Chapter Nine
One moment he was swimming from the fields to the storage cave, his nets full of sea fruits. The next he found himself flopping around on the ground and breathing air. He stared around, wondering where he was. The garden was beautifully tended but unfamiliar.
“Phoebus, welcome,” a woman said from behind him.
He twisted around easily, maneuvering his tail so he faced the goddess. She was too beautiful to be a mere mortal, and even though he didn’t recognize his exact location, he was fairly sure they were on the Isle of the Gods.
The woman passed him a length of fabric, which he used to dry his fins and regain his legs.
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?” he asked. He hoped his question came across as politely confused and not rude. The last thing he needed was to get on the wrong side of one of the more tempestuous immortals.
“No, my dear. I’m Odessa, Caspian’s mother.”
Phoebus stared at the goddess in awe. “You don’t look old enough,” he blurted before he could stop himself.
“Ah, mortals.” Odessa laughed. “You should know by now that we don’t age like you do. Those who are born immortal stop ageing when we reach maturity.”
Phoebus flushed. “I knew that. I just didn’t think.”
“It’s of no matter. You’ll soon learn the way of things, especially if you are allowed to join us.”
Phoebus still hadn’t made his mind up about that and he hoped Odessa hadn’t brought him here to try to force him to make a decision. Caspian hadn’t been pressing him for an answer, for which he was grateful.
“I’d never do such a thing,” Odessa replied in answer to his unspoken thought. He supposed the reading-minds thing was a habit of all immortals.
“Yes, it is. Sometimes we can’t help it.”
“It’s annoying from my point of view,” Phoebus muttered. He stood up so they were at eye level.
“Sorry. I’ll try not to.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re probably wondering why I’ve brought you here,” Odessa said.
Phoebus nodded and picked up his net of fruits. He didn’t want his hard work in the gathering fields to go to waste.
“I thought it was long past time I met the young merman who has captured the heart of my only son.” Odessa smiled brightly and swept him into a tight hug.
“Um, I can’t breathe,” Phoebus managed to gasp.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Odessa released him and he took a deep gulp of air. “Now, come and sit with me. I want to hear all about you.”
Phoebus cringed and tried to imagine how he must appear to the goddess. He wasn’t a warrior or anyone of importance in the sunken city. All he did was gather fruits, one of the most menial of tasks. There was no possibility of advancement and the mermaids far outnumbered the mermen in the fields.
Caspian didn’t seem to mind what he did to earn his keep, but he doubted his lover’s parents would be impressed with his choice of partner.
Odessa frowned at him and he wondered whether she had just read his mind again.
“You appear to be worried about something,” the goddess said. “I’m trying not to intrude in your thoughts, but when you look at me in the same way a minnow faces a shark, it’s rather hard not to pry.”
Phoebus sighed. He might as well tell her the truth. She would certainly know if he tried to lie or attempted to evade her questions.
“I suppose I’m worried that I’m not what you would have wanted for your son.”
“Why ever would you think that?”
Phoebus shrugged. “Caspian told me that you’re the goddess of Family.”
“I am, among other things.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that Caspian has chosen a merman to spend his life with?”
“Do you ask because you’re mer or because you’re male?”
“Both, I guess.”
Odessa smiled. “I have had many centuries to reconcile myself to the fact that Caspian won’t be producing any grandchildren for me. It comes as no surprise at all to find that now he has finally decided to settle down, it is with a man. Families can take many forms, and you and Caspian becoming one brings me great joy.”
“And my being mer?”
“I won’t pretend that all the immortals are accepting of the mer. I am sure you already know they aren’t. I think you’ll find, however, that I have welcomed the mer into my temples and have always answered their calls as much as the Atlanteans. Maybe even more so, because I would like more of the mer to seek my counsel.”
“I’ve never worshipped any of the Atlantean gods,” Phoebus admitted. “I don’t think I ever will. My family has never sought the help of the gods.”
“It’s of no matter. It is enough that you love my son and that he loves you in return.”
Phoebus sighed. “I’m not so sure that he does love me.”
“But of course he does. He’s petitioned the pantheon to be allowed to make you immortal.”
“He’s done that because of fear.”
“What do you mean?”
Phoebus pointed to the healing scar from the shark attack. “He never thought of making me immortal until I got too close to a shark.”
“It seems to me as if you got very close,” Odessa commented. “When you become immortal, all such blemishes will be erased. You will be young and beautiful forever.”
“Caspian said that too. I don’t care about the scar.”
“I can assure you that Caspian would not care about it either. I know my son, and he has not made the petition just to fix that. In fact, he could remove it without making you immortal.”
“He offered. I told him not to.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I like having the reminder to keep an eye open for sharks instead of daydreaming.”
Odessa laughed. “Were you dreaming of Caspian?”
“Maybe.” Phoebus flushed and ducked his head. “I can’t seem to get him out of my head.”
