“I’m marveling at the beauty here,” I admitted, turning to face him. “I thought I had seen everything… the Spiritlands, the Underworld and everything in between. But Atlantis… well, Atlantis rivals all of it.”
“Agreed,” Brennan replied, staring past me at the beautiful scenery over my shoulder. “I’ve never seen those other places, but it is hard to imagine that there is anything in the world that is more beautiful than here. Except for maybe you.”
He shifted his gaze again, this time to stare into my eyes. I was mesmerized once again by the flecks of amber and gold within the warm depths of his. No wonder Adelpha was interested. Brennan was as breathtaking as our view.
“Thank you,” he grinned and I scowled. I had forgotten, once again, that he was mastering his abilities and could read my mind. He had heard my unspoken compliment.
“So, what do we do now?” he asked seriously, rubbing my forearm slightly.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I think we probably should wait here until I hear from my mother. Supposedly, it isn’t safe for me to go to her. Something must be going on that I don’t know about yet.”
“Hmm. So we have to hang out in paradise and get to know each other,” Brennan sighed melodramatically. “I don’t know if I can handle this punishment.”
“As long as part of your punishment doesn’t include Adelpha, we’ll be okay,” I warned him, only half joking. I didn’t like this other side of me, this jealous, slightly insecure side. But I had never felt such strong feelings for someone before. I was still processing how to handle it.
“Sweetheart, she doesn’t even begin to compare to you,” Brennan reassured me, lifting my hand to kiss it lightly. As his warm lips brushed my fingers, a tingle ran down my spine and I shivered. He stared at me, waiting.
“And now would be the time where you said that no one can compare to me, either,” he prompted.
I smiled. It was good to know that he needed assurances from me, as well. This whole soul mate thing had apparently caught us both off guard.
“It’s true,” I told him with a grin. “No one can compare to you. Not the earth, not the sun, not Zeus himself.”
He glared at me. “Not exactly the sincere, heartfelt moment I was looking for.”
“Okay, okay. I’m serious now. There is only you. From the moment I saw you, I knew it. No one else in the entire world can compare to what I feel for you.” I smiled. “Is that better?”
“Much,” he smirked, apparently appeased. He dragged me to him and kissed me gently. “I love you, you know. Don’t laugh. I feel like I’ve known you for a thousand years.”
“You have no idea what a thousand years is,” I replied. “But I do. And trust me, I wish I’d been with you for each one of them. It feels unfair that we’ve only just found each now, like all of that other time was wasted. But we have eternity together now.”
He looked uncertain. “Only if Zeus will allow it.”
I nodded. “True. Only if Zeus will allow it. But I think I know how to manage that.”
Brennan looked interested. “Do tell, shortcake.”
“Harmonia. Remember the story that I told you- about how she saved the Olympians? That includes Zeus. He owes her… huge. And she happens to owe me, too. Sort of.”
“How is that?” he wrinkled his brow. “I thought I heard someone at the table whispering that she was the Chosen One or something like that. How does the Chosen One owe you?”
“Don’t look so surprised!” I swatted him on the arm. “When I was still in the Underworld, I found her daughter before she did. I kept Raquel safe until Harmonia could find us. I just know that if we asked her to plead your case to Zeus, she would. Technically, she has already repaid her debt. She chose to stay in the Underworld so that I could leave. But I just know that if I asked her for help, she would give it. She knows what it is like to love someone and lose them. I have faith that she wouldn’t want to wish that on me.”
“That sounds like a great plan,” he nodded. “But first we have to handle this mess that you’re in. We can secure my immortality later. I can’t even believe I just said that,” he shook his head. “A few days ago, I would have never believed any of this. I was just a normal guy, living in a normal town, going to a normal school, dating normal girls. I was going to be a dentist, you know. And then I met you. And now nothing will ever be the same.”
“Well, you certainly won’t need to be a dentist,” I chuckled. “And I’ll just tell you right now that I’m not a ‘normal girl’.”
He threw back his head and laughed, a sound so rich that it seemed like melted chocolate drizzled in caramel and honey.
