Avenging (The Rising Series Book 3) (22 page)

“And your mother…?”

“Would be dead.”

“You can see the future? Is it that clear?” Xanthus asked.

Worry crept into Sara’s eyes. Her brows pressed together as she nodded. Triton’s pride swelled at the same time apprehension crept in. Sara was powerful, perhaps even more powerful than he was. Maybe not in the same sense as others might think; she probably wouldn’t be fighting any battles or laying waste to any civilizations. But knowledge was the greatest power of all. And it could be both a blessing and a curse to his sweet daughter.

“So how do we save your mother?” Triton asked.

“I’ll tell you later. For now, we need to gather reinforcements,” she answered.

“I’ll get the others and we’ll meet in the main room,” Xanthus said.

Sara moved to follow, and Xanthus put out a hand to stop her.

“Uh, moro mou. Let me prepare them for your new look before you give them a shock.”

“Do I really look that different?” Sara asked, her eyes darting once again to the mirror.

“You still look like yourself, but now you look… well… a whole lot better.”

“What?” Sara frowned at her husband. “Was I ugly before?”

“You walked into that one,” Triton whispered as he shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant,” Xanthus said. “You were perfect before, but now you’re… more perfect.”

“How can I be more perfect than perfect?”

“I don’t know. Gods, just a few minutes ago, you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But now, your beauty is beyond description.”

Sara smiled. “It is?”

“Yes, now have I redeemed myself from my idiotic words?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I knew what you meant the first time.” Sara smiled. “I was just messing with you.”

“You know,” Xanthus said, smiling, “usually I wonder how you can possibly be your mother’s daughter. But then there are times that I can see a definite resemblance.”

“Oh, that was low,” Sara said, scowling—a glimmer of a smile in her eyes.

“When you’re ready for your meeting,” Triton said, “summon me. There’s someone I know will want to help.” He prepared to transport himself.

Sara turned to him, all traces of humor gone. “No, Dad. Don’t try to contact Tyche. She doesn’t belong here. She has her own path to take.”

Triton frowned. “Are you sure?”

Sara nodded. “Very.”

“Okay,” Triton said. “I’ll let you take the lead.”

Minutes later, they were all gathered in the living room. The room hummed with voices, and the air was thick with worry. Eyes kept glancing at Sara with wonder. Gretchen sat at her side, with Donavan doing his best to reach Sara’s long, white curls.

“Okay,” Triton said to get their attention. All voices fell silent at his word. “Now that we’re all here, Sara will fill you in on our situation.

She swallowed, stood, and stepped forward only to find that the baby had succeeded in grabbing her hair. She carefully pulled it from his chubby grip. He let out a wail, but stopped when Gretchen gave him her necklace to play with.

Sara smiled at the baby, and then turned to the group in front of her. Her smile melted into concern as she sighed. “As you know, my mom is being held by Ares. He has her in a farmhouse in Pennsylvania. He had erased her memories and replaced them with the memories of the woman who lived in the house. He has replaced the woman’s husband with himself.”

“What did he do with the couple?” Gretchen asked.

Sara looked down, sadness shadowing her face. “He killed them.”

“Did you see it happen?” Gretchen asked—her brows pinched together.

She nodded. “I wish I hadn’t. Ares is heartless and cruel.”

“You said, ‘
had
erased’,” Kyros said. “I’m guessing she remembers who she is.”

“Yes, she remembers.”

“Then why can’t we just storm in there and take her back?” Kyros asked. “Triton’s a powerful god, and with the best Dagonian warriors in the sea at his side, I’ll say the odds are in our favor.”

“Ares is not alone,” Sara said.

“What?” Kyros said. “Who’s there with him?”

“Not who,” Sara said. “What.”

Triton wasn’t surprised that Ares had guards. Triton himself had his home guarded by sharks at all times. But he didn’t like the sound of Sara’s voice. There was too much fear in it.

“Vrykolakas,” she said.

“What under Olympus is a vrykolakas?” Drakōn asked.

Triton’s voice lowered. He couldn’t help the growl that escaped. “How many?”

“Over a thousand.”

“So what’s the problem?” Pallas asked. “Why can’t you just sing them into submission?”

“The voice of a siren can compel nearly every living creature,” Sara said.

“So?” Pallas said.

“The vrykolakas are not living.”

“What are they?” Straton asked. “What makes them so dangerous?”

“I think I’d better show you.” Sara sighed. “You need to know what you’re going to be up against.”

The scene around them flashed by. Moments later, they were standing in a field framed by rows of trees lit up by moonlight.

