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Kye and Eason sat in the dining room chairs. Their mouths fell open at our sudden appearance.
“Zosi? Is it really you?” Eason asked, standing slowly.
“Yes, it’s me!” I ran across the room and jumped into Eason’s arms. “I’ve missed you!”
Kye hurried to my side, stealing me from Eason’s embrace to twirl me in a tight hug. “You have no idea how much I missed you, beautiful!”
“I missed you too, Kye.” My words were breathless as he set me back on my feet.
“You’re okay? Is it all over with?” Kye asked, and the hope in his eyes had my happiness at being home melting away.
“No, it’s not over. Almost, but not quite. There are two loose ends I need to tie up.” I looked around the room. “Where are Storm, Fynn, and Zeno?”
Eason answered. “Fynn got a call this morning about an emergency at his company that required his attention. Storm went with him just to make sure he didn’t go alone.”
“We stayed here, so you wouldn’t come home to an empty castle,” Kye added.
My heart tripped in my chest. That was too convenient. Fynn’s company hadn’t really needed him since he backed away from operations, but suddenly there is an emergency when I am gone for two days? I hoped my imagination was being overly dramatic, but the sick feeling in my stomach told me I wasn’t wrong.
“And Zeno? Where’s he at?” I strode to the windows that looked out over Atlantis. A very chaotic Atlantis. Mers swam this way and that while agitated sharks circled overhead. Ice trickled down my spine. Something was wrong.
“There’s been some problems, soldier.” Eason sagged into a soft armchair. “Humans are planning to take Atlantis by force. They’ve launched boats and submarines, and they’re headed this way. Zeno and the other mers are busy preparing to defend the city.”
Furious tears burned in my eyes. “If I’d been a better negotiator, this wouldn’t have happened. Why couldn’t I have been more like my mother?”
Eason’s arms wrapped around me, and he nuzzled my hair. “You don’t need to be more like your mother.”
I hadn’t realized I’d spoken out loud.
“From everything I’ve heard, your mother was an incredible queen, an incredible woman, and she made an even more incredible daughter. You are a one-of-a-kind work of art. There is no way your mother could have ruled in today’s world. But you can, princess. You’ve been sculpted by powers that humans don’t even realize exist.”
I gave a harsh laugh. “Yeah. I’m a half-blood.”
Eason turned me around in his arms, forcing me to meet his eyes. “There’s nothing ‘half’ about you. You’re an Ancient, a Greek god, with magik from the earth and unimaginable power.”
“Yes. Eason’s correct,” Lokene added. “Soyale, you’re not weaker because you’re only half Ancient. You hold an old magik—a magik that is just as powerful as anything us Ancients possess. Your body has blended the two into something unfathomable.” Lokene hesitated. “If I’m honest, it’s slightly terrifying.”
Lokene was right. My power was growing stronger with every passing minute.
My body hummed with energy, preparing for what was coming. There was just one more thing I needed to do before I hunted down the two Ancients.
“I have to go get something. I’ll be back.” I kissed Eason and then Lokene before stepping back and preparing to blink.
“What do you mean? Where are you going?” Kye asked, running a hand through his messy hair.
“I don’t have time to explain, but I promise I’ll explain everything later. Please try to get Storm on the phone and let him know they may be in danger. As soon as I finish my errand, I will go get them.”
“We could go get them.” Lokene and Bion spoke in unison.
“No. I can’t risk that she will get her hands on any more of my mates.” A growl rumbled in my chest just at the thought.
“If we go together, it would be two against one. I think we can handle that,” Bion protested.
“Fine. See if you can find them and make sure they are safe, but don’t get anywhere near Lily or Lexi. You may not be willing to kill an Ancient, but they don’t seem to have the same set of morals.” My stomach twisted with anxiety.
“Okay,” both men agreed with a nod of their heads and disappeared.
Kye and Eason had twin looks of concern.
