Crashing Waves: Falling Olympus Series, #2

By Loretta Kendall

A god of the water who can't swim? Former Olympus hearty throb, now a nerdy water boy. That's what Poseidon's life has become under the Olympus god curse.

With Zeus back on Olympus with his new wife, his brother and oceanographer, Poseidon, is left feeling lonely and unsure of himself. Banished by the Grey witches to live on Earth, the sexy nerd water god will seek his brothers to help him overcome his newfound fear of dating. Posey will find love in a mermaid princess from the underwater world of Atlantis who finds his nerdy vibe to be endearing. But what will happen when he realizes she's the mermaid he was promised to marry centuries ago?

 

When he discovers her true identity, they will fight for love as dark forces threaten the core of humanity. With the help of his brother Hades' whose new life is a mafia kingpin, they seek to find who is behind a universe-wide trafficking ring connected to the toxic pollution that's killing the oceans.

 

Vowed to rule the universe, Poseidon's evil college bully, Neptune, is at the helm of a dangerous plot that stems back to when it all began. Will the brothers of Olympus stop the dangerous plan, or will Posiden's underwater dreams fall to ruin?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Loretta Kendall
• Release date: Sep 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223305040

Loretta Kendall

Loretta started her life with a dream and a story in her mind. For as long as she can remember, she was a storyteller, sharing tall tales with her friends from an overactive imagination. Twenty-two years as an image consultant in the entertainment industry, she revisited her love of books and writing. She is also the Editor-in-chief of Lux Local Magazine, a makeup artist, photographer, and graphic designer. She has been writing since 2017 and has a passion for creating happily-ever-after romance stories with the perfect mix of steamy and slow-burn moments. A hopeless romantic, she lives her own happy ever of twenty-four years of wedded bliss.

Book preview

Chapter 1

~Posey~

The sun is high in the sky on the early spring day, just months following my brother Zeus’ wedding. I’m still trapped on the Earth, wishing I could go home after the curse that has banished many mythological gods to Earth where we now are forced to confront our past transgressions. I don’t mind much since I live by the ocean side, but life hasn’t been easy, and I don’t see things getting g much better.

The sun illuminating the ocean is breathtaking and if I could just feel the waves on my skin, I wouldn’t feel so lonely. I, Poseidon, god of the sea, can’t even step one foot in my water haven and it’s wearing on my mental health. The Grey Witch's curse has banished me not only from Olympus but from the universe’s oceans, too. My home, and the pride of my life's work.

Hundreds of miles through the deep, extending from beaches, the water is my kingdom. I remember zooming through the currents as fast as a dolphin in the waves. Now I’m beached like a dried-up jellyfish. The sandy shallows are just as much of a fear to me as taking a bath for a cat. I just want to feel the salty water on my skin again, but the fear is just too great. My stomach turns every time I think about it.

Since the Grey witches decided to isolate me as a geek with a vision problem, I’m living out my days on Earth working as an ocean biologist, where at least I can feel wanted. The depression is getting to me as much as the contamination I’ve found polluting the waterways. The loneliness of being separated from the sea life is unbearable. What’s worse is this rock is like a dungeon when I have barely any friends, except for my brothers. I’m used to being the life of the party, but now I can’t even get invited to one.

Speaking of pollution. I’m fed up with humans and their toxic ways: dumping plastic, poisoning the water with chemicals, and using the seas as their personal dumping ground. It should be a place of joy, not this atrocity.

Before Zeus met his wife, Blue, I noticed an alarming pattern of sick dolphins washing up on the shore of the Florida coast. Not only them, but various ocean life has been found dead and I can’t figure out why. I tried to reach Neptune for his help, but he was more interested in hooking up with mermaids than helping me. The only time I see the jerk is when he comes from the ocean to tease me about not being able to swim.

The truth is, I can’t stand the guy because he’s always bullied me. Back home I always pretended to be the guy who had it all together, but when I visited Atlantis during the water god meetings, I was the target of some pretty bad hazing. The torment goes back as far as Aquadic University when I was on the water polo team. The frat guys made my life hell and Neptune was the head of the pack.

When I graduated, I promised I’d never be that loser again and worked hard to be a fitness buff. No one knows about the bullying and why I was so caught up in the gym life, and I didn’t dare tell my brothers. Hades already doesn’t care for Neptune to begin with. It would be a bloodbath if he knew.

