Naia collapsed against him. Her body was spent and although she felt drained of her energy, she was in complete control of herself again.
She felt comforted knowing that from now on, they would always be together. Now that they were mated, not even the interference of their families could truly separate them. They were each other’s future.
Atargatis swept her into his arms and swam them over to the kelp bed. He gently eased down pulling Naia along with him. As they lay across the soft velvety leaves he wrapped her in the security of his tailfin. They spent the rest of the night making love and murmuring words of the passion they felt for one another.
They knew for now this was all they had. When the light appeared above the surface, they’d have to go their separate ways, but only temporarily. Once they found a way to tell their families what they had done, they would be together again and this time it would be forever.
Chapter Two
Crehon Ariskan stood by the ocean’s edge watching as the small waves lapped at his sandal covered feet. A cool breeze came through, molding the thin white linen of his tunic against him, and rustling the palm fronds that lined the beach behind him as it passed by. The sun’s beams lay across the current causing the sea’s surface to sparkle. Closer to the beach, the water was a crystal clear turquoise, but the farther out his vision stretched the darker the water became until it was almost black.
Even though this eiar morning couldn’t have been more perfect now that the cold nights were coming to an end and the buds on the trees were just beginning to blossom, his brow furrowed at the thought of the unexpected ultimatum placed before him.
How am I going to deal with something of this magnitude?
This was bigger than anything he had ever dealt with in his short reign as the Emperor of Atlantis, and his warriors would look to him for guidance.
He was standing here now patiently waiting to speak with Atlantis’s secret ally to formulate a resolution.
Close by a shift in the movement of the water flow caught his attention and pulled him from his thoughts. The surface around the small area of water began erupting waves and eventually turned into a ringlet of white frothy foam. A few moments later the water started to displace and spray upward, then it folded over itself and fell back down to rejoin the surface. In the middle of this watery ballet, a long, helical tusked spear slowly arose out of the depths.
Crehon knew of only one being in the Atlantic Ocean Territory who owned such a prized weapon, his old friend and now ally, Atargatis, General of the Oceanic Royal Guard. The spear was crafted from the tusk of a Narwhal and given to the King of Oceania, as a gift from the King of Arcteria, ruler of the Arctic Ocean Territory. The king had passed it down to Atargatis, his son, some years ago.
As Atargatis continued to rise above the surface, beads of salt water dripped down from the top of his head, then down his shoulders and chest, until he looked as though he hadn’t been wet at all. His white hair was completely dry except for the ends which were still submerged below the surface.
Crehon could see Atargatis was grinning broadly, and under normal circumstances he’d ask him why he looked so happy, but today there was a dire calamity that needed to be dealt with.
“So, my land brother, why have you summoned me to the surface?” Atargatis asked smiling.
“An envoy arrived late last night while Atlantis slept,” Crehon responded. “It carried the Ambassador of Cythera, Hektor Alexios. He brought a message from Emperor Ethos.”
Cythera was an island country just south of Sparta in the Mediterranean Sea. They’d always been envious of Atlantis’s vast wealth and trading routes.
“What does he want?”
“He is giving me demands. Either I submit to him and Atlantis becomes Cythera’s vassal or he will annihilate us. The Cytheran naval fleet has already set sail. If I give in to his wishes the ambassador will send word and the fleet will return to Cythera. If I do not, then they will continue on their way and will wage war against Atlantis. He has given me until sundown on this day to give him an answer.” Crehon’s fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. He was trying to tamp down his inner turmoil. Was he making the right decision? Would his people suffer if he made the wrong decision?
“I will not be diplomatic about this. By the Gods, I will never surrender Atlantis.” He paused for a brief moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “I have already made my decision; we will fight to protect my people. The Cytherans shall meet with a beautiful death.”
“You know we will fight with you. What do you need from us?” Atargatis asked grimly.
Crehon paced back and forth, stamping down a path in the sand along the water’s edge. The occasional wave would reach up and smooth the sand back to its original state, only to be flattened once again by his pacing.
“They will be here within ten days. During this period, we shall create a plan to attack from the surface and the depths of the sea. With my fleet, and your warriors, we shall send the Cytherans to the bowels of the ocean. My army will be staged on the shore to defend Atlantis from any ships that slip past our ocean defenses.”
“Ten days’ time?” Atargatis interjected.
“Yes, this will provide ample time to have our forces prepare for battle. Since Ethos does not know of your existence, they will not suspect an attack from below. Victory will be ours my brother. Atlantis shall not fall on this or any other day!”
Swimming in closer to where the edge of the sand dropped off and became a wall of coral reef, Atargatis perched himself against the rocks. He felt his mer magic draining quickly and knew he only had a few more moments above the surface. Before long he’d have to sink below the barrier that protected the kingdom. It was only visible to mers. Once beneath the security of the barrier, their magic was no longer needed and they could breathe freely under the water. Only the King, his Queen, and the members of the Royal Guard were versed in this knowledge. As far as the other mers knew, they were not able to breathe beyond its boundaries. It was the King’s way of controlling his merpeople from randomly going above the surface.
