Tides of Change

by Susan MacIver

  After she considered their options, she stopped Kyla. “I was thinking that if we went into one of the cafés we might hear some interesting rumors. The only problem is that we have no money. We would need at least an hour inside the restaurant, which means we would need a table, and obtaining a table would require that we order something. If we just loiter aimlessly, I think we would arouse suspicion.”

  “I am not sure about the currency you require. I saw that some of the stalls were happy to barter their goods for other products.” Kyla grabbed Daria’s forearm and touched Daria’s earlobes. “Maybe we could find someone who would be interested in purchasing your earrings.”

  Although they weren’t costly, Daria had bought the diamond studs years ago as a present to herself, and she had forgotten that she still had them on. “Kyla, you’re a genius. Follow me.” Daria took off both earrings and they hurried across the square.

  They chose a covered stall that was slightly removed from the other shops and stood adjacent to a vacant alley. By virtue of its location, the vendor was more or less isolated from the mainstream traffic.

  The stall was swarmed by a family of island farmers and Kyla explained that they were trying to trade their wine for some of the clothing. Kyla and Daria watched a heated session of bartering as both parties attempted to gain the advantage.

  Kyla listened and once an amenable exchange had been reached, she interpreted the results for Daria. The farmer’s wives gathered the coveted garments, and as one unit, the family turned and shuffled away. It was obvious to Daria that they were quite satisfied with their acquisitions.

  Kyla had taken the earrings from Daria. She stepped forward and she opened her palm. The Greek woman couldn’t suppress a gleam of appreciation and Kyla initiated the bargaining.

  Daria watched Kyla and the owner haggle in earnest, until a point was reached where both women stopped, obviously delighted with the outcome.

  The vendor slipped the earrings into her side pocket and eyed Daria. She must have decided that Daria was harmless enough, so she began to count the money into Kyla’s outstretched hand. Once she was finished, she waved goodbye and ambled over to another stall. Daria grinned to see the woman show off her latest purchase while Kyla’s laughter rang with joy.

  She shouted her victory, “Daria! Look, I did it! We have currency!”

  “You were wonderful. I’m so proud of you!” Daria wrapped Kyla in a big hug. But their celebration was cut short when Daria felt a tentative touch on her shoulder. “Daria?”

  She turned to see who could conceivably know her in this out-of-the-way marketplace on this one tiny island in the middle of an impossibly immense ocean. She gasped and uttered the only word that she could force through her constricted throat. “Evan!”

  Evan heard the alarm in Daria’s voice as she scrambled to conceal the person behind her. “What are you doing here?”

  Speechless, he stared at the woman before him. His mind had stalled. Before he could summon a reaction, however, someone or something stepped from behind Daria, and ripping the goggles from her face, issued a startled cry.

  “Travlor!”

  Evan stared open mouthed as the chimera approached.

  Daria tried to step in front of the creature, “Travlor? Kyla, he’s not Travlor!”

  The only thing Evan realized with any certainty was that the incredible vision was female. She looked ready for battle. Her face was colored with jagged streaks of cobalt blue and her eyes devoured him like flames of fire.

  A gust of wind barreled through the alleyway and tore the scarf from her head. Evan stood in horrified fascination as dark hair uncoiled with the speed of a serpent and billowed into the air. The strands thrashed her neck and shoulders and looked as though they would strike him down.

  “She is Athena the warrior goddess! Fear and trembling, fear and trembling.” Ridiculous, random thoughts fired through Evan’s brain as he tried to spur his body into motion. But he could not think of a way to motivate his wonderstruck standoff. He registered that Daria had shoved the woman into the narrow alleyway. She had grabbed the woman’s angry face and held it firmly.

  The creature’s stare bore into him with laser-like intensity, and she would not look away, even though Daria shouted for her attention. “That is not Travlor. Kyla, look at me. That’s Evan. He’s an old boyfriend!”

  Evan willed his feet to move, and with jerky, unsure motions he approached the women.