Anyway, back to the reason I resorted to reaching out to that prick to begin with. I noticed a dolphin not too long ago that had been riddled with an unexplained illness, and it really tugged at my heartstrings. Milly is like an old friend, and I just can’t let her down. The poor creature doesn’t deserve this; none of them do.

When her mate died of the same illness, I vowed to find out what was going on and help the ocean life. Whether my water powers were taken or not, I have a duty to the ocean that I won’t back down from.

I always loved dolphins, but ever since finding Milly and her mate, who was so sick from pollution, it’s been almost a twenty-four-hour-a-day search for answers. I have been out looking for more who are affected, and more is what I found.

With the help of my staff, we will find an answer, if it’s the last thing I do.

While looking over the recently found sick dolphin, my student assistant from the ocean university shook my shoulder as I checked her vital signs. Taking me out of my thoughts, I turned to him. When I did, I couldn’t believe my eyes at what he discovered.

Finding a slick goo clogging up the creature’s air hole he says, Dr. Seacrest, look at this… It’s greasy? It almost looks like slime that kids play with.

Yeah, I took on the surname Seacrest. I saw some guy on TV once and thought that name was good enough since I am the god of the seas. Unlike my brother Zeus, I didn’t care about a human's last name so long as I got the mail to my house on time and could get an ID card.

Hades… Well, he thinks he is freaking Madonna and refused a last name. Idiot. And people say I’m conceited.

Touching the ooze, I run it between my fingers, unsure what this mess is. Oil maybe?

Nah, it would be darker. It’s like a green sludge.

Take a sample for me, will ya? We can look at it under the microscope later at the school.

Yes, sir.

The dolphin he was caring for had been found about three hours ago, floating lifelessly in the water after one of the researchers saw it. I had been called in from a different lab to look at it for any signs of injury or infection.

Looking closer at the dolphin's mouth and throat, I caught sight of a stringy, mucus-like substance blocking his mouth and airways. With closer inspection, I couldn't tell what it was, but it seemed to be getting thicker with each passing moment. Like a gelatinous gummy substance that gummed up as it started to dry out.

As I pulled off my examination gloves, I looked around to see my assistant holding a large container of filthy muck from the sandbar where the sea mammal had been found that morning. A new strand dangled from his gloves as he examined it before dropping it into a Petri dish. He slung the goo from his glove and it wrapped around his hand, and slung a little on his face, making him gag. The slime seemed to have been accumulating on some rocks near where we were stationed and had been found floating in the water nearby as well. Whatever this is, it could be dangerous.

Okay, everyone. Clear the beach. We need to call in the hazmat team to check this out. I don’t like the looks of this. Ross, go wash your hands and face in case this stuff is toxic.

Doctor, it smells… good, he says, sniffing his hand like an idiot. Does he not realize it could be toxic?

Good?

Yeah, like my sister's cold cream. But it’s almost glimmering under the sunlight like fish scales.

Nice smell or not, I don’t like the looks of it. Let’s get out of here. If it’s making the sea life sick, it can’t be good for any of us.

An hour later the beach is covered with hazmat crews and our team is helping with clean up. It looks to be a spill of some sort, but no one seems to know what. If it takes everything in me, I’m going to figure it out. Unfortunately, the news media caught wind and they aren’t making our job any easier. I much rather be helping my sea creatures than talking to some annoying journalist about things I have yet to have answers for.

***

As I walk up to my house down the beach later that evening, I plop myself down into a beach chair letting out a puff of air from my lungs that instantly relieves a little tension. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.

Hey, Uncle Posey. What’s up? my niece Athena says as she steps up to the porch.

She and Blue had bought a place next door and she lives alone now that Blue went to live with Zeus on Olympus. I love having her around, but I wonder why Athena’s here.

I thought you were going back to Olympus, sweet pea.

I will in a few weeks. I like it here. I want to keep my art shop, and Daddy says I can, if I’m willing to travel. Let’s face it, across the galaxy is a bit of a commute.

Ya think, I say with a chuckle.

I may consider opening it up in Olympus market so I can be close to Daddy and Blue later. And of course, those sweet babies need Auntie Athena to spoil them. For now, I want to stick around and bug you. So, why the long face, sourpuss? You smell like dead fish.

Because I’ve been knee-deep in dead fish all day. It comes with the job description.

Oh my gosh. Is Milly okay?

