by Kristen Day
Finally, I stepped in front of the last Captain, a slight girl with flowing blonde hair styled in an array of overlapping braids to hold it back from her face. Although she appeared innocuous and much younger than the other Captains, the set of her jaw and the distrust splintering her smoky, indigo eyes spoke to a tougher interior. Her guarded stance matched her defiant chin, and a long scar slicing her right eyebrow hinted at a previous violent battle.
As I followed the scar below her cheekbone, something adorning her neck caught my eye and I gently cupped her chin; turning her head slightly to the left. A small silver laurel wreath glimmered in the sunlight beneath her ear. Her trace.
"I'm descended from Eunike," she offered in a brisk English accent.
"Nereid of Victory," Oliver chirped, clearly impressed with her as well. I sent him a look to quiet him, although I was secretly glad he piped up. I hadn't quite memorized all of my Nereid sisters as of yet, so the reminder was welcome.
"What's your name?"
"Blythe."
"A beautiful name," I admired. The walking contradiction standing in front of me piqued my interest and I realized I wanted to spend more time with her, if for no other reason than to find out her story. She reminded me of myself, but I decided to save that for later when I could meet with her informally.
"I'm the archery Captain," she continued evenly and I blurted out a question I didn't mean to ask.
"How did you get your scar?"
I considered taking back my question when she clenched her fists tightly. A flicker of anger crossed her gaze before a mental wall slammed shut and hardened, along with her jaw.
"I gave it to myself." She glowered at me, daring me to ask more, but I wisely decided not to push my luck. I placed my hands on her shoulders and felt them tense beneath my touch.
"I can see you're strong," I stated respectfully. "I assume it is what you've always had to be. And that's okay. I want you to know you can trust me. I may understand more than you know."
She inspected my face with trepidation as I pulled the last necklace from my neck and placed it around hers. "Sas anagno?rízo? o?s Kapetánios."
STASIA
I stepped away from Blythe to address all six of the Captains and my heart swelled with pride as I examined the six impressive Tydes standing before me. I considered the Conscript speech Maera made me memorize. The words felt foreign in my mouth and my voice fell flat when reiterating them to Finn, but the fact they were written three centuries ago may have had something to do with that. I was all about keeping with tradition, but I didn't think reciting ten stanzas of a poem ripe with words like 'thy' and 'shalt' was going to motivate teenagers in the twenty-first century. Regardless, I straightened my back, clasped my hands behind my back and attempted to look as regal and mature as possible. Then I dropped the charade. I put my hands on my hips, shot them all a conspiring glance and morphed back into the teenager I really was.
"The other Orders better have their shit together, because from the looks of it, y'all are going to kick some serious ass!" I exclaimed; eliciting expressions of joy and giggles from the Captains. I continued my impromptu speech with vigor. "We all know who the best Order is and I expect the six of you to pour your heart and soul into these Games. You are the strongest, the most talented, and the bravest of all the Tydes! For the next two weeks, you will bring every other participant up to your level!"
I pointed to each of the Captains individually as I continued. "You will push them! You will motivate them! You will inspire them! You will support them! And when they are ready to give up, you will give them a reason to keep fighting!"
During my speech, I'd been pulling water in from the lagoon at the same time without their knowledge. I pulled a small amount over the buildings of the Metropolis and into the backyard behind where they stood completely unaware. With a vindictive grin, I raised my arms, split the water down the middle, and pulled it around the Captains to where I stood. I allowed it to swirl around my body and skimmed the surface of my mini water spout with my fingertips. I closed my eyes and poured a small amount of my essence into the water. When I asked Maera how much was too much, her vague response was that I could 'be generous, but not too generous'.
I felt the water sizzle from the energy pouring into its core and I slowed its rotation. I urged it to divide six ways; sending a ribbon of water meandering through the air and around each Captain. Their eyes widened with amazement as the ribbons slithered around them and formed their own personal water spouts. I heard a couple squeals from the girls as it began to spin faster and encompass their whole bodies.
