Page 77 of Poseidon's Trident
“I have every faith in you, my dear. Trust your friends. They are your only lifeline in this journey you find yourself on, but you already know that.”
“Is Triton trying to take over for Poseidon?” I ask. “I got bad vibes from him when he left us in the middle of the ocean.”
“That, I cannot say for sure. There are things hidden even from me. My guess is as good as any, though, and I fear if that is his intention, it will no longer be safe for humans or demigods to travel the seas.”
“What happens to the gods of the sea if no one travels them?” I ask.
“Good question. You’re smart. If humans don’t travel the seas, we run the risk of fading away. The sea monsters will rise from the depths and lay waste to humanity. Triton thinks humanity is a scourge but really, they’re his lifeline.”
“Just one more reason to make sure we retrieve the trident.” I swipe at the lightning bolt I drew in the sand.
We have to keep moving. We can’t let Triton take over for Poseidon and we need to stop the earthquakes before they destroy the academy.
“One more question?” I ask.
“Of course.”
“Do you know who's behind all this? Who is taking the gods’ items of power and trying to destroy the world?” I ask.
“I do not.” He shakes his head. “They are either very powerful or are using powerful magic to hide their movements from the sight.”
“It was worth a shot. We already uncovered two powerful sorceresses working for them. That’s probably how they’re hiding.” I ball my hand into a fist.
“They are still most likely powerful in their own right but having the magic of Medea and Hecate behind them wouldn’t hurt their chances of success either.”
“Hecate is in Tartarus. Would she still be able to help shield them from Tartarus?”
I wouldn’t think she should be able to affect the mortal world from the depths of the pit but if that’s the case, do they have more than one powerful sorceress assisting in covering their tracks and who the fuck are they? Why are they after me and the destruction of everything?
“No, Hecate is very much incapacitated for now.” Nereus stands and brushes the sand from his clothes.
“Then whoever this benevolent matriarch is must have more help.” I bite my bottom lip.
Are half the characters from my ancient history book helping this lunatic take over the throne of Zeus and destroy the Olympians? Why? What purpose does it serve? The only thing that makes sense is vengeance. We already stopped the Titans from rising once. It can’t be them.
“There’s a long list of beings who have a vendetta against the Olympians. Finding the culprit is easier said than done, but I have a feeling they will reveal themselves sooner rather than later.”
“I hope you’re right. It’s difficult to fight an unknown enemy.” I blow out a breath.
“If anyone can do it, I believe it’s you and your friends. Remember my warning. You must follow the sea and pass the trials. I must go. Your friends are looking for you.” Nereus hurries into the water that I pulled him from not long ago.
Even though he answered my questions, I’m still more confused than ever. What are the trials and what happens if I fail to complete them? One thing races through my mind.
Death. We will die if we don’t complete this mission; the entire world will burn in a fiery volcano.
There isn’t one damn thing that’s going to be easy, I can feel it down to my soul, but then again, is anything ever easy for us? Will we ever have normal?
19
The sun is high in the sky as I trudge back down the beach. I spent too long speaking with Nereus about everything and nothing. I’m no closer to figuring out who is behind this and the knowledge that Hera released Cancer from the sky is definitely cause for concern.
I rub at the goosebumps on my arms as I walk down the beach. The chill continues to cling to my bones. My hair drips salt water down my back as the villa comes into view. I was gone way too long.
We should have packed up and left already, but who could pass up a chat with Nereus the elusive sea god and father of the Nereids? I would have been an idiot to pass that up.
I walk up the path to the villa and an eerie silence fills the space. Where is everyone? There should be at least some kind of noise coming from inside the place.
“Hello?” I call. “Where are you?”
