Poseidon was dumbfounded. He watched Kiiara’s delight over the web-footed creatures and couldn’t find one reason to like the strange bird even though they were a part of his world at sea. They might be impressive swimmers, but they were noisy, smelly, awkward creatures that couldn’t even fly. And yet, there she was, sitting on the ground staring at them in awe.

Why did he yearn for her to turn that gaze upon him? He imagined he would feel like the king of his castle if he had the adoration of such a woman by his side. No enemy would defeat him if he were protecting a female such as Kiiara.

He shook off the ridiculous notion. If he ever chose a life mate, she would be a warrior and a Goddess possessing powers that complemented his. She would have the strength of an army and a heart fiercer than a lion. That was what he wanted, which meant this mortal was not the one for him, no matter how captivating she was. Unfortunately, she was not a warrior Goddess.

Scanning the area, he looked for any clue suggesting Hain was there or had been there. He saw nothing except snow, ice, and the fetid animals. Poseidon couldn’t wait to leave the place and remove the foul odor from his nostrils. Perusing the ground, he noted there wasn’t a single footprint. The Antarctic was another stop producing a big fat nothing in the pursuit of his trident.

He walked over to Kiiara and smiled at her enjoyment. Penguins were curious creatures and had taken a fancy to their visitor. They climbed over her legs and tugged at the sleeves of her jacket. She giggled as one squawked and fanned its flipper-like wings at her.

“I’m going to do a quick overview of the area, but it shouldn’t take long and then we can take care of your friend,” he announced.

Kiiara looked over and smiled. “You better hurry because I think these guys are more interested in what I’m holding than me,” she yelped as one of the penguins pecked at the side of the bucket. Luckily, she snatched it away before any damage was done to the plastic holding her fish-friend.

With a giant leap, Poseidon took to the air. If Hain had been there recently, evidence would be left behind. A quick orbit proved Poseidon’s hunch was right. Flying there had been a wasted trip for him. He was no closer to finding Hain than before, and it infuriated him. He hated that Hain had duped him.

Convinced there were no clues on Antarctica, he headed back to Kiiara. He still had to take care of the fish issue and get both mortals back to their homes. The idea of parting ways with Kiiara had his gut twisting, but he had to find his trident. Destruction would follow if Hain acquired its powers.

Despite the bitter cold, Poseidon’s blood boiled, for the hundredth time, over the theft of his weapon. Even worse, over the trickery involved.

Hain had sent four sirens to lure Poseidon to bed. Their hypnotic eyes and melodic voices were his undoing, and he willingly surrendered to their seduction when they promised to fulfill his every desire. What man would refuse four women at once? Certainly, not him.

After several rounds of sexual gratification with the sirens, Poseidon passed out, feeling satisfied beyond reason. It was a drug-like state of euphoria, and now he questioned if the encounter had been real. When he woke, the females were gone, as was his trident, and he vowed he’d never succumb to the temptation again.

And yet, as he spotted Kiiara on the ground below, he couldn’t help wonder what it would feel like to have her writhing beneath him as he pleasured her. He wanted her to scream his name just once. To see her face when her body shuddered a release brought on by his attention.

Focusing on the flat surface instead of his salacious thoughts, he landed smoothly on the snow-packed ground and made his way to Kiiara. She hadn’t budged from her spot and was reveling in the inquisitive penguins.

“I could kill myself for not bringing my cell phone. Being here is a Kodak moment, and I fucked it up. You don’t happen to have one, do you?” she asked and looked his way hopefully.

“I know of cell phones but do not see the point of such an item. If I want to talk to you, I’ll do it face to face. Otherwise, I do not wish to be bothered. As for the Kodak moment, I do not see how you are missing out. You are here with them, and that should be better than any photograph,” he divulged.

He didn’t understand mortals and their need for a piece of paper depicting images of their events. Wasn’t that the point of having a memory?

“Yeah, I’m well-aware of where I am. I have frostbite to prove it, but I would love to have some pictures of this. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. Pictures keep it fresh when the details of the memory start to fade. Surely, you don’t recall every little detail of every single thing that’s ever happened to you. That would be impossible,” Kiiara stated.

He supposed she was right, but it seemed to him that the ones worth remembering were engraved on his brain. Like right now with her. This was one of those moments he feared he’d never forget.

A sudden burst of laughter snagged his thoughts, and he looked to see Kiiara holding her stomach as she bellowed with hysteria. A few of the penguins were trying to climb a nearby glacier and kept falling. Seeing her so happy sparked an idea, but he needed to do something else first.

“Bring me the fish,” he ordered, and she snapped her head his way, then jumped to her feet. She thrust the bucket towards him, then stood back, eyes wide with anticipation. Wanting to tease her enthusiasm, he held the handle with one hand while he swirled the other over the top of the container.

