by Amy Sumida
The glossy, translucent tiles continued down from the walls, over the floor, and up to the edge of a sunken tub. I walked past it and peeked behind a black screen set with Asian landscapes that were carved out of precious stones. I'd been hoping to find a shower stall but instead, I found the toilet. I went to stand over the tub and stared down at another enameled sea life scene. Turtles, dolphins, and colorful fish swam across the bottom of the tub. Around the rim, golden trays held crystal decanters of colorful liquid and piles of washcloths.
“No shower,” I muttered as I peeled off the wet suit.
I undid the pendant from its hiding spot in my hair and set it on the counter. A pair of green handles bracketed a faucet, all three set into the tiled floor at one end of the tub. I knelt beside them and turned both handles. As the tub filled with steaming water, I sniffed at the contents of the crystal bottles until I found a scent I liked. I sat down on the floor and slid into the tub, sighing as the heat sank into my skin. I laid there for a few moments, just enjoying the water before I slid down all the way to soak my hair.
First things first, the salt needed to go. I lathered up my hair then slid back under for a rinse. As I scrubbed the shampoo out, a pair of hands gripped my shoulders and held me down. I flailed and slid from the slippery grasp to come gasping out of the water.
A woman knelt beside the tub, sin-black hair slicked into a serviceable bun and slim body clad in a silky tunic, now drenched in water. Her pale, slim hands were curved into claws and her dark eyes full of hatred.
“What the hell?” I sputtered.
She launched herself at me, and I screamed. I couldn't help it; it was an automatic reaction. I'd been magicless long enough for it to sink in, and my body knew that we needed help. My hands went to her throat as her body covered mine, pushing me back under. Water filled my ears and sounds became hollow. Feet, knees, and elbows hit the sides of the metal tub, thudding like drums.
I kicked and punched but the woman's body softened, sucking in my blows. Her skin became slick and her limbs multiplied. I floundered. What the fuck? I opened my eyes, the sting of the soapy water forcing them shut again, but that one glimpse had been enough for me to get an idea of what I was facing.
The woman was no longer a woman; she was an octopus. A giant, strong octopus whose suckers had adhered to the sides of the tub to hold herself in position like a living lid on my pot of death. I'd likely heal from inhaling water but it was going to hurt. I punched at her and tentacles wrapped around my forearms as well as my legs. She pinned me down with her squishy body and just waited for me to drown.
Seriously? I get rescued only to be drowned in a bathtub by Ursula?
Suddenly, the octopus-woman was gone, her tentacles pulling me up with her until the snapped free like popping bubble wrap. I gasped raggedly, water sluicing down my face as I clung to the sides of the tub. Blurry shapes wrestled before me. I swiped at my eyes and tried again.
A man grappled with the octopus, batting the clinging legs like pesky insects as he throttled its body. He shook the grayish-blue thing violently and as he did, it shifted back into the woman. She was naked now, her clothes floating in the tub with me, but she had bigger issues than nudity to deal with. The man had her by the throat, dangling from one hand as she clutched at his forearm.
He was dressed like a warrior in a dark, sleeveless, wrap-tunic belted over loose pants that were tucked into leather boots. Biceps bulged, even in the arm that hung loosely at his side, and his skin gleamed pale gold over all those muscles. His belt held a sword—slim with a massive sapphire in its midnight hilt—but he didn't bother to draw it; he didn't need it.
He cocked his head as he considered her, his pale blue eyes turning into chips of ice. I couldn't look away from the naked fury in his face, it turned his high cheekbones into knives and flattened his lips into yet another blade. They softened slightly, revealing a hint of their potential for sensuality, but only for a moment before he pulled them back to bare his teeth at the woman. She whimpered, her eyes transfixed on his deadly canines.
“You dare attack a royal guest in your master's home?” He growled, his voice almost too low to make out.
The woman couldn't speak, his hand was constricting her airway. When choking sounds were her only response, he scowled as if he'd just realized how tightly he held her. His hand opened, and she fell to the floor, gasping. The woman immediately prostrated herself before the man, begging for mercy.
“Forgive me! I acted only wish to protect the peace,” she said in a painful, broken voice. “Her kind will call our warriors to the surface and their deaths.”
“You fool,” he hissed. “Her kind are trying to protect the world. How long do you think we shall have our peace if they fail?”
“I'm sorry,” she whimpered. “I'm so sorry.”
“Your king will deal with you,” he announced. “Begone.”
She hesitated. He leaned forward and snarled at her like a wolf. The woman scrambled to her feet and ran from the room, not bothering to grab her clothing.
The man turned to face me, and I froze. Something in my chest panicked under his stark stare. I choked back another scream but within the primal warning of my racing blood, something far more dangerous lurked. Desire. And, sweet stones, I wasn't the only one feeling it.
