Triton closed his eyes and attempted to reach Nicole. He wasn’t surprised when he came up against a wall. Ares had to be blocking him. It would be impossible to find her. Anger boiling, Triton reached out his hand. A wave swelled to about thirty feet high at his command. It came crashing down on him as he dove into the pounding surf, his legs changing to a fin immediately. He absorbed the wave, soaking up power from the sea. Closing his eyes, he attempted to empty his mind—an arduous task, given how it churned, brimming with regret and fury. He sank into the water and swam, with no destination in mind.
He had to make a plan. But how could he even begin to conceive one, when he was so hot with fury. Ares had Nicole. She could be in the hands of Zeus even now. Was Triton wasting time? Would she die because he hesitated to act? But if he rushed into Zeus’ palace and she wasn’t there, he would practically be giving Nicole to Zeus on a silver platter.
From what Baccus said, it seemed that Ares had a past with Nicole—an intimate one. Obviously, he was not her father; he simply played the part in order to convince her to abort her baby. Triton ground his teeth, thinking about Nicole with another god. It was bad enough thinking of her with Haikili, the god of thunder, and the nameless other humans she’d been with. But Ares… that was much worse. Triton hated the son of Zeus. He was arrogant, cruel, powerful, and his temper was legendary.
Despite any affection Ares might have for Nicole, he was first and foremost the son of Zeus. He wouldn’t dream of going against his father. And he killed much too easily—without remorse.
Triton entered brackish water, a nearby river emptied into the sea. The seaweed thickened and the water took on a green tint. Chattering and laughing voices hummed through the sea. Sounded like river Naiads.
Triton swam toward the open sea. He wasn’t up to dealing with the childishness of Nymphs. “I need to speak to you,” a voice called from afar. He sure hoped the Naiads weren’t following him. He didn’t answer. He wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone.
“Triton!”
He stopped at the tone that someone dared used when calling his name. “Show yourself,” he ordered. “If you choose to make me retrieve you, I assure you it won’t be pleasant.”
Triton searched the waters and found no creature—capable of speech anyway—close to him.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you, Dad, but I was really worried about you.”
“Sara?” The anger fled, replaced by concern. “Where are you? Are you safe? No one is threatening you are they?”
“Not exactly.”
Triton flashed his daughter to his side. Her hands flew to her face and then her eyes darted around. His heart squeezed in his chest as he said, “I forget how much you look like your mother.”
“Oh Dad!” Her tail flicked through the water as she swam toward him. She wrapped her arms around him, and his heart warmed at his daughter’s embrace. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried when you didn’t answer my summons.”
“You summoned me?” he asked.
“Lots of times. Why didn’t you answer?”
“That’s a long story. So what happened?”
“There’s so much I need to tell you about.”
Your Majesty! The voice summoning him was so loud that it pounded against Triton’s skull. Sara’s gone. She disappeared from right in front of me!
She’s with me, Dagonian. I’ll return her shortly.
“Dad? Is something wrong?”
“Your husband was calling me.”
“Oh, um. He’s probably worried. I’m supposed to be listening to his lecture, but I’m afraid my mind wandered—a bit too far.”
“What was he lecturing you on?”
“He doesn’t like my new favorite pastime.”
“What is this pastime?”
Her whole face lit up. “Jogging.”
“You aren’t going out alone, are you?”
“It’s in a quiet neighborhood with nice families, and it’s a million times better than my last neighborhood.”
“Sara…” His tone expressed his disapproval.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just those Dagonians sleep so long, and I really like to watch the sunrise while I run.”
He continued to frown at her, but his anger was actually directed more toward the guards who were neglecting their job. He really needed to have a talk with them.
“I’ll try to do better,” Sara said.
“I know you will.”
“Now, Dad. I know you don’t like to talk about Mom, but… I need your help. I’m really worried about her.”
Triton tensed. “Have you seen her lately?”
“Not in person.” She paused, her brows pressing a dimple between them.
Triton’s heart dropped. “What does that mean?”
“Well… it’s probably just stress and worry. But I keep having these strange dreams.”
“What kind of dreams?”
“Most are dreams about the gods on Olympus. I’m in them, but I’m not myself. It’s like I’m some kind of…”
“Some kind of what?”
“For lack of a better word, I’m a spectator.”
“So did you see your mother in your dreams?”
“Yes. Actually, the dream with her was more of a vivid daydream.”
“When did you daydream about her?”
