Endless Shores (The Ageless Series Book 2)

by M. R. Polish

  Atty hung her head. “Diana, I might not like your actions, or what you’ve done to me, but I don’t want to crush you. I mean, I do, but not this way.”

  Diana looked around the table. “What is she talking about?” She glowered at Atty. “What do you mean, not this way?”

  “Diana,” Azul said calmly. “You’re from Ramshire. I know this because I could hear your thoughts from a long time ago. Thoughts that you can’t hear.”

  “Great, I finally have a world!” she exclaimed.

  “No,” Atty said, shaking her head. “Artemis, listen to me.”

  Diana gulped. Atty only called her that when she was ticked off or something was wrong. She stared at her with wide eyes and nodded.

  Karis gasped. “Oh my gosh, Diana. She’s serious. Ramshire was eradicated. There was a battle, long before I was even born. It was in my history books.” Karis held her breath for a long minute before releasing it slowly. “There were no survivors.”

  Diana looked at Atty for confirmation. Surely Karis was wrong. “My parents?”

  Atty shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  The crash of a plate falling and shattering on the kitchen floor made Diana jump. She braced herself with her hands on the table, and exhaled long and slow. “Okay, well that settles it then. I’m definitely the one who’s going.”

  “I don’t understand,” Atty said. “Why do you still want to go? We just told you that your world was gone.”

  “Because it’s gone. You said that Apollo and I were sent here to help Ramshire and its people. If I don’t do something, than they all died for no reason. I even have a plan.” She smiled wickedly. It was a smile that Atty knew well.

  “What are you planning?” Atty asked. She was more curious to see what was up her sister’s sleeve than she was mad that she hadn’t come up with any plan.

  “I’m going to seduce Marin,” she said matter of factly.

  Chapter Seven

  “Are you sure you can do this? Because you don’t have to,” Atty checked for the hundredth time.

  Diana grasped her sister’s hand and smiled. “I can and I will do this. This is my destiny, kind of. Besides, besides Aphrodite, who can charm a man as fast as I can? Well, besides your lover boy over there. Keep him, he’s a good catch. And his eyes aren’t on anyone but you.”

  Atty’s eyes widened. “We aren’t together. I don’t even like him, and he doesn’t like me.”

  “Mmmhmm, sure. You go ahead and tell yourself that, but you forgot who you are talking to. I can sense these things, remember?” She gave her another smile then looked at Karis and Brady. “I’m ready.”

  “Okay, but be careful. Marin is tricky.” Karis gave her a hug. “We’ll send someone as soon as we can.”

  “I know.” Diana pulled back.

  Karis stepped back and grasped Brady’s hand. Alexis and Magnus stood off to the side with Azul and Atty. Diana held her head high as she waited for the portal to take her away.

  With her free hand, Karis let her fingers dance as she gathered energy. Swirls of silver mixed with tiny pebbles of sand from the beach swirled around Diana. Karis could feel home calling to her as the funnel formed. She knew it couldn’t last long or mortals would be calling it a hurricane this close to the water.

  Even though they drove far away from the town, the possibility of being seen was always probable with a funnel of this magnitude.

  The wind whipped and whizzed around them all. Pulling from Brady, Karis let his power fill her and the funnel shot up into the sky, where the end couldn’t be seen. Together they held the portal open, waiting for Diana to arrive safely in Shamike. A strong force pushed down on Karis and her power flickered inside of her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold the gateway open.

  Azul placed a hand on her shoulder. “She made it, I can hear her thoughts, but only until you close it,” he said over the high winds.

  Karis wasted no time dropping the funnel. A whoosh of sand fell to the earth in a puff. A cloud of dust settled slowly. Creating a portal hadn’t caused her to be so weak before, but this time Karis could barely stand. Taking a step, she faltered, but Brady caught her before she hit the ground.

  “Karis, are you okay? What’s wrong?” His concern for her was visible as he cradled her on his lap. “Magnus, Alexis, hurry. Something’s wrong.”

