His queen noticed this too. He knew it when she got nearer to the point she was practically walking sideways. She tucked herself so close to him, she no longer held him around his elbow, but he was forced to slide his arm protectively along her shoulders.

“I don’t like it here,” she murmured.

“I don’t either, love,” Tor replied.

They made their ship and made their way up the gangway.

Bain, Lahn’s man, was the first they saw.

“Refresh supplies quickly. We leave in the morning,” he ordered.

“I thought we were staying a few days,” Bain said.

“This is no place for us.”

Bain took in his king’s face, then looked to Tor’s split knuckles and finally at the expressions the women were wearing.

Then he quickly prowled away.

“I’m going to get you a cold cloth for your hand,” Cora announced, gave him a squeeze, got up on her toes and kissed his jaw, and then she made haste in doing that.

She was shaken.

Tor felt his jaw harden, because he wasn’t fond of his Cora feeling shaken.

“I’m just going to go below. I don’t even want to look at that city,” Circe declared, shot Lahn a glare, he returned it with a scowl, definitely a husband and wife of one mind, and she followed Cora.

Tor turned to the railing and stared at the city that seemed to have been built of the black stone that covered the coast.

The structures might be extraordinary, but the overall sense was gloomy.

Lahn came up on his left side.

“I do not have a good feeling, my friend,” Lahn stated.

“I don’t either,” Tor replied.

The two kings studied the unwelcoming city.

If this was their first taste of Triton, neither were looking forward to what was to come.

76

The Pet

The Priest

Ancient Ritual Ground, Lesser Thicket Forest

WODELL

Finally, they were back on track.

They had the men.

The new recruit had been trained.

They’d retaken their vows.

They had the sacrifice.

They had the moon in the sky.

And tonight, the Beast would be appeased.

Their sacrifice was staked to the ground, and his nemesis, who was also, regrettably, his brother in their undertaking was undoing his trousers in order to use her when the ground shook.

The priest smiled.

He’d been missed.

So much so, the Beast couldn’t even wait for the offering to share his gladness to have his master back.

His smile began to fade as the quake didn’t stop and it was not the same as the last ones. It did not seem to shake the trees beyond, meaning it could be felt from sea to sea.

It was just there.

At the Ritual Ground.

More to the point, right where they were standing.

The moist dirt seemed to be breaking apart all around them.