by Maira Dawn
From where he stood to the horizon, the blue liquid rolled and twisted before it kissed the land, only to pull away from the very place it’d been trying to reach.
He dipped the toe of his shoe in a small pool left behind. He’d heard people say the ocean was calming. It didn’t seem that way to him.
Instead, it reminded him of how he’d felt when he and Skye were separated—anxious and unsettled.
Ian stepped up beside him. “First look at the sea?”
“Yep.”
“She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
Dylan stared as a large agitated wave blindly smashed onto the beach, throwing spray and foam into the air.
“It’s something, all right,” he said.
Jesse rushed by him straight to the water’s edge, running alongside it and waving his arms as he tried to yell louder than the crashing waves.
Dylan smiled. It was good someone was enjoying this.
Skye entwined her arm with his. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” He kicked at the sand.
“You don’t have to like it. It’s not a requirement,” she said, the corner of her mouth turning up.
“It’s too—I’m gonna use a big word here—turbulent. It seems uneasy.”
Ian nodded, a solemn expression covering his face. “You have read her well. Our sea has many moods, and each day is different. Today, she is uneasy. No doubt she senses the evil residing so close and is eager to see it gone.”
Dylan looked down the beach to his left, where the glint of lightbulbs could be seen. Did the mad scientist actually need to generate that much electricity? Or was it a lure to draw more innocents in?
“Eager as I am, I’d say.” Dylan’s jaw hardened.
The group of humans startled and moved backward as five Atlantians surfaced from the water, walking toward them.
Ian raised his hands. “It is fine, my new friends. These are my people.”
He turned and talked with the new arrivals in a gentle language, then interpreted. “They have brought us vehicles.”
When the group muttered uncertainly, Sonora reassured them, “They are very nice. Kind of a cross between a mini-van and little submarine.”
Ian sent her an exasperated look. “It is not a mini-van.”
“I know, dear. I just want them to understand they will be comfortable.”
As the Atlantians waved them toward the water, Dylan took a moment to put his hand to a massive red rock wall beside. The plaque on it read, “Spire Cliff.”
“This is what I’m used to,” he said to Skye. “Solid around me. Solid under my feet. Dependable.” He bent back, looking to the top. “It looks as out of place as I feel.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Skye said as she laid her head on his arm, “this makes me nervous too, even though I have been on the ocean before.”
Dylan’s gaze zeroed in on hers. He’d been so concerned about himself he’d given her worry no thought at all. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t even ask about your nerves. But I’m thinking that if this heals us, it will be worth it.”
“It will.” Skye nodded and pulled him toward the water.
Getting to the vehicles was both easier and harder than Dylan expected. The Atlantians had brought the vehicles as close to shore as possible, and into an area protected from most of the waves. However, everyone needed to wade out to them.
The Atlantians made their way through the choppy water with ease, but the Humans had more trouble.
Skye clung to Dylan as they trudged their way through waist deep water to the vehicle, but she quickly lost her strength.
As Dylan bent to pick her up, two large Atlantians appeared beside them. “May we assist you.”
Dylan’s gaze narrowed at them. It was his job to make sure his woman stayed safe. He ignored them as he lifted Skye only to feel pain shoot down his side so intensely that he almost dropped to his knees.
“We understand,” one Atlantian said. “We will treat Skye with respect and have her at your side as soon as possible.”
“It’s okay, love. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Skye added.
Dylan reluctantly surrendered her but kept an eye on her as they moved away.
When he arrived at the water vehicle, Dylan grabbed the edge of the hatch and hiked himself in. Beside him, the tall Atlantian gently set Skye on her feet and asked about her health.
“I did well. Thank you,” she replied.
The Atlantian’s gaze lingered on Skye a little too long for Dylan’s comfort, and he hurried to her side. “I’ll take care of my fiancé from here.”
The man gave Dylan a quick nod and stepped away.
Sonora offered them fresh, dry clothing. Dylan found it tempting since his jeans now seemed heavy and uncomfortable. He eyed the dark blue uniform most of the Atlantian males wore. Though their clothing looked like it had already dried, the thick material seemed to clingy for his taste.
Skye took a dress from Sonora and changed in a small room she pointed out.
When she emerged, Dylan caught his breath. The light material seemed to float down her body and around her bare calves. The green color brightened her eyes.
Dylan helped Skye into a window seat and took the one next to her. “Lookin’ good, darlin’,” he murmured in her ear.
Skye giggled. “Thank you. Are you sure you don’t want dry clothes?”
“I think I’d rather stay in what I have on then go around in one of those ballerina suits.”
Dylan peeked around Skye at the watery scene outside the windows and almost shuddered. He sure hoped this place didn’t take long to reach. Dylan grabbed Skye’s hand, then loosened his grip as he realized he had squeezed her fingers harder than he intended.
“It’s okay,” she assured him. “We are safe—truly safe down here. Devon will never find us. Let’s just enjoy that feeling for now.”
She was right. For the first time in a long time, no one could hurt them.