“I’ll have a meeting with my Captain right away. We’ll discuss a strategy and then send word up to you of our approach. But for now I must go, I’m needed below.” He did not lead on to his impending need to get back to the water’s depths for air. He and Crehon were old friends. But the fact of the matter was, Crehon was human, so under no circumstance could he share his weaknesses with him.
Slipping off and away from the rocks he had rested against, Atargatis swam back toward the area in which he first appeared. He turned and yelled back towards the beach where Crehon had already started walking away, “Fear not! Victory will be ours!”
He then launched himself a couple of feet above the water, flicked his golden brown fin, and dove straight down, descending below the surface.
Chapter Three
Crehon strode off the beach and over to his horse, Abraxas, who was secured to the trunk of a palm tree. He untied the leather strap and mounted. Lightly tugging at the right reign, he directed Abraxas to where the sand met the coral paved street, back to his temple located in the middle of the city.
Last night after the envoy arrived unexpectedly, he had a brief opportunity to advise his military council about the situation they were facing. Although he was feeling more confident with his decision since having spoken to Atargatis, he still had one more hurdle to bear. He had to divulge the demands from Cythera, plus his choice to stand and fight, to his beloved wife, Magna. She was the source of his strength but this wasn’t going to be an easy task. Especially once she realized that if this didn’t go the way he hoped it would, there’d be a chance she’d become a widow. He knew if that happened Emperor Straton Ethos would claim her for himself. He would not allow this to happen.
Crehon had to stay strong and not let her see or feel the uncertainty of his emotions. Yes, he was confident with his decision, but in the back of his mind there would always be a
small degree of unease.
Crehon’s mind drifted to the monotonous clomping of the horse’s hooves against the paved street. He was startled to realize Abraxas had already stopped just short of the winding steps that led up the mountain to the sanctuary that encased his temple.
In front of him, on either side of the bottom steps, were seven foot high, perfectly squared, stone pedestals, each with four columns holding up an embellished pitched roof. Within the confines of each set of columns was a marble statue of their patron god, Poseidon, who held in his hands the sacred symbol of the Atlantean people, a trident. Every male member of the Imperial family had this symbol tattooed on their person. It was a representation of great honor and respect. His was located on the left side of his chest and he wore it with pride.
Crehon was barely off Abraxas before one of his servants was standing in front of him, bowing his head, and offering to take the horse to the stables. Crehon nodded in approval to the servant and watched him walk away with Abraxas.
The breeze tousled his short wavy brown hair and he stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth of the sun. Inhaling the fresh air he noted the sweet smell of the blooming pink frangipani flowers and the cool ocean breeze, and then let out a long calming breath.
Before he took the first of many steps, he extended his arms halfway in front of himself, placed his palms facing upwards, bowed his head to his god and said a quick prayer.
As he climbed up the stony path, he was thankful this once that it was a lengthy ascension. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation he was about to have with Magna.
He reached the top of the mountain and walked across the courtyard leading to the steps of his temple.
It was grand in scale, twelve Corinthian columns in width and nineteen deep. Built of the native white stones, it could withstand any outside attack.
Once inside he asked one of the nearby servants where he could find his wife and the woman directed him to his imperial bedchamber.
He headed there immediately only to find Zimora, Magna’s best friend, leaving the chamber. She was walking away in the opposite direction and hadn’t seen him. The two women were inseparable. He was glad their paths hadn’t crossed as he was always a little uncomfortable around her. He knew she had feelings for him, ones she kept locked away inside. He shook off thoughts of Zimora and braced himself as he opened the door.
He stepped into the room and found Magna sitting in front of her dressing table while her personal servant was entwining white ribbons throughout the braids in her long ebony hair. Magna was looking at her reflection in the large shiny bronze disc that hung on the wall in front of her.
Crehon knew just how lucky he was to have such a beautiful woman to call his.
“I’m finished, your highness. Is there anything else you require of me?” the young woman asked.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you. You may go now,” Magna responded as she stood up to walk over to her husband.
The servant left the room, silently bowing her head at Crehon as she walked by him, and then quickly closing the thickly carved wooden door behind her as if she couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. Odd, he thought. It wasn’t her normal behavior.
Embracing him, Magna whispered in his ear, “You were gone when I woke up this morning. Where did you go? I was lonely.”
Having not quite worked up the courage to tell her the truth, he answered. “I went to the beach to see the sun rise across the ocean.” He looked away guiltily and steeled himself.
“Magna, there is something I need to discuss—,”
“Before you tell me what you need to, there’s something I have to tell you as well.
“What is it?”
“I’m worried about Carnaxa,” she said as she released her hold on him and walked over to sit down on one of the chaises.
“Why is that?”
