“Remind me never to piss her off,” someone said from behind him.
Poseidon turned and grinned. “Chiron! Brother, it’s good to see you,” he said.
Chiron stared at him. “Who are you, and what did you do with Poseidon?” he said suspiciously.
“I know, I know. I’m in a better mood these days.”
“Apparently.” With some reluctance Chiron gave him a small but genuine smile. “I take it everything worked out with you and Ammie?”
“And Griffin,” Poseidon said, holding up a pausing hand. “Ammie, come and eat!”
The Nereid lifted her spear in acknowledgement, sauntering back across the beach as if she’d stepped out of a stretching class. Behind her, her assorted sparring partners staggered towards Nick’s cottage and a soon-to-be crowded hot tub.
“Chiron,” Amphitrite said with true pleasure, jogging up the porch stairs and beaming at him. “It’s good to see you, darling.”
“You, too, gorgeous. You’re still as beautiful as you are badass.” Chiron gave her a courtly bow. “So, I come bearing good news and bad. Which one do you want to hear first?”
Poseidon and Amphitrite exchanged a quick glance. “Bad first, please,” Poseidon said.
“I haven’t been able to find Zeus anywhere. Apparently he’s gone to ground.”
Amphitrite frowned at that. “Why are you searching for Zeus?”
“I was hoping that I could convince him to elevate Griffin to godhood,” Poseidon said. “That would take care of his tumor, not to mention his mortality.”
Her eyes lit. “Oh, darling, that’s brilliant!”
“It’s only brilliant if I can find him and talk him into it,” Poseidon said. “Or, more accurately, Chiron here can talk him into it.” He nodded at his half-brother. “If that’s your bad news, what’s the good news?”
Chiron smirked. “I need Griffin for that. Where is he?”
“Taking a shower and soaking some sore muscles, I would think,” Amphitrite said. “Wait here, I’ll go get him.”
She headed inside. Once they were alone, Poseidon said, “You haven’t been able to find any sign of Zeus?”
The ghostly centaur looked perturbed. “No, and that bugs me. I know most of his boltholes, and he hasn’t been in any of them for a while. He usually leaves a few skidmarks here and there so that I can track him down if I have to, but there’s nothing this time.”
Poseidon didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s the likelihood that he’s holed up somewhere with a mortal woman?”
Chiron’s shoulders rose. “Possible, but he usually doesn’t go that far unless he’s ass over teakettle about her.”
“Damn. Griffin’s improving, but I would feel better if I knew we had his elevation to godhood locked in,” Poseidon said. “I worry that he’ll relapse if I have to leave for longer than a day.”
“Now that, I can help you with,” Chiron said. “Hey, boss?”
An orange sparkle appeared in the air, and a tall blond man in a set of khaki scrubs stepped out of it. The scrubs’ top barely restrained his rippling muscles, and even in the shade of the porch his hair gave off golden glints. “Greetings, uncle,” he said, giving Poseidon a pleasant nod. “I understand congratulations are in order. Chiron said that you have been reunited with your consort?”
Poseidon eyed Chiron, who shrugged. “Greetings, Apollo. And yes, I have,” he said. “I take it he’s also told you about Griffin?”
“Yes, and the fact that he has a brain tumor. It should be simple enough to heal that,” Apollo said, glancing around the porch. “What a lovely place you have here. So quiet and peaceful.”
Amphitrite picked that moment to come back out to the porch. Apollo eyed the Nereid’s glistening form with appreciation. “At least, I assume it’s peaceful,” he quipped.
“Hello, nephew. I was sparring earlier,” Amphitrite said dryly. “A pity you missed it.”
Apollo smirked. “Yes, well, things to do, places to be. Now, about your mortal mate. As I said to my uncle, healing him of his tumor should be simple enough. My question is, what will I receive in return?”
He eyed Amphitrite again, more lasciviously this time. Poseidon was tempted to pull out his trident and poke a few holes in the sun god. It won’t kill him, after all.
Chiron cleared his throat, shaking his head. With an effort Poseidon controlled his temper. “What would you like?” he asked as he moved closer to Amphitrite, his meaning unmistakable.
