Changed

by Jean Booth

  “He leapt into the air, changing into an abomination in the blink of an eye. He had the legs of a bear, head of a wolf, tail of a scorpion; his chest was protected by a thick shell of a creature I didn’t even know, and he had the paws of a lion. He was the chimera I’d heard about that was terrorizing these lands. I gaped in horror as he stood in front of me.

  “He charged and without thought, I blasted him with a bolt of lightning. It was a move that surprised us both, as it wasn’t a power held by those of Poseidon’s lineage. Before he could regain his bearings, I called upon my connections to the water element. Using all the power I held, I called forth every droplet of water from his body until he was nothing more than a dry husk before me. I took his head in my hands, twisted, and yanked it off. His body thumped to the floor, converting once again to the figure of the man I’d grown up with. I burned his head and body, letting his ashes float away on the breeze, just as I had the rest of his clan. I then went in search of what he’d hidden away for so long, knowing it wouldn’t be good.

  “In the depths of his castle, I found them. Dozens of creations chained and tortured. Some were already dead from his ministrations; others begged for death. I walked through the dungeons, each horror imprinting itself on my mind. The knowledge that he’d been right, that I’d ignored the rumors in hopes someone else would take my place, smacked into me with every abomination I came across. I’d allowed this to happen by ignoring and denying my position. Vowing to never allow this again, I opened the last door.

  “I won’t betray Victoria’s trust by revealing what I saw. Just know it was worse than anything I’d ever seen, until I saw you in Nicholas’s chamber.” He shuddered. “When I walked into the room, she stared at me with her blue eyes blazing in defiance. I freed all I could and destroyed the rest. The ones that were freed were sent to live with leaders who would properly train and care for them. Victoria stayed with me of her own volition. She didn’t trust anyone else. Without her, I was lost with the fulfillment of my revenge. She gave me a purpose, a reason to go on. She’s also my constant reminder of what would happen if I neglected my responsibilities to my people again.

  “It’s been 317 years and forty-five days since Olivia died. I miss her each day but am now more complete without her. I’m a being that was designed by the Creator, one who is whole and complete in every way. It’s a strange and glorious feeling; one that I treasure.” He finally looked at me, tears drying in streaks down his face and pooling in his eyes. I felt his pain and determination almost as clearly as I could feel Raif’s emotions.

  “I will not allow you to die. When it’s time for your mate to complete the prophecy, you will stay with me, and I will force you to go on, if I must. You will not perish for our people.” He was firm with his resolve.

  “How will you know?” There was no way to communicate with a sunken island.

  “Atreyu and I are able to talk, like you and I did when you were with Nicholas. We are both strong Dream-Walkers and have communicated for centuries. Not only that, but together we can open a portal into Poseidon’s temple. It’s difficult and drains us both for days, but it’s how I get my blood supply.”

  “Wait a minute. You mean I could see Raif again? I could say goodbye when it’s time?” Hope surged through my veins. He nodded.

  “If you would like to say goodbye, I’ve already arranged it with Atreyu. The ceremony’s planned for midnight tomorrow.”

  I couldn’t believe I was going to see Raif again. I paced my bedroom, thinking of all the things that needed to be said between us. I was a bundle of nerves at the thought of being able to be with him again. Stephan explained that he hadn’t been convinced I’d want to say goodbye, that I’d want to watch Raif die. Raif was my mate, the other half of my soul. If I couldn’t figure out a way to free him from his destiny, I at least wanted to hold him as he left this world.

  “Take the time to sleep,” Stephan admonished. “You need to heal, and the best way to do that is through sleep.”

  “How could I possibly sleep?” I snapped at him. My stomach was in knots at the thought of what was about to happen. I couldn’t admit to Stephan that a part of me was still hoping beyond hope that there would be some way to stop this. My heart broke at the thought of seeing Raif again just to let him slip away.

  “Here, drink this. It has a potion that will allow you to drift off.” At my skeptical look, he continued. “I vow to wake you with plenty of time to see your mate. Sleep, Tasha. Please.”