“That’s only natural when you’re in love, especially when it’s all new and exciting for you.”
Phoebus frowned at the use of the word ‘love’ again. Even though Caspian had put forward the petition to keep him by his side forever, he had never actually used the word.
“Caspian does love you,” Odessa assured him. “Oh, sorry. I forgot again. I’m just so used to being around other immortals day after day and we all read each other’s minds, mainly to save on time.”
“What do you know about the Goddess of Love?” Phoebus asked.
“Ah, I see you’ve heard about the love potion she slipped into Caspian’s wine.”
“Is it true?” If anyone had reason to lie to him about such a thing, it was surely Rafe.
“Yes, I believe so. She certainly slipped something into his goblet. I don’t know for certain what it was, but if Medina says it was a love potion, I see no reason to doubt her word.”
“How long do such potions last?”
“It depends on how strong they are brewed. Most are of short duration and simply invoke lust.”
“And the one Caspian drank?”
“I don’t know, though I imagine even the strongest spell would have fizzled out by now.”
“Would it? It concerns me that he might still be under the influence of Medina’s magic. What if I become immortal and the potion wears off? What am I supposed to do with eternity then?”
Odessa took his hand. “Caspian is one of the most stubborn men I have ever known. He is not the sort of weak-willed fool to let himself be overpowered by a love potion for long, especially when Medina has been foolish enough to brag about it.”
“Then you think he might really care for me?”
“He loves you.”
Phoebus was still dubious. “He’s never said he loves me.”
“That’s because he’s stubborn as a mule,” Odessa replied. “He doesn’t want to lose you, not to a shark or a curse or anything else.”
“A curse?”
Odessa paled and suddenly wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Forget I said anything. It’s not important.”
“What curse?” Phoebus pressed. “Tell me, please.”
“I didn’t realize you were unaware,” Odessa replied. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Caspian will be furious if he discovers I’ve spoken out of turn. You should probably forget it.”
Phoebus glared at the goddess. “You can’t just say something like that and leave me wondering.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m already worrying about it. What curse are you talking about?”
“It’s probably nothing.”
Phoebus wasn’t accepting that. Everything about the demeanor of the goddess told him that this was something—a big something. “If you don’t tell me about this curse, I’ll refuse Caspian’s offer, even if the pantheon says I can become immortal.”
Odessa stared at him, open-mouthed. “That’s blackmail!”
“I know.”
“You dare to blackmail a goddess?”
“Yes, I do.”
Odessa’s lips twitched, as though she fought back a smile. Then she sighed and shook her head. “My son has certainly met his match with you.”
“The curse,” Phoebus prompted. There was no way he was going to allow her to slyly change the subject before he discovered what she was talking about.
Odessa mumbled something under her breath that sounded rather uncomplimentary before seeming to come to a decision. “You’ll know that Caspian has never been short of company?”
“Is that the polite way of saying he’s had a lot of lovers?”
“Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
“Then yes, I know. What does that have to do with a curse?”
“Caspian decided to bed Medina’s priests—all of them—and the goddess wasn’t very happy about it.”
“But Medina has dozens of priests.”
“Yes, and Caspian took each and every one of them into his bed. He wasn’t exactly discreet about it either. You might say he flaunted his conquests, mostly because he knew it would infuriate Medina.”
“They don’t get along, do they?”
“You’ve noticed that.”
“It’s rather hard not to.”
“Yes, well, Medina doesn’t handle rejection well and Caspian turned her down.”
“But Caspian never takes women to his bed.”
“I know, but Medina didn’t know that at the time. This was many centuries ago. Caspian rejected her, but instead of doing so privately and with tact, he did so in public, humiliating her in the process.”
“Oh dear.”
“They have been fighting and squabbling ever since. Caspian’s main method of annoying Medina seems to be to lure her priests into his bed. Every time a new one takes his post, Caspian makes his move and Medina loses her temper. Why the silly woman doesn’t just hire females is beyond me. A few decades of women serving her and Caspian would forget about their feud. I doubt he would go so far as to try to lure women into his bed. But who am I to interfere? Anyway, they have been carrying on in this immature manner for centuries. Recently, however, Caspian not only bedded a number of Medina’s current priests, but in doing so they missed an important ceremony of their goddess. Medina was furious and spoke words in anger that might amount to a curse.”
“What did she say?”
“She told him that he would find love but lose it after a short time. It may not be a true curse. Caspian doesn’t think she invoked her powers. Unfortunately, gods and goddesses can curse others without actually meaning to. Unlike mortals, our words have power, and as such Medina may well have cursed Caspian to lose his love—to lose you.”
“If he loves me,” Phoebus said.
“He does. I have no doubt on that point. When the shark attacked you, it probably reminded him of Medina’s words and he realized how close he was to losing you. By making you immortal, he need not fear her curse.”