“Hocus pocus,” he muttered in a deep voice. “Fishie, fishie, you are home. Turn back to the man that looks like a gnome,” he finished and snapped his finger.

When nothing happened, Kiiara looked up at him, her eyebrows squished together, and her head tilted. He couldn’t resist and continued, “Well, I guess it didn’t work after all. Sorry. Guess you’ll have to keep him in a bowl as a pet.”

“What?” she screeched. “That’s it? You have nothing else? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Poseidon threw back his head and laughed. Kiiara crossed her arms and kicked out her hip. “Haha, very funny. Aren’t you just full of surprises? And here I thought the Gods skipped over you the day they handed out a sense of humor,” she countered.

He stopped laughing and his gut twisted, thinking she was insulting him, but then she winked and the weight suddenly lifted. How easily she manipulated his emotions. He didn’t like the control she had over him. He needed to bid adieu and forget about this one before it was too late.

Focusing on the task at hand instead of the beguiling female, Poseidon closed his eyes. He called upon his aquatic powers and the magnetic pull to all sea creatures and felt the electrical sensation wash over his body. It was in this meditative state that he connected with all life forms of the ocean.

His heart raced at an alarming rate as he mentally swam through the darkest depths of the water. He held the Icefish, searching the cold waters of Antarctica until he located a lone man, frozen inside a block of ice and floating in the water.

Releasing the Icefish to its home, Poseidon pounded the solid glacier until it exploded, freeing the man inside. The male didn’t move and didn’t appear to be breathing. Grabbing him, he surged to the surface, uncertain if he could save him.

When Poseidon opened his eyes, he was on all fours on the icy ground. He sputtered and coughed up water, trying to catch his breath. Looking over, he saw the man he grabbed from the block of ice. Kiiara was leaning over him, trying to revive him.

“No, no, no. Come on, Kevin. Breath,” she pleaded when her mouth left his, and she pumped his chest.

“Let me try,” Poseidon offered, and she moved to the side, giving him space.

She grabbed her friend’s hand, then vigorously rubbed his exposed arms and legs. Poseidon needed to get him out of the cold before he died from hypothermia. Leaning down, Poseidon opened the male’s mouth and blew his life force into his lungs. He repeated it several times before hearing the faint sound of a heartbeat.

Leaning back, he met Kiiara’s wide eyes. She was so afraid of losing her friend, and he couldn’t bear to see her so frightened. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, whispering, “It’s going to be okay. He’s alive.”

She clung to him like he was her salvation and her tears spilled over. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” she professed, then pulled away and looked deeply into his eyes. And his world tilted.

Her gratitude was the real Kodak moment.

If ever he wanted to capture time with a photograph, it was now. When the details of her beautiful face started to fade from his memory, he could pull it out and look at it. Now he understood what she had been trying to tell him.

“Umm, can somebody explain what the fuck is going on?” the male sputtered and drew Kiiara’s attention away from Poseidon.

And then his moment was over.

* * *

“My God, Kevin. Are you okay? How do you feel?” Kiiara spouted as she crouched by her friend and hugged him tight, afraid to let go.

“Like my balls are cubes of ice. Where in the hell are we, Ki?” Kevin asked and squeezed back. She snorted at his comment. That was Kevin, always talking about his manhood in one way or the other.

She heard Poseidon’s deep voice interject, “We don’t have time for this. I need to get him out of here before he freezes to death. I’ll take him to your apartment and erase his memory. I’ll return as fast as I can.”

Kiiara stood and rubbed her forehead, carefully considering his words. She knew he had a point. Kevin needed to get out of the cold, or he would die.

“Will somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?” Kevin stuttered around chattering teeth, and she helped him to his feet. His skin was bright red from the cold air, and she knew it would turn blue within minutes.

“Okay, you need to listen to me,” Kiiara declared as she turned to Kevin with a stern gaze. “You’re going to have to trust me on this. This man is going to take you back to Topsail, and I’ll be there soon after. I’ll explain later. You know I have your back right?”

“Always and ditto,” he answered. It was their saying when things got hairy. They had fought side by side many times in the Iraq War and would never let the other down in a moment of need.

“Good,” she stated and turned back to Poseidon. “Take care of him, just like you did me, got it? And, don’t fuck it up,” she implored, and he shook his head at the comment.

“You okay here until I return?” Poseidon said and reached out to grab her gloved hand.

Suddenly, she wished she wasn’t wearing the garment because she wanted to feel his flesh against hers. Electricity sparked when they had contact, and she wanted to feel it again. Plus, he had brought Kevin back, and she was beyond grateful.

Poseidon had gone out of his way for her when he didn’t have to, and she appreciated that more than she could put into words. She was determined to repay him if it was the last thing she did.

