by Holly Kelly
“We have a lot to talk about and plans to make,” Triton said. “But I don’t want to go to my palace, and even your home may not be safe.”
“What? Why isn’t it safe?” Sara asked.
“I’ll explain later,” he answered. “First, we need a safe place to go.”
“I know where we can go,” Sara said.
Both Triton and Xanthus turned to her.
“Where?” Triton asked.
“My mom owns a safe house, a place where no one could find us. I’d always chalked it up to her paranoia, but…”
“Are you sure nobody knows where it is?” Triton asked.
“Yeah, Mom was really careful. She even used fake names and identities. She keeps all the paperwork in a safety-deposit box, and the key to that box is buried near our house on the Big Island.”
“Where is this safe house?” Xanthus asked.
“Oregon, and it’s actually a cabin.”
“Have you been there before?” Triton asked.
“Yeah. She wanted to be sure I knew how to get there.”
Triton moved forward and touched his fingers gently to Sara’s temples. “I want you to close your eyes and picture the cabin. Think about all the details you can remember.”
Moments later, they were standing next to a two-story log cabin surrounded with lush foliage. The air around them was tinted green from the sunlight filtering through the forest, and the ground was covered in overgrown bushes, moss, and ferns.
“Wow, it’s been a while,” she said as she stepped toward the cabin. “Looks like it is being taken over by the forest.”
“It is isolated,” Xanthus said. “Being here feels like being in the thick of a kelp forest.”
“Sara…” Triton began. “Do you know what you just did?”
She looked up at him. “What did I do?”
“I didn’t bring us here.”
Her eyes widened. “Then who did?”
“You.”
“Me? But I…” She stopped talking and pressed her lips together. “I probably did. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I guess it has to do with me being a demigod.”
“You’re not a demigod.”
“What? I’m your daughter, right?”
“Yes, but your mother isn’t what you think she is.”
Sara was stunned at his words. “What is she?”
“She’s a goddess.”
Sara didn’t seem to grasp the significance of his statement—confusion radiated from her. Triton looked at her husband.
He recognized the full weight of what Triton was saying, as shock and awe radiated from him as he looked at his wife.
“But—” Sara began.
“Sara,” Xanthus said, drawing her attention. “You’re a goddess.”
Sara’s eyes darted to her husband. “What? No, I’m not.”
“Yes, yes, you are,” he answered.
“You realize what this means, Dagonian?” Triton asked Xanthus. “Her twenty-first birthday…”
“…is three days away,” Xanthus said, his eyes growing wide.
Triton nodded.
Sara looked from one to the other. “What does that mean? What’s so important about my birthday?”
Xanthus looked from Sara to Triton, his face falling. “You shouldn’t have bonded her to me. I’m not worthy—”
“You are more than worthy,” Triton interrupted. “If I had known she was a goddess, I wouldn’t have done any differently.”
“I don’t understand,” Sara said.
“I’ll tell you inside,” Triton said, leading the way into the house. Dust covered everything the sheets didn’t cover. They pulled the coverings off the couches and chairs, and Sara carried the dusty linen to the laundry room. They remained standing until she returned, and then they all sat.
There was silence for several moments. Triton waited for his daughter to ask questions. He didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m a goddess? Not a demigod or mermaid?”
“Well, since you’re my daughter, you were born with a tailfin and a siren’s voice. I’d still call you a mermaid, but you’re much more than that.”
“Don’t gods and goddesses have to be a god of something?” Sara asked. “Like Zeus is the god of lightning, Apollo is the god of the sun, and…”
“Your mother seems to be a goddess of… wishes, for lack of a better way to describe it.”
“Wishes? Like she can grant wishes?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. I’m sure I wished for lots of things growing up, and not one of them came true. Well, actually one of them did. I wished I could meet my father.” Color flooded Sara’s cheeks.
“She couldn’t use her powers,” Triton said. “They were being drained away by a creature called a siphon.”
“Who would do that to her?” Xanthus asked.
“Zeus.”
“Wait a minute,” Sara blurted. “How much power does Mom have? Could she destroy the world with a single wish?”
“Your mother asked nearly that same question, and to tell you the truth, I have no idea. I sure hope not. That kind of wish would take a tremendous amount of power. It’s likely she’d not have enough power to grant it. Still, your mother could die in the attempt to fulfill that wish.”
“Die?” Xanthus asked as his gaze flickered over to his wife and then back to Triton. “I thought gods couldn’t die.”
“We don’t die easily,” Triton said. “But draining us completely of power is one way to do it.”
“I thought that siphon thing already drained Mom’s powers.”
“Not completely. The siphon’s effect, in a sense, leaves a god as powerless as a human. According to Sypher—that’s what the siphon calls herself, she can drain a god completely, but it’s difficult to do. And it can end up killing the siphon along with the god if the siphon can’t find another host. A siphon cannot survive without a host.”
“So is Mom’s siphon gone?”
“Yes, she’s been released.”
“So now her powers are back? Wait… if I’m a goddess, what am I a goddess of?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“I don’t think I’m very powerful.”
“Actually, you probably are.”
