by S. E. Smith
“Your Majesty,” his Captain of the Guard called as he drew near. “We have been successful in our quest,” Kapian added, holding up a cloth bag before his gaze shifted to the unconscious warrior in Orion’s arms. “How bad is Cyrus?”
Orion swung his leg over the back of his stag when the large sea dragon drew close. “He will live,” he replied, pulling back on the reins as he settled Cyrus across his thighs. “He needs medical attention, though. The shark took us by surprise.”
“Why would shark be in this region?” Kapian asked with a frown. “The beasts normally do not come up from the depths or this far east.”
“I suspect the Sea Witch enchanted the creature to protect her lair,” Orion replied with a shrug as he surged forward, heading back to the Isle of the Sea Serpent. “My cousin has become too bold. I will have to deal with her once and for all. I had hoped….” Orion’s voice faded and he shook his head.
Kapian pulled his light yellow and orange stag up beside Orion’s. “She knows the end of your allotted grieving period draws near. Juno’s fifth year of birth is just a few days away. If you have not taken another bride by that time, she will challenge the law and press her claim to the throne regardless of what she has done. You must choose another bride soon. If Magna is successful with her claim, she will take control and declare war on the remaining kingdoms. You saw the resulting devastation her power caused to the Isle of the Dragons.”
“I know, Kapian!” Orion retorted sharply before he lowered his voice. “You think me blind to the frozen bodies of the dragons she turned to stone? Every realm felt the moment Drago went silent. The visages of his people lying scattered across the ocean floor are a constant reminder of my failure to stop my cousin. If I had the power to reverse the spell I would, but the danger is too great to tamper with unknown spells. If I failed, I could destroy them all. I leave them there as a reminder of the danger Magna represents to all the kingdoms, not just the Isle of the Sea Serpent, and with the hope that one day the spell can be reversed. Without the full power of the trident, the threat is even greater.”
“I know you wish to capture Magna alive in the hopes of forcing her to undo her unnatural magic, but you may have to concede that you will never be able to do so. We have recovered one of the Eyes of the Sea Serpent she stole from you. We can now retrieve the other one. In the meantime, you must choose another bride to secure the kingdom’s future now. There is no longer any time to delay,” Kapian pressed.
Orion shot Kapian an impatient look, but didn’t reply. Instead, he pressed his knees against the side of his stag and pulled ahead of his Captain of the Guard. He knew what was at stake; he didn’t need Kapian’s constant reminders or his friend’s suggestions as to who he should choose as his bride. His first bride had been chosen for him by his parents. Shamill’s death during the birth of their youngest son, Juno, had been unfortunate. He had no desire to have another bride chosen for him.
Orion silently admitted that he had hoped that with two sons, he would be immune to the need for a bride, but as powerful as he was, this law he could not change. His people believed that to have balance, a King needed a Queen by his side. He also knew that both of his sons wished to have a mother instead of the series of nursemaids he had employed.
So far, he had resisted everyone’s demands, even the ones made by Magna. He shuddered as he thought of his cousin’s unexpected appearance nearly a week ago and her attempt to pressure him to take her as his mate. The beautiful, mischievous girl he had known in his youth had changed into someone he didn’t recognize.
She had appeared in his dreams at first. The sound of her voice, softly calling to him, beckoning him to come to her, help her, and give in to her pleas. At first, her physical appearance reminded him of the days before the war until he saw the glow in her eyes. Gone was the soft innocence. Her eyes had swirled with a malevolent blackness that reminded him of the tar pits found on one of the small, outer islands.
Sensing danger, he had jerked awake to realize that it was not a dream. Magna had somehow slipped past the wards he had cast and invaded the inner sanctuary of his living quarters. Surging out of his bed, he had wrapped his hands around her arms to capture her.
“What are…?” Orion hissed when she didn’t resist.
