Atlantis Rising

brother had a couple of inches and maybe fifty pounds on him.

Ven bared his teeth. 'Look, you idiot—'

Conlan very deliberately swept one arm out, a ball of turquoise and silver light flashing in his upturned palm. Then he swept his gaze over Ven and the rest of the Seven and drew what shred of dignity he still possessed around him. 'I think you overstep the role of King's Vengeance, my brother. I answer to no one.'

Even as the words left his mouth, he realized their similarity to those Alaric had just uttered.

Evidently, so did Alaric, whose eyes gleamed with amusement. But at least he had the sense to keep his mouth shut.

Not so with Ven. He gaped, staring at the ball of pure energy crackling in Conlan's hand. 'Overstep? I overstep the role? I am the King's Vengeance, you overgrown excuse for a pigheaded princeling.'

Conlan glared at his brother, the two of them toe to toe, Ven giving as good as he got. Then the sound of applause broke through his focus. He jerked his head around to sear Alaric with a glare. The priest continued to clap his hands together.

'Lovely. Very impressive,' the priest drawled. 'We have Reisen on the loose with the Trident and some unknown threat who has drained our prince's power, and yet we have time to play 'whose dick is bigger?' between the Brothers Grimace.'

Conlan opened his mouth, then closed it again, anger draining away. He waved his fingers and the energy ball vanished, then he stepped back from his brother.

'You suck at respect for royalty, don't you?' he said to Alaric. 'But, as much as I hate it, you're right.'

Conlan glanced at his guard, all clad like his brother in the black leather pants and long coats Ven had demanded they wear on any trips to the surface. Ven figured badass biker dude was as good a cover as any for men who towered over most human males.

Conlan's warriors—Poseidon's Warriors—stood at battle alert, hands fisted on blade handles, all constantly scanning their surroundings for imminent threat to their liege.

And here he stood wasting their time with a pissing contest.

Ven shoved a hand through his hair. 'Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, what happened? We all felt the disturbance in the elements when you were attacked. What kind of creature could have done that? Was it a vamp?'

'No—'

Ven continued, talking right over him. 'And why in the nine hells did you face it without us? Why leave without us?'

Conlan glanced at his men, his brothers in arms, before responding. Denal wore an expression of keen reproach, but immediately schooled his expression to implacability when he realized Conlan was watching him.

Ven followed Conlan's gaze through the line. His warriors. Sworn to the service of Poseidon and to the throne, they faced lives of grim purpose. They fought any who threatened humankind. Many died. Those who lived got patched up and returned to fight again.

And their reward? Bound into loveless marriages with females they were ordered to wed. As he himself would do in two weeks' time.

Conlan measured the tenor of his men, realizing anew how lucky he was. There was nobody he'd rather have at his back.

Alexios, fierce, scarred face grim.

Brennan, emotionless but for the whitened knuckles on his blades.

Justice, blue-tinged hair in a braid to his waist, the handle of his sword rising from its sheath behind one shoulder. The member of his Seven who Conlan understood least—trusted least. But a warrior to be reckoned with, by anyone's measure.

Bastien, towering over the others. Nearly seven feet of pure muscle and honed battle instincts.

Christophe, skin glimmering faintly with the residue of barely controlled power.

Finally back to Denal, the youngest of the Seven and newest to the role. He'd still been training at the academy when Conlan had… gone away.

Before Conlan could speak, Ven's voice rang out again. 'Are you going to clue me in on what you were thinking? Were you even thinking at all? These men are sworn to protect you, even to die for you. But you have to go play action hero?' Ven snorted, disgust written all over his face. ''Cause that worked out so well for you the last time, right?'

Somebody gasped. Conlan inclined his head, acknowledging the solid body blow. If he'd waited for sufficient warriors when he'd chased Anubisa back into her lair, maybe he'd…

No. Hindsight was for losers.

He fought for calm in his voice. 'Still don't hesitate to fight dirty, do you, brother?'

Ven shook his head, brows drawn together. Disgust plain on his face. 'A good ruler allows his subjects to do their jobs, Conlan. Maybe it's about time you learned that.'

Conlan whipped around to face his brother, fists clenching. Then he took a deep breath and considered. 'Maybe you're right.'

He heard another gasp from behind him. Even before his capture, they'd never heard much in the way of backing down from their prince.

Maybe it was time. Reason should temper rage. Maybe the philosopher had to rise to stand hand in hand with the warrior.

Conlan nodded at his brother. 'You're pissing me off, but you make a lot of sense.'

Ven blinked, apparently speechless. Conlan kept talking while that happy state continued. 'But I'd consider it a personal favor if you'd forgive and forget, and we could get on with finding the Trident.'

Ven blinked again, then swept a brief bow, a grin quirking up the edges of his lips. 'Consider it done, Your Highness.'

'Call me 'Your Highness' again, and I will kick your ass.'

Conlan said, a rueful grin spreading over his face, then fading. 'I should have waited, I admit it. But that's not all I need to admit. We've got to talk. Consider it a matter of the utmost urgency.'

Ven raised a single eyebrow. His body, if possible, stiffened into an even more heightened state of wariness, as he whipped his head from side to side, scanning the beach and darkness beyond. 'What is it? Reisen? Did you encounter any of the vamps or were-folk? Give me something to fight, damnit.'

Alaric glided noiselessly across the sand, coming closer, reminding Conlan of a shark preparing to strike.

'What was the threat?' Alaric demanded. 'Did you encounter some new form of magic that can control even the elements?'

Conlan shook his head, weighing his words. 'I'm almost certainly going to regret telling you this. But you have a right to know. Especially when it concerns a potential weakness.'

Except now he was talking about a personal weakness. A weakness in the heir to the throne. Atlantean political strategy would demand he keep silent.

Atlantean battle strategy would demand that he reveal all.

He measured Ven and Alaric with his gaze. Ven was family, and Alaric had been Conlan's friend since childhood. Conlan had never concealed any truth from either of them. Yet, as he gazed into the fierce green glow of power shining in the priest's eyes, Conlan came to an unpleasant realization: he wasn't entirely sure Alaric could say the same.

Conlan called his guard to approach, then spoke clearly and in the formal tones of his office. Never mind that formality felt false after so many years.

Hell, maybe if he sounded like a king, he'd feel like one. 'My haste in departing was unseemly and wrong in this matter. My brother reminds me that a good king allows his warriors to do what they have trained to do.'

He measured the face of each warrior in turn, and then continued, voice somber. 'However, be advised of this. I will be king, and I am even now high prince. I will act as I consider warranted at all times.'

He paused, flashed a grin at Ven. 'Just try to keep up, little brother.'

Humor fading from his face, Conlan lifted his head and scented the wind for any change in the elements,