  It was the please. Pleases always did me in. I took the tea, pacing and worrying as I absentmindedly sipped it. There had to be a way to prevent this. I wasn’t ready to lose Raif and possibly lose myself in the process. There had to be a loophole. If only I had more time. I’d be able to research and find a way out of this mess. If I only…if I could just…

  The thoughts were blurring together in my mind. I couldn’t follow the thread of a single one. My body was heavy and disoriented. I looked at the empty cup in my hands. Dang, that worked fast!

  The cup rolled out of my numb fingers and onto the floor as my body fell against the side of the mattress. My head flopped back against the middle of the bed. As soon as my head hit the soft comforter, I was out, still trying to figure out if I was grateful or angry that I’d let Stephan drug me.

  Hours later, I finally met the elusive Marcy. She was a petite girl with a heart shaped face, huge blue eyes, and a shapely body. Everything about her was tiny, except her eyes. They were filled with laughter as she woke me up.

  “It’s about time you started coming around. If you sleep any longer, you’ll miss the whole ceremony. We can’t have that now, can we?” She smiled her thin lips as she bounced over to the bathroom. I heard the shower start and groaned.

  Whatever Stephan had put in my tea left one hell of a hangover. I sat up on the edge of my bed with my head in my hands.

  Sighing with resignation, I ran my fingers through my hair to remove the lingering feeling of fatigue from my psyche. I stopped abruptly, the length of my hair finally registering in my sleep-addled brain. It was back! I gathered the soft strands in my fists, smiling at the slight pull against my scalp. This was one myth I could get on board with.

  I remembered a movie from when I was a teen, where a child vampire cut her hair only to scream as it immediately grew back. Mine wasn’t as instantaneous, but it was interesting that it grew so fast. I wondered, for a moment, if it would always do that. Checking the rest of me, I was surprised to see that my skin was no longer splotchy either. I still had a faint pinkish hue, but for the most part, I was me again. I had a dopey grin on my face, both hands fisted in my hair as Marcy walked back into the bedroom. She laughed with me, not understanding why I was laughing, but glad to share cheer with someone.

  I ran past her to look in the bathroom mirror. I stripped off my clothes and stood in front of the mirror. Even the cut on my hip was disappearing. Outside, I was whole, normal, and complete. I could sense the internal damage but knew time would be the only healer for those wounds. Stephan wouldn’t have a magic sleeping potion to fix that. With the sight of my hair and almost healed body, I had hope.

  I smiled at my reflection, pleased that Raif’s last image of me wouldn’t be that of a half-healed woman, but the woman he remembered. My smile fell as my thoughts brought me back to what was going to happen in a few short hours. That thought sobered me as I bathed.

  Marcy brought a handful of sweet-smelling scrubs for me, along with some ridiculous oils and creams. I picked one that reminded me of my time in Atlantis. It was a sweet, tangy scent with just a hint of mint. It was crisp, clean, and made me feel sexy.

  She was there when I stepped out of the shower, towel in hand. Within minutes, the petite woman had me dried, my hair styled, and was working on my nails. I halfheartedly protested the attention, but Marcy waved her hands to dismiss me and was done before I knew it. I was still trying to figure out how this small woman managed to dominate the room when she started applying
makeup on me.

  “Wait, Marcy. Not that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing, but I don’t usually wear makeup.” I smiled at her as I leaned away from a brush. She smiled back.

  “You don’t really need it anyway. Let’s get you dressed.” Her eyes glittered in excitement. She brought out every protective and caring instinct I had in my bones. Bouncing out of the bathroom, she hummed with energy and excitement. “Stephan should be ready to start soon. You’re so lucky to do this with him!”

  A minute later, I strolled back into the bedroom. Marcy had already picked out a beautiful dress and matching shoes. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and flowed to the floor. The top was a deep teal that faded into the deep black of the nighttime ocean waters as it reached the floor.

  Marcy zipped around me, and before I knew it, I was draped in the beautiful dress. She smiled, adjusting my pendant to sit at my cleavage. It fit perfectly.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered. I swayed side to side, watching as the skirt billowed in waves around my ankles. I felt like a princess. “Thank you.”

