"Still fully alive, I see," Mort replied, pointing to the couch. "You do know Gloria was just outside only a few moments ago."

  "That's what makes it exciting. But what brings you? Scotch?" Silas pulled open a drawer of his desk and lifted out a bottle of amber liquid.

  "No, thanks. I just thought we should talk about Eli before we head over."

  "Oh, I'm sure our brother is just having some fun," Silas said, pouring a double measure into his cup.

  "But what if he's not? There are some who would like to see things change and this could be the spark to set them off. If he does anything it could end things as we know it."

  "You're putting the cart before the horse, Mort." Silas threw back the drink. "Let's go and see what he has to say before we judge."

  ***

  At seven in the evening, the founders of Port Athens met up in Eli P. Marin's home to see what he had to show them.

  Eli stood in front of Darla, George, and Tanner who were squashed uncomfortably together on his couch; Sonny, Gloria, and Evelyn who had taken the three plush armchairs; Silas, Simone, and Mort who remained standing; and Earl and John who had pulled two wooden barstools in from the kitchen.

  The founders of Port Athens stared disapprovingly at a plump goldfish swimming lazily around a bowl that had been centered on a small table. Propped up next to the table was the trident. Gleaming from the heavy polishing Eli had given it, it did not look like someone's discarded junk from a yard sale. In fact, to the founders of Port Athens, it looked far too familiar. Simone's heart thudded with anticipation at the sight of it. Eli hadn't been lying.

  "Thank you for coming," Eli said, standing next to the fish bowl. The fish angled itself so it appeared to be watching Eli with as much attention as a loyal dog eager to do anything to please its master. "As you know, Port Athens is thriving, but we could be doing even better."

  "We are fine as we are," Silas said and several other heads nodded in agreement.

  "But what if we, my crew and I, could bring in at least ten times the number of fish we currently do? We could use the money to buy up the failing villages to the north and south of here and each have our own little kingdom."

  "To what end?" Tanner asked. "We've always lived side-by-side."

  "Not all of us," Mort said waspishly, recalling how in the early days he'd been made to work and live in a veritable pit.

  "Yes, well, we have apologized for that," said Gloria.

  "To the end," Eli continued, "of expanding our empire, our influence."

  "This is only your fishing we're talking about, right?" Sonny asked. "Not us."

  "Where this came from," Eli lifted the trident, "are other items you might be interested in."

  "Junk," Earl scoffed. " You've been swindled. We gave those things up. They were supposed to have been destroyed."

  "Please don't remind me," said Evelyn, recalling her tearful goodbyes to her pet owl.

  "Junk? Watch." Eli pointed the trident at the bowl. The fish stiffened then, with a single flick of its tail, leapt from the bowl into Eli's hand. He held it up for all to see then dropped the shiny orange creature back in the water where it resumed swimming circles. "Don't you see? If I did this in the ocean--"

  "It'd be decimated," George blurted.

  "It'd sort itself out. Look, I'm going out tomorrow to make a new beginning for us with or without your approval. If anyone wants to join me, you're welcome to. It's going to be a great day for being on the water. A great day for us all."

  Standing at the back of the room, Silas watched everyone's reaction to the offer and felt a surge of relief that their reactions revealed only disinterest, discomfort, or outright hostility to what Eli was suggesting. He was glad to see Eli's madness hadn't spread. This had to be stopped and there'd be no objection to the measures he needed to take to put an end to it.

  "I'll leave you to it, Eli, but I strongly suggest you reconsider this," Silas said, heading toward the door.

  "You would say that," Eli snapped.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Silas asked, turning back to the fisherman.

  "You're mayor. You, as ever, rule the roost. You sleep with whomever you like and act like we all have to accept it. You just want to keep us under your thumb."

  Silas's brow furrowed. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before responding, but his words still came out heated.

  "I have in no way done so and you know it. We agreed when we came here to certain terms, certain changes. We have kept our basic characteristics, interests, instincts, but if we are to fit into this world we have to have restrictions. Not ones I forced on you, but ones we hammered out, debated, rewrote, and agreed to."

  "Admit it, Eli," Earl said., "you're just being greedy. You've never liked being in your brother shadow."

  "This is not about sibling rivalry." Eli pounded the butt of the trident into the floor. The fish, and everyone else, snapped to attention. "We could take over, don't you see? Not as we once did but as the mortals do now, by buying up by taking hold, by seizing upon the weak."

  "That's exactly what we should be trying not to do," Darla insisted. "That's what we should try to prevent."

  Eli paid no attention to her. "I'm going out tomorrow. Whoever wants to join me, can. Whoever doesn't, can wallow in his or her inability to envision something greater."

  Silas, Gloria, Mort, and Evelyn left together. The others soon followed with Simone emerging last after helping Eli put the barstools back in the kitchen. They strolled as a group and ended up at the café run by Liza Marquez whose hair looked splendid after her visit to Simone's that afternoon.

  "Am I right?" Silas asked once his beer arrived. "Did we not agree what would happen if one of us reverted?"

  "We did," Evelyn said. "And from the sound of it, we need to act tomorrow. If we show we're serious, it should keep anyone else from trying this."

  "Do you really have to?" Simone asked. "I mean there's nothing wrong with ambition, is there?"

  "This is more than ambition," Evelyn replied. "If Eli does this it might go unnoticed for a while but how long before we're found out?"

  "And how long before he empties the ocean for his own greed?" George asked.

  "I could take care of him." As if anyone was in doubt of his meaning, Earl punched his beefy fist into his broad palm.

  "You're so predictable," John said, rolling his eyes.

  "Silas's right," said Evelyn. "Eli will jeopardize what we've built. I say we enact Article Twelve. We'll spread the word that no one is to join Eli tomorrow. Tell them his boat has been deemed unsafe."

