Chapter 282 - Take My Life, not My Heart

Arei dropped the teacup in his hand causing glass and hot water to cover the floor and his feet. "Jos!" he shouted as she stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs. The familiar bright glow of her eyes filling him in on exactly what was happening. "Hold on, the fuċkɨnġ curse has activated somehow!" He shouted into the phone pressed against his ear as he fumbled through the drawer, he'd put some of the tranquilizers into.

[I'm hanging up! I'll call dad!] Peg shouted from the other end of the phone.

Arei tossed the phone back onto the counter as his hands closed around the syringe. He ran after Jos as quickly as his feet would carry him, not bothering to care they were both nȧkėd as the cool air of the night encircled his body. He cursed the short distance of beach separating the cottage from the sea as he watched Jos wade out into the water ahead of him. {If she fully shifts before I get this injected into her, it's likely not going to work...} His mind raced frantically as he made his way to her. She'd already partially shifted by the time he reached her. "I'm sorry, kitten." He whispered, pain heavy in his words as he caught her arm with one hand and pulled the cap free from the syringe with his teeth. The needle had bȧrėly penetrated her skin when an angry tentacle knocked it away from her arm and into the surf. "Shit!" Arei called out as he began frantically searching for it. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"What's going on?!" Poseidon called out as he made his way across the porch of the house.

Arei's fingers found the tranquilizer as it jabbed into his finger. "Fuck!" He called out, still grabbing it. His eyes quickly searched the water. "Did you see where she went?" He yelled back, not taking his frantic eyes off the water.

Poseidon's confused eyes traveled over his nȧkėd son before moving toward the water. "Um..." His eyes moved back to Arei, finally seeing the syringe in his hand. "Oh shit! Did she shift?"

"Of course, she did! Didn't Peg tell you?!" Arei growled turning his attention back to the water.

"Nope, just said I needed to get here as fast as possible..." He scratched his head as he searched the water, his mind still slightly clouded from sleep. He reached out and grabbed Arei's arm. "Well, there's one place I know she'll at least be near if it's the curse..."

In a blink, both men were standing on the shores of Ogygia. Poseidon's eyes moved back to his son. "Hum..." He snapped his fingers and a speedo appeared on Arei's nȧkėd body. "Well, it's not hiding much but it will have to work-" His words were cut off as a loud explosion sounded on the other side of the island. Just as Arei moved to dart toward the sound Poseidon caught him. "You're fast son." In another blink, they were on the other side of the island. "But I'm faster..." When another loud bomb sounded, Poseidon followed Arei's gaze to what looked to be a small warship just off the shore. Massive tentacles battled against the sides of the steel ship, but with each blast of the weaponry aboard another tentacle was blown to bits and scattered across the black waters. The creature let out a bloodcurdling cry as more of its body was basted with even larger artillery.

One of Poseidon's hands shot out to stop Arei from barreling forward as the other darted into his pocket. "Wait." He yelled at Arei as he lifted the ringing phone to his ear. "Ogygia, now!" He called across it as he tossed the phone and a few other belongings to the beach. He nodded toward the water. "We need a plan to take them down without hurting Jos. The curse will not relent until the ship is either far enough away from this island or everyone aboard is dead... and we need at least one of them alive."

Arei nodded in understanding. He followed his father's lead as he lifted his arms in an overexaggerated sweeping motion forward. The gentle waves responded to the order and began to swell. Both men shoved their hands outwards toward the ship and the waves again obeyed. By the time it hit the ship, it was a massive title wave caused the ship to tip, pitching several bodies over the side. The loud screech of sirens sounded in the distance. "We need at least one alive! If they beat us to it, that chance goes out the window." Poseidon growled as he kicked off his favorite shoes and stepped into the tide and slammed his fist into the wet sand. Another massive wave developed as a strong earthquake shook the beach.

The color drained from Arei's face as the beast attacking the ship took another damaging hit. He gritted his teeth into a snarl. "I can't just stand here!" He yelled as he pushed past his father.

