Choice

by Jean Booth

  “It’s a sad story, Raif, but what does it have to do with us? Why is everyone so upset about my arrival? They don’t think…I mean, we couldn’t be…” I couldn’t say the words I knew in my heart to be true. I couldn’t be Raif’s soul mate. We barely knew each other. But, if his story was to be believed, that didn’t matter. Once your soul meets its match—that’s it.

  “You are most definitely my alma xemelga, my soul’s mate. I had suspected it with my reaction to you when you woke here, but I was not certain until we shared a bed. You and I are to fulfill the prophecy that the oracle set into motion eleven thousand years ago. Without us, my people will be forced to live for eternity under water, never mating, never dying, forever living with the torment of knowing that the other half of their soul is lost without them.” He reached for my hand and I grasped at his, looking for something to tether me down. I replied with as much honesty as I could through a voice that was soft and surprisingly steady.

  “That really doesn’t sound that bad, you know. So we mate. I’m not seeing the downfall here. Yeah, I’ll miss my family, but for some reason I feel more at home with you than I’ve ever felt before. Why are you so upset? Would you rather have a different mate?” He chuckled at my naïveté and pulled me onto his lap.

  “Amada, my beloved, we did not think it would take eleven thousand years for you to arrive. Many of my people have become content to live apart from those on the surface and are unwilling to be a part of a culture that is ruled by selfish people constantly at war. We are a peaceful people now.” He took a breath and I could feel the faint tremors in his body. I held him close to me, resting my head on his shoulder to allow him to say what he needed to without having to look at me. “The second part of the prophecy is that we must willingly part. If we complete the alma se funden you must return to where you are from and leave me here. You must understand; time is of no consequence when you are dealing with immortal beings. You may leave and part from me for an unknown amount of time. It could be seconds, or millennia. I am not sure if I am capable of being apart from you for that long. There is a small chance that you could stay here, hidden with me, without mating. As long as my people do not know you are my alma xemelga we should be safe.” He said regretfully, knowing his hope was foolish.

  “Won’t Poseidon be angry with us for prolonging his separation from Cleito? From everything you’ve said, it sounds like a bad idea to piss off your god.”

  “I know you are right, amada, but I don’t like it. We will depart to Cleito’s palace in the evening so that we can travel under the cover of darkness, away from my peoples’ prying eyes. I believe she will be able to help us complete the prophecy and get you home.”

  Raif left to gather supplies. He told me to stay in the house and rest while I waited for him to return, we both needed to prepare for the long night ahead of us. We’d be at the base of the mountains to Cleito’s prison by morning, and we’d be staying there until the next nightfall to avoid prying eyes. He had hope that she knew of a way to get me off this island. If not, he wasn’t certain what we would do. But he held fast to his faith in Poseidon and their prophecy.

  As strongly as he believed that I was his soul mate, the man didn’t know me at all. There was no way I was going to stay cooped up in his house when there was a whole world to explore. I gave myself credit though; I stayed in the house for about an hour snooping through all his stuff. It wasn’t as much fun as I thought it’d be, so I decided to go outside and take pictures. I didn’t know if I’d be able to take my camera with me when I left, but I was hoping that I’d be returned with everything I arrived with.

  I was in heaven. Atlantis was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. The skies shimmered in perpetual sunset, with the colors reflecting on the dome protecting us. The clouds were pure white without the smog of a city to fade them. It was truly a shame to have to leave. I was happily taking pictures of the forest behind Raif’s house when someone behind me spoke.

  “You really are more attractive than the king gives you credit for, you know.” I turned to see Michael leaning casually against a tree.

  “Don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here, anyway? I was under the impression that Raif’s house was forbidden to all you Atlantean people?” I attempted to hide the camera in the folds of my dress as I turned to face him.

  “As I’m fairly certain you’re already spoken for, I think I can bend the rules.” Michael winked at me conspiratorially. “Besides, I’m not quite fully Atlantean and Raifuku sent me to make sure you didn’t cause any mischief. It seems like I got here just in time. You do realize that there are people here who would kill you on sight, thereby eliminating the need for this pointless debate, right?” He smiled.

