by Amy Sumida
Triton set his piercing stare on Gargo for a long moment before he nodded crisply. “She's always been stubborn, hasn't she?”
I went still. The question had sounded like a challenge, and I knew it was misleading. As far as Poseidon went, I had been an agreeable and loving granddaughter. I'd never denied him anything, nor him me. Not that either of us asked for much. We had always gotten along swimmingly. Which meant that Triton suspected something. He knew there was something wrong with his father and was fishing for confirmation.
I grimaced as if the statement had been accurate but insulting, hoping Gargo wasn't perceptive enough to discern the trick.
“Indeed,” Gargo agreed casually.
Triton gave a long blink but kept his expression neutral. “Let me have a word with her. You go ahead to dinner. I think I know what might convince her to see the light.”
Gargo narrowed his eyes nearly imperceptibly. I froze.
“Unless you'd like to try your way again?” Triton cocked his head.
“Go ahead then; see what you can accomplish.” Gargo slid me a menacing look that Triton couldn't see then he strode out of the room, seeming much larger than the physical form he inhabited.
Triton stepped into the room so Gargo could pass then closed the door softly behind him. He angled his head toward the wood, listening to Gargo's retreating footsteps before he transferred his grave stare to me.
“Hello, Niece.”
“How long have you known?” I cut right to the chase.
“Known what?” He lifted his chin.
“That he isn't Poseidon.”
Triton's jaw clenched before he spoke, “That's not possible. There is no way that an impostor could have abducted my father and replaced him.”
“No, but an impostor could have taken your father's body without anyone noticing,” I said carefully.
Triton knew that Gargo wasn't his father—how could he not?—but he still needed someone to assure him. Someone who could answer all the questions that kept him from accepting the truth. I could do that for him, but I had to tread carefully or I'd spook Triton and never get another chance to convince him.
My uncle stepped forward until he was mere inches away from me. “What are you saying, Elaria? Be precise.”
“You know that isn't Poseidon. Your father would never do this. Attack the land? Force the Greeks to fight for him? Imprison his family? Have sex with a woman other than your mother?” I added the last bit in a scathing tone. “No, that's not the man we love.”
“He has been acting strangely, I'll give you that,” Triton admitted. “But he's not possessed. Gods can't be possessed.”
“You aren't real Gods,” I said softly.
Triton flinched. “And yet you're the one who's been captured.”
“I didn't say it to be condescending, Triton,” I amended. “You need to understand that there are beings stronger than you. Stronger than your father.”
Triton frowned. “You're implying that a true god has possessed my father?”
“I'm not implying anything, I'm baldly saying it. His name is Gargo. He is the God of the Gargoyles, and he's imprisoned in water and ice below the Oregon Zone. A couple of Shining Ones attempted to free him awhile back using my blood.”
“Yes, I recall the event,” he murmured with a frown. “But how would this sleeping god possess my father?”
“I'm not quite sure.” I grimaced. “Gargo told me that the water used to hold him connects to an underground river that leads to the Pacific. Somehow, he moved his consciousness through the water and invaded Poseidon's body.”
“He told you this?”
“Just after I arrived.” I nodded.
“This is insane,” Triton growled.
“As insane as Poseidon wiping out half of the Eastern Seaboard with a tidal wave?” I countered. “Or does my explanation make sense of that?”
Triton wavered.
“Look at this, Uncle.” I waved my hand at my throat. “It was once a necklace made by my husband and enchanted to protect me. Gargo used his stone magic to transform it into a solid collar and activate onyx's power to ground my magic. He's rendered me defenseless. Now, how could Poseidon have done that? And if I'm lying to you, why aren't I singing right now? I could free myself with one song.”
Triton went pale. Well, paler. I'd finally said the one thing that he couldn't refute.
My uncle sighed deeply, his body trembling with acceptance. “What was he doing to you when I walked in?”
“Gargo has developed a liking for my blood,” I bit the words out. “He was after another taste.”
Triton gaped at me. “My father is possessed by a god with Blooder tendencies?”
“He doesn't need it to fuel himself, only for pleasure.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This can't be happening.”
“Uncle Triton, you know me; you know that I wouldn't lie to you about this,” I said urgently. “As soon as Gargo conquers the Beneath, he's going to take me to the Oregon Zone and bleed me dry over his prison. My blood will release his true body and then we're all fucked.”
Triton let out a deep breath. “He ordered me to imprison my daughter. And my sister. We had to bind Ligeia's wings so she wouldn't hurt herself.”
“He'll make you do far worse if you don't help me.”
Triton considered my words. “Either way, I want you safe; you, Triteia, and Ligeia. And it's abundantly clear that you're not safe here.”
“Thank you.”
