Guardian of Atlantis (The Children of Atlantis) (18 page)

“And princess.”

“Yes, Daddy?”
Raven turned around.

“Happy sixteenth birthday.”
Her dad smiled.
His eyes twinkled
.

“Thanks Daddy. I—” Staring at her dad, Raven frowned.
Her sixteenth birthday?
Dad here?
Now?
Something wasn’t right. She wasn’t sure how she knew. It was like an itch in the back of her brain that refused to go away.
Her mom decorating the backyard for her sixteenth birthday party?
That wasn’t right. Her mom had left her present on the kitchen table.
She had
unwrapped
the box, and found an old key
inside it. But that didn’t happen,
or
did it? Raven’s eyebrows scrunched together. She rubbed her forehead.

No!

Freaking!

Way!

“What’s wrong Princess?” asked her dad.

“Who are you?” asked Raven. She
went halfway down the steps.
“Bec
ause you’re not my dad.”

“Are you feeling
okay? Not coming down with the
flu that’s going around? You were out here in the cold an awfully long time.” The man stepped toward Raven with his hand out to touch her forehead.

“Don’t you
dare!
” Raven pointed her finger at him. She went up a couple of steps to put some distance between them.

“Raven Alexandria Weir, what’s gotten into you?” Her dad’s voice changed to a stern parental voice that demanded answers.

“You aren’t my dad.”
Raven’s voice quivered.
“My dad’s dead.”

“Last time I checked I’m very much alive.”

Raven shook her head. “This isn’t real.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “None of this is real,” she whispered, clinging to the railing as if it were a life preserver.

“Oh, but it can be. It’s the life you desire. I can give it to you.”

Raven looked up to see Zeus standing in the exact same place her father stood just seco
nds ago. The sun, replaced by several night lights,
and she could smell a hint of winter in the air.

“You can have this, all of this.” He gestured with his arms. “Your parents, friends, everything you dreamed of. It’s all yours.” He presented Raven with a spectacular, white tooth smile.

Raven wiped her eyes. “How can you? Dad’s dead.”

“I’m a god. I can do anything,” bragged Zeus. “This, all of this, is just for you.”

Raven swallowed. “And you’re going to do all this out of the goodness of your heart?”

“Of course.
This is your opportunity of a lifetime, to have the life you’ve always wanted.
The life you dreamed of. I don’t make this kind of offer to just anyone. But I like you. So I’m making an exception.”

“Gee thanks. I’m so honored. NOT!” sarcasm dripped from Raven’s words, but the temptati
on the offer presented was huge. R
eally huge! The life that should have been hers was there for the taking.

Raven toyed with the idea.

She looked at Zeus and realized he expected her to accept his offer without even finding out what he wanted in return. It was a perfect, almost flawless plan. Raven’s eyes narrowed.

Too perfect.

Too flawless.

It was a beautiful trap that played to the things she so desperately wanted. She wondered how many people Zeus had caught over the years in similar traps.

“Would you like to see your dad again?” Zeus whispered close to her ear then moved away from her making Raven think for a minute she imagined it.

Did she want to see her dad again? Yes, but what would it cost her? There had to be a price. There always was, especially with traps. “What do you want?”

“I’ve never said I wanted anything.”

Raven looked at him and laughed.
“Right.
There’s always strings attached when adults offer you stuff. I’m not stupid. You want something. And it’ll probably cost me dearly.”

Zeus laughed. “At least you’re smarter than most humans. But what I want is small in comparison to what I’m offering you. It’s nothing to worry about. You know you want this. It’s what you’ve wanted for years.” Zeus’ voice was low and hypnotic as he tried to distract Raven into agreeing to the deal without knowing what he wanted first.

Raven rolled her eyes. “I know what you want.”

For just an instant Zeus looked shocked, but he quickly recovered.

“You want the key codes to Atlantis.” Raven kept her eyes on Zeus.

“Maybe I do. They’re of no use to you. You’re getting the better end of the deal.” He didn’t sound quite as smug.

“You’ve got two problems with this deal you want to make.” Raven held up two fingers to emphasize her point.

“I am Zeus. There are no flaws in anything I plan.”

“Make
that
three problems.” Raven smiled and fo
lded her arms
in front of her.

“I’m a god. You are just a child.”

Wow!
Awesome compliment.
Great way to win me over to your way of thinking! You
don’t deal with teenagers much. Do
you?”

“Enough!” roared Zeus. “Give me the key codes to Atlantis.”

“No can do.” Raven shook her head. “And that’s one of your problems.”

“Give me the key codes.”

“No.”

“Do you want your parents back?” The lightning twisted and turned wildly, fueled by Zeus’s
anger.

Scared but determined,
Raven
propped one fist on her hip and her other hand out in front of her with two fingers held up. “Problem number two is that you can’t raise people from the dead. Only Hades can do that and I don’t see him anywhere. Oops, did you forget to bring him? I bet you didn’t want him to know about the key codes to Atlantis. The best part of your little deal is worthless without Hades returning my dad from the dead. And I’m sure that would really cost you. Wouldn’t it?”

Raven paused to give Zeus a chance to say something, but he didn’t. Instead he stood there fuming.

“And your third problem,” Raven held up three fingers, “and probably your biggest problem, is that you are a pompous, self-centered, egotistical, horse’s butt.”