  Daria released one hand, holding it up. “Evan, don’t come any closer. I’m trying to avoid an island-wide panic.”

  From his vantage point, Evan saw the woman struggling to get around Daria. Vehemence seethed from her and she looked ready for battle. Her topaz gaze darted back and forth as she looked at Daria and then back at him. At last, he saw a look of dawning comprehension settle over her features. She stopped her struggle, and her flushed coloring slowly receded. She shook her head and backed away from Daria. Glaring at Evan with wary eyes, she self-consciously smoothed her hair into submission and replaced her goggles.

  Evan looked at Kyla with dumfounded awe. He was afraid that if he blinked, he would miss something. In his life, he had never seen such an eerily exquisite woman. With her defiant appearance, he had become spellbound, and his thoughts had fled so that he felt like the village idiot. He couldn’t even remember why he had come to town in the first place. To cap it off, her blazing entrance had suspended any astonishment he had felt at finding Daria alive and well and unrestrained. Curiosity flickered between Evan and the woman.

  Daria’s voice broke his trance, “Well, I guess one mystery has been solved.”

  Kyla marched up to him. Her revulsion spoke volumes as her glance swept over him with undisguised disdain. She snarled, “He is the son.”

  Evan finally located his speech center. He ignored the implied insult and rounded on Daria, “What the hell is going on? What are you doing here? I thought you were being held against your will. And who is this?”

  “I need an explanation from you as well,” Daria stepped between Evan and Kyla. She looked around and indicated an enclosed café, “Let’s find a better place to talk. This could take a while.”

  Evan scowled at both women and nodded, “It looks like a fairly quiet place and something tells me I’m going to need a drink.”

  Kyla’s thought-form jangled through Daria’s mind one octave below a shout, “You said we would not be talking to anyone…I am not familiar with the procedures…and this person’s presence does not bode well!”

  Daria attempted to soothe her rattled friend, “Just follow my lead…everything will be all right…”

  “It had better be all right…because it looks to me like we are in one hell of a mess!” Evan’s thoughts whipped through both women. He enjoyed their stunned looks, feeling as though he had initiated a small victory in this normal day that had been turned on its head. “When in Rome, right?” He grasped Daria’s arm. He hesitated for a heartbeat before he took Kyla’s arm and then he propelled both women toward the open doors of the café. “Let’s move.”

  Inside, they settled into a corner booth and placed their orders. Once the required protocol was finished, it seemed that no one knew what to say or where to start. The silence grew heavy until Daria offered a tentative apology, “I’m sorry.”

  The dam broke, and Evan used his snarl like a slap, “Why Santorini? What could have possibly made you choose this one place? Was I so reprehensible?” He leaned back against the banquet and crossed his arms. “Obviously, you don’t need my help. You seem to have made it out of Atlantis rather easily.”

  Daria lowered her gaze and shook her head. When she tentatively looked up again, he knew she could see the sorrow in his eyes. Silent, he waited for her explanation.

  “I would not have hurt you for anything in the world. You have to believe me when I tell you that I did care for you! It’s just that both of us were never going to open our hearts to each other. We were both too closed…” Her sentence trai
led off and a funny look crossed her face. “Why do you keep insinuating that I was being held captive?”

  Evan snorted and narrowed his eyes. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, palms on the table, “Travlor convinced me that you were in danger and that the Atlanteans…” he glanced at Kyla, “would not release you.”

  As Evan lowered his elbows and rubbed his temples, he couldn’t stem the sarcasm that dripped from his voice like rain, “I am supposed to be helping him gather an army so that we can initiate your rescue.”

  Daria leaned over, placing a hand on his forearm, “It’s time to stop beating around the bush. I need to tell you everything that has happened.”

  “So it would seem that Travlor has his own agenda and is not above using his only son to achieve his goals.” Finishing the remains of their lunch, Daria reached the end of her narrative.