Yeah, she’s fine but still under observation back at the ocean lab. This gunk showed up down the beach and we’ve been doing cleanup. Don’t you ever watch the news? The media were driving us crazy all day.

Nah, I try to avoid that garbage. It’s all just toxic propaganda and I like my happy bubble. Besides, I’ve been busy teaching an art class. So, tell me about the beach problem.

I told her it was kind of a messy situation because there were so many dead dolphins, and we didn't know what the goo was that we found on the beach.

Oh no, that's terrible. All those sick animals. What can I do to help?

Nothing until we know more. A lot of people are really upset about it. It's been all over the news, and they expect since I’m the god of the sea that I should know how to fix it.

If only you had your powers, then you could fix everything, Athena replied. It sounds like they need help from someone who can do something about it. What about Neptune?

That Roman gill breather doesn’t think about anything unless it concerns him. I already tried that a couple of weeks ago and he just blew me off. He’s more concerned about the fact humans know about us now, and some sort of vacation resort he’s working on. I hate humans figured out who I am after all that drama he keeps stirring up. He’s an attention whore.

What about Hades? Maybe he has some ideas. He can find out if any crime syndicates or shady companies are dumping into the ocean. Maybe they are dumping dead bodies or something.

Athena, I love you, sweetie, but no one is dumping dead bodies by the masses into the ocean like some mob movie. You watch too much TV. Unless they are dumping some sort of alien toxic waste, or zombies are taking over, that isn’t it.

It was just a suggestion. Well, what about that lady from the local country club? She’s always wanted to get involved in helping the university. She and her booshie friends can run one of her sea charity events to raise funds for clean up.

I cringe at the thought, but Athena is onto something. The university could use the funding.

This woman Pam wouldn't leave me alone when I first arrived here, and more so when she figured out who I was. She and her socialite friends think I’m some trophy to be won. Apparently, she was all about landing a god as her next husband and I had no interest in being victim five on her divorce headcount. She goes through men like an old pair of shoes.

I've been rejecting her for months now. Not because I'm not attracted to her, but because she's completely obsessed with gods. She couldn’t stop talking about how hot Zeus was when we met. That and she’s the most annoying woman I’ve ever known.

Ocean life is her passion project of sorts, and she does raise a lot of money for the oceanology community, but I’m not that desperate for affection.

Doing as Athena suggested, I took one for the team and called the old sea hag, anyway.

So, what did she say? Athena asked after I hung up the call.

I will meet her tomorrow on the beach. We’ll figure it out from there.

Ooh! Makeovers!

No makeovers. I think I’ll handle this one on my own, thank you.

Suit yourself, Uncle. It was worth a call, anyway.

Yeah, a last resort. I’ll figure this out, no matter how long it takes. I have to.

So, it’s set. The woman wanted me to get together with her tomorrow, of all days. Finally giving in, I agreed to meet during lunch hours when I was on my break. I didn’t even shower in hopes she would back off from hitting on me and make her meet me at a beach. She didn’t stick around long when she got a whiff of all those dead fish. The bad thing is, it didn’t work, so I had to agree to a nightmare of a date.

What has my life come to? I can’t catch a woman, and the one I can is a sea hag from hell.

Chapter 2

~Posey~

I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Athena.

Oh, hush. Just relax. You’ve not been on a date since you came to Earth. This lady likes you.

No, she likes the idea of me. I’m a god, and that’s all she sees in me, I say, adjusting my tie. In frustration I yank it off, throwing it on the bed. I hate these damn things.

What happened to the confident ladies’ man uncle I used to have? You’re losing your touch.

Athena, you know you’re my favorite niece, but please drop this.

Nah, I think Pearl is beating me in the favorite niece competition.

She’s a baby, that’s different. With you not having a mother, you needed someone to show you your way through life. Your dad sure wasn’t doing the job, even though he tried. Turning to take her face in my hands I smile at my sweet niece. Besides, through all the years that people made false claims about me through Greek folklore, about being an abuser and a tyrant, you were the only one who believed me.

Uncle, I know you’re a good man. You took the heat for all that stuff because you would rather be seen as the villain in those stories, than see other people hurting. Sometimes it is okay to take up for yourself. There are still a lot of bad rumors that are just not true. The gym life didn’t solve the problem of the fact you tend to be a pushover.

I guess. But honestly Athena, the crazy socialite just wants to have dinner with me to get in my pants.

"Well, let her. Your grouchy ass