The Sea Queen (The Dark Queens Book 1) (17 page)

“Yessum.” He bobbed his head enthusiastically and then, opening his razor-sharp mouth, suckled gently on the tip of my pinky.

The touch of his tongue was fire through my bones, and I had to admit to liking the burn. Water was a delicacy in these parts and much savored. He drank his fill of me, so that his belly was nicely distended by the time he’d finished.

Then, chortling happily, he grasped my hand and beamed. I’d made a friend.

“I’ll take ye to me queen,” he chirped. I was about to ask him to unhand me, because the steam curling between our palms was making me feel wilty, but he was so ridiculously adorable that I that decided just this once I’d deal.

Pea Brain, as I’d soon learned he was called, blathered on and on relentlessly about how pretty I was and how fine I’d tasted, and would I come back tomorrow and feed him again?

To which I smiled but shook my head no. “If I feed you again, I would have to feed the rest of you miscreants, and I’d be here an eternity, Pea Brain. I am here but for a moment, and then I should have to leave.”

I soon spied a thatched hut off in the distance. The entire thing was burning, of course.

There was a beautiful little garden out in front that looked like vegetables and fruits. I recognized a few of them: fire snap peas and charred tomatoes on the vine.

My stomach grumbled; I’d forgotten to eat this morning. I wondered if I could beg some food of my sister.

And then I spied said sister. She was as lovely as ever. Her figure was trim and toned, and she wore a buttery gown that fell past her ankles and that sparked with the light of a thousand flames.

Like the imp’s, her hair was also made of fire, but this fire was green, a mystical flame that curled down her back becomingly. Her skin gleamed like burnished opal.

“Thalassa?” Fiera asked with a soft frown marring her polished skin. “To what do I owe this honor?”

Pea Brain dropped my hand then and then, dropping prostrate before his queen, chanted, “I am not worthy. I am not worthy, my flaming enchantress of beauty.”

Fiera cast him a benevolent smile. “You may go now, Pea.”

Scampering to his feet, he bounded off like a tiny kangaroo.

When I had her full attention again, I said, “I wish you to rain down fire on Olympus, love.”

“Oh, do you?” She smiled. “And what have those fools done this time?”

The last time Fiera had done aught against them had been during the great Titan war. For reasons beyond me, she’d sympathized with the stupid brutes. They’d lost, of course, but to the best of my knowledge, she’d not bothered with the Olympians since.

“They wish to harm my sex slave.”

It took her a moment to grasp what I’d said, and when she did, her opalescent eyes widened. “Thalassa, are you virgin no more?”

Giggling, I cried, “Nope!”

She clutched at her chest. “And how was it? I thought you did not desire a man’s touch.”

Rolling my eyes as though in ecstasy, I sighed. “Ye gods, it is glorious. His cock is a magnificent thing, and I wish to ride it for an eternity, but now the bastards threaten to torture him for a millennium at least, and I am not ready to release him. He is mine.”

Perplexed wonder crossed her face. I knew my confession amazed and confused her. If I’d been her, I was sure I’d feel much the same way. There’d never been a man worthy of us.

Until now. Hades was quite worthy of me.

“I will do as you say, Thalassa. I will aid you in this, but first I desire a boon from you.”

I’d come prepared, knowing I’d be asked. Nothing was ever granted without a cost.

“Yes? What do you wish?”

Her eyes narrowed into shrewd slits. “I too wish to know the wonders of a man. Help me to find one, and I am at your disposal.”

I thinned my lips. “You do understand, my darling, that not all men are created equal? What you ask is a tall order. And because I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, I would see you have nothing but the best. And sadly, I have taken the best.”

Mine. Mine. Mine.

She shrugged. “Second best is fine by me. I find I am curious about your male and wish to know one of my own. At least to taste one.”

“Hm.” I eyed her. Lovely as she was, she had one fatal flaw. “It could take some time, love. There are few in this world that could handle your heat.”

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “A man for a boon. That is my wish.”

“Done.” I snapped my fingers. Surely there was someone out there who wouldn’t die under her touch. And if a few lost their lives in the search, well, they clearly weren’t worthy, right?

