found himself wanting to touch her all over, as if there were other injuries she hadn’t shown him.
She flinched. “Burns.”
“Sorry. Has to be done.”
“I know.” She turned her head away from him, but it didn’t hide the tears running fast and furious down her cheeks.
“Are there any other spots they got you?”
She shook her head.
“It hurts that bad? I wish I could prevent it from hurting when I put the drops on, but I can’t. It sucks. I think you’d make a pretty snake woman, but I’m not really into that kind of girl. Those pointy teeth and slitted nose. Their mindless need to kill…” He shuddered.
She shook her head and grabbed a tissue. “Sorry, I’m kind of emotional right now.”
“You did good against those guys.”
“It’s not that. You offered your life for all of us. I found out I’m just one of the hoard of women who parade through your bed. It’s a lot to take in.”
“Look, Shannon, you and I…”
“We aren’t. I know. I wished for more, but I’ll respect your decision to be alone. This doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. You can go.” She waved at the bathroom door.
Shit, he’d zoned, and she’d gone the wrong way interpreting. “We are.”
“What was that?” Her forehead crinkled.
“This…you and me, it’s real. I let Danny run his mouth because I needed you to be away from me for what’s coming later today. I’m sorry. It was an assholish thing to do, but I told you I’d do whatever must be done when it comes to keeping you alive.”
“So you don’t have flings with whatever girl you’re working with?”
“No. I haven’t been with anyone in a long while. That’s not saying I’m not good at anything that might be longer term. I’m not really sure how it’s done. All I know for sure is you’re not a fling. We’ve been involved in some sense ever since we met.”
She chewed her lip.
“I need to get you fixed.” He waved at the scratches. “They’ll scar if we don’t do it now.”
She touched his marred cheek. “Like this?”
He nodded. “If we wait too much longer, they’ll be permanent. You’re too beautiful to have that carving up your skin.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’ll get Eli to do it.”
“No. I want to do it.”
“He’s a lot closer than the ocean.”
“We can go to the creek since it’s closer than the ocean. It’ll work. Any natural water source works.”
She frowned at the door.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“My father… All right, we go to the water and you do your thing, but then we have to hurry back. He got the drops of that stuff, but he hasn’t accepted healing help. He’s—”
“Like you?” he interrupted. “Sees to everyone else first?”
“They all did so much for me. I can’t stand thinking of any one of them in pain. Two of the guys almost died today.”
“It’s what they signed on to do. Give them at least that much respect.”
“You’re right. You impressed him. A lot. You did what each of us would do for each other. If there’s a way to end a fight and save the others, even if it’s our own death, not someone else’s, we’ll do it. We’re a family. You’re a part of that now.” She touched his cheek, the cool pads of her fingers sliding along his scars.
Didn’t that just give him a case of the warm and fuzzies. Family. He cleared the sudden congestion in his throat. “I’m not real sure about what it means to be a family. I know friends like Chad and Danny. I guess we’re family in a way.”
She shifted, her knee bumping his injured side. He winced.
“You’re hurt too?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s get to the water right now. Then we’ll come back and force Dad to get help.”
The second she had her shirt on he tugged her outside and toward the creek. Healing both of them took moments. She yanked up his shirt as soon as he was done to run her hand along his smoothed side, now blood free. “How does it clean you up too?”
He shrugged. “It just does. Magic.”
“Unfair. I need a shower. Let’s go back. I’ll convince Dad to get Eli to take care of him. Then I’ll shower.”
“Then I’m taking you out on the water.” He stroked her hair and ran his fingers down her spine.
“Why?”
“Today’s my last day. Official judgment comes down sometime in the next twenty-four hours. I’m sorry we didn’t come up with an answer for you on the Trident. I’ll ask Poseidon when he shows up to judge me. Not sure how I’ll get you the answer, but I’ll try to text you or something before I...”
She touched his forearm and squeezed. “It won’t be your last day. You’re a badass. Badasses don’t die.”
“I don’t want this to be over.” They were right for each other. Got the memo and on board the train. He wouldn’t fight it anymore.
Chapter Twenty
When Shannon came out the front door after her shower, Merck almost told her to go change. How the hell did she expect him not to peel the flowy halter sundress off her before they even made it to the dock? It molded to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Of course, he already knew what lay beneath, so his brain easily filled in details of every curve.
