Page 39 of Poseidon's Trident
Jayden grips the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turn white. “They know what to do and they have Claud there to help them.”
“The cyclops?” Thad asks. “How is he going to help?”
“He’s ancient. Even older than our dads,” I say. “The Titans locked him away because he was too powerful. I think if it came down to saving his new home, he could figure out how to stop the volcano.”
“He’s older than even the Titans. It was Ouranus who left him in Tartarus. The Titans put Campe there to be his guard and torturer though,” Raven reminds me.
“Great legacy to live up to,” Thad mumbles.
“We don’t have to live up to their legacy. We have something they will never have. We have humanity. We have compassion and empathy. They don’t understand those things or just the sheer determination to live. Not just survive but truly live.”
10
“Go to the wharf,” Thad says, bouncing in his seat.
“It doesn’t look like there’s anyone here.” I scan the empty streets.
The wind howls and the storm rages all around us. It’s like a hurricane but California doesn’t get many hurricanes. The water is too cold in the pacific. Palm trees sway dangerously as we pass.
“Are you sure the wharf is where we need to go?” Jayden stares out the windshield. “The water looks angry and choppy.”
“My friends will come when I call.” Thad grins.
“Okay.” Jayden glances at me.
He’s still wary of this whole situation but he’s trying and Thad already told us he’s here to help. We have to trust him at least a little bit.
“This is kind of creepy.” Raven tilts her head to the side.
“There isn’t a single person in sight.” I turn the radio to a Santa Barbara news channel.
“The authorities have issued a shelter in place warning. The storm hasn’t gotten to a hurricane level yet, but they expect it to become one before landfall later today.”
“Shit, that’s probably why the humans aren’t around. They’ve been told to stay indoors. The storms are too bad. We need to be gone before whatever they are expecting hits land.” I lean back into the headrest.
We park at the end of the wharf and get out. The wind blows my hair in my face and I stumble into Raven with the force of the gust. The sea below us churns. Waves crash angrily against the docks.
“C’mon.” Thad waves to us.
We follow him across the wooden slatted dock. I refuse to look down. This doesn’t seem very safe with the holes between the wood and the beach visible below. The farther we walk out to the end of the dock, the more the beach disappears and the angry waves crash against the support beams. Will this thing hold in a hurricane?
The waves are doing their best to take it out for sure. I glance at Raven with a grimace. Her expression is hard, but I can see the same worry in her eyes.
“Maybe we shouldn’t rely on a human made dock when the sea is so turbulent,” I say and chew my lip.
“It will be fine. The sea won’t harm us,” Thad calls over his shoulder.
“The sea won’t harm you, but the rest of us aren’t Poseidon’s children,” Jayden grumbles.
Thad waves him off. “My friends will help if something goes wrong.”
“Where are these friends? I still don’t see anyone, Thad.” I pull my jacket tighter around me.
The wind and rain are icy. I shiver against the rain and pull my hood farther over my face but it’s no use as the spray of the sea hitting against the wharf splashes at me as well.
“They aren’t on the land.” Thad turns to me and rolls his eyes.
“Of course they aren’t because you’re a sea demigod, right.” I shake my head.
