Warriors of Poseidon 02 - Atlantis Awakening

a great distraction, but not exactly helpful to Justice's cause.
     
    "I think the tiger's waking up," one of the guards said. The stupid one. Justice recognized the voice. "Wonder if he'll eat the guy. Bet he chokes on all that hair. What kind of color is blue for a man's hair? Bet he's some kind of gay guy."
     
    The other one snorted. "You're an idiot. Plus, you're always seeing gay guys around every corner. A person could begin to think you're homophobic for a reason."
     
    Stupid got belligerent. "What does that mean? I ain't no gay guy! I got a mate. A female mate."
     
    This was getting interesting. Justice hoped they started beating each other's brains out before Jack woke up and turned him into Atlantean catnip.
     
    "Oh, I was just kidding. Relax, you moron. I'm bored. I want to go see what they're up to out there, not hang out here with these two. There's no way the dose of Special K they took will wear off any time soon. Wanna go sneak a peek?"
     
    Justice tried to use his nonexistent psychic mind control powers. Yes, yes, go watch the vampire show. Leave the unconscious man and the unconscious kitty.
     
    Atlantis Awakening – Warriors of Poseidon 02
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    "No way, man. Calgoolie would have our balls for earrings, and I'm kinda partial to my balls," said Stupid.
     
    "There you go, talking about balls again. I'm telling you… nah. It's too easy," said the one with moderately more intelligence. "Look, we can hide behind that rock outcropping right next to the entrance. We'll be close enough to check back in here every few seconds but still see the action."
     
    "Well…"
     
    Yes, do it, do it, do it.
     
    "All right. But only for a few minutes, or till they show any signs of waking up. I don't think there's anywhere far enough to hide from that vamp when he's in a bad mood."
     
    They started moving away, apparently trying to be stealthy. For shifters, they were as stealthy as water buffalo, which at least gave Justice a big advantage. He'd know when they started to come back.
     
    "Vampires are always in bad moods. I wish we'd never…" As their voices faded away down the tunnel, Justice whipped his head to the side, figuring that even if there were some silent guard who'd remained entirely still in order to fool him into moving, he'd rather face that than one second more of his face mashed into the side of a wet tiger.
     
    He leapt to his feet, wincing as his bruised knees complained, then scrubbed tiger hair out of his nose and mouth. "Damn, Vengeance better appreciate this," he growled.
     
    A very familiar chuckle sounded quietly from the opening to the tunnel behind him, and he whirled around to see Ven standing there, sword at the ready. "I'm sure I'm going to appreciate it. A lot. I'm already appreciating the hell out of it. Especially the part where you're covered with cat hair and lying around on a tiger pillow. Care to explain?"
    Atlantis Awakening – Warriors of Poseidon 02
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    Before Justice could respond, the booming sound of the unseen bell rang through the cave again and he clapped his hands over his ears. From behind Ven, he saw a woman enter the cave, her arms and face lifted rapturously up toward the ceiling. She looked familiar. Almost like Ven's gem singer.
     
    At that moment, the tolling of the bell ceased and the woman dropped her arms and stared at him, an eerie bluish silvery light glowing fiercely from her eyes. It was Erin.
    Erin and something else—or someone else—sharing her consciousness.
     
    Justice froze, nearly paralyzed, suddenly overcome with a fierce wave of longing for her, for them, for the essence of the Nereid who was the female to the male of his Nereid half. Insanity and battle lust ripped through him with a slicing pain. He dropped into a crouch and snarled at Ven. "I will take her from you, Vengeance. I am done with watching you rule over territory that should be mine."
     
    Ven blinked, confusion clear on his face. "What did they do to you? What in the nine hells are you talking about?" He raised his sword, but it was a half-hearted gesture. The King's Vengeance didn't have the stomach to kill a fellow warrior.
     
    A red haze of fury washed over Justice's vision until Ven's face appeared to be already covered with blood. Ven might not have the stomach for murder. Too bad for him that Justice did.
     
    Erin spoke, but it was not entirely Erin's voice that issued from her mouth. "You will stop this now, Nereid. The drugs in