Proven (Daughters of the Sea #1) (6 page)

The oversized canopy bed stretched almost to the high ceiling, with silk embroidered drapes embracing the hand carved posts on each corner. The sheets smelled of white lilies and the plush down comforter felt like a cloud.

Yet, regardless of the opulence, I felt as if my heart was torn into jagged pieces, stolen from me in the form of Fallon, Olivia, and Finn. No sooner had I pulled on a pair of fresh white linen pants and a matching top did I feel Finn's dark essence reaching out to me. My pulse quickened as the warmth shrouded me in safety; calling to me. I jerked open the heavy wooden door leading into the hallway and my breath caught in my throat.

"Pasha," Finn's silky voice mumbled before smothering me in an embrace. His left hand slid up my back and under my hair, cupping my head and holding me to his chest. I fell into him in a rush of exhilaration and overpowering relief. He smelled of salt water and sweat, a heady aroma that reminded me where he'd been. I pulled back and inspected his square jaw, shadowed by stubble and smudges of dust and dirt. Lack of sleep had dulled his usual piercing blue eyes and his hair was wilted to his scalp, with an occasional unruly strand sticking out on its own. I could feel the fatigue in the very arms that held me tight.

"You look like hell," I joked lovingly; running a hand through his dark hair, causing a tidal wave of hair to stand straight up.  I stifled the urge to kiss him as I watched his lips move in response.

"I spent a lot of time getting ready," he chuckled wearily. "I'm trying out this new cologne called Stench du'Jour."

"I like it." I kissed him gently on the cheek. "It really speaks to the gag reflex."

He responded with an alluring smile and tugged me closer as his soft lips eclipsed mine with tenderness. When he pulled away, he searched my eyes with concern and a hint of apprehension. "So...how are you feeling?"

"You mean, is an evil moon Goddess currently hitching a ride in my mind?" I snickered.

Although I knew that was exactly what he was worried about, he sidestepped my question with lowered eyes. "No, no. I was just...worried about you."

"I'm more worried about Fallon and Olivia," I prompted gently.

"We didn't find them." His shoulders sagged and his face fell in defeat.

"Which means you didn't find any bodies," I added immediately, searching for the silver lining. "Which means they're still alive, right?"

"Ideally."

"Then there's still hope."

"That also means it's likely that Selene has them. And God knows what she plans on using them for."

"I'll try to find them in a reverie again tonight."

I had attempted repeatedly to find either Olivia or Fallon through my reveries, but it was becoming painfully obvious that Selene had them and was keeping them hidden from me somehow. It was both disturbing and promising all at once. If she was hiding them from me, that meant they were still alive.

I latched the bedroom door behind me as we traversed a breezeway back toward the main part of the fifth floor. Or it could have been the sixth. It was difficult to tell with the many sections, turrets, and landings of the castle. If I lived here, I'd need a map for sure.

"Again? Stasia..." Finn's patronizing tone was thick with overprotective intent. "I don't think you should risk it."

"I can hold her off," I assured him easily; slightly annoyed he didn't think I could face Selene without allowing her to take over my mind. "I know what to expect now. I can handle it."

"I think you need more rest," he pressed. We padded down a spiraling staircase to end up on the second floor of the castle.

"I can't rest when I know they're in trouble," I countered as we walked through the baroque, arched entrance to the main dining hall. The intoxicating aroma of eggs, bacon, and biscuits sent my stomach grumbling and my mouth watering. The castle staff had set out an extravagant spread, arranged on silver platters and accompanied by crystal glasses filled with glistening water. Three ostentatious crystal chandeliers were required to light the impressive wooden table that stretched the length of the hall. They hung from a domed ceiling, yawning three stories high and flaunting a mosaic of vibrant oil paintings depicting life on Atlantis.

"...leave again tonight," Sebastian was detailing emphatically for Carmen, Avery, and Phoebe, who were attacking their breakfasts like a pride of lionesses after the kill.

