Page 111 of Poseidon's Island Flower

Candice lifted her gaze, her hand still firmly clasped in Lani’s. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and my heart hurt for my mate’s close friend.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, putting my hand on her shoulder.

“You are going to take her away?” she sniffed. “That’s fine, I understand.” She wiped away a tear. “I want her happy, and she is the happiest I’ve seen since I’ve known her. It’s just important that you let her see Koma. Koma needs her, too. I don’t know what he is going to do when he gets here in a couple days and sees her like this.”

Despite Candice’s annoyance with Zeus, she was filled with love for my mate. She was so kind and compassionate, always wanting the best for My Flower. She could feel her heart aching, but she kept it to herself for she knew Lani was meant to stay by my side.

Little did Candice know that this wouldn’t be a permanent situation. She would see Lani again because one day, Candice would be a goddess herself, standing with Zeus. If Zeus could get his act together.

“Lani will see you both, I can promise you that. She will see you when she wants, whenever she wants, especially when she has shifted into her god form. I will make sure of it,” I promised.

Candice nodded solemnly. “But she’s going into the sea with you soon, right?”

I sighed, slumping my shoulders. “Yes, soon. Preferably after she awakens. I do not know what her power will be,” I rubbed my chest with the flower. “But I believe it has something to do with the ocean, and she will need time to adjust.”

Candice nodded, her chin lifting with assurance. “Will I see her before she leaves?”

I stood from the chair, rubbing down my robes to prevent wrinkles. Candice stood, her small frame making her strain her neck as she tilted her head all the way back.

“Unfortunately, not.”

I closed my eyes, my body tensing as I braced for what was about to happen.

Luckily, Candice was willing to go along with my plan, but it still made it difficult.

What would Lani think?

Candice would not be there when Lani woke. Nor would she be there in the days after. Candice was no longer on the island.

“Where is she?” Zeus snapped, still wrapped in seaweed and kelp. His eyes shone a brilliant, electric blue, and the rumble of thunder outside shook the foundations of the small home.

“I said I was going to punish you, Zeus. Did you think I wouldn’t?” I said boredly.

Zeus growled, using his strength to break the kelp. Not that it mattered. It had dried anyway, and his time to be restrained was over. His punishment had been delivered.

“Can I say something here?” Hermes chimed in.

“No,” we both said, and Zeus stormed over to me. We were standing face to face, neither of us willing to move, and a mischievous smile began to form on my lips.

“You’ve grown some balls, haven’t you, Cy? That little mate bonding did you some good, but don’t you forget who helped you through it all.”

Of course, he would bring up such a trivial thing. Zeus followed me around for months, helping me. Did I owe him, though? After years of neglect and years of ignoring the other gods? He may be the high god, he may hold some power over me because of his status alone, but if no one was there to enforce it? Well, he had nothing over my head.

He stole my mate. Worse yet, he got Hermes to steal her because he couldn’t step into the ocean. The god of the sky had a bit of a water phobia, and why wouldn’t he? He was nothing but a ball of electricity.

“I owe you nothing, Zeus.” I fluffed my robes and sat in the piles of pillows.

Zeus may stand before me, but he had no power to bring out any information from me. I owned him now. I knew where his mate was and destroying me, pissing me off, daring to test my power was an idiotic move.

The high gods—Zeus, Hades, and I—getting into a tiff with one another was not to be trifled with. Hades would side with me, and Zeus knew that.

Zeus, desperately trying to restore his reputation amongst the gods, was hanging by a single strand of hope. He already made one awful choice, would he dare to do it again?

“Poseidon.” He lowered his voice. “Please, where is she?”

“The high-god pleading to the sea. You see how comical this is, right? Just weeks ago, I would have given you everything. I looked up to you once I realized you were trying to help, only for that trust to be broken with one decision.” I wagged my finger at him.

“I had to!” Zeus snapped. “Candice needed to know where Lani was! She was threatening to call the police. She wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping. She knew I knew where she was! I couldn’t have her angrier with me. I want to give her everything.”

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