“Just a few minutes ago, right before I summoned you.”
“What did you see?”
“She was on this farm, wearing this horrid dress she wouldn’t be caught dead in. She was living with this big guy who drives a semi-truck. Now I know you’re probably thinking it’s just a dream, but I swear there’s more to it.”
“Did you talk to her?”
“Uh, yeah. She completely freaked. She thought I was a ghost. I just… I just was wondering if you could check in on her—make sure she was okay.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why? Dad… I know yours and Mom’s relationship didn’t end well—”
“She was just with me today,” he interrupted.
“What? You and Mom…?”
“We’ve reconciled and plan to get married.”
“Oh… wow. Um. That’s great.”
“But there’s more to it. I think we need to bring your husband here. I have a lot I need to tell you both.”
In that moment, Xanthus was floating in front of them.
“Sara…” Her name fell off Xanthus’ tongue with overwhelming relief written on his face. Triton smiled at the large warrior. Xanthus flicked his tail, shot through the water toward Sara, and wrapped his arms around her. He looked up at Triton. Triton could feel the anger clouded with lingering worry. Xanthus was not happy with him, but the Dagonian was smart enough not to voice it.
“We have a lot to talk about and plans to make,” Triton said. “But I don’t want to go to my palace, and even your home may not be safe.”
“What? Why isn’t it safe?” Sara asked.
“I’ll explain later,” he answered. “First, we need a safe place to go.”
“I know where we can go,” Sara said.
Both Triton and Xanthus turned to her.
“Where?” Triton asked.
“My mom owns a safe house, a place where no one could find us. I’d always chalked it up to her paranoia, but…”
“Are you sure nobody knows where it is?” Triton asked.
“Yeah, Mom was really careful. She even used fake names and identities. She keeps all the paperwork in a safety-deposit box, and the key to that box is buried near our house on the Big Island.”
“Where is this safe house?” Xanthus asked.
“Oregon, and it’s actually a cabin.”
“Have you been there before?” Triton asked.
“Yeah. She wanted to be sure I knew how to get there.”
Triton moved forward and touched his fingers gently to Sara’s temples. “I want you to close your eyes and picture the cabin. Think about all the details you can remember.”
Moments later, they were standing next to a two-story log cabin surrounded with lush foliage. The air around them was tinted green from the sunlight filtering through the forest, and the ground was covered in overgrown bushes, moss, and ferns.
“Wow, it’s been a while,” she said as she stepped toward the cabin. “Looks like it is being taken over by the forest.”
“It is isolated,” Xanthus said. “Being here feels like being in the thick of a kelp forest.”
“Sara…” Triton began. “Do you know what you just did?”
She looked up at him. “What did I do?”
“I didn’t bring us here.”
Her eyes widened. “Then who did?”
“You.”
“Me? But I…” She stopped talking and pressed her lips together. “I probably did. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I guess it has to do with me being a demigod.”
“You’re not a demigod.”
“What? I’m your daughter, right?”
“Yes, but your mother isn’t what you think she is.”
Sara was stunned at his words. “What is she?”
“She’s a goddess.”
Sara didn’t seem to grasp the significance of his statement—confusion radiated from her. Triton looked at her husband.
He recognized the full weight of what Triton was saying, as shock and awe radiated from him as he looked at his wife.
“But—” Sara began.
“Sara,” Xanthus said, drawing her attention. “You’re a goddess.”
Sara’s eyes darted to her husband. “What? No, I’m not.”
“Yes, yes, you are,” he answered.
“You realize what this means, Dagonian?” Triton asked Xanthus. “Her twenty-first birthday…”
“…is three days away,” Xanthus said, his eyes growing wide.
Triton nodded.
Sara looked from one to the other. “What does that mean? What’s so important about my birthday?”
Xanthus looked from Sara to Triton, his face falling. “You shouldn’t have bonded her to me. I’m not worthy—”
“You are more than worthy,” Triton interrupted. “If I had known she was a goddess, I wouldn’t have done any differently.”
“I don’t understand,” Sara said.
“I’ll tell you inside,” Triton said, leading the way into the house. Dust covered everything the sheets didn’t cover. They pulled the coverings off the couches and chairs, and Sara carried the dusty linen to the laundry room. They remained standing until she returned, and then they all sat.
There was silence for several moments. Triton waited for his daughter to ask questions. He didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m a goddess? Not a demigod or mermaid?”
