by Ali Vali
*
It had been an instant of Vivien’s life, five minutes tops, and when compared to how old she was now, it was a flash, but she couldn’t forget the girl in the surf. When she’d seen her rise from the water, she’d thought, “I’ve finally found you.” But she’d been ten. Ten years of age wasn’t old enough to make such profound statements, but damn if the memory hadn’t stuck.
“You know what’s weird?” Frankie said and sighed. “That was the only time I’ve ever known for sure what it was to run. I looked at her and that’s what I felt.” Frankie tapped his legs and laughed, as if at the absurdity of what he was saying, and she admired him for never allowing his fate to kill his spirit.
“That’s not weird, and I’m glad it’s one of the only things you remember about all that.”
“No. I remember all the grilling and tests to make sure we both weren’t crazy. I left that part out so I don’t have to dwell on the fact our parents thought we were dropping lines of coke at such a tender age.” His legs were small and frail compared to the rest of him, and they’d prevented him from trying to find someone to share his life with. “I’m not whining about the stumps,” he said and slapped above his knee, “but the joy of a memory I shouldn’t have made me want to keep it safe.”
“I’m not giving up,” she said and kissed his hand. “There was never anything on the news, and no one ever reported her missing, so I know she’s still out there.”
“You know she is because Mom never admitted to these,” he said, and tapped at the base of his throat where his shell sat. The leather that held them in place had grown with them and had never worn through the years they’d worn them. It was another impossibility they chose to ignore, but nothing would ever make them give the shells up.
“Speaking of, are you going tomorrow tonight?”
“Mom said it was a command performance, so I’ll save you from Steve’s advances,” Frankie said after a short laugh.
Steve Hawksworth was the son of one of their newest board members and had set his sights on Vivien a few years before, to the delight of their parents. He was handsome, ambitious, and charming. The combination had swayed her father, but unfortunately for Steve, her father was already married. She’d dated Steve a few times to keep the peace, but he excited her about as much as having the flu.
“Christ, why can’t we have a regular family meal without all the crap?”
“Because your ovaries are shriveling as we speak, and you’re nowhere close to getting pregnant. The kid would have fantastic hair though.” She stuck her tongue out at him, but she was already dreading the event. “Don’t even go there,” Frankie said shaking his finger at her.
“What?” She needed to do a better job of hiding her emotions, especially from Frankie. It was as if they could read each other’s thoughts as clearly as if they’d spoken them out loud.
Their father also liked to harp on their responsibility to have more Palmers so a family member would always be at the helm of the business. That lecture was becoming more commonplace since both she and Frankie weren’t anywhere near fulfilling that part of the bargain. No matter how stifling Vivien’s life was at times, she at least had Franklin to commiserate with.
Business came first, though, so their parents hadn’t become unbearable about their grandchild-less state. The Palmer children performed their respective duties well and had grown their production in the Gulf by double digits in a few short years. Her father was correct: the world was hungry for oil, and they were responsible not only for finding it but also pumping it out of the ground, no matter where it was. That’d been the main theme of Winston’s education, a childhood lesson that was still ongoing.
“You’re going through your pre-dread routine, and I don’t plan to get stuck talking to Steve all night, consoling him because you’re not there.”
“I said I was going, and I’ll be the one consoling Steve because I’m not interested in anything beyond the occasional dinner and movie when absolutely no one else I know or have seen briefly, like my mailman, is available. You’d think he’d have caught on by now.”
“Don’t be so oblivious.” Frankie tugged her into a sitting position. “You’re a classic beauty, and everyone around you, including pesky Steve, has noticed. If you weren’t my sister, I’d make a move,” he said as a joke.
“That girl in accounting thinks you’re cute.” She smiled even though she knew he believed he’d be a burden to anyone in a romantic relationship. “Why don’t you invite her to dinner tonight? If she survives that, you’ll know she’s good dating material.”
“You know that’s not going to happen.”
“Frankie.” She stood and moved behind him so she could put her arms around him. “Your legs are defective, not your dick.”
“I love it when you’re crude, but she’s an employee. We have rules against that. If you’d read your employee handbook you’d know these things.”
“If not her, then somebody. I’m not the only one expected to produce heirs.”
“When I find someone with hair as great as Steve’s, I’ll think about it.”
“You do that, you shit,” she said, and kissed his cheek. “Come on. I’ll treat you to lunch.”
Chapter Three
Kai stood next to her parents smiling and shaking hands after the ceremony was over, but the exercise was getting boring. She wanted to leave by midday, but she wanted to make a few stops before she left that were more important than this. Before her thoughts became any more negative, her mom Hadley slapped her gently on the back of the head, warning her to plaster her smile back on and pay attention.
“Congratulations, Princess,” one of the last dignitaries said as she held Kai’s hand sandwiched between her own. “You’ve done well, and we were all impressed at how hard you strove to finish first in every category of study. Anyone who believes you were given an easier road toward graduation is sadly mistaken. Like your mothers, you truly can work anyone into the sand when you set your mind to it.”
