Ni-Cio thought maybe he had opened a small fissure when his friend stopped to scrutinize him in minute detail. “Ni-Cio, I know you are not given to rash statements any more than you are given to rash actions. Whether ordained by the gods or not, I have always been the one to make trouble and from my earliest remembrance, you were always the one who stood up for some of my more unfortunate schemes. It was you who placated and made peace.”
Ni-Cio watched with dreadful hope as his friend’s high coloring subsided to its normal bronze glow. The quiet earnestness of Aris’s usually boisterous voice pierced Ni-Cio’s soul to the core. The strong arm of his childhood friend dropped over his shoulders. “It would seem that loyalty outweighs Edicts. I pray you have not staked your life for a topsider. Reasons aside, it seems to me that you have done just that, my friend. I hope that we can find others who will appreciate your nebulous reasoning.”
Ni-Cio felt the warmth and the support of Aris’s body and he let himself be guided to the exit. They paused long enough to let the door de-materialize when Ni-Cio felt the sudden grip of Aris’s hand on his neck. He knew that his friend had reached a decision.
“So be it. Let us converge upon the Council and do what we can to persuade the others.”
Kyla sat next to the bed and scrutinized the topsider in minute detail. Her curiosity of their visitor ran wild, almost as wild as her innate fear of Terrans. She calmed herself by studying the beautiful woman who slept like the dead.
With hair the color of sunlight, she seemed to Kyla, to shimmer in the soft light of her quarters. When Ni-Cio had brought her in and laid her sleeping form on the bed, Kyla could tell that the woman was small by Atlantean standards. She surmised that the topsider reached just five-feet-six inches. Almost a head shorter than herself. Also, her skin tone was so much lighter than that of the Atlanteans. After Ni-Cio had left, Kyla had summoned enough courage to hold her arm next to the topsider’s. The difference was amazing.
Kyla remembered studying the vast collection of information available on their processors, and to her watchful eye, the woman’s form resembled that of a lithe, graceful dancer. Kyla wished that she herself looked as exotic and as beautiful.
The young woman stirred and Kyla yanked her arm away, fear slithering through her like an eel. She sat very erect in her chair and hardly dared breathe.
Daria had no idea how long she had been asleep, but as she felt her mind wind back toward reality, she replayed various parts of an unusually vivid dream. She remembered unrelenting darkness coupled with a sense of suffocation, a sudden intake of breath that made her feel like crying, and finally, a soft breeze with a voice like a goddess that calmed her worst fears.
With the gradual return of consciousness, her dream memories faded and she enjoyed a lazy stretch. She luxuriated in the touch of silken sheets that flowed over her body like quicksilver. Upon opening her eyes, Daria fully expected to be greeted by the vivid colors of her hotel room.
She screamed and scrambled to all fours while she grappled with the sheets. She yanked the fabric to her body, and skittered across the bed until her back was plastered against the wall. Her breath came in quick gasps, and she felt the sledgehammer beat of her heart as she clutched the sheets against her chest.
Her surroundings were unrecognizable. There were no windows, so there was no sunlight. The room was hidden in shadows, but she knew the walls should have been made of white stucco. Instead, her back pressed against solid rock. She should have been clothed, but all her frantic thoughts were cast aside as she stared into the ageless gaze of a green sea turtle. The reptile was so close that she could see the scaled lines of its face, like antiquated brickwork.
In heightened anticipation, Daria watched the gentle giant blink its thick, emerald lids. With elegant disregard, the creature turned and heaved itself back into a tiled pool. He swam away in regal splendor. Daria wrenched her gaze from the disappearing turtle to the form of a young woman seated next to her bed. The rise of panic in her voice joined with a symphonic crescendo of hyperventilation. “Who are you? Where am I? I thought I was drowning.”
Daria struggled to maintain a grasp on her sanity. She felt as if she had slipped down Alice’s rabbit hole. About to give voice to the endless scream that threatened to erupt, she paused when she recognized the same crazed look mirrored on the face of the other woman. In a diamond flash of clarity, Daria knew that the person seated before her was also riddled with fear.
