Sorry Poseidon, I’ve seen your kinky side. No amount of sword wielding is going to persuade me you don’t love leather, paddles, and objects in your butt.Hmm. What would that feel like? Painful, probably. But then again, there’s nowhere else to fill on a man’s anatomy, other than his mouth. I blink.Mind back on the task, Daphne.
“Focus? Oh, right, our magic weapons. I have the trident!” I blurt, waving the shiny fork around, only to jab myself in the chin with the other end. “Ouch! Perhaps it’s a bit too pointy?”
Poseidon raises an eyebrow, and there’s a flicker of amusement behind his tempestuous demeanor before it dies out. “You stole from an Idol,” he snaps. “That is punishable by death in my realm.”
It is? “Is that the case if I didn’t know?”
“Ignorance is not a defense,” he snarls as he points my sword at me threateningly. I clutch the trident tighter, its power responding by flowing through me in waves. Poseidon’s eyes narrow on the trident like it’s cheating on him by not smiting me where I stand.
“Actually, Poseidon,” Eron says as he comes to his feet and straightens his jacket. “This is my realm, and there is no such law. In fact, we long ago outlawed Idols. You are here at my invitation, but make no mistake, this is to aid Daphne, not you.”
Poseidon’s scowl deepens. “Are you threatening me?”
I scrunch up my nose. “I’m pretty sure he just told you to behave yourself inside of his house as his guest. No threats. Don’t be so dramatic and make this entire situation about you.”
“We may have to conform to your rules while here, Eron, but the tempo she sets foot back in our realm, I own her. She is the Lady of the Lake; fated, fooled, and fettered to my world. My power fuels that legend, and she will return to fulfill it.”
That’s a lot of F words for a split tempo. “Why?” I ask as Eron’s hands fist at his sides. My mirror man isn’t happy with the Idol. That makes two of us, but when will I again grill an Idol about the way the realm has to bow down to his kind?
“Why what?” Poseidon snaps.
I pace. “Why do we have to fulfil these outdated narratives? Does it really give you power? And what are you honestly doing with such power? Why do we have to suffer for you to, what? Stock up for a stormy diurnal?”
“It’s the way it’s always been,” Poseidon snarls, pointing my sword in my direction. I can feel the sword rolling its eyes at the Idol handling it.
“That logic is illogical,” I declare. “If we don’t question our ways, how can there be progress?”
“Progress bleeds power,” Poseidon interjects.
“It bleeds your power, not ours.”
His face reddens. “You think to defy me? That you’re worthy of forging your own path? You are nothing, a mere mortal in a realm of power your tiny mind has barely grasped.”
I shrug. “I never claimed otherwise. But this mere mortal still bested you to escape, taking with her your weapon, that by all accounts incinerates anyone else.”
“Because Excalibur was made from a fragment of my trident. Don’t think yourself special. Any current Lady of the Lake could wield it.”
I glance at the glowing fork. I’ve not actually tried wielding it, just carrying it around like I’m waiting for the realm’s biggest sausage to fall in my lap. Sadly, it didn’t occur.
I drag my bottom lip between my teeth and push my will into it. Lightning flashes from my hand to the mirrored floor, creating a giant crack in the surface, splitting the room in two.
I glance at Eron as my cheeks heat. “I’m so sorry.” My gaze follows the damage all the way to the far wall. “I wouldn’t have tried that had I realized what a giant crack it could create.”
Eron waves his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. A rug or two will cover it until it heals.”
This world heals itself? Wow. Maybe I shouldn’t leave.
Poseidon’s frown deepens even further as he examines the damage and takes a step toward me. I hold my ground as Eron descends to stand between us. The rage of the seas rolls in Poseidon’s eyes. Stunning, but destructive.
“I want an oath,” Poseidon drawls, as if he couldn’t give a rategon’s ass about any oath I could give. But if that were true, he wouldn’t be saying it.
I tilt my head. “What would I, a mere mortal, have of worth to you?”
Poseidon’s gaze flicks to the guards who work hard to appear uninterested, but something tells me this is the most excitement they’ve seen in a long time.Stick with me, boys. I’ll show you more excitement than your annus can handle.
“Leave us,” Eron demands.
The guard who greeted him earlier twitches. “But?—”