"What are you going to do?! You have no weapons and she's not going to recognize you! GAHHH!" Poseidon shouted as his eyes rolled in irritation toward the thickly clouded sky. "Oh great! Fucking, great!" He growled as large droplets of water began showering down on him. His irritated gaze moved to his phone that was getting drenched in Arei's emotional downpour. He gritted his teeth as he watched his son near the ship. "So, we're doing this? No idea who or what we're up against... no backup yet... We're just jumping the fuċk in... Gahhh..." Poseidon growled again as he dove into the water after his son. Catching up with him just as he was about to breach the boat. "If we're doing this, we're doing it in true sea god fashion." He flicked his wrist and handed a metal trident to Arei. Another monstrous screech filled the air bringing a smile to Poseidon's face. "Toss me the tranquilizer. I'll take care of Jos and get her safely to shore while you two deal with this. Remember, at least one survivor."

Arei nodded also recognizing the second monster's loud call. A devilish grin curved his lips as the waters around him began to rotate. He could hear frantic voices now yelling from the deck above. He lifted his hand causing the waves to lift him onto the deck. His war-crazed smile widened as many men froze in shock of being bored.

"Take him, men! It's only one man!" Someone called out from farther away.

"Yes, take me... if you think you can..." He charged forward with a speed unmatched by any other creature. Before the nearest three men could turn their weapons toward him he'd already forked one through the ċhėst with the trident and knocked the other two overboard with a surge of a wave. Blood splattered across the now brightly glowing tattoos of his body as he braced his bȧrė foot against the man's ċhėst and pulled the trident free. The ship began to spin, but it didn't affect his balance in the slightest unlike the men trying to come at him. Another loud blast sent pieces of beautiful teal tentacles splattering across the deck. He could feel blind rage rise up in his ċhėst as he heard Jos's pained cry. "You bastards!" He brought another surge of waves crashing over the decks, sending several unsteady men over the sides as he charged toward those left standing. "I swear to you, the next one to fire at my wife will pray for the quick death of becoming siren shit!" He yelled through clenched teeth.

Some of the men took it as a challenge and quickly reloaded their weapons, taking aim at another monstrous tentacle that had crept up along one side of the ship. Arei gritted his teeth more as he shot forward, massive black wings sprang out from his back launching him into the air. With deadly accuracy, he brought the trident down on the gunman with enough force that it split the man in half. He flicked the blood from his wings as he turned hate-filled eyes toward the others standing around in stunned disbelief. Weapons clattered against the deck as several men dropped them.

A familiar face stepped out with hands up. "We surrender..."

Arei's lips snarled in even more anger. "Marcus!"

Marcus shrugged as he stepped hesitantly away from the rest of the crew. "I saw an opportunity and took it... Had you sedated her as you should have, we wouldn't be here... I-" His words were cut off and he swallowed hard as his eyes moved to where the man that had been standing directly beside him was now pinned to the deck by the trident.

"Tell me again how this attack is my fault?" Arei growled. The violent pitching of the ship suddenly stopped as a wave carried the familiar redhead aboard beside him. He didn't turn his focus off the men. "Chary, thanks for the help."

"Any time little brother." She purred from beside him. "I thought you may want to know; dad has Jos onshore. She's sedated now and he's looking over her injuries... seems like quite a few..." Her eyes moved accusingly to the men standing in even more wide-eyed shock before them. Her smile widened and she brought her candy-apple red nails up to tap against her pearly white teeth. "So, which one are you leaving alive? I'm not nearly full yet nor have I had my fill of fun..."

Arei's eyes narrowed on Marcus. "That bastard. Have your fun with the rest." Men began to scatter as Chary's wicked smile curved upwards. "Not so fast boys. Don't you want to play so more?" A barbed tentacle shot out and caught one, pulling him back to face her. Her bottom lip puckered as she searched the man's terrified expression. "I can be just as fun as her, don't you want to play with me?" When the man quickly began shaking his head no, she let out a burst of laughter. "Well too bad, because I want to play with you!" Her jaws began to dislocate and several rows of razor-sharp teeth could be seen as her beautiful face morphed into that of the sea monster she'd been cursed to be.

