Bliss

by Renee Field

  Maybe diplomacy would have been better? Darius hated thinking his father’s approach might have worked better. Down deep he knew that to be untrue. King Thorgeir would never willingly relinquish control of Poseidon’s trident. No, the only way to get it was to steal it quickly and then send an orb back explaining why they desperately needed it.

  Other than Master Odeon, Thorgeir was the only other Titan Darius knew who sported a long, white beard that flowed well past his jutting chin. The ancient Titan still kept his hair untied. He looked very much like a Viking of lore, with his long, white hair billowing behind him. Light blue eyes assessed him keenly. His towering seven tail form was impressive.

  Darius watched as Thorgeir crossed his arms over his chest, a clear sign he was angry. “This cannot be the son of my most trusted friend. By the gods, I do not believe mine own eyes. Why Darius? Why did you come to steal what is mine?” demanded Thorgeir.

  Darius wanted to deny the accusation but Thorgeir wasn’t finished with him yet.

  “At first I did not believe Saad, but I see I sorely misjudged that Titan. So, where did you put it....where is it, son of Sadok?”

  Part of him wanted to tell Thorgeir that the trident really wasn’t his, while the other, warrior-trained, part of his brain planned an escape route. Bloody Tartarus. Saad is here. That just figures. Those two are worse than two sea cucumbers. I should have known where one is the other follows, mused Darius.

  “I didn’t take your blasted trident.” But I sure would have liked to. “Saad’s brother, Rajheb, did,” said Darius, using his most commanding but persuasive voice.

  Salina snaked her body toward Thorgeir. He knew by the look in Thorgeir’s eyes that whatever the Siren had said caused his old teacher to be under her spell. The idea repulsed him. Worse was the knowledge that Thorgeir wasn’t about to listen to any of his reasoning.

  “Salina here tells me you grabbed the trident and hid it. She was lucky to catch you before you departed. Darius, you fostered with me for one cycle, why would you betray me?” asked Thorgeir, motioning two of his guards to approach.

  Me betray you? Darius wanted to shake his head at his predicament. Yes, he had come to take the trident, but it was necessary if his mardom had a chance at ending the deadly plague. And by the gods I didn’t actually take the thing. Darius thought fast. There was only one option left open to him.

  “Thorgeir I have captured another,” said a voice from the inner chamber before Darius could say or do anything.

  Could it be? He prayed he was right and that they had indeed captured Rajheb. Finally that Titan would get what he deserved! Instead, Saad was hauled out of the ice chamber.

  “What? Saad, I told you to stay where you were. Just when I was beginning to trust you, I get it now...the two of you are working together. Guards take them below!” bellowed Thorgeir.

  Darius all but rolled his eyes at the situation. The only thing that could make it worse would be if Rylan showed up. As if on cue, the hairs on his nape stood on end. Stifling a groan, he eyed two guards hauling Zeus’ nephew none too gently out of the ice chamber.

  “Well, it would seem that we have found another of your cohorts,” said Thorgeir. “Saad I know, but who are you?” he asked, motioning to the guards to bring Rylan forward.

  Before Rylan spoke, Darius broke in. “He is a nephew of mine. Rylan, this is Thorgeir, King of the Arctic Seas. Thorgeir, Rylan.” Darius prayed the teenage half-god would keep his mouth shut for once.

  Finally Salina left the king’s side to slither to Rylan, who was attempting to squirm out of the hold of two guards. Salina’s tongue darted in and out, while the eels on her forehead shrank back into her skull. She looked even more frightful bald.

  “This is no Titan. He smells not like a Titan,” she spat, snaking her way from Rylan back to Thorgeir.

  How the Hell does one smell like a titan?

  Then Thorgeir moved toward Rylan. There was a look on Rylan’s face Darius didn’t trust.

  “Darius make them stop pulling on my arms,” whined Rylan, trying to sound fierce but failing.

  Darius wanted to speak telepathically to the kid, but he didn’t dare. He knew both Saad and Thorgeir could easily eavesdrop on their conversation. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, “Just stay still.”