“I’ll be more than okay here. Just me and the penguins playing in the snow,” Kiiara surmised and looked to the adorable birds, then back to Poseidon.

“That reminds me,” Poseidon blurted.

Before she could question him, she felt the ground start to rumble. His outstretched hand trembled then the snow and ice cracked and reshaped. Within minutes, a giant playground of ice formed. A large winding staircase led to a giant slide. The slide had turns and dips and seemed to go on forever. She had never seen anything so incredible.

Excitement bubbled. If she were any more excited, she’d pee herself. She wanted to run to the top and be the first to slide down. Turning to Poseidon, she tilted her head. “Why did you do that?”

“So your mind will be preoccupied. Before you know it, I’ll be back to take you home,” Poseidon said then turned to Kevin. “Ready?”

“And get back to warmer weather? Hell yes,” Kevin replied.

Kiiara watched as Poseidon took to the skies once again, Kevin in tow. The God continued to surprise her. Selfish and condescending one minute, caring and considerate the next.

Kevin’s repeated curses as they flew higher had her laughing. He didn’t care for heights, either. Boy, would they have some stories to share later.

But then she remembered Poseidon was going to erase his memories. She understood his reasons. Too many questions would be asked, and Poseidon didn’t have the time or desire to answer them. She wondered if she’d ever met a God before and had the encounter wiped from her mind. It was a disturbing thought, to say the least.

Squawking brought her back to the tuxedo-wearing animals that were gathering at the base of the icy staircase. It seemed they were waiting for the first daredevil to lead the way to the top but no one stepped forward. Kiiara accepted the challenge as leader of this silly circus. She made her way through the large group and ascended the steps.

On cue, they formed a single line and followed. The penguins seemed to be as excited as she was. Several minutes passed before she made it to the top, but once there, her mouth dropped. The view was breathtaking. Again, she wished she had a camera to capture the beauty.

Snow and ice as far as the eye could see. Several large glaciers were scattered about, forming mountains on the otherwise flat topography. Pure and pristine came to mind as she looked over the unchartered land.

Inhaling the crisp air, she sat down on the icy slide. The cold penetrated through her layers of clothing. She was higher than she realized and trepidation assailed, causing her to reconsider her bold decision of going first.

Without warning, she was shoved from behind by one of her feathered friends and quickly glided down the slippery slope. Gasping, she prepared for terror to take over, but as she rounded the first turn, fear quickly evaporated, replaced by squeals of delight. The ride down the super slide was amazing!

Kiiara looked back to see her new friends were a short distance behind but gaining momentum. Not to be outdone, she leaned back and increased her speed.

It was exhilarating. The best adult slip-and-slide ever. Cold as fuck, but outrageously fun. The ice was smooth as glass, and she whipped through the frozen playscape faster than a falling trail of dominoes. There was a tunnel at the end, and she screamed as she was catapulted into blackness. It was the most exhilarating experience of her life to be sliding down a man-made frozen masterpiece with dozens of penguins as her playmates.

When she exited the tunnel, she reached the bottom and spun in circles on her butt as she left the slide. She toppled over and looked back to see the penguins doing the same but on their stomachs. Quickly, they hopped to their feet and started the climb to the top again.

Kiiara sat back and marveled at the scene of penguins playing on a winter wonderland. She could watch them for hours and never tire of the sight. All she needed was a hot buttered rum and some fresh popcorn to make the experience perfect.

Thinking of food had her stomach rumbling. Ordering a pizza was first on her list when she got home. Thoughts of her return trip reminded her she had a shit-ton of stuff to do, mostly figuring out her boat situation. She didn’t have enough money to go out and buy another one. The last thing she wanted was to take out a loan, but she might not have a choice.

A vibration beneath her ass brought her out of her musings. She looked to the Penguins, who had gone silent, huddling together in a corner at the base of the enormous slide. That was odd. Another vibration echoed, this one stronger than the last.

Kiiara scanned her surroundings but didn’t see anything. Could it be Poseidon returning?

Suddenly, an enormous creature appeared from behind one of the bigger glaciers. From Kiiara’s vantage point, it looked to be at least ten-feet tall and covered in long white fur. Standing on two large feet, it opened its mouth and growled. Razor sharp teeth had her scurrying towards the slide.

Another bellow and then the beast charged. Its two, massive, claw-tipped paws reached in her direction. What in the hell was going on today?

First, a visit from Hain, a man with seaweed hair and black, soulless pits for eyes. Then, Poseidon, a Greek God, saves her from her sinking ship that was being attacked by a sea monster. Now, she was alone on an icy continent with a hundred penguins and one…abominable snowman?

She was stuck in the fucking twilight zone.