Page 107 of Poseidon's Trident
“I’ve got Jayden,” Adrian calls. “We’ll see you outside.”
“What the fuck, Adrian.” There’s a scuffle.
“It’s the only way, Jayden,” Adrian says. “It’s our only chance.”
Silence fills the cavern and my power builds in my gut with the need for release. The only sign that they’re gone is the heavy silence that beats at me.
“We’re outside, Beth. Do what you need to,” Thad yells in the distance.
Finally, everyone is safe. My power builds more and I raise my hands to the top of the dome and unleash the fury of electricity that’s been building inside me.
The rocks above me explode into dust and I stagger to the ledge we came in on. The dust sparkles in the sky as the bright sun now beats in through the cave mouth. Where the fuck am I? Did I get sucked into oblivion with the cave?
The second I step out of the cave, it seals and a new beach that I’ve never seen before lies before me. What is this place? This can’t be the same island, can it? White sand beaches roll as far as I can see. I’m completely alone when I scan the island. My friends are nowhere to be found.
“Where did they go?” I ask the sky.
I don’t expect an answer but music drifts to me and I stiffen. What is that? Are there people on this strange island? Have I somehow managed to make it back to civilization? How, when I’m not even sure where I was to begin with?
I follow the sound of the thumping bass, my brows furrowed in confusion as I pass several flowering plants in my wake. There are no trees, but sand and hills dot the landscape. The sun is high in the sky, warming me after my dip in the freezing sea water.
Contentment fills me the longer I walk down the beach toward the music. What is this place? Do I really care? I just want to find the source of the music and dance the night away. I twirl as I skip to the sound. Where there’s music there are people and maybe they can help me.
Wait, help me with what? My life is completely content. I don’t need any help. What could I possibly need? I twirl in a circle to the beat of the music as I continue forward. When I crest the last hill, an inviting fire glows on the beach. It looks so warm and I’m so cold.
I stumble down the hillside to the bonfire that’s raging. People dance magnetically toward each other as if they don’t have a care in the world. I’m almost envious of them. I wish I had no cares in the world.
Wait, why am I envious? The only thing that worries me is the cold seeping into my bones and the fire is already drying my clothes. I sway to the beat of the music but something niggles at the back of my mind before I swat it away.
I don’t need any worries. I am in a beautiful paradise and nothing can possibly get me down. A man with white-blond hair and crystal-blue eyes grins at me from his spot at the bonfire. He almost looks familiar but I shake the thoughts off. I don’t know anyone here. I don’t even know how I got here to begin with.
He takes a step toward me and holds out his hand. “Would you like to warm up by the fire? You look like you’re cold.”
I place my hand in his and electricity jolts up my arms. I gasp. What the hell was that? Why do I feel a connection to this stranger? I study his face again, sure that I recognize him from somewhere but can’t place it.
“Would you like some Kavu? The locals swear by it and it will certainly take the edge off of whatever is going on in that sexy little head of yours, baby.”
The word baby niggles at the back of my mind, but surely those sinful lips have never called me that before, right? I would definitely remember that.
“Sure,” I say, taking the small pink drink from between his fingers and his brush against mine.
A thousand memories surface at his touch but before I can grasp on to any of them, he pours the pink drink between my lips. The most intoxicating fruity taste hits my tongue and a moan escapes just before the man’s lips crash against mine.
Something is off. I’ve tasted something similar before but every time I try to grasp on to the memory, it flits away.
I shake my head and break the kiss. “You can’t just kiss me and not tell me your name.”
“I’m wounded, baby. You don’t remember me?” he asks with a smirk. “Maybe we should fix that.”
His arms wrap around me again, pulling me into the circle of his arms, and I melt into him. “Wait, should I remember you?”
My head is fuzzy between that drink and this place, and everything starts to tilt on its axis. What is this place and what is that drink? Who is this man that I feel like I should know down to my bones but can’t seem to place?
“Jayden, who do we have here?” another man with sandy-blond hair bellows.
He has a surfer vibe and is familiar as well.
“Beth finally joined us, Thad, isn’t that amazing?” Jayden grins.
