The next day...

"Such a beautiful view of the ocean, the place where the spirits grant this town the powers of being part of my blood," Orion (in adult form) breathed as he and Ja'Marco stood on the sandy shores, taking in the midday sunlight. "You can never get these kind of things in your landlocked town of Compton, Ja'Marco. You would've been miserable without the bonds that you will share with all of us."

"I bet," Ja'Marco commented, keeping his voice even. But at least I was embracing my kind of normalcy and had calm, balance, and normalcy. Thanks to my so-called family, I can't have any of that anymore.

The golden-blonde-haired male turned to the teen, giving him a wan smile. "I know that things have been a bit chaotic since you found out about the truth, but you do have to admit that you're now among a special brotherhood, a dynasty that not even the typical theologians could ever decode," he said as his eyes glowed in power, making Ja'Marco feel more and more uneasy. "What you thought was right and wrong based on those teachings from the Everetts is no longer apparent. The powers of the Nexus can and will be yours once you shatter away from the fears that keep you from your true destiny."

Ja'Marco sighed, feeling a bit self-conscious as he and Orion were now wearing matching black swim briefs that showed off their athletic glory (and on a school day despite Frederich's blessing) while a few beachcombers were staring at them. Some of them had looks of curiosity and awe. Others were frowning as if they were witnessing something scandalous. Only a few of them (mostly women and a few males) were a bit flirtatious, even with one woman brazenly asking for a threesome.

Gentle reader, Ja'Marco had never felt so mortified in his life.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Ja'Marco snapped out of his silent revelry to face his demigod companion. "Sorry," he muttered before inhaling deeply, his body tensing and relaxing. Not again, Ja'Marco thought. "I...I was only wondering about how things will go down on my birthday."

Orion's eyes glowed in realization. "Ah, yes. It's now two weeks away," the older man mused. "Your family and fellow Tritons will be planning for something special on that day. Not only that, you'll come into the divine birthright and ascend into your powers as a Triton. I bet you're going to be excited."

Ja'Marco gulped, nodding slowly as he felt his skin crawl with ominous tension while his complexion took on a lighter tone similar to the color of peanut butter. "It's...well, going to be a party," he remarked, coughing as he felt his vocal chords vibrate.

Orion chuckled as he watched the teen transform gradually for the third time. "Take it in, Jay," he said in a soothing tone as he led the other male to an empty cabana area. "No need to fight it. Let the Nexus be your guide to your true self. Be one with me and your clan as we will be one with you."

Ja'Marco felt his swimsuit being peeled off before his lips were soon branded in a sensual kiss. "Orion," he breathed seductively. "Make me yours. Take me beyond the powers of the seas and breathe life into me."

"As you wish."

And just like that, gentle reader, Ja'Marco was lost in the whirlwinds of sensual changes.

*************

Meanwhile, at Coral Bay Diner...

"I don't like this," Jeremiah said to Felicia as the two were currently sitting down to a light lunch at the retro-centric diner, the sounds of Michael Buble playing from the stereo while other customers were also enjoying the midday meal. "With the Westons turning on us while Kristen and her mom are dead set on moving, we don't have enough time to waste. The longer we stay here, the riskier that we'll see Ja'Marco become a Triton."

"Don't remind me," Felicia remarked, accepting a glass of tea that was accompanied with her plate of sliders and fries. "Our families have finally sunk to a new low while Ja'Marco is going to be caught in the middle of a shitstorm. I should've fought harder to keep him back in California when my family didn't pull that Judas Iscariot move."

"Well, I should've known that the Hedares would pull that stunt by sending Ja'Marco here. Hell, I should've fought for custody so he could stay with me. But we can't think about what could've been. All we can do is plan for what's next."

Felicia hummed as she bit into a slider. After a few minutes, she sat up. "I have an idea, but you probably wouldn't like it," she said. "You remember when my brother planned to have Ja'Marco killed before he and the others turned tail and joined the Tritons?"

Jeremiah nodded before he finally got the gist. "You can't be serious," he hissed, looking around.

"At this rate, we still have two weeks before Ja'Marco hits seventeen on October 13th. And at this point, we could be facing a winless war if we're not careful. I say that we begin the process of putting down Ja'Marco while he's still normal."

Jeremiah sighed heavily, slumping back in his chair. "You're really serious on this, aren't you?"

"As serious as a heart attack, Mr. Colby. So are you in...or out?"

The older man thought briefly before taking a heavy breath. "I'm out," he said abruptly. "There's more than one way to look at things, Miss Adamson. And from where I stand, killing him is simply out of the question."

Felicia nodded. "You're probably right," she agreed. "But we don't have enough time, for real. If we want to keep the idea of shooting your nephew out of the plan, we gotta come up with something."

Little did the two know was that someone was watching them talk shop of their plans to spirit our Ja'Marco out of town. And that mystery person was ready to make his report to the Quitmans and Hedares.

Who was it, you ask?

LaVanna Diane Thade.

Damn! Looks like the game was on for EVERYONE as the countdown to Ja'Marco's birthday was officially on! As for our female spy? Well, LaVanna's planning to report the news to the Quitmans and Hedares before she decides to make one decision, one that will have her family turn on the others! You'll know in the next chapter, so don't miss out!

Media: "It's a Beautiful Day" by Michael Buble. Dedicating this to Glory_feeling2.

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