“We need to play his game until I can get you free.” He started pacing. “I know someone who might help us, but we'll have to get you out of the palace for him to reach you.” He grimaced. “Which makes it unfeasible for my sister. Ligeia's escape may have to wait.”
“What would compel Gargo to take prisoners out of his fortress?”
Triton scowled and paced. While I waited I tried to come up with another plan but the undersea world wasn't my area of expertise. I was just about to tell Triton that I couldn't think of anything when he stopped and started to smile.
“What?” I asked eagerly.
“Poseidon—I mean; Gargo—has been trying to get the sea monsters to side with him but only the few who are part of his court have agreed,” Triton announced. “He's had to resort to bribery. Recently, he's been focused on Scylla.”
“Scylla?” I gaped at him. “She doesn't help anyone unless she gets something in return. Usually something bloody.”
“Exactly!” Triton pointed at me. “Scylla demanded a sacrifice.”
“And you want to give her one?” I asked in shock.
“I want Gargo to attempt to give her one,” he corrected. “It would be the perfect excuse to take you and Triteia out of the palace. I'll recommend that he kill two birds with one stone.”
I grimaced at his phrasing.
“He can get Scylla's help while intimidating his prisoners,” Triton expounded.
“But who will be the sacrifice?”
“I'll leave that up to him.” Triton smirked shrewdly. “Otherwise he might suspect me of something.”
“You're hoping he chooses Triteia,” I said in surprise.
“I'm nearly certain that he will. He'll want to test my loyalty, and she's no good to him if she won't fight.”
“But why put her in danger?”
“The friend I mentioned is more powerful than Scylla,” he explained. “Once the monstress has my daughter in her clutches, she'll want to leave to enjoy her snack. He can save Triteia then and in the chaos, grab you as well.”
“It sounds like our best option.”
“I'll contact him after dinner. For now, let's get to the dining hall. You need to act as if I've convinced you to play nice but not to join us.”
“You mean; I have to sing.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “Sing and remind our people of who you are to us, Elaria. Remind them of who they are.”
“I'll do my best.”
“Thank you.” Trit
on extended his arm to me.
“One last thing before we leave the room,” I said as I placed my hand on his forearm. “My men; are they alive?”
“I don't know,” he said gently. “From the reports I've had...” he gave me a sympathetic look. “It's unlikely that all of them made it through unscathed.”
I started to tremble as pain slashed through me. No, please. I can't lose them. We had only just begun to love each other. I can't. My breath started stuttering, coming in broken gasps. Images of Gargo's savage attack filled my head, and I crumpled to the floor. Darc's body is immortal so he'd survive as long as he hadn't been beheaded but it was entirely possible that one of those surging boulders had done just that. As if my mind were trying to torture me, the picture of Darc's headless corpse flashed in my mind. I cried out and wrapped my hands around my head.
Darcraxis was the strongest of them. If there was a chance that he was dead, it was a far greater one that the rest of them were. I heard Torin's voice echoing in my ear again, shouting for Banning as if my Blooder husband had been struck down, and then Slate's voice cutting off ominously... as Gage's had. Cut off as if they'd been silenced permanently. Triton was right; it was far more likely that at least one—if not all—of them had been killed. Who had I lost forever?
A horrible keening rose up my throat, full of despair and heart-rending pain. Even to me, it sounded haunting; as if I were dead too. And I would be without them. My heart would be an empty shell. No, an empty cage. All the birds gone. No songs to fill it. My keening rose into a sobbing wail.
“Don't you dare!” Triton growled and yanked me to my feet. “I have watched men and women who I've known for all of my life die recently! I've watched my mother abused and my sister humiliated. I've imprisoned my own daughter. And I've just realized that I've done it all for a being who has stolen my father's body. Don't you think I want to wail and tear at my hair? But I won't allow these things to break me. Too many people count on me to get them through this. They count on us!” He shook me. “You don't know if your men live or not. Which means that it's possible they survived. Hold onto that, Elaria. Hold onto whatever will get you through this because I can't have you breaking down on me now. You're all I've got.”
I took a deep, shivering breath and swallowed the rising bile. “I can't live—”
Triton slapped me. I gaped at him.
“Without them?” He snarled. “Is that what you were going to say? How trite, Niece. You're better than that. You're stronger. You will live without them. And you will find love again. But you aren't there yet. This isn't the time to mourn, and I have a feeling that they would be disappointed in you to see you like this.”
I inhaled sharply and stared at Triton in horror. My throat worked convulsively, choking back fear, pain, and now, shame. Quickly on the heels of those gut-wrenching emotions came anger. Yes, I'd survive if they died. Of course, I would. I would never dishonor their memories by taking my own life. I'm not that person. But that wasn't the point. Those trite sayings are common for a reason; because that's how you feel when someone you love with all your being is taken from you. You feel as if you can't go on. And gods damn it, I was entitled to feel that way too, even if it wasn't certain yet. I had six amazing men in my life; the mere possibility that I had lost even one of them was crushing.
