Page 89 of Hooked on a Witch
Poseidon.
All Merck remembered from years of research into his mysterious father were accounts of him being unpredictable and easily pissed.
Merck dropped to his knees, kneeling with head bowed, but made sure to remain protectively in front of Shannon. Heavy footsteps approached. His heart thundered against his ribs as visions of various ways he could die passed through his brain. Doubt hit him. Maybe he shouldn’t have given the Trident back.
“Who attempted to steal my Trident?” a thunderous voice demanded.
Merck glanced up.
Poseidon pointed to Anaïs, who stood frozen at the dock’s entrance. Far behind her Owen shook his head feeling as if he was coming out of a daze or dream. He glanced around, shocked, and slowly backed away.
“You deem yourself more worthy than I to rule my seas? You see yourself as jury and executioner to destroy several of the sea nymphs?” Poseidon twirled the Trident and scrutinized her.
The necromancer chanted and cast a blast of energy toward Poseidon.
The energy hit him, causing him to back up one step. “You attack me? For the Trident’s power?”
“I have absorbed the souls of the seven goddesses. I am strong enough to wield it’s power.”
He pointed the Trident at her. “Then feel it. Feel the power you so long to have.”
Anaïs screamed as her body lit with light. At first, she laughed with glee, but then she screamed in pain.
“May it consume your tainted soul and return those souls you stole to their owners.” Poseidon’s expression didn’t alter even when Anaïs’s body fractured with light and combusted into nothing. He pointed at Owen. “You are free of her enthrallment descendant of Orion, but you should run or I will destroy you as well.”
Owen fled.
In the silence that followed, Merck lowered his gaze again. “I’m prepared to die, but please let Shannon live. Clear this poison from her. She deserved none of this.”
A large hand landed on his shoulder. Solid. Heavy. Then a painful squeeze. A good squeeze or a you’re-going-to-die squeeze? Shit, he didn’t know.
He peeked up, but tried to remain deferential. Not easy when the eerie blue of Poseidon’s eyes penetrated straight to his soul.
“You do not need me for this request, my son.” Poseidon’s voice thundered inside his skull, as powerful as Athena’s, but a lower resonance.
“I tried. Nothing happened when I asked the ocean to help.”
“You have been judged.”
“Take me, then. Please. Not her. Heal her.”
Danny strolled onto the dock. He knelt before Poseidon. “My time as watcher has ended. Anything more you need from me?”
“Danny?” A loudwhat the hellpinged around in Merck’s brain. Danny here didn’t make sense. What did he mean by being a watcher? Merck shot to a stand. “Why are you here?”
“I’m sorry, Merck. My job was to watch and provide unbiased information needed for your judgment.”
“I trusted you. And you spied against me? To him?”
“You still can trust me, man. Sorry about the spying. But when a god asks you to do something, it’s not like you can say no.” He shrugged.
“You can if it involves throwing a friend under the bus.”
Poseidon swept his arm to silence them. “Judgment is done.”
Merck swallowed hard against panic. Sweat slid between his shoulders. He glanced down at Shannon, who’d curled her body into a C and clutched her middle. He didn’t want her to die. Not like this.
Shannon struggled to unbend her body. She reached out and grabbed Merck’s hand. He clasped her smaller hand in his.