  Several voices agreed in unison.

  "I didn't think it would come to this," Mort said. "One of our own."

  "It's the law. It has to be done."

  ***

  On a perfect spring morning with flat seas and clear blue skies, Captain Eli P. Marin made a terrible mistake. He broke his contract with the gods and went out to sea with the intention to resume the use of his power. But the moment he raised his trident to call the fish to him, a lightning bolt shot down from the sky, striking the trident and surging through Eli. He was rescued soon after by a waiting rowboat and taken to the area hospital. During the three days he remained unconscious, he was treated for severe burns to his hands and feet.

  When he woke, Simone was by his bedside as she'd been each day since he was admitted. Although the nurses told her to let him rest, she hounded him with questions, all the while clutching the piece of paper he'd given her when she helped tidy up after the goldfish demonstration. She had called the number on the piece of paper that very night after getting home from the cafe. The person who answered said he could get her doves back and not to call him again. He'd call her when it was time.

  But Eli's responses to her frantic inquires had her wondering whether or not she would answer. Was it worth the risk? Could she get away with it if she didn't show off as Eli had done? Because Eli's punishment for trying to revert had been thorough. No matter how many questions she threw at him, Eli knew nothing of his past. He only knew he lived in Port Athens and that he was a fisherman.

  "And your name?" Simone asked. "Do remember your name?"

  "Eli Marin."

  "Not Eli P. Marin?" she prodded.

  "I don't remember ever having a middle name."

  Just then Simone's phone rang, startling her so hard she nearly dropped it. She glanced at the number and recognized it instantly. It rang a second time and then a third.

  "You going to answer that?" Eli asked her, cocking a singed eyebrow and giving her a mischievous grin.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I'm an award-winning author who turns wickedly strong tea into imaginative fiction (so, basically still playing with brains and drugs).

  My fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired my flagship series, The Osteria Chronicles.

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  OTHER BOOKS BY TAMMIE PAINTER

  The Cassie Black Trilogy

  If you like contemporary fantasy with snarky humor, unforgettable characters, piles of pastries, and a little paranormal mystery, you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from the Cassie Black Trilogy...a fish-out-of-water tale that takes you from the streets of Portland to the Tower of London.

  The Undead Mr. Tenpenny

  Work at a funeral home can be mundane. Until you accidentally start waking the dead.

  The Uncanny Raven Winston

  There's nothing like an evil wizard to ruin a perfect good trip to London.

  The Untangled Cassie Black

  Sometimes taking an overdose of magic is the least of your worries.

  The Osteria Chronicles

  A Six-Book Mythological Fantasy Adventure

  Myths and heroes may be reborn, but the whims of the gods never change.

  Perfect for fans of mythological adventure and romance like Clash of the Titans, as well as historical fantasy fiction by Madeline Miller, S.J.A. Turney, Mary Renault, and Bernard Cornwell, the Osteria Chronicles are a captivating fantasy series in which the myths, gods, and heroes of Ancient Greece come to life as you've never seen them before.

  The Trials of Hercules: Book One of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a world where mortals contend with the gods' vengeful jealousy, one man must ask himself if he will risk his life to defend the goddess who has done everything to destroy him.

  The Voyage of Heroes: Book Two of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a dangerous game that pits god against god, and family against one another, trust is the deadliest weapon.

  The Maze of Minos: Book Three of the Osteria Chronicles

  With the gods as your allies, your life, your world, and your sanity have never been in more danger.

  The Bonds of Osteria: Book Four of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a fierce clash for power, titans rise, heroes fall, and the gods find themselves on the brink of destruction.

  The Battle of Ares: Book Five of the Osteria Chronicles

  The war that could destroy Osteria has begun. And it's not just the mortals whose lives are at stake.

  The Return of Odysseus: Book Six of the Osteria Chronicles

  The war may be over, but the fight for Osteria's future has just begun. For both mortals and immortals, it's a race against time for survival, for love, and for Osteria.

  Domna: A Novel of Osteria

  Destiny isn't given by the gods, it's made by defying them.

  If you like the political intrigue, adventure, and love triangles of historical fiction by Philippa Gregory and Bernard Cornwell, and the mythological world-building of fantasy fiction by Madeline Miller and Simon Scarrow, you'll love Domna's epic tale of passion, ambition, and betrayal.

  Domna: The Complete Set includes all six parts of this serialized novel in one volume.

  Domna, Part One: The Sun God's Daughter

  As a realm teeters on the verge of rebellion anything is possible, except one woman's freedom to choose her fate.

  Domna, Part Two: The Solon's Son

  When your destiny has been stolen, it's up to you to make a new one. But first you have to survive the marriage you've been forced into.

  Domna, Part Three: The Centaur's Gamble

  In a world mired in chaos one wrong word could mean death, but one promise could mean greatness.

  Domna, Part Four: The Regent's Edict

  A fight for power. A battle for loyalty. A plot that could cause it all to crumble.

  Domna, Part Five: The Forgotten Heir

  When the Solon ignores an imminent threat, one woman will go to any extreme to save him, protect her son, and ensure the stability of their realm.

  Domna, Part Six: The Solon's Wife

  A life of love or a life of power. A promise to the gods or following your heart's desire. The choice must be made.

  Short Stories

  13th Hour: Tales from Light to Midnight

  From light tales of legends and love, to dark stories of ancient beasts and a desperate chef, 13th Hour will delight you, mystify you, and make you cringe.

  Other Short Stories

  I love to stretch my writing muscles with short stories, many of which feature plenty of dark humor. A few are available on major retailers, but you'll find more on my Payhip Bookstore.

  Testing the Waters

  Copyright © 2019 by Tammie Painter

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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