by Kelly, Holly
“By whom?”
“Each of us. I don’t want arguments, only cooperation. I’ll not tolerate you putting yourself in danger. Do you understand?”
“Are you serious?”
Xanthus frowned at her. Obviously, he was serious.
“Okay, I’ll do what you say as long as I agree with you.”
“No, you will do what I say whether or not you agree.”
“You’ve got to be joking. Listen, this is the twenty-first century.”
“Don’t give me that. I’ve studied you humans long enough to know you. This is a military operation. Even in the twenty-first century, soldiers must obey orders without question.”
“I’m not a soldier.”
“If you’re coming with us, you will play by a soldier’s rules.”
Gretchen huffed. “Fine.”
Each of the Dagonian men buckled straps across their muscled chest and slipped daggers, knives, and other weapons she’d never seen before into their scabbards.
Gretchen stepped up to Xanthus. “Do you have any weapons that would work for me?”
He frowned and handed her a long, narrow blade. “Don’t cut yourself.”
She held it for a second and cracked a smile. Flipping the blade around, she held it against her own arm, blunt side toward her flesh. She launched into a complicated kata, slicing and dicing the air so fluidly that Bruce Lee couldn’t have done better.
Xanthus raised an eyebrow. “That’s as beautiful as it is deadly. You’ll have to teach me sometime.”
Gretchen’s surprise at his words distracted her for a moment—allowing the knife to slip from her fingers. She sank down into a twist stance, caught the handle, and came back up in another fluid kata. “I’d love to,” she answered.
“Impressive.”
She smiled, proud he didn’t notice her blunder.
He stepped in close and whispered in her ear. “Nice save, by the way.”
Oh great. He noticed.
“Okay, everyone,” he announced. He went into commander mode, talking about maps, tactics, and all the best ways to kill a mermaid. Who knew there were so many things to consider?
Sara stepped out into the room, wearing a dark, fitted dress and a leather strap around her waist with scabbards holding several knives. Xanthus’s face darkened.
Gretchen stepped over to her friend. “Sara. What are you doing?”
“I won’t be left behind.”
“This isn’t like you. I took you to see The Hobbit and you couldn’t even stay for the whole thing. How do you think you’ll do in a real battle?”
“Gretchen, I’ve already seen a real battle, several in fact.”
Gretchen nodded, frowning at the memories.
“I know I don’t know how to fight, but I’m not a weakling. I’m valuable. Like you said, I have a sight. I can tell when bad things are about to happen. I can warn us of danger.”
“All right, I’ll support you. But…”
“But what?”
“How do you intend to convince Xanthus?”
“I already have.”
“Oh, so that’s why he looks so angry. He’s already lost the battle.”
“He’s lost one battle, but I’ll help him win this war. We will get Aella. She’ll never kill again.”
Gretchen popped her head above the surface of the water and searched the shore. She couldn’t see any sign of Kyros and Drakōn from there.
“Are you sure this is where they went?” Xanthus asked.
“No, I’m not sure. I’m just telling you what I feel,” Sara said.
One by one, they rose from the water, stepping out onto the small island.
Gretchen scanned the beach and saw something—footprints in the distance. “Look,” she shouted. She pointed to the telltale signs of Kyros and Drakōn. She sprinted to it.
When she got there, she dropped to her knees and touched the large prints. “It’s got to be them. You Dagonians have huge feet.” She looked up at Xanthus, who was sniffing the air.
“It’s them,” Xanthus said.
“You’ve married a bloodhound,” Gretchen whispered to Sara.
“You’ve no idea,” Sara answered.
“There’s a house on that ridge.” Pallas pointed in the distance.
“He has to be there,” Gretchen said as she stepped forward. Xanthus’s hand reached out to stop her. “Kyros and Drakōn were most likely captured. We probably don’t want to take their same path. We need to find another way in.”