All at once I brought my hands together in a loud clap, forcing the water to collapse onto the Captains, infusing them with a small percentage of my essence. I placed an amused hand over my mouth as they stood in confusion, soaking wet. They glanced back and forth at each other, presumably feeling the addition of essence and wondering what had just happened. Oliver let out an exhilarated hoot and shook his head like a wet dog, further spraying the other Captains. Following his lead, they all shouted and jumped around in celebration, throwing their heads back in laughter and a flurry of essence-induced intoxication.
I turned on my heel with a contented smile and swept back into the cottage. After saying goodbye to Juanita, I met my guard at the front door, ready to take on the world.
*****
"Australian?" Carmen exhaled longingly and fanned herself dramatically. "That accent's so hot..."
"Seriously?" Ricker leered at her with a comical smirk. "Could you wait 'til I'm gone to fall all over some Crocodile Dundee douche bag? I'm sitting right here. "
In true Carmen fashion, she ignored his attempt to get under her skin and commenced to twist the proverbial knife in his back. "I mean, come on - have you heard Liam and Chris Hemsworth talk? I can literally feel my ovaries exploding."
"Again," Ricker cleared his throat. "Sitting. Right. Here."
"Don't worry, babe," she threw at him offhandedly. "If this Oliver dude's hot, I'll put him on my Hall Pass list with the Hemsworth brothers. So I'll only go after him when you die."
"Then I'm adding the scarred-up-British chick to my list," he retorted, not missing a beat. "She's a badass."
"Fine." Carmen shrugged, unimpressed. "I'm definitely getting the better deal out of this whole thing."
Later that night, we devoured a special dinner prepared by the kitchen staff and gorged ourselves with our choice of dessert. I brought them up to speed on the six Tyde Captains and it took about three-point-eight seconds for the conversation to take a wrong turn. We were gathered around the castle's private pool to relax and wait for our food to digest. The sun had set hours ago and the silver moon hid behind a plateau of clouds that swept over the island mid-afternoon. Sebastian, Natasha, and Finn, along with the help of Ricker and Ian, were planning to leave for another night of searching for Olivia and Fallon in the next hour.
"So what do you think the deal is with the girl with the scar?" Avery pondered out loud. She swam up to the side of the pool to rest her crossed arms on the tile; gently kicking her legs behind her. "Why would you mutilate your own face?"
"Maybe she's a cutter," Phoebe provided casually. "I had a cousin who used to cut her legs and arms and then wore long pants and turtlenecks to cover it up."
"I doubt it." I kicked my legs in the water. "She seemed...defiant about it. Like she did it out of spite, not self loathing." I sat on the edge of the pool, but wanted nothing more than to disappear into the lagoon for the next twenty-four hours. I was worried that if I climbed all the way into the pool overflowing with the same essence-rich water, I would do just that.
"As long as she can shoot a bow and arrow, I don't care how much she slices herself up." Carmen shrugged before glaring at Ricker. "And apparently Ricker doesn't either."
"...And that's why you aren't a Captain." Phoebe frowned at her in disapproval, but she just shrugged in response. I glanced across the pool where Sebastian crouched silently, pensivel
y gazing out toward the lagoon in deep thought. He'd been so quiet and withdrawn the past few days. I knew he was worried about Olivia, but I couldn't think of what to say to make it better. His patience had worn thin while waiting for the others to leave for another search mission, but Maera insisted they rest for a short period of time and fill their bellies before leaving.
A dark, stealthy creature gliding towards me through the water grabbed my attention and I grinned with anticipation at his outstretched arms. His hands anchored around my feet and yanked me underwater in one quick motion, and then he darted around me as a cacophony of bubbles sizzled to the surface above. I gave chase and was able to wrap my arms around his waist.
He spun around and pushed my head down playfully, sending me to the bottom of the deep end. He followed suit and sat with his legs crossed on the bottom, gracefully placing his hands on his knees as if to meditate. He peeked out of one eye to see if I was watching his overdramatic display. I faced him and mirrored his position.
"I'm coming with you tonight," I informed him with conviction. His swirling blue eyes searched mine as his dark hair danced above his scalp like sinister black flames.
