Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

aside any remaining barriers between their two souls.
     
    And light and color blasted through his world—her world—their world. They stood trembling in a maelstrom of cerulean and aqua and silvery green. The music of rainbows lilted through them, around them, piercing them as they stood. A fountain of need, of longing, of utter fulfillment cascaded around them and into them until he could not tell where he ended and she began.
     
    Worlds trembled on the verge of awakening, and stars burst into firestorms of radiance.
    Riley's soul opened to him, and he claimed it for his own.
     
    She did the same with his.
     
    And the fire, fury, and raging power of the elements soared through him and out of him into her, and he had a microsecond of time to wonder how such passion could explode without creating new life, but then she was screaming in his mind and the universe went supernova around them.
     
    He fell to his knees, still cradling her in his arms, too weak to stand. She gasped for air, her breathing in time with his.
     
    When she finally lifted her head, her face was almost too beautiful for his vision to bear.
    "What happened? Did the world end?" she whispered.
     
    "That, I think, was the soul-melding," he replied, barely able to form words. "According to legend, it only grows more intense as time passes."
     
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    She blinked. "We're never going to survive it."
     
    It was a long time before he could quit laughing enough to catch his breath and carry her to the cot in the corner. There he held her throughout the hours until dawn and watched her sleep. Thanking the gods for the gift of her love. Vowing his life to protect her.
     
    Hear me, Poseidon, for I vow this with everything I am or will be. This woman is mine.
     
    Light flashed through the room, a lightning strike of energy that scorched across his vision.
     
    Poseidon's answer, perhaps. Now if Conlan only knew what in the nine hells it meant.
     
    A few too-short hours later, Riley sat in a corner of Quinn's war room, hands cradling a mug of coffee. She couldn't stop watching Conlan. Her fierce warrior had so easily taken command of the planning and dominated the room. Even in a roomful of alpha males, he would always be the one who dominated.
     
    For a man who didn't believe he had what it took to rule, he had the look of a king stamped into every hard line of his face.
     
    And he wanted her to be his queen. The thought was too enormous to wrap her mind around, especially now. On the eve of a full-out assault of the vampire lair. She'd think about it later. She was getting damn good at denial.
     
    Jack was pointing something out on the map. "These are concrete walls, it's not like we can blast through them. If Quinn's contact doesn't come through for us, we're fucked."
     
    Quinn, looking like a stiff wind would knock her down, merely nodded, face grim. "He'll be there. Don't you think I've tested his information on smaller issues before trusting him Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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    with something like this? He believes that Barrabas's way is wrong, and that the undead should return to the old ways."
     
    "Eating people in the shadows?" Ven asked, voice flat.
     
    "No, coexisting with humans without trying to conquer us," Quinn replied. "He has existed on animal blood for centuries, except for the rare voluntary donation."
     
    "So he claims," Conlan pointed out. "No matter. We are committed to proceed on this information. May the gods have mercy on him if he has betrayed us."
     
    The icy wind that seemed to be Alaric's calling card swirled through the room, coalesced into his dark form near Conlan. "There are no gods that heed the call of such vermin, save for Anubisa. And I would wish that she would come to his aid, so that I might end her existence."
     
    "Oh, I'm down with that," Ven snarled.
     
    (Ionian's voice was calm and utterly lacking in emotion. "If Anubisa should appear, she is mine. Consider this my first royal decree."
     
    Ven slowly nodded, but Riley noticed that Alaric made no sign of agreement. He simply stared at Quinn with the air of a predator examining its prey.
     
    Or a man sentenced to die regarding his executioner.
     
    She couldn't quite determine which.
     
    Bastien broke the silence. "I'm not picky. If I have to take them down one by one, the bloodsuckers are going to die."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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