“My sister has been acting strange lately. Late last night while you were gone for your walk, I saw her sneaking out of the temple. She was walking so fast I couldn’t catch up to her to ask her where she was going at such an ungodly hour. She wasn’t in her chamber this morning either.”
Crehon had caught a quick glimpse of Carnaxa spying on him from behind one of the columns in the temple’s atrium during his meeting with Hektor. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
She was a vibrant young lady, with no suitors in her life, at least none that were serious. He just assumed she was innocently ogling Hektor’s good looks.
Surely Carnaxa had not been with Hektor? Though he was certainly blessed by Aphrodite, he wouldn’t have had time to seduce her, would he? Doubts swirled through his mind. He would get to the bottom of Carnaxa’s disappearance at once. The security of the Empire could be at stake.
“Don’t worry about your sister. I will have one of my men keep an eye on her and report her whereabouts directly to me.”
“Thank you my amora, love. Now what did you want to tell me?” she reminded him.
He closed his eyes briefly, inhaled deeply and let out a long breath through his nostrils. The moment he’d been dreading had finally arrived.
He walked over and sat next to her on the chaise, taking her hands in his. He looked directly in her eyes and saw her love reflected back at him.
“I have something important I need to tell you,” he said seriously.
“You’re scaring me. What is it? Is it my sister?”
“No. No, it’s not your sister,” he assured her. “What I have to discuss with you is far greater than that.”
Her worried eyes searched his face.
“Last night when I left the temple while you slept, it was because one of the guards sent a messenger to notify me of an unannounced ship that had arrived in our port.”
Magna’s eyes narrowed at the realization of his lie. “Is this when you said you went for your ‘walk?’”
“Yes. Not knowing what was going on, I didn’t want to worry you.”
“So you decided lying to me was the better choice?”
“Yes,” he repeated sternly. “Please listen and let me explain. The ambassador from Cythera was on the ship. He came here to deliver a message from Emperor Ethos.”
He paused waiting to see her reaction.
“What— what was the message?” He could hear her trying to restrain the panic in her voice.
“He has issued an ultimatum. I must either allow Atlantis to join forces with him under his rule or he will call us to war. The fleet carrying his warriors has already set sail. If I agree to the Emperor’s terms, the ambassador will send word back to them and they will turn around and go back to Cythera. But if I do not agree to his demands, they will continue their journey here to claim Atlantis.”
Magna pulled her hands out of his and held her right hand up, motioning him to stop talking.
“There’s no need to continue. I know my husband well enough to know what decision you’ve made,” she said as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Looking away from him, she got up from the chaise and walked over to the window, sobbing harder as she looked down the mountain and across the land that was her home.
Crehon rose from the seat, walked over to her, circled his arms around her waist from behind, and drew her closer.
There was silence between them.
“I’m scared. What if I lose you Crehon? I can’t live in a world without you.”
“Please don’t say that. You have my word everything will be okay. I’ve already spoken to Atargatis and his guard will rise with us and fight.”
Caressing her arm, he tried to console her even though deep down he knew there was a possibility he wouldn’t be able to uphold his promise.
“You can’t guarantee that nothing will happen to you,” she cried out as she cupped her hands over her face and lost what was left of her control.
Crehon turned her around and pulled her hands away from her face, then placed his finger under her chin bringing her eyes to meet his.
With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped away her tears.
He hated to see her cry and he hated it even worse that he was the cause. But he had to stand up for what he believed in, no matter the consequences.
Lifting her up in his arms, he carried her over to their marital bed and laid her across the soft hides. Slowly climbing above her, he claimed her lips.
She tried to pull away. “I can’t do this now.”
He gently pulled her face back to his and recaptured her lips. She tasted so sweet. He needed more of her. “Let me love you,” he whispered against her lips.
He could see the desire in her eyes, and she parted her lips allowing him access to explore her.
Giving in, her tongue met his and she let out a soft moan. Feeling his growing erection against her thigh, brought out a wanton response in her, and she started undulating beneath him.
Releasing her lips, he reached up to pull the thin white layer of linen off her shoulder, revealing her right breast. Cupping her perfectly round peak, he captured it in his mouth and teased her hard little bud with his tongue, pulling it between his lips. It drove her crazy and he felt her movements become more frantic.
The scent of citrus on her skin wafted into his nostrils driving his arousal even further.
Gods, how he wanted her.
With his other hand he explored lower until he felt the hem of her tunic and hiked it up higher around her thighs, revealing her perfect triangle of manicured curls.
He placed his hand against her sex using two of his fingers to separate her moist folds.
She arched into him.
“Undress me,” she moaned.
He sat her up and helped her pull her clothing over her head. He tossed it onto the marble floor, shedding his own clothing afterwards.
Gently, he pushed her back down against the bedding. Starting at her neck, with slow and calculating licks, he teased his way down her pale unblemished skin toward the scent of her arousal.
Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) Page 6