Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

love you, Conlan. And you're mine."
     
    He closed his eyes, but she felt the starburst of his emotions explode through her.
    Ecstasy, brightly burning joy. Wonder. Awe.
     
    Then he opened his eyes again and he kissed her. And he made love to her for a very long time.
     
    Barrabas gazed at the cloth-wrapped Trident, unwilling to touch it with his bare hands.
    Sure that the penalty for daring to rob a god would be hideous beyond imagining.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 291 of 351
    Easily enough gotten. Seeing the human and the Atlanteans dying on the floor, he'd snaked a tree branch into the house and pulled the Trident across the threshold. He'd been unable to enter, since he hadn't been in the first wave that the stupid human had unwittingly invited in.
     
    Supreme commanders were never on the front lines, after all.
     
    The Trident. Poseidon's instrument of true power, according to the scrolls. Deeded to the seated high priest of Atlantis for use in sacred rites. Such as the rite of ascension for their brat prince.
     
    Too bad, that.
     
    Guess the little boy wouldn't be king after all.
     
    Drakos materialized in the concrete-walled chamber a dozen paces in front of him, curiosity plain on his face. "Did you try to use it?" he asked.
     
    Barrabas sneered. "Would you so brazenly try to play with the toy of the sea god? There is good reason why I am the master vampire, and you are merely my servant."
     
    Drakos didn't have the sense to even pretend to be cowed. "Is a general a servant, then? And what of Anubisa? Have you told her of your new toy?"
     
    "No! And you will not, either. I'm not quite ready to give up my new possession, and she will surely claim it."
     
    Barrabas soared around the table to confront his general, pushing hard with his mind.
    Drakos did not crumple to the floor, but the strain on his face showed what it cost him to remain upright.
     
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 292 of 351
    "Ah, a petty defiance, general? What brings this about? Do you seek to rise in my esteem now that Terminus is destroyed?"
     
    Drakos inclined his head. "If you will it so, my lord. I have strategies in mind to deal with these Atlanteans. Strategies that will help you consolidate your power until it is unshakable."
     
    Barrabas couldn't help a certain level of interest. He'd seen the results of Drakos's exceptionally brilliant battle planning before.
     
    Perhaps he wouldn't kill his impertinent general just yet.
     
    His gaze returned to the Trident. "We need to consult the scrolls again. See if we can find any hint of how to control the power this weapon must wield."
     
    Drakos bowed. "A wise plan, my lord."
     
    Barrabas held out a hand, nearly touched it, then withdrew. "And bring me several of my blood pride. I think we'll try a few experiments to see what vengeance Poseidon wreaks on any vampire who tries to play with his toy."
     
    "Remember that we have several of the Atlanteans that we captured. Surely they know something of its power," Drakos pointed out. "There are easy enough ways to get humans to talk. These cannot be so different."
     
    Barrabas smiled. "We'll find out, won't we?"
     
    Riley stumbled into the shower, exhausted but happy. When the steaming hot spray hit her, she all but purred in relief. She'd taken a shower during the night, a quick clean-off one, but this one was going to be all about luxury and relief for her various muscle aches.
    Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
    Page 293 of 351
     
    Fighting vampires was tiring business.
     
    The thought sobered her. She, Denal, and Brennan had all come so close to dying.
    Denal actually had died. And Conlan still hadn't told her yet what had happened with Reisen and the Trident.
     
    As she washed her back, her fingers touched an odd raised ridge on her shoulder. Her memory flashed back to the searing pain she'd felt when Poseidon accepted her offer.
     
    Surely he hadn't cut her open?
     
    But then again, what did she know about what a god might do?
     
    She pushed open the shower door and hurried to the mirror, grabbing a towel to wipe the steam off the surface. Then she turned her back to the glass and awkwardly contorted her neck so she could look back over her shoulder.
     
    At the scar—no, the brand—that marked her.
     
    "Oh, my God! He branded me!"
     
    She didn't realize she'd shrieked the words until Conlan yanked the door open and ran into the room, daggers in his