Sea Witch: Children of the Waves (9 page)

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you sure about this, Sienna?” Aaron
knew she was, but he still had to ask, one last time. “Two warriors by your
side will increase your chances, let me go with you.”

“No, beloved, this time you cannot go,” Sienna stated. “Only her
mate can go with me. You must remain here with the king.”

“Will you even be able to enter the portal, Sienna?” Zek asked. “I
thought only the demons from the depths could pass or those of us dead or near
death that the dark claims can go through and it was a one way trip.”

“That is all true, but Tabatha created this portal connecting the
living amongst the dead and dying, by using her own blood. We are sisters, so I
can use my powers to gain entry, and I can bring Cyrus with me, since he is
meant for Shawnah.”

“Do you have to destroy it to enter?” Xav added his questions.
“Can it even be destroyed?”

“I do not want to destroy the gate yet, merely open it. So,
between you and Aaron, you can seal the door behind us, so nothing more can
come through. And don’t forget, there are still demons of the dark loose in
these waters. I fear they are the strongest ones you will yet face. They will
try to destroy you to get to the gate. You must protect your king.” She stared
at Aaron when she said it. “This is where you must stand.”

“Come back to me, Sienna. You damn well better come back,” Aaron
stated flatly to her. Daring her to deny him.
He took her in his arms and kissed her, inhaling her essence while
trying to give her some of his strength. He prayed it would be enough.

Sienna treaded water away from him.

Cyrus moved to her side. “I’ll watch over her, Aaron. I swear,” he
claimed.

“Call the Trident, my king. I will need it.”

They all stared at the portal leading to the dark depths, a place
none would dare venture on their own.

Only Tabatha had the audacity to go, then return time and time
again. Letting loose the monsters of Hades, now roaming the waters. There was a
reason the only way into such a realm was through death. Tabatha should’ve
never had access to such powers to create such a gate, one to allow those
within to enter this world and wreak havoc.

Cyrus towered over Sienna’s smaller frame.

Aaron’s mate stood strong and determined before the dark mass of
motionless water. Raising her arms out before her, she began to slowly murmur,
calling upon her powers.

He could feel the ocean around them tense, like the living
tangible thing it could become, rippling along their skin.

All the Children knew the sea was alive.

Sienna’s voice rose in volume and power. Strong ancient words he
did not know, but felt in his blood. Words of power.

The sea answered Sienna’s call for aid in opening the abomination
of this gate, one that never should have connected to these waters.

Aaron knew in his heart she’d foreseen this event, all those years
ago, she would have to do this. The moment they’d sacrificed so much for. He
would not fail her. He would hold the portal.

A soft glow emanated from her palms, the water around her hummed.
Sienna raised her hands and the water before her swirled into a vortex, creating
a mass like a tunnel, until it was about as wide as the dark hole in the water.
“Now, my king, add the power of the Trident
to mine. Now!” With her cry, she pushed the vortex toward the gate.

Xavior held the Trident in his hand, then raised it and shot a
blast of pure blue energy that sliced through the water above Sienna’s head. It
headed straight toward the vortex she’d created, aiding her in sending it
crashing against the dark hole.

The vortex reached into the darkness and created a gap they could clearly
see. Like a hole in the door, revealing dark murky slow moving waters beyond.
They could smell it, too. No longer was it the saltiness of the sea and the
life flowing through it, but the stronger stench of decay. The scent of it
they’d gotten before, nothing like now. Death lay beyond the doorway, but at
least there were no shadowy-looking creatures lurking near it. The power they
used to open it, thank Poseidon, hopefully destroyed anything close by.

“Come quickly,” Sienna said to Cyrus as she moved forward. “Use
the Trident, my king, seal the hole and you can open it again when we are
ready.”

Cyrus swam after her. She
took his hand and together, they entered the vortex that calmed at the center
as they moved past it. The tunnel she’d created swallowing them as they passed.

Then the portal returned to
its natural dark stillness as soon as they were through.