“No,” he agreed quickly, soaking me in his sunny gaze. “You are most certainly not a normal girl. But compared to you, normal girls are boring. Very, very boring.”
“Well,” I gave him the once over. “I do come with baggage. Wouldn’t you rather not have a crazy, psychopath chasing you?”
He pretended to consider that, cocking his head thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But the benefits outweigh the negatives. It’s sort of nice that you can conjure anything from thin air. And you’re kind of cute, too.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Would you like to explore Atlantis or stand here and continue to flatter me so smoothly?”
He seemed outraged. “What? My silver tongue isn’t working on you?”
“Hardly. I’ve heard better compliments coming from a third grader. But I’ll forgive you- because you’re kind of cute, too. Shall we explore?”
He eyed me for a minute before shrugging and sticking out his arm. “Sure. I don’t have anything else to do.”
I cocked an eyebrow and he laughed.
“Of course I would love to explore with you,” he rephrased with a smile.
I took his arm and we strolled from the palace out to the front grounds. It was absolutely incredible. The scents of roses and hyacinths filled the air around us as we walked slowly down the manicured paths. We got some curious stares, but no one spoke to us. Everyone around us seemed to have a purpose, as though they had jobs to do and places to go.
“Can I be honest?” Brennan asked me.
“Of course,” I replied. “I expect nothing less.”
“I sort of feel like I fell down a rabbit hole. This is all so… crazy.”
I nodded. “I can only imagine what it must be like for you. This craziness has always been my life, so I’ve never had to absorb it like you have. But you’ve handled it so well. Truly- I’m really impressed.”
“Well, thank you,” he grinned. I doubted that I would ever get tired of seeing his smile. It lit up my heart. “Can I tell you something else?”
I glanced at him. “Sure. I guess.”
“There’s nothing I would rather do than march you back up to our room and stay there. For days.”
His grin was suggestive now and so, so sexy. My knees felt weak.
“I…uh. You know we can’t,” I finally managed to get out. “It’s too dangerous. We have to be careful until this curse is reversed. I don’t want to lose control and accidentally take your soul.”
He looked unconcerned. “Even if, worst case scenario, you sucked down my soul. Zeus can un-do anything right? I mean, he’s the god of all gods.”
I stared at him. Was he serious?
“You only have one soul,” I reminded him seriously. “We have to protect it- even from me. Especially from me. Zeus can’t always fix things- it depends on what else it effects and so on. We can’t take that chance. So until then, hands off, buddy.”
I smiled to take the sting out of my words, but the implication was still there. We had to maintain a careful distance from each other. It was the responsible thing to do.
“Fine,” he smiled a slow purposeful smile, the kind that instantly made me nervous. “I’ll be good. If you will.”
Gulp. He had me there. I was struggling with it just as much as he was.
“Fine,” I agreed stoutly, determined not to let my hesitation shine through. I could so do this. “I heard they have their very own sea of tranquility down here. Would you like to go look at it?”
“And be all tranquil and stuff?” he cocked an eyebrow. “Sure. Sounds peaceful.”
I laughed. I had to admit, I adored his sense of humor. I would rather have a great sense of humor in a man over good-looks any day. Luckily with Brennan, I didn’t have to choose. He had them both.
“Fine. Let’s go get our peace on.”
We wound our way around the beautiful, glistening city and after being pointed in the right direction by a friendly shopkeeper, we finally found the shimmering sea. It was amazing. Simply standing beside it, I felt a wave of calm descend over me. No wonder they called it the sea of tranquility. It apparently had calming powers.
“Is this the way it is always going to be?” Brennan asked as he stared across the rippling waters. “Will there always be something magical or fantastic around the next corner for me to stumble upon?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “There is always something fantastical around every bend when you are dealing with the gods. The mortal world… well, it simply can’t prepare you for this. You’ll still be learning about our world a hundred years from now. It is always changing.”
“I figured as much,” he sighed. “But at least I have a beautiful tour guide.”
He grabbed my hand and we stood quietly observing the beauty around us. But strangely enough, it didn’t remain still. The water began swirling, like a magnificent whirlpool.
“What’s happening?” Brennan asked curiously as we kept our eyes glued to the churning sea.
