Poseidia

by J. L. Imhoff

  For a moment, I choked back my emotions, but then I let them flow. Tears rolled freely down my cheeks, for I was tired of holding everything inside.

  This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me—remember that.

  “I came here to say goodbye,” I voiced to the image in the mirror, barely croaking the words out. “You’re my past and I need to let you go so I can move on, so I can become whole.” She looked at me long and hard, and then nodded her head in agreement.

  “I want to thank you for all you have given to me and done for me. I’m grateful for your sacrifices, and your strength. I need to move on and embrace the gifts given to me in this new life. I need to let go of the guilt—it’s tearing me apart. I have to let you go… thank you… and I love you.”

  She replied, “Forgive yourself, and forgive me.”

  Then the image faded.

  Stunned for a few minutes, I stared at my current reflection. My throat tightened, searing with shards of jagged emotions. Letting go was hard. A few persistent tears trickled down my cheeks as my chest swelled with pain. Finally, the feelings moved through me and released as I let out my breath.

  Innately understanding I was done here, I strode out of the door and back down the hallway. I exited No Time and opened my eyes in the bathtub.

  Part of the huge weight I carried had been removed from my soul. I hope. I got out of the tub, dried, brushed my teeth, and dressed. I’m ready to see the king.

  Chapter 27

  Roman waited patiently outside the pyramid. He cocked his head to the side as I arrived, “You look different, what did you do?”

  “Unloaded some garbage.”

  “I see. Well, let’s go inside.” He claimed my hand, kissed the back of it, and led me into the pyramid. Then we climbed five floors to reach King Mestor’s chambers.

  Lily waited outside the door for us. “This is the king’s private bedroom. He’s anxious to meet you. Come in.”

  Roman and Lily stayed at my side as I stepped inside. The double doors almost a gateway to another world. King Mestor’s room was the biggest bedroom I’d ever seen. At least ten of my quarters could have fit in here. Why does one man need so much space?

  The place looked similar to the counsel room, although the smell was different. Instead of smelling ancient, the scent of roses permeated the air. Gold walls, lush drapes, tapestries, gold statues, and jewels decorated the luxurious room. It radiated wealth and power.

  In the far corner was an enormous bed, its gold posts draped with red velvet. In the middle, propped up by a mound of elegant pillows, lay a slight man, his breathing ragged.

  Long black hair streaked with gray and dark skin with reddish undertones, contrasted with the people he ruled over. I expected him to resemble Lily, the way the High Council did. Is he human?

  King Mestor turned his head to watch my approach, and then held up his hand to stop us, indicating only I was to come any further. I knew what his gestures meant even though he never uttered a word.

  Roman kissed my hand. “We’ll meet you back at your quarters when you’re done.”

  “Okay.” Feeling afraid to be left alone, I watched as they departed.

  After a deep breath for courage, I took the few remaining steps to the side of King Mestor’s bed. He reached out his hand and I placed mine in his. A tingle went up my arm.

  Delicately, he pulled me in close, and I sat on the edge of the bed, facing him. With both hands, a stronger vibration went through my body. It grew in intensity, and a white light cocooned us.

  “It’s easier for me to communicate with you this way,” he voiced. “It’s good to meet you, Anna.”

  “It’s good to meet you as well, your highness.”

  “I’ve heard much about you.” Hands rough and wrinkled, he looked to be about eighty years old, but I couldn’t be sure with the methods they utilized for longevity.

  “Hopefully not all the bad stuff,” I grinned.

  “What you may see as bad, others see as brave and honorable.” His eyes radiated a love I’d never had from my own father. A love I’d not seen since my mother passed.

  Close to tears, I said, “I don’t know about that. I’ve made a lot of mistakes.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, mistakes are how you learn.” The euphoria was strong. Even though Lily said they’d disconnected him, it came off in waves, growing stronger the longer he held my hands.

  “Well then, I should have learned a lot because I make a lot of them.”