“Be safe, beloved,” Aaron
whispered once their shadowy images passed beyond his sight.

“She’ll return to you,” Zek
stated, swimming over to tread by him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Xav used the power of the
Trident to still the vortex and create a seal of blue energy like a net over
the portal. “Meanwhile, we have a battle to fight. The dolphins just sent out a
warning. They’re coming,” Xav stated.

“What? Who?” Zek asked.

“The army Tabatha has been
gathering here. She managed to gather some of the tribes to her cause. And
Sienna was right. Those demons weren’t the only ones in the waters. The
dolphins warn, the worst is yet to come.”

“Then let them come,” Aaron
claimed. “They shall not fucking get pass.”

Suddenly, a pod of twenty
dolphins swimming fast, surrounded the warriors, acting as an outward shield.

“Protect your king,” Aaron
cried to the warriors around them. “Fan out. No one. Nothing reaches the
portal.”

The warriors fanned out,
rimming the area.

Aaron stood on the left of
his king, Zek on the right.

The rumble of an underwater earthquake
had the water churning for miles before them. The waves undulating in a manner,
letting Aaron know there were perhaps a hundred bodies coming toward his group.
Soon, they could see their enemy, as they positioned themselves before them. He
recognized some of the warriors. Most were young men, a few matured, but all
had been won over by Tabatha’s promises of wealth and brides or mates.

“Turn back,” Xav yelled,
raising the Trident. “Your king commands it.”

One person swam forward, a
mature male.

Aaron knew him, a piece of
shit of a male. Xav had told him he was the leader of one of the most
rebellious of the tribes. He’d been in Tabatha’s army the first time she tried
to make a run for the chair.

“We do not recognize you as
king, Xavior,” the man called back, Paol was his name. “You have taken a human
bride. Only Children may sit on the throne of Poseidon. We do not accept a
human queen and her half-bred heirs. The rightful heir is Tabatha, the White
Witch. She alone can bring the Children back to greatness.”

“You fool. Xavior has the
full powers of the Trident. Go back to the holes you’ve crawled out of,” Aaron
sneered.

The men around Paol growled
their displeasure at his words.

“I will not ask again. I
command you to return to your tribes,” Xavior said, drawing upon the energy of
the Trident to lend power to his voice. The symbol of his office, and its power
glowed red. The water around him simmered and boiled as if it too was angry.

There were a few mumblings
among those in revolt, but then they turned. However, instead of leaving,
they’d opened up a path. And what came through did not swim, but walked along
the sea floor. With each step, the sand beneath its clawed feet rose up into a
cloud, while the ground shook and the water rippled around them like a shock
wave.
This beast seemed as tall as
the portal. It looked like
a
bi-pedal lizard with a long horse-like horned head and scale armored hide.

Worse, fucker had a twin, just as big and
ugly who stomped behind him.

Aaron watched a red bolt of power hit the
thing in the chest.

Xav had fired up the power of the
Trident.

The thing staggered back a step, shook
his head, but he kept coming.

He’d hurt it, but it was going to take
more to stop it. And there were two such fuckers.

“We can hurt it, we can kill it!” Aaron
roared.

The men behind the beasts raised the
swords they’d created from the water and rushed forward.

Xav’s warriors yelled, “For the king!”
Then rushed to meet them, tossing their own powers against the swarming masses.

Zek let loose his lightning bolts at the
second monster, his aim was good. He cut off one of the fucker’s arms.

Aaron rose higher and called forth his
powers, he created his own sea sword and swam straight for the first beast Xav
had wounded.

“Are you sure about this, Sienna? It’s
still not too late?” Cyrus asked. Turning to glance behind them. They could
still see the portal and the others on the other side. Though, it was like
looking through a frosted mirror.

“It’s too late. Come. We won’t have much
time.”

Cyrus turned to look around, but they couldn’t see very far in
these waters. “This place is seriously fowl.”

“I know. We are far below the river Styx.”

“What? No kidding.”

