Read Online Aphrodite's Secret by Julie Kenner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Kenner
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was an expert with his Propulsion Cloak, and now he swooped down for the kill.
“Davy!” Jason heard Zoë yell, but she didn’t
do
anything except bounce up and down in frustration. Why wasn’t she helping him?
He swam as fast as he could. Where, where,
where
was his backup?
The shape shifter caught up, grabbing on to Jason’s tail and spinning him over. Davy broke free and started paddling, his little cheeks puffed out, as he headed for the pool’s edge.
Jason heaved his bulk back toward the shape shifter, who held his tail. Dolphins might be cute and friendly, but they weighed a lot and packed a punch. The shifter was knocked backwards into the water, his motions becoming clumsy as he was submerged.
The Outcast couldn’t stay underwater long, but Jason could. If he could just get on top of his enemy. If he could just block his path . . .
Each time the shifter headed for the surface, Jason cut him off, a living barrier to keep the Outcast from air. And it was working, too. The Outcast was slowing down, losing steam—the lack of oxygen was taking its toll.
A flurry of movement at the surface caught Jason’s attention, and he took his eyes off his opponent long enough to look. His son flailed about, clearly fighting exhaustion and trying to stay afloat. Jason shifted, ready to lunge for the boy and push him out of the water, but Zoë dove in, wrapping her arm around Davy and carrying him to the side of the pool. Jason’s body sagged with relief.
Thank Zeus!
But his thanks died on his lips. He’d only been distracted for a split second, yet that was enough. As he focused his full attention back to the shifter, Jason was engulfed in a ball of living, breathing flame.
He writhed, the flames licking at him as the shifter propelled himself toward the water’s surface. And it was only when the shifter wrestled the boy from Zoë‘s arms and soared into the sky that Jason realized the fire surrounding him was an illusion. Underwater, of course, it had to be. But his brief hesitation had cost him everything.
It was over.
There was nothing he could do—nothing, except watch as his enemy lifted his son into the wild winds above and shot off across the sky, finally fading into nothing more than a distant black dot. And as the Outcast disappeared from sight, Jason thought he heard the deep, low tones of a maniacal laugh.
A scream of protest died in Jason’s throat, and he sank, defeated, to the bottom of the pool.
Once again, he’d failed. He’d failed in his mission, and he’d failed his son.
Hieronymous had won.
Well, Jason didn’t care if he had to sidestep every rule the Council had ever issued.
He
was going after Davy. And he was going to make his father pay.
All those lost years when he should have been with his son, with Lane ... He could have been playing on the beach with Davy, teaching his son to ride a bike, to read, to swim. Instead, he’d been stuck swimming in an endless loop, with no laughter, no chubby arms around his neck, no diapers, no sloppy kisses—just the water of his prison and his own dark thoughts.
He clenched his fists against the memories. Hieronymous had thought his punishment so clever, but the man had no imagination at all. Jason did. He’d retrieve his son. He’d defeat Hieronymous. And, in the end, he’d feast on a revenge sweeter than anything the Outcast leader had ever dreamed.
Chapter Four
Mordi sailed through the sky, a squirming bundle of boy in his arms.
“Let go of me!” Davy hollered, his little legs kicking.
“Come on, kid,” Mordi said, continuing to keep his face and voice disguised. “Don’t you know me? Didn’t your mom show you pictures? I’m your daddy.”
Davy shifted, his eyes going wide then narrowing with suspicion. “You’re not my daddy!” he howled.
He gave a few more kicks, one right in Mordi’s gut. Mordi coughed, the wind knocked out of him, and lost control of his Propulsion Cloak; he and Davy tumbled through the sky. The
“Davy!” Jason heard Zoë yell, but she didn’t
do
anything except bounce up and down in frustration. Why wasn’t she helping him?
He swam as fast as he could. Where, where,
where
was his backup?
The shape shifter caught up, grabbing on to Jason’s tail and spinning him over. Davy broke free and started paddling, his little cheeks puffed out, as he headed for the pool’s edge.
Jason heaved his bulk back toward the shape shifter, who held his tail. Dolphins might be cute and friendly, but they weighed a lot and packed a punch. The shifter was knocked backwards into the water, his motions becoming clumsy as he was submerged.
The Outcast couldn’t stay underwater long, but Jason could. If he could just get on top of his enemy. If he could just block his path . . .
Each time the shifter headed for the surface, Jason cut him off, a living barrier to keep the Outcast from air. And it was working, too. The Outcast was slowing down, losing steam—the lack of oxygen was taking its toll.
A flurry of movement at the surface caught Jason’s attention, and he took his eyes off his opponent long enough to look. His son flailed about, clearly fighting exhaustion and trying to stay afloat. Jason shifted, ready to lunge for the boy and push him out of the water, but Zoë dove in, wrapping her arm around Davy and carrying him to the side of the pool. Jason’s body sagged with relief.
Thank Zeus!
But his thanks died on his lips. He’d only been distracted for a split second, yet that was enough. As he focused his full attention back to the shifter, Jason was engulfed in a ball of living, breathing flame.
He writhed, the flames licking at him as the shifter propelled himself toward the water’s surface. And it was only when the shifter wrestled the boy from Zoë‘s arms and soared into the sky that Jason realized the fire surrounding him was an illusion. Underwater, of course, it had to be. But his brief hesitation had cost him everything.
It was over.
There was nothing he could do—nothing, except watch as his enemy lifted his son into the wild winds above and shot off across the sky, finally fading into nothing more than a distant black dot. And as the Outcast disappeared from sight, Jason thought he heard the deep, low tones of a maniacal laugh.
A scream of protest died in Jason’s throat, and he sank, defeated, to the bottom of the pool.
Once again, he’d failed. He’d failed in his mission, and he’d failed his son.
Hieronymous had won.
Well, Jason didn’t care if he had to sidestep every rule the Council had ever issued.
He
was going after Davy. And he was going to make his father pay.
All those lost years when he should have been with his son, with Lane ... He could have been playing on the beach with Davy, teaching his son to ride a bike, to read, to swim. Instead, he’d been stuck swimming in an endless loop, with no laughter, no chubby arms around his neck, no diapers, no sloppy kisses—just the water of his prison and his own dark thoughts.
He clenched his fists against the memories. Hieronymous had thought his punishment so clever, but the man had no imagination at all. Jason did. He’d retrieve his son. He’d defeat Hieronymous. And, in the end, he’d feast on a revenge sweeter than anything the Outcast leader had ever dreamed.
Chapter Four
Mordi sailed through the sky, a squirming bundle of boy in his arms.
“Let go of me!” Davy hollered, his little legs kicking.
“Come on, kid,” Mordi said, continuing to keep his face and voice disguised. “Don’t you know me? Didn’t your mom show you pictures? I’m your daddy.”
Davy shifted, his eyes going wide then narrowing with suspicion. “You’re not my daddy!” he howled.
He gave a few more kicks, one right in Mordi’s gut. Mordi coughed, the wind knocked out of him, and lost control of his Propulsion Cloak; he and Davy tumbled through the sky. The
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