“What? I can’t do much. Just make people do things when I sing.”
“That’s a natural part of being my daughter. Your other powers won’t fully manifest until your twenty-first birthday.”
“But she’s already manifested some of her powers,” Xanthus said.
“So it seems. I know she can transport and sees visions of faraway places. Is there anything else you’ve seen?” Triton asked.
“She saw a family that was adrift at sea and led us to them. They would have died if she hadn’t led us there. And she can sense when something bad is about to happen.”
“It’s rare for a god or goddess to have impressions of the future,” Triton said and turned to Xanthus. “We’ll have to watch her closely.”
“Wait a minute,” Sara said. “Gretchen can do way cooler thing than I can. Like change from mermaid to human, and her voice is much more compelling than mine.”
Triton’s heart stopped. “Who’s Gretchen?”
“Oh wow, Dad,” she said and took a shallow breath. “Brace yourself. Gretchen is my best friend, and she’s also your granddaughter.”
Triton sat up straight. “Whose daughter is she?”
“Aella’s.”
Triton’s shoulders sagged, and he frowned at the memories that name brought back. Aella was a troublesome daughter. He’d loved her with all his heart, but it was never enough. She didn’t seem capable of exercising restraint or showing compassion.
“Is Gretchen anything like her mother?”
Sara shook her head. “No. She’s nothing like her. In fact, she ran away when she was a small child and hid among the humans to escape her. Gretchen’s the most loving and amazing person I know. And… you might want to know that Aella
is dead.”
“Let me guess.” He frowned. “She wasn’t killed by the Dagonians two thousand years ago?”
Sara shook her head. “She died only a couple of weeks ago.”
“And,” Xanthus spoke up, “I’m the one who killed her.”
Triton looked at the warrior. He sensed fear over his reaction. Triton simply nodded in acceptance. He’d heard stories about disappearances and deaths in the area around where Aella was banished. He suspected she might be still alive, but he avoided finding out.
“You’re not angry?” Xanthus asked.
Triton shook his head. “I understand. I’m just relieved that I was not the one who had to do it.”
Xanthus relaxed.
“There’s more to the story, Dad.”
“Is it something I need to hear?” he asked, dreading the possibility that his daughter might think he needed to hear a play by play.
She nodded and said, “You have another grandchild. Gretchen has a baby brother she adopted and named Donavan.”
Triton’s heart warmed as he thought how much his family had expanded in the last couple of months. First Sara and Xanthus, then Iris and Marcos, and of course, there was Nicole. She wasn’t family yet, but he intended to make her his wife. Now there was Gretchen and young Donavan. Tears burned in his eyes. He pushed back the fear that threatened to rise. The more loved ones that surrounded him, the greater he’d suffer if he lost them. But then, maybe Gretchen wanted nothing to do with him. After all, Aella, as cruel as she was, was still his daughter. “Do you think they’d want to meet me?”
“I know they would,” Sara said. “Gretchen has wanted to meet you for a long time. Do you think we can we bring them here?”
Triton pursed his lips, wondering if he should risk it. He didn’t want to put any of his family in danger. Would Zeus be watching them? It seemed unlikely. Gretchen and Donavan were his family, not Nicole’s.
“Yes. That would be fine. Do you think you can do it? I’ve never met them, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to start looking for them.”
“It didn’t seem hard to bring us here. I wasn’t even trying to do it.”
“Just concentrate on them, and when you can see them, draw them to you.”
Sara squeezed her eyes closed, taking a deep breath. “I found them. Gretchen’s sitting in the sand holding Donavan. Kyros and the others are with her. Should I bring them all here?”
“Are there any humans around?” Xanthus asked.
Sara shook her head. “Nope. It’s just them.”
Triton looked over at Xanthus. “Are these the guards you have looking after Sara?”
“Yes.”
“Bring them all,” Triton said. “We’ll need their help.”
Triton stood, expecting to see the group appear in the living area.
Nothing happened.
A swell of shouts came from outside.
“Are they—” Triton began.
“Outside,” Sara completed his sentence as she raced to the door. She flung it open and shouted, “Gretchen, Kyros—”
“How in Hades did we get here?” a deep, angry voice asked.
Triton stepped outside and put his arm around his daughter. He was shocked at the sight in front of him. Within the midst of a lush, green forest, there was a wide expanse of sand, and two palm trees towering overhead. Four Dagonians stood stunned, and a fifth towered over a woman and her baby. With a sword in his hand, he seemed ready to battle.
Triton suppressed a smile, making a mental note to remember to spend a little more time training Sara on the finer details of translocation.
“I asked Sara to bring you,” Triton said. He was impressed by the warriors. Each one looked formidable—towering, muscular figures, with eyes brimming with intelligence. As if choreographed, they each dropped to their knees, bowing the moment recognition hit them—all except the woman with a babe in her arms. She stood up from the ground, seeming as if she wanted to approach, but fearing to at the same time.
Triton gave her a warm smile. “Gretchen.”
The Dagonian who had taken a protective stance near her showed his good sense by sheathing his sword. Gretchen swallowed and made her way to him with the Dagonian following closely behind. She stopped before reaching the porch steps.
