Oceanborne (24 page)
“Lots of marriages make do on less.” She made a sharp left and the wheels of the car screeched. “We're two of a kind, Greg. We like the high life, and we like getting our way. And we're both Catholic, if I remember correctly. And the last time I went to Wednesday night mass with your mother, she told me how much it would mean to her if you married in the church. She'll be delighted.”
Michelle hit the brakes. The sedan slid to a grinding stop, and she opened the door. “I think we're far enough away now,” she said. “No sense in pushing our luck with the local
gendarmes
. It's time to ditch the ride.”
gendarmes
. It's time to ditch the ride.”
He got out of the car, came around to her side, and yanked the red case out of Michelle's hand. “What's to keep me from taking this phony marriage certificate, tearing it up, and leaving you stuck on this island without a way home?”
She smiled up at him. “Not a thing, Greg. Only, that's a copy. I asked you for a hundred dollar bill, right after the ceremony. You gave me two of them, and I tipped the priest's housekeeper a Benjamin Franklin to FedEx the original, to your mom. I thought it would make nice reading with her morning coffee.”
“You're a conniving bitch.”
She nodded. “I am, but as of last night, I'm your conniving bitch. It's official. I'm Mrs. Gregory Hamilton, Jr. Can't you just wait to get home and start planning our wedding reception?”
Â
Silt swirled up from the sea floor to cloud Orion's vision. Around them, dolphins, rays, and a large octopus fled by. Smaller fish swam in panicked circles as the rumbling of the troubled earth grew louder. Elena clung to Orion's neck. Whatever she felt toward him, what they were facing now wiped the slate clean. What mattered was surviving.
He didn't want to think of attempting to use the nearest seraphim. It was too risky. The primeval worms were as likely to be destroyed by an earthquake as any natural feature or structure. If the earth opened under them, he and Elena could be trapped in the seraphim's intestinal tract and crushed by the weight of their host.
Normally, he could call for help from a dolphin or other large mammal, but not when they were swimming for their lives. A dolphin companion or soldier was different; he could depend on them to come to his aid, but not one of the wild ones. He had to get Elena to safety, and he had to get back to Atlantis before his father realized that he was missing.
The timing still wasn't quite right, despite Orion's time manipulation. Time travel wasn't exactly a science, not for fairies, and certainly not for Atlanteans. He'd managed to return to the evening that he'd originally met Elena in Rethymo, when he'd posed as an antique dealer, but the scenario hadn't gone as it had before. Traveling back in time had disoriented Elena, and he'd had to approach her in the restaurant and use all his skills to convince the proprietor that she'd known him for years.
There had been no earthquake that first night, either. He and Elena had gone into the water, and he'd taken her to the seraphim where they'd stepped into the path of the squid. But, he was certain he would have known if an earthquake had struck near Crete. The fairies would have known as well and said something. That was the trouble with dabbling in time travel. When you retraced your steps, you often found that the path you believed was familiar had changed.
“Are we going to die?” Elena demanded. Her arms were tight around his neck, and she clung to him as he swam.
“Not if I can help it.”
“Good. Because if we get out of this alive, I intend to kill you myself.”
CHAPTER 22
P
alace guards saluted sharply as Morgan approached the marble columned antechamber that led to Poseidon's private apartments. The king had sent orders for him to come at once on a matter of extreme urgency and to bring no attendants. Morgan returned the salute, speaking to the four soldiers in turn, calling each by name. “Aigeus, is Prince Alexandros here yet?” Morgan asked the last man, a bald-headed veteran with a jagged scar down his face and a crooked grin.
alace guards saluted sharply as Morgan approached the marble columned antechamber that led to Poseidon's private apartments. The king had sent orders for him to come at once on a matter of extreme urgency and to bring no attendants. Morgan returned the salute, speaking to the four soldiers in turn, calling each by name. “Aigeus, is Prince Alexandros here yet?” Morgan asked the last man, a bald-headed veteran with a jagged scar down his face and a crooked grin.
“Yes, sir. Inside.”
“Good man. My regards to your father.”
“I'll tell him, sir. He'll be pleased you remembered him.”
“How could I forget the hero of Madagascar? His exploits are legendary.”
“Thank you, Prince Morgan.” The man grinned wider, exposing a missing front tooth. “And those exploits grow with every telling.”
“Let him brag. He's earned it,” Morgan said.
He passed through the archway and found his brother standing at the room's outer wall. This was a marvel of architecture, carved of a single sheet of transparent crystal that permitted the occupants a view into the formal gardens where a rainbow of fish and exotic plant life flourished. It provided an ever-changing kaleidoscope of beauty, a welcome respite from an often harried royal schedule. The garden was protected so that no predators could enter, and the fish grew larger and tamer than most of their species.
Alexandros turned as Morgan entered, smiled, and extended his hand. “Brother.”
Morgan gripped Alexandros's hand and the two embraced. “You've heard?” Morgan asked.
