Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

you."
     
    Alaric stalked to the doorway, paused to look back at them. Riley saw the wildness in his eyes. "I'm leaving now. I'll meet you there."
     
    "You can sense the Trident now?" she asked him.
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 306 of 351
    "No. But I can feel Quinn." She caught the flash of pain before he slammed shut his own mental shields. Wondered at the cause.
     
    What exactly had happened between Quinn and Alaric during that healing?
     
    She added it to her mental list of "things to officially worry about later" and headed after him to the hallway to get her bag. She had an hour to charge her phone.
     
    Oh. Yeah. And to prepare for the end of the world.
     
    Less than four hours and fifty or so broken traffic laws later, they were on the outskirts of D.C. in a neighborhood so bad even the police didn't like to hang out there.
     
    Riley could feel Quinn long before they arrived. She sent out a push to try to communicate in words instead of just emotions. Somehow she felt like her talents in that area had increased a little bit since she'd had a chat with a god.
     
    Quinn! Can you hear me?
     
    Riley? How are you—oh, you've changed. The power emanating from you is lighting up my corner of the world. What the hell have you been up to?
     
    I had a heart-to-heart with a sea god, who apparently claimed me for his own. Life is…
    interesting.
     
    There was a silence, as if Quinn were choosing her words carefully.
     
    Riley, what is this? Is this big and bad on an apocalyptic level?
     
    Yeah. Yes, it is. I'll explain as much as I can as soon as we get there.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 307 of 351
    Another silence. Finally Quinn spoke in Riley's mind again.
     
    Okay, get here soon. And, Riley?
     
    Yes?
     
    He's here. Alaric. I can feel him in my blood. He's… near.
     
    I know. We need to talk about that, too.
     
    She cut off the communication, feeling a headache center itself over her eyes from the strain. She may have become more powerful, but unused muscles needed to be trained.
     
    If she lived long enough.
     
    She shook her head, put her hand out to rest it on Conlan's leg as he drove. He glanced at her, eyebrows drawn together. "Are you all right? Was that Quinn?"
     
    "Yes. We're almost there."
     
    He nodded, concentrating on the road and the always hideous D.C. traffic.
     
    Almost there. And tonight the shit hits the proverbial fan. What have I gotten myself into this time?
     
    But she looked at his strong profile and knew there was nowhere she'd rather be.
     
    Conlan took point going into the abandoned building that Riley assured him was Quinn's headquarters and base of operations for the East Coast cell of her freedom fighters. He Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 308 of 351
    couldn't persuade Riley to stay behind, but he could damn well protect her from at least the front wave of any ambush.
     
    Ven and the rest of the Seven fanned around and behind her, weapons at the ready. "I wonder how long the hubcaps on the Hummer will last?" Ven said under his breath, probably trying to get Riley to smile.
     
    "Oh, they're already gone, I bet," Bastien said. "Never liked that car anyway."
     
    Christophe laughed. "I put a little zinger on the cars. If anybody goes after them, they're in for a surprise."
     
    Conlan ignored the banter, led the way down a battered and graffiti-covered staircase at Riley's direction. Didn't like it one bit.
     
    They hit the bottom step and found a dozen armed guards waiting for them, all dressed in old jeans and leather jackets. They looked like hoodlums or homeless people, until you noticed the very new, very shiny guns in their hands.
     
    Conlan and the Seven immediately drew their weapons and aimed them. Riley pushed her way through to stand next to Conlan and shook her head. "Nice show, Quinn. Now call them off."
     
    The man in front, huge and built like a warrior, slowly bared his teeth in what he probably thought was a smile. Civilization was a bare veneer over the savagery in the man.
     
    Conlan knew instantly that this was the leader. Nodded his head to the man. "I am Conlan of Atlantis. This is Riley, Quinn's sister. If you're not the people we seek, we'll walk out of here. Try to hinder us, and you'll die for your trouble."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 309 of 351
    The man gave an almost-imperceptible signal, and the men with him lowered their weapons. "Quinn!