"I'm not going to try to stop you." He raised an eyebrow knowingly and then set my heart pounding with a smile. "But if you happen to get left unexpectedly, don't blame me."
"I can't sit around here and do nothing anymore!" I fumed. "I'm a sea Goddess, not a member of the royal family. I don't belong in a castle, I belong in the sea, protecting the people love."
His eyes softened and he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. I wrapped my legs around him and happily sat in his lap. He kissed me softly on the lips, then each cheek, before nipping the tip of my nose. The cobalt ocean of his eyes caught my gaze and they twinkled with mischief. "I have a confession to make."
"You have my attention," I prompted cautiously.
"I would much rather fight by your side than with any Son, God, or Goddess; dead or alive."
"You're biased." I dismissed his flattery with a roll of my eyes.
"That's beside the point." He laughed and then returned to his resolved tone. "But this time you have Tydes here to protect. They need you, too. You can't be everywhere at once. That's what the rest of us are here for...to be your minions." His charming grin and puppy eyes almost let him get away with his persuasion.
"I don't want minions," I scolded him. "I like doing the dirty work."
"Which is why I love you Pasha, but-" He started to launch into another argument filled with logic and rational points, but I wasn't up for listening to things like good, sound judgment. I put a finger to his lips to shush him, leaned forward, and then replaced it with my mouth; kissing him in earnest. I knew he wanted to protect me, but convincing me to stand idly by while everyone else fought was a battle he would lose every time. Thankfully he gave up the fight without much convincing and held me close as he kissed me back.
A sizzling, magnetic energy tickled the outside of my essence and I instinctively focused on the surface of the pool above us. That familiar electric buzz sent my thoughts reeling and I gawked at Finn with wide eyes.
"Oh my God," was all I could spit out before pushing off of the bottom and shooting straight up.
"....she was sprawled out on the front lawn-" Maera had appeared poolside, but was suddenly overshadowed by a figure who stepped out from behind her and into the light. I almost didn't recognize her with an inch of dirt caked onto every patch of bare skin, streaks of dried blood smeared across her face, hitchhiking leaves in her hair, and the feral gleam in her dark eyes. But as soon as she spoke, there was no denying who stood in front of us.
"What's a girl gotta do to get rescued around here?"
STASIA
The indoor pool erupted. I was what could only be described as attacked by Stasia as she flew out of the pool and spider monkey-ed me; almost knocking me to the ground.
"Olivia!"
My waning energy surged at her close proximity, proving to me just how much I was connected to her. I actually felt my plethora of open wounds tingle as the skin began to close up and heal on contact. I squeezed her back and relaxed into her cool essence and supportive arms. All too soon, a blur of faces replaced her life-giving presence as Natasha, Phoebe, Avery, and even Carmen welcomed me back with squeals and hugs.
As if harboring the power to part the Red Sea, which was probably not too far from the truth, the girls quickly melted out of view as Sebastian's sudden appearance set my heart on fire. His turquoise eyes locked onto mine and he strode from across the pool in a matter of steps. He stood before me with a look that resembled shock muddled with confusion, struggling to find words as his eyes said everything his mouth couldn't.
"You just gonna stand there all night?" I put my hands on my hips in an effort to suppress the urge to scream and throw myself at him in a display of shameless hysteria. "Or are you-"
Before I could get the words out, I was locked in a rock hard embrace of muscles and endless kisses that made my head spin. I breathed him in and decided I could stay exactly where I was all night. Or at least until my legs gave out, which would be sooner rather than later. He leaned back not even an inch and set to wiping the dirt from my face and then the blood from my lips with undeniable tenderness. His frantic eyes soaked me in as if I could vanish again at any moment.
"We looked for you.... We tried... I can't believe...How...?" he attempted several times. Finally, he settled for another suffocating embrace and melted my heart with gentle kisses.
"Likely story," I kidded him softly. My gaze landed upon his broad shoulders and I realized his traces were gone. "What happened to your-"
"Shhh..." he purred in my ear. My eyes narrowed with suspicion and I frowned at him.
"Still haven't told her?" I accused him in a low tone. Unfortunately, I already knew the answer.