“Is this real?” Pallas asked.

“Sort of,” Sara answered and stepped forward, her bare feet padding through the grass. “You aren’t really here. We’re still at the cabin in Oregon. You’re just seeing a reflection of the past—yesterday evening to be exact. This is an image of the area around the farmhouse in Pennsylvania, where my mother is being held. Now look closely—the vrykolakas are over there in the trees.”

Triton could see them easily, but the others squinted trying to catch a view of them. The wind carried inhuman growls and hissing on the whistling breeze. The trees were thick with foliage, and even thicker with the undead. Humans would call them vampires, demons, or something in between. None of the descriptions would give the vrykolakas justice.

“I don’t see anything,” Pallas whispered.

The crunch of wheels over a dirt road alerted the group to the fact that they were not alone. Triton turned to see a human couple riding in a wagon pulled by two horses. His first instinct was to shield the humans from the monsters lurking in the trees, but as he tried to wield his power, he found it did nothing.

Of course. He’d forgotten they were not really here. This scene had already transpired. Sara’s vision was exceptionally lifelike. As he thought of her, he tried to locate her. He would not allow her to witness what he was sure they were about to see. But she was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Sara?” he asked Xanthus.

“She said she’d already seen what happened here and has no desire to see a replay.”

“Who are these people?” Drakōn asked.

“Victims,” Triton said soberly.

From the trees, a figure took flight. The creature’s leathery wings flapped as he hovered over the humans for a moment before dropping down in front of their horses.

“Who approaches our captain’s lair?” he said in a wet, hissing voice.

The woman screamed as the man pulled back on the reins. The horses reared up as the man wrestled to control his animals.

The woman continued to shriek as she clawed at the man beside her. “Donald, get us out of here!”

A second vrykolakas approached and hovered nearby.

“I’m trying,” the man shouted. “I can’t get the horses to turn.”

The vrykolakas took a step toward them. The woman was wailing as she abandoned the man, climbed back over the seat, and leapt from the carriage. The hovering vrykolakas caught her before her feet touched the ground. This creature’s eyes were rimmed with red and saliva dripped from his fangs.

Triton had never seen a vrykolakas this close before. He was sickened by the sight. Though it had a body similar to a human, its skin was as black as coal. It had a strong, muscular physique, the rib bones running over the outside of its flesh, and its fingertips had two-inch long, razor-sharp claws. Its face was more animal in appearance than human, with long, sharp teeth, not unlike the teeth of a sand tiger shark.

The creature with the woman in his clutches hissed, spittle flying as it spoke. “Who are you?” She didn’t stop screaming to answer him.

“Call the captain,” he hissed to the other creature.

The other monster now had the man on the ground, one claw grasping the man’s neck, the other pressed against his abdomen. He turned his head to face the starry sky and let out a howl. In that moment, he was crouched in the shadow of Ares, who stood above, his eyes glowing.

Murderous rage rose in Triton’s chest. This god held Nicole prisoner.

“Why have you summoned me?” His voice rumbled deep, anger darkening his tone.

“These humans have wandered onto your lands. What would you have me do with them?”

Ares stepped forward. “Why are you here?”

Triton could hear the power in his words. This human would have no choice but to answer truthfully.

“We took a wrong turn. Got lost.” The man coughed. “Please help us. Tell the demon not to hurt my wife.”

“Now why would I do that?” Ares answered, smiling.

“No… no! Please. Don’t hurt her. Have mercy!”

Ares ignored the human and looked at the vrykolakas. “Do with them what you will.”

The creature’s jagged smile widened as he said, “As you wish, my master.” Not a moment later, he sank his teeth deep into the man’s neck. The man thrashed around for a few seconds before going limp. The creature noisily slurped up the flowing blood. The woman screamed, but her cry was cut short as the creature holding her aloft also sank his teeth in and took his fill of her blood as he lowered her body to the ground. A flurry of movement came from the trees as a black cloud filled the sky and descended on the scene, obscuring their view. The sound of fluttering wings, grunts, and ripping flesh filled the air, along with the stench of fresh blood. Minutes later, the cloud dispersed, leaving behind scattered bones and smears of blood. Even the horses were gone. Several vrykolakas stayed behind, sucking on the bones and licking blood from the blades of grass.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Pallas said.

“Sara’s right,” Kyros said. “Reinforcements would be a good thing.”

Triton stepped through the moonlit trees. He had to collect his thoughts, ponder on things, and he was desperate to recharge his power. For that, he needed the sea. Still, he couldn’t leave his daughter. Sure, she had her husband and the other Dagonians to protect her. But after losing Nicole to Ares, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing his daughter too.