“I've just been confronted with the possibility of their deaths,” I growled in Triton's face. “Give me one goddamned motherfucking moment to feel that before I pull myself together!”
Triton chuckled softly. “You're right. Go ahead and take your moment.”
“Well, it's too late now; the moment has passed,” I snapped. My shoulders squared as I went cold inside, pushing away the pain. I'd get back to it later if it was warranted. “You're right too. This is not the time to wallow in sorrow. Right now, I need to focus on getting that son of a bitch out of Poseidon. I'm with you, Uncle.”
“Thank you,” Triton said in relief. “And thank you for helping me accept the truth.”
“Anytime.” I smirked. “But don't ever slap me again.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Musicians!” Triton called gaily as we stepped into the vast space of the dining hall.
The rectangular room swept forward from a pair of double doors. At the opposite end, Gargo sat at a table on a raised dais inside my great-grandfather's body. He straightened in his seat at hearing Triton's order and started to grin. Beside him sat my great-grandmother Amphitrite, looking paler than usual and fragile enough to shatter. Her sapphire gaze collided with mine, and in it, I saw bitter wisdom. Grandma already knew what I'd had to convince her son of; that the man beside her wasn't her husband. She nodded at me as if in confirmation but there was no hope in her. She had seen Gargo's evil close enough to accept that there was no escaping it or him.
Before the impostor and his captured queen, two rows of tables stood along the walls with an aisle between them. All of the tables were covered in snowy linen and set with polished silverware. Coral chandeliers holding Beneather lights hung above each table, illuminating grim faces. I recognized all of the furniture as well as the enormous framed art that hung on the walls, but they seemed strange in this space. The stone wasn't pale enough, the room far too large, and the ceiling too low. It, like its master, was a poor imitation of its predecessor.
As Triton and I strode down the aisle, three men got up from their seats and joined us. I knew them, had performed with them before in Poseidon's palace, and they nodded to me in greeting but remained silent. We headed to the right of the high table, where their instruments waited; a drum set, two guitars, and a microphone. Gargo had assumed I'd sing for him eventually, but I could see that he was shocked that Triton had succeeded where he had not.
“Good luck,” Triton murmured to me before he flicked on the microphone and spoke into it. “Our cousin has agreed to sing for us! Let's show her some appreciation.”
The room exploded into applause, and Triton smiled at his people as he headed to the high table then took his seat on Gargo's right. Amphitrite glanced across Gargo at her son then blinked in surprise. Triton gave her a slight nod, and her face flooded with relief. My heart went out to my grandmother. I wondered if she'd tried to tell someone about Poseidon, perhaps even Triton, but had been brushed off. How terrifying it must have been for her; alone in her knowledge with no one to comfort her.
Damn that son of a bitch; I was going to kill him and free my grandfather. I just wasn't sure how.
“Do you know “Man or a Monster' by Sam Tinnesz?” I asked the band.
“Sure. Easy enough,” Elan, the drummer, answered for all of them. “You ready, El?”
“Let's get this over with,” I muttered.
A guitar droned up into the snap of drums, and the court went silent. I started to reach for my magic automatically then remembered that I was on my own. I never thought I'd miss the conversations that went on in my head, but I did. I'd give anything to hear Kyanite call me his love and RS call him a kiss-ass. Anything to free my magic. My kingdom for a spelled song.
A tapping drumbeat like snapped fingers emphasized my words as I softly began to sing. I lifted my stare and swung it across the gathering boldly. Without magic aiding me, I'd need to connect with my audience through the music alone. Music and myself. That's a talent only true entertainers have, and I hoped I had it too.
Poseidon's court went still as my words sank in; urging them to look within and confront the evil that loomed there. Wickedness that they had let inside. They all knew that what they were doing was wrong, I just needed to call them on it. Turn on a light and illuminate what they were trying to hide. The court began to shift uncomfortably as I asked them what they were; who they intended to be. Would they be honorable or monstrous? What could they live with? How would they be able to confront their reflections ever again?
Gargo went tense, his eyes narrowing at me as I continued to musically berate my kin for bending to the will of a monster. Fighting for him
when they knew he was wrong. My music held more than that though; it was a warning and a call to action. Continue down this path, and you will suffer. You will be destroyed. But rise against this evil, and you may yet survive.
“Enough!” Gargo roared as he stood up.
The sea folk made sounds of distress and drew back as the music came to a creaking stop. I lifted my chin and faced off with the Gargoyle God. He tromped down the dais stairs and over to me with fury in every line of his body. With a sharp grip on my upper arm, he yanked me away from the microphone.