"Save some for the rest of us," Finn chuckled, receiving three unamused glances from the girls as they shoveled one of every delectable delight into their mouths. Sebastian briefly met my gaze and smirked at Finn's comment before quickly lowering his eyes in shame. His features were taut with defeat, and it appeared he and Finn had a matching pair of black circles under their eyes. After forty-eight long hours of no sleep, I didn't know how either one of them were able to function at all.

The glaring fact that I still couldn't feel his essence made me uneasy, but it was obvious which side he was on. That particular mystery ranked fairly low on my growing priority list. An equally disheveled Natasha, who had been pacing the floor, headed my direction and graciously pulled out an empty chair for me.

"How are you feeling, Stasia?" Phoebe asked tentatively at the same time Natasha spoke as well.

"Have a seat, Stasia." Natasha settled a placid hand on my lower back and ushered me towards the seat. "You need to take it easy." Irritation flared under my skin and I became insulted at her inference. I suppressed my urge to argue defiantly and ducked out from under her direction.

"I know I've been...out of it... but treating me like a fragile piece of glass that could break at any moment isn't what I need." I stood taller and met each of their stunned gazes. "I don't need rest. I don't need to take it easy. I don't need to be quarantined just in case Selene tries to take over my mind again."

"But Stasia-" Carmen started, but I cut her off with a stern look. She bit her lip and sat back obediently.

"Now that I know what she's done, I can anticipate it.  I can feel when it's happening." I paused and clenched my fists. "And I can fight it."

"But what if-" Carmen tried again.

"You're just going to have to trust me," I snapped back, and then I took a deep breath and tried again with more restraint. "I really appreciate everyone taking care of me and protecting me. I needed you and you didn't disappoint. You wouldn't leave my side and you all stepped up in my place." Finn put his arm around my shoulders and grinned down at me proudly as I continued. "She wants me to be weak. She wants me to back down. And that's exactly why I must do the opposite. Even if some of you don't like it." I shot Finn a sideways glance and he looked over his shoulder playfully as if I was referring to someone else.

"I'm just glad you're back," Phoebe broke the silence with a giggle. "Comatose Stasia wasn't a lot of fun. Especially when you were trying to kill us."

"You can say that again," Carmen added with a stabbing motion to Phoebe's chest; instantly lightening the mood and causing everyone to visibly relax. "I was sleeping with one eye open every night."

Finn and I sat opposite the girls and began filling our plates with steaming food as I surveyed the room for Maera. Our only company in the hall consisted of two nicely dressed waiters, standing guard at the kitchen door in case we had any requests. Natasha continued to pace, this time along the back wall of windows that overlooked an outside sitting area.

"So tell me what happened," I prompted Sebastian with a nod. "What did you find?"

"Nothing." He appeared to be juggling the sting of failure along with the stunned realization that it was actually possible. His eyes focused on something far away and his frown deepened. "Absolutely...nothing."

"We searched that beach for hours," Finn clarified. "Turned over every rock, every boulder... But they weren't there. We even found the passage Selene and Menoetius used to escape the collapse, but it was completely vacant; just leading to another empty beach."

Natasha sighed from the windows and continued solemnly, "Which means that either Fallon and Olivia are somewhere lost on their own, or Selene has taken them...which is my assumption."

"Tonight we're searching the surrounding islands as well as Cyprus, in case Selene retreated back to Eventide." Sebastian's shoulders flexed as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

"Tonight? And when do you plan on getting any sleep?" I drilled them with disapproval. 

"You've been up for two days straight," Avery observed between bites. "Your coordination and judgment will be the first to go."

"I'll rest when everyone is safe!" Sebastian argued vehemently; a conviction my own stubbornness could agree with. He peered around the table to make sure no one else decided to try and persuade him. "No sooner."

