To Ocean's End (29 page)

The threat of his demon form receded from her awareness and Dyne threw his hands up in surrender. He returned to his chair and scowled at her with his arms folded in front of him.

Jessie cautiously approached the open window. “How did you manage that?” She cringed in anticipation of another angry outburst.

He heaved a sigh through his nose. “I have a lockdown container for reasons other than avoiding all light sources for five days and nights. There’s a reason I didn’t want Rammus opening the door, even after I transformed.” He shook his head and sighed again. “If I transform by my own choice, I’m fine. But if it’s not by my own choice, even if I purposely expose myself to light, the primal side of human nature takes over all rational thought, but only if I see the ocean.” He began anxiously bouncing a leg. “The very first month of my curse, I transformed and had this overwhelming need to go to where the water gods live. Don’t ask where. I found it only on instinct and I can find and reach it only in demon form.

“Anyway, when I got there, Amphitrite’s daughter, Rhode, intercepted me before I could find her mother. She redirected my primal urges to her, and then I did nothing but eat, sleep, and fuck a goddess for the next three months.

“The first month I was at the mercy of my curse, but the next two felt like revenge. Rhode regarded me as a fascinating and pleasurable creature, but she enjoyed keeping me around and did nothing to dissuade me from using her as a form of revenge. Her mother got real pissed when she found out, and even tried to kill me, but Rhode helped me escape the underwater palace.” Dyne got up and calmly approached the window, arms still folded. His voice came out softer, full of longing. “Rhode’s the one who taught me how to keep my curse under control. She also showed me mercy and compassion by redirecting the ketos’s uncontrollable instincts onto her. Letting me reach her mother in that state would’ve been one of the most humiliating things to ever happen to me.”

“Then maybe we need to see her instead for help.”

“She’s not the one who cursed me,” Dyne said unhappily. “She already tried to lift it. Besides, her mother has kept us apart ever since.”

Jessie couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

He narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“She sounds... jealous. Can gods get jealous?”

“They have every human emotion, flaw, and virtue. They’re not like us; we’re like them.”

“Think about everything you told me. She obviously wanted to keep the curse between you and her, but then her daughter got involved and Amphitrite lost it. Her behavior screams of jealousy.”

“That’s amusing and all but what am I supposed to do about a jealous goddess?”

“I have no idea. What I do know is that we need to go see her. That’s all there is left for now. I finally know everything she wants me to know.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I feel her moods when I’m interacting with you. I didn’t quite get what I was feeling until some point after the lockdown I interrupted. Right now she’s eagerly anticipating our visit.”

“I’m bursting with joy,” he said sarcastically. “Is there anything else, or can I go back to thinking?”

“You can go back to thinking. Just don’t forget I’m here to help you.” She took a step back from the window.

“I know. I’m just tired of people dying while they try to help me.”

“I accepted the consequences long ago.”

“Well then, if that’s how you feel, then go finish your lunch and bring me up another raspberry square.”

Jessie brightened at the request. “Oh, you liked those, huh?”

“You made them?” He frowned, as if he’d been caught indirectly complimenting the wrong person’s cooking. “You weren’t supposed to turn into my secondary cook, you know.”

“Just making myself useful between bodyguard duties, Captain.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now shoo.” He waved her off.

Chapter 25

Rejected

Jessie’s light mood from the indirect pastry compliment spread throughout the galley. The rest of the crew started conversing, smiling, and even joking a bit while she and Mido washed dishes and cleaned up the place. Sadly, all that came to an abrupt end when Dyne called all participating crew members to the kernels.

“Everyone who’s going, head on up. Everyone who’s staying, sit tight. Give us no more than eight hours. If we don’t return by then, assume the worst and sail away. I’ll find my ship sooner or later and return with whomever I’m able to keep alive.”

The crew woodenly left the table and filed onto the deck. Ed, Ted, Jessie, Mido, and Jacobi gathered before Dyne at the stern. Sauna wanted to come but he had to stay behind since he was the least-skilled fighter of the three techies. His duty was to keep the engine running. Scully wanted to come but his face was still healing, and he was out of shape after all that bed rest. Cancer stayed behind to keep his medical skills at the ready. Rammus and Sam stayed behind to help guard the
Pertinacious
.

“Alright, listen up,” Dyne said. Jessie and the others formed a semi-circle and gave him their full attention. “There will be either a little bit or a lot a bit of talking between her and I. Just pick a spot to stand or sit and don’t move from it. And
do not talk
unless she prompts you to. Otherwise just stay there and be ready to run at a moment’s notice. Got it?”

They all said they got it, then Ed said, “So why exactly are you letting us tag along?”

“You don’t have to come but you all insisted on not letting Jessie and I go by ourselves. If you’re having second thoughts, I won’t look down on any of you for staying.”

“I’m still going. I just wanted to know if we could be helpful in more ways than staying quiet.”

Dyne gave him a measuring look. “Help me maintain a link to the rest of humanity.” Ed blinked. “Even right now she’s subtly pressing me to transform. The effort’s halfhearted but she’ll keep pressing harder the longer this visit lasts. Having all of you around gives me motivation to resist. If I went alone, I’d probably give in within minutes. You’re all my morale support.”