They took the long—really long—way around. Coming around the backside of the house, they stopped among the foliage. They could see the house with little chance of being spotted. There were several lights on inside.
“Pallas,” Xanthus whispered. “You and Amar split up and see if there are any open windows. But don’t go in—just come back and let us know.”
They both nodded and slinked stealthily toward the house.
Gretchen looked over to see Sara gnawing on her bottom lip. Gretchen stepped up to her and took her hand. “It’s going to be all right. We have the numbers, the element of surprise, and our voices.”
“I know. I guess old fears don’t die easily.”
“Bravery isn’t about not having fear,” Gretchen said. “It’s about not letting it rule your actions.”
Sara jerked a nod. “I know. I keep telling myself that. Don’t tell Xanthus, but I’m kinda freaking out.”
Gretchen looked over at Xanthus. He was looking back at Sara, frowning.
“I think he already knows.”
“Oh great, he already isn’t happy I’m here.” Sara looked down, avoiding Xanthus’s gaze.
“That’s ‘cause he loves you,” Gretchen said. “And he’s a tad overprotective.”
“I guess I’m glad for that at times like this.”
“Yeah, he won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know.”
Pallas burst through the bushes and made straight for Xanthus. He told Xanthus something that turned his expression murderous.
Gretchen let go of Sara’s hand and strode toward them. “What is it?”
“I don’t think you want to know,” Xanthus growled.
“I don’t care what you think. Tell me.”
“Pallas said he got a look at Drakōn and Kyros through a locked window.”
“And…?”
“They’re both beaten severely… Pallas couldn’t even tell if they’re still alive.”
Everything in Gretchen’s vision glowed red. Her anger, fear, fury, and desperation churned in her head as she marched toward the house. She was going to kill that mother of hers with her bare hands. So help her, she would show no mercy and slaughter her in the most painful way possible.
Xanthus grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back. “What in Hades are you doing? You’re going to get yourself killed storming in like that.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to kill that mermaid. She’s not going to get away with it this time. She’s destroyed enough lives. I won’t allow her one more—least of all mine. She can’t have Kyros. I love him!” Gretchen sobbed. “Why does she do this? How can she be so cruel?”
Sara’s arms came around her. “I don’t know.”
“I loved her too, once,” Gretchen sobbed.
“Of course you did,” Sara said.
“She didn’t care,” Gretchen said. “The only reason she kept me around is because she hates being alone. She didn’t love me. She didn’t even like me. Everything I cared about, she destroyed. She destroyed it because it caused me pain. And my pain was her entertainment.
“But I escaped her. I left. I made a life. I was happy. I had a future. Kyros and I were going to get married. And now she’s killed him. She’s succeeded in destroying me. I’m not dead, but I may as well be.”
“No.” Sara turned Gretchen to face her shook her hard. “No, she hasn’t succeeded. Gretchen, you need to snap out of this. You’re stronger than this. You’re the strong
est woman I’ve ever known—much stronger than I am. Now, I know you’ve had the worst mother in the history of the world, but you can’t let her have that kind of power. You’ve got to fight. You don’t know if Kyros is dead. Don’t you give up on him. He wouldn’t give up on you.
Gretchen kept her head down and nodded.
“Now pull yourself together,” Sara said. “We’ve got a mermaid to kill and Kyros and Drakōn to save. And we aren’t going to tear in there without a plan, and we’re definitely not going to curl up in a fetal position and give up without a fight. We’re going to make a plan, carry it out, and kill that witch.”
Gretchen choked back a sob and wiped her tears. She looked over at Xanthus, who was beaming at his wife. Gretchen looked up at Sara. She glowed with power and confidence. Gretchen always knew Sara had it in her. Of course, as strong as Sara was proving herself to be, Gretchen felt like she’d finally shown everyone how weak she truly was. “I’m sorry. I just… sometimes it’s hard putting up a strong front. It’s a constant fight for me. I’m not as tough as you think I am.”