“I appreciate your kindness, ma’am. No matter what, I’ll always have my critics, but it’s nice to know I have someone who believes in me besides these guys.” She pointed to her mothers.
“Oh, I’m sure you have more than enough admirers,” the last in line said and winked, making her and her parents laugh.
“Thank you all, and please enjoy the lunch the staff prepared. I’ll join you as soon as I visit the temple.”
Hadley hugged her before she could escape so she could whisper in her ear. “Make sure your prayers don’t take too long. Your mother and I’d like to talk to you privately before you leave.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said, her ears burning. It truly sucked at times when your parents could literally read your mind.
The main temple stood in the center of the city, but Oba lived in the small one within the palace walls and spent a majority of her time there in case the queen needed her counsel. Kai’s mother, Galen, had just appointed Oba to her post as high priestess when Kai started her required religious education, and because of her future responsibilities to the realm, Oba had become her private instructor.
In those few years, with the queen’s blessing, Oba had expanded the formal gardens and worked in more water features fed by the ocean overhead. She’d explained she was more in tune with the goddess in her natural element of water.
Kai entered the grounds and noticed the silence, which meant Oba was alone and waiting for her in their favorite spot. Oba was studying a large stack of photos as she flipped through them slowly. “These things are becoming a menace.” Oba held up one of the pictures Kai had taken of the super oil platforms in the Gulf while she had been building the outpost her team would use in the coming months.
“Take a deep breath and look around you,” she said as she lay back, put her hands behind her head, and enjoyed the sun on her face.
Oba’s garden was full of healthy flowers and edible plants, thanks to the technology they’d discovered wh
en they’d had to go deeper to keep the realm safe and secret from the world at large. The reflectors that hovered over the water replicated the sunlight through the receptors outfitted throughout the kingdom below. Even though their home was vast, thriving, and constantly growing, they undertook each phase carefully so nature and habitat coexisted peacefully under the domes of glass that kept the Atlantic out.
“My mother always says we can all survive in the world if we treat each other with respect.”
“I don’t see much respect for the world around them here,” Oba said as she pointed to the huge structure over the water.
“The world would be a better place if they found more efficient ways to live, but my mothers keep telling me they’re still a long way off. All we can do is plant seeds and hope they grow alongside their industry.” She rolled to her side, took the picture from Oba, and dropped it behind her. “You can complain all you want once I’m gone, but right now I don’t have too much time.”
“I should say a prayer for you and send you on your way then,” Oba said as she clasped Kai’s hand to help her get on her feet.
“You could, but you’re not that cruel, and I’ll be gone for a long time,” she said as she helped Oba take off her robes and slide into their favorite pool. Oba dipped her head back but kept her eyes on her as she stripped off her uniform to join her.
“You are such a perfect balance of your mothers,” Oba said as she wrapped her legs around Kai’s waist when she entered the pool.
“I’d rather not talk about my mothers right now.” She slid her hands down to cup Oba’s ass and bring her closer.
“Tell me again why you picked someplace so far away.”
“I want to try to teach both the people who build the platforms and the fishermen in that area that they can live in the same waters if they practice some of that respect my mother loves to talk about.”
“What else are you going for?” Oba stretched out, and Kai heard the slight sucking sound when the gills at the back of her ears opened.
“That’s all.” She skimmed her fingers along Oba’s abdomen to her breast. “Everything I need to find, I’ve found here.”
“We’ve already had this talk, Highness. A bond between the throne and the temple is forbidden,” Oba said, but didn’t move away from her touch.
“Even if it’s something I want.” She squeezed Oba’s nipple and grew wet when it puckered. “It can’t be because you don’t care.”
“I do care,” Oba said as her hips dipped below the water’s surface. “You are taboo, but I can’t resist. It’s something I must master while you’re gone. If I don’t, I’ll be of no use to you when you ascend to your mother’s throne.”
They both sank to the bottom, and Oba seemed to forget her words as she spread her legs for her. The water was salty, but she could still distinguish Oba’s taste on her tongue when she wrapped her lips around her clitoris and sucked her in hard. They didn’t need a grand buildup since they both wanted this.
Oba’s hips bucked, and her feet floated up and landed on her back as if she were desperate for her touch. No matter how many times they shared themselves like this, Kai relished the feel of her. Every bit of time she’d had to spend to persuade Oba to accept this aspect of their relationship had been worth it.
“Do you want me, Princess?” Kai could hear Oba’s question in her mind. The shell at her throat made it possible.
“Leaving will be easier if I go with your taste on my lips.” She sucked harder and slipped her fingers in. The way Oba opened up to her made her give in to everything Oba wanted, which was rougher than she usually was with anyone else.
“Harder,” Oba demanded as she spread her legs wider and pulled on her hair. Kai slammed her fingers in, not worried that she’d hurt her friend and lover who’d awoken true passion and lust in her. She would certainly miss her time with Oba when she left.