“Is that why she’s killed others who’ve gone with you in the past?”

“No.” His gaze fell to the deck. “She’s the sea. She takes lives as she sees fit. This is your last chance to stay.” He looked at each of them in turn. None of them moved. He nodded, an act full of relief and gratitude. “Let’s go.”

They descended the stern ladder to the kernels, one at a time, then pushed away and headed for the giant dome of a rock several hundred yards out to sea. The swells helped pull them closer and the water stayed shallow enough to see the sandy bottom all the way to the rock. They circumvented it until they found a gaping opening leading them in. They motored up close to ankle-deep water, then dragged the kernels onto the rock and washed-up sand.

The cave entrance looked like it should’ve had thousands of bats flying and hanging around, but no guano blanketed the floor. Fish bones and crustacean shells littered tide pools, and there was a smooth path wide enough for them to walk single file deeper inside. A battery-powered lantern in hand, Dyne led the way with Jessie right behind him. Mido followed her with Ed and Ted behind him, and Jacobi bringing up the rear with a second lantern, all of them unarmed. Not even sparring gloves. Jessie felt a bit vulnerable without them but what weapon could any of them use to fight the wrath of the sea?

They’d helped train and condition Jessie between deliveries, once they were all healed up enough. She’d tried the sword but it just wouldn’t click. On top of that, it made her wrist incredibly sore. Instead they focused on making her fists deadly, which felt like second nature. She began to hold her own against most of them. She often got trumped by their brute strength, but she slowly learned their fighting styles, except Jacobi’s, and began sneaking inside their defenses more and more often.

Jacobi refused to fight her, much less talk to her. He’d explained to Captain that he’d rather have nothing to do with her if he needed to tolerate her company on board indefinitely. That was perfectly fine with her. He didn’t insult or threaten her; however, she could see it in his pale eyes that he wanted to. So long as he kept his thoughts to himself, she wasn’t gonna complain.
 

The cave ceiling lowered and the walls gradually closed in as they wended farther inside, making the passage claustrophobic. Dyne walked on unfazed, even when he had to sidestep to squeeze through a bottleneck. Jessie’s breasts brushed the wall when she passed through. Mido, Ed, and Ted squeezed through with just a few small scratches. Jacobi contemplated the bottleneck, then he pivoted his broad frame, sucked in his breath, and inched through like he was trying to not touch he walls, then got stuck halfway through. He puffed up his sculpted chest as he groped for a handhold, but his torso moved as much as a bolted down skipper chair. He tried pushing himself in reverse.

“Captain, I’m stuck!” Jacobi went wild-eyed as he used all four limbs to try and free himself. His face reddened.

Dyne calmly turned around and walked up to him. “Ed. Ted. Grab his arm.” The two techies came over and wrapped their hands around his forearm. Jacobi clutched Ted’s forearm. The captain said, “You: exhale, stupid.”

Jacobi continued to take in shallow gulps of air. He stopped struggling and focused on his breathing, then shook his head. “Captain, I can’t--”

“Just do it!” Jacobi tried to protest. “Shut up. Inhale. Hold your breath a sec, then exhale and hold it again.” Dyne backed up a bit, giving the techies more room in the modestly wider portion of the bottleneck.

Jacobi panted and writhed, then finally took a shallow breath, held it, then exhaled. Ed and Ted yanked, and his broad chest popped free. The three of them staggered and almost fell but caught their balance after Dyne sidestepped out of the way.

Dyne waved for the techies to give Jacobi space, who lifted his shirt, revealing a collection of horizontal scratches all over his chest and abs. The captain shoved his hands in his pockets. “Get your head back on straight. I’ll dismiss you to the ship right now if you can’t keep your cool just trying to get through a narrow passage.”

Jacobi lowered his shirt and patted down his front. “Sorry, Captain.”

“It better not happen again.”

“It won’t.”

Dyne studied Jacobi as his cargo pusher worked on getting his breathing under control. “Is your head back on straight now?”

“Yes, Captain. I’m good.”

“I hope so.” He took the lead and resumed walking. “We’re all about to face scarier things than a little claustrophobia. You’re gonna die if you’re that jumpy.”

They resumed following Captain, their footsteps echoing off the walls, which began to grow covered in beads of sweat. The smell of salt water dominated the musty air and the whole energy of the cave shifted from mundane to tense. Something about the cave felt alive and aware, as if the walls were grinning where their lantern light didn’t touch. The cave felt dangerous, like the time Jessie had snuck into the lockdown container. And just like before, she felt powerless to steer away from danger. She felt a desire to walk right into it.

“Does anyone else feel that?” Ted said.

“The shift in the cave’s atmosphere?” Ed said.

“Yeah.”

“Every time we turn a corner, I keep expecting something to jump out at us.”

“Me, too,” Mido said, eyeing the shadowy walls.

“That’s normal,” Dyne said.

“I feel like it would be smarter to turn back,” Ed said, “but I can’t seem to help but want to go forward.”

