Heart Of Atlantis

only the slenderest of threads.
    “We need—” Ven began again, and then the godsdamned portal decided to materialize in the middle of the throne room.
    “You have
need
?”
    And it dumped out a precious cargo, indeed: Keely and Eleni walked out, followed by Erin, and then Riley holding Aidan.
    As Conlan dropped the sword and ran to embrace his family, and Ven did the same with Erin, Alaric watched the portal, hoping without cause for one final traveler, but it again vanished before he could reach it.
    “You’re defective,” Keely shouted after it, and he noticed that, oddly enough, her nose was sunburned. Her entire face, actually.
    “Where were you?”
    Riley looked a little embarrassed, but she held up Aidan for everyone to see, which was tough since Conlan was holding his family so close. When she finally managed to squirm free, Alaric saw that the baby was wearing a shirt that said ALOHA
.
    “You were in Hawaii?” Ven swung Erin around and then put her down. “Hawaii? While we were here going out of our minds?”
    “Like we had a choice. What? You think we were surfing?” she snapped. “We were going crazy wondering what was happening back here. Is it fixed?”
    “Not hardly,” Conlan announced grimly. “In fact, the Trident is worse.”
    “So why did it bring them back? So we can all die together?” Ven tightened his hold on Erin. “We were better off before.”
    “Nobody is going to die today,” Alaric said. “I’m going to the temple now, to determine how I can help reinforce the Trident’s containment, and then I will find Quinn if I have to blow up the portal to do it.”
    He ignored their barrage of questions, left the palace, and raced for the temple, traveling as mist, sparing a thought for what Marcus and the others would make of Faust. Hopefully the boy hadn’t set anybody on fire. Alaric flew up the temple steps and transformed back into his body as he reached the Trident’s room, where Myrken and several of the acolytes slumped outside the doorway, their faces white with strain and exhaustion.
    “We’re still holding it, my lord,” Myrken said. “It’s just easier to do while sitting down. Lord Christophe is inspecting the dome for further damage, but he still lends his support, as does Lady Serai.”
    “I’m here, at least for now. Go get some sleep. You all look like you need it, and you certainly deserve it.”
    Alaric headed for the door, preparing his magic for the barrage he was sure he’d find inside. He wasn’t disappointed. The Trident was putting on quite a show, bucking and twisting in its protective barrier like a wild animal trying to escape—almost like it sensed its final gem was missing.
    Could this be due to Poseidon’s Pride leaving for a demonic dimension outside the Trident’s range?
    “I, too, want to find that gem for you,” he told it.
    He realized he was wasting time talking to an inanimate object. He called to his new, more powerful magic, and found that its force had intensified by a hundredfold now that he was in Atlantis. He funneled quite a bit of it into stabilizing the Trident and the dome, until slowly, bit by bit, the Trident slowed its gyrations and floated down to its cushion and lay still.
    At least temporarily.
    Myrken staggered into the room, holding his head. “My lord? Was that you? I have never felt such power—”
    “I’ll explain later,” Alaric said, yet again.
    Then he tried one more time to reach the portal.
    “I call to you, spirit of the portal who has taken Gailea’s place,” Alaric said, as respectfully as he could manage. “I have
need
. Come and get me. Now.”
    But, yet again, the damned portal didn’t seem inclined to answer.
    He probably shouldn’t have threatened to choke it to death.

Chapter 26
    Big Cypress National Panther Preserve headquarters, Florida
    The portal spirit, who up until just a few days previously, when a killer wave had lived up to its name, had been a surfing champion named Danny, was a little drunk on his new power and self-righteously determined to carry out Poseidon’s instructions. After all, the sea god had saved him from a broken neck and subsequent drowning and transported him to this new,
awesome
reality. Dude was wicked amped, for a mythological divinity and all. Said he needed
new blood
in the portal, now that Atlantis was rising.
    Atlantis. How massively bitchin’ is that?
    The spirit concentrated on Florida, specifically the panther headquarters, and flashed