The sun radiating from the golden statue of Poseidon, his chariot, and four winged horses was the first thing that caught Skylipso's eye. The splendour of the city of Atlantis never grew old, no matter how many times she visited. Even Olympus, mountain of the Gods, didn't compare.

As servants carried food and flowers on board the ship to accommodate her crew, Atlas, ruler of the city, pulled her hands in his and kissed her cheeks. "You must stay with us in the palace, dear Skylipso. Hesteris had our largest room aired and gilded for you."

Though 'gilded' raised some questions, Skylipso asked, "Hesteris?"

"My new consort ... she's eager to meet you."

"So happy for you," she said, taking note of the utterly adorable glint in his eye, "And your offer is awfully generous, but you know I prefer to sleep on 'the Breeze'. I still get anxious when there's no water under my feet."

"Please," he pouted. "My beautiful Hesteris insists." He pulled Skylipso's arm through his and added, "Mother will be pleased to see you."

"Is your father in town?"

A shadow crossed his gaze. "We haven't seen him in months. Please don't mention him to mother."

A sigh of relief escaped Skylipso. Poseidon's presence always made her anxious. The God of the ocean was too big, too loud, too much, and she had never forgiven him for hastening the marriage of his grandson Flynt when he had found out about her blossoming feelings for the merman.

As Atlas tugged her up the steps of the palace, she shook those thoughts from her head. Tonight, she was partying in Atlantis, a city known for its exquisite cuisine, heavenly music, and attractive inhabitants. Atlanteans were more intelligent, elegant, and beautiful than any other humans.

Among the Gods, there were whispers that something about the Atlanteans wasn't right, that Poseidon was a fool to trust them, but unlike her, these Gods didn't have the pleasure of the Atlanteans' friendship. If they had, they would know better, because on top of all their qualities, Atlanteans were kind and generous.

Skylipso never saw the gilded bedroom, as it turned out dancing was the best antidote against her upcoming landsickness. She kept her feet moving and hips swaying till dawn, till all around her fell quiet, the ocean wind blew across the ballroom from the opened floor-to-ceiling windows in the West through the windows in the East, and Skylipso slowly realised that her only dance partners left were the fluttering curtains.

Atlas was splayed out over his throne, drunk and half asleep. He didn't object when she announced she was heading back to her ship, only grinned, and pinched her cheek. "Take care, lovely Skylipso,"

"Where can I find your mother?" She was met with a snore and decided to search the halls outside of the ballroom for Atlas's mother, Kleito.

Everything nosedived from there.

First, she stumbled over a pair of horny Atlanteans getting frisky on the mosaic floor. Six heads of Scylla! Next, land-nausea pushed acid up her throat, and while she took a moment to recover, she heard them behind the curtains: Kleito and Hesteris, arguing.

"Draw his energy now! Bind him to you," Kleito hissed.

"He's your son. How can you be so cruel?"

"How can you be so stupid? A pure Atlantean! I've conceived Atlas so our kind can survive."

"It will enslave him to me, and he will hate me for it, like Poseidon hates you."

"He might hate me but he does my bidding."

A shiver slithered down Skylipso's spine. Had the whispers been true? She peered through the curtains, two heads turning towards her simultaneously.

They were unrecognisable, their skin turned blue, their mouths tubelike snouts like pipefish, whiskers and teeth as long as Skylipso's hand hanging on either side. Their eyes were still the same, though they looked slightly more murderous.

"Kleito. Hesteris. I've come to bid you goodnight, but now may not be the best time," she tried.

"By the Motherrrr! You've waited too long. Suck her now!" Kleito yelled at Hesteris.

Skylipso didn't wait to find out how that would work and started running. At human speed. Damn, she hated being on land. She needed to get from underneath this ceiling so she could draw strength from the open air.

"Bind her! She'll ruin everything." Kleito was frantic and Hesteris was running pretty damn fast. Skylipso ducked from her grasp and remembered the wind in the ballroom. "Dad!" As soon as she entered the room, Zephyrus scooped her up and spit her out the open windows.

"The Gods were right. They can't be trusted. They're going to hurt Atlas. We have to help him," she cried.

"Zeus is on his way. Save your crew!"

"But ... "

"Save your crew!" A wave the size of Apollo's temple came rolling towards the island, a wall of destruction towering up and rambling forward. If she didn't lift her ship out of the water, her crew wouldn't make it. There was no time for anything else.

"Poseidon, my love. Destroy that spoiled Demigod! You never liked her anyway." Kleito's voice thundered around them and Poseidon's shape became visible in the water. For a moment, Skylipso believed he had truly come to kill her, because it was true. He didn't like her. She had always known that.

All she could do was fly her ship as high as her powers allowed and pray it would be high enough. In the clouds, she passed her father's face and that of Zeus. Zeus who struck Kleito down and freed Poseidon of her bounds.

The giant wave swallowed the entire island as if it was a breadcrumb.

"Atlas!"

Her heart wept but her crew was safe.

If she liked for it to stay that way, she could never tell what she had witnessed, by order of Zeus. It was too embarrassing for Poseidon and embarrassed Gods were dangerous.