I smiled. “Now, about those tomatoes.” I pointed and fanned my lashes. “Pretty please.”

~*~

Thirty minutes later I shoveled the last tomato into my mouth, swallowed, and zipped myself on over to Tiera’s place. For being Earth, it would have been natural to expect to see lush grass and plant life everywhere, but there was nothing but rocks.

The place was flat, barren, and utterly bland.

There were no cute little imps to nibble on my fingers. There were no rock bunnies or Chihuahuas scampering up to come greet me.

To be honest, Tiera was as dull as the place she called home.

Wrinkling my nose, I followed the dusty trail to her house, which was nothing but a circular tower of gray stones that’d been leeched of most of its color by the sun.

“Tiera,” I called when I neared her steps. An “unwelcome” mat was placed on the doorstep.

It was literally unwelcoming. The words, to be more precise, said, “Leave now, or I’ll eat you.”

My sister was such a darling.

Tiera came out, scowling, a moment later. Her skin was pale gray, the type of color that came from rarely leaving the den she called a house. Skulking in shadow did that to a person.

She was dressed in drab colors from head to toe, and the only real color to her was her hair, a rich nutty brown she had twisted back into a tight bun that sharply revealed the harsh, straight planes of her angular face.

Tiera wasn’t hideous. None of us were. But she’d never been one who cared about her appearance, either.

“What the hell do you want, Thalassa?” she snapped without preamble.

“I just wanted to say hi.” I waved.

Of all my sisters, she’d be the toughest to convince. But I had a pearl up my sleeve, a little bauble she’d always wanted but I’d never quite been able to part with before.

Tiera had one weakness—precious stones. And the rarer they were, the more green with envy she became. There was one stone in particular she’d never be able to reach, as it only grew beneath my waters, and there was only one of them in existence. Oh yes, she’d play ball with me.

“No you don’t, you selfish beast. You hate me and I hate you, so just tell me what you’re here for and let’s get this over with.”

I huffed. “Well, fine, if you’re going to be
that
way about it. I want you to create an earthquake through all of Olympus. Just level it to the very ground.”

“No.” She thinned her lips and turned to go.

“Don’t you even want to know why?” I asked, racing around her so she was forced to look at me.

“Not really. Go away.”

She waved her hand at me.

Gods, Tiera really needed to work on her people skills. But I was determined to save my Death Boy, and one cranky wench wouldn’t stop me.

“Well, then, what if I told you I’d give you the Seren Stone for your pledge?”

She stopped, not saying anything but cocking her head.

Oh, I had the wench right where I wanted her. She smacked her lips.

The avarice was strong in her.

“Mmhmm.” I shook my head, bobbing my delicate octopus braid as I did so. “All yours, and the only string is, you do my bidding when I call. I mean, really, you can’t ask for a more perfect trade, now, can you?”

Her already thin lips puckered. “You’ve never been willing to part with that. Why now?”

“Because it’s important to me?” I shrugged. She’d not wanted to know my reasons earlier, so tough kazungas, lady, I was keeping Hades my secret.

Her jaw clenched. “If you’re lying to me—”

“Oh, sister.” I gripped her shoulders and shook her gently. “Do you honestly think me capable—”

I stopped, remembering the Heretical Wars of 1002. Okay, so maybe she had a point.

I held up my hands. “On my honor as the Water. No tricks, no games. All I want from you is to rock their world, but only if I say so. Right now, I mostly mean to use you as a threat, but if they push me, you do it. So whaddaya say, Sis, deal or no deal?”

“What if you don’t need me to level them—do I still get it?”

Dammit, she would ask that. Grumbling inwardly, I swallowed thickly and nodded reluctantly. “Of, of course, Tiera.”

“You trick me, and I’ll bury you.”

She could try, the cold-hearted-evil-manipulative-taking-my-Seren-Stone-even-if-she-didn’t-do-anything shrew! But I wasn’t here to start World War III.

“You have my word.” We shook on it, sealing the deal. A powerful rush of energy imploded from between our palms, rocking the land beneath our feet and shifting the stones.

Figuring now was as good a time as any to make my escape before I was accidentally on purpose flattened in a rock slide, I vamoosed on over to the final sister.