  Alexis was there first. She placed a hand on Karis’s forehead, and her eyes clouded over as her mind connected with Karis’s. Her focus came back and she gave a slight smile. “It’s okay, she’ll be fine. She’s just exhausted.”

  Karis felt funny and weightless. It was hard to concentrate as she was jostled around. The arms that surrounded her were familiar and she let herself fall into a deep sleep. Brady would protect her while she slept. Diana made it safely to Shamike and that’s all that mattered for the moment. The rest would have to wait.

  “Up and at’em,” Brady said over his shoulder as he pulled the curtains open, spilling in the bright sunlight into the room.

  Karis groaned and pulled a pillow over her face. “What time is it? How long have I been out?”

  Brady laughed. “Since yesterday. You snore loud when you’re tired. Wow, I don’t know if I can do this sleeping thing with you if that’s how you’ll be forever.”

  “See, you’re still thinking in forever terms.” She moaned again. “I can’t believe I slept that long.” Rolling over, she sat up and stretched. “Why are you so chipper?”

  “Because, I just learned that we’re close to an Indian resort.” He smiled like a Cheshire cat.

  Karis knew this wasn’t going to end well. She raised her brow. “And?”

  He faked a choking cough. “What do you mean, and? You know what that means. Casino baby, a casino. It’s not Vegas, but I’ll take it. Come on, now get up. We’re going to go play today. We both not only deserve it, but we need it. We need to unwind.” He threw the covers off her then backed up fast out of her way.

  She laughed. It’d been a while since he’d been this happy and she wasn’t about to be the one to take it away. “Fine. Give me twenty minutes to shower and get ready.”

  “Perfect, I’ll go tell the others. They’re pretty excited too, but Azul bet me I couldn’t get you to go. Ha, see, I’m already winning,” he said as he opened the door. “Be back in twenty. Love you.”

  The door shut before she could respond. She smirked over his excitement. Although seeing him win a bet with Azul was pretty fun. Not that she wanted Azul to lose, but those two needed to get along, and Azul needed to know where he stood with her.

  Karis was ready before Brady came back in five minutes. She couldn’t help but feel smug as he walked in the room prepared to tell her to hurry.

  They piled into both vehicles and drove north to the resort. “So this is like your thing, right? Betting. Gambling,” Alexis asked Brady.

  He chuckled. “Yes and no. I’m not a big gambler, and hardly ever do it, but occasionally I like to take a chance. I bet on myself to win each time I fight, this is a bit different from that.”

  The building loomed ahead, as if to direct travelers to stop. The curves instead of angled corners made it seem larger than it probably was, but Karis was still impressed with the size of the four-story building.

  The resort name lit up in rotating red lights and beckoned gamblers new and old to come in. All of the guys seemed to have the same fever as they entered the dim casino. Karis nearly choked on the smoke that lingered heavily in the air. “And this is what mortals do for fun? Breathe toxic fumes?”

  Brady waved her off. “Nah, you’ll get used to it. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her along. “See you guys in a few,” he cried over his shoulder.

  Karis laughed as he headed to a table like a man on a mission. He was serious. She twitched her lips to the side as she sat down next to him. The dealer shuffled decks of cards together and she watched as they flawlessly folded together into a stack.

  She leaned closer to Brady. “I
have no idea what to do.”

  He grinned. “My girl gets her first lesson in Blackjack, and I’m here to see it. What a proud day.”

  She shoved him but he didn’t budge. All that manly muscle made him near impossible to move, like pushing a boulder on the side of a mountain.

  Brady spent the next hour teaching her how to play but gave up helping when she started winning more than he was. “Beginners luck, right?” she asked.

  “Ha! I think you knew how to play the whole time and you’re a shark.” He winked at her.

  A commotion in the back of the house alerted Brady and he stiffened, ready to defend what was his. A portly man, spouted off a string of profanities. Brady shook his head. “He must be drunk already.”

  The dealer nodded. “He’s always drunk. Poor man, doesn’t know when to quit.” She gave a sad smile then shuffled the cards again. “You in?” she asked Karis and Brady.