"Alright, Romeo," Avery's caring, yet stern voice interrupted as she instructed Sebastian; placing a healing hand on his forearm. "I need to get to work."
"Take her to your room, Sebastian." Maera winked at him knowingly. "I'll collect some towels and clothes."
"Wait," Stasia protested. "What about Fallon? Is she okay?"
"The last time I saw her was in some kind of cave," I sighed. "Two days ago."
"How did you get away?" Phoebe pressed.
"Well, that's where things get bizarre," I replied with a raised eyebrow. "Selene...let me go. And then the witches brought me back to Atlantis." After several gasps and one blank stare from Ricker, I realized they were waiting for me to continue. "She wanted me to give Stasia a message, and she gave me two things to bring back with me. Which, come to think of it, are probably still lying outside in the grass. They were kind of heavy." I rubbed my temple as a dull pounding thumped under my skull from thinking about it.
"Witches?" Natasha stepped forward with concern, instantly alert.
"She let you go?" Phoebe squealed in an octave that split the rest of my skull open that wasn't thumping.
"What kind of message?" Carmen asked slowly.
"Apparently Selene isn't too fond of writing letters, so she branded me with a symbol instead," I reflected wearily. "She definitely gets points for creativity."
"A brand?" Stasia gasped and Sebastian stiffened visibly with rage.
"That crazy bitch," Carmen hissed and I heard Finn curse under his breath.
"I can't believe I allowed that to happen." Sebastian commenced to blaming himself and I rolled my eyes at him before a muscle spasm in my calf almost reduced me to tears.
"I'm the one that decided to save moon girl." I touched his cheek softly. "I knew what I was risking."
"Everything," he whispered absently as his eyes fell on my left bicep. I flinched when he touched it lightly, causing a fresh memory of torture to resurface.
"Liam," I sighed.
"What about him?" Finn stepped forward protectively.
"He..." I fought for the words to explain what I'd
endured, then settled on letting my wounds speak for themselves. I gestured at my torn up body. "This is his handiwork. He's under Selene's command now." More gasps reverberated throughout the group.
"Bullshit," Finn pressed, his jaw clenching in anger.
"I'm sorry," I empathized with him. "I wouldn't have believed it either, but I witnessed it myself. It's true." I knew Liam was Finn's best friend; someone he'd known his entire life. I couldn't imagine what that betrayal must feel like. But I decided as long as I was dropping bombs, I might as well drop them all. The betrayal was two-fold.
"And so is Fallon," I stated simply. Another gasp. "She played all of us."
"She wouldn't..." Stasia mumbled unconvincingly.
"It makes perfect sense, really," Carmen piped up. "Liam's all distraught, so Selene swoops in and snatches him up; promising him God knows what. And Fallon. Think about it! She comes out of nowhere 'claiming' Selene's chasing her?" She shook her head in disgust. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted her...I knew it."
"I don't believe it," Stasia pondered incredulously. Finn stood silently and stiff next to her, the wheels in his head turning.
"Ricker, Ian," he commanded before kissing Stasia on the cheek and abruptly leaving the room, followed by the other two Sons.
"Okay, that's enough for one night," Maera interrupted. "Sebastian and Avery, take Olivia to the east wing and get her cleaned up. It's almost midnight. The First Practice will be here before we know it.
"That's tomorrow?" I gaped. The very reason we were on Atlantis had slipped my mind in the last couple days. Something about having so many descendants on one island with Selene running amok was unsettling. But at the same time, at least they were the strongest of the descendants. We had that going for us.
"That's right." She nodded in my direction. "I'll have Seraphina secure the items you left outside. I believe a good night's sleep is what we all need right now."
OLIVIA
With that, we filed into the mud room and Sebastian immediately collected me into his arms in one quick sweep. My exhaustion trumped the importance of the Book of Souls and Key of Tribeca as well as the two names I had seen listed. For now, all I wanted to do was lay my head against Sebastian's chest and pretend the previous twenty-four hours never happened. Reality was too much for me right now. I needed to fade into a shiny, happy world of make-believe for a short time. Otherwise, my mind was going to slip into a protective coma and never return.