Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

measuring the character of a person by their emotions, Riley. So I guess I'll take your word about this Conlan. But only on the condition that I get to test him myself."
     
    A knock on the door saved Riley from responding. "Go away, Denal. I told you I don't want any food," she called.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 192 of 351
    The door swung open, framing Conlan in the doorway. "It's not Denal, and as much as I think you should eat something, it's more important that we talk. I need to know what your sister knows."
     
    Riley tried to see behind him to the hallway. "Where is Denal? I thought he'd never leave."
     
    Conlan shrugged. "I think Ven might be holding him upside down out a window right about now. He seems to have forgotten that I'm his high prince, in his zeal to serve you."
     
    Only the hint of the smile at the corners of his lips gave away Conlan's reluctant amusement at his warrior's defection.
     
    Before Riley could respond, Quinn stood up and strode over to stand toe to toe with Conlan. "Prince, huh? If you've pulled a fast one on my baby sister, you will answer to me. And I'm the type of girl who will kick your Atlantean ass."
     
    With that, faster than Riley had ever seen her move, Quinn placed her hands on Conlan's temples. "Let me in, let me in, little fishy," she said in a singsong voice.
     
    Conlan, staring at Riley over Quinn's head, never moved. Riley knew how fast he could move. He could have snapped Quinn's hold in a heartbeat. Heck, he could have snapped Quinn's arms in a heartbeat.
     
    But, instead, he smiled at Riley, then closed his eyes. There was utter silence in the room for nearly a minute. Then Quinn dropped her hands and stumbled back and away from Conlan.
     
    "Who are you? How could you possibly survive that kind of torture?" She kept backing away from him, until she reached the bed and dropped down onto it next to Riley.
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 193 of 351
    "Quinn, are you all right?" Riley reached out to her sister with her emotions. But, for once, she couldn't reach her. She jumped up to face Conlan. "What did you do to her?"
     
    "No, it's what did you do to him?" Quinn said from behind her. Riley turned to look at her sister, but Quinn's attention was focused on Conlan like a laser beam. "Somehow, Riley, you're inside his soul."
     
    Heat swirled through Riley. She looked into Conlan's eyes, opening her emotions to him. Feeling the truth of her sister's words.
     
    Not quite ready to let him see that he was inside her as well.
     
    Footsteps thudded down the hall toward them. Ven's voice preceded his entrance.
    "Conlan, we've got a problem. Or maybe I should rephrase that. Hell, we've got a buttload of problems. This one is new though."
     
    "Consider me to be another problem, Atlantean," Quinn snarled. "Because until I find out why your people attacked mine, I'm going to be all over your ass."
     
    Ven looked Quinn up and down and grinned. "Honey, I'd consider that the best part of my week. Hell, maybe my entire fucking year."
     
    An icy voice swept into the room an instant before Alaric shimmered into a hard, menacing presence between Quinn and Ven. "I bid you fair warning, Vengeance. If you touch her, I will destroy you."
     
    Riley jumped up, with some thought of protecting her sister from Alaric, who was the scariest man she'd ever seen.
     
    A man who just happened to have magic powers of death going for him.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 194 of 351
    Inexplicably, Quinn started to laugh. The sound shivered through the room, high and wild. "Welcome to the tea party, fish face. I have a strange feeling that you and I need to talk, especially after you practically had your hand on my boob," she said, still smiling that eerie smile. "At the very least, it seems like you owe me dinner."
     
    Riley looked at them all—Conlan, Ven, Alaric, and her sister—and slowly shook her head. "Has the whole world gone insane?"

Chapter 22
    Reisen limped down the stairs of the abandoned warehouse Micah had located for them. Thank Poseidon that the Trident was safe, still strapped to his back under his coat.
     
    He'd been lucky.
     
    Luckier than five of his men. Five warriors slain, and for what? To protect a human population stupid enough to welcome the shapeshifters and the bloodsuckers with bared necks?
     
    The only possible glimmer of light in the black fucking tunnel of his day was that there