From beneath the sleeves of her robes, the female raised hands that trembled in a gesture of conciliation, contrition or pleading. Her voice shook. “Please, my name is Kyla. I was told to watch over you, but now that you are awake, I am to escort you to Na-Kai’s chambers.”
Daria detected just a trace of an accent, but she was unable to place the woman’s nationality. She exhibited a hint of Mediterranean influence. Swathed in the blue green shimmer of floor length robes, the outline of her slender form was visible, yet her hands were covered again and Daria guessed that the woman held them clasped tightly underneath the flowing sleeves.
Her long, black hair was swept up in soft curls, and it gleamed even in the subdued light. It was held in place in a style that was reminiscent of ancient Greece.
The woman stared back at her, and Daria was unnerved by an eye color that could only be described as topaz. They inspected each other carefully, but as they did, a swath of violet color rose in snakelike tendrils, and ribbons of color swirled across Kyla’s full lips. Tracing a line over high cheekbones, the color continued to curl upward to vanish beneath her raven hair. Daria gaped.
Kyla glanced down and stared at her hands. “I am sorry. I am unable to keep my emotions hidden.”
Daria clamped her mouth closed and swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. Who are you? How is your skin changing colors?”
The other woman waited a heartbeat, then lifted her eyes to look at Daria again. “Come. Our Most Sovereign Healer is waiting, and there are many questions only she can answer for you and for us. I will give you clothing, then we must go.” Kyla stood, and after a slight pause, offered her hand.
Daria reasoned that for the moment she had no other recourse, so she crept to the edge of the bed and with a firm grip on the sheets, stood on unsteady legs. Ignoring Kyla’s outstretched hand, she jerked her chin in a quick motion to signal that she would follow. The young woman shrugged and turned to lead her to the changing area.
After Daria had been fitted with a warming robe, Kyla escorted her through a complex series of tunnels until they came to a walled garden. They stopped before what looked to Daria like a solid wall, but she watched a portion of the stone dissolve like liquid.
Icy fingers of fear raced up Daria’s spine. Kyla gestured for her to enter, but she was too afraid. Kyla placed her hand at the small of her back and gently ushered Daria through the door. After a tentative step, Daria spun around to see if Kyla had followed, but the door had re-materialized. She was sealed inside.
Blood pounded in her ears, and her body shook. Daria clasped her hands and stood motionless for a few heartbeats, then decided she might as well get on with it. She grabbed the long robe, turned back into the room and gasped.
The chamber was unlike anything she had ever seen. It felt as if she had come home. There were no hard angles, yet there were nooks and crannies and private places. Granite walls were softened by refracted light that glimmered in soft blues, greens, purples and golds. A domed ceiling of colorful mosaic tile was held in place by columns that had been carved with exquisite detail. Plush seating in muted sea colors made her want to sit down with a good book. Daria knew that the area in which she stood was no larger than the apartment she had left, but the intimate surroundings created an illusion of boundlessness.
She blinked her eyes. Her breathing returned to normal and Daria felt, rather than heard, an ageless voice whisper to her heart.
“Come, sit here, child…”
An older woman beckoned her, but her attention was drawn
to a wall of gently falling water. The crystal liquid wound over the dark slate in lazy ribbons before slipping into the deep blue waters of a quiet pool. The ethereal sounds of a water sonata lifted to entwine with air so pure that when she inhaled, it stung her nose.
Caught in a sensual play of light and sound, Daria pulled her robe up and crossed the floor. As if in a dream, she sank into cushions fluffy as clouds. When the cushions moved underneath her and molded to her form, Daria was surprised that she felt no shock. She looked at the woman seated next to her.
Na-Kai reached for her hands and enfolded her in a touch that spoke to her soul of joy, love, laughter and timelessness. Na-Kai’s voice washed over her, as soothing as the music that emanated from the waterwall. “You are a visitor to us. The first and only we have received in the thousands of years we have lived within this world. Until you have reached a decision as to your fate, we will give you safe harbor; therefore, I must share with you the knowledge you require in order to make your choice.”