  “What do you mean you’re not fully Atlantean yet? What are you?” I sat down cross-legged in the grass so I didn’t have to invite him inside alone with me. I made it a general rule to stay out in the open with men I didn’t plan on sleeping with.

  “I’m like you. I was born in Los Angeles in 1932. I was at a surfing competition during a hurricane in 1954 when the waves tossed me into a current and I drowned. I woke up outside the palace and have been Raifuku’s loyal apprentice ever since. He teaches me things about Atlantis, and I teach him how to surf in the canals separating the islands. It isn’t as much fun as the open ocean, but honestly, I’ve no idea what would happen to us if we attempted to surf beyond the shore. What year are you from?” He plopped down across from me. I grinned as I watched him chew on a piece of grass with his tanned, translucent blue skin.

  “Can I take your picture? I don’t even know if I’ll be able to keep it, but I really want to try.” I held up my camera and waited for his approval.

  “Why not? I doubt you’ll be able to take it with you, but I haven’t heard of anyone who’s ever come to Atlantis leaving, so knock yourself out.” He smiled at me with the long piece of grass hanging from the corner of his mouth and I took a picture of the first somewhat-Atlantean person of the day. I was starting to feel giddy.

  “I was celebrating my thirtieth birthday, it’s 2010. I was scuba diving and a group of hammerhead sharks scared me so I cut the tag line to my partner. I was swept up in a current and knocked out. It was my first dive ever in the ocean, so I was taking as many pictures as I could. Would you like to see them?” I knew I was rambling but it wasn’t every day I was able to talk to someone old enough to be my great grandfather; yet young enough to pass for my age. His eyes widened as I started to flip through the pictures on my underwater digital camera. I smiled as I watched his fascination with this piece of technology. If I remembered my history correctly, when he drowned, they were just starting to come out with color movies. He must’ve looked at every photo four times before shaking his head in amazement and returning it to me.

  “They’re truly masterful with their technology on the surface. I wonder how the people here will react to all the changes your culture’s made. It’s vastly different than seeing it in the reflecting pools.”

  “What are those?” I asked.

  “They’re less like pools and more like raised basins of water. There are two in Poseidon’s temple. Atreyu helps me with the scrying. They are able to show you some of what’s going on. They’re like a mirror, but one that doesn’t reflect; rather it can give a glimpse into a different place—as long as that place holds water. They remind me of the moving pictures from back home, but they seem fake there, just a bunch of pretense. I still think one of these days I’m going to wake up in a hospital back home and find that this was all a dream. The folks back home would never believe the magic here. Yours are probably even more jaded than my era was, what with all your advances in technology. In many ways though, Atlantis is still more advanced than this.” He gestured to my camera and I raised an eyebrow in question.

  “I have yet to see any form of technology here, aside from Raif’s kitchen, but even the things in there seemed strange. They were modern appliances, but
I don’t remember hearing the hum of electricity or watching him actually turn anything on. There are no phones, cars, or televisions that I’ve seen; what is it that makes you more advanced?” I really wanted to know, I grew up with the myths and rumors of a highly evolved culture and it was killing me that these people appeared to be so archaic.

  “We may not have the technology that you do, but we have this.” He winked and then was gone—popped out of existence. I sat there with my mouth hanging open in surprise.

  “Turn around, Natasha.” I turned and he was leaning against a tree, pale with a sheen of sweat covering his face, laughing at me.

  “How’d you do that?” I scrambled up and looked from where he had been to where he stood now.