His tension evaporated, and he put his arm around Skye’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
He gave her a slow smile. “When you’re right, you’re right, Doc.”
She nodded and returned the quick hug.
Jesse and Kelsey jumped from the water onto the rim of the hatch and smiled.
Jesse rushed to take the seat across from Skye.
“Mom, that was pretty awesome!”
“It was.”
Wade followed close behind him as Kelsey took the opportunity to change out of her wet clothing.
“I ain’t gonna say it was awesome,” Wade said, “but it was better than I thought it’d be.”
He waved a hand at Jesse. “Am I gonna have to fight you for the window seat, boy?”
“Nope. Cause I’ve already got it.” Jesse laughed and ducked when Wade threatened to pick him up and move him.
“Hey,” the boy said. “You can’t pick me up so easy anymore. And besides, I got here first. You’re taller than me, so this is better, anyway.”
“Not that much taller, boy. And that big head of yours is in the way.”
Skye laughed. “Share nice, boys.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jesse replied as his eager gaze turned to the water again.
Forty-Four
Quite the Adventure
Skye took in the underwater scene. Blue—maybe blue-green, if she were precise.
Bits of seaweed and small sticks floated through the water close to the vehicle, while below sand stirred from the ocean floor. Visibility only went so far. It would have made her uneasy, if she hadn’t been out here with experts.
She’d always wanted to take an underwater tour, but had never gotten around to it. She’d imagined she’d be able to see a long way, just like a nice day on a hilltop. But that wasn’t the case. It was a few yards at the most before everything faded away into a darker hue of turquoise.
Ian zipped by the window on something similar to a motorcycle and took the lead of the caravan.
Jesse sat straighter, craning his neck for another glimpse. “Whoa, did you see that?”
“I did. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Way cool! Isn’t it, Dad?”
Dylan nodded. “I gotta admit if I were into under-the-sea riding, I’d like to try that bike.”
Wade twisted around to stare out the front window to where Ian had stationed himself in front of them. “Well, I’ll be! Wonder if that Ian would be willing to give a lesson on that thing.”
“He might,” Sonora said, “if we have the time. But be warned, he is very possessive of the vehicle.”
“Course he is! All men like to keep an eye on their rides,” Wade said.
“Especially one as awesome as that. I want a lesson too,” Jesse added.
“Uh, huh,” Skye replied. “Like Sonora said, if we have time. There are other matters to take care of first.”
Jesse sobered up. “Yeah, I know. But,” he said with a glint in his eye as he looked at Sonora, “we can visit again, can’t we?”
“Of course you can, as often as you’d like.”
Jesse sat back in his seat with a satisfied expression on his face.
After a while, Sonora sat forward. “You’ll see the city soon.”
“What I want to know, “ Wade asked, glancing at Ian again, “is how often that husband of yours takes a breath? He’s been sitting in the water now for quite some time.”
“It’s unnerving at first, isn’t it? I think, once an hour or so.”
“How the heck is that possible?”
“Over time, their bodies adapted to their environment. They developed the ability to drastically conserve oxygen.”
“Evolution?”
“No. Adaptation. The two are often confused, but adaptation happens in many species of plants and animals—even humans.”
A flicker of light against the deeper blue of the ocean caught Skye’s eye. As they drew closer, she pulled in a breath and sent Dylan a surprised glance.
“Look at the size!”
He leaned across her for a better look. “Just how big is Atlantis?” he asked Sonora.
“As large as a medium-sized Human city, but I think it seems bigger since there’s nothing around it to compare it to. It does take about twenty minutes to drive from one end to the other in a vehicle though.”
“Good lord,” Wade exclaimed. “How is this kept hidden?”
“As we get closer, you’ll see what looks like a fine net dome over Atlantis,” Sonora said. “That device can scramble any fish or depth finders, making the ocean floor appear very shallow and rocky so people avoid the area.”
“And this had been going on for how long?”
“For centuries. Atlantis isn’t their only city either. They have many, spread over the oceans.”
Wade slapped his knee. “Well, I’ll be. This is—it’s just too much.”
Dylan shook his head, agreeing with his brother.
“I understand.” Sonora gave a soft smile. “I thought I was going crazy when I first saw this city. But that was almost a year ago now.” She smiled. “The place grows on you.”
Skye leaned forward. “What can we expect?”
“Don’t worry. It’s nice, really nice and so, so safe.”
Skye leaned back in her seat. That is what she wanted to hear. She didn’t care if they hovered in the water in suits twenty-four/seven as long as they were safe.
She tried to ignore the burning itch of the bubbly rash on her arm. It was getting worse, and it was all she could do to stop herself from clawing at it.
The redness was beyond the bandage now, running up her arm with small blisters forming along it.
When she moved, something behind her stomach sent pain moving through her body. Whatever Devon had put inside her was growing—changing.
The sight of those tortured people came to her. Had her body started to decay even before death as those patients had?
Her heart skipped several beats, then rushed to catch up.
Was that because of nerves? Or Devon’s deadly cocktail?