  Something about that man made Brady leery. He shook his head and collected his and Karis’s chips. “I think we’re good. Thank you.” He smiled for good measure and took Karis’s hand.

  “What’s wrong?” Karis whispered into his ear.

  “I think there’s something more with that guy than just being drunk. Did you hear what he said? He said something about being a god.”

  That piqued Karis’s attention as well. They cashed out and walked around looking for the others as well as the man.

  “You sure that’s what he said?” Azul asked when Brady told him what the man said.

  Brady nodded. “Yeah, I know it might not be anything but a drunk man, but it could be a lead we were looking for, too.”

  Magnus stuffed his hands in his front pockets. “Well, how do we find him?”

  Another commotion made Brady smile. “I don’t think it’ll be hard.”

  They walked outside and around to the back door where two guards escorted the same man out of the building. He cursed at them and kicked the door as it shut behind him, barely keeping his balance.

  “Him?” Azul asked. “Are you sure you have the right man?”

  Atty laughed and the man spun around to see them standing there. “Yes, that’s him.”

  “Athena! They think I’m crazy, but you’re here now. You need to tell them I’m a god. They keep taking my money.” He wobbled and swayed as he tried standing without support.

  “You’re drunk. You know that time has come and gone.” Atty walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. “How’ve you been Dionysus?”

  He held his arms out wide. “Living the life.”

  “I can see that.” Atty smiled.

  “Ah, shit, run,” Dionysus said as he took off.

  Everyone looked behind them and saw a black car pull into the parking lot. Brady caught up to Dionysus first and gripped his arm. The heavy man stopped, out of breath from running and looked up at Brady. “You really want to go there with me? You don’t stop a Plathamire. Have you lost your mind?”

  Magnus laughed and touched Brady’s shoulder. “Trust me, you don’t want to piss him off.”

  Brady gritted his teeth and let go of the man. “Okay fine, but stop running. Why are you fleeing anyway?”

  He gestured with his head toward the parking lot. “Because of those guys. Did you see them pull in? I owe them a large sum of money. They don’t believe that I’m a god either. Ungrateful people. I’m part of their history but no one thinks I am real.” He looked at the group that now surrounded him. “I’m Dion, god of wine and drink, and all things party. Gambling might be an addition, or it might be that I just have fun with my power to create illusions of winning.”

  “So we’ve caught ourselves a tub of lard with a gambling problem. Great.” Brady let out a long breath.

  “What did you call me?” Dionysus asked.

  Brady held his hands up. “No offense.”

  “I’d back up if I were you. I think you pissed it off.” Azul chuckled.

  “It?” Karis asked.

  “A Plathamire is more of a shape shifter. They can assume their own animal of choice. I have no idea if Dion’s animal is a cute rabbit or a fearless lion. Do you want to take that chance?” Magnus took a step back with his wife.

  “Yeah, big man. You wanna take that chance?” Dion slurred.

  Brady laughed. Probably the wrong thing to do considering he faced a shape shifting drunkard, but he’d been in many fights, and this guy didn’t make him feel threatened in any sense. He almost felt sorry for Dion if he tried to fight him—almost.

  “So this is the kind of gods we’re looking for? If he’s the only one we find, we’re screwed. Besides, I thought all the mythology books wrote you as… I don’t know… thin?” Brady clicked his tongue and hung his head.

  He looked away for a second, but it was enough for Dion to shift without him seeing. The transformation was swift and nearly impossible to witness. Brady laughed harder when an obese, drunk bobcat tipped over onto the cement. Smaller than a lion or tiger, but it fit him. Except, it didn’t threaten the group.

  The fat cat stood up and wobbled on chunky legs while its stomach almost touched the ground. Dion let out a pitiful roar that most house cats would laugh at.

  “Yeah, I’m gonna take the chance,” Brady said, wiping tears of laughter from his face. “Seriously? He was a Greek god?”

  Atty groaned. “Yeah, of wine. Can you imagine why?”

  Even Alexis joined in the laughter. “Well, this has been entertaining, but I think we need to keep looking.”

