Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

the floor on the nose that was probably already broken.
     
    "You picked a bad day to land on my shit list, warrior," Conlan said, almost to himself.
    Then he swung around to head for the magical battle of wills still raging in the front of the room.
     
    Alaric had fought his way to the Trident, and he was inches away from laying a hand on it. The shock wave of power that blasted out in concussive circles had driven everyone else in the room to their knees.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 269 of 351
    Conlan started toward them, and another blast of power poured out of the Trident, waves of blue-green and silvery light sparkling with heat and thunderously loud. He ducked, and most of the energy passed over his head.
     
    The second it was past, he dashed toward Alaric and Reisen, determined to bring an end to the standoff.
     
    "For Atlantis! For Poseidon!" The words ripped out of his throat, no less powerful for being involuntary.
     
    He was back. By the gods, he was back.
     
    Anubisa hadn't won, after all.
     
    He'd nearly reached them when Riley's voice, her emotions, pounded into his head with driving rage and pain.
     
    Conlan!! Death anger sorrow death death death nooooooooooo!!
     
    The shock wave of her emotion knocked him off his feet, and he fell to his knees, choking on her pain, a few paces away from Alaric and Reisen.
     
    Come to me now!! I need you need need need powerrrrr!!
     
    Riley had no voice left for screaming. Had no strength left for sobbing. She fell, dragged herself, crawling, through the unspeakable residue of vampire guts and blood and death coating the floor with its filth.
     
    Somehow made it to Denal just as Brennan reached them both. She tried to focus through eyes drenched with tears, realized Brennan was wounded. Badly.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 270 of 351
    He limped. So many cuts and bites and blood covered him, she didn't know how he was still standing.
     
    Bites. Oh, no.
     
    "Brennan? Can Atlanteans turn into vampires?"
     
    He shook his head, fell to his knees beside Denal's body. "No," he ground out, shuddering. "Virus. Not—not vampire. Kills us or we shake it off."
     
    He gasped and clutched at his neck as his body arched back in the throes of a terrible convulsive spasm.
     
    She reached out to hold his hand, not knowing what else to do to help.
     
    "Might be bad this time," he gasped. "Must get you to safety."
     
    "I tried to reach out to Conlan. Nothing—only blank, dead space where his emotions should be," she said, fighting back more tears.
     
    Then letting them fall. What did it matter now?
     
    Denal deserved at least her tears.
     
    "Take it out! Brennan, we have to take it out," she begged, knowing she didn't have the strength left to pull the sword from Denal's body.
     
    Brennan nodded, silent and grim, his skin already shriveling back into the bones of his face. His skull clearly visible under the flesh of his face.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 271 of 351
    He took a deep breath, and rose to grasp the hilt of the sword. Used it to pull himself up, then gathered his last energy. With one powerful jerk, he pulled it out of Denal's body and flung it away from them down the hall.
     
    Then he collapsed next to Riley, strength spent. "I can no longer protect you, my lady. I have failed you. I am sorry."
     
    She shook her head, tears still falling. Then she bent over Denal and lifted his head and shoulders into her lap. When she'd managed that, stroking Denal's lifeless face with one hand, she reached out to twine her other in Brennan's hair, trying to give some comfort.
     
    "No. You never failed me, neither of you did. It was your stupid worthless excuse of a sea god. Where was your precious Poseidon when we needed him?"
     
    She realized she was shouting at their god, didn't care. "Where were you when your prince needed you, you selfish bastard? Swimming around and frolicking with a fucking Nereid?"
     
    Brennan tried to raise his hand, but it fell back against his side, shriveled and ancient.
    He was wasting away in front of her eyes.
     
    "Where are you now, huh? You prick! I challenge you!! Heal these men, your warriors, if you're so all-powerful!" She screamed her rage until her throat burned and her skin caught fire from the inside.
     
    An inferno of pain seared, burned, roared through her and into the room, scorching her breath as it came out of her lungs. She laughed, wild