by Amy Sumida
My husbands and mate shared chagrined glances then sighed.
“Fine. Call her vicious if that makes you feel better.” Declan's shoulders lowered and the gauntlet vanished.
“Thank you,” Lucifer said stiffly.
Before I could say anything supportive to my men, my contact charm rang. I frowned as I slid the cone-shaped piece of barite into my ear and answered, “This is Elaria.”
“Ellie, it's your father,” Robert Scorcher said urgently.
“Dad?” I asked in surprise. “What's wrong? You sound upset?”
“We've just had a visit from your Aunt Alexandra.”
“Aunt Alex?” I blinked at the curious faces around me.
Alexandra was a spellsinger. I say “was” because she was killed at the Battle of Primeval then brought back to life as an asrai—a type of water faerie—and now lives in the ocean. My parents live on an island so it's easy enough for Aunt Alex to visit them. Asrai can survive out of water briefly.
“She's brought us a warning,” my father went on. “Ellie, we need your help. Poseidon is going to attack Pyrosvesti.”
“What?!” I screeched.
“Apollo was right. Poseidon is amassing an army. He's enlisting beneathers to fight for him, even those who are unwilling.”
“I'll be there in two minutes.”
“Good girl. See you soon.” My father disconnected.
I looked at my men.
“You said that you'd stay away from Earth,” Torin growled.
“Yes, but now my family is in danger.”
“Go make that choker, Torin,” Declan said firmly. “We'll go with Elaria to her parents' island.”
Torin glowered at Declan.
“I highly doubt that the assassin will be on Pyrosvesti,” I said gently. “That being said, my father has been warned that Poseidon is about to attack the island.”
“What?!” Torin roared.
“I don't think he's going to make that necklace,” Lucifer observed dryly.
“It's my parents, Torin,” I said. “I'm going.”
“We're all going,” Torin shot a look at the other men, and they nodded, Lucifer included.
“You too?” I asked Lucifer in surprise.
“Me too,” Lucifer confirmed. “It will be my honor to defend your parents, my vicious.”
Luke held his hand out to me, but Gage snatched it before I could.
“I've been to Pyrosvesti,” Gage declared with a smirk at Lucifer. “It will be my honor to take you there.”
Chapter Six
Aunt Alexandra was already gone by the time we arrived, but her message was relayed to me immediately.
“Alex said that Greek Gods have been going missing,” my father told us. “The Asrai have seen them in Poseidon's palace, and they weren't there of their willingly.”
We stood in my parents' living room; an airy space nestled around the trunk of the massive mangrove tree their house was built around and within. Most of the dwelling hung in the tree branches—a proper treehouse—but my father also had an underground, Witch workspace within the roots. Dad is a Fire Witch and my mother is a Siren. Mom stood near the balcony while we spoke, her ebony wings folded serenely behind her and her lavender stare set above the treetops; toward the beach.
“I can't believe Grandfather would do this,” she murmured.
“Did she just say 'grandfather?'” Declan asked as he sat up straight like a hound dog who had scented prey.
“I didn't mention that?” I asked distractedly. “Poseidon is my great-grandfather. He sired my grandmother, Ligeia.”
“And now he's coming after your mother?” Torin asked in shock.
“Poseidon believes that his family should support him,” Dad said with a grimace. “He's already got Ligeia.”
“Was she at least willing?” I asked.
“I doubt that,” Mom glanced back at me to answer. “Mother would never support such behavior. She's a free spirit.”
“When is Poseidon supposed to arrive?” I asked.
My father shrugged. “All Alex knew was that he was gathering a group to head here.”
“Well, let's you get you to Tír na nÓg,” Darc said to my parents. “We can continue this conversation there.”
“And leave our home unguarded?” Dad asked in shock. “Not happening. We built this place together; there's no way we're leaving it to be trampled by mermaids.”
“Dad, that will be playing right into his hands.” I grabbed his arm. “He'll capture you both. And how do you think you'll cope with captivity in an undersea palace? You've never even visited with us before.”
My father grimaced.
“He's here,” my mother whispered, but we all heard her clearly.
My father's stare shot toward the balcony. The beach was hundreds of feet away and hidden by the trees, there was no way that she could have seen them.
“I hear them,” my mother explained.
We went quiet and, sure enough, the faint sounds of a large group filtered up to us.
“Time to go,” Lucifer said brightly. “If you wish, I will stay and protect your home, but I doubt they're here to damage your property. It's far more likely that they've come only to take you into custody.”
I crept out onto the balcony and leaned against the trunk as I peered over the left end of the railing. A regiment of gods was making its way through the forest; all of them Greek and several of them were not of the sea. A good chunk of Poseidon's people could survive on land for short periods—like the Asrai, who are fey—and my great-grandfather had brought a few of those soldiers with them. But he also had a handful of gods who owed him no allegiance at all and that shocked me the most.