Daria frowned. She pulled her hands away and stood. She walked a few anxious paces and stopped. Wrapping her arms around herself, she snorted at the inadvertent gesture of self-protection and dropped her arms to her sides. She shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and turned to face her captor. “Well, let’s start with the most practical questions. Who are you, and where am I?”
She noted the woman’s hesitation. She seemed to Daria to be uncomfortable, because she cleared her throat more than once before she spoke.
“I am Na-Kai eva, meaning daughter of, Evenor. I am a Healer to my people. I am four hundred and seven years of age. You are in Atlantis.”
A futile hope that she had misheard raced through Daria’s heart. Even with everything she had seen, she couldn’t believe what Na-Kai had just said. “Is this your idea of a joke? Who brought me here and how do I get out?”
Daria swung around and tried to find the exit, knowing even as she did that she would be unable to locate the door.
Na-Kai stood to face the frightened woman. “I would not joke about something so serious. Ni-Cio brought you to me. And though I know how badly you wish it were not so, now is not an auspicious time for your departure. Now please, tell me your name.”
Na-Kai’s voice soothed Daria’s feelings of alarm and helped calm her a bit. Daria studied Na-Kai. The woman looked forbiddingly beautiful. No trace of her incredible age was in evidence, for she moved with the easy grace of a much younger woman. She glided across the room, and as she did, her long hair shimmered, sparking lights of pure silver. Every movement brought a play of luminous iridescence that emanated from her very being. With eyes the color of mother-of-pearl, she appeared almost translucent, and Daria found it difficult to look straight at her.
The sheer otherworldly quality of the woman chased away the last vestiges of Daria’s bravery. She was utterly at the mercy of this woman. Her voice trembled and she balled her hands into fists to keep from crying. “Nici, who? I’m Daria Caiden and I’m done.” Daria backed away from Na-Kai’s cautious approach.
The Healer stopped her advance and tried to calm the young woman’s fears. “Please, try not to be afraid. I mean you no harm.” Na-Kai gestured to the couch. “Come and sit with me.”
Daria didn’t understand why, but she knew that the woman who stood before her was incapable of lying. However, Na-Kai’s veiled warning introduced a new element to her fear, and she didn’t want to continue. She wanted to be back in Boston, and wished with all her heart that she had never come to Greece. Na-Kai offered her hand. From somewhere deep inside, Daria drew upon a hidden reserve of courage and let the Atlantean lead her back to the cushions.
Seated again, she looked at Na-Kai. The ghost of a smile flitted across the older woman’s lips and Daria realized that Na-Kai was afraid, too. Whatever they faced, she steeled herself to get through it so that she could get back to her life. “All right, why me, why now?”
“Daria, we are in need of brevity, and there is a much faster way for you to learn what you need to know. It is something we call a thought-form; it is our version of telepathy.”
A barrage of questions tumbled from Daria’s lips, but Na-Kai held up her hand. “Peace. Be still and hear me. We are a very old race. Evolving as we have through the ages, we have inherited certain gifts that ensure our survival. Our most sustaining and unique ability enables us to open our minds to each other. We are adept at reading thoughts. I would ask you to let me touch your mind, but know this, in order to do so, I must have your complete agreement. Should you have even the least reservation, I will be unable to continue.”
Daria reached for Na-Kai’s hands. When she looked down at the luminescent fingers interlaced with hers, it was difficult to determine where her hands ended and Na-Kai’s began. She forced her attention back to the Healer. “Do you mean to tell me that anyone in Atlantis can read my thoughts anytime they feel like it?”
“No, I assure you, without another’s complete assent we cannot enter. Your thoughts are blocked, until and unless you grant entrance.
“I would read your thoughts and in turn, have you know mine. Only then can you truly grasp the extent of what we are asking you to face. There is much for you to learn and our time together is short. I will let nothing happen to you until you have made your decision. Beyond that, I must await your answer.”
