Where is it coming from? Where is all this water coming from? Did a pipe burst? I can't see anything. Maybe we have a leak somewhere.
I slosh through the water. Shuddering, Daji grumbles, "I hate getting wet. I hate water."
I don't point out that she swims in the Olympic-size indoor pool at least three times a week. It's just that unexpectedly getting wet bothers her.
There's no obvious leak. Nobody left the water running.
"We can't cancel happy hour and dinner," I protest.
Daji is quick and efficient. "We'll give everyone free room service."
One problem down.
"How did this flood happen? Turn off all the water in this section."
Daji's eyes narrow.
"You don't think all this," she gestures at the flood, "happened because someone forgot to turn off the faucet or left a freezer full of ice open, do you?"
Blinking, I say, "What do you mean?"
And a sick feeling in my gut tells me that I know precisely what she means.
Someone currently staying in this hotel caused this. Or maybe a staff member.
We can rule out Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom—if that's what she is—probably doesn't engage in juvenile pranks.
It's not Loki. Even he, the trickster, has no reason to pull a prank like this. He's controlled chaos. He's deliberate. And I can't see him doing something as childish as this.
Thor? No. Odin? No. Sun Wukong? Maybe. But, on second thought, no.
I haven't seen Noah and his ark around, so that leaves only one suspect.
"Where is Waverly Leviathan now?"
Daji looks mildly impressed. "I saw him in the pool area."
"And then he unleashed a flood from the pool?"
Hold on.
Something scaly and tentacled just grabbed my leg. Something is coiled around my leg. It feels like the time I got my leg caught in a garden hose. I try to shake it off, but it squeezes like it's trying to take my leg off.
"Something released the kraken," I say in my calmest voice. "And it better LET GO. RIGHT NOW." To emphasize my point, I do a side kick. "Attacked by owls, facing a monkey man, and now a giant squid."
I struggle hard. Very few people know I'm a big nature documentary fan and I devour books about weird and interesting creatures. The way to break free of an octopus is to constantly fight them, not panic.
A loud, clear musical tone makes the octopus let go. For a second, its head with its big, black intelligent eyes pops out of the water. It looks at me for a long moment, then sinks beneath the waves.
"That's just a baby kraken," Daji says with a shiver. "Better you than me. I hate water—and sea creatures."
Waverly Leviathan's voice sounds like he's using a PA system, even though he's standing in the same room with us. "Ahhh, Krak never hurt anyone. You just have to know how to handle him. Which you did. Well played. You sure know how to go with the flow."
I whirl around and see Waverly holding a golden trident in his hand with the missing index finger. His hair streams loose around his shoulders, and at the moment, he looks a lot like Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Except, if I'm right, he predates Aquaman. If I'm right, he's as old as the ocean itself.
"Great God Poseidon," I address him.
He shrugs his massive shoulders. "Waverly. Call me Waverly. It's the name I use when I'm here. After an eternity, it's good to be someone else. Though I'm not alone in that regard."
He didn't bother to deny it.
If I hadn't just seen a monkey man, I might have thought I was going crazy about now. Maybe I am. Maybe the stress of the economy and running startups finally got to me. Wouldn't be the first time. A lot of tech entrepreneurs fall apart.
"Whatever. Please, can you make this water disappear before dinnertime? And can you pass the memo to all the supernatural guests to stop doing some kind of godly hazing ritual? Otherwise, my grandmother will come back from the dead and give you a smack."
His eyes glitter. "They went through it years ago themselves. Everyone that's ever run this inn has had to earn our business. And there are no non-supernatural guests here. So far, you, my friend, are the only mortal being within these walls."
Now I know he's messing with me.
"Get out."
He stiffens. "I ought to wash your mouth out with the ocean."
"It's not a swear word. It's an expression. It means, 'I don't believe you.'"
Looking disappointed, he waves his trident. The water ebbs away, evaporating, until the room is hazy with mist. As for the octopus or kraken, it's now clinging to my leg again, looking up at me with those eyes the size of jar lids.
How can anything that slimy be so cute? It reminds me of a puppy.
Poseidon clicks his tongue. "Ah, Krak, you need to go back in the pool now."
"She likes him," Daji says with a smirk.
Krak squeezes me tighter.
"I'll join you in the pool later, okay?" I tell the octopus and rub her head. She feels smooth and rubbery to the touch.
After one more tentacle hug, she lets go and moves across the remaining water until she reaches Poseidon. I'm hypnotized by the swaying of her tentacles. Octopuses are so fascinating. They're dangerous, but also elegant.
Scooping her up, Poseidon lets her wind around his trident. "You have a lot to learn, sailor," he says to me. "Daji clearly isn't showing you the ropes."
Daji growls.
Her name can't be a coincidence, either. She has to be the fox spirit.
"Where are your nine tails?" I ask her impulsively.
"Wouldn't you like to know! If there's nothing else, I have a pile of paperwork." She flounces out of the restaurant, and I swear that the tail of her shirt waves just like a fox's tail.
Waverly—Poseidon—looks at me with an enigmatic expression. "If you'll excuse me, I think my fish is getting cold. And I've got to get Krak back to the pool. She's restless in the Jacuzzi in my room. If you want to know more, my captain's cabin is always open."
"But—"
He leaves, and I want to run after him, to chase down answers. Except the dining room looks like a disaster movie hit, and the servers all look like they aren't doing much better.
"Okay, everyone, let's check for water damage," I say, putting on my Boss Face.
I need answers. Maybe Athena will give them to me tonight! Or maybe I should get Daji to start talking. Or I can spend my time finding out where my grandparents hid information on the secret history of this place.
But first, I'm going to do something I haven't done in months.
Dialing the phone, I say when the other end picks up, "Hello, Mom."