S. Welles - To Ocean's End

Amphitrite leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He froze, and then he started shrinking back to normal as she pulled away, a satisfied smile on her face. She returned to her seat, then, once Mido was back to his normal tallness, gestured for them to do the same.

He wiped his mouth with a forearm. “That was weird,” he whispered as they climbed back into their chairs. “Kinda cool to be that tall but still weird.”

“I like you better at this height,” Jessie said. While his giant muscles had been impressive, there was no way things would work if he was over ten feet tall.

“I’ll have to find another champion another day,” Amphitrite said. Her gaze fell on Jacobi. “Or perhaps this bronzed specimen of masculine perfection could do. After an attitude adjustment.”

“Please don’t!” Dyne blurted. He gripped the edge of the table so hard his fingers were white. “Please.”

Amphitrite took a sip of wine. “Sine you asked nicely, I’ll give you a choice.” She set her glass down and held up a finger. “One: let me claim him and I’ll forgive his wrongdoings. No strings attached.” She held up a second finger. “Or two: keep him and accept his punishment for what he did to my avatar.”

Dyne rounded on Jessie. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

She cringed. “I didn’t want the crew hating each other because of me.”

Jacobi said, “I didn’t do anything to her!”

Amphitrite spoke in a deep throaty voice that filled the whole cavern. “ Liar !” The vehement conviction made goose bumps form all over Jessie’s skin. The rest of the crew froze.

“Never try to lie to me again.”

Jessie glanced at the water. The croco-frog things were concentrated near Jacobi’s end of the table and so close to the surface that their swimming created v’s in the surface. She gasped. “Please don’t hurt him! He never touched me. Besides, I already got even with him.”

“You have, child. But I haven’t.” She put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on interlaced fingers.

Dyne said, “Jessie, what did he do to you?”

“I never touched her!” Jacobi yelled.

“Words cut deeper than swords,” Amphitrite said.

All the men looked at Jessie expectantly. Mido, Dyne, and Jacobi were angry. The other two were confused. She heaved a resigned sigh. “He threatened to rape me if I didn’t leave Mido and the Pertinacious .” A pregnant silence followed.

“You fool,” Dyne said.

Mido tensed, his muscles taut with fury and glare fixed on Jacobi. “You…” he muttered under his breath. Jessie put a hand on his arm. Now would be a horrible time to start fighting among each other. Mido ignored her touch.

“Choose wisely,” Amphitrite said. “I recommend letting me take him. You never ever treat a lady so poorly, avatar or not, especially after learning that others have done worse than threats. He is fully deserving of my scorn.”

Jacobi looked at the goddess. “I don’t wanna be her pet.”

“I think we have reached a decision,” Dyne said unhappily.

“So be it.” Amphitrite waved a hand and the chair Jacobi sat on turned to water. He fell and, instead of hitting a solid surface, splashed into the pool. The aquatic monsters swarmed him.

Dyne jumped out of his chair, ran to Jacobi, and pulled him out before the monsters could drag him under. Dyne used his command over water to slap and bat them away. Arms and webbed hands retreated back under the surface and Dyne dragged Jacobi back onto solid water. Amphitrite watched, her face a flat glare.

“We’re here to discuss lifting my curse,” Dyne said. “Punish him on your own time.”

Her eyes narrowed to feral slits. “You grow too bold, Dyne Lavere.”

Dyne let go and dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach and groaning. Ed, Ted, and Mido jumped off their chairs and rushed to him. The techies wrapped him in a group hug and urged him to fight the transformation. Mido put a hand on the captain’s back.

Jessie glanced at the goddess, then slid off her chair and ran to Dyne. “Please don’t do this!” she said to Amphitrite, who looked down at her with a glare full of pity.

The water monsters swam like piranhas in a feeding frenzy. They began chanting the word “demon.” Jessie kneeled before Dyne, at a loss for what to do.

Amphitrite stood and waved a hand. The chairs, table, and everything on it seeped back into the pool like a sinking ship. She crossed the water to them and ran a finger along the line of Dyne’s jaw. Her features softened, until she let go and straightened up. “Over two hundred years later you haven’t changed one bit.”

Dyne raised his head with an air of defiance. “Neither have you.”

“Because I’m still waiting for you.”

“Waiting for what? For me to lift my curse? I don’t—”

“No. That’s not it at all.”

“Then enlighten me.”

“You really can’t tell?”

“If I could, I wouldn’t be cursed anymore.”

Amphitrite closed her eyes and let out an anger-releasing sigh. Her eyes were full of hurt but her frown was full of anger. “The food I serve you doesn’t give you any clue?”

“Not when you make me serve it like that every time.”

“My attire gives you no clues?”

Dyne’s glare lowered to Amphitrite’s breasts. “Love the view and nothing else.”

She took a step forward, outrage sharpening her features. “And all the wonderful times in bed we’ve had together? Did they bring you no joy?”

“They weren’t voluntary. You know that. My romp with your daughter, however… now that was the best I’ve ever had.”

A murderous look flashed across the goddess’s face before regaining composure. “I never had to save your life that day, but I did. I wanted to, needed to. The sea captures many hearts but sometimes mortal souls capture mine back. I love you, Dyne Lavere. I’ve been in love with you all this time.”

Jessie could and couldn’t believe her ears. It all made sense, the jealousy and everything. She just hadn’t expected to be right.

Dyne gave her a look of horrified disbelief. “You’ve toyed with me, humiliated me, and have been the indirect reason I’ve suffered through the loss of so many people I’ve cared about. You think I’d fall in love with you after putting me through all that?”

“The divine are not infallible. However, I saved your life long ago. I gave you the opportunity to enjoy many more years at sea. My sea. Instead, you taunted me, insulted me, and spat my act of kindness that night in my face.” She took a step closer. “Yet you look upon the sea with love, awe, and admiration every day. How can you say you don’t love me?”

Jessie whispered to Dyne, “What if you gave her a chance?” He gave her a look of abject horror. “She’s a beautiful goddess we mere mortal women can’t compare to.”

He shook his head. “It’s a personality clash from hell.”

Amphitrite said, “There are many sides to me, as there are you, Dyne Lavere. I’ve tried to show that through my avatars.”

“I wanted to strangle the first one.”

“This one before you I thought had the greatest potential thus far, yet she captured the heart of another soul instead. It was most unexpected.”

Jessie looked at Mido, who returned her gaze a moment before looking at Amphitrite and swallowing.

“Fear not, sweet children. We cannot control who we fall in love with.” She looked upon Dyne with longing. “Maybe another avatar will capture your heart as you have mine.”

“Never. I hate you.”

Jessie’s stomach dropped to her feet. “Dyne, you idiot. Why did you say that?”

“She has no intention of ever lifting my curse. Why should I sacrifice my happiness for hers? She’s a selfish bitch.”