  He laughed, “That’s one thing I miss.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, surprised he missed anything as someone who seemed to have everything.

  “A sense of humor. They’re very serious here,” he uttered.

  “I’ve noticed that,” I laughed with him. “You speak English.”

  “What did you think I would speak?”

  “I don’t know, I thought you would speak some ancient language. I was afraid I wouldn’t understand you.”

  “I speak ancient as well as many other languages, but I haven’t met anyone who speaks as you do. I can reach into your mind, and speak in your words, so it’s easy for you to understand me.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

  “I reflect your language so you can understand me,” he explained. “I didn’t believe it when they told me, but I can feel it now that you’re here.”

  “Who told you what?”

  “The Ancestors told me you were back, and about your power.”

  “I’m Anna, and I have no power.”

  “You’re Anna now, but you’re so much more. I remember you from Old Atlantis. You were called Hesperis at the time.”

  “Sarah visited me during my integration and told me about some past life, but I thought I was hallucinating. I’m not sure I believe in such things.”

  “You don’t need to believe for it to be true. You will remember someday soon,” he assured. “Here, let me show you.” He placed his hand over the electroreceptors on the side of my head and some of his memories opened up to me. In my mind’s eye, I was in Old Atlantis, and images of people who walked on land in a city, which resembled Poseidia.

  I struggled to make sense of it all as I became overwhelmed with emotions. Then it faded and the memories were gone. Yearning to see more—I believed I was trying to put pieces of a puzzle together, pieces, which were out of my reach.

  “You make an old man happy. It has been rather lonely—it’s good to see an old soul,” he muttered, laying his head back down and taking his hands from mine.

  The cocoon surrounding us faded. I didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry for what happened to your family.”

  “Thank you. I’ll join them soon—it’s what I want. This life of mine has been too long. Soon, it will be soon.”

  “Don’t go.” I placed my hands over his, but they were cold now.

  “Nothing is forever. I’ll cross over to be with the others.”

  “But, I still don’t understand.” I needed him. The thought of him leaving me opened a wound. A strong, and deep-seated love filled me.

  “It will be up to you to lead my people when I am gone. I think you’re a brave young woman to risk her life for her people.”

  “Lead your people? What do you mean?”

  “In your past life, you were a royal soul. And it was your current Native American ancestry, which allowed the DNA infusion to work,” he said with his eyes firmly closed.

  Please don’t fall asleep after laying that bombshell on me.

  “I’m not sleeping yet, only resting. It takes a lot of energy to show you what I did,” he said. “Hesperis, or Anna, if you prefer now, you were our queen before, and you can be again. You must or the Connective here will fall into darkness.”

  “Fall into darkness, what do you mean?”

  “Without me to hold the Connective together it would degenerate. Another colony fell apart because of their king’s death, one of my brothers. I don’t want th
at for Poseidia. As soon as you’re ready, I can leave and be with my family.”

  “I don’t think I can hold the Connective together. I woke up here not long ago, and I’m still adjusting,” I said, rambling on, overwhelmed, and shocked by what he told me.

  King Mestor took my hand again in his and squeezed firmly. “When you reach full integration, you will be ready. You’ll have access to all memories then and you will know. You’ll have no doubts. Until then, trust in what I say.”

  Biting my tongue, I stopped arguing. I couldn’t whine in front of an ancient king—I had at least that much self-respect.

  “Here, I have something for you,” he whispered as he placed something in my hand and curled my fist over it. Inside was a small gold cube, the size of a dice, with writing in a strange language covering each side. He fell asleep before I could ask him what it was.

  Walking back to my quarters, I was stuck in a state of shock. Their queen? No way—everyone will hate me for coming in and taking over. I can’t do it.

  As I stood outside the door to my quarters, I squeezed my fist tight over the gift King Mestor had given me, the edges biting into my skin. What is it?

