Amphitrite's Daughter

Amphitrite’s Daughter

Book Two of the Mythical Fairy Tales

By Victoria Raineri

Amphitrite’s Daughter

Book Two of the Mythical Fairy Tales

By Victoria Raineri

Many thanks to:

My best friend Paige, for being a great friend and my first reader

My husband Mike, for always being there for me and loving me as much as I love him

My grandma Marie, for always believing in me and for letting me use her maiden name for my pen-name

My dad Chuck, for everything he does, raising me on his own, and letting me be who I am

The Coca-Cola ® Company for helping me stay awake through many inspired nights

My many health-care providers for keeping me alive

And any and all readers I have out there

I love you all!

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Poseidon’s Daughter © 2016 Victoria Raineri. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA

www.facebook.com/victoriaraineri92

Cover artwork provided by: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=80205&picture=beach-nz

Author photograph provided by: Charleen Thomas, http://www.charleenthomas.com/ (Check out her work, it’s pretty awesome)

ISBN 978-1-365-33171-8

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Prologue

The storm was vicious. Lightning slashed across the sky and the thunder roared deafeningly through the air. The wind screamed with relish, the rain fell in sheets, and the waves pitched and rolled with fervor unmatched by any other force. A ship was being tossed back and forth, its occupants trying with all their might to fight and survive the storm. The captain was struggling with the wheel, trying to see through the rain-splattered glass, veering along the waves and deftly avoiding the crashing surf. He was determined to make it through this storm. He had survived worse to deliver his shipments; he wasn’t going to fail now.

Captain! Captain! his first mate shouted into the room. There’s something here on the ship!

Dammit, sailor, there’s a lot of loose cargo! snapped the captain angrily, swerving the ship around another wave. Just move your ass around it, do your damn job and work to keep this ship afloat!

There was no answer, and the captain was relieved. Damned youngsters, panicking about a little storm. What did they think they were getting paid for anyway?

But a moment later, something crashed through the window before him, throwing broken glass everywhere and knocking the captain onto his back. Dazed and confused, he groaned and pushed at whatever had landed on his body, feeling the ship lurching along the waves now that it was without its guide. He heaved the heavy thing off of him—and then he felt his blood go ice-cold as what he was seeing registered. It was his first mate, and he was dead. Blood was seeping freely from the body and mingling with the rain, spreading out all over the floor. A strange-looking knife was sticking out of his back; it looked as though it had severed his spine. He scrambled away from the body, horrified, and struggled back onto his feet. Trying to focus, he slipped and stumbled his way back to the wheel, determined to regain some form of control and familiarity. Then he saw what was happening on the deck of his ship.

Shadows. There were strange shadows on the deck, chasing down his crew and swiftly killing them one by one. It was a blood bath; the storm was quickly turning red. And he realized as he looked upon the shadows, took in the details, that they couldn’t be human. Something about them wasn’t right. They didn’t seem to have legs. He gasped aloud, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. The nearest shadow to him appeared to have heard him; it turned its face toward him, then grabbed the edge of the ledge he was standing on. With inhuman strength, speed and strange grace, it pulled itself up and flipped over onto the deck. The captain’s legs collapsed beneath him and he clutched at the cross he wore around his neck, staring up at the strange creature as he scooted back until he was pressed against the wall.

It was obviously a she, with pearly white skin covering curves and a hint of cleavage showing from beneath her breastplate. Her hair was long and flowing, and an almost unnatural deep red. Half her face was shadowed by her hair, but her eyes glowed an icy blue, reflecting only hatred and intent to murder. His eyes traveled down her body and he gasped again.

Mother of God, he whispered. T-the legends a-are…t-true? Y-you’re real…

Her perfect lips curled into a mocking smile, but she said nothing. She looked over at the first mate’s body and wrenched the knife from his back, then turned back to the captain, advancing slowly while raising the knife, her intention clear.

Oh my Lord in heaven, hear my prayer… he began to say.

No being, god or mortal, can save you now, she whispered in a beautiful but cold, hating voice. You disgusting human. And she brought the knife down.