“Yes. How are they? Any change?”
“Rhiannon is resting quietly. I don't know what will happen when she wakes, but Danu seems to have a quieting affect on her.”
Alex waited, the unspoken question hovering between them.
“It's too soon to tell if we've lost the babe.” Morgan's voice cracked. “The high priestess believes it will be a boy.”
“Lady Athena is certain it's sorcery?”
Morgan nodded. “There's only one person I can think of who's capable of such treachery.”
“Our dear stepmother.” Alex's green eyes chilled to the hue of frost. “I told our father that he should have killed Halimeda when he caught her trying to poison him. I offered to do the deed if he didn't want the shame of a public trial.”
Morgan glanced away as a shiver rippled through his body. There were dark depths to this brother he loved so dearly. Morgan could kill in the heat of battle or to protect another, but cold-blooded execution was beyond him. Alexandros had been trained as an assassin, and as such, he was one of the kingdom's most valued assets. Sometimes, Morgan feared that Alex didn't hold life as precious as he should.
“You'll be Poseidon one day,” Alexandros said. “Would you have the stomach to order the elimination of filth such as Halimedaâa faithless wife who didn't shrink from attacking Rhiannon and your unborn son? Could you do it if you knew that making the wrong decision would mean the deaths of innocents?”
“I believe in law.”
Alex shrugged. “But the court is not always as certain as my blade. Had I finished her when she was in prison, she wouldn't have been alive to threaten those you hold dear.”
Morgan could see the reason in Alex's words, but it went against his grain to fight wickedness with more of the same. “Isn't there a danger that wielding such power could corrupt a king and turn him into a despot? If he could dispose of his enemies so easily, what would keep him from using those methods on those who displeased him or whose guilt wasn't as readily apparent?”
Alexandros smiled, a thin smile that didn't touch the fierce gleam in his eyes. “âPower corrupts the mighty'? I studied the same philosophers as you, brother, but I seem to have taken a different message. Halimeda and the abomination she serves deserve no mercy from us, because they would offer us none. Are we to battle such evil shackled by rules that we've created, when no such rules compel them? Because we fear misusing power?”
“The kingdom of Atlantis was founded on law and mercy. Those rules have served us well for many thousands of years.”
Alexandros shrugged. “Best that you will be Poseidon and not me. I say if we'd killed the bitch when we had her, we wouldn't be fighting the same battle a second time. Only it isn't us fighting it, is it? It's your wife and child.”
“Enough! We've no time for your childish squabbles.”
Morgan looked up to see his mother in the doorway. She wore full regalia today, including her crown, which meant that she was prepared to take the reins of government in hand ⦠which also meant that their father intended to take the battlefield personally. He was struck as he always was by her youth and beauty. Korinna glowed with an inner light that made her look nearly as young as Morwena. “Have either of you seen Orion today? Or Morwena?”
“I saw Orion earlier.” Alexandros moved to kiss her cheek. “Are you well, Mother?”
“Morwena?” she repeated.
“I think our sister may be with him,” Alex said.
“Your father calls for him.”
“He may be with his generals,” Morgan suggested.
“How is Rhiannon?”
“Better, I think.”
“Come in, and close the door after you.”
No guards were permitted in the private apartments of the royal family, but both Alex and Morgan retained their weapons. Usually, Poseidon forbade even his sons to come into his presence armed, but no one made mention of it today. With war imminent, more than one custom was broken for the sake of security. The group within the large chamber was small: Poseidon, Lord Mikhail, Lady Jalini, Zale the vizier, their younger half-brother Paris, Morgan, Alexandros, and their mother the queen.
No formality was demanded among such a select gathering, and Lord Mikhail was the first to speak up. “Highness. Your sister, Princess Eudora, sends her regrets. She would have come at your bidding, but she felt that Lady Athena needed her help with Princess Rhiannon.”
“Understandable,” Poseidon said. “Although we will miss her wisdom at this meeting.” Morgan noted that their father was dressed for battle, as well, in bronze cuirass and greaves. His helmet lay on a table within arm's reach, and this was no ceremonial prop but scarred battle gear. The king glanced at Zale, met his gaze, and nodded.
The vizier surveyed the assembly. “There's been an earthquake off Crete, and we believe it is Melqart's doing.”
“An earthquake?” Lady Jalini repeated. “How bad?”
“The usual,” the queen replied. “Structures affected, some injuries to humans and minimal loss of sea life, but we fear the worst is to come.”
“My contacts report that the earthquake is only a precursor to a tsunami,” Mikhail said. “Loss of human life could be terrible.”
“And you think Melqart is at fault?” Morgan asked. “For what purpose?”
“My mermen are convinced that the Phoenician god of war seeks revenge against the humans because some of them desecrated his treasure ship and stole what was his. His priests were overheard saying that their lord seeks blood payment and the return of his possession or he will devastate the area and all life in it.”