  “The Atlantean’s use a higher percentage of their brains and can manipulate things. Each clan has different traits, but as I was delivered to the palace, I was meant to be mentored by an Atlantean from the royal family. I am, therefore, developing traits of those in the palace, even though Raifuku’s been my teacher. I secretly wish I’d have landed in his clan, as his gifts are much more fun than teleportation. He keeps telling me that with time, patience, and practice I could do what the other clans do, albeit to a much lesser extent. He’s able to teleport small distances and so is the priest, but I’ve just learned it and am trying to have fun with what I can do. You should see the look on your face. It’s not as easy as it looks, but I do thank you for allowing me to show off.” He smiled as he slid to the ground, his legs unable to hold him any longer.

  “What can Raif do?” I resumed my position across from him, trying to hide how eager I was to know.

  “You’ll have to ask him. I’m not a person who tells tales that are not mine to tell.” He was hesitant. “While I’d love to keep talking to you, you really should try to rest, you have a very long way to go tonight. When Raifuku sent me to watch over you, he told me of his plan. This may be a small island, but you’ll be traveling to the other side, into the highest peaks. You’ll be going slower than normal, since you’ll be travelling in the dark. Raifuku cannot teleport you both there; and I fear that you don’t have time to waste.”

  I looked at him questioningly. I knew I wasn’t everyone’s favorite person here, but I was staying on Raif’s land—just as I’d been ordered to. It irked me to be ordered about, but it was so beautiful here, I’d tried not to think about it.

  “King Nereus will have you killed even if everyone here wants you to live. He’s never known a world outside the ocean walls. Alma xemelga’s have been nothing to him but a fairy tale that’s been told to him since birth. He knows of the history, but doesn’t understand it, as he was only days old when Atlantis descended. He doesn’t understand the need that all other Atlanteans have to find their mates, similar, in a way, to you and me. He watches the surface in the pools and sees the devastation Surface Dwellers have caused to each other. He’s in no hurry to join lands that are perpetually in war.”

  “Why are you helping me then, if you know he wants me dead and you like it here so much?” My voice was soft; hiding the sliver of fear I held that he was manipulating me.

  “I agree with Raifuku. His people were not meant to live in seclusion from the rest of the world. This land was meant to grow and evolve with the others, not maintain its stasis. The surface has suffered without Atlantis’ input, just as Atlantis has suffered without the surface’s influence. Atlantis needs to rise and remind the Surface Dwellers of the magic they lost and what the deep-seeded need is we all have but don’t understand.

  “Your people may have fun and have brief moments of joy, but they’re not satisfied. I’m unsure they realize why that is, exactly. I had no idea that I was an incomplete person until I came here and discovered what was missing. My alma xemelga isn’t here and I want to find her. I can’t do that unless I’m able to see people outside of these lands. You’ll find that there are others who are willing to help you as well. Take Atreyu, for example. He knows you and Raifuku are alma xemelga. He knows things that no other being could or should ever know. I have yet to figure out what his power base is, but I want to. He could’ve exposed the two of you, but he understands the necessity of returning to the surface, as well as the wisdom of not continuing to anger Poseidon. He’ll delay your execution as long as he possibly can.”

  “What happens when Atlantis rises, and the rest of the world isn’t ready for you?” I asked the question that had been nagging me since the first moment I learned of the prophecy.

  “I have no idea. War, maybe? Or maybe it will be shocking enough to see an entire continent emerge from the sea that your people will be curious. That’s not something even the reflecting pools can show.” He tilted his head, hearing something I didn’t.

  “Raifuku returns, and I bid you farewell. May the gods bless you with clear skies and strong winds at your back.”

  With those parting words, he disappeared. I had a nagging feeling that I’d heard that somewhere before, but I couldn’t place it. My thoughts drifted elsewhere as I watched Raif walk toward the house. He was carrying two packs that looked full. I took a picture before I ran through the back door of his house and jumped into his bed. He found me there minutes later as I pretended to be sleeping. His deep chuckle filled the room.

  “No need to pretend, love, I saw you run to the house. It was a good thing I sent Michael to watch over you then, yes?” He climbed onto the bed and kissed me. It was as natural as breathing and I returned it with as much love.

