Treacherous Seas

by LM Brown

  “Go ahead,” Antar said.

  “The sea dragons have lived for centuries without ageing. Do they age now that Mariana is awake?”

  “Yes,” Mariana confirmed.

  “Then they will one day die of old age?” Medina asked.

  “Of course, though not for many years. My priests, you’ll recall, were young. They were also all male, so no further sea dragons will be born of their lines.”

  Medina rolled her eyes. “At least I didn’t retire my own priests the moment they hit thirty years of age.”

  Caspian hoped they weren’t going to start bickering or he would be here all day. He was tired already, which was a new experience for him and not a pleasant one. Maybe he should have slept a little last night after all. No, he told himself, he’d had a job to do, and he had done it to the best of his ability.

  As the women continued to squabble, Caspian thought the matter of Urion over in his mind. As a sea dragon he was troublesome, but as was just noted, he would eventually die. As an immortal he would be around for a very long time, and who knew how much chaos he could cause in those years.

  He knew Marin wanted Urion to take his human form, but at what price?

  Even if Marin did come face-to-face with him as a human, Caspian doubted he would be able to take his life. He had been unable to kill Rafe in cold blood, and as far as Caspian could see, this was no different. Marin might want justice for Calder, but he wasn’t a murderer.

  Antar brought the meeting to order again. “All those in favor of granting Urion immortality, raise your hands.”

  Mariana and her friends immediately did so.

  Caspian wavered. Part of him felt as though he were betraying Marin, but he had to do what his conscience felt was right. He couldn’t vote for someone as vicious and self-serving as Urion to be allowed to live forever.

  “Caspian, are you voting yes or no?” Antar asked.

  “I vote no,” Caspian said as he placed his hovering hand firmly on the table.

  A quick count of the raised hands told him at once that Urion was not going to be around any longer than his natural life permitted.

  “You cannot do this!” Mariana screamed. “When Caspian wanted to make one of those mer creatures immortal, you allowed him to do so.”

  “Phoebus was far more deserving of immortality than Urion,” Medina commented. “He wasn’t a murderer, for one thing.”

  “Urion has been loyal to me, serving his goddess for longer than any other priest of the entire pantheon.”

  Medina snorted. “Only because you turned him into a sea dragon with an abnormally long life. Had events not happened the way they did, you’d have tired of him and moved on within a couple of years. You were already growing bored with him.”

  “That is not the point. Urion deserves to drink from the cup.”

  “The decision is final,” Antar said. “He remains mortal. You may all return to your duties.”

  “You’ll all pay for this,” Mariana warned as she stalked from the chamber.

  Caspian sighed and shook his head. Bloody drama queen. Even those who had supported Mariana’s petition appeared taken aback at her fury.

  Odessa approached him and patted him on the shoulder. “Would you like to go home now?”

  “In a moment,” Caspian said. “I just want a quick word with Cari.”

  He turned to his sister, but she had already vanished. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Is she avoiding me? And if so, why?

  “I guess I’ll speak to her another time,” he said, before letting his mother take him home to the island.

  The sunny weather was noticeably absent. Tempest had done her job well and a steady downpour was currently soaking him through.

  “You couldn’t have deposited us inside the house?” he asked his mother as he ran for the door.

  Odessa used her powers to stop the rain from hitting her, as she strolled leisurely toward the house. “This is quite a pleasant little island. Isn’t it going to be a little lonely though?”

  Caspian smiled and shook his head as he let himself into the house. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” Truthfully, he was already enjoying the quietness that came from not hearing the cries for justice.

  His mother took him at his word and, after installing the crystal portal, she left him to return to her duties.

  Caspian wondered what he should do first. He had so much to learn if he was to survive as a human. He hoped he was up to the challenge.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Caspian wasn’t sure his cooking skills were good enough for a dinner party, but he was fairly confident that he wouldn’t actually poison his guests.

  Jake arrived early, brandishing a bottle of wine. “I thought you might need some help. Kyle and Finn will be here soon.”

  He waggled his eyebrows, making it clear to Caspian just precisely what the hold-up was.

  “What about Marin?” Caspian asked. “Did Finn pass on my message?”

  Jake nodded. “I’m sorry. He spoke to him, but he refused to come tonight.”

  “I suppose I can’t blame him.”

  “He just needs time.”

  Caspian had every intention of giving him that, no matter how much it tore him apart to do so.

  Jake tactfully changed the subject by gesturing to the kitchen. “Something smells good.”

  “Thanks. Let’s hope it tastes all right too. This is the first time I’ve tried making something that isn’t a meal that just needs heating up.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be great. So, how are you finding life as a human?”

  Caspian gave him a rueful smile. “This is the first morning I haven’t managed to cut myself shaving, so I guess I’m improving.”

  Jake laughed. “If it makes you feel any better, I still occasionally nick myself. Finn and Kyle have it lucky. They don’t need to bother, thanks to their mer genetics.”

  Caspian laughed. “You’re right there. The only mer who have a need to shave are those who have a full human in their family tree, where the human genes are dominant. Finn has had a narrow escape. With a human father, he could have been much hairier than he is.”