“Worry about the things you can’t control when they happen.” Oba’s voice filled her head. “On life’s journey, concentrate on happiness when you experience it since it’s sometimes fleeting.”
She felt Oba’s sex squeeze her fingers so she flattened her tongue and held her fingers still. Oba’s hips moved as if she was claiming her pleasure on her own terms, and when her orgasm was done, Kai knew the same peace Oba experienced since they were still linked.
They surfaced together, and she drifted as she held Oba above her. She’d never had sex with Oba on a bed, always giving in to Oba’s preference of the water. It was a reminder to both of them of their origins and who they were as a nation.
Their ancestors had come from another galaxy and had thrived for ages near the expanses of water that had lured them to Earth from their home light-years away. Earth had been a young planet then, with pristine oceans and land, so they’d made their homes for once on the shores. The group that had made the journey was led by the youngest daughter of the king, Princess Nessa, and very few men had chosen to follow.
The still unproven female warriors they’d trained had readily volunteered, and they’d been the first of many Atlantean women who’d built the kingdom they populated now. The males had eventually died off, but along with willing female warriors, they’d welcomed some of the brightest young scientists of their time. That generation had initiated the research that had allowed them to procreate without males in their population.
After a few decades they’d come to appreciate the sisterhood of their world and had shared their views and secrets with very few civilizations that had risen in Earth’s history. The Amazons had been some of their greatest students, but as the world became a more volatile place, they’d returned to their origins. They’d transferred their libraries, advances, and treasures to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and had prospered as they kept a watchful eye on humans.
They’d left some of their advances standing, such as the Egyptian pyramids and the Inca and Aztec towns and temples, just not the secrets of how they’d come to be. The pyramid shapes found in both ancient civilizations had been a homage to their home planet and the great temples they’d erected to the water gods.
It wasn’t until now that some humans had chosen to finally explore the final frontier left on Earth, so they’d become more vigilant in keeping their secrets. Like on their own planet, man oftentimes destroyed what they didn’t understand. Plato had written about their legend, but his story centered on the destruction of their world and had made many curious to find the remnants of their kingdom. To further throw people off their scent, they’d come up with the oddities of the Bermuda Triangle.
The vortexes some said they’d experienced, along with the freak storms, electrical fields, and other unexplainable things, were just the byproducts of the technology it took to survive northeast of the Puerto Rican Trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic. Few devices on Earth could reach the depths, and despite their size, even those had never come anywhere near them.
“Come, and I’ll give you your going-away present,” Oba said as she stepped out of the pool. Her quarters were located near the temple, and Kai had been inside them only for the lessons she’d started as a teenager.
The bedroom was lit with candles and the crystals they’d developed to transmit power, and Oba’s bed was sprinkled with flowers. “I know you like the water so we can go back out,” she said when she saw Oba’s thoughtfulness.
“Kai, your thoughts and your desires are easy for me to hear when we’re together.” Oba sat on the bed and motioned her closer. “It’s my wish to make you happy before you go.”
“You don’t need to worry or be sad. I’ll be back before you get a chance to miss me.”
Oba took her hand and kissed the tip of each finger. “Your mothers and I will always worry when you’re away from us, and I want you to swear you’ll be careful. I’ve seen…never mind.”
“You can’t stop now after that kind of lead-in. Tell me,” she said, wanting to hear Oba’s vision, if that’s what it had been.
“You
don’t need my views to cloud your coming days.”
“Your views always have insight, so please don’t hold back just because we don’t have time to talk about it for hours. Really, I want to know because it will help me prepare for the unexpected.”
“You’ll leave soon, and the quest you picked will bring you both happiness and disappointment.”
“I know I can’t change the world, but a lot of people along that coastline depend on the water, and it’s got nothing to do with oil. I doubt any of them will be hostile, so I can handle some disappointment.”
“The fishermen will accept you, but the companies that want to expand exploration will not—even if I wasn’t a seer with the power of the water orb, I know that to be true. You can’t expose who you are, even if you’re tempted. You do and they’ll either lock you away for madness or drop a bomb on this part of the ocean to try to destroy us.”
She lay back and laughed. “I’m not crazy or stupid, so take your own advice about things you can’t control and when to worry about them. I’d never betray my mothers or the rest of you.”
The surface of the mattress dipped when Oba moved closer on her knees. “Would that be true if it was for the love of a woman?” She put her hands on Oba’s back when she lay over her. “Or if I or your mothers asked?”
“I love my mothers, you, and the rest of our sisters more than life, but not even for them. Our world and our survival are worth more than the desires of one person. I’ve been raised to rule one day, and that was always and will continue to be the most important of the lessons I’ve learned.” She kissed Oba on the forehead and smiled. “Do you seriously think a human woman exists that I’d fall in love with? That’d be an exercise in futility, and I very seldom set myself on useless enterprises.”
“Take care of yourself then, and I’ll keep you in my thoughts.”
She put her fingers under Oba’s chin so she’d make eye contact. “What’s this weird conversation about?”