Page 34

Chapter 34

Erik

“ P horkys. Retrieve the eggs.”

The last thing I want is to leave Lillian alone in the hands of the underwater goddess, but my captor pulls me away. Deeper and deeper we swim into the heart of the frigid lake, further than I have ever explored in my human form. As we put kilometers of distance between ourself and Keto, I slowly regain my ability to communicate.

Where are you taking me?

To get the eggs.

I shudder. Of course, I knew that this was their ultimate intention with Lillian and me. But I hadn’t realized the eggs were stored somewhere. Hidden. Somehow, had assumed they were somewhere in this body of mine, that Phorkys would implant them if I ever lost control.

But, of course, that does not make sense. Despite His shifting powers, Phorkys was decidedly male. If He could carry eggs in his own body, He wouldn’t require a female to incubate them.

Eventually, we reach a small passageway, with an entrance that is far too small for my human body to squeeze through. But the squid-like form of the monster morphs effortlessly through the tiny opening, and as we emerge, I realize where it carried us.

My ship.

Or the wreckage of my ship. The oiled wood still glows faintly through the thick layer of algae and lake scum it has accumulated. My very soul weeps at the sight.

Our once great vessel, crushed by the all-powerful monster that now has Lillian in her clutches.

There. Beneath the hull.

A clutch of perfectly round, gelatinous eggs is nestled beneath a cover of seaweed underneath the inverted hull of the ship. It is then I realize exactly what the two Titans are asking of Lillian and me. Not just to participate in some erotic breeding ritual, but to doom the humans of this land to another generation of cursed monsters.

Will they wreak havoc like you did to my people?

I feel the monster stir, an uncomfortable twisting in our belly.

It is your people who murdered our young.

The memory of the crash, the ship in the storm—the wave cresting and pummeling our vessel into an outcropping of lake rocks.

And then another image: the hull smashing into a bundle of shining eggs, destroying them into swirling ribbons of dying magic.

You have been without your family for hundreds of years, Erik. Keto and I have been without ours for thousands. You have found your mate. You will have a family. Allow me to have mine.

And that is when I feel it.

An unfathomable loneliness consumes me as the monster gives me the briefest glimpse into His own emotions. I have felt His drive before, His desire, His lust. But I realize now that there was some mercy in His heart in that He never shared with me His sadness.

My very soul aches, the despair weighing heavier than all the wreckage of my ancient ship. Were I in control of my limbs at this moment, I would surely buckle under it.

I thought before that I had been privy to all the monster felt, his lust and greed and hunger, but I was wrong. He held back. He protected me. The loss of His children, first in the Aegean Sea and then again when my people crashed into His nest, is a pain I will never know for myself.

I lost my family once, it is true.

But the loss of a thousand children?

It is enough to ruin a man.

Do I not also deserve a taste of what you call hope?

I ponder that. In truth, I do not know.

Together, we stare at the clutch of eggs. Marble sized and shimmering with an otherworldly glow, stuck together with a gelatinous glue that shines like opals, I am struck by the sheer amount.

Lillian will bear these eggs.

There is an accusation there, but there is also fear. My treasure is beautiful and strong, but she is human.

She is not merely human anymore. Just as you are more than human. Keto has chosen a worthy surrogate.

I nod, feeling something akin to understanding for this monster. For the first time, I feel empathy for Him.

Did Lillian see this in Keto? She is a magnificent mate indeed, to offer so much of herself to repair the damage of my people. A responsibility not her own.

We scoop the clutch of eggs into our many arms, spreading our webbing to surround them as we slowly swim back to Keto’s lair.

The force with which I buck inside of Phorkys’ body when I see my sweet Lillian faint at our approach almost causes us to drop the eggs.

Lillian!

She is alive. Just shocked.

Where is Keto?

Securing her friends.

Anger burns within me, and I yearn to gain back control of my body, if for no other reason than to flail with my rage. I feel unbearably helpless, carried on the whims of my captor.

Calm yourself, Erik.

She promised She would let them go!

All in due time.

He settles the brood into a nest of weeds before finally allowing me control once more. I half-shift, reclaiming my human head and chest and arms while keeping my tentacled lower half to allow me more control of my movements in the water. I propel towards her, grabbing her soft body and cradling it to my chest.

At last, her breathing quickens, and she rouses in my hold.

Erik?

Please, I beg her, though I know it is useless. My treasure. Do not do this.

I have to, Erik. I’ve decided.