  Evan took a stiff drink of his scotch. “My dear old dad, what a corrupt piece of flesh. I never trusted him, but once I helped him escape, I couldn’t figure any other way to help you other than to follow him back into Atlantis. Ironic, isn’t it? I was using him, too. Makes me a chip off the old block.”

  He swallowed the rest of his drink and set the glass down. He stared at the melted remnants of ice and swirled the cubes with one finger. “When you left, I knew you weren’t in love with me. But I wanted you so badly. I thought that if I could get you to marry me, I would be able to keep you safe and eventually I could make you fall in love.” He stopped, raised his head and gazed into Daria’s aquamarine eyes, “You were the best thing that ever happened to me.” He winced to see the compassion in her face.

  “Evan, love has eluded you from the moment of your birth. I know how lonely you’ve been.”

  He pushed his glass aside, “You don’t understand. Travlor and I had plans. The only reason you are alive is because I wanted to love you. I was supposed to have you killed.” Remorse washed through him with such force, he thought he would have to leave. He waited for Daria to say something. When she remained quiet, he knew that she didn’t know what to say.

  As he was about to get up, Kyla reached across the empty space and took his hands in hers. The richness of her voice warmed his soul, “Know this, Evan, it makes no difference, your intent. The only thing that matters is that you did not follow through. A heart can change.”

  His breath stuck in his throat. Caught off guard by such a genuine display of affection, he tried to cover his embarrassment, “I guess anything is possible.”

  He suddenly felt shy and a crooked smile lifted one corner of his mouth as he looked at Kyla. He didn’t want her to let go of him, and when she relinquished his hand, he felt as if he had lost something precious. He was baffled as to why he should feel that way. Feeling very awkward, he was almost glad when Daria barged into the silence and flooded it with a dose of reality.

  “With or without you, Travlor is determined to attack Atlantis. We have to know the extent of his firepower. Evan, it’s imperative that we find a way to defend against his assault. If we don’t, we could all perish.”

  Evan pushed his plate aside and leaned toward the women, “Listen, my car is close by. I can get you near enough to see the compound but with Travlor there, I won’t risk taking you any closer. You need to know that he has finished selecting his leaders and some of them have already arrived to help set up camp.”

  A waiter approached the table and Evan waited impatiently as he cleared the dishes. As soon as the young man was out of earshot, he picked up his train of thought.

  “After everything you’ve told me, and the things I’ve seen at the compound, it’s clear that Travlor needs to be treated as an extreme threat. The man has a ferocious desire for power, but now I’m afraid that his need for vengeance has taken over everything.”

  Daria’s voice was hushed, “We know how he feels about me, so at the risk of sounding melodramatic, what are his intentions other than wanting me dead? Has he told you his plans?”

  Evan shrugged and shook his head. “No, he’s been extremely close-mouthed, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t read his thoughts. But I can tell you that he’s recruited one hundred highly trained mercenaries. He’s preparing them to lead a squad of over eight hundred soldiers and the list of equipment he has secured looks like he’s preparing for Armageddon.”

  “Oh, my God!” Daria grabbed Kyla’s hand. “It’s worse than I thought. I don’t know how we can defend against a force like that!” She looked down at the table and cast her gaze about as though seeking ideas. When she looked at Evan, her fear was palpable. “We have no weapons, Evan. These people have done nothing but live in peace for thousands of years.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. At last, she stopped. “Is the compound private, and do you have ocean access?”

  “Yes and yes. Travlor has surrounded the camp with a thought-form that keeps prying eyes from seeing anything other than a deserted vineyard. But he made sure that the property has ocean access.”

  “Where is this compound?”

  “Near Perissa, not far.”

  Daria scooted out of the banquet and Kyla followed. “Take us there. Ni-Cio will meet us at your dock. This is more than I can decide by myself. We need his help.”

  The women waited outside as Evan took care of the check. He heard the thought-form she sent to Ni-Cio and he could tell that she tried to keep from infusing him with her panic.