“Yes, you are,” Sara said. “And don’t let me ever hear you say you aren’t. You’re the toughest woman I know.”
Gretchen straightened her spine and blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. Xanthus, you won’t have any more trouble from me.”
“Gretchen, don’t apologize. You’re stronger than any warrior I’ve ever known.”
Gretchen couldn’t bring herself to smile, but she appreciated his words. No one had ever given her greater praise. She knew Xanthus didn’t need a thank you, but she gave him a nod of acknowledgment.
Xanthus gathered them in together. “Okay, Pallas, what did you discover?”
“From what we could see, there are only three individuals in the home—Aella, an old woman, and an infant.”
Gretchen gasped. “So it’s true. She has a baby in there—my brother or sister.”
Pallas nodded. “A boy. And he has a fin, not legs.”
A brother? Gretchen’s heart immediately went out to the babe. She knew what it was like being mothered by the spawn of evil.
“I suspect Kyros and Drakōn underestimated the old woman,” Xanthus said. “We will not be making the same mistake. If she gives you any resistance, kill her at once.”
Gretchen swallowed. Kill an old woman? If it came to that, she hoped she wouldn’t be the one who had to kill her.
“I’ll be going in alone,” Xanthus said. “Pallas, you and Amar will watch the exits and make sure the mermaid does not escape.”
“Yes, sir,” Pallas said.
“I will give my life if needed,” Amar said.
“Let’s make sure that’s not needed,” Xanthus said.
“Agreed.” Pallas smiled.
“Straton,” Xanthus said. “You’ll stay here. We need your healing skills. We can’t chance having our healer wounded or killed.”
Straton nodded.
“Gretchen and Sara, you’ll wait here with Straton. Amar you need to lay down a perimeter of gasoline completely around the home. If we don’t come out in fifteen minutes, Straton, you’ll need to set the house on fire.”
“What?” Gretchen whispered harshly.
Sara, at the same time, moaned, “No.”
“This mermaid must die. If we can’t accomplish what we’ve come for in fifteen minutes, it means we’ve failed and have been captured. Sara and Gretchen, as brave as you both are, you are not warriors. I will not allow you to put yourself in mortal danger. If I fail, there is little chance you’ll succeed. And Aella cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to survive. If we cannot kill her, the responsibility will fall to you.”
“What about your lives?” Gretchen asked. “What about the others? What about Kyros and my baby brother?”
“Don’t assume the worse.”
“Assume the worst?” Sara said. “You just did assume the worse when you told Straton to burn all of you alive.”
“Please be reasonable. If we fail, we fail. Don’t make a bad situation worse by letting the mermaid escape to continue slaughtering innocent lives. Gretchen, Sara, promise me you’ll not interfere with Straton.”
Gretchen pursed her lips together, unwilling to agree with him. Sara was giving them the same reaction.
Xanthus scowled at them. “If neither of you give me your word, I’ll set the fire now.”
“What? You wouldn’t,” Gretchen challenged.
“You think I want to? You’d give me no choice. If you’re asking me to choose between the life of my wife or the life of soldiers—friends or not, I’ll choose my wife’s a million times over.”
“Xanthus,” Sara said. “You agreed to bring me. You said I could help.”
“I did not agree to put you danger. Your being this close to the place of battle is beyond what I’m comfortable with. Do not ask me to allow more!”
“It’s my choice,” Sara said, raising her voice.
“No. It’s not.”
“Then you lied to me.”
“When did I?”
“When we got married, you promised me you’d never give me orders. You said you’d always give me a choice.”
“This is different. You could get killed in there.”
“If I’m willing to put my life on the line to help those innocent men, you should respect that choice.”
“Sara, I will not. I cannot.” He pulled her in close. “If anything happened to you, moro mou, I could not survive it.”
“And you think I could?”
Xanthus looked tormented. “Will you agree to my conditions?”
She frowned as she thought hard. “I will… if you promise me one thing.”