  “Agreed,” Karis said. “Come on, Brady. He’s not going to be of any use.”

  Dion shifted back, more out of breath than when he ran. “Wait. I can help. Just give me a chance.”

  Magnus lifted a brow. “Alright. Do you know where anyone else is? Zeus perhaps?”

  Dion slouched. “I guess I can’t help. I haven’t seen anyone from the good old days in centuries. Athena here is the first one. Well, that I’ve noticed anyway.” He picked his head up and listened to something none of them heard. “Well, I hate to be the party pooper, but I gotta run. Nice seeing you all.” He shifted again and took off as fast as his heavy body would let him.

  Three men who were in the black car came around the corner. They each had black hair and wore the same dark colored suits. “Hey, have you guys seen a fat guy, balding hair, splotchy skin?”

  Karis smiled at the men and shook her head. “Sorry.”

  The guys eyed the group suspiciously. “Are you just passing through or are you staying for a while?”

  Brady wrapped an arm around Karis. “We were just leaving. I think I’ve lost enough money for one day. You know?” He chuckled for good measure. Something about the men hit him wrong and he wanted to at least get the girls far away.

  “Wise choice,” the tall man said. Half of his mouth curved into a wicked grin. “Come back anytime.”

  Azul nodded. “We will, thanks.”

  The guys left, resuming their search for Dion. “Well, this has been an interesting day so far. At least we found a fat guy with a gambling debt. That made it all worth it, don’t ya think?” Atty slung her arm over Alexis, who laughed and nodded in agreement.

  Around the corner, hiding in the shadows Hermes slinked back even farther so he couldn’t be seen. So the rumors were true. Queen Karis was on Earth. She had escaped the island. Finally, maybe he would be of use to his world and be able to go home. A small grin played at the corners of his mouth. Home. Yes, it was time.

  Chapter Eight

  For the most part, the drive back to the hotel had been quiet. Occasionally they could hear the thump from the bass in Atty’s car.

  “I hope Diana is faring well. I hate thinking that we threw her into a lion’s den,” Karis said, breaking the silence.

  Brady reached over and took her hand. Bringing it to his mouth, he kissed behind the knuckles. “She’s a strong woman. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  Karis leaned her head against the passenger door window. “I hope so.”
/>   Alexis reached up and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure everything is fine.”

  The hotel parking lot was full of families unloading luggage, and tourists with cameras slung around their necks. Little kids ran around with sunscreen still visible on their arms and face. Karis smiled. Life on Earth was flourishing, and no one knew of the danger her world and so many others were facing. How nice it would be to live without the heavy burden she carried.

  Brady pulled out his card key and walked her to their room. Leaning against their door was a short man with dark sunglasses that concealed his eyes. He didn’t stand any taller than Brady’s hips. He pushed off the door and tilted his head to see above the glasses. “Even if I had never seen you before, my memory couldn’t have created a more beautiful picture. You truly are exquisite.”

  His words caught them both off guard. “Um, thank you. I think?” Karis said.

  “Who are you?” Brady took the more reserved action toward the stranger.

  “I’m sorry, forgive me. I’m Hermes, messenger of the gods. Among other things.” He held his hand out for Brady.

  “Messenger? So you know where the other gods are?” Brady asked, not shaking his hand.

  “That depends.” Hermes slipped his glasses off and hung them from his shirt.

  “Depends on what?” Karis asked, impatiently. His nonchalant demeanor grated on her nerves.

  Hermes shrugged. “Depends on who’s asking and which god you’re looking for. I can’t just hand that information out to just anyone. A person could get killed doing that.”

  Karis rubbed her temples in small circles. “Hermes, what are you doing here? You obviously know who I am, so why the dramatics?”

  He smiled. “Poetic words are spoken none greater by another woman.”

  “What?” Karis asked. “I’m afraid I don’t understand you’re strange speech.”

  His face straightened and he put his glasses back on. “You, my dear queen, have no ear for lyrical words. Sad. I guess I will have to speak modernly for you both.”