We cannot know how many humans will die by these actions–

She twists in my hold, placing her hands firmly against my chest. Over my shoulder, her eyes flicker to the nest of eggs, and I watch the swallow bob within her throat. When her gaze returns to mine, it is filled with determination.

Erik, humans die every day. And we kill more humans than Keto or Phorkys ever have. We slaughter them in wars, we exile them to live in slums, we deny them life-saving medical care. We elect miserable jackasses to office! Who’s to say that humans aren’t the real monsters? Shit, my ex was a monster for leaving me.

As she rants, pictures of the devastation of modern humanity plague my mind. She’s showing me the carnage. Videos she has seen on mass-communication devices. Announcements from deranged leaders. Every one more horrifying than the last.

My resolve wavers. Lillian, is this the world that awaits us?

She closes her eyes, and her chest rises with a deep inhale. I clutch her tighter, and she gives her head a small shake.

What I mean to say is, Phorkys and Keto don’t need our help to hurt the humans, Erik. Even if that was their true purpose, they have plenty of competition out in the real world! We can’t know for sure that resisting them will save anyone. But by doing this, I can save three good humans—humans I love. Humans who never deserved this punishment.

You don’t deserve this punishment.

Neither do you.

She nuzzles into me, and I hold her even tighter, surrounding her with as much of my human half as I can. She deserves everything good in this world, and yet she’s willing to sacrifice her womb to these monsters to give to others.

I want you, Erik. I want to be with you, and Tiffany and Dean, in the real world. As war-filled and broken and fucked up as it is. And if I have to have a bunch of monster babies to make that happen, then… so be it.

She kisses my sternum, her lips a balm to all the hurt in my soul. Phorkys stirs within me, and I feel a flash of guilt for still wanting to deny Him His happy ending.

Seeing you two, the love you have for each other… I am almost sorry that you and your mate were not able to escape, he murmurs to me. I know that was your plan.

Would you have let her walk away? With all that we have endured today, it is difficult to believe.

When He begins to answer, His intention is not immediately clear.

When my Keto left me, I did not understand. I was angry. I blamed her. I blamed you. My grief was great, and I was without a partner. My family was dead. My mate abandoned me, blamed me for trying to protect myself. It left me skeptical of our bond, of any bond between two mates.

But seeing the love you and Lillian share, as fleeting and insignificant as it is, has opened my eyes. Though she is destined for you, you do not see her as yours unless she wishes it. I saw Keto’s departure as a betrayal. But when Lillian attempted to leave you, you would have helped her. Even though it would have left you broken and alone.

I did not understand before. But now that Keto has returned, now that I see the pain she endured at my return, unable to mate with her and help her heal from her loss…

You give me pause, human.

Your mating with Lillian. It was soft. Caring. You did not seek to reproduce. You did not seek mere pleasure. There were times when it felt as if it was not about your pleasure at all, but simply a means to be close to her. To make her feel pleasure.

It was not about bearing young. Nor was it wholly to seek release. It was an expression of love.

I shift a bit in Lillian’s arms, uncomfortable at keeping this conversation from her. But Phorkys’s voice is only for me in this moment, and my response is only for Him.

It was also pleasurable.

I wish for that with my mate.

Are you even capable of that kind of affection?

A thoughtful growl sounds in my mind as the monster considers my question. I almost feel guilty for asking. But given his other confessions tonight, I believe, for once, that he will not attempt to deceive me. That he will be honest.

I love her, human. With all that I am, I love her.

Can we help who we love? I look down once more into my treasure’s sweet, round face, her eyelashes tracing dark arches on her cheekbones, her hair flowing about us and glinting in the dim light of the cave.

I know it is a minimal chance, but if it would save her the pain of birthing a thousand monsters…

Just because you love, it does not mean you must have children.

Is it so bad, to help two beings who love each other have a family?

Lillian opens her eyes, and our gazes meet. She heard Him. She knows I’ve been trying to protect her, to convince Him to let her go free.

It is if Their children are monsters.

When the response comes, Lillian and the monster speak in unison, and the fact that they are united in their feelings surprises me more than all of today’s events combined.

Monsters are born everyday.

Paired with Lillian’s indifferent expression, and followed by the love in her eyes as she holds me tight, I have no response.

All I want is to protect the one I love. My treasure. My mate. I do not know what to think anymore, Lillian.

Her eyes grow hooded, and the water around us changes. I know in that moment that the time for philosophy is past.

Then don’t think, Erik. Feel.