The Secret Sea - (Chaptered Version)

* 44

The three of us land on a thick mattress with a collective grunt, ending up in a pile. Wherever we are, it's quiet and vampire-free. "Are we safe?" I ask, my muscles full of tension.

"I think so. This must be the hotel room Jesus booked," says Eve, half-sprawled over my body.

The decor is clean and unadorned, with gray-blue walls and short tan carpet. The view from the window reveals a series of crenelated concrete towers and garish turrets standing in stark contrast to the simple interior.

"Vegas baby," I mutter, sliding off the bed. The onslaught we just evaded is still fresh in my mind.

"Whoops, wrong cube," says Eve, sitting up with VarnLiqn in her arms. "That was...embarrassing."

"Honest mistake," I say, rubbing my pounding head. I look down at my jeans. "Wonderful. I think I wet myself a bit."

"I pee. I pee on you," says VarnLiqn with a toothy grin.

Eve pats the racoon's head. "Aw, poor baby. You must have been so scared."

VarnLiqn nuzzles against Eve's hand and shakes his head. "No. Just need pee."

I cringe but I'm too tired to complain. "I'll take a little piss over being ripped to shreds by vamps." I snatch a tissue from a nearby box and dab at my leg. "That was Poseidon? He wasn't what I was expecting."

"Yeah...hopefully Jesus can get us back to him, but once we're there, I'm not sure what the hell we'll do."

"Beard long," chimes in VarnLiqn.

"The dude looks like he lifts," I add. "We were lucky to get out of...there. Where were we?"

"Poseidon has been haunting the Mediterranean in recent months. From what I could tell, it was Nikopolis, near the coast of Epirus."

"You were able to tell all that?"

"The Theatre at Nikopolis is well known throughout the magickal realm. It was constructed ages ago at the epicenter of a major intersection of lay lines that remain potent to this day. Poseidon has probably camped himself there to bolster his power—or to prevent the other four Antecedents from claiming the site for themselves."

I lower my voice. "Do we even need his blood?"

Eve puts a finger over my mouth, letting me know to hold my tongue. "Of course we need it...and we'll get it."

VarnLiqn's furry rear is poking out of the mini-fridge as he devours the contents. The sounds he's making are sickening, but I let him indulge. "I'm not paying for that," I groan.

"Jesus has a tab here," says Eve.

I stand up and look out the window at the Vegas strip below. It reminds me of a string of knotted-up Christmas lights tangled with tacky silver garland. The gaudy towers outside our room are topped with bright red and blue cones. "Excalibur, huh. This place doesn't exactly scream Camelot."

"People come here to drink and gamble, not role play as kings and queens," says Eve, sounding annoyed.

"I don't know. I bet there's quite a bit of role-play happening in these rooms late at night." I trudge to the minibar. "I need a drink." On a nearby table—round of course—I spy a void cube sitting on top of a handwritten note.

Well, that could have been bad. So much for the element of surprise. This cube will get you back to Greece, but FIRST there's something you must collect if you wish to survive your next encounter with Poseidon. A friend of mine is waiting to meet you near the Bellagio. You'll know her when you see her. Suzy is getting a tad impatient, so don't take too long. Good luck!

Your pal,

Jesus Christ

"Jesus left us another goddamn quest." I grab a branded notepad and scratch out a note for Eve.

Can we still trust JC?

Eve grabs the pad and writes a response.

For now, yes. Make sure to keep your mouth shut. Even notes aren't very safe.

I read Eve's note and nod. She crumples up the paper and throws it in the trash. "I suppose we should get this over with. I'm just...going to lie down for a second," she says, rolling her neck back and forth before falling backwards to the bed.

I look over at VarnLiqn. He's curled up inside the fridge, asleep.

I crawl next to Eve on the bed and wrap my arms around her. We share a sleepy kiss then promptly pass out.