Armed with spears and magic, the group strode up the path from the beach without any attempt at stealth. As far as they knew, they were there for two people; not exactly a challenge with their numbers. I tried to memorize as many of the non-sea Greeks that I could. As I skimmed their faces, my stare collided with my great-grandfather's.
I went still. There was something in his eyes that I'd never seen before. Something chilling. Something hard and sharp. Deadly. I felt pinned beneath that piercing blue gaze. Then Poseidon smiled.
I swung about and ran back inside, my heart racing although I couldn't say why. “Dad, he's here and he looks... off. Just trust me on this; we need to get out of here now.”
My father took one look at my face then turned to my mother and declared, “Kalliope, we're leaving.”
Mom nodded, eyes wide, and went to fetch their traveling stones. She returned a few seconds later with the stones and two packed bags. My father blinked from the luggage to his wife.
“I packed as soon as Alex left,” Mom said as she held a bag and a traveling stone out to him.
My father chuckled and shook his head. “You've always been wiser than me, Kalli.”
“Truer words have never been spoken,” she teased him.
“They're at the tree,” Darc announced.
A great rustling came as my great-grandfather's troops surrounded my childhood home. We looked at each other, took our stones in hand, and left Pyrosvesti to its fate.
Chapter Seven
“I hate the idea of those fish folk tromping through my house,” Dad grumbled as he paced the length of my living room.
“Those fish folk are my relatives, sweetheart,” my mother said softly.
“Sorry, Kalliope.” Dad gave her a repentant look. “I'm frustrated.”
“Grandpa won't hurt the tree,” my mom said. “They may knock a few things over while they look for us, but I doubt they'll deliberately destroy anything. He wants me willing, after all.”
I said nothing, just sat quietly staring into my cup of coffee. I agreed with her. Mostly.
“Ellie?” My father caught my attention. “You said there was something off about Poseidon. What did you mean by that?”
I looked up at my father as I considered his question. Poseidon's face flashed through my
mind again. In particular, his eyes. I tried to analyze them. Why had he scared me? I had Shining Ones and Gods with me; we could have handled Poseidon's troops with ease. So, what exactly had I seen in his gaze to send me running like a mouse from a house cat? I blinked in revelation as it occurred to me. It wasn't what I'd seen, it was what I hadn't seen.
“Poseidon didn't look at me like he usually does,” I murmured. “He didn't see me as family. As someone he loved. He looked at me as if I were prey and he was very hungry.”
“Prey?” My mother asked in confusion. “Poseidon loves you, Elaria. He used to beg me to bring you for visits.”
“I know, Mom,” I said. “I love Grandpa too, but that wasn't him. I think Poseidon has lost his mind. I think he's gone crazy.”
“It's been known to happen.” My father frowned in thought. “All that magic can do things to a god over the centuries.”
“I don't know.” Mom shook her head. “Grandfather has survived thousands of years of battles without showing any sign of fatigue. Why break now when nothing troubles him?”
“Kalli, he invaded Pyrosvesti,” Dad said reasonably. “We both know that Poseidon would never do that; not the Poseidon we know.”
“Great, there's a crazy god bent on world domination,” Gage muttered. “This is sounding familiar.”
“At least it's not a real god this time,” Torin said.
“Do we know who else has disappeared?” I asked suddenly. “Anyone not on that list I made.”
I had written down the names of the Greeks I'd seen with Poseidon as soon as we returned to Kyanite. There were six names on the list but they only the ones I'd gotten a good look at. I was more concerned with those who I hadn't seen on Pyrosvesti. The gods taken against their will.
“Prophasis, Zelos, Megaera, and Hebe are the ones Alex mentioned seeing at the palace, and they're not on your list,” Dad said. “Who knows how many others Poseidon has taken without anyone noticing?”
“And how many more have joined his army willingly,” Declan added. “I assume they wouldn't be missed either.”
I frowned as I mulled the names over in my head. Something was bothering me about them. Something about those four gods in particular.
“Are those gods special?” Gage asked when he noticed my expression.
“They're not gods,” Lucifer huffed. “That's just what they've tricked humans into believing.”
“Technically, they're two spirits, a fury, and a goddess,” I murmured. Prophasis is the Spirit of Excuses, Zelos is the Spirit of Zeal, Megaera is a fury, and Hebe is the Goddess of Youth.” I gave Lucifer a look. “We're going with the Goddess title to make things easier.”
Lucifer rolled his glittering eyes. “If you insist, my vicious.”
“Why did he just call you his vicious?” My father asked with narrowed eyes. He swung them toward Lucifer. “My daughter is not vicious.”
