Proven (Daughters of the Sea #1)

Edited by: Stacy Sanford

Formatting and Cover Art by: Daydream Designs

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This is a work of fiction.

All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2015 Stone Press

www.kristendaybooks.com

All rights reserved.

2015 Digital Edition

Print ISBN-

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9907784-4-8  Digital ASIN: B00Y9C5G2W

Copyright Page

This book is dedicated to you! Yes, you! I write to touch the lives of others. To inspire them. To breathe life into them. I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me and will join me on many more. Enjoy! And may your loyal Paramour and protective Paladin come from within your own heart. For without self-love, we have nothing to offer the ones we cherish the most. | Boreíte gínontai prágmata astéro?n . Lámpsei fo?teinó

Acknowledgments

About the Author | Kristen Day is a native North Carolinian who, in true southern fashion, is addicted to sweet tea, baked goods and football. She graduated from Appalachian State University and bleeds black and gold. When she's not kayaking or making jewelry, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels.

L
IAM

I stepped up to the edge of the cliff with the hazy fog of indifference hanging over my thoughts. The promise of sweet release was waiting far below. It was the only way to ease the suffering; the frigid unrelenting self-hatred poisoning my mind and stalking my nightmares. The finality frightened me, but then again the unknown frightened me more. I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't recognize the face in the mirror that stared back at me, emotionless and defeated. My body was alive, but my soul was dead.

The moment my trident pierced the chest of the girl I loved, I died right along with her. My soul, my heart was in the Underworld with her. All that was left was an empty shell of Triton who had no future. The black mark on my essence would never be repaired; it would only weigh me down and darken my perceptions, emotions, intentions, and my once honorable status among my brethren. But that would be no more. I was not that Triton anymore. He was gone. I was gone.

I was no better than a bleeding, infected sore scratching across the surface of the world; a rotten bag of bones dragging my despair behind me and contaminating all of those I came in contact with. The voices and faces of my friends and brothers moved around me, but never touched me.  Never got through. I was a disease; an incurable virus that threatened to smother the human race and descendants alike. There was no honor in that. There was nothing left for me here. My purpose was obsolete, and I would not subject those around me to the dark chasms of evil now festering within me.

I clenched my fists and prepared to step off the canyon ledge; a wasted soul waiting for its chance to be released back into the Underworld. The fall would be long, but the water streaming below would do as much damage as concrete. My body would be washed out to the Mediterranean Sea, destined to circle the island of Atlantis until the creatures beneath the surface feasted on my flesh.

"I'm sorry, Willow," I whimpered and peered up at the sky as tears began to fall. "I'm so sorry."

"You would allow one mistake to ruin a lifetime of power?" a voice asked behind me. I twisted around to see who could have possibly found me here.

"Who are you?" I narrowed my eyes and turned to face her fully. She stepped toward me with confidence and smiled sweetly.

"I have something for you," she offered. The pale color of her skin stood out against the dark hair falling across her shoulders. She wore a flowing silver dress that matched the silver metallic hue of her steely eyes.

"You don't know me," I accused her, suddenly very irritated.

"Oh, I know you very well, Triton," she purred and moved even closer. "I know the ache that radiates from your soul. I know the loneliness that comes with despair. I know the perils of killing innocence."

"Tell me who you are," I demanded again, but she sidestepped my request anew.

"What you must remember is that no soul is innocent." She placed a hand on my shoulder and I felt a cool energy wash over me. "We are all sinful beings, only separated by degrees of severity. What matters is what we do with the life force swirling within us. That anger - that pain that clenches in your chest - is the best weapon you possess. If you will accept it and surrender to it, the power can rival none other."

"I am useless to my brothers. I am not a fit Leader."

"Possibly," she said with a grin. "But you are, in fact, a great leader. What if I told you I could give you the chance to be the leader you truly deserve to be? What if I told you I could make you stronger than you've ever thought possible?"

"I'd say you're lying," I accused, but she had my attention and curiosity. "Tell me who you are."

"I am the Goddess of the Moon and Leader of the Auras, Selene."

"Your reputation precedes you," I replied with a grimace. "And it's not good."

