“Go, Erik. I promise I will not disappear from this castle before speaking to you.”
Erik doesn’t look convinced, but he jerks his head and the room empties of guards in less than a tempo, the doors banging closed behind them.
“Speak clearly, Poseidon. If I detect a lie, I will send you back to your ocean without your trident or your Lady. And before you think to deceive, do not forget that you are in the Land of Reflection, where your true self is revealed. Lies do not exist here.”
Poseidon’s lips press into a thin line. “Fine. I want an oath that when you discover the depth of your true power, you will free me from my prison beneath the waves.”
“Prison? Like, bona fide, no-cake-at-all prison?” I blurt out, my mind racing. “I mean, you already have a sausage issue.” My gaze drops unbidden to his billowing pants. “So I understand your need to escape. I can promise a lot of things; primarily that I will definitely trip over my own feet at least five more times this turn. But freeing an Idol from an ocean? Sounds like a stretch for a maiden from Strongfair.”
“The sea realm is harsh. Your promise will bind you to it,” Poseidon insists, his immense presence darkening like a gathering storm. “You do not know your true power yet.”
“True power?” I echo, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t we all just puppets in the land of the Idols? Living out our annuses with nothing more than the duty of fulfilling the narratives your kind are responsible for?”
Eron clears his throat, drawing our attention. “I have observed you, Daphne Stone. I know your heart, mind, and soul are truer than any false princess. But your refusal of the potential within you will spell doom, not just for you, but for us all. When the time comes, you need to wield your strength.” Eron’s usual complacent tone shifts into one more firm and commanding.
A long breath leaves my mouth. I thrust the trident forward, making Eron jump back. “One promise? That if it’s in my sphere of power, and it doesn’t cause harm to me or those I love and care for, I will help you break your bonds.”
Poseidon’s stern lips twitch, like I’ve missed something important. “The bargain is set.” He offers Excalibur with a flourish. The sword’s hilt gleams, and it stretches toward me like a languid cat ready to curl around my legs. The air crackles with an energy that resonates through my bones.
As I grasp the sword, an icy sensation washes over me—an unmistakable connection that slithers into my soul.What is that?
With a swift jerk, the room sways, and I stumble again, nearly losing my grip on Excalibur. “This whole deal was advertized as a royal exchange, right? Not a wrestling match.”
“You’re the one holding on to my trident.”
My hand cramps as I try to let go. Poseidon’s eyes glitter as if I’ve whispered secrets to him, ones I don’t even know myself.“Your part in this adventure is just beginning,” Poseidon warns. “Do not let your clumsiness divert your course.”
“What course? My biggest task is keeping myself vertical.” The chill in the air grows thicker, wrapping around me like a frosty cloak.
The castle quakes, rattling the walls as if an enormous sea monster wants to crash the party. “That wasn’t me.”
“Focus, Daphne! The exchange is of paramount importance,” Eron yells, but the words are drowned out by a cacophony of phantom crashing waves and the imminent shattering of the castle.
The crack I made in the floor widens. Is this how I end?
Here lies Daphne Stone—befallen into Poseidon’s giant crack.
“Daphne!” Eron’s voice breaks through my daze. “Decide now! Will you accept this responsibility, or let the waves consume you?”
The choice looms before me, heavy. I see Poseidon’s serious face, Eron’s desperation, and the distant thunder of an oncoming storm.
“I accept,” I snarl, my voice trembling with a mix of determination and fear as I grit my teeth, struggling to remain on my unsteady feet. I refuse to bow before this tyrannical Idol. “I swear I’ll return to free you once I learn how to navigate this treacherous path—after I stop stumbling over my own feet and mastering this colossal sword!” Each word I utter feels like a defiance against the very elements surrounding me, each syllable a promise etched deeper into my soul.
“Then let the tides of fate bind your heart to the sea,” Poseidon’s voice booms, echoing through the tempest of my emotions. As those ultimate words resonate through the air, an overwhelming darkness crashes down around me, a swirling abyss that seals my vow with an invisible chain. The weight ofthis pact presses heavily on my chest, the enormity of it clawing at the edges of my mind. What have I just committed to?
As the world shifts and contorts around me, a power awakes deep within, a pulse of potential promising change yet soaked in uncertainty. What am I truly getting myself into? Questions whirl through me like the chaotic currents of the ocean, and as the waves rise, hungry to devour what remains, one thought pierces through the turmoil—how clumsy can destiny really get?
Chapter
Thirty-One
Eron’s concerned face fills my vision. I smile as I lift my hand to cup his cheek. “You are a floating head,” I whisper. “Am I back in the Hallows?”
He shakes his head, and the murky edges of my vision clear to reveal the rest of his body. “Poseidon left, Daphne, but I could not return you until you gained consciousness.”
“I passed out?” I drop my hand and rise to my elbows to take stock of where I am. Still in the throne room. How embarrassing that I fainted.
“Not uncommon when dealing with Idol oaths. They are a lot for a soul as delicate and perfect as yours.”