  “What? So they can kill me? I don’t think so,” muttered the kid in return.

  Darius wanted to laugh at that. They couldn’t kill him. He was a semi-god, and the last time he looked, Zeus had never allowed one of his own to be killed. So in all likelihood maybe Rylan being here actually improved his lot. Now I know I’m sick. Idiocy must be the first symptom of the plague if I’m actually beginning to think having Rylan here is going to help me get out of this situation. And, why exactly is he here? And what’s with Saad?

  “Take them to my special chamber. I will deal with them later,” said Thorgeir, motioning to the guards to take the ensemble below to his infamous deadly ice circle.

  Great, just what I need... to be even colder than I already am. Darius allowed his body to be dragged by the guards down into the bowels of the ice chamber, silently trying to communicate with Rylan to stop fighting.

  In Titan form, Rylan lacked his finesse, but evidently he made up for that with his squirming. Somehow he managed to land a sucker punch on one of Thorgeir’s massive guards. Not a good thing, thought Darius, moments before he heard the guard’s fist impact Rylan’s face, knocking the semi-god teenager unconscious. Darius prayed he’d remain that way until they were safe from Thorgeir and Saad.

  All three of them were dumped onto the cold, marble-like floor. There was barely enough room to maneuver. The three of them were packed in tighter than sardines in a can. Darius forced his body into a half-sitting position, which meant he had to bend his head to keep it from scraping the ice ceiling.

  “Ahhh, that thing punched me. He just punched me. I can’t believe it. I think I actually went unconscious,” babbled Rylan, coming fully awake way before Darius was ready to deal with him. “Wait until I get my hands on him. He really shouldn’t have messed with me. Boy is he ever going to regret that. So, what’s the plan?” asked Rylan, slouching against the wall.

  Darius had never met anyone else who could bounce from one subject to another without breaking stride. He wondered if all the gods were like this in their teen years and shuddered.

  “You must use your inner will to warm up, Darius,” said Saad.

  Darius immediately bristled. He hated Saad’s holier-than-thou voice. “Shut up, Saad. And why by Tethys are you here? Seems like it was your brother who got us into this mess.” Darius scuttled over to peer out of the small slit of an opening carved into the ice door. Two guards flanked the door and another two were on full alert at the end of the corridor. Great, Thorgeir’s not taking any chances.

  “I came to save you,” replied Saad, sitting regally as if the cold didn’t matter one bit.

  Darius eyed him. He didn’t trust the Titan at all. But there was something unusual about Saad, and Darius’ seventh sense told him something had changed. Through gritted teeth he said, “You do that...go right ahead. Because once you save us, I’m going to sweep you and your brother’s worthless bodies into Tartarus as a special gift to Hades. The two of you are poisonous leeches who deserve each other. To think you were tinkering with nature and look what it got you – demented sharks, crazed Tartahounds, ah,...I see you didn’t think I knew about that. Too bad Muroka had other ideas. Not that he succeeded.” With that admission Darius turned his attention back to formulating a plan of escape.

  “You know if I could just pop...” said Rylan, seeking out Darius’ private channel of communication.

  Darius answered, all the while keeping his barrier up, not daring to let Saad overhear this conversation. “Shut up, Rylan. You can’t pop anywhere. If they discover who you are, all of Tartarus will break loose, and I mean that literally. No gods, and that includes semi-gods, are allowed in the undersea kingdoms. Didn’t Zeus e
xplain that to you? And that’s not a question. Just sit still until I figure out how to get us out of here.” He took another look out the small opening in the door, wondering if the guards were the type to get bored.

  “Okay, I am not going to pop anywhere, but I am certainly going to heat things up in here. Just how do Titans live in this environment?” answered Rylan.

  Darius noted that for all the kid’s brash talk, he was afraid. Rylan’s eyes darted here and there, probably trying to adjust to the light. It was times like now, when the kid was under stress, he forgot he was a semi-god and could simply at will make his eyesight adjust to the darkness, or for that matter heat up his own internal temperature.