“This complicates our position.” Poseidon rose from his chair. When the others stood as well, he waved them back to their seats. “None of that. We're not here to impress ⦔ He frowned. “Where the Hades is your brother Orion?”
“On his way, sire,” Alexandros said. “He's been occupied ⦠making preparations for the coming battle.”
Poseidon's forehead wrinkled as his scowl deepened. “Trust him to be late.”
Paris stood beside Morgan, and when it seemed to Morgan that he was about to speak, Morgan elbowed him and shook his head. Paris was young, no longer a teenager, but young. Fresh out of the military academy and coming off his first tour of commanding men, this was his first council. This half-brother was bright and bold, but this was not the time or place for him to venture an opinion in the king's council.
Their father had rewarded Paris's competence by inviting him in, but he'd be all too quick to find fault with anything Paris said. Poseidon was wary of sons that might seek to edge out an aging sire. He might even shame Paris by criticizing him in front of the others and attempting to send him away like some naughty child. And with Paris's temper, it wouldn't do for the two of them to clash. It seemed both he and Alexandros had received a double dose of their father's temperament, and it didn't pay to stand in their way when they lost control.
“The high queen believes we should send aid to the humans,” Poseidon continued. “Radical, I know, considering our relationship with them.”
“Humanitarian aid is never radical,” their mother said with quiet force. “And our people are capable of helping without revealing their identities.”
“We'd have to move at once,” Zale said. He'd remained on his feet, and now, he leaned on his staff of office. “It would disrupt our plans to attack Melqart's shades along the coasts, and there might not even be a tidal wave. This is risky, in my mind.”
“My vote is to go to the humans' assistance,” Morgan said, seconding the queen. “It wouldn't be the first time we've done so.”
“I agree,” Alex said. “Too many bodies in the sea agitates the predators and disturbs the natural balance. If we can save lives, we frustrate Melqart. And if our people are already in the Aegean, they can form ranks quickly.”
Morgan glanced at Alexandros. His brother wasn't quite as heartless as he liked to appear. He'd brought Rhiannon to the Shaman's Caves when he, Morgan, was dying, and he'd fought against overwhelming odds to rescue Danu from the horde. For all his killer's instincts, Alex had a soft spot for children, be they human, Atlantean, or dolphin. He couldn't stand by and see any come to harm needlessly.
“I must disagree with the princes,” the vizier said. “Coming between the humans and Melqart is dangerous. Better we carry out our plans and let the humans save themselves.” He frowned. “You know that I'm not one who regards the loss of life lightly. I think only of the good of the kingdom.”
A stone panel slid quietly aside behind and to the left of the throne. Morgan's hand went to his sword hilt, then relaxed as Orion stepped into the room. “Sire.” He inclined his head. “Mother.”
Queen Korinna favored him with a smile. Orion had always been a favorite of hers. “My son. You are most welcome here.”
“I may not be,” Orion answered. “I presume you've heard of the earthquake that rocked Crete and the neighboring islands.”
“I've informed them,” Lord Mikhail said. “The question is whether or not a tidal wave will follow, and if it doesâ”
“A tsunami is already building in the depths,” Orion said. “The dolphins and mammals are evacuating. I've just come from there.”
“We must help them,” Lady Jalini said.
Orion looked at his father. “Poseidon? The decision is yours.”
“Please, for me if for no other reason.” Queen Korinna laid a hand on her husband's arm. “You are too great a king to do anything less.”
“So be it,” Poseidon agreed. “But they must be volunteers, and no one without the highest skills in illusion may go. I won't have the kingdom put in danger to rescue a few tourists.”
“I knew that's what you would say,” Orion answered. “I've already begun your mission. I brought a human female with me. Had I abandoned her, she might not have survived. She needs care and sanctuary until I can make other arrangements.”
Alexandros tensed.
Oh, shit
, Morgan thought.
My little brother has fallen into the same trap I didâhe's entangled with a human.
, Morgan thought.
My little brother has fallen into the same trap I didâhe's entangled with a human.
“A human woman? Here?” The veins stood out on Poseidon's forehead and his face turned an ominous red. “You brought her here?”
“And he can take her away, once it's safe,” the queen soothed.
“She is very susceptible,” Orion said. “I assure you that I can cause her to forget everything she sees here.”
The queen smiled at her husband. “I know you would have done the same, my lord. Your son Orion is a master of illusion. I know we can trust him to do all with the utmost care for the security of our people.”
“Where is she?” Poseidon demanded. “You haven't brought her into this meeting, have you? Is she hiding there behind the drapes?”
“No, my lord,” Orion replied obediently. “I left her in the care of the Princess Morwena.”
Alexandros's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Morgan. Morgan shrugged.
“They are in the great library, sire,” Orion said. “The human is a scientist, and she showed great interest in our collection of scrolls. My sister offered to watch over the woman while I came to obey your command.”
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