Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

said.
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 204 of 351
     
    Riley shook her head. "Not to me. I'm monotheistic and only recognize one God. Not that I'm disagreeing with your beliefs in any way, but I have to have faith that she's not all-powerful. In any event, if she has godlike powers, we're in trouble."
     
    "You forget, we are also led by a god. Poseidon's power exceeds that of Anubisa," Ven pointed out.
     
    Rage tore through her. "Well, where the hell was he when his own prince was being tortured nearly to death?" Riley shouted, shoving her chair back to stand. "Where was your stupid sea god then?"
     
    Conlan pulled her into his arms for a brief hug, then smoothly pulled her to a seat on his lap, as if he'd been doing so for years.
     
    "I am honored that you would defy Poseidon himself in your defense of me, mi amara aknasha" he murmured into her hair.
     
    The feel of his breath on her ear stirred something down low in her abdomen, and her thigh muscles clenched. If Quinn and Ven hadn't been sitting right there, both of them staring with openmouthed disbelief, she would have turned in his lap and planted some major lip-lock on Conlan.
     
    She might do it, anyway.
     
    Quinn's eyes narrowed. "Fine. So big problems with the humans, and then what?"
     
    Ven answered this time. "Then the gods got into a big stink of a fight, and the Cataclysm happened. Big, 'earth itself might be destroyed' kind of catastrophic shit that happens when a bunch of children start fighting over their toys."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 205 of 351
    Conlan's voice was a rumble in his chest against Riley's back. "Though my brother edges close to blasphemy, he is essentially correct. Atlantis was forced under the sea to protect itself, both from the humans who threatened and from the battle between the gods. First magic, then a mix of magic and technology have shielded us from discovery for these many years."
     
    Riley, suddenly feeling shy, slid off Conlan's lap and back onto her own chair. "But you've been coming up to the surface all this time?"
     
    "No, not always. It took time to learn the secrets of travel between our land and the surface. But we had sworn the oath as Warriors of Poseidon. The warriors of that time would stop at nothing to find a way to return to guard humans from the increasing vampire and shapeshifter threat."
     
    Conlan drained his beer, put the bottle back on the table with some force. "It's our job to keep you safe, even when you do your best to hinder us."
     
    Quinn toyed with her mug and then seemed to reach a decision. Shoving her curls out of her eyes with one hand, she started to speak. "Okay. I've been scanning you both and, for what it's worth, your emotions tell me that you're giving us the truth. I say for what it's worth because, if you really are Atlantean and an entirely separate species—"
     
    She looked up for confirmation and Conlan nodded.
     
    "Then it's possible that my much-prized abilities to scan emotion are worth precisely nothing when it comes to you. Are your emotions even remotely similar to ours?"
     
    Ven started to respond, but she held up a hand. "No, don't bother. It feels true to me, and I have to go with my gut instinct, or I have nothing. And if I start doubting my gut now, the game, as they say, is up."
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 206 of 351
    Riley put a hand on her sister's arm to confirm what her senses were telling her. Quinn was telling a truth that was very painful for her. Riley's nerve endings flinched back from the anguish underlying Quinn's words.
     
    "It's okay, Quinn. Whatever you need to say. I'm right here," she murmured, sending waves of reassurance and love through their personal sister link.
     
    "Well, tall, dark, and ugly over there called us fools. He's right. Not all of us, but enough of us hid under a rock and let change happen without trying to fight it," Quinn began, voice flat.
     
    Riley winced at the echo of her earlier thoughts. Maybe Quinn thought she was a fool, too. "Not being political or marching on Washington doesn't make a person a fool, Quinn," she said. "Some of us try to make a difference on a local level."
     
    Quinn grabbed her in a brief hug. "I wasn't talking about you, honey. You give twenty-four-seven to those losers you work so desperately to save. I'm talking about the people who sit on their fat asses and do nothing while vamps take over our