Chapter 35 — Decisions, Decisions

It wasn't until they splashed down into some ornate, Olympic-sized pool in a room she'd never seen, that Dark realized it hadn't been her that portaled them to safety, but Poseidon. Water flooded over her, cool and yet stifling, bubbling around her as she sank to the bottom. One push of her feet sent her swimming back to the surface. Poseidon was already there, hastily sliding out of the water towards two large golden doors.

"Godsdammit Poseidon!" Dark cursed, livid as she swam to the edge behind him, "Why the hell would you drop us in the middle of a fucking pool?" A cold pool at that.

"I can never resist the urge to drop in when I come home," he shrugged from the doorway, then continued off into the next room.

"Home?! We don't have time for a fucking pit stop!" He ignored her, pushing the doors open with a deep groan.

"Hey! I know you heard me! Stop!" She was scrambling behind him now, sloshing water along the beautiful, tiled floor. She couldn't help but stare at the surrounding beauty. There weren't words for the majesty and reverence she felt as she looked around.

The room felt like a lost treasure of old. The predominately royal blue tile of the pool was rimmed at the top edge by white and gold in a pattern she found oddly soothing. Some of the stone walls had murals of gardens and landscapes. Some had murals of cities filled with robed people and laughter. Vines with budding flowers swept down from the ceiling and hung just low enough to brush against her shoulders. They crawled across the stone ceiling, which was arched and tiled in a striking painting of a beautiful red-haired woman. Cleito. Suddenly, she understood the reverence a bit more. This place was special.

Stone pillars held large basins of fire and old, small stone tables sat next to them with bowls of crushed material and what looked to be a hookah or some other type of smoking device. Another cursory glance around the room had her finally noticing that one stone wall was missing, letting the pool's edge kiss the side of his home. An infinity edge of glass where he could drape himself to take in a sunset much like the one cresting the world as she stood there. Blues and golds and oranges bathed the room in their glow.

This was certainly where he entertained. Probably the jewel of his palace, because why else would he need an infinity edge when he could simply go to the ocean whenever he wished?

Forgetting she was supposed to be following Poseidon, Dark skimmed the dry edge of the pool and peered out through the opening. She could see the body of water below, though she didn't know which one, and she could see the jagged edge of land curving out. An island. Suddenly, the room felt little like a space for entertaining but a place of remembrance. This was the island palace from his story. This was their home, his wife's and his. And this was likely the place he made for her to enjoy the ocean, not him. It was likely no one had ever seen this place except him…and now, Dark.

"If you want food, get a move on!" Poseidon called from the other room, and she tore her gaze away from the sea and the revelation that now sat heavy in her chest. He couldn't keep himself from coming here first whenever he came home. Whether in penance or greeting, she couldn't tell, but it dragged up the discomfort of their earlier conversation. He killed his wife and pitied Hades. He warned her to be careful with the king of hell and did so, because he knew firsthand that a god could kill anyone, even someone they loved.

*****

They weren't necessarily in crisis mode yet—Hades and Tantalus, but they were edging into panic. Days. It had been days since anyone saw or heard from Dark. Days since Poseidon left to find her, saying he had a clear bead on her location, something about tracking his own power signature. It should have been quick and simple, but the absence was growing long and tense.

The issue wasn't that Dark couldn't take care of herself. The issue was that she could, and she didn't have any pesky feelings of compassion or mercy to worry about. They were worried she'd take her show on the road, charge headfirst into Asteria's ranks and fight it out to the death. And fear settled cold in their veins with the thought of it.

And of course, the fact that Poseidon hadn't returned meant only one of two things. One, she refused to let him and now held him captive to her own plan. Or two, she was in real trouble, and he would not leave her to face it alone. Neither seemed promising things to think about.

