Page 83 of Poseidon's Trident
“Could be. So the monster doesn’t leave the cave? Why?” I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to remember anything about a sea monster in a cave but come up empty.
“Maybe we should ask more of the locals if they’ve seen anything strange,” Jayden says.
“If it’s Greek they won’t though. Humans can’t see the monsters which is convenient for us to stay hidden but seriously fucked up for them.” I sigh.
“I wonder what all those men saw attacking their ships when Cancer was destroying them,” I groan.
“Probably thought it was the storm.” Jayden shakes his head.
The waitress comes back with our food, and we all fall quiet while she sets all our food in front of us. I pick up my fork and dig into my food. The chicken fried steak is perfectly cooked and smothered in gravy. I groan at the flavors as they burst across my tongue. The waitress leaves and I scan the room.
The diner isn’t super busy but there are several families sitting around tables, chatting and laughing. No one seems overly concerned about the missing tourists or the extreme weather in the area.
“Should we talk to more people about what’s going on and see if anyone has any ideas?” I ask.
Jayden pops a fry into his mouth. “We need to find a hotel for the night, so maybe we ask the people at the front desk if they noticed anything strange?”
“I think that’s the best plan we have,” I say.
“Either way, we’re going to those caves, right?” Raven says with a frown.
“You know what Nereus said. I have to complete every trial. If the fates made us stop here, then there’s a reason for it. We have to stop whatever monster is killing humans.” I shrug.
“Okay.” Raven grins.
Anytime she can prepare for a battle, she’s happy. It makes her essential on these missions, especially since she balances the overprotective crap that Jayden pulls on a daily basis.
“You’re not going to rush in headfirst and without backup,” Jayden says.
“Was that a request or a command?” I ask.
I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at him. He leans forward, staring me down and growls before dropping his gaze to the table.
“It’s a request,” he grumbles.
“Good.” I lean over and kiss his cheek.
I push my plate away and sit back in my chair. I glance around at the diner again. Everything is normal when there’s obviously a monster in the town. Humans are weird. No one is scared or even curious about the disappearances. The news is like white noise in the background.
“Are you ready?” Jayden runs a hand over my back.
“Yeah, let’s go so we can figure out what’s happening.” I nod.
We pay for our meal and move to stand. I grab the waitress before we go. “Is there a hotel you would recommend close to the beach?”
“Yeah, it’s two blocks left. You can’t miss it.” She smiles and rushes away.
We stroll to the door. The rain is still falling in sheets and thunder rumbles overhead. I race to the SUV with my hood pulled tight over my head and jump when thunder crashes as I reach the vehicle. Jayden opens the door for me and I climb in.
Thad works his magic on all our clothes and hair, but it’s a lost cause since the rain continues to pour as we reach the hotel the waitress mentioned.
“Can you use your magic to stop the rain?” Raven asks.
“I can’t do that in front of humans, Raven.” I shake my head. “I would have done it at the diner if I could.”
“This rain is awful.” Raven sits back in her seat with a pout.
“The faster we get to the trident, the faster we make it stop,” Jayden says, hopping out of the SUV.