“I’m not backing out after coming this far,” Jacobi said.

“Oh, neither are we,” Ted said. “Ed was just saying.”

“Yeah,” Ed said. “I just wanted to know if I wasn’t the only one.”

Dyne stopped walking and they all came to a halt. “Fair warning: none of us stand a chance against her. If she wants something, she will get it. Don’t pick a fight with her. You will lose.” He faced them, his face dead serious. “The will of us mere mortals can’t contend with the will of a god. I know I explained that you’re all here to help me fight transforming, but if she really wants me to, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Keep that in mind if any stupid ideas pop into your heads.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jacobi said.

“Yep.” Dyne adjusted his grip on his lantern and resumed walking. They traversed a few more turns and the path suddenly opened up into a vaulted chamber big enough to encase the
Pertinacious
. The path wound through a long strip of uneven rock to a smooth shore cradling the lip of a huge pool of undisturbed water. The chamber was lit from an underwater source, casting a shimmering spiderweb of light lines all over the walls and ceiling. The shimmering light bounced off spaced mirrors, guiding light beams all along the ceiling and to one large dome at the apex, bathing the massive pool in ample light. Thousands of fireflies danced near the water’s surface.

“Well this cave looks rather normal,” Ed whispered.

“Minus the light coming from underwater,” Ted added.

Dyne said, “Don’t complain or you’ll get more than you bargained for. Now stay behind me.” He waved for them to keep some distance, then approached the water’s edge and told them to stand in row on the shore. They lined up, facing the water, and Jessie’s heart began to pound. The cave looked deserted but her gut insisted they weren’t alone. She took Mido’s hand for comfort.

Dyne held up his hands like a musical conductor, then spread his arms and raised them. The fireflies retreated to the pool’s fringes as the water began to swirl like a whirlpool. Two opposing bands of water twirled and rose high over their heads like hair caught in a sudden wind. He lowered his arms and the bands fell back into the stilling water, yet the fireflies remained along the edges.

The pond’s surface began to swell in the center. A column of water rose up and up, almost  all the way to the ceiling, then morphed into a head, shoulders, the outline of arms, hips, and the length of a toga. Skin tones and white cloth colored the water, along with dark curls of hair that fell to the hips. Dark eyes just like Jessie’s, but probably just as big as her if she curled into a ball, looked down at them with interest. Full lips curled into a smile, a gold band crowned her head, and a bigger matching band cinching her toga just under her breasts, which were barely contained inside her toga. She had to be at least a hundred feet tall, yet gorgeous, intimidating, and dangerous.

Amphitrite’s sensual voice filled the entire chamber. “Welcome back, Dyne Lavere. It has most certainly been too long.”

“Madam.” Dyne bowed politely with his arms glued to his sides. “I’ve returned in hopes that you’ll lift my curse.”

She let out a playful laugh. “So direct. We will get to that soon enough. Let us dine together so we may discuss such things on a full stomach. And please, have your friends join us.”

Jessie and the others looked at each other with worry. The fact that they’d just eaten meant nothing. They were supposed to remain quiet observes; not participants.

Dyne glanced over his shoulder and spoke in a low voice. “Do. Not. Refuse.”

Amphitrite closed her eyes and tilted her head back, showing a beautiful swan neck. Her giant form shimmered and became water, then splashed into the pool. In its place stood a smaller goddess, but still larger than life. She spread her slender arms and the water stilled and flattened, then walked across the surface as if it was solid, her hips swaying with sex appeal, and sweet toes peeking out with every step. Jessie felt like an ugly, clumsy duckling in the goddess’s presence. She couldn’t manage a strut like that, at least not in boots. Amphitrite stopped a few feet from short, towering over them at, Jessie guessed, ten feet tall. The matching gold bands were carved into the likeness of leaping dolphins.

Amphitrite studied Jessie with interest before addressing Dyne. “I think you and your friends will find my accommodations exquisite.” She held out a perfect arm towards the pool’s center. A round table with curved legs, made either out of glass or pure ice, rose out of the water, along with seven matching chairs, one of them twice as big as the rest. “Come. Sit.” Amphitrite clasped her hands together over her flat stomach.

Dyne turned to his crew and gestured with his head towards the impossible-to-reach table. He began heading towards it but Amphitrite’s voice stopped him mid-stride.

“But not you,” she said casually. “You will wait on all of us.”

His shoulders tensed as he absorbed her words, and then his posture deflated. “Yes, madam.” She frowned and he wrapped his arms over his stomach with a grunt. It was the same posture from when he’s fought off transforming in Revivre.

Jessie wanted to run over and hold him, and whisper words of encouragement.

“What are you doing to him?” Jacobi yelled, taking a step forward.

His back to them, Dyne spoke in a tight voice. “What did I say about talking out of turn?”

A whisper of a “but” escaped Jacobi’s lips but he fell silent and stepped back.

Amphitrite stepped ashore and crossed to Jacobi. Even though he was a mountain of bronzed muscle, he looked like a bulky child next to her. Ed and Ted shied away as Jacobi bravely held his ground. She said, “Your decision to bring this one is questionable.”