  As for Darius, his tattoo was starting to really itch and burn his skin. Instinctively he knew he was relying more and more on the gift the sea dragon had bequeathed him. It should have unnerved him, but it didn’t. Without it, he knew he’d be blind. A helpless Titan wasn’t a Titan at all. Without a doubt, he knew darkness was not an impediment for Saad.

  No, it was the blasted cold, locked door and bloody guards that made escape almost impossible. Almost, thought Darius, refusing to believe there wasn’t a way out. He sighed in frustration. Then the hairs on his body stood on end. A quick look around informed him that both Saad and Rylan had felt whatever he had.

  “You did well, Saad. I am proud of you.”

  The voice was a soft whisper but the caress of the tone hinted at undefined power.

  “Mother?” said a startled Saad, attempting to sit up straighter in the confines of the tight space.

  “Mother? Who exactly is your mother?” asked Darius, afraid he wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “So, untrusting as you should be, but Saad has proven his worth to me today and I need for you to get out of this place to get something very special. Something that will not only save you and your mardom, but save my future and my son,” said the voice.

  Darius didn’t say anything. He waited for either the voice to explain itself or for Saad to answer his initial question. When nothing came he pushed his thoughts into Saad’s mind.

  “My mother is Sesta, the Sister of the Future,” said Saad, loud enough for all of them to hear. His eyes dared Darius to say anything.

  “No way....that is way cool, way cooler than having an uncle who’s a god...I mean the Creator created her, ohh my gawd when I get back to my Uncle’s palace he is going to be so amazed that I met...does this count as a meeting when I haven’t actually seen her...I mean, do you even have a figure, well, duh, of course you have a figure I mean otherwise how could she be your mother...”

  Darius placed a calming hand on Rylan’s shoulder to stop his prattle.

  “Why are you here, Mother?” asked Saad.

  “To set things right, Saad. I was summoned by the Creator after I left you, and he has filled me in on my future...on your future...on us, so I am about to make things right. Prepare yourself.”

  With that slight warning the ice walls began to vibrate and shimmer. The water started to flow in slow motion around them, and Darius watched spellbound as time seemed to suspend itself. Then, in a heartbeat he felt his body transported through time. As abruptly as it started, it was over.

  Looking around, he realized he was back at the fourth portal, the last one before he’d made it to Thorgeir’s seas.

  “You will need this.” And before his eyes Poseidon’s trident materialized.

  Darius took the offering reverently with outstretched hands, staring at the glowing celestial being who shimmered in front of him. “Why are you helping us, really?” He wanted to believe it was an act of kindness, but Saad’s family always left him feeling uneasy.

  Then, before his eyes, her shimmering form crystallized into that of a beautiful Siren. There was no mistaking that this creature was made by the Creator and that she was the Sister of the Future. She was beyond the description of worldly beauty, but there was an edge to her expression that radiated power, fury and something more, something he couldn’t name.

  Her hand reached out to touch him. He forced himself to stand his ground. Deep down he knew this was a test of sorts.

  “You are a noble creature, Darius, Prince of the north seas, descendant of Oceanus. He would be pleased. Integrity and loyalty are ingrained in your heart more than you will ever know, but beyond that you are passionate, and that is what I want. That is what I crave. I am helping you because if I don’t your race will die. This is my last interference with time. Saad and Rylan will have no memory of being in Thorgeir’s seas. Do not trust the Court. Now, I must go. Time is a precious commodity but remember, without love...time means nothing.”

  “The Court...what about it? Don’t leave,” shouted Darius, seeking more answers.

  The words were subtle and washed over him slowly. “The trident you will need for another reason. What you really seek is Gaia’s tears.”

  Then in a blink her presence was gone. That was it. Once again, he was left on his own. Was the infamous Court playing with him? Why? Why would they send him on a wild goose chase? The idea infuriated him. To think he had let them play him like a pawn.