“Help me, Orion. I can’t fight it any longer,” Magna whispered, staring back at him with haunted eyes for a moment before her face contorted in pain. “Dragon’s fire and… the… trident. Don’t let him get the trident….”
Orion’s eyes widened when wisps of black vapor began to rise from Magna’s skin and solidify. He suddenly found his body rising off the floor before being flung back against the wall by ghost-like hands coiled in a powerful black essence. Catching himself as he started to slide down the wall, he watched Magna’s expression transform into something he no longer recognized.
“Join with me, Orion. Accept me as your bride, and you will have all the power of the universe at your disposal,” Magna had whispered.
“I don’t want or need the power of the universe. Magna. I will also never join with you. You know our laws demand balance. Your greed for power is too great for that ever to happen,” Orion retorted.
Magna’s eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light. “Give me the trident, Orion. With my powers, we could rule the Seven Kingdoms,” she said.
“The power held in the trident is not to be abused,” Orion replied, taking a step forward and pulling on his own magical abilities. “Whatever happened to you, Magna, you are no longer the girl I remember. She would never have harmed another. You brought laughter and love to the world. Now, you bring death and destruction.”
The dark essence swirling around her began to fade as he spoke. He took a step closer to her and raised his hand in a silent invitation. A sixth sense told him that if he tried to cast the spell now, whatever was swirling around her would protect her. The only way to ensure the spell he was forming would work would be if he could touch her.
“Orion…?”
For a moment, a glimpse of the young girl he’d known appeared in her eyes again. Fear, resignation, and despair warred within the dark brown depths. Her gaunt features showed that whatever was inside her was slowly destroying her. He didn’t know what the thing could be, but in that moment he understood that she was battling the darkness that was wrapped around her like the arms of an octopus.
“Give yourself up to me, Magna. I will do what I can to help you,” Orion gently encouraged.
“He won’t let me,” she replied in a weary voice, bowing her head.
“Who won’t? You speak as if there are two of you,” Orion said.
Magna’s head rose and her expression changed. Her eyes grew hard and distant again, and the black bands struck out at him. Orion called for the trident. His hands wrapped around it as long, black tentacles shot out.
Orion was shocked when the tentacles reached for the jewel-encrusted staff, absorbing the power sparking from the prongs of trident instead of falling away from the intense energy it was emitting. A curse exploded from Orion’s lips when his efforts to send the trident away were blocked. He could hear Magna’s voice rising as she cast the spell to stop him.
Gripping the trident near the top with one hand, he tried to reach out and touch Magna with his other. Orion felt his body rising off the floor again. He jerked his hand back and wound it around the carved golden staff in an attempt to hold onto it. Whatever magic Magna was using, it felt as if it were alive. Small, greedy fingers curled into sharp talons. It took a moment to realize that they were clawing at the Eyes of the Sea Serpent embedded in the trident.
Orion watched in disbelief when one of the gems loosened under the continued attack. He shot out his hand and captured the falling jewel before she could. A ferocious snarl of rage escaped Magna.
Orion turned his head toward his cousin when he felt her release her grip on the trident. Her hands rose to claw at his face. He stumbled backwards away from her, but didn’t have time to es
cape her next attack. A large mass of the black swirling cloud coalesced and burst out toward him.
Raising the trident to help protect himself, the mass still hit him with enough ferocity that he was flung off his feet. The second wave lifted his body up and tossed him out of the open doors to the balcony. Orion slammed into the floor and slid across the balcony.
A hiss escaped Orion when he realized that the railing was gone. Grasping the trident with one hand, he dug it into the floor of the balcony, the prongs screeched loudly as they gouged long grooves in the stone. He stopped on the edge with his feet hanging over.
Using the trident, he pulled himself up onto the balcony and rose to his feet. His gaze glittered with anger and determination. He stepped away from the gap in the railing. Swinging his gaze around to his cousin, Orion was stunned by the transformation in her.