Coiled around Hades' office like wayward children, the few gods and Titans that cared about Dark, heavy in thought: Hades, Tantalus, Coeus, Hyperion, and Iapetus. How could they find her? How could they bring her back? And the quieter thought Hades kept in the back of his head, how could he keep her from leaving again? Though he tried to fight it, his mind was running away from him again. She made him feel too much whether she was there or gone. She made him erratic and starved. Gods, he was thirsty. So fucking thirsty. He clenched his hands together tight enough to drag blood under the lip of his desk.

Thia was off consulting with her oracles, Circe with her spell books. War counsels and various stages of war planning were still heavily underway with the upper gods and higher Titans alike. This ragtag band of people in Hades' office was all that they had to work with for this endeavor. Unfortunately, the Titans hadn't been outside their hell for far too long to know where to seek answers, and the gods had reached a dead end a few hours ago. It was up to Thia and Circe now to track down a lead. Unless, by some miracle, Dark suddenly showed up.

"So, this is a common thing then, yeah?" Iapetus whistled at Hades, "You three…?" His eyes flitted back and forth between Hades at his desk and Tantalus leaned against the doorway. "I mean, I'm not judging it's just we were always very one on one…not that it matters anymore." His jaw tightened briefly. Hades' eyes locked onto Iapetus' with an intensity that had asshole shifting into his armored form. It was a touchy subject for both.

"Is that really the most pressing fucking thing to discuss right now?" his growl was shards of glass and wrath in one.

"Well, seeing as we are fresh out of fucking leads and you've not offered a single plan in the last hour, I figured it couldn't hurt to just ask," Iapetus rolled his eyes.

"Yes," Tantalus drawled in a bored, detached way, "It's a common arrangement. As are other, probably even more scandalous arrangements, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say it's a first for both of us…Not all gods are inclined to share. I, for one, would rather rip his spine from his body and take her far away from this terrible little plan to get her killed."

"She's not going to get killed," Hades quietly offered, "She'll defeat Asteria. She's strong enough now."

"So I keep hearing. And yet, selfish or not, I'd keep her as far away from the battle as I could. I'd chain her to the bed, hell I'd chain her anywhere. I care not about the means or location, but I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd make sure she lived. After I ripped out your spine, of course."

"And yet here I am," Hades stared coldly, "Spine intact."

"For now."

"As much as I hate to side with a god," Coeus huffed, "This is a conversation best left for another time. Poseidon and Angel have been missing for days. In fact, I find it strange that you”—he speared a finger in Tantalus' direction—"Are not more concerned for her well-being. You were just fighting over her…"

"You would think to assume you know a single thing I am concerned with?" Tantalus' voice edged like a knife. He was looking for blood, for a fight, it seemed. The cool, detached demeanor gave way to a very pissed off god. His head tilted to the side with a wild grin that promised blood. Coeus, to his merit, didn't flinch. He didn't take a breath. He didn't even shift into his armor. He merely quirked a brow in reply and flexed his fist.

"This is unwise," Hyperion hedged between the two.

"To be fair, I am perhaps the only one who doesn't think Dark needs much protecting. She's fine. And she'll return whenever she is ready. The question will be whether your friend Poseidon will still be in one piece when she does," Iapetus’ eyes gleamed with a violent promise. He would love nothing more than to see her unbound by rules and limitations. She was raw, honed power that would decimate anything that touched her. And yet he wanted to touch her. He wanted to unleash her. Nothing bothered him more than power being tamed. Fuck Cronus' fears. Fuck those years of killing. He'd finally met her now. Seen her up close. And he was enthralled.

"Anyone in that arena now knows she needs no protecting. It doesn't change the fact that she should have returned by now," Hyperion's frame covered a third of the back wall of Hades' office as he moved away from the cooling tension.

"Did she have some pressing meeting to attend?" Tantalus shrugged, "Hell, did she have any concrete plans for you to be assuming she should be back by a certain time? We've tried everything we could think of. Every place, every point of contact, every connection."

"We've tried every point of connection for her," Coeus insisted, "But what of Poseidon?"