  “This was all Stephan. He knew you’d want to look nice tonight, but I don’t think he expected this. You look absolutely stunning. We should get going.” Her excitement was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. I understood now why John liked being with her so much.

  She led me down the stairs, continuing on to the underbelly of the club and into a place I’d yet to explore. At the end of the staircase was a large, heavy door. She motioned me toward it.

  “This is as far as I go. Good luck tonight.” She smiled again, running back up the stairs behind me. I listened as she bounded up the stairs and into the club beyond. My nerves returned as the hidden door to the club closed behind her. I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight and wasn’t sure I could just stand by and watch as Raif was killed.

  Squaring my shoulders, I opened the door and walked into the room from my dream. The door slid to a quiet close as I took in my surroundings. A thousand candles were lit, with incense burning on the altar in the center. Standing with his back to me, Stephan lit more incense.

  He was surrounded by candles. The entire room seemed to flicker. I stood in the entryway, unsure of myself. I could feel a hum of power building and knew Stephan had already started. I cleared my throat.

  He paused and glanced over his bare shoulder. Whatever he was about to say died on his lips. His magnesium eyes heated, echoing with the feelings I hid in my heart. I hoped my own feelings were hidden better than his.

  I wasn’t sure how someone could love two completely different men so deeply, but as I stood there, looking at Stephan, knowing I was about to see Raif, I felt twin pangs of love and betrayal. Raif held my soul, my very essence, but I could no longer deny that Stephan held my heart. I didn’t know when it had happened exactly, but I knew in the very fibers of my being that it was true. I loved them both, deeply, passionately, and without reservation.

  “Thank you for the dress. It’s beautiful.” I smiled shyly at him. “Where do you want me?” He blushed, eyes darkening at my question. It took me a moment to understand his expression and grasp the undertones of what I’d asked. I returned his blush. “I-I mean…what I meant was…” I stuttered over the words until he rescued me.

  “Step carefully over the candles and stand here with me.” He watched as I lifted my skirts to my knees, revealing my bare feet as I gently stepped over the candles. I stood next to him at the altar, the incense swirling around us with thick, cloying smoke. It instantly relaxed my tense muscles, and I inhaled more of the tangy scent.

  “You are so beautiful,” Stephan whispered. I tensed slightly at his words, memories of another voice stating that very same thing flashed in my head. He looked startled at my reaction.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing he wasn’t Tommy. Tommy was dead, and I was safe. I could smell Stephan’s distinct scent under the smell of incense and knew he’d never cause me pain like that. My face flushed with shame, and I ducked my head so he wouldn’t see the pain that must be evident on my face. I still couldn’t talk about my time at Nicholas’s house. “Thank you. Do I need to do anything?”

  He took a step closer to me so our bodies were a breath apart. Gently, he cupped my face in his hands, leaving goose bumps on my flesh. He lifted my chin with his hands so I could see the truth in his eyes.

  “You are perfection.” He whispered the words, and I trembled. He blinked, ending the spell and returning to the task at hand. “I need your left hand. This spell requires the blood of the one who will pass into the portal. It takes your essence and blends it with Atreyu’s, connecting this room with the one in Atlantis. You may feel some odd sensations, a pulling against your aura, but stay by my side until I tell you otherwise.”

  I gave him a trembling hand. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or desire causing my body to shiver. I was going to see my mate. Stephan held my hand and sliced the meaty part of my palm, just under my thumb. Blood welled and dripped steadily into a cup he held underneath. It didn’t take long for the cup to fill, and the wound closed within moments, leaving a small smear of blood on my palm. He brought it to his lips, licking it gently with his tongue.

  Taking the cup, he poured a thin circle around us, in front of the burning circle of candles. He spoke words I didn’t understand under his breath as he walked the circle. When he reached the beginning of the circle of blood, it closed with an audible pop. I could feel the power vibrating within the confines of the circle. My body hummed with energy.