Lightning flickered in Zeus’s eyes. “You should have been drowned at birth. I will fix that mistake.” He raised his right hand over his shoulder as if preparing to throw something. “Give me the key
codes to Atlantis! Give me the
necklace!”

“You’re as dense as the others. I’m not giving it to you or anyone else!” Raven yelled.

“Then you are of no use to me.” A lightning bolt appeared in his hand.

Raven’s eyes widened when she saw it.

She knew what Zeus was planning to do.

She knew she was going to die.

But she couldn’t move.

“One less abomination in the world.”
Zeus threw the lightning bolt.

Raven closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. She wondered how bad it would hurt when the lightning bolt hit her. She wondered if the sacrifice she was making would be worth it.

Raven waited for her death.

And waited.

CRACKLE! POP
!

Raven jumped.

She waited for the pain, for death.

But nothing happened.

She
opened her eyes. “What the heck?” A wall of water surrounded her.

Slowly, she reached out. Her fingertips barely brushed the water sending it crashing to the ground with a huge swoosh. She watched it flow into the lake. “Wow!” she whispered in awe.

“Get out of my way Poseidon. You have no right to interfere in my business.” Zeus glared at the man standing between him and Raven.

“I have every right, dear brother.”

Zeus raised a hand to throw a lightning bolt at Poseidon. “Offspring of monsters must be eliminated, even Cronos agreed with that.”

Poseidon raised his trident and pointed it at Zeus. “Put away your lightning bolts. She will not die. Not by your hand. Not by anyone’s hand.”

“You don’t tell me what to do. I tell you.” Zeus’
s
eyes glittered in the gleam of the lightning bolt he was holding. Without warning, he threw it at his brother.

Poseidon punched the lightning bolt with his trident. The lightning bolt exploded, sending a shower of sparks raining down on everyone.

Raven threw her hands over her head to ward off the glowing embers, but none touched her. In
stead they bounced harmlessly to
the ground. Raven looked up at her hands. The embers hit some sort of invisible shield and rolled off.

Zeus threw another lightning bolt at Poseidon who again blocked it.

“We can do this for days.” Poseidon blocked yet another lightning bolt.

“Then leave so I can finish what I started,” roared Zeus.

“I can’t do that.” Poseidon’s long white hair twisted and turned with every movement he made blocking one lightning bolt after another.

“Why not?
There’s nothing special about her,” sneered Zeus.

Raven snorted. “I’m getting really tired of you bashing me. Hello! I’m standing right here.” Raven tried to step around Poseidon, but he managed to stay between her and Zeus.

“Why do you want her alive?” Zeus rephrased his question. Suspicion filled his voice.

“Her death would make Medusa extremely angry.”

Zeus started laughing.
“You’re still in love with that—
that monster?”

“She only looks like a monster because of your brat, Athena.”

Zeus looked at his brother. “You have got to get over her. She never loved you. She killed her human lover.”

“That wasn’t her fault. Cronos arranged the experiment and you know it.”

“Doesn’t matter who arran
ged it. All that matters is
Medusa killed him when she turned him to stone. Only a monster could do something like that.” All laughter left Zeus’
s
face. “Get out of my way. First that abomination and then, once and for all, the monster herself.” Lightning twisted across the dark sky.

Poseidon’s stance went from defensive to submissive. He stepped aside and winked at Raven as he bowed his head to Zeus, who smirked in triumph.

“Prepare to die, Raven Weir.” A lightning bolt formed in his hand.

“Oh great!
We’
re back to that now. I thought w
e established killing me wasn’t a good idea.” Raven raised her eyebrows. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She was
sure it was going to break the bones
at any minute.

Zeus pulled his arm back.

Raven refused to close her eyes this time. Somehow, some way, she was going to stand her ground.

Everything was suddenly a blur of movement.

Raven blinked trying to focus on what was happening in front of her. The high speed movement stopped, and Zeus was lying on the ground with Poseidon looming over him, the tips of the trident pressing into Zeus’
s
throat.

“She is my daughter. You will leave her alone or I will kill you.” Poseidon pressed down on
the trident. A small trickle of blood ran down Zeus’
s
throat.

“Your daughter?”
Zeus stared at his brother.

“Yes, dear brother. She is my and Medusa’s daughter. And you will not harm her in any way. So call off you minions. Or risk my wrath,” threatened Poseidon.

“Your daughter?”

“And I won’t let you harm her.”

Zeus put his hand on the prong
s
of the trident. “What were you thinking? What about the prophecy?”

“The prophecy
be
damned,” snarled
Poseidon. He pressed down on
the trident a little harder.

“You will regret ignoring the prophecy. You will regret stopping me from killing her. We will meet again, Raven Weir.” Zeus vanished.

Poseidon stood up and turned to Raven.
“Daughter.”

Raven raised her eyebrows.
“Daughter?
I don’t think so, but thanks for dealing with that Zeus guy.” She took several steps backwards, putting some distance between
herself and
Poseidon
and his trident. Raven’s brain felt like it was on overload.

She was the daughter of Poseidon and Medusa. Poseidon, the god of the sea, was her dad. Her chest felt tight. Her hands shook.

“You are my daughter.” Poseidon walked up to her and put his hand on Raven’s cheek. “It took me hundreds
of
years to find where your mother hid herself after Athena turned Medusa’s hair to snakes and made her the target of everyone who wanted to be a hero and rid the world of the most horrible monster that ever lived.
And it took me even longer to find where her family hid you.
”