λγ′ - Trianda Tria

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Thirty-Three

When Paris kissed me, the world shook. My heart jumped into my throat. It was the most electrifying and terrifying kiss I'd ever had. The boat trembled, and the pressuring pain bloomed in my chest, but I couldn't pull away. He grounded me. His lips were so soft and warm, and when his tongue dashed across my lips, my knees weakened. We were standing on a boat, chased by a large sea serpent and the god of the sea, yet nothing else mattered but the two of us.

There was no denying it now. The damned prince had hooked me in. He wrapped his uninjured arm around my waist, pressing close. His touch was so tender and gentle that even though I might have thought this moment was straight out of a romance movie, I melted into him.

Just as I threaded my fingers through his hair, the boat lurched to a violent halt. Our kiss was rudely interrupted as we tumbled to the ground, Paris grunting painfully when he landed on his injured arm. I rolled away from him quickly as a loud, angry roar popped our little bubble.

"Are you alright?" he asked when really it was I who should have been asking. His wound was still bleeding freely, staining his outfit crimson. He was so pale.

Something dark and ominous loomed over us. Whatever Aphrodite was doing to the boat, it wasn't fast enough to outrun the leviathan. I threw my body over Paris as splinters and chunks of wood fell around us, scratching my bare arms.

"We need to get off this boat," Hector said.

"Jumping into the water is even more dangerous," I said, my voice hitching with panic.

"It doesn't matter. It's either sink or swim," he snapped, hoisting Paris to his feet. "We only angered it off when we hurt it. It'll take down this whole boat and crush us in the process."

"But what about Zoisme?"

Hector glanced at the slave, who was still unconscious. "If you want to carry deadweight then be my guest. My suggestion? Leave her."

Leave her. So callous. So blunt. Just as a warrior prince would be.

But he was also right. She was still unconscious and I wouldn't be able to hold her up and swim to shore on my own. Leaving her was my only choice if we really had to flee, but I didn't want to... not with Paris in the state he was in.

On cue, the younger prince swayed dangerously, unsteady by the dip and roll of the boat. He leaned into his brother, eyes fluttering. The crew had long since abandoned the ship, risking the water instead of sticking around on the boat. It was just the four of us now, one giant sea serpent and a god. Those odds were not in our favour.

"He can't swim," I argued. "Aphrodite's driving the boat. She'll get us to shore. She promised."

Hector's mouth opened to argue, and then he froze, those brown eyes latching onto something above my head. Then, something landed on the boat with a dull thud.

Slowly, I turned, starting with my head, my torso and legs following after a delay. Poseidon stalked towards us, trident held out beside him, a wicked smirk on his lips. His monster held us firm with its scaly tail, growling and hissing.

It was impressive, really. I knew that the serpent was big, but the sheer size of it was prehistoric. Water glistened on its beautiful, black scales. Its yellow eyes reminded me of a cat with diamond-shaped pupils and almond eyelids.

"Leaving so soon?" the god asked, his free hand brushing the snake's scaly hide. "My pet hasn't had the chance to play."

"Heh... nice snakey," I said, edging backwards towards Hector and Paris. "We don't need to fight."

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