Her body floated a few inches from the ground. The black essence that had attacked him radiated from her skin like sea snakes. Her hair floated as if caught in a rip current under the sea.
Whatever magic Magna awakened, it is growing more powerful, he thought as his fingers closed around the gem in his hand.
“Give me the Eye of the Sea Serpent, Orion,” Magna ordered, stepping out onto the balcony.
“That will never happen,” Orion retorted, holding the trident in one hand and the gem in the other.
“I gave you the chance to join with me! The Isle of the Sea Serpent could be the most powerful kingdom of all. Now I will take the kingdom and the power of the trident from you!” Magna snarled, lifting her hands.
This time, Orion was prepared. He raised the trident and shouted a command to the water far below to rise. A high pressure stream collided with the swirling black bands. For a brief moment, whatever dark magic Magna was using fought against the powerful pressure.
Orion wasn’t prepared for the other bands that snaked out and sliced through the water. He barely had time to dive to the side when they shot forward like deadly spears determined to pierce his body. Rolling as he landed on the hard floor, the hand holding the loose gem opened and the gem tumbled across the balcony.
Magna rushed toward the gem, her hand reaching for it even as Orion pushed to his feet in an effort to stop her. His hand closed around her slender wrist. For a moment, they wrestled with each other, the dark bands striking at him with a ferocity that left long welts along his arms, chest, and face.
In fury, Orion drew upon the power of the sea to come to his aid yet again. A large wave flowed around him and struck Magna, lifting her up. Her fingers lost their grip on the gem and it slipped away in the rushing water. Again, his gaze locked with hers and for a brief moment the young girl had returned. Regret and sadness glistened in her eyes before she closed them and she suddenly faded away.
Orion stood on the balcony breathing heavily, stunned by the encounter. He gripped the trident in his hand and stepped over to the railing to look down. His cousin was gone.
At least he had the trident. He would command the sea to return the Eye of the Sea Serpent that had been swept away. Straightening, he turned the trident in his hand. The command on his lips died and fury swelled inside him when he saw not one, but two empty eye sockets on the winding serpent molded into the trident.
“Magna!” Orion roared when he realized what his cousin had done, turning to look down at the swirling dark water far below.
Orion dragged his mind back to the present. He knew the only thing standing between the safety of his people and the devastation Magna could create was the power he wielded as the rightful king of the sea people. Without both gems, the trident’s power to control the oceans would be limited. The trident contained its own power, but without the gift from the Goddess, there would be an imbalance in the world. He had ordered the sea to return the gem that had been swept away, but his requests had not been answered.
It also didn’t help that his encounter with Magna had increased the pressure on him to find a bride. Frustration built up inside him as the weight of his responsibilities threatened to crush him. He had no doubt that Magna would try to prevent him from finding another wife now that she realized he would never willingly choose her.
He would just have to ask the first maiden he came across when he returned. His mind flitted through the few unattached women in the palace and he came up with a blank. Every woman he could think of was already married. He wondered if he had subconsciously ordered Kelia only to employ married or attached women in an effort to distance himself from having to make a choice.
The problem was the emptiness he felt deep inside. None of the women who had come forth over the last few years had aroused his curiosity, much less desire in his loins. Only Dolph and Juno’s presence kept the dark void of loneliness at bay.
Orion reined Sea Fire through the long, clear tunnel leading into the underwater city. The city of the Isle of the Sea Serpent was unique because it existed both below the water and above. The isle rose up out of the ocean with steep, treacherous cliffs circling the majority of the island. Sharp, jagged rocks formed by the island’s long extinct volcanoes stood as deadly barricades against attacks.
Even if an enemy could penetrate this barrier, the steep walls of the cliffs were impossible to scale. The only safe entries were through narrow passages that were well guarded from above and below the sea. More than a dozen smaller, uninhabited islands formed a chain off the coast and were preserved for the abundant wildlife that made their home along the reefs around the Isle of the Sea Serpent.
