Oceanborne by Katherine Irons Page B

Atlantis.”
    His lower lip quivered and he felt the sting of salt tears in his eyes. “Give me another chance. I won’t fail you again.”
    â€œNo, you won’t. My patience has run out with you, Caddoc.”
    â€œGive me the poison. I’ll get it right this time.”
    â€œVery well.” She settled onto a cushioned bench. “But first, I desire food. Order me a feast from the kitchens, the best they have to offer. I’m starving.”
    â€œWhatever you wish, Mother.” Zephyr would have to wait. He was no longer in the mood for lovemaking. Halimeda would have to be appeased, and then he’d have to get rid of her before she was discovered. Doing her bidding was a small price to have her back in Melqart’s realm and out of Atlantis. And as for Morgan’s wife, he owed her for the death of his cousin Jason. She deserved whatever fate his mother had planned for her.
    â€œMy dinner!” Halimeda reminded him.
    â€œAt once, Mother. What do you desire?”
    â€œEverything. All of it.” Drool ran from the corners of her mouth, and she wiped it away with the back of her arm. “And the sooner the better.”
    â€œAs you say, Madame. Everything.” And the sooner you’re away the better for me, he thought as he pulled a braided rope to summon a servant.
    The notion that she might be right this time lightened his mood. After all, the twins were warriors, and warriors died all the time in combat. Once Morgan and his wife were dealt with, his mother might have a plan for Orion and Alexandros… . He could picture himself sitting at the right hand of Poseidon, imagining the heralds announcing him as Crown Prince Caddoc.
    There would be no need to give trinkets to women then. They would willingly throw themselves at his feet and into his bed…. Even Morwena. His half-sister had evaded him before, but this was another game. He smiled at his mother. With Halimeda’s help, sweet Morwena might be the prize he’d sought for so long.
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    Elena stared at the heavy gold ring that had fallen from the seaweed. It was inscribed with strange symbols … not Linear B, but definitely writing of some kind. The workmanship was exquisite, but it was very old, certainly Bronze Age, possibly Minoan. This was a true work of art. How it had come to be in the bottom of this boat she couldn’t imagine. Excitement made her giddy. She’d seen, even held treasures of the ancient world before, and that wasn’t why she was so intrigued. She had the strongest hunch that this ring was familiar.
    Her complete blank about where she’d been or with whom the night before was every bit as puzzling. She’d never done drugs, and although she enjoyed a drink or two, it wasn’t like her to become inebriated. If she’d been the victim of some creep, it wasn’t likely that she’d awaken feeling good with no evidence of having been attacked or robbed.
    In any case, she needed to get back to her headquarters. Her position as leader of this undersea expedition was too precarious to risk her reputation with her crew and colleagues. This might be the only chance she’d ever get to prove herself and she wasn’t about to waste it. Since she’d been a grad student, she’d struggled to overcome her father’s legacy of brilliance gone awry. And nothing would allow her to be tarred by the same brush.
    She didn’t like to think about what had happened to her father, his obsession with an impossible quest, and his breakdown of health, reputation, and finally family. His fanaticism had cost him his life, and cost her the love and companionship of a beloved parent. But the academic world was full of competition and jealousy. Too many people had been unhappy when she’d been granted the opportunity to lead this project, and they’d be delighted to see her fail.
    Clutching the precious ring tightly in her left hand, Elena lowered