Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

You know? If Conlan and you get the Trident, you deserve to win the throne, Atlantis, the free stay at a beach resort of your choice, whatever."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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    Alaric nodded. "That has a decidedly correct feel to it. The gods are ever changeable, and Poseidon has often demonstrated his admiration for the champion in any challenge."
     
    Conlan tightened his arms around Riley. "So. We recover the Trident, or Atlantis may be lost to us forever?"
     
    Ven laughed, but he didn't sound the least bit amused. "Damn gods and their games.
    Well, that's a sound enough theory to get us going on, then. Now all we have to do is find the Trident. Alaric?"
     
    Alaric closed his eyes, held out his arms to channel power. Several moments passed, then he shook his head. "Nothing. But I felt it only in flashes the other day. I will continue to try."
     
    Footsteps sounded in the hall, and Christophe rounded the corner, holding something out in his head. "Sorry to interrupt, but Riley's cell phone kept ringing."
     
    He held it out to her. "It's your sister, and she says there's trouble."
     
    Nobody but Conlan noticed Alaric flinch.

Chapter 33
    Riley snapped her phone closed, noting that the batteries were going to die any minute if she didn't charge it. "You didn't happen to bring my tote bag with us from the other house, did you? My purse and cell charger were in it."
     
    The four men in the room looked at her like she'd just asked them to go shoe shopping.
     
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    She narrowed her eyes. "This is important, okay? Quinn's only way to contact us is my phone, since you don't exactly carry phones around in your water particle state."
     
    "Your bag is in the front hallway on a table," Ven said. "Now maybe you could fill us in on the other half of that phone call."
     
    "Bear with me, because this is kind of crazy. But Quinn says that Senator Barnes is really an ancient vampire named Barrabas, and that he's the same Barrabas—"
     
    "Freed by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus Christ. Yeah. We know," Conlan said.
     
    She blinked. "Are you kidding me? You knew this? You might have mentioned it sometime. 'Oh, hey, earthlings, your new Senate leader is one of the worst criminals in history' for example." She heard the anger and sarcasm in her voice, but didn't care.
     
    "Really? As if a people who allowed bloodsuckers to take over their government were going to listen to us about Barnes?" Ven snapped, his anger matching hers.
     
    "Focus, people. This doesn't help now. What did Quinn want?" Conlan asked.
     
    "She found your people. Well, Reisen and his people. She says she had a meeting with a high-level vamp who is working with the revolution undercover. Somebody named Daniel. He is going to help her get them out tonight."
     
    Alaric stepped forward, eyes gone savage and glowing a fiery green. "Help her? Help Quinn? Is she insane? She's going to storm the fucking Primus?"
     
    "Daniel says Barrabas has the Trident. Plans to torture the Atlanteans until he figures out how to use it. So my insane sister is helping to save your ass, priest." Riley didn't understand what board Alaric had up his butt about Quinn, but she wasn't going to put up with it.
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    Quinn might not be as fragile as Riley'd thought, but it was still Riley's job to protect her.
    She thought of Bastien and smiled grimly. I've got your back, Quinn.
     
    Conlan stepped forward and effortlessly took command of the room. Whatever X factor it was that made a man into a king, Conlan had it in a big way.
     
    Her insecurities mocked her. So what makes you think you 'refit to marry a king?
     
    Hove him. That's all. That's enough.
     
    "An hour max to get loaded up. We're on our way to D,C," Conlan ordered. "Riley, you—"
     
    "No way am I staying behind, so get that out of your mind," she interrupted.
     
    "But I need to know you're safe," he said in what must have been his "reason with the peasants" voice.
     
    She folded her arms, sent a big wave of stubborn through their bond. "Not. Happening.
    Besides, look how well that turned out last night."
     
    She felt the capitulation in his mind before he nodded. "All right. But you stay out of the line of fire, do you understand? If anything happens to you…"
     
    She went to him, put her arms around his waist. "I know. I get it. I feel the same way about