Stung by sparkling currents of fear and curiosity, Daria shuddered. Lost in a swirl of emotions, she rose from the couch and walked to the waterwall. She gazed into the muted flow of water, entranced by the intricate patterns that formed, dissolved and re-formed. She watched as silvery streams of water coalesced into the misty figures of her mother and father. She tried to touch the reflection, but it vanished as the shock of cold water trickled over her fingers. She blinked away the prickles of tears that threatened, but her resolve had settled. She turned to face Na-Kai. “I will open my mind to you. Show me what I need to know.”
She had no idea what kind of choice she was supposed to make, but of one thing she was certain, her life would never be the same again.
Na-Kai bit back a smile watching Daria’s purposeful stride. The determined expression on the face of the lovely topsider only served to accentuate her bravery. She waited while Daria stiffly lowered herself to a seated position.
The young woman sat erect with her gaze trained forward. She clasped and unclasped her hands and held her knees together as though they had been bound. Na-Kai was ready to begin when Daria jumped up and started plumping the pillows. She stepped back to survey the result, then pivoted and sat down again. Daria was still for a brief moment, then she began shifting her body in an effort to find the most comfortable position.
A peal of laughter escaped Na-Kai’s lips. “Daria, it won’t hurt. You may relax. You will only feel traces of touch. Why, I would liken it to the softest of breezes. You will barely know I am there.”
Daria nodded and sank back onto the pillows. Her arms slid from her lap to rest at her sides. Na-Kai waited until Daria was still, then she scooted forward. She leaned over the topsider and peered into her guileless aquamarine eyes. Na-Kai lost herself in the depths of shifting ocean colors. Her thoughts sighed into Daria’s mind with a touch as soft as the breath of a newborn and Na-Kai began to unlock the doors that would bring her to the answer she sought.
She wound through Daria’s present thoughts: kindness, gentleness, trust, and confusion, the last to be expected. She probed farther and reached into the past. Wisps of loving relationships mingled with generosity and humor, compassion beyond her years and always, kindness that was freely given. Watching Daria’s life unfold, Na-Kai witnessed the brutal car accident that stole the lives of her parents when she was only five. There had been no other relatives, so Daria had been ushered into a foster care system that had little regard for her needs, or her grief. Shuttled from home to home, she met families from all walks of life. Not one of them cared to give her a permanent place in their homes, or their hearts. She learned to protect
her own heart and erected the barriers that helped her hide. The loneliness in Daria’s soul touched Na-Kai in a way that the Healer never expected. She wanted to enfold her in her arms and comfort her, but as she wound through other scenes of Daria’s life, she saw a resolute girl turn into a beautiful, caring woman. Fending for herself, she had taken any job she could find in order to save money and prepare for college.
Working her way through school, Daria made friends easily enough, but Na-Kai could see that she never opened the most secret chambers of her heart, or her thoughts, to anyone. Na-Kai wanted to cry. Swallowing past the lump that had risen in her throat, she blinked hard and continued to watch Daria’s life unfold.
Her first real job had come right after graduation. An antiques dealer had snatched her up and had mentored her until she was capable of running the business. Daria traveled the world over, and Na-Kai could see how quickly the young woman adapted to other countries and other cultures. The degree of empathy Daria exhibited toward others was remarkable. Her ability to adapt so quickly would help her adjust to life in Atlantis. Na-Kai knew she would make a sublime Healer.
As lonely as Daria had been most of her life, Na-Kai saw that she had still managed to fill her life with love. Always the first to take care of a sick friend or shelter a stray animal, the young topsider never lacked for companionship.
Even so, it was not enough. Na-Kai had yet to reach the core component that would let her know that her search had not been in vain. On she probed. Tracing the bloodlines back before Daria, before her mother and before her mother’s mother, Na-Kai watched generations fly by as she traveled backward, following always the maternal line.
Na-Kai descended beyond recorded time. The lines were becoming less tangled, more distinct and still she descended. Darkness flowed inward and a moment of doubt sparked. An almost palpable fear trickled into her awareness, and Na-Kai decreased her speed. She could not see it. It was not there. She had risked everything. She had broken a supreme law, and now it seemed that her sacrifice had been for nothing. The intensity of emotion that threatened to overtake her caused an instant’s hesitation.
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