The storm raged on. The crew was slain. The creatures dove into the ocean, some dragging their prey. The ship, unable to survive the storm without its crew, gave in to it, overturning into the ferocious waves and sinking slowly into the raging ocean. Over everything, even the din of the storm and the death of the ship, there could be heard an eerie, chilling victory shriek…that is, if anyone had been left alive to hear it.

Chapter One

The nearly full moon was shining brightly in the clear, tropical night sky when Nerina’s head broke the water. She smiled when she saw the small, uninhabited island, before smoothly and swiftly swimming her way to it through the calm ocean water. When she reached the island’s cove, instead of climbing out of the water onto the sand, she continued to swim up the stream that connected the ocean to a large, natural pool of water inland. Far above the pool was a waterfall which gushed sun-warmed water into the pool, and palm trees dotted the beach, creating a small, tropical paradise. Nerina swam toward where she knew a large boulder lay near the edge of the pool, and she pulled herself up and sat upon it, stretching and reclining to rest her arms, neck and shoulders on the pool’s edge. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes as she wrapped her long, shimmering, cerulean tail around the middle of the submerged boulder.

What an exhausting day, she groaned aloud. She reached up with her smooth, white hands and gathered her long, thick, wine-red hair into them before piling it up on top of her head, securing it with a comb-like shell she found conveniently laying in the sand within her reach. Then she simply closed her eyes and sank back into the water, letting its natural warmth seep into and relax her sore muscles as she mentally reviewed her day.

The raid had been successful. She would have to report back to her father about all the findings they had made. Her coral-colored lips curled into a sarcastic smile as she remembered the captain, stuttering at her very existence. What ignorant, foolish boors humans were, so self-important that they saw anything that could rival their existence as myth and legend. Well, it certainly made things easier when it came to attacking them. They were usually so startled, so shocked by them, that they rarely recovered enough to try and fight back. Almost every raid was a simple and quick sweep-and-clear because of it.

She felt a slight tickling along her tail, and she opened her eyes and scanned the clear water. There were dozens of tiny shrimp settling on her tail, meticulously cleaning algae and other gunk off of her. She smiled gently.

Thank you, little ones, she said quietly, and they wriggled in delight at her words before returning to cleaning her. She stretched out her tail slowly, careful not to disturb the shrimp, and gazed at it in the moonlight. It was long and graceful, and shone an iridescent cerulean blue with small flecks of purple here and there in the smooth, dolphin-like skin. It ended in a large, blue, feathered fin, with the tips a subtle royal purple. The intermingled colors were unusual for most of her kind, but it wasn’t a surprise to her, as she was a daemon, a semi-deity. As the offspring of two gods, she had much power at her command and a realm of her own. She was a Haliad, a sea-nymph, the Princess Nerina of Aquaridon, one of the many children of Poseidon and Amphitrite, God and Goddess of the Seas. Aquaridon was her realm, a large city under deep waters, where merfolk presided, living peacefully with their oceanic world.

She collapsed suddenly into a fit of coughing, lowering her tail back down to grip the rock again so she wouldn’t slide off. Her body shook violently, and the shrimp swam away from her, watching with great concern for their princess. After a few minutes, she managed to regain control of her trembling body, but she felt nauseous and dizzy. She laid a hand on her bare chest, breathing heavily.

Curse those humans! Whatever they had done to her, she was getting damned tired of it. For months she’d been ill, having increasingly violent coughing fits, experiencing sudden fainting spells or overwhelming urges to be sick. She’d recently started having convulsions and was having extreme difficulty sleeping. She constantly felt fatigued, and often had no appetite. It was getting harder and harder for her to hide it from her people; she did not want them getting scared that their princess, who was also a minor goddess, could fall ill at the hands of humans. A panic would ensue and she needed them to get on with life and remain calm and diligent.

Her breathing slowly returned to normal, and though she felt weakened, she smiled softly and gestured to the shrimp, who still surrounded her. Though they could not speak, through her innate connection with all creatures of the sea she could feel their concern for her as though it were her own.

It’s okay, little ones, she said kindly. I am fine. Please resume your cleaning, I was thoroughly enjoying it.