  Grasping the ancient trident tightly in his hand he turned for home. Now, more than ever, he felt the yearning to be with Kassandra. Why that was, he couldn’t fathom. All he knew was that he needed to see her. The need to feel her naked skin next to his washed through him. When he got home, he planned to kiss her sweet lips until they were both panting with desire. Passion would be his tool to drive the pounding anger away.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “So if I ingest these two oblats today, I will abort. That’s what you’re telling me, right, Jamie?” Kassandra forced herself to say the word as her stomach clenched in fear and her mouth dried up.

  “Yes. Basically you have twenty-four hours to make the decision. After that it will be too late,” answered Jamie, holding out her hands.

  “To late for what?” asked Mercka, gliding unannounced into Darius’ dwelling.

  The last thing Kassandra wanted was to explain her current dilemma to Darius’ little sister, so she tried for a diversion.

  “Any idea when Darius might return?” she asked, quickly taking the two small black oblats from Jamie and tucking them inside her bra.

  “He’s home now. He just arrived. He seemed pretty excited about getting the trident. He was on his way here a minute ago, but Father wanted a word with him, which means you won’t see him for hours,” declared Mercka, flouncing around as she twirled her tail and then darted to and fro around Darius’ living quarters.

  Kassandra knew her face had drained of color. What if Darius had overheard her and Jamie talking? That idea terrified her. She wasn’t sure what choice she was going to make but the last thing she needed was to have to deal with Darius.

  “I think I’ll go take a walk...”she laughed, “okay...a glide around,” she said, hoping they’d both get the hint she needed privacy.

  Jamie whispered something to Mercka, and then they were both giggling.

  “No way! She wouldn’t want to see that,” said Mercka, all but swishing herself in one space, her eyes were wide with excitement.

  Curiosity got the better of her. “See what?”

  “I think I’ll let Mercka explain, but in truth it’s something you have to see with your own eyes,” said Jamie. There was an odd twinkle in her gaze that unnerved Kassandra. She was sure she was missing something.

  “Okay let’s go,” said Mercka, grasping her arm to lead the way.

  “Guess I have no choice,” answered Kassandra, waving goodbye to Jamie.

  Darius was fuming mad. Stealthily he had hurried home, intent on seeking out Kassandra, only to discover she wished to abort his children. The thought sickened him. Worse was the knowledge that his brother’s Sokhan, Jamie, was consorting to help her.

  “Will you stop pacing, Darius,” roared King Sadok, as he looked up from his examination of Poseidon’s trident.

  Darius stopped abr
uptly. “Well, did you find anything?”

  “No nothing. None of this makes sense. Maybe you should take it to Kassandra to see if she’s able to figure out these strange etchings,” said Sadok, leaning back in his chair. His hands lazily waved away the green orb vying for his attention. “I am amazed Sesta sought you out. Are you absolutely sure she said to seek out Gaia’s tears?”

  “Yes,” answered Darius, for the umpteenth time. Even in his agitated state he noted that this was the fourth time the green orb had attempted to reach his father. “Answer that bloody thing, father,” said Darius, his teeth clenched in frustration as he took possession of the trident again.

  His father waved the orb away again, reminding him that he was King and still ruler of the north seas, and he’d answer the pestering orb on his own time and not a minute before. “I have no idea what she meant by Gaia’s tears. Go ask Kassandra. She is, after all, a scholar of ancient things. She might be able to shed more light on these etchings as well. In the meantime, I will send a missive to a Court clerk I know who owes me a favor and see if he can shed some light on what’s going on behind the scenes with the Court. For now, we must be extra careful, Darius. You know our defenses are down. We should at least be thankful that Hades’ isn’t up to his old tricks with those blasted Tartahounds of his.”

  “Ahh, that reminds me, Father. I forgot to tell you about some very unique Tartahounds Kassandra and I met before we came here,” said Darius, interrupting his father.

  Sitting back regally in his throne chair, the King plucked the orb from the water. “Tell me everything. And, Darius, I mean everything,” demanded his father, motioning for him to take the seat opposite him.

  “Great. That’s just great,” grumbled Darius, careful to keep his shields up. He wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Now his father would interrogate him until he’d gleaned every ounce of information he thought might be helpful from him.

  What felt like hours later, Darius leaned back in his chair, feeling spent. His father had a way of draining him of his powers.