Sea Fire broke through the shields holding back the water from the underground city, settling on his four webbed feet once he was on the entry platform. Orion handed Cyrus off to a group of medics before climbing off his stag. Handing the reins to an attendant, he wondered where Dolph and Juno were. They were usually close by, eagerly waiting on his return so he could tell them of his adventures. Just the thought of their excited, inquisitive faces lifted the corner of his lips in a smile of amusement.
Turning to gaze around him with a frown, Orion looked for his old nursemaid who normally kept an eye on the boys. She was the only nursemaid they would listen to now. He had dismissed almost a dozen others after finding they could not control the two boys.
His gaze locked on Kelia as she pushed through the crowd. The worried expression on the older woman’s face did not bode well for her willingness to continue to assist him going forth. He feared her advanced age was catching up with her and she was getting exasperated with Dolph and Juno’s constant antics.
“What did they do this time? Have they disappeared again?” he asked in a gruff voice as he walked toward her.
Kelia gave him a reassuring smile, even as she shook her head. “They are at the palace,” she replied with a hesitant smile. She glanced at the other men who were still entering the city. “I do need to speak with you about a possible… cause for concern that may have arisen while you were gone, Your Majesty.”
Orion gave Kelia a suspicious glance before nodding. Waving his hand for her to walk beside him, he glowered when she took a slight step to the left and behind him. Old habits die hard. He released a tired sigh when Kapian called out to him.
“Your Majesty,” Kapian said with a short bow before he held out his hand. “The item you requested.”
Orion’s mouth tightened at his forgetfulness. Reaching out his right hand, he took the light brown bag from Kapian. He quickly tugged at the bindings holding it closed and looked inside. Satisfied with the contents, he gave Kapian a piercing look to remind him to keep what was found a secret.
“Debrief the others and meet with me later this evening,” Orion ordered, turning back toward the palace. “Kelia, tell me what mischief my sons have been in while I was away. I assume they are the reason behind this sudden concern. I fear they may have given you a challenging day.”
“More than usual, Your Majesty,” Kelia informed him with a hint of worry and a touch of amusement. “They have outdone themselves this time.”
Orion shook his head. “I find that hard to believe,” he muttered with a shake of his head as he climbed the steps leading up to the entrance.
“This time is different, Your Majesty,” Kelia replied in a quiet, serious voice as she stared up into his vivid, dark green eyes.
“What is it?” Orion asked, drawing in a deep breath as the sinking feeling in his stomach grew.
“They have found a mother for themselves,” Kelia informed him with a smile. “She is unlike anyone I have seen before.”
Chapter Six
Fury warred with disbelief. What was his oldest son thinking?! The pool of the Sea Dragon was a forbidden area. For as long as Orion could remember—hell, for as long as the Isle of the Sea Serpent had existed—the magical pool had been off-limits. It was said that only the young sea dragons went to the cavern to play. No one knew how the sea dragons made it into the magical pool or out of it. As children, Orion, Magna, and Kapian had spent hours searching for the underwater entrance. They had even dared to sneak into the cavern late one night.
A shiver of unease ran through him at the remembrance of that night. They had been young and stupid. If not for the sudden appearance of his father, they could have been swept to another world and never found their way back.
Years later, Orion read in a document in the ancient archives that the pool contained a portal to the realm where the waters of two worlds mixed. He couldn’t help but believe it after his own experience. If Dolph went through the portal, he might never have been able to find his way back home. The fact that Juno had been in the cavern as well shook him to the core. The thought of losing both of his sons at the same time made Orion’s stomach clench with fear.
His long legs ate up the distance, bringing him down the corridor to the suite of rooms he shared with the two boys. The closer he got, the more furious he became. This time the boys had gone too far. Not only had they endangered their own lives, but they had possibly endangered the life of someone from another realm. If Dolph had somehow whisked a maiden from another kingdom to the Isle of the Sea Serpent without her permission, it could be taken as an act of war.