“I’m not sure,” I answered uncertainly.
The water was moving quickly now, swirling into an inverted funnel, lifting from the sea itself and towards the sky.
“What the…”I breathed.
And then the water took shape, moving into the form of an old, stooped woman. She took a watery step towards us, skimming across the top of the sea until she stood directly in front of us, glistening in the light.
And then she materialized.
“Circes,” I muttered.
My mother’s old crony, Circes, stooped in front of us, her long black skirts fluttering around her in the wind. She was gnarled and ancient, her white, straggly hair trailing down her crooked back. She had been a friend of my mother’s for a very long time.
Her faded eyes met mine and just for a second, I saw something in hers. Fear. My breath escaped my lips in a rush. I had never, in my life, seen Circes afraid. The old woman was fearless.
“What is it?”I asked her quickly, stepping forward to grasp her arm gently. “Is something wrong with my mother?”
Circes smiled, her yellowed teeth twisting into a grotesque grin. “Of course not, child. Your mother is able to handle herself, more so than anyone else that I know. I’m here at her bidding, princess.”
She dropped her head slightly in deference to me. Witches often referred to me as the Princess of the Moon, although to be honest, I most certainly didn’t feel like a princess. No other princess that I knew of had to run for her life.
“And what does she wish for you to do, Circes?” I asked politely, hoping that my impatience was masked by my friendly tone. The sea breeze whipped at my hair and I brushed it back. As I did, Brennan swept his hand along my back, presumably as a sign of support. I glanced at him in appreciation.
I hadn’t realized how alone I truly had been until now. It was nice to have someone on my side…someone who was with me no matter what. My heart swelled at the thought and I forced myself to focus on Circes.
“Well?” I prompted her. “What message does she send you with?”
She smiled again and appraised me with her eerie faded eyes. By all appearances, she should be blind. But she could still see. It was unnerving.
“Your mother knows that you have drunk from the boy’s blood- the son of Apollo,” she uttered.
“And?” I raised my eyebrow. Brennan’s thumb rubbed a circle on my back and I found myself leaning into his hand, leaning into his warmth. It felt like a connection and I enjoyed it.
“And she wishes to offer you a warning. She has spoken to you about the nature of moonlight, yes?” It was Circes’ turn to raise her thin eyebrow. I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Moonlight is only a reflection of the sun,” she reiterated needlessly. “Do not allow the boy to drink from your blood. You don’t understand the power that you could unleash. It is unlikely that you would be able to control it.”
Brennan’s hand froze, as did the breath in my throat. “Why would I allow Brennan to drink from my blood?” I managed to squeak. “He is not a blood drinker. He’s mortal.”
“For now,” Circes acknowledged. “Just heed the warning, princess. Your mother felt it was important enough to send me here, so it must be important indeed.”
I nodded. “You may tell my mother that I understand,” I instructed. “But I do not understand why my mother did not come herself. She is not afraid of anything. Why is she hiding?”
Circes examined me, reading my face like a book before her gaze flitted back to my eyes. Hers were filled with wisdom and concern.
“Hecate does not hide,” she announced proudly. “And she is never afraid. The only thing Hecate fears is losing you. You are her one weakness. And that is why she sent me.”
“Well, that’s vague,” Brennan muttered quietly. Circes’ ancient eyes snapped in Brennan’s direction.
“Do you have something to say, son of Apollo?” she snapped. I couldn’t understand the dislike in her voice. She had never even met Brennan, much less have had any opportunity in which he could have offended her. He must have shared my thought.
“Have I done something to you?” he asked her firmly. “I’ve never met you before, so I find it hard to believe that I have wronged you in any way.”
Circes pursed her lips together and rocked back on her heels, her black heavy skirt swirling around her gnarled bare feet.
“You have not purposely offended me, it is true,” she admitted grudgingly. “But your presence, your life itself, threatens my princess. And that offends me.”
Brennan froze, as did I.
“What do you mean?” he asked slowly. “How do I threaten Empusa?”
“We have seen it!” Circes hissed, her ancient face contorting in her agitation. “Empusa will risk everything for you. What we cannot see… is if she survives.”