She grinned and did a spin. Her blonde hair lay loose down her back, hitting her shoulder blades. But that wasn’t what made him lose all train of thought. The dress had almost no back, which meant no bra. The missing part of the back didn’t go all the way to her butt, but ended high enough to discreetly cover the scarred area. Still, it showed off her otherwise unblemished skin. He wanted to kiss the indentation of her spine as it traveled south. His throat tightened up, as did other parts of his body.
“Nice dress.” Shit. Could he be any more lame?
“Nice enough to rip it off?” She leaned in close, fisted the front of his shirt, and whispered, “Because right now I want to yank this off you. We’ve got an audience, though.”
She pulled away with a hooded smile. Naughty witch.
She patted a sunhat down onto the top of her head. Her delicate fingers laced through his. “Dad, Eli...they think me going out with you is a waste of time, but I’m not seeing any answers coming my way. So, let’s go.”
She led down the porch stairs. Her scent teased his nose, something floral he recognized as her shampoo mixed with the coconut essence of sunscreen. Somehow he managed to walk them to his boat and even untie it, although he barely remembered. As he navigated out of the No Wake Zone, she squeezed in next to where he stood at the wheel. He wrapped an arm around her slim body, cataloguing the curves pressed against him. She chatted about how she loved the birds and the beautiful weather and some other mundane topics. He managed a few coherent small-talk phrases, but seconds after he said something, he hoped she didn’t quiz him. He couldn’t remember a single thing that came out his mouth. All he could focus on was the feel of her pressed against him out here, on his boat, and in the world he loved. He wanted her fully his out here.
“Hang on,” he warned when they hit open water. He shifted the boat into a higher gear.
Shannon squealed and grabbed her hat to hold it on when the bow pounded against the water, throwing spray around the sides. With a wipe she removed a few drops of salty water from her face and squeezed closer to him in the sheltered area around the wheel. The brilliance of her smile punched him mid-chest.
He headed for a sandbar he knew well. The tide was low. It’d be perfect for walking, even though what he planned involved not getting off the boat for a while.
“Why’d you want me to leave your place? Is it you want to be alone for your judgment or something else?”
Damn. He hadn’t thought she’d let him get out of that one without an explanation. “What’s coming at me is going to be dangerous.”
“The gods’ judgment?”
He shook his head. “Owen Campbell is here.”
“What? How’d he find me?”
“He’s looking for you, but I don’t think he knows you’re here. He’s here to talk to me. He probably thinks he or his necromancer girlfriend can coerce me into giving up info about the Trident or recruit me to find you.”
“Why would he link the two of us?”
“I don’t think he’s linked us together. He knows a bit about my water abilities.”
“Ah. Then, you’d be a good starting place to find the Trident. I thought the same.”
“I don’t want you hurt in the crossfire of whatever he has planned. It’s safer for you to stay away.”
&
nbsp; “If he’s down here why are we out joyriding and not preparing?”
“This may be it for us. Not bringing you out here at least once would be a big regret.” He gazed over the bow, lost in thoughts of this being his last ride on the water. He’d never again feel the salty spray on his skin, see the pelicans, or visit with the dolphins.
She took his hand and held it in silence for a while as the boat smacked its bow through choppy water. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It won’t be it. It can’t be. You know, I might’ve listened if you’d been honest at your house.”
He snorted out a sarcastic yeah right. “You wouldn’t stay away. You think Owen knows more about the Trident than we do, which I don’t.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I might have a few questions for him.”
“Let’s keep you being down here to ourselves.”
She sighed deeply and rested her head against his shoulder. “Maybe we can strike a bargain about my whereabouts during this confrontation.”
“A bargain?” He slowed in the waters near the sandbar and raised the motor in the shallow water. “Want to get off and discuss this bargain?”
“Not yet.” Her eyelids grew heavy as she looked up at him, hooding her blue irises. She kissed his jaw and throat while her fingers traced the stubble on his face he’d neglected to shave.
Damn it, he should’ve shaved. He hadn’t anticipated doing this again with her. “What kind of bargain?”
She smiled a true, wicked-witch smile. “I want to have you out here.”
“What else do you want?”
“Everything. I get you and I want this.” She rested her hand over his chest. “I want the one thing you never gave to anyone else.”
“How do you know I loved someone else?”
“I already have your heart.” She smiled when he frowned. “I knew you loved me the moment you said my pie was pretty good.”
“What more is there, then?”
“For today, possibly the last few hours of your life, I want everything that’s you.”