Warriors of Poseidon 05 - Atlantis Redeemed

“my lady” threw Tiernan off, and her guard slipped, just a little. Riley suddenly cried out.
    “What happened?” she said, her voice shaking. “Between the two of you? So strong—but so wrong, so very, very wrong.”
    “I would prefer that you refrain from using your aknasha powers on me, with all respect, Your Highness,” Brennan said, a muscle in his jaw jumping. Clearly he was controlling his anger out of respect for the princess. “Emotional empathy is not—”
    “Not applicable to you, yes, I know,” said Riley. “Never before, at least, although there was that one time with Quinn.” Her face had gone as white as those fluffy towels in Brennan’s shower, Tiernan noted with interest and dismay.
    “But now . . .” Riley’s voice trailed off and then she handed the baby to Conlan and crossed to Brennan. “You’re running flat out on sheer adrenaline and pain,” she murmured, lightly touching his arm.
    Brennan’s jaw tightened, but he held still under her touch, which, out of pure contrariness, made Tiernan want to rip the woman’s hand off and stuff it down her skinny throat.
    Riley’s head whipped around, and she pinned Tiernan in place with the weight of her penetrating stare. “You, too? You and Brennan? But how is this possible?”
    Conlan, cradling his child in one arm, put the other around his wife. “Maybe you could tell the rest of us what’s going on here?”
    The color drained out of Riley’s face until she turned white and stumbled toward the comfortable chair she’d been sitting in a few minutes earlier. “I think they need to explain it,”
    she said, waving a hand in the general direction of Brennan and Tiernan. “Because the thing where Brennan hasn’t had any emotion for centuries?” Riley whistled, a long, slow sound.
    “That’s so over.”
    Atlantis Redeemed – Warriors of Poseidon 05
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    Alaric stepped forward, gliding through the room so elegantly and effortlessly that Tiernan almost wanted to check him for a pulse, in case he really was a soulless vampire.
    The thought of Alaric’s reaction if she did made her grin a little bit, but she stepped back and gave him a wide berth as he headed straight for Brennan.
    “The curse?” the priest demanded, getting right up in Brennan’s face. “Did the curse finally come to fruition and you have not informed me of it?”
    Brennan’s icy stare would have intimidated most people enough that they’d back off, but either Alaric was brave or he was stupid, because he poked Brennan in the chest. “Too busy playing with your human?” he said, sneering. “Did I not command you to tell me the instant you felt any—”
    The rest of them didn’t find out what Alaric had been about to say, because Brennan hauled off and punched him in the stomach. Hard. Alaric flew backward from the force of it and ended up tripping over a cushioned chair and sprawling into it. Then he just sat there, shock and murder fighting for control over his expression, his eyes glowing hotter and hotter with power.
    “I should kill you for that,” Alaric finally said, and it was all the more terrifying because of the utterly calm way he said it.
    “You can try,” Brennan replied, baring his teeth. “I would welcome the chance to kick your pompous, overbearing ass after all these centuries, youngling, so be prepared to bring your best.”
    “Youngling?” Alaric’s eyes were popping out of his head, and it wasn’t a good look for him. “Did you call me a youngling?”
    “I was one of Poseidon’s elite when you were still suckling your mother’s tit, youngling,”
    Brennan taunted. “Show some respect for your elders.”
    Tiernan and Riley both gasped at the same time and shared a glance of utter shock.
    “So,” Conlan said mildly. “I see that Brennan has his emotions back.”
    “Oh, I will show you some respect, warrior,” Alaric snarled, flying up out of the chair. Literally flying. He sprang at Brennan, but Tiernan had been ready for him, and she ran to put herself between the two of them, realizing even as she did it that it was one of the stupidest things she’d ever done in her life.
    “Stop!” She held up her hands, knowing she couldn’t in a million years hold off Alaric. He stopped in midair, though, at her command, almost as though she had some kind of magical power. She blinked at him, then down at her hands.
    “Um, did I just do that?”
    Atlantis Redeemed – Warriors of Poseidon 05
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