They wriggled excitedly and descended on her tail once more. As they began cleaning her again, she reached for a nearby sea sponge and began to scrub her upper body with it, starting from where her tail-flesh met her skin at her hips and moving slowly up over a curvy waist, a flat stomach, large, well-rounded breasts, strong shoulders, and long, sleek, athletic arms, scrubbing every inch clean.  By the time she was done, the shrimp had finished cleaning her tail, and she dunked her head into the warm water, scrubbing her face in it, before reemerging with a sigh of relief. She felt refreshed now and reclined once more, watching some sea horses as they wiggled around in the pool, their scales shimmering as they moved.

M’lady?

Nerina looked up at the sound of the soft, feminine voice calling out over the water into the cove. Far out in the open water bobbed a head, its short blonde curls shining like soft gold in the silver moonlight.

Ianthe? Nerina asked in response. Ianthe was her handmaiden, a shy but caring Haliad.

I apologize for disturbing you, m’lady, but your father has returned and is seeking your audience, called Ianthe. She took care not to approach the island any more, as it was a sacred place that belonged to Nerina alone, and none but she was allowed there.

My father? Nerina repeated.

Yes, m’lady. He wishes to see you.

Nerina nodded and bade farewell to the shrimp and seahorses in the pool before sinking back into the water and swimming back down the river and out into the cooler open waters. She swiftly approached Ianthe, who was patiently waiting for her, and smiled at her handmaiden, whom she also considered a dear friend.

Thank you, Ianthe, she said.

Ianthe blushed slightly. Not at all, m’lady, she said. Shall we return?

Of course, Nerina said, nodding, and together they dove into the ocean, swiftly and silently swimming down deeper and deeper into the dark waters. Though the deep, dark water near the bottom of the ocean was cold, and the pressure extreme, Nerina barely felt it, as her immortal body naturally adjusted to the surrounding temperatures and pressures, keeping her body feeling comfortable, her breathing smooth and even. They swam and swam further into the dark waters, passing various fish and squids and other marine life, until the water surrounding them suddenly began to lighten, though they were still near the bottom of the ocean. Nerina smiled slightly as her sight adjusted and her crystalline city came into view. Aquaridon was a beautiful city, made mostly of green and blue fluorite, its natural florescence enhanced by the blessings of Poseidon and Amphitrite so that the whole city glowed a warm green-blue, lighting the recesses for the merfolk who resided there. As they approached the gates of the underwater city, Nerina felt another coughing fit coming on, and, ducking out of sight of anyone who could be watching, she let loose a torrent of hacking coughs, while Ianthe looked on with great concern.

M’lady…your illness…it appears to be growing worse, she said quietly.

Believe me, Ianthe…I’m well aware of that, said Nerina weakly after she had finally stopped coughing. She leaned against one of the tall columns of the city’s gate, breathing heavily, until her wave of nausea passed.

Are you feeling well enough to greet your father? asked Ianthe worriedly. I can tell his lordship you are feeling too ill, if you wish.

No, Ianthe, I’m fine, said Nerina sternly. I have to report the results of the raid to my father. It was only a passing cough.

Ianthe gave her princess a scrutinizing look. She knew Nerina well; they had grown up together and she had served her since they were very young. They were more than servant and mistress, they were also friends, and she had never seen Nerina look the slightest bit unhealthy before. But lately Nerina’s skin, although always a smooth, pearly white, appeared unhealthily pallid. She often looked tired, and she’d been having increasingly violent coughing fits. Ianthe suspected Nerina also excused herself a lot these days to regurgitate in the bathing chambers. It wasn’t noticeable to most others, since Nerina took great care to hide it from the public, but for someone who personally took care of the princess, Ianthe could hardly fail to notice. But Nerina, stubborn as she was, would never admit to anyone that anything was happening. Ianthe shook her head to herself. Perhaps she should speak to Lord Poseidon in private later; he would make Nerina listen to reason.

At present, Ianthe merely nodded slightly, and Nerina smiled back at her encouragingly before turning back toward the city. Beckoning to Ianthe, she swam through the streets toward her palace home. Her people called out cheerful greetings to her as she passed, and she returned the