Apollo’s expression turned gracious and he held up his hands in surrender. “My apologies, uncle, if I overstepped myself. I was just reminded of something by the Lady Amphitrite’s beauty.” He nodded at her. “I wonder, aunt, are you still in contact with your sister Ligea?”
Amphitrite’s brows rose at that. “As a matter of fact, I just had brunch with her a few days ago,” she said. “Why?”
The sun god laid a hand over his heart in a dramatic pose. “As you may remember, I was quite fond of your sister once upon a time, but to my regret your father decided that she was too young for my attentions. Seeing you here reminds me of her loveliness, and she’s most definitely of age now. If you could persuade her to have dinner with me, I would be more than happy to heal your mate.”
“Dinner and what else?” Poseidon said sourly.
The sun god blinked at him. “Just dinner, uncle. I’m well past the days of chasing after unwilling nymphs. If the lady expresses interest in anything else, well,” a grin sleeked across his handsome features, “I’m sure we can determine what that will be between ourselves.”
“I see.” Amphitrite donned a sweet smile. Poseidon suspected only he could see the vile humor underneath it. “I’m quite happy to put you in contact with Ligea, Apollo, and I’m sure that she would be very pleased to dine with you. Shall I call her now and have her make dinner reservations?”
Apollo clapped his hands together. “That would be wonderful, auntie. Thank you.”
“No, thank you, my dear. One moment, then.” With a different sort of smile for Poseidon, she stepped back into the cottage.
Poseidon turned back to his nephew. “It took Chiron long enough to find you. I take it things are going well for you?”
“Well enough. I’ve been acting as patron for various solar power startups, and I volunteer at various clinics and aid stations that need doctors.” Apollo waved one hand at his outfit. “As you might be able to tell from my clothing.”
That seemed suspiciously altruistic for the carefree sun god Poseidon knew. “That’s very generous of you.”
Apollo shrugged. “I like to keep my hand in. Speaking of that, I was given to understand that Asclepius’s Rod is being used once again.”
“Yes, the Bearer lives over there.” Poseidon pointed at the primrose cottage up the beach. “He’s a most skilled and honorable physician. I believe Asclepius would find him worthy.”
Irritation flitted across Apollo’s face. “If Pythia judged the mortal acceptable, then I’m sure Asclepius would have approved of him.”
Poseidon glanced at Chiron, who maintained a bland expression. “What did happen to Asclepius, if I may ask?”
“That’s an excellent question, uncle. The answer is I don’t know. I’ve been looking for him on my travels, and I haven’t found a single trace of him anywhere. And of course Gaia isn’t saying anything. With his Rod now in the hands of a mortal, I’m starting to think that he ran into something … unpleasant.”
“This is starting to be a pattern,” Chiron said. “Asclepius disappears, and now Zeus can’t be found anywhere.”
Apollo gave his half-uncle and disciple a curious look. “Father goes walkabout all the time to get away from Mother Hera. He’ll come back when he gets bored. He always does.”
“Let’s hope so,” the centaur said, frowning. “In any case, I’ve got stuff to do. Poseidon, I’ll keep you updated about Zeus.”
Poseidon nodded. “Thank you, brother, from the bottom of my heart.”
“I live to serve. So to speak.” Chiron’s form flared for a moment, and then he was gone.
Apollo turned to Poseidon, rubbing his hands together. “Well, then, uncle. Why don’t you introduce me to your mate, and we’ll see about fixing that little problem of his before I head out to dinner,” he said cheerfully.
Now I remember why Apollo annoys me. Keeping a firm grip on his temper, Poseidon led the sun god into the cottage. The living room was empty except for Amphitrite, who was pacing while she spoke on a cell phone.
“Excellent. Thanks, darling, and have a wonderful time.” She ended the call, beaming at them. “Everything is set, Apollo. Ligea will meet you at Michel’s in West Palm Beach tomorrow night at 8:00 PM. Dress code is casual chic.” She gave his scrubs a meaningful look.
Apollo laughed. “Don’t fret, auntie. I have just the thing,” he said, plucking at his top. “A cell phone? I thought all the Nereids could speak to each other by water.”
“We can, but using a cell phone tends to be more respectful of each other’s privacy,” she said. “There’s nothing quite so off-putting as hearing a voice come from the toilet, especially when you’re using it.”