Finding a clearing, he closed his eyes. He could feel the water several feet below the surface. The water table was high. That would make things easier. He brought the fluid up to the surface, at the same time, sunk the earth down. He could sense the minerals and elements he needed. It wouldn’t be an exact match to seawater, but it would be close enough. It didn’t take long. Within minutes, he stood on the shores of a salt-water pond. It was only twenty feet deep and forty feet wide, but it was large enough to suit his needs.

He stripped off his clothes and dove into the water. The power of the sea filled him, strengthened him, and lightened his mood. He was still tormented by the absence of Nicole, but at least he was able to think more clearly.

He’d only been swimming a few minutes when he could feel Sara draw near. He knew the moment she dove into the water. Turning around, he swam toward her. He suppressed a smile when she attempted to swim. She may look like a picture-perfect mermaid, but she still didn’t have the swimming part down. Powerful goddess indeed. If only she’d let him give her the ability. She’d be swimming like a sea-born mermaid. But she insisted that she could learn on her own.

“Hi Dad. I hope you don’t mind me intruding?” she asked as she tied a knot in the bottom of her nightgown to keep it in place.

“Never,” he answered, pulling her in for a hug.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked.

“I needed some time to think and gather strength.” He sighed, sadness tugging at his heart when he looked at his daughter. He realized that he, Nicole, and their daughter had never actually been together all in one place. The wrongness of that hung like a stone around his neck.

“You miss Mom, don’t you?”

“More than I can say. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I’ve loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. It just seemed we belonged together. Now that we’re apart again, it’s like I’m only half a man. I swear it would be better to lose my right arm and tailfin than be apart from her. Do you know what I mean?”

Sara nodded, “I do. And I also know why you feel that way, Dad.”

Triton narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” she said, looking around at the dark pond. “You know, this is nice swimming here, but it seems so empty. There’s no fish, no seaweed.”

Triton smiled. “You think it needs fish and seaweed, huh?”

“Definitely. Have you noticed that the Dagonians haven’t had a bite to eat since they got here?”

Triton smiled. “There’s plenty of food for them.”

“Human food. They’d rather starve than eat it.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed they were hungry. Why do you think I came out here? Who could sleep with the roar of grumbling stomachs in the next room?”

“Why don’t you stock this pond with a few fish and invite them out for a late-night snack? Oh, but leave Gretchen. Donovan barely got back to sleep. She’s exhausted.”

“Sure.” Triton smiled at his daughter’s thoughtfulness. “Anything for my little girl. But first, I think I need to expand this pond. It’s plenty big enough for the two of us, but once I add a few Dagonians, we’ll feel like we’re in a tiny fish bowl.”

Triton closed his eyes and widened the pond, expanding the shore thirty more feet wide. Then he searched the sea—drawn to life. He quickly found a prolific part and snatched the fish and seaweed, transporting them into the pond.

He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a variety of fish. “You think this is enough?”

Sara chuckled. “They’ll have this pond empty in an hour.”

Triton laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Now let’s invite a few sleeping Dagonians.”

Triton transported Xanthus, Kyros, Pallas, Straton, Amar, and Drakōn to the shores of the pond. They awoke and immediately scrambled to their feet.

“What the—?” Kyros bellowed.

Sara popped her head above the surface, and Triton followed.

“Oh, please tell me that’s seawater,” Pallas said, eyeing the water hungrily.

“Yep,” Sara answered. “My dad made a pond. And it’s got fish in it.”

“Thank the gods on Olympus,” Pallas said.

“Excuse me?” Triton said. “What do the gods on Olympus have to do with this? I’m the one you should be thanking.”

Sara closed her eyes as the Dagonians ripped off their clothes.

Pallas was the first to dive in. He barely flinched as his legs morphed into a tail. He immediately snatched a flounder and sank his teeth into the squirming fish. It looked like he’d forgotten his Dagonian table manners—the head was still attached to the thing. Pallas looked at Triton and mumbled something that might have been a thank you, but it was hard to tell with his mouth full of fish.

Triton decided he could use a meal himself and grabbed an eel. He was just about to take a bite when he noticed his daughter swiping her hands at the fish; they dodged her every time. Xanthus also noticed and brought her a small cod—its head neatly severed from its body. She smiled sweetly, and he brushed a kiss over her lips.

Seeing his daughter was fed, Triton took his own bite, savoring the meal. Human food could not compare with fish fresh from the sea. The eight of them ate in silence. Sara was not quite right; there was still a couple of fish left in the pond when they all seemed to have had their fill.

