The War God's Woman 2

69. A Date with Poseidon

Zahira opened her bedroom door, wondering who could be knocking so late.

"Poseidon?" She frowned. "Have you been drinking?" She hadn't known that gods could get drunk, but the way he was leaning against the door frame led her to the conclusion that not only was it possible but it had happened.

Poseidon nodded and scratched the back of his head.

"I broke one of my canopic jars. I then spent the day – drinking and repairing it. And one point I threw up."

"One point?"

"A few points." He rubbed his blood-shot eyes.

"Your canopic jars-?"

"Not important." Poseidon interrupted.

He looked at her. His gaze tired and sad. "Do you want to go on a date?"

"Right now?"

He nodded. Zahira looked down at herself.

"But I'm in my PJ's."

Poseidon waved a dismissive hand.

                         Zahira pulled her dressing gown tighter around herself.

"Where are we?" She asked. Poseidon shrugged.

"Somewhere in the Caribbean."

"Poseidon, we're on a boat that's sinking." It wasn't just sinking; the boat had been torn in half. The bow was upended, bobbing in the water like a cork and they were sat on the rail.

"It won't sink whilst we're here. Trust me, you're with the god of the sea."

Zahira looked around. Bits of wreckage floated on the sea.

"What happened?"

"The Kraken."

"Did they survive? The people that were on this boat."

"No."

Zahira stared at Poseidon, waiting for him to say more. He didn't.

"Why did you bring me here on a date?!"

"Should I have hidden this from you?"

Zahira gaped for a moment.

"No." She finally managed. "But why are you showing me this?"

"You're the queen of this." He gestured around them. "The beautiful and the ugly. Many creatures in our ocean kill each other to survive. Should they starve instead?"

"No, but-"

"Should the Kraken be locked up simply because of what it is."

"It's killing people-"

"People don't belong out to sea. They'd have gills if they did."

"So, you think they deserved to die?" Zahira shot back sharply.

"I think, that you're only look at things from the human perspective."

"Because I am human!"

"But you are also my queen!" 

Zahira stiffened, shocked by the change when Poseidon shouted back at her. "The Kraken lives in our kingdom. It is older than us both. Can't you see that it has every right to exist."