Apollo’s expression curdled a bit at that. “Very wise. Now, where’s my patient?”
“Here.” Griffin came out of the bathroom swathed in a ratty old bathrobe and looking nervous. He stopped, blinking at Apollo. “Jesus.”
“Wrong pantheon, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Apollo said cheerfully. “I’m Apollo, God of the Sun, Lord of Healers, blah blah blah, and I’m here to remove your tumor.”
“Sit down, beloved.” Amphitrite took Griffin’s arm and guided him over to the breakfast nook, urging him onto one of the stools. “Apollo has kindly agreed to heal your cancer.”
Griffin goggled at Amphitrite, then at the sun god. “Just like that?”
Apollo rolled his eyes. “What part of ‘Lord of Healers’ did you not understand?” he said, coming to them and reaching for Griffin’s head. Understandably, Griffin jerked away.
Apollo paused, sighing. “This won’t hurt, mortal, I promise.”
“Yeah, that’s what all doctors say,” Griffin said darkly.
“I am not all doctors, and I am trying to save your life.” He held up his hands and waited until Griffin nodded.
“Right. Now, then.” The sun god put a hand on either side of Griffin’s head and closed his eyes. Poseidon felt the god’s power surge, flowing into their mate and supercharging his aura. It flooded with red and orange streaks like dye dropped into water. He remembered the colors from Medusa’s aura, dancing together like ethereal fire.
Apollo opened his eyes. “It’s gone.”
Poseidon let out a juddering sigh of relief as Amphitrite squeezed his hand tightly. “Thank you, nephew—”
“No, I didn’t heal it.” The sun god sounded puzzled. “It’s gone. I can feel the gap where it was, but his brain tissue is already expanding into it.” He stepped back, arms dropping to his sides as he studied Griffin. “Have you drunk a healing potion or been touched by another god of healing recently?”
Poseidon glanced at Amphitrite. Two spots of pink came out on her cheeks. Did we do this?
He lifted his shoulders slightly. I don’t know. But being mated to Aphros and Bythos was what had allowed Ian to survive an ilkothella’s bite, and they’re only demigods. I’m the God of the Seas and you’re a goddess in your own right. It’s certainly not impossible.
The very thought of talking about their sex life to Apollo grated on him, but it had to be done. “The three of us have been intimate together,” he said out loud. “A number of times. The Fates now recognize us as mated. I know that divine seed can give a mortal strength and stamina, but could we have cured him as well?”
“I would have to say yes,” Apollo said, thick blond eyebrows going up. He gave Griffin another thoughtful glance. “Interesting. This could open up an entirely new field of medicine. I’ll have to do an in-depth study.”
Poseidon didn’t want to know what the parameters of that study would be. “I’m sure you’ll want to get started on that immediately,” he said. “Thank you once again for your services, nephew.”
Apollo shook his head. “Even if they weren’t actually needed here, it seems.” He hesitated, glancing at Amphitrite. “Er, does that mean—”
“We’ll accept it as a good faith effort on your part,” Amphitrite said reassuringly. “Your dinner with Ligea will go on as planned.”
“Excellent. Well, I think I would like to have a word with the Bearer, and then I have some other patients to see before I head over to West Palm Beach.” With his hand over his heart Apollo gave Amphitrite a flirtatious bow, then a slightly more formal one to Poseidon. A halo of orange light appeared around him and he vanished.
Poseidon let out a long breath. “Have I mentioned recently how much he annoys me?”
“You did quite well, dearest.” Amphitrite kissed him, then did the same to Griffin. “How do you feel, beloved?”
“Like I just drank a six pack of energy drinks,” Griffin said, holding out his hands and flexing them. “Is he always like that?”
“Apollo? I’m afraid so,” Poseidon said, frowning at Amphitrite. “Are you sure you want Ligea to spend an evening with him? It does seem like we’re throwing her to the big bad wolf.”
Amphitrite chuckled. “Darling, the last time Apollo saw Ligea she was an innocent young nymph, which I’m sure was part of her appeal to him.”
“Wait,” Griffin interrupted. “Ligea? Wasn’t she the stacked bombshell in gold who kidnapped me?”
“Yes,” Poseidon growled.
