Page 57 of Poseidon's Trident
“This is as far as I go.” Triton calls from the bow.
The water isn’t deep here, but the thought of getting in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean isn’t at all appealing to me. A hippocampus bumps my hand with its head nudging me to open my mind to it.
Get on my back. You won’t get wet.
The small voice in my head startles me and I jump. A trilling sound comes out of the hippocampus’ mouth that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. I narrow my eyes but climb over the railing onto the creature’s back.
Jayden’s hand is on my arm in an instant, attempting to pull me back. “Beth, what are you doing?”
“He told me to get on his back so I don’t get wet.” I shrug his hand off my arm.
We don’t have time for this. We need to stop whatever this crab creature is and get back on course. The academy is depending on us to save them.
“So, you’re just going to listen to the sea creature that speaks in your head? Unbelievable,” Jayden growls.
“It’s better than trying to fight a giant crab in wet jeans, Jayden,” I scowl.
“We know next to nothing about them.” Jayden reaches for me again but I’m already on the hippocampus’ back.
“They talk to me and I can feel that they aren’t malicious.” I rub the hippocampus’ neck.
“They like her,” Thad says as he hops on another hippocampus’ back. “She cares about their comfort. And genuinely doesn’t want to see them hurt. That means a lot to them.”
Jayden glares at Thad but climbs over the railing and puts a hand out to the nearest creature. Jayden nods before carefully getting on the hippocampus’ back.
“Fine,” Jayden grumbles.
Raven grins as she settles on the back of another and pats its shoulder, but Greyson is wary.
He tentatively holds his hand out to a purple and green hippocampus and it shies away from him at first. He reaches out to another and the same thing happens. His shoulders slump as he scans the ocean.
“I’m gonna have to swim, guys. They’re scared of me.”
My eyes widen. His wolf is the problem just like at the zoo when all the animals went crazy whenever he was near. I should have known that would be an issue.
“That’s a long way to swim, Greyson.” I stare at the island with a grimace.
“I don’t think I have much of a choice.” He reaches out one last time and the hippocampus backs away again.
I turn to Thad. “Can you help him?”
Thad cocks his head to the side, deep in thought. He narrows his eyes on the hippocampus.
“He’s a friend,” Thad says to the hippocampus. “He won’t hurt you.”
The hippocampus edges forward in the water at Thad’s words. He bumps Greyson’s hand with his snout. A trilling sound fills the air again and the hippocampus nods his head at Greyson.
“You’re good,” Thad says. “Get on his back.”
Greyson carefully climbs on the hippocampus’ back. It swims to the shore and the rest of us follow in his wake, but the closer we get to shore, the more obvious it is that this is the place we need to be.
“Don’t pick anything up this time, Raven. I’m pretty sure I see a pile of bones over there.” I grimace, pointing to a mound of something that smells foul even over the salty sea air.
“That’s disgusting,” Greyson groans, startling his hippocampus.
The creature bucks and Greyson nearly flies off his back, but Greyson wraps his arms around its neck. He pats the neck in a soothing gesture and the creature calms.
“I’m sorry, babe.” Raven giggles. “But that was funny.”
