Into The Deep: X Marks the Spot, Part I
“Aye.” Duncan nods his head and then takes his shirt off. I think he has misunderstood me, but then he turns around, and I see that a map is tattooed onto his back.
“Aye.” Duncan nods his head and then takes his shirt off. I think he has misunderstood me, but then he turns around, and I see that a map is tattooed onto his back.
I can hear the blood racing through my head. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this nervous and disenchanted. Not even on Aeaea. At least there’s room to spread my wings over there.
Another call, not yours. When I heard it, it came with all this nourishment for me. Chaos, tragedy, strife. Taking a bite of each one was like taking a step, like following a trail of breadcrumbs.
“I had never loved a mortal before. And you chose him. You loved him. It broke something inside of me. I couldn’t kill him. He is my uncle…”
“I want my wife back, Moxie. I want her back. She left me when she thought I’d died. In thousands of years, the things I’ve done, she always stayed. The one thing I never did was die.”
I scroll through what’s on offer, and it makes me feel sick. There’s stuff on there that would have you screaming for Freddy Krueger to come back.
I do not cover my face. My tears are for them. I grieve for them. I mourn for them. The remorse I feel is like a weight that would pull a mortal soul to the very depths of Tartarus. I sob my apology.
My little back alley casino is thick with the smell of cigar smoke, bourbon, and shattered hopes. To me, there is no better scent in the world. I am Caerus, God of Opportunity, Luck, and Favor.
“So, be the sea. Be wild and free, and most importantly, be untamed. Be exotic, calm, serene, and virulent. Be the goddess of the sea that you were always meant to be.”
“Please, Hades. I’ll do anything,” I begged, my voice straining. “I’ll leave, and I’ll never come back. They won’t even know I am gone. I swear it.”
She was dead. Her head was literally mounted on my shield. How the hell was she here? Without thinking, I strode to her. Time was standing still and on fast forward simultaneously.
“To the airport, Jeeves,” I said with a chortle, “I have family that isn’t expecting me.”
“Welcome back, Pro,” he says jovially and jumps off me. I let out a gasp as my body breathes freely again. “You’ve been out for quite a while. I was worried we might have lost you, and that would have ruined my fun.”
My eyes stung once more at the memory. The hollow ache in my chest that had formed was still present.
“Be careful with that powder,” Than murmured as he continued to study the substance. “Something about this…” He stopped talking as the sandy dust lifted from his fingers and spiraled upwards towards the watch.