“Why don't we sit down?” Hades ushered everyone forward and after they were settled, he added, “Vervain, Triton's been having some trouble, and we were hoping you could help.”
“What's going on?” I asked.
“I have a fishing business,” Triton started. “Recently, I've lost several boats to a string of accidents that are too coincidental to simply be a run of bad luck.”
“What kind of accidents?” Re asked as he set a pitcher of water down between Donnie and Triton and then added two glasses.
As soon as the water was there, the sea gods were focused on it. Donnie poured the water and passed a glass to his son. Then he and Triton gulped down their glasses, poured another round, and then sighed in relief.
“Engines failing right before a storm,” Triton finally answered. “Equipment breaking. We've even had a boat sink from holes in the hull, and that just doesn't happen. If a boat is damaged enough to take on water, there are bilge pumps to drain it until the boat can reach port. In calm weather—like we had that day—you'd have to do some serious damage to a hull to sink a boat. Serious damage. And you don't get that kind of damage by just floating around and catching fish.”
“Triton came to me and dealt me in,” Donnie said. “I went to scope the sitch and found nada. This reeks of god magic, but I can't sniff it out. I called my bro up, and Hades said you got the best sniffer in the God World. So, here we are. You mind doin' some sniffin' for us, dragon lady?”
“This feels familiar,” I murmured.
“You're referring to the incidents with Athena's mines?” Hades asked.
“That's right,” I said.
“I agree with you,” Hades said. “Wait until you hear where Triton's company does most of its fishing.”
“Don't tell me,” I said dryly, “Argentina.”
Triton nodded.
“But Thena's mines were hit by an Argentina honey of the hills,” Donnie pointed out. “My boy is in the water, and he keeps it real; he fishes responsibly and respectfully. No dolphins or other mammals are hurt by his nets, and he never takes too much.”
“I use my magic to protect the ocean while I harvest her bounty,” Triton said. “It's why I fish mainly in Argentina; the locals prefer meat to fish so the fishing industry is small there. Mainly, I bring in Hake, squid, and shrimp, and I'm respectful of the locals. There's no reason for anyone to have a problem with me.”
“You mean unlike Athena and her stripping the land of its gold?” I asked.
Triton shrugged as if he didn't want to speak poorly of her.
“That Argentinian goddess asked Athena to stop several times,” I said. “Her magic compelled her to defend her land.”
“Athena's my foster daughter,” Triton said. “I love her very much, but I think that she should have been more considerate of the local gods. I do not behave in such a manner.”
“Have you received any requests to stop fishing?” I asked. “Had any run-ins with the local gods? Or any threats?”
“No, no, and no,” he said.
“Perhaps this isn't about you at all,” Re suggested. “You said that Athena was your foster daughter; how well known is that fact?”
Triton frowned, blinked, and then looked at his father.
“Dude, that just blew my mind,” Donnie said. “Is this all an epic revenge plot against Thena?”
“I suppose it's possible,” Triton said. He turned to me and asked, “Will you come and investigate the latest boat that was damaged? I'd prefer to get hard evidence rather than run off on a hunch.”
“Of course,” I said. “I just need to tell my husbands that I'm leaving.”
“I'll go with you to investigate,” Re offered.
“Really?” I asked. “Don't you have to take all our wedding decisions to”—I waved my hand—“whoever you have to take them to?”
Re frowned. “I guess I should.”
“I'm just gonna take a look,” I assured him. “I'll be fine.”
“Don't you need to take Torrent with you?” Re asked.
“If it's another trail that leads into the Aether, I'll have Sephy get him,” I said. “Torr's with Artemis at her place.”
“Okay,” Re gave in.
“Why don't you meet me back here when you're done with all that?” I suggested.
“And then we can work on your headache,” Re said with a lascivious grin.
“Whoa, dude, we're standin' right here, and no one was fooled by that in-your-end-doe,” Donnie said.
Re turned slowly to face Donnie; his golden eyes beginning to burn.
“Okay, do your thing, gold-man.” Donnie held up his hands defensively. “No need to get gnarly with me.”
“I'll see you later, Lala.” Re pulled me into a hip-grinding, hair-pulling lip-lock that should have been reserved for the bedroom.
It was so hot that I didn't care about our audience.
When Re released me, our guests were slack-jawed and flushed. Sephy was openly fanning herself with her hand. Re smiled in satisfaction as he strode past them and out to the tracing room. I had to take a moment to gather my thoughts and push down my libido before I strode out after him.
Wait. What was I doing again? I caught myself at the door to the tracing room; I'd been about to follow Re.
“Right; I gotta tell my husbands where I'm off to,” I muttered to myself as I got into the gilded elevator. “And maybe splash some cold water on my face... and a little lower.”
Re could be a pain in the patootie, but he could be very pleasurable everywhere else. His little reminder of his sexual expertise served not only to shut Donnie up but also to be an incentive to me for a speedy investigation. The sooner I found Triton's saboteur,