His eyes widened then slid down my body possessively. He paused at my breasts. My waist. My hips. Then centered on the apex of my thighs. A growl rumbled past his lips and his shoulders hunched as if he might pounce. Instead of being offended by his blatant perusal, I shivered. Things tightened. Went liquid. My thighs rubbed together, and magic lit his gaze. A small, startled breath passed over my parted lips, and his gaze shot up to my mouth with the focus of a predator. He pivoted his body toward me so gracefully that I didn't catch the movement, only the slide of his hair. I blinked. In the low light of the bathroom, I'd mistaken the color for black, but it wasn't black at all. It was blue—deep indigo—and it fell around his shoulders in a sleek, thick line, held away from his face by braids at his temples.
“Thank you,” I finally whispered.
His intent stare watched the words pass over my lips before lifting to my eyes. “Black pearls,” he murmured.
“What?” I blinked at him.
“Your eyes; blue and purple. Like the sheen of a black pearl,” he said softly. Then he blinked, cleared his throat, and bowed. “Please do not hold her actions against our kind, Your Majesty. She was afraid. Fear can make a person do foolish things.”
“So can other emotions,” I whispered and swallowed roughly.
What was wrong with me? I was happily married. Happily mated. Happily dating. I was happy. I didn't want this strange, growly man with his weird hair and wild eyes. I couldn't possibly. For goodness sake, I hadn't been tempted in the least by the Red Dragon in his birthday suit but this guy made me melt? Why? Was it the whole rescue thing? But no, Zhavage had saved me too. So, what then?
His icy stare had warmed to sky blue during his perusal but then it landed on my hand, where I gripped the rim of the tub. His stare narrowed and his jaw clenched. He bowed his head to me curtly, set his hand on the hilt of his sword, and looked away.
“I'll leave you to your bath,” he snarled and strode out of the room as if I'd insulted him.
I gaped at the empty door then looked down at my hand. At my wedding rings. Shit. That made me feel ten times worse. He'd been able to control himself when I hadn't. My stomach churned as I remembered that I didn't even know if all of my lovers had survived. And there I was; lying naked before a stranger, giving him sexy-eyes, and purring like a kitten who wanted to be pet. I covered my face in my hands and suppressed the urge to vomit once more.
I hadn't even gotten his name.
“Perhaps that's for the best,” I muttered when I had my nausea under control. “Hopefully, I'll never see him again.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
I dried off and slipped into a high-waisted, silk dress with trailing
sleeves. The silk was a shimmering color that shifted from lavender to gray and it felt incredible against my skin. I wrapped my hair up so it wouldn't get the dress wet and pinned it in place with a golden stick—one of several laid out on a glossy, white vanity near the bed. Then I slipped my pendant onto a ribbon and tied it around my neck. It hung just beneath the solid collar of onyx. I was staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror, lamenting the fact that Gargo had turned Torin's beautiful present into something sinister, when a knock came at the bedroom door.
I opened it expecting to find one of the palace servants, come to fetch me as King Zhavage promised. Instead, all of my lovers rushed through the doorway to surround me. I made a choking sob and tried to hug them all at once. Hands stroked my hair, lips sought mine, and the scent of home wrapped around me as warmly as any embrace. My fear drowned in a tide of love, trembling out of me with broken cries and tears.
“We thought he killed you,” Slate whispered, pain turning his silver eyes liquid.
“The RS went quiet for all of us,” Gage added. “She still is.”
“And all Kyanite could tell us was that Poseidon did something to subdue your magic,” Darcraxis finished. “Are you hurt, my fire?”
“No, I'm fine,” I assured them as tears poured down my cheeks. My voice cracked when I admitted, “I thought you were dead too; some of you at least. I had no idea who had survived.”
“That last attack was brutal,” Banning kissed my forehead then nuzzled me there. “Gage, Slate, and I were badly hurt. But the worst was knowing that you were missing, and I couldn't help you.”
“We had to stop searching for you to save them,” Darc said brokenly. “When Kyanite said that Poseidon had suppressed your magic instead of killing you, I knew you'd survive until we could find you.”
“We decided to take care of our wounded first,” Declan said with a raw, repentant expression. “After we were back to our full strength, we could go after you.”
“It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do,” Torin whispered.
“It was the right thing to do.” I stroked Torin's cheek lovingly then kissed Declan. “I don't know if I could have survived losing any of you, but three? It would have destroyed me. You saved me by saving yourselves.”
“Your death would have destroyed us as well,” Declan vowed before he leaned in and kissed me. “I can't live without you, Elaria. I refuse to even try.”
“Sweet sirens, I love you,” I whispered as I drew back from Declan. I looked around me, drinking them in; their heartrending handsomeness and earth-shaking adoration. “I love you all so damn much. I can barely breathe, I'm so relieved that you're alive.”
After another round of hugs and kisses, the men drew back enough for us to speak.
“Every moment without you has been a torment of fear and pain,” Darc said softly, his fingers entwined in my hair as if he needed reassurance that I was really there.