“Well, since you’re my daughter, you were born with a tailfin and a siren’s voice. I’d still call you a mermaid, but you’re much more than that.”
“Don’t gods and goddesses have to be a god of something?” Sara asked. “Like Zeus is the god of lightning, Apollo is the god of the sun, and…”
“Your mother seems to be a goddess of… wishes, for lack of a better way to describe it.”
“Wishes? Like she can grant wishes?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. I’m sure I wished for lots of things growing up, and not one of them came true. Well, actually one of them did. I wished I could meet my father.” Color flooded Sara’s cheeks.
“She couldn’t use her powers,” Triton said. “They were being drained away by a creature called a siphon.”
“Who would do that to her?” Xanthus asked.
“Zeus.”
“Wait a minute,” Sara blurted. “How much power does Mom have? Could she destroy the world with a single wish?”
“Your mother asked nearly that same question, and to tell you the truth, I have no idea. I sure hope not. That kind of wish would take a tremendous amount of power. It’s likely she’d not have enough power to grant it. Still, your mother could die in the attempt to fulfill that wish.”
“Die?” Xanthus asked as his gaze flickered over to his wife and then back to Triton. “I thought gods couldn’t die.”
“We don’t die easily,” Triton said. “But draining us completely of power is one way to do it.”
“I thought that siphon thing already drained Mom’s powers.”
“Not completely. The siphon’s effect, in a sense, leaves a god as powerless as a human. According to Sypher—that’s what the siphon calls herself, she can drain a god completely, but it’s difficult to do. And it can end up killing the siphon along with the god if the siphon can’t find another host. A siphon cannot survive without a host.”
“So is Mom’s siphon gone?”
“Yes, she’s been released.”
“So now her powers are back? Wait… if I’m a goddess, what am I a goddess of?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“I don’t think I’m very powerful.”
“Actually, you probably are.”
“What? I can’t do much. Just make people do things when I sing.”
“That’s a natural part of being my daughter. Your other powers won’t fully manifest until your twenty-first birthday.”
“But she’s already manifested some of her powers,” Xanthus said.
“So it seems. I know she can transport and sees visions of faraway places. Is there anything else you’ve seen?” Triton asked.
“She saw a family that was adrift at sea and led us to them. They would have died if she hadn’t led us there. And she can sense when something bad is about to happen.”
“It’s rare for a god or goddess to have impressions of the future,” Triton said and turned to Xanthus. “We’ll have to watch her closely.”
“Wait a minute,” Sara said. “Gretchen can do way cooler thing than I can. Like change from mermaid to human, and her voice is much more compelling than mine.”
Triton’s heart stopped. “Who’s Gretchen?”
“Oh wow, Dad,” she said and took a shallow breath. “Brace yourself. Gretchen is my best friend, and she’s also your granddaughter.”
Triton sat up straight. “Whose daughter is she?”
“Aella’s.”
Triton’s shoulders sagged, and he frowned at the memories that name brought back. Aella was a troublesome daughter. He’d loved her with all his heart, but it was never enough. She didn’t seem capable of exercising restraint or showing compassion.
“Is Gretchen anything like her mother?”
Sara shook her head. “No. She’s nothing like her. In fact, she ran away when she was a small child and hid among the humans to escape her. Gretchen’s the most loving and amazing person I know. And… you might want to know that Aella is dead.”
“Let me guess.” He frowned. “She wasn’t killed by the Dagonians two thousand years ago?”
Sara shook her head. “She died only a couple of weeks ago.”
“And,” Xanthus spoke up, “I’m the one who killed her.”
Triton looked at the warrior. He sensed fear over his reaction. Triton simply nodded in acceptance. He’d heard stories about disappearances and deaths in the area around where Aella was banished. He suspected she might be still alive, but he avoided finding out.
“You’re not angry?” Xanthus asked.
Triton shook his head. “I understand. I’m just relieved that I was not the one who had to do it.”
Xanthus relaxed.
“There’s more to the story, Dad.”
“Is it something I need to hear?” he asked, dreading the possibility that his daughter might think he needed to hear a play by play.
She nodded and said, “You have another grandchild. Gretchen has a baby brother she adopted and named Donavan.”
