Heart Of Atlantis

was the type to expect regular family dinners, no doubt.
    Given the circumstances, if they even survived long enough to have family dinners, Alaric resolved to appreciate them.
    “Alaric,” Daniel called out from where he was talking to Bastien and his mate, Kat Fiero, and Alaric nearly did a double-take at the sight. He scanned the area and, sure enough, there was Ethan, another panther, sweeping Bastien’s sister Marie into a passionate embrace.
    “There are shape-shifters in Atlantis,” Alaric said wonderingly, and Conlan, who’d suddenly appeared from the gods only knew where, clapped him on the back.
    “Who would have thought we’d see the day?” the prince said. “I’m glad the old taboos have fallen, but I could have wished they’d picked a better day to visit.”
    “They’re visiting?”
    “No, it was a poor attempt at a jest,” Conlan said grimly. “The portal abducted them all and brought them here. Everybody’s story is the same. They suddenly heard ‘you have need,’ saw a flash of light, and the portal whisked them here. Everybody except Denal showed up with the person or persons who’d been with them. Even Grace and Alexios brought a very surprised rebel training class.”
    Conlan pointed at the group of mostly young humans standing off to one side gaping at everything.
    “Denal?”
    “He left Maeve behind, but he’d planned to do so, anyway, he says, so he’s not in the least upset.” Conlan scowled at the youngling. “I see he’s already hugging my wife again.”
    Alaric started to reply, but a mental blast cut through the noise and the chatter and all but stripped the gears in his brain.
    Alaric, I need you
right now, Quinn mentally shouted at him.
    I’m on my way
, he sent back, and then he clapped Conlan on the shoulder so hard he nearly knocked the prince off the temple steps.
    “She’s back. She’s back, and I know just where she is,” he crowed. “That hotel must enjoy replacing windows, though.”
    “What do you need?” Conlan asked, instantly grasping the situation.
    Alaric yelled for Justice, who was standing near Alexios. “Bring me a sword.”
    If his magic misfired around the demon, he wanted a backup option. To Conlan he said, “What do I
need
? Interesting question.”
    “Hey, portal,” he shouted. “Come listen to what I
need
, or I’ll let Atlantis be crushed under five and a half miles of water.”
    “Nice touch,” Conlan murmured. “I’m guessing portals don’t understand about bluffing.”
    Alaric shot him a look. “Who says I’m bluffing?”
    Conlan’s smile faded, but then the portal appeared, surprising both of them.
    “If these people and my baby die because you kidnapped them and dumped them here, I’ll make it my mission in life to exterminate you, you egotistic, pathetic excuse for an elevator,” Riley said, marching up to the portal with a sleeping baby in her arms.
    Aidan didn’t even open an eye. Perhaps he was used to his mother’s fierce personality and was comforted by it. It occurred to Alaric with the force of a spear to the chest that perhaps he and Quinn would one day have a child a lot like Aidan. He suddenly found it hard to breathe.
    “Get in before it disappears,” Conlan said. “Hurry up, Alaric, we need that stone.”
    Alaric jumped into the portal. “Take me to Quinn.”
    As he traveled through the vortex, the strangest thing happened. Alaric thought he heard the portal say, “Duuude.”
    Before he could analyze
that
bit of oddity, it dumped him in the middle of a room filled with a gang of armed men, a dead man, and one human female who glowed—at least to
his
senses—with the intensity of a miniature sun. The sight of the Atlantean energy gave Alaric hope he hadn’t dared to feel, which surged up inside him, dancing with his joy and relief from Quinn’s presence.
    She was alive and safe. Thank all the gods.
    But then Quinn turned her head toward him, and he saw that the side of her face was one massive bruise, and her lip was split and swollen.
    A blinding rage swept through him, and he attacked the men with the sword and with his power, driving ice spears through their throats one by one. Distantly, he heard her yelling at him to stop, but a primal fury had crushed his reason and destroyed his logic. He sensed that Poseidon’s Pride was enhancing and increasing his power, but he had no intention of trying to stop.
    They’d hurt her, so they had to die.
    There was only one left alive—a man