Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

time," Ven observed with satisfaction. He retrieved his dagger and wiped it off on a rag he drew from his pocket, then tossed the rag on the ground. "Somehow don't mind littering in the vamp's backyard."
     
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    Conlan held up a hand for silence. "I think it may be the vamps' front yard, in fact, if the sound of screaming is any indication."
     
    He waited while they all strained to pick up on what his Atlantean hearing had already caught. Someone was being tortured.
     
    And somebody else was doing a damn thorough job of it.
     
    The instincts that had served him well for nearly three thousand years were telling Barrabas that something was wrong. He just couldn't figure out what.
     
    He should have been well content. The Atlantean called Micah was bleeding on the floor in front of him, near death, and Barrabas could still taste Micah's blood in his mouth. Reisen hadn't found his way back to consciousness since Drakos had smashed his head into the wall.
     
    And yet, a tiny niggling tremor of doubt snaked through him. He stared at Drakos, who gazed implacably back at him. The general had outlived his usefulness. No battle strategy, no matter how brilliant, was worth this constant suspicion.
     
    Especially for one who was not even of his blood pride. Thinking of them made him reach out to them with his mind. Reassurance from his guards would go a long way toward…
     
    There was no response.
     
    Nothing in his mind but a blank space where his vanguard should be. He whipped his head around to find Drakos.
     
    Who stood near the chamber door, smiling.
     
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    "Your reign is over, damned one," Drakos said. "Prepare to meet the future."
     
    Before Barrabas could utter a sound, Drakos yanked the door open, and a swarm of warriors poured through. The one in front had hair and eyes as black as the deepest hell, and death was written on his face.
     
    "I am Conlan of Atlantis, Barrabas," the warrior shouted out. "Prepare for your death!"
     
    No, no mere warrior. Not with that regal air of command.
     
    This must be the prince. Barrabas hissed, called out with every ounce of his being to Anubisa.
     
    Come to me, my goddess! Your Atlanteans are here to recover the Trident I captured for you—I beg for your assistance.
     
    With that, he sent another mental command, and every one of his blood pride asleep in their coffins in the room below him rose and began the rush to his aid.
     
    "You think attacking at dawn is any detriment to a master vampire of my power, princeling? We are deep under the earth, blocked from the sun by tons of concrete!" he screamed. Then he dematerialized, laughing, right from under their Atlantean noses.

Chapter 38
    Conlan watched as Barrabas did exactly what he'd expected, and he slashed a hand down in a signal to Alaric. Alaric threw his arms into the air and called water with such torrential force that the walls themselves seemed to reel under the power of it.
     
    Barrabas rematerialized, bouncing off one of the walls.
     
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    And Conlan laughed. "Didn't your goddess mention that Poseidon's power over the element of water is the light to your dark? We cannot kill you with the mortus desicana, for your undead tissues have no living fluid to surrender."
     
    He unsheathed his sword. "But we can block you from the use of your power. Prepare to die, bloodsucker."
     
    Barrabas pulled a sword of his own. "I don't think so, little boy. Didn't you take a moment to see what I did to your friends?"
     
    He pointed to the far wall, and Conlan glanced over to the shadowy corner. Reisen hung by one wrist from a manacle chained to the wall, bloody and broken. Another warrior lay near him, in similar condition.
     
    "Ven! To Reisen!"
     
    As Ven, daggers unsheathed, ran across the room, a grinding noise in the floor underneath warned Conlan in time to leap to the side. A panel in the floor opened up, and a black wave of vampires rushed up and into the room.
     
    Justice and Denal ran up to flank him, swords at the ready, and he heard Jack's full-throated roar from behind him. Then he was too busy to notice anything else, as five vamps headed straight for him, fangs and claws bared.
     
    Riley! Get out! Get to safety!
     
    Her voice came back to him immediately.
     
    I think Poseidon promoted one of his pawns.
     
    Atlantis Rising