Sara turned to Triton and whispered, “I forgot to tell you that Gretchen is married to a Dagonian named Kyros.”
Triton had heard much of that Dagonian. He was pleased with Gretchen’s choice.
“It’s okay, granddaughter. You have nothing to fear from me.”
She ascended the steps and relaxed. A smile lit her face as she spoke. “You look a lot younger than I expected.”
Triton smiled as he lengthened and whitened his hair and beard, and then added crow’s feet around his eyes. “Is that better?”
Gretchen’s eyes widened in surprise, but she soon relaxed into a grin. “That’s more like I pictured you.”
“I thought so. Well, granddaughter, enjoy this look while you can. This is the last time you’ll see me like this. I prefer not to look like an old man.”
She continued to smile as his face returned to normal. The baby squeaked and squirmed in her grip. His body and face were covered in a light blanket.
“May I?” He gestured to the infant.
“Um… sure,” she said, handing him the baby.
Triton took the child in his arms. His heart recognized his grandchild immediately. He pulled back the cloth; a perfect little babe lay beneath the folds. His little tailfin curled in the cool breeze. “You have a magnificent tail, my child. But it’s a bit out of place on land.”
He waved his hand over the infant, and his grey tailfin transformed in pale human legs. Donavan broke out in a wail, kicking his new legs vigorously. Gretchen stepped forward, alarmed.
“Don’t worry,” he said to her. “He’s not hurt, just confused. The sensation of having legs is new to him.” Triton passed him back to his mother. “He’ll get used to it. And don’t hesitate to bring him into the sea. He also has perfectly functioning gills.”
Gretchen smiled, tears brimming in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Dad?”
Triton looked over to Sara, who was blinking back tears of her own. “Why don’t we go inside? We have a lot to talk about.”
“Sure, baby.”
Pele swore she’d never again set foot on Italian soil, but some things were worth more than one’s own ego. The Roman Pantheon was once powerful enough to rival Olympus, and her counterpart, Vulcan, had been a pompous god. The world once feared him, and even named the mountainous flows after him—calling them volcanoes. Even now, Vulcan had it in his head that he was the most powerful of all the volcano gods. He was not more powerful, just crueler. On a whim, he destroyed Pompeii, with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, laughing and bragging about it. As if it was something to be proud of. Then there were countless more eruptions and deaths. All that suffering…
Vulcan had laughed at Pele, scorned her for the gentle flows on Mount Kilauea—saying what was the use of a gentle eruption that caused no damage, made no impact. She tried to tell him the point was that she used her power to build and create, not to destroy. He didn’t, nor would he ever, understand. But right now, all the volcanoes on the entire earth were either erupting, or threatening to erupt. And she was exhausted trying to stop them. She needed help. She was desperate for help. Perhaps if they worked together… yeah, it was a long shot.
Pele closed her eyes, ready to make the journey, but a pull brought her to another place. Her anger erupted within her. Who dared to transport a goddess without her consent?
She opened her eyes, and her fury was snuffed out by fear. “Your Majesty,” she said as she dropped to her knee. She’d only ever seen Zeus from a distance and only a few times in her long life, but the power she felt when she looked him in the eye was unmatched by any god or goddess she’d ever met. His power dwarfed the power of Kane, her own king of the Hawaiian Pantheon
.
“Pele,” he said gently. “I’ve noticed that there is trouble brewing around the world.”
She wasn’t sure if he expected her to speak. To be safe, she kept silent.
“I’ve waited for you, Vulcan, Hephaestus, and the others to handle the troublesome eruptions plaguing the world. But alas, your puny efforts don’t seem to be making a difference. So, do you know what I’ve decided is in the best interest of the human world?”
Pele’s eyes snapped up to his face. What could he possibly do? Despite the fact he was king of the most powerful Pantheon in the world, he was still a god of the skies. He had no power over volcanoes.
“I’ve decided to handle it myself.”
Her brows pinched together as her mind worked. “I don’t understand. You’re not a god of volcanoes.”
He chuckled at her response. There was a hint of madness behind that laugh. It drove fear into her heart. “That is exactly what Vulcan said to me.” He gestured over to the corner of the room. A statue lay broken in a pile of rubble and dust. There was a large enough chunk to make out a terrified face—Vulcan’s. Fear seized her as she attempted to transport away from Zeus.
“Oh, no you don’t. You don’t want to leave now. I haven’t had a chance to take your power for myself.” He circled her, caressing her face with his hand—madness burning in his eyes. “You see, that’s what I’ve been doing for many years. I’ve been taking power from gods and goddesses. Up until recently, it’s only been infants. It’s simple. I unlock their power and keep it for myself. I take a baby god or goddess here and there. Alter a few memories. And nobody knows the difference. They only know I’m the most powerful of all the gods and that, somehow, my power is growing by the century. Well, now I’m strong enough to get what I truly crave.”
He leaned down, his grin widening. “Ultimate power. Soon enough, all the gods will be either gone or powerless. And I will be the only god, wielding the combined power of them all!”
Pele tried to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground. She couldn’t move. Kane! Please, help me!