by S. M. Welles
By the time I reached the corner with the hall leading to Amphitrite’s bedroom, I stopped again. It didn’t close up on me. I’d expected it to, figuring she wouldn’t want anything to do with me until I unwillingly transformed into a demon during my next lockdown period. Come to think of it, when was that?
The realization that I’d lost track filled me with fresh dread. For all I knew, my next lockdown would take place any moment. Sure, I could go back to demon form right now, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. This time disorientation had to be part of her plans to punish and torment me. I refused to show her I’d figured as much just yet.
I returned to the throne and sat at the base of it, footsore and wracking my brain for a way out of my major quandary. I wanted to shout for Rhode but I knew she wouldn’t come. Amphitrite was no doubt keeping a careful eye on her daughter, making sure Rhode didn’t undermine her.
I sucked in a deep breath, got back to my feet, and faced the throne. I put some space between it and me so I didn’t have to break my neck to see the lip of the seat a hundred feet over my head. I’d never met any gods besides Amphitrite and Rhode. If those two existed, then logically so did others. The ruggedness of the throne didn’t suit either goddess’s personality, so… “Poseidon?” My voice went nowhere. “Poseidon?” I called louder and my voice carried a little. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not, but my only other option was to suffer Amphitrite’s scorn. Hopefully he wouldn’t add to that. “Poseidon!” That time I heard my voice reverberate.
Having the sudden feeling I was being watched, I backed up a healthy distance from the throne, all the way to the first row of glowing pillars fifty yards away. A huge shadow passed over me and my heart lodged in my throat. Oh, boy. Hopefully I was out of squishing range if he decided to lift a foot while seated and let me know what he thought of my presence.
The shadow stopped over the throne like a cloud was hovering over it. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Like a monster swimming out of murky waters, Poseidon stepped forward as his gigantic body materialized in front of his throne. I had to be no taller than his ankle. Poseidon looked like an older man in his fifties with his big curly beard depicted in all the paintings and sculptures, long wavy hair, tanned skin, and lots of muscle—not the body-builder kind, but the shape of a solid build from lots of physical labor—a naturalistic physique. He wore nothing more than some sort of knee-length skirt made of scales and sea weed, and his triton symbol layered on top. Yeah, he looked like he came right out of Greek mythology, and no way in hell I’d make fun of him for wearing a scaled skirt. If anything, the lack of clothing to hide his bulk made him all the more intimidating.
Poseidon had a serious, brooding gaze with hard eyes the color of the sea. He looked down on me with them, then waved me forward with a hand big enough to tear my ship in two. I unwillingly let go of the pillar and stepped forward. He considered me a moment, then twitched a finger. Something shot towards me. I froze in place, then felt something wrap around my waist under my trench coat. I parted the front, revealing a matching scaled skirt thing, minus the trident symbol.
A deep, gravelly voice said, “Something to aid your dignity.”
I unbuttoned my coat and draped it over a sweaty shoulder. I wasn’t sure what to make of my new getup but I wasn’t going to insult the gesture by leaving it covered. It was far better than my coat but why would he bother? Why would he care about my dignity?
“Well, do you wish to go back to what you were wearing?”
“No, sir. I… this is much better.”
“Then come. Speak. Why are you here?” He sat on his throne, taking up as much space as he could with his arms and legs.
I drew within squishing range and took in his sheer enormity. A mountain of a man on a mountain of a throne. Yeah, definitely no taller than his ankles. “I need your help. Your wife is holding me hostage.”
“What did you do to deserve this?”
I winced. His tone conveyed that he didn’t care about my predicament. “Pissed her off.” Okay, this idea had sounded so much better in my head.
“So why did you call me?”
“We don’t get along. I don’t want anything to do with her. I just want to leave, but she won’t let me go. Can’t you do something to help me leave? This is your domain, isn’t it?”
“It is, but your plight isn’t my business. I refused to meddle with my wife’s affairs.”
“But I’m asking you. Please.”
“No.”
“She’s involved a lot more people in this private affair, people that didn’t ask for anything. She’s seduced several of my crew members in the past and killed many others. How can you sit by and do nothing?”
He tilted his head slightly. “If I remember right, she also saved yours, yet you spat the gesture in her face.”
His tone was warning but I ignored it. I understood Amphitrite was his wife but how could he possibly side with her in this? “She didn’t have to curse me for it.”
“You rejected her love for you.”
Damn it. I really wish he’d stop poking holes in my logic. I admitted to myself I might not get any help from him, but I wasn’t ready to accept that yet. “I just slept with her against my will and behind your back for crying out loud.” I clamped my mouth shut and pointedly stared at the floor, bracing to be stepped on. Okay, another thing that’d sounded so much better in my head. I was trying to put Amphitrite in a negative light. Now I’d just done the same to myself.
“I know,” he said plainly. “There was no maliciousness aimed towards me. Besides, who am I to judge? If you’ve heard the stories, then you know I’ve been quite promiscuous. I have no right to complain about something like this.” He steepled his hands and inclined his head. “She and I have talked many a times about such things, but the details are none of your business. Just know that I will not create any friction, nor will I get involved in your curse.”