“What would you have me promise you?”
“That you will do everything, and I mean everything, you can to survive.”
“I promise I will do everything I can to survive.”
“You’d better.” Sara jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately. “That’s to let you know what’s waiting for you when you get back.”
“I’ll be back to collect on that promise,” Xanthus growled.
Gretchen fought back tears. She wanted more than anything to embrace Kyros and show him how much she loved him. But he might be… No, she wouldn’t go there. He was alive and she’d bring him home, nurse him back to health, and marry him so she could kiss every inch of his beautiful body. But first, they needed to save him.
With Sara’s arms still wrapped around him, Xanthus glanced at Gretchen. She kept her mouth shut. Unlike Sara, Gretchen wasn’t about to make any promises. She had a feeling Xanthus knew what she was thinking. But he didn’t say anything. It appeared he wasn’t going to try and stop her. His primary concern was for his wife, and he’d already gotten her word.
Xanthus stepped away from Sara. “Okay, soldiers. Let’s move in.”
Kyros felt as if every bone in his body were broken and his flesh torn to shreds. How he could still be alive after such a beating, he had no idea. Aella had honed her skills and knowledge on how to inflict pain and suffering over the ages. She was a master.
Kyros pried his one good eye open and looked around. He was still in the living area—probably because he was too big for Aella or her grandmotherly minion to move. Drakōn lay unmoving in the same position he had been in hours ago.
“You have to come!”
He could hear Aella’s voice coming from the kitchen.
“I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. It’s just that my situation is desperate. The Dagonians are on their way. They’ll kill me.”
Aella came into view through the kitchen door with a phone to her ear. She stomped forward, turned, and stomped back.
“Leaving will not solve the problem. They’ll just follow. Listen, I know you don’t care if I live or die, but there’s something I have to tell you, something that makes this situation your concern. When you and I were together, something happened.”
Another pause.
“No
, not that. Don’t be crude. It was something that should have never happened. But it did, and I can’t regret it.” There was silence, and Aella spoke low. “I got pregnant.”
There was a pause, and she said, “Thane? Are you there?”
There was a low rumbling, and a crack of thunder that caused the house to shake. Dark mist entered the living room through the kitchen door and filled the house with shadows that brushed Kyros’s skin like the kiss of death.
A voice that seemed born of Tartarus filled the home. “If you are lying, you’ll wish the Dagonians had gotten to you first.”
“I’m not lying.” Aella’s voice shook. “I swear on the River Styx. I’m telling you the truth. You have a daughter. Her name is Gretchen.”
“A daughter? Why did you wait until now to tell me?”
“I… I knew you were angry with me. I was afraid you’d take her.”
“Believe me, I would have. No daughter of mine should have to be raised by a mother as cruel and heartless as you.”
“But I love her.”
He laughed. “You are not capable of love, Aella. I should have destroyed you when I found you.”
“You wouldn’t kill me. After everything we’ve been through—”
“After everything you put me through, I should have summoned my father to claim your soul.”
“But then Gretchen would not be here. And she is. She’s in danger.”
Kyros didn’t know Thane’s voice could have gotten any more terrifying than it was, but somehow, the demigod pulled it off. “What kind of danger?”
“She’s traveling with the Dagonians. They’ve convinced her they care about her. She’s leading them to me.”
“Why can’t you handle these Dagonians yourself? Why summon me? And don’t tell me you wanted to unite me with my daughter. I know you better than that.”
“Their leader is immune to my voice, and they are accompanied by two mermaids.”
“I assume one is my daughter. Who is the other?”
“A new daughter of Triton.”
“You want me to kill a daughter of Triton? Do you know what Triton would do to me?”
“You don’t have to kill her. Just their leader, Xanthus. Once he falls, the others will be easy prey.”
“I’ve heard of Xanthus. They call him the Nightmare of the Deep, and he’s usually accompanied by a Dagonian just as formidable—Kyros Dionysius.”