She would’ve broken down in despair if her family were not around her. For them, she would put on a bright face and act as if nothing were wrong—nothing at all.
Skye gave Jesse an over-bright smile and raised her eyebrows. “This is quite the adventure, isn’t it?”
Forty-Five
The Best Thing
Skye wasn’t fooling him. Dylan felt her tenseness and noticed the many times her clawed hand reached to scratch her arm only to jerk it away.
Tears of pain crept from the corners of her eyes as she tried to distract herself by talking to Jesse.
Dylan stared at the underwater city in front of him. No matter what else it held, it had better hold the cure for whatever ailed Skye.
He’d finally found her, he couldn’t lose her again.
Two armed guards waved the driver through a large silver gate—the only way into the thin, netted dome.
Water moved freely from the outside to the inside of the dome. The city was more vertical than horizontal, with a watchtower rising high above it all. Because of that, roads seemed high rather than wide so that a vehicle was more likely to be above or below them rather than beside them. Not that there were a lot of vehicles. It seemed more people would rather swim.
The buildings and houses looked like something Dylan would have seen out of a history book. Old, some even ancient—though well taken care of.
The vehicle slowed near a building, giving it a light tap before shuddering to a stop. The driver stood and addressed them. “I have brought you directly to our hospital as instructed.”
Some murmured, a worried expression on their faces until Dylan spoke up. “Best thing you could’ve done. Thank you.” He meant it. The sooner Skye got the care she needed, the better.
Dylan pushed out of his seat, groaning as he did so. He wasn’t in the greatest of shape himself. He’d taken a peek under his bandage. The wound was starting to pus up again.
A side door on the vehicle slid open and two Atlantians stood beside it. One man held a hand to help Dylan out of the vehicle.
Did he look that bad?
Dylan scoffed at the man and took the step down on his own but without his usual confidence. He was weaker than he would’ve liked.
“Help her,” he instructed the Atlantian, jerking his thumb over his shoulder before turning and also helping Skye.
“Thanks,” he said, nodding to the man. Not only was Dylan grateful for his aid, but Sonora had mentioned that Atlantians were very polite and appreciated others following their example.
The man smiled and tipped his head. “It was my pleasure to be of service.”
Unsure what response he expected, Dylan just gave him another nod and moved on.
Skye clung to Dylan as they moved down a dry, oxygen-filled corridor. A few of the city’s residents spread out along it, watching them. Dylan narrowed his gaze.
But when Skye stumbled and Dylan struggled to catch her, two women rushed to their side to help and stayed close.
Dylan and Skye thanked them, and Skye sent a relieved glance to Dylan.
He understood then that the Atlantians were posted there to help them if needed.
Of course, he and Skye would be suspicious. It had become instinctive and necessary for their survival. Maybe here they could relax a little.
They guided the Humans into a large room where a woman invited Skye to sit in the nearest chair.
The area was massive containing several beds for patients. It reminded Dylan more of a Star Trek movie Wade had once dragged him to than any proper hospital he’d been in.
Skye pointed out her family to the medical staff, and they assigned the Coles areas near each other. When Dylan opted to stay at Skye’s side instead of going to a bed of his own, there was no discussion. The staff accepted it without complaint.
A few minutes later, a tall, thin woman with straight, jet black hair strode into the room and took a
minute to scan the patients before turning to one of the staff.
The two women conferred for a moment before making their way over to Skye.
“Hello, I am Mako of Cirrina Clan,” the thin woman said and came right to the point. “I hear you are both injured. Others will deal with those wounds as they are more than capable. I am an expert on what you call AgFlu, and I’m here to examine Skye.”
Mako bent over Skye, looking her over. Then she attached a type of bracelet to Skye’s arm and consulted a readout on the wall behind her.
“Um, interesting.” Her curious gaze turned to Skye. “Tell me anything you can about the injection they gave you.”
Skye looked startled. “Oh. I hadn’t mentioned—“
“Ian has told me everything. That so-called scientist also tortured him. And now I hear the Humans failed to distribute the cure we left for them. Oceans help us!” Mako folded her arms. “Not surprising to me—I told the council we needed to take care of it ourselves.”
A man walked through the door and overheard Mako’s complaint. “The council thought we should allow Humans the opportunity to help themselves.”
She threw him an irritated stare. “And see what it has brought us? They infected this poor child with things not even the mighty waters could wash out of her. Yet, I am expected to do so. This has become the maelstrom I warned you about, Jorah. It is good I continued with my research.”
“With which I have every confidence you will save this young woman.”
He stepped up to Dylan and Skye and shook their hands. “I am Jorah of Orca Clan, leader of the council and father of Caspian, who brought you here, as well as two lovely daughters. I am sorry to interrupt your time with Mako, but I needed to inform her there will be a meeting of the council tonight.”
Mako put a hand to her hip. “How am I expected to complete my work with these interruptions?”
“The evil is great,” Jorah replied. “It must be dealt with swiftly.”
Mako’s expression changed from irritation to determination. “I will be there.”