“But don’t you hate me for what I’ve done? Don’t you want me out of your palace and out of sight?”
He gave me a measuring look. “You are human. There’s nothing to hate.”
“Can you lift my curse?” My hopes rose ever so slightly. “I don’t want to be like this anymore. I want the freedom to die, like all men do. All men but me.”
“I’m not the one who cursed you.” His baritone voice was pitying.
“Well then could you at least let me out of here? Please?”
“No. I’m not interested getting involved.” Bracing his massive hands on the throne’s arms, he pushed to his feet.
“But this is beyond ridiculous! I’m being held prisoner for no good reason while she’s off contemplating the details of my punishment, and while the last people I know and care about grow old and die. At least grant me the mercy to say goodbye to them. I’ve had to say goodbye to so many good men. Even though it hurt every time, it hurts more to not even be able to say goodbye.” The wave swiping away my crew from over two hundred years ago replayed in my mind.
Poseidon glared. It was like watching a storm erupt out of nowhere. I unconsciously took a step back as my neck ached with the effort to keep eye contact with him. “She is the sea. I am the sea. We both take and spare lives as we see fit. We don’t care if you don’t understand our motives, but you will understand that I shall remain uninvolved. Do I make myself clear?”
I drooped my shoulders. “Yes, sir.”
“Very good.” The storminess of his glare lifted and the pressure in the chamber eased.
“Then if I’m to remain here, may I have a spot to call my own? I don’t belong here, but would a little room or something be too much to ask?” Yep, the humility card. It was overdue. On top of that, my humility was sincere.
“The best place for you to go would be into deep thought.” He glanced at the ceiling that was too far up into the gloom to see. The glowing water spiraling up the pillars ended some-where level with the top of Poseidon’s steely mane of hair.
“How do I get her to lift my curse?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not the one who cursed you. All I can tell from the curse’s mark that, despite how she goes about showing it sometimes, she truly loves you.”
“Yeah, because I’m just some mortal toy she gets endless pleasure torturing.”
The stormy glare returned. “You cross a line,” he said in a dangerously low voice.
I lowered my eyes and bit back a reflexive apology. I doubted he cared about hearing one. He’d just take it as an escape route from punishment.
“You will not belittle my wife in front of me. Ever. Again. Gods and humans are very much alike in countless regards, but there are many things about gods that would take a hundred lifetimes for you to fully understand.”
“Then why is she pining after me if she’s married to you?”
I was expecting him to stomp on me after a bold question like that, but instead he seemed caught off guard by it. Recovering his intimidating composure, he considered me like I was some ant he was trying to decide whether to bother squishing or not, then closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. He backed towards his throne and vanished before he finished taking a step. A shadow passed over the chamber in the direction it’d come in.
I stared at the empty throne while I absorbed my disappointment, then heaved my own sigh. I couldn’t see how she didn’t hate me. She was still pissed off about me sleeping with her daughter. Of course she hated me.
I diagonally walked across the chamber, heading towards the hall with the exit pool. I wasn’t going to try to leave again; just stay near it and hope the sight brought comfort, instead of despair. And since I had all the time in the world—literally—I paused at one pictogram-covered pillar after another, taking in beginnings of the stories they told. Lots of them were love stories, a few with explicit content. The rest were recollections of ancient history. Nothing remotely contemporary. I pulled up at the beginning of the hall and plopped down, discarding my coat by my side and reclining against the cool stone. I glanced in the pool’s direction and my heart sank. It was just a tease, no longer my ticket out.
Sit here and think, huh? About what?
“Dyne,” a woman whispered.
Not sure if I’d imagined it or not, I ignored the voice.
“Dyne.”
I looked up. Okay, I wasn’t imagining it. The voice sounded like Amphitrite’s but not exactly. Maybe because I couldn’t recall her whispering to me before. She wasn’t one for subtle. Had decades passed already and my first round of punishment was about to begin? It was possible.
“Sweet Dyne.”
It couldn’t be! I surged to my feet and spun around. I backed up when I noticed the most beautiful pair of eyes watching me from the vein of water in the wall. “Rhode,” I breathed. My heart started racing.
Rhode smiled her sweet smile. She was so beautiful. Her mother was too, but Amphitrite was the type of gorgeous any guy took one look at and wanted to bang. Rhode possessed a beauty and sweetness that triggered a man’s instinct to hold and protect a girl. I think I would’ve enjoyed my curse if Rhode had been the one to bestow it on me.
“You are in quite the predicament, sweet Dyne.”
That was quite the understatement. “Can you help me?”
“Only indirectly, like before.”
“Can you get me out of here?” God, I wanted to run my hands through her hair, just a bit before finding a way out of the palace.
“No,” she said with a shake of her pretty head. Her flowing curls splayed around her curvaceous body floating among the glowing fish.
I tried to break into an angry rant but she held up a finger and shushed me.
“Transform back into your demon form.”
I flinched. “Why?”
“Trust me.” She vanished.