  Inside, Roman sat on my couch, lounging into the plush pillows with his eyes halfway closed. My heart melted—he grew more precious to me every day.

  “Well, what did he say?”

  “My brain kind of hurts from overload, can we talk about it later? I could use some wine and then maybe a swim.”

  “Lily will be here any minute. She has a surprise for you.”

  “Well, I’m hungry. Can we order some wine and food while we wait?”

  “Already done. It will be here within minutes as well,” he announced, sitting up.

  “You think of everything.” I sat down next to him.

  He brushed my hand with his lips. “Not everything.” Reaching for my closed fist, he looked up at me with his eyebrows raised. “What’s in there?”

  “Something King Mestor gave me.”

  “Open your hand and let me see,” he ordered, a smirk crossing his lips.

  Tentatively, I opened my hand. When I glanced up at Roman—he looked ashen for a moment, and then recovered before I could digest the expression.

  “What is it?” I pressed.

  “Nothing I recognize. A trinket, perhaps,” he mused, shrugging his shoulders and looking out the glass wall.

  Through squinted eyes, I stared at him, and dismissed his initial reaction. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

  “I have no idea what it is. He said I would know when the time came. Why does everyone here have to be so cryptic? I would think with a Connective there would be no secrets.”

  “It’s not that there are secrets. Explaining is difficult for them.”

  I nodded, somewhat understanding. “Do you have the memories of the Ancestors?”

  Roman looked over at me and raised his eyebrow. “Some, why?”

  “Do you have memories of a woman named Hesperis?”

  “Let me think.” He closed his eyes as if he was accessing a data file in his head. “I do know the name, but cannot see her face. She was the first wife of King Atlas but she died when Atlantis fell. That’s all I have. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, no reason,” I lied, looking down and away, unsure what to tell him. More uncertain of what I believed.

  “King Atlas is in Atlia, where I’ll be for the next few months. You can come, visit me, and meet him for yourself. You’ll need to meet everyone at some point anyway.”

  “What is dormiveglia?”

  He paused, searching my face. “The space between dreaming and awake. It’s when you’re more open and sensitive to other dimensions.”

  “This is all out of my league.”

  Lily entered then with a bundle in her arms. When I looked at her, her broad smile told me what the wrapped surprise was.

  My baby.

  My heart soared and I leaped up, shrieking with joy, leaving the item King Mestor had given me forgotten on the couch. Hands covered my mouth in surprise, my throat and chest squeezed tight, filled with an unmeasurable pure elation.

  Lily walked toward me and I met her in the center of the room. Overjoyed, my whole body shook in anticipation. As I opened the blanket, the greatest miracle in my life squinted up at me through bleary and unfocused eyes. My heart overflowed with love. In awe, I knew in that moment, everything I’d been through was to bring me together with this child’s soul.

  Lily handed over the bundle and I hugged it close to my body. A warmth I’d never known radiated from my heart and encompassed both of us. Legs moved in the blanket, and I dared to peek, eager to know the sex.

  My son.

  Tears flowed and I turned to look at Roman, briefly afraid of his rejection. When I looked into his eyes, I saw a strong unwavering love, reassuring me I had nothing to fear. He loved my child, a part of me, as he loved me.

  Roman approached and looked down at the baby.

  At my son.

  “What are you going to name him?” he asked.

  “I have no idea, I haven’t had time to even think about it,” I admitted.

  Lily said, “Spend some time, and then bring him back to the nursery so Lucas can run some more tests. It would be best for your son to stay there for the first few days.”

  “Okay, thank you, Lily. He’s such a miracle and I have so much to thank you for—I don’t know how I could ever express to you my gratitude,” I professed my voice raspy, heavy with emotion.

  “I think you just did. I’ll be in the Healing Center when you’re ready,” Lily said as she left the room.

  My son. He’s real.