Triton’s heart warmed as he thought how much his family had expanded in the last couple of months. First Sara and Xanthus, then Iris and Marcos, and of course, there was Nicole. She wasn’t family yet, but he intended to make her his wife. Now there was Gretchen and young Donavan. Tears burned in his eyes. He pushed back the fear that threatened to rise. The more loved ones that surrounded him, the greater he’d suffer if he lost them. But then, maybe Gretchen wanted nothing to do with him. After all, Aella, as cruel as she was, was still his daughter. “Do you think they’d want to meet me?”
“I know they would,” Sara said. “Gretchen has wanted to meet you for a long time. Do you think we can we bring them here?”
Triton pursed his lips, wondering if he should risk it. He didn’t want to put any of his family in danger. Would Zeus be watching them? It seemed unlikely. Gretchen and Donavan were his family, not Nicole’s.
“Yes. That would be fine. Do you think you can do it? I’ve never met them, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to start looking for them.”
“It didn’t seem hard to bring us here. I wasn’t even trying to do it.”
“Just concentrate on them, and when you can see them, draw them to you.”
Sara squeezed her eyes closed, taking a deep breath. “I found them. Gretchen’s sitting in the sand holding Donavan. Kyros and the others are with her. Should I bring them all here?”
“Are there any humans around?” Xanthus asked.
Sara shook her head. “Nope. It’s just them.”
Triton looked over at Xanthus. “Are these the guards you have looking after Sara?”
“Yes.”
“Bring them all,” Triton said. “We’ll need their help.”
Triton stood, expecting to see the group appear in the living area.
Nothing happened.
A swell of shouts came from outside.
“Are they—” Triton began.
“Outside,” Sara completed his sentence as she raced to the door. She flung it open and shouted, “Gretchen, Kyros—”
“How in Hades did we get here?” a deep, angry voice asked.
Triton stepped outside and put his arm around his daughter. He was shocked at the sight in front of him. Within the midst of a lush, green forest, there was a wide expanse of sand, and two palm trees towering overhead. Four Dagonians stood stunned, and a fifth towered over a woman and her baby. With a sword in his hand, he seemed ready to battle.
Triton suppressed a smile, making a mental note to remember to spend a little more time training Sara on the finer details of translocation.
“I asked Sara to bring you,” Triton said. He was impressed by the warriors. Each one looked formidable—towering, muscular figures, with eyes brimming with intelligence. As if choreographed, they each dropped to their knees, bowing the moment recognition hit them—all except the woman with a babe in her arms. She stood up from the ground, seeming as if she wanted to approach, but fearing to at the same time.
Triton gave her a warm smile. “Gretchen.”
The Dagonian who had taken a protective stance near her showed his good sense by sheathing his sword. Gretchen swallowed and made her way to him with the Dagonian following closely behind. She stopped before reaching the porch steps.
Sara turned to Triton and whispered, “I forgot to tell you that Gretchen is married to a Dagonian named Kyros.”
Triton had heard much of that Dagonian. He was pleased with Gretchen’s choice.
“It’s okay, granddaughter. You have nothing to fear from me.”
She ascended the steps and relaxed. A smile lit her face as she spoke. “You look a lot younger than I expected.”
Triton smiled as he lengthened and whitened his hair and beard, and then added crow’s feet around his eyes. “Is that better?”
Gretchen’s eyes widened in surprise, but she soon relaxed into a grin. “That’s more like I pictured you.”
“I thought so. Well, granddaughter, enjoy this look while you can. This is the last time you’ll see me like this. I prefer not to look like an old man.”
She continued to smile as his face returned to normal. The baby squeaked and squirmed in her grip. His body and face were covered in a light blanket.
“May I?” He gestured to the infant.
“Um… sure,” she said, handing him the baby.
Triton took the child in his arms. His heart recognized his grandchild immediately. He pulled back the cloth; a perfect little babe lay beneath the folds. His little tailfin curled in the cool breeze. “You have a magnificent tail, my child. But it’s a bit out of place on land.”
He waved his hand over the infant, and his grey tailfin transformed in pale human legs. Donavan broke out in a wail, kicking his new legs vigorously. Gretchen stepped forward, alarmed.
“Don’t worry,” he said to her. “He’s not hurt, just confused. The sensation of having legs is new to him.” Triton passed him back to his mother. “He’ll get used to it. And don’t hesitate to bring him into the sea. He also has perfectly functioning gills.”
Gretchen smiled, tears brimming in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Dad?”
Triton looked over to Sara, who was blinking back tears of her own. “Why don’t we go inside? We have a lot to talk about.”
“Sure, baby.”