I needed it too; I kept touching them as I spoke, “I'm so sorry. I shared your fear and pain, believe me.” Then I took Darc's hand. “You saved me from Gargo. Darc, how did you do that?”
“He wouldn't leave the island after we returned,” Torin said. “Just stood in the shallows, searching the sea for you.”
“I had no idea your magic had grown so much,” I murmured.
“It hadn't,” Darc admitted.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“I was afraid, my fire.” Darc took my face in his hands and leaned down to kiss me sweetly. He pulled back but just a few inches. “My soul churned. I stood in the shallows and reached for you with all I had. All I am. And something... burst. My magic magnified to save you. My desperation forced a change. Suddenly, a piece of me was back, and I could sense your soul through the water. But it was faint. I couldn't find you at first. And when I did, you pushed me away.”
“I didn't know it was you,” I said apologetically.
“I know.” He stroked my cheek. “That's why I let go and waited. But then I felt your fear. I shoved all of my power into the water.”
“And manifested an extension of yourself to save me,” I concluded.
“I saw Poseidon choking you.” Darc nodded. “I broke his wrists to free you but then you were carried away by, of all things, a dragon.”
“One of my uncle's friends.” I grinned.
“Yes, we know that now.” Gage chuckled.
“This dragon couldn't have helped you with Poseidon?” Slate asked.
“He was a little busy dodging rocks.” I grimaced.
The men scowled, and Darc took a step back from me.
“What the fuck is going on, Elaria?” Banning asked for all of them.
“Darc couldn't find me at first because Poseidon had me inside a stone fortress; one hidden within an undersea mountain,” I began. “I wasn't in the water.”
“Poseidon built a new palace?” Torin asked. “That must have taken several months. Which means that he's been planning this longer than we thought.”
“I doubt it took him long at all,” I corrected. “Poseidon is possessed by Gargo. It was how he was able to move the seabed, create a fortress, and manipulate the onyx choker to turn into into a collar that suppressed my magic.”
They all blinked at me in shock.
“Did you just say Gargo?” Slate growled.
“Gargo dreamed,” I tried to explain. “And in his dreams, he reached through the water that imprisoned him—water that led to the Pacific Ocean—and searched for a mind willing to help him.”
“And Poseidon was willing?” Declan asked in shock.
“Gargo promised him power.” I grimaced.
“Just as with Odrin and Galen,” Torin muttered.
“Yes,” I agreed. “But this time, Gargo had a body that he could possess and use to pursue me himself. He offered Poseidon the magic of a true god but failed to mention that although the magic would be in Poseidon's body, it would be Gargo controlling it.”
“Devious,” Banning muttered.
“That battle was all a setup to get to you,” Darcraxis whispered in revelation. “That's why he attacked the humans instead of the Beneath. He wanted us to bring you to him.”
“Yes, and he was able to capture several other Greeks he'd been after,” I added. “Gargo is using Poseidon's body to start a war, but only to gain control over the Beneath so he can get to his body in Slate's zone and use my blood to free himself.”
“Fuck!” Declan cursed violently. “Goddamned Gods!”
“We know who he is now. That's a beginning,” Slate said grimly. “Next, we use that information to find a way to stop him.”
“I've been giving this a lot of thought. I needed to focus on something instead of panic.” I grimaced. “I think we should dig up Gargo and destroy his body while his soul isn't there to protect it. Then his soul will have nowhere to go when we kick it out of my grandfather.”
The men started to smile.
“You're becoming quite the tactician, Mate,” Gage declared proudly.
“Must be all that Griffin juju rubbing off on me.” I winked at him.
“Is that what we're calling it?” Gage's grin went lascivious.
“Before we go any further”—Torin gave Gage a chiding look then slid his hand around the onyx collar—“we need to take care of this.”
Torin's deep-sapphire eyes focused on my throat. Power zipped over my skin and the pressure against my neck lessened. A cracking sound came just before the collar fell away. I gasped and swayed forward as my magic came rushing back, filling my body with vibrant energy. Torin caught me and held me against his broad chest. I sighed and listened to the beating of his heart, but that beautiful sound was drowned out by the voices inside my head.
My love! Kyanite shouted in relief.
It's about fucking time, RS grumbled.
“I've missed the two of you too,” I said with a chuckle as I pushed away from my husband. To Torin, I said, “Thank you, love; that's so much better.�
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“It was made with the best of intentions,” Torin said regretfully as he gathered the broken pieces of onyx from the floor.
“Torin, you couldn't have known that a Gargoyle god would come into contact with the choker and use his power to manipulate the stone and its magic,” I pointed out wryly.
“No, I couldn't have known that,” he agreed. “But perhaps we should have trusted in your magic to protect you, little bird.”
“Lesson learned.” Declan grabbed Torin's shoulder supportively. “But what's the point in having all of this power if we don't use it to protect those we love? You did what you thought best, and we all agreed with you.”