Triton chuckled when he saw Pallas had fallen asleep holding a half-eaten fish carcass in his arms.

Sara swam up to Triton. Her eyes drooped, and she yawned widely. “Dad, Xanthus, Kyros, and I are going back to the cabin. I think the others are going to sleep here. You’re welcome to sleep in either place.”

“I’ll come, too. But I’ll wait with Kyros until you and Xanthus are gone. I doubt you want to see either of us nude.”

Sara’s cheeks filled with color. “No, actually, I’d rather not. Thanks, Dad.”

He turned his back as she and Xanthus swam toward the shoreline.

Fifteen minutes later, Triton was climbing into bed. The sheets were cold, and the bed felt empty.

He settled down and closed his eyes.
Nicole?
He knew she wouldn’t answer. Ares would have seen to it that she couldn’t reach out for help. Still, he tried from time to time, hoping the war-god would become complacent.

This night was like the other nights he’d tried… silence was his answer.

He lay in stillness, trying to catch elusive sleep. But his mind was filled with regrets.

Dad?

Sara, why are you awake? You looked exhausted.

Yeah, but now I can’t sleep. I need to show you something I showed Mom this evening.

I wish I could talk to her. I don’t know why you can get through to her and I can’t.

Sorry, Dad. I wish you could. But I really need to show you this.

Sara, you’ve been doing too much lately. You should conserve your strength.

No, you really need to see this.

Before he could protest more, he was swept up in a vision. He was swimming along the sea floor, the slope of the land rising upward toward a beach. He recognized the place immediately—this was the shore east of Mt. Olympus. He surfaced to see Nicole crouched down in the lapping surf, smiling widely at him. She was dressed in a sky blue stola, which was drenched from the waist down. Her hair was long, longer than Triton had ever seen it. She didn’t wait for him to step out of the sea, but splashed through the water and threw her arms around him. He laughed as he lifted her up and pressed his lips against hers.

Remembrance hit him like a tidal wave as the scene unfolded in his memory at the same time it played out. He remembered this day like it had happened yesterday. As he kissed Nicole passionately, he wasn’t quite sure if he were continuing to play out the scene or was actually in control of his actions. The answer became clear when he pulled away. If he were the one in control, he would have carried her off to make love to her. He definitely wouldn’t have stopped kissing her.

Instead, he found himself saying, “If your father could see this, he’d kill me.”

Nicole shook her head and spoke between breaths. “I’d never let him.”

He leaned his head against hers. “Aw, Nikoleta. I love you so much it hurts, but you know convincing the king to let us marry will take a miracle.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I happen to have a miracle up my sleeve.”

“No,” he said firmly.

Nicole’s lip jutted out as she tipped her head low and looked at him with her eyes wide and pleading.

“No,” he repeated.

“But, if you just say the words—”

“Nikoleta, what if something terrible happens? What if your life depends on me being able to use my wish? If it’s already been used, what then?”

“You worry too much. My father would never let anything happen to me. Please…”

He shook his head.

“Please,” she said, “We could be together forever!”

Triton shook his head. “I’m not going to do it.”

Nicole sighed. “You are so stubborn.”

“I’m not nearly as stubborn as you.”

“Which is why this conversation is not over. I’ll just pick it up later, and then later again, and again, and again. And when I’ve finally wore you down, you’ll make the wish just to shut me up.”

After this, I wasted my stupid wish on a change of clothes.
Triton’s own thoughts intruded on the scene, along with a large dose of regret.

“And then,” Nicole continued, “we’ll be together for all time as husband and wife, living in the sea half the year and on Olympus the other half.”

Triton smiled, hoping he was determined enough not to give in. But oh, what he wouldn’t give to marry this spitfire.

Moments later, Triton carried Nicole out of the water and used his power to dry them both as he manifested clothes on his body. And then they were on Mt. Olympus.

He was ripped from Nicole’s hands and seized.

“Stop! Get your hands off him,” Nicole shrieked. “As the princess, I order you to release him.”

Triton attempted to fight off his attackers, but found himself unable. These were King Petros’ personal guards, the Hu. They were nothing to look at, smaller and slighter than a god, but their strength was incredible, gathered from the earth from which they were formed, by Petros himself.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” one of the Hu said. “His arrest has been ordered by your father.”

“Why? What did he do?”

They looked at her like she was crazy. “He touched you.”

“No! He didn’t.”

“I’m sorry, Princess. But we saw him touching you ourselves.”

“He didn’t touch me. I touched him. There’s a difference.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but there isn’t a difference.”