  “Is there anything I can help with?” Jake asked.

  “No, thanks. I have it covered. Just sit down and relax.”

  Caspian left Jake in the living room and returned to the kitchen. As soon as he was alone, he swore under his breath and punched the nearest cupboard. Would it have killed Marin to come here for dinner? He immediately regretted his burst of temper as pain shot through his knuckles. Damn it. He missed his powers nearly as much as he missed Marin.

  He concentrated on finishing preparing dinner and was nearly done when Kyle and Finn arrived, their timing perfect.

  “How are you finding life as a human?” asked Finn once they were all seated at the table.

  “Tiring,” Caspian replied with a rueful smile. “I never realized until now how much you all sleep.”

  Finn chuckled. “Just wait until you have Marin moved in here. He’ll exhaust you even more.”

  Kyle hissed and Finn jumped. Caspian suspected Kyle had just kicked him under the table.

  “It’s okay,” Caspian said. “You can talk about him. I’m not going to fall apart or anything.”

  “He’s just being stubborn,” Finn said. “He knows very well that Calder wouldn’t want him to be alone. They even invited Kyle to have sex with them his first mating season in the sunken city. So he certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea of Marin having sex with someone else.”

  “It isn’t about the sex,” Caspian replied. He didn’t bother telling them that he and Marin had actually had sex during the last mating season. “It’s about Urion, and Marin avenging Calder’s murder.”

  “At least he isn’t going to be made immortal,” Kyle commented.

  “No, he’s just going to carry on terrorizing the inhabitants of the ocean as a sea dragon,” Finn said. “We’ve had reports from clans who have come to us from the A
tlantic waters that the sea dragons are moving south.”

  “You think they might be heading to the new colony?” Caspian asked.

  “We hope not, but we’ll soon find out if they are. Sea dragons are fast, and while they don’t seem to be in any hurry, it won’t take them long to reach us.”

  “Would they be able to get into the caverns?” Jake asked. He turned to Caspian to add, “Even though Medina assures me I can survive at depth under the water, I’ve been reluctant to test the theory. I like my feet to remain firmly on the land.”

  Kyle chuckled. “We’d take care of you.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to talk me into it.”

  Finn toyed with his food, a frown on his face.

  “Did I add too much seasoning to the lasagna?” Caspian asked.

  “Hmm, no, this is good. I was just thinking about the sea dragons.”

  “What about them?” Jake asked.

  “It’s just a shame that they have the power of invisibility,” Finn said. “If they couldn’t do that, the humans exploring the oceans might spot them.”

  “They’d just kill the humans,” Kyle pointed out.

  “Not if they caught them on camera rather than in person,” Finn argued. “None of the priests will have any idea about human technology like cameras and things.”

  Caspian nodded. “He’s right about that. Maybe it’s something worth considering.”

  “You have an idea?” Jake asked.

  “Maybe.”

  Finn leaned forward. “Tell us more. Perhaps we can help.”

  Caspian pushed aside his plate, too excited to continue to eat. “Sea dragons can’t remain invisible while they’re breathing sea-fire. Both tasks require too much concentration to be done at the same time. So, if we can get them to breathe sea-fire—not the most difficult of tasks—they can be filmed.”

  “Then what?” Jake asked. “We send the film to the press? Any reputable journalist will just think it’s fake.”

  “Maybe an ocean exploration company?” Finn suggested. “I bet Mariana would have them changed back into human form in a flash if she thought they might be captured by scientists for studying and dissection.”

  “They’d just kill anyone who tried to capture them,” Caspian reminded them. “Human explorers of the ocean would be even more disadvantaged against the sea dragons than the mer are. No, capturing them is not an option.”

  “Then what are you thinking?” Jake asked.

  Caspian shook his head, hesitant to speak his thoughts aloud.

  “What is it?” Kyle pressed.

  Caspian gestured to the trident hung on the wall. “Mer weapons are next to useless against the sea dragons, but humans have far more destructive methods these days.”

  “You’re thinking of exposing the sea dragons to the humans so that they can shoot them?” Jake asked. “It would take a missile or something, if they’re as big as you say.”

  “It’s not like we have access to anything like that anyway,” Caspian replied. “We need a way to force them to become human again. That way they can’t cause any more mischief.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Kyle said.

  Caspian gave him a smile. That they were prepared to help him with the problem meant more to him than they would ever know. Perhaps, together, they would find a solution.

  * * * *

  Marin stared at the house and seriously considered running straight back to the sea. He was only here at all because Finn had been pestering him relentlessly to at least hear Caspian out.

  The former god appeared to be building some form of fence around a small garden. He didn’t seem to have seen or heard Marin approach.

  Marin coughed and Caspian finally looked up.

  “Hello, Caspian,” he said.

  “Marin,” Caspian replied, tossing aside his hammer and hurrying to meet him. “I’m so glad to see you. How are you enjoying life in the new colony? Do you have everything you need?”

