Page 9 of Queen of Tempests and Sin

‘Coming,’ I mumbled, dragging myself behind him. My legs were wooden—I was running on vapours—like a student crawling home after a weeklong bender.

‘Welcome, Miss Johnson,’ the concierge said. He had slick, dyed-black hair and a pencil-thin moustache that made him look as if he’d stepped straight out of a 1920s crime flick. I offered him a polite smile and passed over my passport.

‘Thank you,’ I replied with a small incline of my head.

Once checked in, the bellhop led me to my room. Another fifty-dollar bill sent him off smiling, and without a glance at my opulent surroundings, I stripped, collapsed into the ridiculously soft bed, and let the darkness claim me.

CHAPTER 3

POSEIDON

‘Perseus,’ I said coolly, ‘we’re leaving for the human world sooner than planned. My brother and his intended are meeting me at my beachfront hotel. Inform the others. We depart in one hour.’

‘Yes, Majesty.’ Perseus bowed and left my office.

My brother, Hades, and his soon-to-be consort, Persephone, were taking a much-needed break after their latest ordeal. Persephone—a razor-tongued vixen with a spine of steel—had recently been kidnapped by a complete lunatic. That poor bastard now enjoyed the warm hospitality of Tartarus. Eternal damnation well earned.

Hades, ever the brooding contrarian, had refused to join the war against the humans unless Zeus—our egotistical, thunder-swinging brother—lifted the binding that tethered him to the Underworld. Zeus relented, and now Hades could come and go as he pleased. Of course, he took full advantage—opening nightclubs in every major city on Earth and promising Persephone they’d spend at least four months a year away from the Netherworld. She was, as she reminded everyone constantly, a modern woman.

Personally? I found her to be an endlessly vexing modern woman.

Persephone had vanished over twenty years ago, sparking the war between the gods and mortals. When she disappeared from Olympus, the god of the dead had utterly unravelled. It had taken him decades to find her again. Reborn and totally unaware of her former life as his consort, Persephone was still every inch the Queen of the Underworld—only louder, sharper, and even more infuriating than before. Somehow, she’d come back even more mouthy and obstinate. And Hades? Once again, a completely pussy-whipped bastard.

It was Hades who insisted I start “acclimatising” to the mortal world and get involved in the politics affecting my realm. Eventually, I’d agreed, though I still operated under an alias. Only a select handful of key figures knew my true identity.

Maybe one day I’d drop the façade and let them all know I was Poseidon, God of the Sea.

I looked up from my paperwork as Perseus, Theseus, Jason, and Ajax entered, all dressed in pale grey linen suits, with fitted white T-shirts—elegant, understated, and ready for the mortal world. Minos was to remain in my kingdom of Genesion to oversee matters in my absence.

These five men were my handpicked group of dedicated acolytes and bound to me by purpose and blood. All but Ajax carried the bloodlines of demigods. Ajax was mortal, flesh and bone without divine spark, but, nonetheless, a warrior in his own right. Through a sacred blood oath, I had bestowed the others many gifts, including the ability to teleport at will—a power that proved invaluable for my operations across realms. Ajax, as a human, would not receive my divine benefactions, but his devotion was unwavering.

They would protect me to their final breath. Of that, I had no doubt.

As gods, we also spoke in the local tongue wherever we walked, and I had granted the demigods this ability, too. These five men were the only souls I trusted in the human realm, aside from my brother, Hades.

‘Ready, Majesty,’ Ajax said, his gravelly voice resonating in the room.

I glanced up at the glass-type dome covering my office, where the navy-blue of the ocean stretched above us. Genesion is full of infinite beauty. A school of vibrant clownfish swam together in hypnotic synchrony, turning, twisting, and forming sweeping, glinting shapes in the water, followed moments later by a pod of dolphins gliding past with effortless grace. The ocean was my home, a place of watery depths and serenity, her vast embrace circling the globe. Her creatures were my kin—wild, free, and bound to me by more than blood.

I hated leaving. The ocean was in my blood, in my bones—my sanctuary. But there were matters in the human world that needed handling, and it was time I played my part.

With a resigned sigh, I gave a sharp nod and rose to my feet. ‘Let’s go.’

* * *

A few hours later, after a gratifying surf session, I returned to the penthouse suite in my hotel to prepare for Hades and Persephone. They’d taken residence in my mansion farther up the coast, enjoying the first two weeks of their month-long sabbatical.

Dressed in tailored trousers and a crisp button-down shirt, I stepped through the penthouse door to find Jason standing guard, sharp-eyed and still as a statue. My acolytes were paranoid about my safety, which amused me… I was a god—immortal, formidable, and damn near impossible to kill. Their paranoia was unnecessary, but I let them have it. Loyalty came in many forms.

I’d arranged private drinks at the Sunset bar before dinner, and when I arrived, the couple was already there. Erebus lingered in the periphery—shadowy and unobtrusive as ever—acting as part of their protective detail. Jason crossed the space and joined him, the two melting into the background with practiced ease.

Persephone looked stunning in an eye-catching lilac dress patterned with delicate florals. She is a ball-busting beauty—petite, poised, and entirely too sure of herself. A hellcat in heels. Striking, yes, but always ready to dig her claws in; she had a knack for grating on me and often put me in a bad mood. I released a frustrated breath, but at least my brother had found happiness again.

Small mercies.

‘Poseidon,’ Hades said as he stood, a lopsided smile tipped up his lips.

‘Hades. Persephone.’ I gave a curt nod and slid into the seat opposite them. A server appeared like a phantom and set a tumbler of whisky before me. I took a long, slow sip.