Amphitrite’s eyes crinkled at that. “I need to hear this story, I think,” she said. “But yes, Ligea’s become quite the woman of the world over the years.”
Griffin suddenly grinned. “And Apollo is expecting some shy little nymph? Bloody hell.”
“He won’t know what hit him,” Amphitrite said in satisfaction. “It’ll be an excellent object lesson. He’s a good boy at heart, but he needs to learn a bit of humility.”
Playfully, she put her arms around Griffin’s neck. “Speaking of object lessons, why don’t you let me take a shower and get cleaned up, and we’ll see just how good your stamina’s gotten.” She kissed him, glanced over her shoulder and winked at Poseidon, then headed off to the bathroom with her hips swaying.
Griffin glanced down at his now-tenting bathrobe. “Damn. She’s good at that, isn’t she?”
“The best,” Poseidon said, holding out a hand. “Well, beloved. Shall we?”
“Definitely.” Griffin came over and pulled Poseidon into a kiss. “She won’t mind if we get started without her, will she?”
Poseidon felt his own cock start to thicken in anticipation. “I suspect she was planning on it—”
A rapid knock sounded on the back door, then Aphros rushed in, handsome face creased with tension.
“Father, Thetis’s right whales have been sighted again,” the demigod said. “There are more of them this time. They’re heading north of us, towards Cocoa Beach.”
All thoughts of sex gone, Poseidon skimmed through his knowledge of coastline developments. He stopped at a huge red zone. “That’s just south of Cape Canaveral. What in Gaia’s name is that madwoman doing?” he said. “Is she trying to attract mortal attention?”
“She may not care anymore, Father,” Aphros said bleakly. “I already have two squadrons of tritons on an intercept course, but they’re going to need our help.”
“Indeed.” Poseidon summoned his armor and trident, giving Griffin a regretful look. “I’m sorry, beloved. I’ll be back as soon as I can—”
“Take me with you,” Griffin said instantly.
Poseidon felt his jaw drop. “No, absolutely not.”
Griffin glared at him. “Why not? I’m a bloody marine biologist. If Thetis is mutating sea creatures like you’ve said, I may be able to spot potential weaknesses.”
“It�
��s far too dangerous. Besides, you’ve only just been healed.”
“Right, I’m healed,” Griffin threw back at him. “And between you, Ammie, and whatever Apollo did to me I’m totally charged up. I can’t drown, and I’m not stupid enough to try and fight one of them, so let me be an observer. I can compare notes with Bythos, see if there are any consistent weaknesses in the mutations.”
“No,” Poseidon repeated with a growl. “I will not allow you anywhere near one of Thetis’s misbegotten creatures.”
He could see his mate’s hackles go up at that. “But you’ll let your own sons go up against these things.”
“My sons are demigods. You are not.”
“No, but I am a goddess.”
They turned. Amphitrite stood in the doorway, her beautiful face serious. “If he rides with me, I’ll be able to keep him safe while he observes the whales,” she said. “We do need more data on Thetis’s changes, and Bythos can’t be everywhere.”
Poseidon clenched his fists. “Gaia’s tits, woman, I don’t want you anywhere near these things, either.”
Her expression remained unperturbed. “I know that, beloved, and I adore you for it. But I cannot and will not hide here while you and our sons are in danger. If you won’t let me fight, then at least allow Griffin and me to go out and scout these creatures.”
“Father, she’s right,” Aphros said. “Especially since we haven’t been able to get a sample of Thetis’s venom yet. Any information Griffin could give us may be useful.”
The sea god felt his jaw muscles bunch. He hated the idea of both his mates going into danger. But they desperately needed more information on the Mad Nereid’s new experiments, and he and the tritons would be too busy fighting the mutated creatures to take notes. “All right,” he finally said. “But you’ll have a triton squad with you at all times, and no argument about it.”
His consort pursed her lips in thought. “I’ll trade you a triton squad for Skylla and Sthenios,” she offered. “They can outrun anything in the sea, and they’re vicious when attacked. Plus it means Griffin can ride with me instead of using a propeller.”
Poseidon considered it. If he was going to be battling something the size of right whales, he would be more mobile out of the chariot anyway. “Done.”
Deep Water Page 27