“Let it go, Dad.” I waved him down as Lucifer cleared his throat and looked away.
“Interesting selection,” Darc murmured thoughtfully. “I wonder if there's a purpose behind it.”
“What I want to know is how he's keeping them underwater,” Gage said.
“Poseidon has rooms in his palace that are pumped full of air,” I explained. “He, as well as several of his children, are dual-breathers; they can breathe air and water. They enjoy having places underwater where they can breathe air and walk around on their feet when the urge strikes them.”
“He also likes to have rooms for his guests,” my mother added. “We've stayed there many times.”
“How do you get down there?” Torin asked.
“Poseidon has undersea vessels,” Dad explained. “I'd call them submarines, but they're far more advanced than that.”
“Technology brought from the Greek Realm, I assume,” Declan murmured. “I wonder why we never built such machines.”
“Probably because the Sidhe are too arrogant to build a machine when magic will suffice,” Torin grumbled.
“True,” Declan agreed.
“I need to call Apollo,” I muttered distractedly as I pulled out my contact charm and slid it into my ear.
I gave Apollo a contact charm after he first warned us of Poseidon's plan to conquer the Beneath then Earth. We'd thought that Poseidon was playing a prank on the Greek God of the Sun—as he often did—but Apollo had been so certain that Poseidon was in earnest this time. So, we decided to keep an eye on things and alert each other if anything was brought to our attention. Thus, the gift; the only way for Apollo to contact me in Kyanite was with a Shining One contact charm. Conversely, the charm made it easier for me to contact him as well.
“Apollo, God of the Sun,” I called out to direct the charm's magic.
After a few chimes, Apollo's voice filled my ear, “Elaria?”
“Yes. We've had some news.”
“He's really doing it, isn't he?” Apollo asked. “The God of the Sea is rising.”
I paused when I heard his wording. Rising.
Something wicked rises, Kyanite murmured in my mind as if he'd seen the connection in my thoughts.
“Yes,” I finally answered. “Where are you?”
“My house in L.A.,” he said. “I've been watching the coast.”
“I'll be right there.” I pulled the charm out of my ear and looked at my men. “I'm gonna go get him.”
“One of us can fetch Apollo for you,” Darc protested.
“None of you have ever been to Apollo's house,” I pointed out.
“I have,” my father said as he pulled out his traveling stone. “I will retrieve him.”
Before I could say anymore, my father was gone, and my men were sharing approving and smug looks.
My mother and I spent three nail-biting minutes waiting for Dad to return. Then he reappeared with the glorious Sun God of the Greeks. Apollo may not be an actual god, but his golden, divine looks rival Lucifer's. The statues don't do him justice. I have it on good authority that they especially shorted him in the penis department. There's a reason why humans worshiped him so fervently; Apollo is stunning.
He was also worried.
“What's happened,” Apollo demanded as soon as he appeared. He strode forward to join us, his gaze stuttering on Lucifer briefly. “What has Poseidon done?”
“Sit down, please.” I waved toward a couch. “Greek Gods are going missing. My Aunt Alexandra has spotted them in Poseidon's palace and, just now, my-great-grandfather invaded my parents' island with evil intent. Luckily, they were prepared by Aunt Alex's warning and were able to escape.”
“Not that we couldn't have handled them,” Lucifer added and frowned at me. “Why exactly didn't we handle them?”
“Don't be so cocky, Angel God,” Apollo huffed. “Poseidon has great power and a massive army. Not to mention the undersea beasts who are at his beck and call. He may have come ashore with only a few soldiers but do not doubt that he had monsters waiting in the shallows.”
“The Kraken,” Gage intoned dramatically.
We all turned to stare at him blandly.
“Clash of the Titans?” Gage asked with lifted brows. “Come on! It's a classic. They've even remade it.”
“You, of all people, Griffin, should know that the Kraken isn't Greek,” Apollo said. “That movie is a farce. Both renditions.”
“Of course, I know that,” Gage huffed. “Kraken prefer colder waters. The Norse Gods were the ones who drove them into the deep. But doesn't Poseidon have access to all underwater monsters? The movie may have taken some artistic liberties but it's not so farfetched as you imply.”
“Access doesn't equate to control.” Apollo shook his head. “Poseidon does, however, have many other frightening creatures and demigods who obey him.”
“And then there's the ocean itself,” I added. “His magic controls the water.” I glanced at Lucifer. “He might give you more trouble than you think.”
“I'm tempted to return to Pyrosvesti simply to prove you wrong.”
Luke grinned at me.
“As entertaining as that would be, perhaps we should form a plan before we confront Poseidon and his mermaid minions,” Apollo suggested.
“As you like.” Lucifer shrugged as if it didn't matter to him either way.
“Why is he even here?” Apollo looked at me for an answer.