  “I don’t know what to do with him. I haven’t done this before. I… I… don’t even know how to change a diaper,” I confessed to Roman. Self-doubt was threatening to ruin my blissful moment.

  “No worries, I have lots of experience. Although it was many years ago, the basics are the same. It’s something you don’t forget,” he confided.

  “I still need a name.”

  “You’ll think of the perfect name. Until then, call him Boy,” he suggested.

  “Boy,” I marveled, staring at his gorgeous, tiny iridescent face. Sitting back down on the couch, I bent my head, hiding my tears in Boy’s now jumbled wrappings.

  “What’s wrong?” Roman inquired as he took his finger and moved my hair away from my face.

  “Nothing, nothing at all. Nothing is wrong—it’s perfect. I’m crying because I’ve never been this happy. I used to believe having a picture-perfect life was my dream. That marrying David and having his children would make me the happiest woman in the world.” I bent my head down and kissed him again, my child, as a single tear dripped on his forehead.

  “Now I realize, I may not have the picture-perfect life I envisioned when I was young, but it’s so much more than I ever could have imagined. You, here, with me and my son, is more than I ever dreamed of. God does answer prayers, only not in the way we think we want.”

  Roman sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders, enveloping both of us. I gazed at him, and he kissed me. Then he looked down at my son and gently kissed him on the forehead.

  My new family.

  Imperfect.

  But it was all I needed.

  Acknowledgments

  An endless heartfelt thank you to Paula J., my favorite librarian, who inspired me to write, and to B. Harris who told me years ago I should.

  To Diana, who in the beginning of this journey, tirelessly listened to me hash out my ideas, gave me honest yet gentle feedback, support, encouragement, and unconditional friendship—I’m forever grateful.

  To my beta readers: Sarah, Lisa, Sjen, Mary, Chriss (and anyone else I forgot) who read what I thought wasn’t a completely crappy first draft and didn’t laugh their butts off at me—I appreciate your graciousness.

  Thanks to JW Troemner who helped me cut over a hundred pages and improve my writing from crap to less crap-like—I
learned so much working with you.

  To Tara, who is nothing less than wonder woman with a heart of gold, more generous than I could ever dream of deserving in a mentor, and whose gift of Wordsmithing is nothing short of awe-inspiring—I am forever humbled.

  Thanks to Simon G. for his attention to detail in his beautiful cover design—you captured what my brain couldn’t translate.

  And to my mother, who never lost her magical sparkle despite insufferable circumstances—my loyalty has always been to you.

  Contact Information Jen.L.Imhoff@gmail.com

  Twitter: @JLImhoff

  Facebook Page: JL Imhoff

  www.facebook.com/pages/JL-Imhoff/1492497720987223

  Coming soon:

  Book Two of The Poseidia Series: Atlia

  About the Author

  Jennifer (JL Imhoff) is one of those people who, rather than dwelling on the disappointments life inevitably brings, elects to be positive. Born of grit, self-sacrifice, determination, and a bit of the mystical, she chooses to look on the bright side and leave the negative for someone else to fret about.

  Her writing reflects this conscious positivity and abnormally strong sense of intuition. Life isn’t always perfect, but you make the best decision you can in the moment, and then make the best of those choices. She presents the reality of the human (or… not so human) condition in a way readers can completely identify with (hopefully): Confusion about our broader purpose, humor, and underneath it all, a glimmer of hope.

  Living in the Cincinnati area with her family, Jennifer has a BA in psychology. She also is a licensed massage therapist, working for over 15 years specializing in chronic pain, injuries, and most recently, medical billing.

  Outside of professional endeavors, Jennifer loves organic gardening, photography, and caring for their two dogs—one twice-rescued—and their cranky pet turtle, appropriately named Tuck. Landlord and accomplished renovator, Jennifer knows how to wield the business end of a putty knife. (Take that as a promise, or a warning, depending on your preferences.) And finally, in her rare moments of downtime, she and her son enjoy playing Minecraft together.