  “I’m fine,” Marin interrupted the barrage of questions. “Finn said you wanted to speak with me.”

  “Thank you for coming. Would you like something to eat or a drink?”

  “No.” Marin shook his head. “I said I’d hear you out, so say your piece.”

  Caspian appeared unsure where to start, so Marin decided to help him out.

  “Why did you vote against Urion being made immortal?”

  “Because he causes enough trouble as a sea dragon. The last thing the world needs is for him to be around any longer than necessary.”

  “Did your vote make the difference?”

  “No. Even had I voted for the petition, it would not have been passed.”

  “And yet you still decided to go against my wishes, knowing it was my only chance to see Calder’s murderer brought to justice.”

  Caspian rounded on him with a glare. “You know as well as I do that you’d never have been able to kill him.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “You couldn’t kill Rafe.”

  “That’s different.”

  “Is it? Because I don’t see how. Both are murderers and you froze. You couldn’t take his life, no matter what he had done. I know you say you want to see Urion pay for his crime, but it won’t be at your hand, and if you were honest with yourself for just one minute, you’d know that.”

  “How dare you!”

  “I dare because it’s the truth,” Caspian yelled.

  Marin cringed and took a step back. Caspian stepped forward as well.

  “Do you think I don’t know about losing someone and wanting revenge on the one who took him from me? I spent years stopping myself from going down those stairs into the catacombs and strangling Rafe with my bare hands.”

  “That wouldn’t have killed him,” Marin pointed out. “It’s hardly the same thing.”

  “You think I gave him the cup to drink from straight away?” Caspian asked. “Didn’t you notice he’d aged years from the last time you saw him?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Well, he had. I only gave him immortality when I knew I could not kill him myself. Only when I let go of my hatred and thirst for vengeance did I give him the cup to drink from.”

  “At least you had the chance to face Rafe. Everyone is doing their damned hardest to keep me away from Urion.”

  “Because he’ll kill you and any mer on sight.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Well, I do!” Caspian roared. “I will not watch the man I love be murdered again. If it’s in my power to stop it, I will. I won’t watch you throw your life away.”

  “You don’t get to have any say in how I live my life. You gave up that right when you let Rafe kill me.”

  Marin clapped a hand over his mouth the moment he realized what he had said.

  Caspian didn’t seem to know how to respond.

  “I’m sorry,” Marin said. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “Yes, you did,” Caspian said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And you’re right. I promised to protect you forever, yet I failed almost at once.”

  “I know it wasn’t your fault.”

  Caspian gave a short, bitter laugh. “Of course it was. If I’d sent the priests to live in Atlantis like you asked, you’d have been safe in my temple.”

  “Rubbish,” Marin argued. “Even if you’d sent them away, they would still have been able to travel there through the crystal portals whenever they wanted.”

  “I should have known that Rafe had such a black heart,” Caspian continued. “If I’d routinely read their minds, I’d have known his intentions.”

  “You did read their minds when you brought them before you,” Marin reminded him. “Anyone can shield their thoughts with a bit of practice, especially those who have spent a considerable amount of time with either the gods or the mer.”

  Caspian kicked aside a plank of wood. “There is nothing you can say to me that will ever convince me that Phoebus’ mur
der wasn’t my fault. You have every right to despise me for my failure. You can never hate me as much as I hate myself for what happened to you.”

  Marin didn’t know what to say when Caspian gathered up his things and headed into the house. He wanted to erase the guilt he had seen in the former god’s eyes, but there was nothing he could say that would do that, especially after his thoughtless outburst.

  The scent of perfume on the breeze made him turn around, where he found Medina watching him.

  “How long have you been there?” he asked.

  “The sound of your screeching shattered my crystal earrings,” Medina replied. “I thought I should come and see what the problem is.”

  Marin shrugged. “Just a disagreement between me and Caspian.”

  “So I saw. Can I ask you something?”

  “If you like.”

  “What exactly is it that you want Caspian to do for you?”

  “I…” What do I want? Truthfully, he wasn’t too sure. He wanted Urion to pay for his crime, but what was he expecting Caspian to do about that?

  “That’s what I thought,” Medina said. “You have no idea what you want from him, yet you still shout and rage because he’s not able to give it to you. It was hard enough when he was a god, but as a human, he’s even more limited in what he can do.”

  “That’s not my fault.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Medina said. “Well, not if you disregard the whole reason why he’s now mortal.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Medina gave him a sly glance from the corner of her eye. “Haven’t you asked Caspian why he was stripped of his powers?”

  “No. I thought if he wanted me to know why, he’d tell me.”

  “You think so? Maybe if he didn’t want you to feel guilty about it, he would.”

  Marin had no idea what Medina was talking about, and he had a feeling he didn’t want to know either. It therefore came as something of a surprise to hear the next words from his treacherous mouth. “Why did he lose his powers?”

  Medina smiled briefly. “Why, Marin, I’m so glad you asked. He was stripped of his powers as punishment for making Rafe immortal without the permission of the rest of the pantheon—something he did so that you would have the opportunity of facing him when you were reborn.”