“Our dark depths lie beneath the river Styx. It is how Tabatha
entered Hades. With luck, we won’t have to be here long.”

“Do you know where we need to go?”

“Yes. I can find them. Both Tabatha and
Shawnah are not far from each other. We need to get to Shawnah before Tabatha
awakes.”

“How do you know she sleeps?”

“Because, if she didn’t, she would have
already been here to stop us or sent her minions.”

“I’m just glad we haven’t encountered any
more of those things.”

“We’re not out of the dark
waters yet.”

It was true. The water they
swam through seemed dark, like walking the street on land after the sun went
down. All they could see were outlines, shadows of things their senses could
not recognize. And the stench. The farther away from the portal they got, the
worse it smelled. It wasn’t just the stench, the entire place reeked of the
oppressive. Sucking at emotions, drawing out of you all sense of hope, life.

Sienna had to steel her resolve and used
her powers to help encourage Cyrus. She knew he didn’t quite believe Shawnah
was his mate. So, until he did, she needed to keep his emotions in check.

They hadn’t gone far when Sienna got a
sense they were being watched.

“I think we’ve got company,” Cyrus said.

Good, his senses were also heightened. It
would serve him well.

“Yes, but I don’t think they will attack
us. I think they’re lesser beings.”

“How much farther?”

“There.” She gestured.

He stared in the direction she’d pointed.

A mound stood a few yards from them and
seemed to rise, as far as they could see. For all they knew, it broke the
surface, which was hundreds of miles from where they stood in the human world.

“Holy shit is that a mountain? Here?”
Cyrus asked.

“It only appears like that. In reality,
it is the entrance to Hades. Tabatha and your bride lie within. Come. Time is
getting away from us. I sense a need to hurry.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Aaron, watch out!”

Zek’s cry had come too late. Aaron
managed to dodge one of the thing’s lethal claws to ram his sword into the hole
Xav had created. The monster roared in pain, and the vibration caused waves in
the water. But the monster raised the other arm and one of his claws caught
Aaron across the chest. Blood seeped out of the rip, flowing into the water
clouding it red. It burnt like fuck. His body shuddered and went numb, floating
toward the sea floor. Two dolphins began attacking the creature, distracting it
so Xav could grab him and haul him out of the way, while Zek shot lightning
bolts at it.

Damn thing was hard to kill.

Xav touched the Trident to his chest,
sealing the wound. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the power to heal, Sienna did,
but she was nowhere around. Aaron could not give into the pain. He took a deep
breath and stood.

“You okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

“Then come on.” Xav surged back into the
fray.

Aaron followed.

Their warriors and the dolphins took care
of the rogue tribes, while he, the king, and Zek tackled the two dark demons.

The first one whose arm Zek had managed
to cut off got on his knees shaking his head. The dolphins butted against the
sides of his head, trying to keep him disoriented and down.

The three men stood side by side and
faced the monsters.

Xav raised his Trident.

This time, it burnt so red, the monsters
had to glance away from its radiance of power.

Even he couldn’t look directly at it. “On
three,” Xav urged. “Give the fuckers everything you got. The one on the right
is first. Aim for the wound on his chest. One, two, three.”

A blast of red flame cut through the
water at the same time Zek’s lightning bolt raced down the center of it.

Using its power to propel it on, Aaron
gathered the power of water to him, and pushed it forward, narrowing it into a
javelin.

They hit it simultaneously with
everything they had.

Like a boulder, the thing fell over
backwards with a thud and sand rose surrounding it in a cloud.

Dead.

They all hoped.

Judging by the roar coming from the
remaining creature, they’d managed to destroy the other one.

Aaron noticed the warriors managed to
rout the rebellion, and the dolphins were chasing most of the tribes off. So,
only a little fighting remained. A roar from the right, had Aaron turning to
face the beast charging at them, claws extended. Between his loss of blood and
the burst of pure energy, it took a toll on Aaron. His head kept spinning, but
he couldn’t hold back. Could not let his king or Sienna down. He couldn’t take
the time to even glance at the king or Zek, only to know they remained near. At
least, they should be in better shape than he was.