Phoebus nodded, understanding what the goddess was saying, even as his temper rose. Medina was the one who had sent him to Caspian that first time he had called for her help. Had she already cursed him at that point? Was he simply a pawn in the centuries-old feud of two squabbling gods?
He had to know the truth.
He couldn’t make a decision about eternity without having all of the facts. He guessed he would be making another visit to the Goddess of Love.
* * * *
Odessa had no hesitation in giving Phoebus directions to Medina’s temple. He had the distinct impression she was looking forward to seeing what happened when he confronted the goddess.
As he approached the building, he realized he would probably have recognized it anyway. No other temple had quite the same number of men sprawled about on the lawn outside.
He searched the crowd for a familiar face, but he didn’t see anyone he knew.
One youth caught his eye as he picked his way through the masses. He winked at Phoebus and rubbed his groin suggestively. “Can I help you?”
“I’m searching for Medina. Is she here?”
“She’s around somewhere,” the man replied. “How about you come and sit with me while we wait for her to appear?”
Phoebus shook his head. “No, thank you.”
“Are you sure? You look like a man who knows what a cock is for.”
“Oh, he does,” another man remarked from a short distance away.
“You know him?” the first man asked.
“Yes. He’s the merman Caspian has petitioned the pantheon to make immortal. You don’t want to be infringing on the God of Justice’s territory.”
Phoebus didn’t like being referred to as Caspian’s ‘territory’, but he didn’t get the chance to say anything further.
Everyone around him suddenly jumped to their feet and hurried into the temple. He hadn’t seen or heard anything to signal the priests had been called inside, but clearly they had been summoned.
Guessing that Medina was the one who had called them, Phoebus followed behind, hoping to find the goddess that way.
Inside the temple was a hive of activity. The priests all seemed to be engrossed in their tasks with no one paying him any mind at all.
He didn’t see Medina at first, but suddenly there she was, standing just a few feet away from him.
“Good afternoon, Phoebus. What can I do for you today?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Phoebus said. “Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”
Medina replied by transporting them into what he guessed were her private chambers. “What is it you wish to ask me? Obviously your mating trigger has been found, so I can’t imagine what else you might want, unless Caspian isn’t enough for you?”
“He is everything I could have wanted in a lover,” Phoebus replied.
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Are you?” Phoebus asked. “Because I’ve heard otherwise.”
Medina frowned, her face the image of confusion.
“Am I cursed?” he asked.
“Men know when I’ve cursed them,” Medina replied with a laugh. “They usually find themselves with limp cocks that won’t perform, no matter what they try. Your own is clearly in full working order.”
Phoebus suspected she might be deliberately avoiding his question. Perhaps another tactic was in order. “Did you curse Caspian to find love and lose it?”
Medina waved away his question. “I might have said something to that effect. You shouldn’t let it trouble you.”
“Not let it trouble me?” Phoebus shouted. “I love him and you’ve cursed him to lose me!”
“It’s not as bad as you think.”
“Did you know you’d cursed him when you sent me to his temple?”
“Yes,” Medina confirmed. Phoebus formed the distinct impression she wasn’t bothered about this in the slightest.
“You deliberately sent me to him, knowing you’d cursed him and knowing it wasn’t just his life you were interfering with. It was mine too.”
Medina, who had been perfectly calm just moments before, rose from her seat, her eyes blazing in fury. Phoebus had never seen anything like it and cringed at the unnatural gaze.
“You dare to speak to me that way?”
Phoebus shrank back against the archway.
“Caspian needs to learn a lesson, and yes, I sent you to him to help with that. He has found love and he was destined to lose it.”
“Was?” Phoebus squeaked.
“He seeks to avoid the curse by making you immortal,” Medina said. “And it will work, if the pantheon votes in his favor.”
Phoebus didn’t think she sounded too pleased about the prospect.
Suddenly all the heat went out of her eyes and she sat back down with a sigh.
“Non-specific curses, like this one, are hard to predict. They don’t always play out as I intend them to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I thought you’d reject Caspian. There you were, an innocent merman, faced with a god who has bedded so many men he lost count centuries ago. I never imagined you would develop any feelings for him, least of all love.”
“But I did,” Phoebus said. “I love him, but because of your curse, I’m going to lose him.”
“Not if you become immortal,” Medina reminded him. “If it helps to make amends, I will cast my vote in your favor. I’ll also do my best to convince those gods who value my opinion to do likewise.”
“You know I’ll have to give up my fins to become immortal?” Phoebus asked.
“Yes, that’s something that can’t be helped, I’m afraid.”
“Mer is what I am. I’ve never known anything else.”
“When you’ve lived as a man for a few centuries, you’ll barely remember what it was to have fins.”
“That’s what worries me. I don’t want to forget who I am.”
Medina shrugged and the sound of someone calling her from outside distracted her from his contemplation. She was gone in a flash, leaving him to wonder what in the world he was going to do.