Gasps sounded around the deck and the smell of bile and excrement filled the air as the remaining crew watched Charybdis bite off the man's head and swallow it whole before shifting rapidly back to the beautiful woman. Chary chuckled as she dropped the body to the deck at her feet. "What can I say, I'm a just the head kinda girl... but don't worry I always swallow." She winked as the barbed tentacle shot out to catch another man. Panic rang out across the deck as men began to dart in all directions, some pitching themselves overboard. "Hahaha! That's it! Jump, my friends down below are still ravenous as well!" Chary called out between fits of maniacal laughter.

Arei didn't say a word as he held the councilman's gaze. The dark man's espresso complexion had completely drained to pale ash as Arei stalked forward.

"Wha...what are you going to do to me? You can't kill me I'm a-" Marcus stuttered but was cut off.

"A councilman?" Arei shook his head as he neared the man. "Not any longer..." A harsh dark expression adding to the chill of his stoic words. When the vampire tried to turn and run, Arei shot out at him and caught him. He slammed the vampire's head hard against the metal railing of the ship. "As much as I'd like to feed pieces of you to the sirens down below, I have too many questions for you." He slammed the man's head against the rails once again, this time knocking him unconscious. He lifted the man roughly into his arms before turning to Chary. "I got what I need, the rest are yours. Have fun." He nodded to her, before shooting into the air, the vampire in tow. He landed on the beach next to Poseidon who was still examining Jos's mangled body. "How is she?" He asked as he dropped Marcus's unconscious body roughly to the sand.

"She took some good hits but nothing she can't heal from." He waved his hand toward the water, and it followed obediently over Jos's wounds. "She would heal easier if she were able to shift herself, but this will have to work." He waved his other hand over her still body causing it to shift into a hybrid form. He worked the healing waters over her until the largest wounds had fully closed up. Poseidon shook his head as his lips fell into a heavy frown. "Even though tonight wasn't successful for the vampires, now that they know about this weakness they'll find a way to exploit it."

Arei nodded in agreement. "What do we do?"

Poseidon nodded toward Marcus's crumpled body. "We start by interrogating that ȧsshole, and getting Jos home safely."

Arei nodded. "Can you deal with him?"

"Sure thing..." He watched as Arei lifted her into his arms and let his massive wings extend out again. "Keep me in the know." He waited until his dad nodded before shooting into the air with Jos wrapped protectively in his arms.

Poseidon watched until they were out of sight before shifting his gaze to the now sinking ship. He placed his hands on his hɨps and let out a content sigh. "Ah... it's always nice when my children get to be themselves on their own terms..." He turned his attention to Marcus. "Don't you agree?" He kicked the unconscious man as he moved to gather his things. He didn't turn when he heard light footsteps on the beach behind him, instead, he tugged his shirt up over his head and held it up.

"Thanks, dad..." Chary said as she pulled it over her head.

He nodded as he stood up, shoving his wet phone and wallet into his pocket. "Anytime, dear. I figured you'd want to stop by and see Jos before you head home." He turned a teasing smile toward her. "And as much as I know you enjoy being nȧkėd, I figured you'd prefer something to wear."

She flung her arms around Poseidon's neck. "Thanks!"

He chuckled as he patted her wide, muscular back. "You're very welcome, dear." He released her and walked over and scooped the vampire up. He let out an irritated sigh. "I wished your brother wouldn't have thrown him down in the sand. I'll have to take a shower before the interrogation... You know how irritating it is to interrogate someone after a shower, knowing you'll just have to take another after..."

Chary chuckled as she took her father's extended hand. "I could help you. No man in this world has secrets great enough to keep when his dɨċk is at risk of being bitten off."

A wide smile spread across Poseidon's lips. "You know what, not a bad idea. Consider yourself my lead interrogator."