She hadn’t been here in centuries, and seeing it again still took her breath away.
Beyond the causeway, a champagne beach embraced the water and the promenade that swept in both directions around the enormous island. White buildings with accents of gold and turquoise clustered along the shore, smaller at the promenade but growing larger and spaced further apart the closer they were to the heart of the city, where the island rose up to a peak.
Atop that peak, a glittering gold palace stood, beautiful Greek temples that had white columns and turquoise friezes, were surrounded by lush green and colourful blooms.
The causeway led straight to it, rising up the hill with cascades on either side of it, wide canals that had waterfalls positioned at the end of each road that circled the city.
She glanced to her left and then her right, drinking in the blue sky where it met even bluer water, and the pale rocky islands that surrounded the central one where she stood. On two of the larger islands, one on either side of her, huge gold statues of Poseidon towered, the turquoise and gold tridents they held pointed at the gate, as if the god was ready to hurl them should an intruder step through it.
Keras strode forwards, a black shadow in a bright land. She followed him and drew up beside him, still battling her nerves but unwilling to let him walk alone as he reached the end of the causeway.
People milling along the promenade and some on the fishing boats docked in the small harbour all stopped to stare at Keras.
If he felt the weight of their curious gazes, he didn’t show it.
He walked with his head held high, his green eyes fixed on the palace looming on the peak of the island high above them.
The staring didn’t end when they left the promenade behind, beginning their ascent.
People on the streets that ran down either side of the cascades, lining the buildings there and joining the roads together, stopped to glance at him, to exchange whispered comments.
Some of them recognised him.
Most of them young women.
Enyo scowled at the ones who spoke his name, who remarked on his looks or his standing.
They were quick to scurry away into the shadows.
“Esher would love this place,” Keras said.
Enyo looked at him and found him gazing at the cascade to her left, and beyond it to one of the wide streets that formed a ring around the island. A canal filled the space between the two sides of the road, crossed by bridges in several places, the bright blue water a streak of colour against all the white marble.
In the water, colourful fish darted around.
She watched them as she walked with Keras, moving closer to him when more females paused to admire him. She remembered that Poseidon had given his favour to Esher, and how the two of them had seemed close the few times she had seen them together. She didn’t want to be the one to tell Poseidon what had happened to Esher, but if it would sway him, then she would mention it.
Because this mission had to succeed.
She needed to convince Poseidon to lend his forces to Keras and convince him to speak with Hades too.
At the very least, she needed him to speak with his brother.
They reached the high wall of the palace and ascended the broad white steps that led up to a formal garden that filled the space around the temples, level with the top of the wall. Along the edge of the garden, golden statues of Poseidon stood.
Elegant white marble fountains flanked the path that carried her forwards, towards one of the lower temples. She banked right, heading for the gatehouse beside it, the only entry point for the palace. The brightly clothed people coming and going from Poseidon’s temple glanced at her, and then at Keras.
Enyo ignored them and approached the guards, two males dressed in white and turquoise breastplates and skirts who stood side by side with their golden tridents crossed.
They took one look at her and Keras and stepped aside, bowing their heads and easing their tridents back.
Keras led the way up the narrow road, following it around another two columned buildings made entirely of gold, and out onto a broad paved area before the main palace.
Three rows of enormous white columns supported the gold triangular pediment of the temple-like building, the turquoise, lapis lazuli and marble frieze depicting Poseidon and his wife on a chariot drawn by creatures that had the front half of a horse and the rear of a sea serpent or fish.
She stepped to one side as three females bustled past her, two of them carrying gold bowls overflowing with rose petals while the third carefully held a pitcher of oil.
Keras raised an eyebrow at them. “I see Poseidon’s tastes haven’t changed. He still prefers his females to bare more flesh than is respectable.”
Enyo looked at the clothing they wore, layers of colourful sheer fabric that covered only their breasts and was fastened with gold, and two long strips of matching fabric that hung from a gold belt around their waists, barely covering their backsides and the front of their hips, and then at herself.
Her skirt was short, barely reached mid-thigh.
Was that respectable enough for Keras?
He moved and she hurried to keep up, her pulse pounding faster again as they entered the main temple.
A female greeted him, bowing her head, causing tendrils of bright gold hair to spill down her ample chest. “Son of Hades.”
Keras dipped his chin. “I wish to speak with my uncle.”
She nodded again and swept her arm out, gesturing towards the grand doors at the end of the hallway. She led the way, and Enyo watched Keras like a hawk, sure he would admire the female as she gracefully walked ahead of him.
He didn’t.
He kept his eyes fixed on the door.
Her pulse settled a little.
It didn’t last long.
The moment the twin gold doors opened, it spiked right back up.
Her breath leaked from her when the female left them and she looked at the room. The gold and white throne that stood on the high dais at the other end of the room was empty.
“We can get Zeus to speak with him.” Enyo reached for Keras’s arm, unwilling to waste this chance she had been given.
A deep male voice rolled from beyond the white and turquoise fluted columns that lined the room, supporting the roof.
“I am the only one home, but you can speak with me. I am in charge in my father’s absence.”
She tensed.
Keras arched an eyebrow at her.
She cursed him for noticing.
Cursed the blue-haired male who rounded one of the white columns and smiled at her, his aquamarine eyes brightening as they landed on her.
Before she could say or do anything, he strode towards her and swept her up into a hug, lifting her boots off the white marble floor.
“It is good to see you, Enyo.”
Enyo pressed against his bare shoulders.
Keras growled.
Nikos set her down and eased her away from him. Slowly. As if she was a bomb liable to detonate if he moved too quickly.
Or perhaps he feared Keras would explode at him.
She glanced at Keras.
Didn’t miss how he scowled at Nikos, or how his look only darkened as it dropped to his body. She swore she could read his mind, knew the dark path his thoughts traversed as black invaded his irises.
Nikos wore the traditional garb of his position as a son of Poseidon.
Which meant he wore only a thick gold belt that dipped from his waist to under his navel, almost following the curve of muscle that arched over his hips. Two long heavy strips of fine cobalt fabric hung from that belt—one at the front that was only a little wider than the centre of his thighs, and one from the back that covered most of his rear.