Forsaken Deity

Chapter 12

Thea smiled nervously, wondering if following Poseidon had been the best idea.

"I think you're scaring her, Poseidon," a new voice chimed in. A young man walked toward them and Thea looked around Poseidon. He had dirty blonde hair, and green eyes smiled at her fear of the water God. He wore a white shirt and black pants which appeared slightly damp, clinging to his body.

He held out his hand. "Hello, Thea, was it? My name is Jaxon. I'm a water nymph and second in command for Poseidon, you could say. I basically deal with everything Poseidon refuses to, which is most affairs."

She shook his hand. His grip was warm and firm. "Nice to meet you."

His eyes raked her body and she flushed. "The pleasure is mine," he murmured. "Forgive me, but I never had the pleasure of meeting Lissandre so  this is my first time meeting the unspoken myth."

"Well don't get too excited, I'll probably just disappoint you."

"You don't disappoint me at all; quite the opposite in fact." He raised her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Jaxon."

"If you've finished undressing her with your eyes, I need to talk to you," Poseidon growled. He'd been standing in her doorway, temper boiling at being ignored.

Jaxon released her hand and stepped away. "Of course."

He smiled warmly as he left and Thea watched them walk away. She wasn't sure what she was meant to be doing so she walked into her room and shut the door, hoping Poseidon would come back soon. She wanted to get this over and done with.

The room itself was fairy tale material. The bed was a canopy style and the frame was made of sea shells, the white of the shells contrasting nicely with the pale blue of the walls. A small door near her bed showed a small bathroom with all the normal human facilities. She couldn't help but wonder where the water from the toilet went. Did he even have plumbing down here?  

A large window covered most of the opposite wall but there was no glass in the window. Water lined the window instead and she saw it ripple as fish swam past.

She went and stood near the window, staring into the darkness. A small globe hovered above her window but apart from the water a few feet in front of her, it was pitch dark. Reaching out her hand she touched the water, running her fingers slowly through it. A fish swimming past stopped and reached out, its mouth touching one of her fingers. She smiled at the feeling before it rushed away.

A knock sounded at her door and Hermes walked in before she could answer. He threw her bag on the bed. "I've got the room next door. I'll be down with Giselle in the main hall while you're with Poseidon."

Thea bit her cheek, annoyed that at the way he spoke to her. Instead of arguing, she asked, "How do you know her?"

"She's an old friend."

An ugly feeling settled in her stomach and she tried to push it out. "Okay then."

"I won't be around much while you’re with Poseidon but he'll protect you. He'll be taking you out in the water, I imagine, to train you, so good luck with that."

Thea nodded, feeling as though he was abandoning her to go be with that nymph woman. "Yeah, thanks."

Hermes noticed she'd gone quiet. "Are you all right, Thea?"

She nodded again and gave him a smile. "Just taking it all in."

He stepped forward and brushed a strand of hair from her face before she could slap his hand away. "I'm just next door if you need me."