  Stephan drew a line with chalk on the floor, coating it immediately with my blood. He continued his chant, the power building as he spoke. From the line of chalk, a dark swirling doorway grew. I watched in fascination as it pulled itself out of the floor, the dark mist beckoning me closer. I’d taken a small step closer to the portal before realizing I’d even moved.

  Blinking, I shook my head to clear it from the portal’s call. I had to wait for Stephan. His back was to me, sweat pouring off his body in little rivers. He was shaking with the effort it took to call forth the portal between the two lands.

  “It’s time.” His voice was husky and heavily accented. His eyes swirled with power as he gestured toward the portal. I walked in before my nerves could convince me otherwise.

  The portal opened into the most lavish room I’d ever seen. The walls were made from the ruby-colored orichalcum, polished to a shine. Pieces hung from the ceiling, cut to reflect the sun’s rays into a beautiful, glimmering, blood-red hue around the room. Fantastic murals of the sea were painted on the walls. The one I was looking at was centered on the wall over the room’s only doorway. It was the sea at twilight—calm, peaceful, and inviting. The stars were just starting to twinkle in the heavens. It was breathtakingly realistic.

  Underneath another elaborately painted mural of the sea at sunrise was an altar. The water was shimmering with anticipation at what the dawn would bring, and the colors of the rainbow-hued sky glistened on the waves. The orichalcum altar was on a raised dais, also carved of orichalcum. Scenes of Poseidon using his trident to control the waters in defense of his lands coated the front of the altar. Images of boats capsizing, bodies being consumed by the sea, and creatures lurking beneath the waves were carved in vivid detail. Lying motionless on the glossy slab was Raif.

  My heart stuttered in my chest. Raif. After all this time, there he was. I ran toward him, my steps echoing oddly in this room. I knew now that I was in Poseidon’s temple. I slowed as I reached the steps that led up to the altar, my heart fluttering in my chest in anticipation and fear. I could feel the echo of Raif like a second beat in my chest. The intensity of his life force was overwhelming. I knew he wasn’t dead or dying. Why wasn’t he moving? Surely he’d heard my steps and could feel my presence, as I could feel his.

  “Raif?” I said hesitantly. My voice echoed hollowly in my ears. His fingers twitched at the sound. Before either of us could do anything more, a striking man appeared bet
ween the altar and me. He was older than Raif, with long, peppered hair that hung in waves down to his waist. He had broad shoulders, a lean waist, and powerful legs. From the back, I could picture this man as a much older version of Raif.

  He turned to look at me. My breath left in a gasp. His eyes swirled with the raging waters of the ocean. They were so captivating, I could barely register the rest of him. He held power. It radiated out of him, knocking me back a step. He looked at me with such anguish, awe, and love my knees went weak.

  “Poseidon?” My breathy whisper left in a gasp. It could be no other. He inclined his head, one side of his mouth curving into a secret smile. “Am I too late?” My heart faltered. Poseidon shook his head. My breath left me in an audible sigh of relief. I closed my eyes and thanked whatever deity was listening that I still had a chance to say goodbye. “Why is he lying so still?”

  “He asked to be placed in stasis so he could die in his sleep, without pain.” I started at the sound of Atreyu’s voice. I’d overlooked him standing off to the side, in the shadows. “Poseidon granted him this request, knowing he could do nothing else to ease Raifuku’s pain. I’m pleased you came. This is how it should be.” Atreyu’s voice echoed with fatigue and power. There was so much beauty I was missing, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at anything but the man lying motionless on the altar before me.

  “I’m not here to stop you. I just want to be with him. He shouldn’t be alone, wondering. Will you let me have one last moment to say goodbye?” My voice was a mere whisper, the enormity of what was happening weighed heavily on my shoulders.

  A small thread of anger weaved its way through my pain. The fact that I was asking to say goodbye to my husband, my soul mate, was unfathomable. I held onto that anger and met Poseidon’s swirling blue orbs with my brown ones filled with determination. “I take it back. I don’t want your permission. This is between Raif and me, and I’ll be damned if he dies alone. You will let me pass.”