Taken By The Shark

“Do you know anything about your ancestors, Chelsea?” he wanted to know. “Were any of them strongly connected to the sea?”

Sitting up with a confused frown, she replied, “We all are. Why?”

“It’s a long story, sweetheart,” he said as he joined her on the bed. “I’d much rather tell you about it later.”

Sighing softly as his lips sought hers, Chelsea was more than willing to set the matter aside in favor of the activities that his wayward hands suggested.

Paribdus was once again in whale form as he swam over to meet with Sirenia. The female, as infuriating as ever, had taken on her preferred form as a giant octopus. She was currently displaying her color in bright red, which was most certainly meant to warn him of her mood. Like he cared one jot what mood his enemy was in, or what mood she chose to display.

Though they were half-siblings, the two of them had never gotten along. Long ago, when Paribdus had become a king of the sea, his sister had set herself up as a queen just to spite him. Nowadays it was her favorite thing to point out that the human women had become liberated, so why should their gods be so far behind.

She liked to call herself that, as well. A Goddess, not just one of the gifted. Of course they had powers that surpassed all knowing, but that didn’t make them deities. Deities were supposed to be ethereal beings, and the gifted were not made of mists. They had physical bodies, with physical urges and needs. Maybe to the humans they might once have served as gods, but not anymore. Not in a very long time.

So it was, the two met outside the walls of either city, to talk as equals. As usual, Paribdus allowed his sister to speak first.

“What is this meeting about, brother?” she wanted to know. “Why would you tell me that it is urgent?”

“Your lackeys attacked my son and his bride the other day,” he said without preamble. “I’d like to know why.”

“We didn’t know she belonged to him,” she replied. “In fact, when they attacked her she was still a human. You know full well that she was meant to come to me as a descendant of my line. Why, did you change her and allow them to mate?”

“If I hadn’t done, he probably would simply have done it himself,” Paribdus pointed out. “You know how kids are these days. Anyway, he’s made his choice, so you and your ghouls had better back off.”

“Or what?” she snapped irritably. “You’ll take your trident to me?”

“Shut up,” he growled. “You know I lost that thing ages ago. Just back off, will you? You’re really in no position to go to war over this, are you? You don’t have a third the number of troops as I possess, and most of them are only loyal to you out of fear of your retribution. That’s hardly the way to bring up a loyal army who would be willing to fight to the finish, is it?”