The thing swung its claws and killed two
of the dolphins trying to slow it down. It was a good thing it only had one arm
left. But the remaining limb was unlike the other, Zek had managed to slice
off…this arm was fully armored. It might not be so easy to remove this
appendage. As Zek found out when he sent a bolt to try to do exactly that. But
the beast flinched, so it did seem to sting.

Fanning out, they tried to surround the
demon.

The thing turned toward him and lunged in
his direction. Aaron raised his hands, but everything got blurry. He still
hadn’t recovered. He saw the arm coming toward him and tried to swim back, when
he felt one of the dolphins bump him out of the way. Thank Poseidon—the
claw missed the dolphin.

His head by this time, full out pounding,
like someone used it as a drum. The water around them didn’t hold the
revitalization of clearer seas…too close to the portal of death, so it reeked
of it. He needed the clear, clean waters of the depths to restore him. Still,
he should not feel so weak. Something was wrong. Then he realized what it was
and warned the others, “Poison. The claws. Poison…Sienna, belov....” Then he
was sinking.

Sienna took Cyrus’ hand. “Before we cross
this threshold, I have to create a mirage for us, an illusion cloaking us in
invisibility. While no one should be able to see us, some of the beings in
there might be able to sense us. So, we must have a care where we step. Because
we will still be solid to the touch. Understand?”

“Yes. I think so. Don’t let anyone touch
us.”

“We’ll still be able to communicate
telepathically, just remember not to use your voice. You can move objects with
your mind, correct?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

She smiled briefly. “I know many things.”
Suddenly, pain slammed into her chest. She gasped and held her hand up to press
against her heart. “No.” The one word came out in a whisper. When she wanted to
shout her pain.

“Are you all right?” Cyrus asked and
touched her shoulder.

She couldn’t answer him, all she could do
was take deep breaths. Remain clear headed and strong for them both. Closing
her eyes, using the bond she shared with her mate, she focused. She felt Aaron’s
pain.

He lived, but weak. So weak. In these
waters, he would die.

She would not allow such a thing to
happen. She had not viewed this, so many paths, she focused on hers, on
Shawnah’s; she had not seen this for Aaron. It didn’t matter. He must not die,
she would not survive to do what needed to be done if he did. Their energies,
their very life forces were inevitably connected.

Drawing on her powers and their bond, she
sent him a healing charm.
You will not
die beloved. I won’t let you.
Helping him to slow his metabolism, slowing
the poison trying to kill him. Giving his body the time to fight it, to heal.
But they had to get him back to clear seas, away from the reach of the evil of
the portal. Hoping he would remain safe, while he healed, she sent one of her
dolphins with a message for Xavior, so he would know what to do to help Aaron.
Opening her eyes, she stared into the worried golden gaze of Cyrus. She patted
his hand. “I’ll be fine. Come on.”

“Will we be able to see in there?”

“Let’s find out.” Sienna took a deep
breath, filling her lungs with the tainted water, but water
nonetheless—she would need it.

Together, they crossed over the darkened
mountain threshold. If the world they left reeked of decay and all things dead
or dying, then this world was death itself.

They left the waters of life and entered
into a fiery pit of Hades. The air of flames here was suffocating. The walls
were dark molten rocks of black and red, the floor looked like coal dust…just
as black and thick. At least, the humidity created moisture in the air, a dry
kind, but moisture nonetheless. Enough, so they could breathe it, barely.

However, it was a water supply, and she
could draw from it. She would need all of her powers wherever she found a
source.

“Where are the hounds of hell?” Cyrus
asked, but he wasn’t joking.

“Wrong entrance. There is more than one
way into Hades’ realm. This one is from the dark depths of the waters and
connects to Poseidon’s realm. But it should not be here. My sister connected
with powers she should not have.”

“Are we going to find guards?”

“I am sure we will encounter things
guarding this area soon enough.”

“How far into this mountain do we have to
go?”