  He was heaven. Our kiss deepened with the passion that we’d both been holding back. He gathered me into his arms, smothering me in his warm embrace. I tore at his tunic, desperately trying to feel more of his glorious body pressed against mine. An eternity with him would never be enough.

  He chuckled softly and helped me remove his shirt. My breath caught again at how physically powerful he was. His shoulders were wide and impressively built, with a strong torso. He was thick, tough, and very hard in all the right places. I felt one of my favorites pressed tightly against my thigh. I ran my hand down his chest and around his abs to his back where I gently scraped my nails up then harder down. His breath quickened to match my own.

  He tore my dress down the middle, exposing my breasts to the air. My nipples were already pebbled in excitement, yet hardened even further at his groan of pleasure. He dipped his head and licked one. It was a soft lick that pulled a gasp from me. I threaded my fingers in his silky black hair, thrusting my breasts higher so he’d have better access to his feast.

  He licked, suckled, and nibbled one breast until I thought I was going to explode from need. Then he started on the other and I was completely lost in a storm of feeling. I was wanton, a desperate woman needing only the satisfaction of his manhood thrusting deep into the very core of me. I whimpered and groaned, thrusting my pelvis up to him, praying he’d complete me.

  I scored my nails down his back, careful not to break the skin. When I reached his pants I tore at the fabric, pulling and trying to rip them off as easily as he had torn my clothing from me. He released the nipple he was suckling on with a light pop and I whimpered at the loss of his talented mouth. I was rewarded moments later with him looking down on me, his eyes heavy with passion.

  He grabbed my hands, placing them in his hair again. He leaned on one arm until his head was inches from my face and kissed me while removing his pants. My fists tightened in his hair, holding him as close to me as was physically possible.

  The feel of his member, bare against my most sensitive area, brought a gasp from me that separated our kiss for just a moment. He slid back and forth against my wetness, rubbing my nub, until I seriously thought I might die. The pleasure was too much, yet not even close to what I so desperately craved. He had both hands in my hair, keeping our faces locked in a passionate embrace, so I brought one of mine down to explore him.

  He was long and thick. My juices covered him, making it a slick surface to explore with my fingers. He groaned loudly, bringing his mout
h down to my neck. I stroked him slowly, desperately trying to get him to match my suffering. I heard his quiet begging and guided his helpless thrusts to my entrance.

  He felt the opening and we both gasped as he sheathed himself into my core. It hurt, but was quickly surpassed by the joyous feeling of finally being complete. We locked eyes from inches away as he slowly pulled out and pushed back into me. It was exquisite torture. I looked deep into his teal eyes until I relaxed, letting go of my insecurities at the love and desire I saw there. Deep in the very heart of my being, I knew this man would never hurt me.

  He felt my walls drop, my body relaxing in his embrace. He kissed me and plunged himself into me over and over. The sounds of whimpering were quickly replaced with slaps of flesh and moans. I shattered into oblivion, screaming his name, my very essence exploding into the ether. He growled my name, holding himself as deep as he could, spilling his seed into the very core of my body.

  I saw images of him as a boy, his life here, and the loneliness he’d felt until he saw me. I learned about him in those brief moments and I felt us starting to merge together. I could see the edges of my vision going black and threw up my emotional walls again. I didn’t want to lose this connection with him, but I really didn’t want to pass out. He rolled over onto his back, cradling me against his strong chest. I concentrated on hearing his heartbeat and almost missed what he was whispering.

  “My amada, eu te amo. A miña vida está completa. Ata o dus eu te amo.” Over and over he whispered in his deep bass cadence. It was beautiful, though I didn’t understand the words.

  “I love you too, Raif,” I whispered to his chest just before I fell asleep.

  We left about an hour after the sun had completely set. I laughed quietly to myself because I still couldn’t fathom how we could see the sunset when we were miles below the ocean and covered in water. I was dressed in one of Raif’s old tunics and a pair of pants as he’d completely destroyed the dress that he’d had made for me. Pants were more practical for what we had planned anyway. I’d put my hair up in a bun under a really dorky looking hat at his insistence.