"Bullheadedness must run in the family," Carmen mumbled under her breath.  Before I could decide if I heard her correctly, Maera breezed into the dining hall like a breath of fresh air. Two streaks of red, laughter, and energy tumbled in after her and set to running laps around the dining hall. Their unruly crimson hair had been tamed into a long, intricate braid running down their backs; baby's breath woven within to match the floor length, satin white dresses they wore.

"Eva! Chara!" Seraphina plunged into the hall after them; sweat running down her brow and a disapproving frown pulling at the wrinkled corners of her mouth. "I must secure your crowns! Stop running and come here!" One stern look from Maera convinced the girls to listen before she was forced to step in. She watched them walk back from the opposite end of the hall, daring them to misbehave. They stopped to stand before their nanny in silence. Once her daughters were reined in for the moment, Maera turned her attention to her guests, instantly regaining her calm composure.

"Welcome back." She nodded respectfully to Natasha, Finn, and Sebastian, but her next words were lost on me as my eyes greedily drank in her appearance. Somehow, the whole of Atlantis had been collected and reconstructed upon the single majestic woman standing before us. Hugging her lean body was a strapless dress made of...moss. Its dark green, velvety texture supported her breasts with tenderness before flowing down the curvature of her hips and cascading into a subtle train, pooling behind her as she moved.

Two antiquated golden cuffs adorned both wrists, and from a single chain hung an inverted gold triangle with detailed etching around the edges, a single crystal nesting in its core. Her striking emerald eyes complimented the hue of the dress and contrasted with the stark white attire of everyone else in the room.

A strikingly unique crown perched atop the infinite waves of her flaming hair; giving her an otherworldly look. Bronze branches twisted and melted together in a breathtaking display, stretching above to create a statuesque crown fit only for the Queen of Atlantis. A smaller version of the same crown was secured onto the heads of her two daughters; giving them a perfect reason to flop their heads around to see who could knock her sister's off first. With joy brimming in her eyes and her normally calm essence vibrating with anticipation, she addressed me and Finn with a devilish grin.

"Participants from three of the seven Orders have arrived: The Tydes, Sons of Daimon, and Myriads," she announced simply. "I must request that you make preparations. It is almost time for the Conscript Exordium."

S
TASIA

The frenzy of excitement felt tangible as Finn and I trailed Maera up one of the seven bridges to the Games Metropolis, now swarming with activity. A collective whisper could be heard as our pending arrival echoed throughout the streets. As we passed beneath the stone arch, participants were already lining the main thoroughfare, capturing the moment on their phones and cameras. Their essences sizzled with exhilaration and their eyes widened in awe, filling my stomach with butterflies I didn't expect.

Would I meet their expectations? Would they be disappointed? The Conscript Exordium was simply the meeting of the Captains, but for some reason my panic rose the more I thought about it. These six Captains were the strongest and most talented Tydes on the planet! While they had been training and embracing their heritage as descendants over the past decade, I was floundering in the world of humans with little direction and even less support. Would they see me as a fraud with a destiny-filled silver spoon in my mouth? Or would they welcome me as their true Leader, deserving of respect and reverence? The warmth of Finn's hand slid into mine and a peaceful darkness wrapped its arms around me; soothing my frantic thoughts and speeding heartbeat.

"You are exactly where you belong," he affirmed amidst the doubt swirling within my thoughts. "Don't convince yourself otherwise."

"So I'm hiding my panic well?" I countered sarcastically; knowing my essence must be a warbled mess of nerves that he could sense from miles away.

"About as well as a wrecking ball." I could almost hear the smirk on his face, even in his thoughts. A giggle escaped my throat and my mouth relaxed into a smile. I squeezed Finn's hand and glanced around at the descendants wandering the streets with their belongings and astonished eyes. As the first wave of descendants to arrive, they were gifted the rare opportunity to discover where they'd be staying for the next two weeks before it filled to capacity.  They were also the first descendants to breathe life into the Metropolis for this monumental resurrection of the Games; a place that had witnessed centuries of descendants, Gods, and Goddesses congregating within its golden hospitality.