Chapter 29
Risks
Jessie and crew had made a quick stop in Wellington, New Zealand, throwing the lines soon after Sauna netted a shipment to South America’s east coast. The crew more or less behaved as normal. It was like a lockdown period, only with Dyne not in the container and everyone worrying now and then. Rammus kept the morale up and everyone focused on their jobs. Jessie continued to train and with crew and cook with Mido. She tried to go on as normal but Mido’s ribs and Dyne’s violent parting distracted her from simply accepting the current situation.
The night they left New Zealand, Jessie decided she’d waited long enough to try an idea. It’d been obvious from the day they’d left Australia, but she didn’t want to test it until things calmed down and Mido healed up a little. He was still in constant pain but he was pulling the macho man card and pretending all was well, except when they hugged and cuddled. He was still bruised and tender.
This was one way to keep them chaste between ports…
Right now, most of the crew was in the galley, playing poker and having a few drinks. Rammus was up in the wheelhouse. O’Toole was watching the boys play, and Jessie sat next to Mido on the fold up chairs, him participating in the card game and her watching in silence. She wasn’t interested in playing; just staying near her cherished cook while thinking things out.
Mido tapped her with his elbow while Ed, Ted, Scully, and Sam exchanged smack talk and bets. Mido gave Jessie a questioning look, bringing her back to her surroundings, and to the conclusion that he’d noticed something atypical about her silence. She shook her head and gestured to the poker game with her chin. He gave her a skeptical look, then shrugged and went back to his abysmal hand.
“I fold,” he said with a frown. He collapsed his hand and slapped them facedown on the table, then got up and left the galley.
No clue where he was headed, Jessie got up as well.
“And where you two headed off to all by yourselves?” Ed said with a knowing smile.
Jessie gave the techie a hard look. “I actually don’t know why he left.”
“Lemme peek at his cards.” Ed, who’d folded already, brought his face close to the table, lifted a corner of the card pile and fanned through Mido’s hand. He made a face. “Good lord. It’s bad.”
“How bad?” Ted said.
“Can’t tell you yet.”
Sam said, “You look like you’ve got something on your mind, Jessie. What’s eatin’ you?”
“Just worried about Dyne,” she admitted.
Jacobi’s eyes hardened and his jaw muscles flexed with a bit back comment. He’d been on perfectly good behavior since Darwin. Just scowled and glared at her when he couldn’t avoid her company, which wasn’t often enough for Jessie to snap at him to cut it out.
“Don’t worry too much,” Sam said, “or you’re gonna get as wrinkly as me in a hurry.”
“I’ll try.” She followed Mido, who wordlessly led her to the sleeping cabins. He stopped in the doorway to their bunks and turned around. She stopped in the middle of the hall.
“So what’s up?”
“What do you mean?” She folded her arms.
He folded his own arms and fixed her with his “don’t argue” look.
“Am I really that transparent?” she said unhappily.
“Yep.”
She let out a frustrated sigh.
“C’mere.” Mido held out his strong arms.
Jessie pretended to consider them a moment. Then, her own arms still folded, she stepped into his embrace. He pulled her into a firm hug and held her in his blue-eyed gaze that drew her to him every time. It was like his soul was looking into hers and he was trying to become closer to her with just his gaze. She resisted the urge to kiss him as she interlaced her fingers behind his neck, the resistance part out of Dyne’s plight, and part out of not wanting to get caught. All anyone had to do was look down the hall. Mido grabbed her glutes and began kneading them as he pulled her body to his. It felt good but she didn’t feel like being put in the mood for pleasures of the flesh. “Not right now, Mido. I’m in a serious mood.”
“Then be less serious.” He started slipping a hand
down the back of her pants.
“I’m worried about Dyne.” The hand paused, then retracted and he began rubbing her back instead.
He stroked her cheek. “We all are. That’s why we’re trying so hard to distract ourselves. I was trying to help you do the same.”
“I appreciate it, but I can’t seem to stop feeling like I need to go looking for him, even though it’s such a ridiculous idea.”
“Keep reminding yourself to be patient and hope for the best. That’s what I do.”
“I’ve—” She sighed in frustration. “I’ve had this idea for a while now. I’ve just been waiting for things to calm down and for you to heal up a bit, in case it’s dangerous.”
He stopped rubbing her back and held her shoulders. He glanced down the hall, towards the galley. “What kind of idea?” He sounded nervous, instead of disapproving.
“Promise not to make fun of me?”
“Of course. You shouldn’t have to ask such a thing.” He kissed her forehead.
“I feel like I’m supposed to go looking for him.”
“Have you had another dream with her in it?”
“Surprisingly no. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about how things unfolded in the cave. I’m going nuts waiting around for the chance to take action.”
“Well what can you do?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He gave her a blank look, then shook his head. “Come with me then.” Jessie took Mido’s hand and led him onto the deck. A warm and windy starless night greeted them as the Pertinacious rode the swells. She hugged the wall and motioned for Mido to do the same. He wordlessly obeyed. She peered at the wheelhouse over the rim of the wall, checking on Rammus. His back was to the stern. Jessie tugged Mido into a walk and they snuck over to the part of the railing blocking the stern ladder. She looked out into the darkness, able to see a small ring of water reflecting the ship’s floodlights. The rest of the world lay in complete darkness.