“Thankfully, not far. Tabatha cannot
venture to the lower levels of this realm. She is still amongst the living,
those levels belong solely to the dead. She remains on the first, near the
water, no matter its taint…so will Shawnah. They are near each other.
Hopefully, we can find Shawnah and get out of here before Tabatha wakes up.” At
least she hoped so—with a lot of luck.

“Are you sure she’s still asleep?”

“Yes. I can sense her clearer now, and
she is still in a weakened state, at rest, but not sure for how much longer.”

They continued only a few more yards into
the mountain, and the walls appeared an even darker red, rocky like the side of
a cave. The ground changed from just the fine coal to become littered with the
bones of the denizens of the depths Hades could claim. As well as creatures
like they’d faced at the portal. They hurried as best they could, treading very
carefully, the connection to both Tabatha and Shawnah drawing her unerringly
toward them. They hadn’t gotten far from the entrance when they met their first
challenge. They’d been lucky so far.

“Holy fuck!” At least Cyrus’ cry was a thought
and not vocal.

Sienna began softly chanting, reinforcing
the illusion of invisibility around them, projecting into the thing’s mind.

It looked like a lizard on two legs,
guarding a tunnel branching to the left. The direction they needed to go, unfortunately,
he blocked the way into the five-feet-wide tunnel pass with his bulk.

Entering its mind, she grabbed a hold of
the section controlling reasoning. She forced it to think something was wrapped
around his neck, a large eel choking him to death.

Must
get it off. Rip it off.
Use your claw.
It raised its muscular
arm, the ends of its hand were knife-like claws, instead of fingers and slit
its own throat.

“Shit! Fuck!” Cyrus cried. Vocally, this
time.

“Don’t freak out.” She grabbed his arm to
reassure him.

“No shit, woman. Remind me not to piss
you off! I’m assuming we’re going that way.” He pointed in the direction the
creature had been guarding.

“Yes. Quickly. And let’s bring the guard
with us. I don’t want anyone coming by to find him dead here.”

“Good idea.”

She stepped past the guard while Cyrus
clutched him under the arms and dragged him after her. Sienna spied a dip in
the molten rock and stopped to investigate. It was actually an indentation.
Deep enough, so no one would see the body if they were just passing by. “Here.
Roll him in here.” She moved to gather up his legs to help Cyrus. They dumped
the body and kept moving.

Sienna led them only a few more yards
when the wall stopped, and they came upon an open area. “This way. Slowly.”

They entered a small cavern, staying
close to the wall, but careful not to touch it. The heat emanating off
everything in there would fry them with but a touch.

The entire room was bathed in hell light
casting the walls in a reddish haze, and two bodies lay within the center of
the place, each on top of a stone slab, spread out side by side.

One was Tabatha and the other, Shawnah.

Standing guard over both bodies were two
more hounds of hell. Both carried battleaxes four feet long. They wore helmets
covering their faces, so their features were obscured, but they stared at the
entrance. While she knew they could not see them, it did not mean they did not
sense them.

They continued to move cautiously into
the room and made their way around the guards, stopping beside where Shawnah
lay. One of the guards raised his head as though he sniffed the air. She could
not tell if he heard the almost silent sound of their footfalls or used other
senses. He stepped forward toward the entrance, stopped and sniffed again.
Suddenly, he swung back around and yes, smelled the air again.

“Shit!” Cyrus said. “He knows we’re
here.”

“Time to use that power of yours.”

The second guard hadn’t moved, but
suddenly, his battleaxe was ripped out of his hands and embedded in the exposed
neck area of the guard now paused in front of him. The beast fell where he
stood. The remaining guard rushed to his side and bent down, to touch the axe.

By then, Cyrus had grabbed the other ax
and divided the second guard from his head.

“Quickly, I can feel Tabatha stirring.”

Cyrus swung back to her. “What do you
need me to do?”

“Shawnah has been placed in a death like
sleep. Only you can wake her.”

“How.”

“With a kiss.”