This was the one I’d held off till the end because of who she was currently hiding. I had a couple things to say to young Persephone that I didn’t want my boy toy knowing.

Aria’s home was as welcoming as Tiera’s was not. There wasn’t land, but the skies were a glorious sunny blue, and angelic sylphs winged through the skies, their songs reminding me of Gregorian chants.

The clouds were so fluffy and white, and it was instantly notable to me that Zeus depended mightily on the abilities of this sister. A gentle breeze carted the clean scent of spring on it. Flowers of first bloom, my beloved sea roses among them, saturated my lungs.

For all her flaws, Persephone could make beautiful treasures. Following the trail of her scent, I arrived in moments to my sister’s castle in the sky. It wasn’t built of stone or coral or any other type of common building material but rather of cumulonimbus clouds that sparkled like diamonds.

Aria, already knowing I’d arrived, daintily appeared on the drawbridge, silvery white hair and gown billowing behind her in a graceful arc.

“Sister.” She smiled. “I’d halfway expected your arrival to come much sooner than now.”

“Oh?” I lifted my brow.

Her smile was secretive. “I am guarding Persephone’s body, after all, and the gossip in Olympus is that you’ve fallen rather half mad for my beloved Under Lord.”

I would be jealous of her turn of phrase, but everyone knew Aria to be in love with another. She’d never admitted out and out just who that other was, but I had an idea. Though since my sister never offered up the name, I honored her wishes by keeping silent on the matter entirely.

“I suppose I have.” I brushed my fingers across the sudden rainbow that arched beside me. “And now I suppose you know why I am here.”

“I have my suspicions.” Her grin was spun of pure delight. “But first, you may go visit with the captive, as I’m certain that is whom you greatly wish to see.”

Stepping to the side, she gracefully swept a hand out so that I might walk past. Nodding my thanks, I followed the glittering staircase downward into the deepest parts of the cloud to where no light penetrated and only darkness ruled.

Down here, the gentle breezes were more like raging zephyrs slamming like fists against my body. But I was strong enough to bear it. Head held high, I continued my downward trek until I’d reached the deepest and darkest threshold and stared at the lone figure suspended before me.

Persephone had her eyes closed as though in sleep. Her rich brown skin glowed like freshly turned earth; it was that glow that allowed me to see her at all. I knew if her eyes were open, I’d see their enviable color, a very stunning shade of amethyst.

She had hair the color of ebony and a facial structure that’d once made Zeus weep to gaze upon it. There was no fault with Persephone’s looks; she was spring eternal. Even down here in this pit of darkness, her flowers bloomed, covering her from head to toe in a gown of blood-red rose petals. Baby’s breath threaded through her hair in winding loops.

I had never been prone to fits of jealousy; I was perfect. But I must admit to suffering a tiny pang of heart at the sight of her. Persephone was my antithesis in most every way. She’d had Hades almost since the dawn of man, and yet she’d spurned his devotion.

“Why?” I asked her, but of course, she did not answer. I continued talking. Even suspended in sleep as she was, I knew she heard me. In some recess of her mind, she was aware of my presence.

Lifting a brow, I shook my head. “He would have given you the world, and you denied him. I think I should never understand you, Sephone. I should hate you. I imagine most any goddess would. You had his complete attention and devotion nearly all your life, but no more.”

I shrugged. “He truly is mine. In every way. And I do not say this to mock or tease you. It is simply fact. Should you ever wish to seek an audience with him, I would not deny you. And should you do aught to try and take him from me, well, you’re welcome to try, my beauty, for I am secure in the knowledge that no other will ever turn his head again.”

I’d not really known what I’d come down here to say to her, but the words pouring from my mouth made absolute sense to my heart. I could almost imagine Nimue clapping proudly behind me. I smiled.

“I will leave you with one final pearl of wisdom: the very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education. That is what this is, little flower. Embrace who you were truly meant to be, stop giving into the petty and vain selfishness inherent in our kind, and grow up. Take this time to think and mature. You lost something great, and you will never get it back. Mourn the loss of him now, and when the time comes for your release, smile, for the hour of your rebirth is at hand.”

With a farewell wave, I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done.

Aria met me once I’d crested the top landing.