  “My love, the threat is very great…Evan is taking us to Travlor’s compound…it is near Perissa, and there is hidden access from the ocean…he will give you the coordinates…meet us there…”

  Walking out of the restaurant, Evan heard the reply.

  “I am already on my way…look to yourself and Kyla…I will be there shortly…”

  Evan hid his deepest concerns as he showed the women to his car, but his mind circled to the one conclusion he did not want to face. Travlor was hell-bent on a path of destruction and Atlantis was his prime target.

  Accelerating toward the compound, Evan finally understood his role in the malignant play that his father directed with such cavalier disregard. His eyes never left the road, and though he kept his voice low, he knew that Kyla and Daria heard his urgent conviction, “Travlor has to be stopped, even if I have to be the one to do it.”

  Observing the military escalation in Travlor’s compound, they sat in bleak silence. With an unhindered view, their only cover was the dry, wind-whipped grass that hissed and gyrated around them like thousands of angry snakes.

  Ni-Cio surreptitiously followed the line of Evan’s thoughts and found them, settled low to the earth. He knelt by Daria and nodded at Evan. Evan almost laughed at the astonishment on Ni-Cio’s face. It was clear that the Atlanteans had no trouble noticing his resemblance to Travlor. Ni-Cio’s stare was covered by his shaded goggles, but his laconic statement hit home, “No doubts as to who sired you.”

  Evan was riled, “For your sake, let’s hope the likeness ends there.”

  Kyla placed her hand on Evan’s forearm. “There is no reason for us to think otherwise. Were it not so, you would not be here.”

  Evan was startled by her support. But before he could comment, Daria shifted their attention back to the compound.

  “I can’t believe so many of them are already here. I’ve counted forty-five men.”

  Even as they watched, a line of cars turned into the compound in a haze of blood red dust. The drivers stopped just long enough to disgorge the brutal looking occupants, but it was clear that they didn’t want to dally as they brought their vehicles around and exited the premises faster than they arrived.

  Dark green duffels, glutted with belongings, were thrown to the ground in repetitious, dull thuds. It was evident in their swagger that the men were calculating each other’s expertise. Disdain seemed to rise from them like summer heat waves. The cocksmanship of their interaction reflected an egotistical savagery that lurked just beneath the surface.

  As though co
njured from thin air, Travlor appeared among the men, dressed in battle fatigues. He walked through the steroid enhanced mercenaries with an air of command as he designated roommates, assigned sleeping quarters and made certain that his orders would be followed to the letter. The natural authority he exuded would have mandated obedience from anyone, but Evan knew that the compulsion he employed as he faced each man ensured an unwarranted, unscrupulous, inhuman fidelity.

  “How long do you think it will be before Travlor launches his attack?” The candor with which Ni-Cio spoke made it clear that he trusted Evan’s judgment.

  Evan did not take his eyes off the movement below, “With men like those, it won’t take much to get them ready. My best guess would be one month, depending on how quickly Travlor can accumulate the supplies.”

  “Then our time is more limited than I thought. Everything we do from this point is crucial.” Ni-Cio took Daria’s hand and Evan knew that he tried to reassure her. “We will be ready.” He turned back to Evan, “What do you plan to do now?”

  Even though he tried to hold it in, a derisive laugh managed to escape. “Well, since there’s no need to rescue Daria, I doubt I’ll be ascribing to the assault theory.” He looked at the three people who flanked him and knew with unequivocal certainty where his path lay. “It would seem that the strategic position in which I find myself could offer quite an advantage to the people of Atlantis.”

  No one seemed surprised by his offer, but Kyla shook her head and her face looked sad, “I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you, given that he is still your father.”

  “He is an aberration. My only motivation for helping him was money. Until Daria came into my life, enhancing my fortune was the sole motivation for anything I ever did.” Evan fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. He shrugged his shoulders, then looked at Kyla and confessed, “It’s not something I’m proud of.”