"It's difficult to be misunderstood." She held my gaze with intensity and I felt as if she were reaching into my brain and listening to my thoughts. "The loneliness that comes with the responsibility and obligation of a predetermined destiny is a heavy weight to bear. Wouldn't you agree?"

When her question was met with silence, she continued undeterred.

"It's a destitute existence, but our critics are many and our enemies relentless. A great leader has the most enemies, and the powerful leaders are the ones everyone else wants to destroy. I cannot control what others claim of me. I can only follow my own path and stay loyal to my descendants. They are what truly matters."

"How do I know I can trust you?" I countered.

"Come with me," she commanded. "The darkness within you is strength, not weakness. But there are others who need you. There are others who need a leader.  I can make you powerful. I can make you more than a Chosen descendant waiting for endless years to realize his full potential. I can make you a God."

"How?" I questioned carefully.

"Allow me to show you." She grinned, knowing I was close to accepting her offer. "But first you must do something for me."

"You want me to come with you, sight unseen, and then do something for you?" I furrowed my brow at her.

"Of your limited options at the moment..." She peered over the ledge and raised an eyebrow. "I believe mine is the most desirable.  What could you possibly have to lose?"

I took a deep breath and thought about the Triton Order. I would only taint them with my leadership. I would only poison their pure sense of duty and prestige. I was no longer worth the title of their Leader or of their brother. 

"If you are lying, I will destroy you," I warned her. She smiled widely as her silver eyes flashed and she placed her other hand on my shoulder.

"You have my word," she insisted. "You will not regret this."

She met my gaze once more and the world around us suddenly blurred and darkened. The cliff we were standing upon mere seconds before was replaced with a hard stone floor and the sound of dripping water. I glanced around and saw that we were standing in a stone tunnel. Instead of an explanation, Selene turned on her heel and walked away. I glanced in both directions before following her closely. Although the stone passageway was dark, there were streaks of light filtering through from above that provided just enough light to see. 

We took several turns before stopping in front of a substantial metal door. She placed a slender hand against the metal and I heard the click of a lock. The door swung open and she breezed inside casually. I walked through the doorway, but it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. The first thing I noticed was a slight figure, a female, slumped in a corner with her arms locked into metal clasps bolted into the stone wall. Her head was hanging forward and one arm looked like it was in danger of popping out of its socket. One leg was lying at an abnormal angle, but still she remained motionless.

A mass of light hair hung limply around her face, but from the bruises and lacerations on her legs, I could only guess her face would look similar. She appeared frighteningly malnourished, and my heart went out to her. A light shuffling sound diverted my attention to the other wall, where another figure was in the same position; arms locked into the wall while the rest of her body hung loosely beneath. Her legs were tucked underneath her, probably relieving some of the pressure on her arms.  Dark, wavy hair partially hid her face, but Selene walked right up to her and clenched a fistful. She yanked the girl's head up by her hair and a pair of dark, angry eyes settled on me.

I moved closer and stood next to Selene, unsure what I was supposed to do or who these two girls were.  She released the girl's hair and turned to me with purpose. 

"These girls must be punished," she stated plainly. She produced a sharp dagger from the folds of her dress and handed it to me. "And I want you to do it."

I took the dagger and looked at her with questions written all over my face. "Punished?"

"This one's wounds are healing," she said flippantly, and waved a hand at the dark-haired girl. "Make sure they are reopened.  Prove to me I haven't made a mistake in choosing you."

I took a deep breath and grasped the dagger by the hilt. The blade was sharp, but I could tell it was extremely old. The markings looked to be from ancient Greece, although I couldn't make any sense of them. I knelt down beside the dark-haired girl and inspected her arms. There was a jagged slash running the length of her bicep, and I put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. Even though she must have done something awful to deserve this fate, I wasn't sure I'd be able to inflict more pain on her. I sat there for a moment too long, and I felt Selene become restless behind me.

"Do it or join them, Triton," she hissed at me. At her words, the girl's head snapped up and she examined me with bloodshot eyes. Dirt and soot covered her skin and dried blood was on almost every inch of her face, but she looked familiar. She smelled of urine and infection and I felt my stomach turn violently before I could look at her again. When I heard her gasp, my head spun around and I was able to see her whole face.  I knew exactly who she was. Olivia Campbell. She coughed, and with a raspy, forced voice forced out one word.

"Liam?"