by Maira Dawn
Jorah and Aleena exchanged glances. Jorah nodded. "There will be no more arguments about this girl. She is Ian's Jata Ara."
Ian ran a light finger over Sunny’s cheek. There had been no question for him before, but now it was sealed. Ian had experienced every bit of her struggle. Losing breath, the fight against incoming water and even her death as if it were his own.
The bond was both the blessing and the curse of the Atlantian. Whether or not Sunny was, Ian was bonded for life.
Sunny stirred and used Ian's arm to weakly push herself into a semi-sitting position. Ian's grip tightened. He didn't want to let her go. It would be better if she stayed safe in his arms.
Jorah chuckled. "Ian, you just gave the girl back her breath, don't take it away again."
Ian loosened his grip and looked at the loveliest sight he'd ever seen. Sunny looked at him, rubbing one of her sky-blue eyes as she gave him a weak smile. His heart, his love was alive.
Sunny shook a finger at him. "Okay, reminder— don't talk to me underwater, it really, really freaks me out."
A nervous laugh broke out among the family, and Ian's gaze lingered on Sonora as he wrapped a section of her long hair around his fingers. "I apologize, I wasn't thinking. I give you my word, I will never, never speak to you underwater again."
Sunny frowned at Ian's beaming face and scoffed, "You know you will." She giggled when he moved a hand to his heart, but pulled her hair from Ian's fingers when he reached for it again. Sonora shivered and tried to get to her feet. With Ian's help, Sonora made it to a chair. Talise handed her brother a blanket which he wrapped around Sonora.
When Sunny coughed, Ian glanced back at his father. "Did you request the doctor? She is still not breathing well."
Sonora raised a hand and waved his suggestion away. "I swallowed a little water. I don't think that calls for a doctor."
Aleena took the chair beside Sonora. “More than that happened, little guppy. You died.”
Hate is a Strong Word
Chapter Twenty-five
Sonora shuddered. She remembered being in the water, then here in Ian's arms, but not a whole lot in between. "Are you sure? I mean, I'm worn out, but other than that I feel fine."
Ian frowned at her. "You are still coughing. And yes, I am sure. No breath came from your lungs, no beat from your heart. I checked many times, as did my sister.”
Someone knocked at the door, and Talise let them in. It was a woman holding a bag. The doctor, Sonora presumed before Aleena introduced them.
The doctor came forward, sitting beside Sonora. "Oh, you are a tiny one, aren't you?"
Sonora smiled. "Well, that depends, I'm on the tall side for a human woman. From my point of view, you all seem a bit overgrown."
The doctor laughed. "I suppose we do."
Curious, Sonora watched the doctor pull a small hand-held instrument from the bag and move it over her. It reminded Sonora of something out of a science fiction show.
The woman punched a few buttons on the thing. "Everything seems fine. But stay quiet for a few hours, and I will check on you tomorrow." The doctor stood. "Call me if there are any complications." She gave Sonora a quick pat and a smile before saying goodbye to everyone.
Once she'd waved, Sonora turned to Ian only to find him gone. He and his parents huddled together in the far side of the room, and his sisters eagerly listened in. Jorah and Aleena were deep in conversation with Ian, tears flooding their eyes. Ian put a hand to his mother's shoulder and nodded.
Cascadia and Talise's faces beamed with excitement, reminding Sonora of a nosy neighbor with the gossip of the neighborhood. Their frequent glances confirmed Sonora's suspicion she was the topic of conversation. Was it just her or were they acting stranger than usual? A near-drowning couldn't be that unusual in an underwater city.
But once the family left, Sonora was too tired to worry about it. A nap was what she needed. She rose and headed to the spare room, Ian trailing her even with assurances she was okay. Sonora was out within minutes of laying her head on the pillow.
Hours later, Sonora's eyelids fluttered open. In the dim light, Ian sat in a chair he'd pulled close to the side of the bed. He slumped there, head propped on a hand, with his eyes closed. Sonora studied him for a moment. Memories of the afternoon coming back to her.
Ian's anguished face above hers, his strong arms holding her tight as he sped through the water, her utter trust in him.
There was something about this man. Why did she trust him? When had that happened? One day I'm shaking in my shoes because he's a creeper and the next I'm okay with him sitting by my bed, watching me sleep?
Ian stirred and raised his head, looking at Sonora. Their gazes met and held. That direct stare seemed to always be asking something of her. But Sonora wasn't sure what the question was or if she wanted to answer it. Unable to take anymore, she lowered her gaze.
Ian gave a sad, little smile as Sonora pushed herself up and said, "My family is here again."
"Is that why you're hiding out in my room?" she joked, trying to ease the tension.
"What? No, why would-" Ian shook his head in confusion. "Is that what you do? I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Sonora shrugged. "Sometimes. If my family is being particularly frustrating."
Ian chuckled. "I have not fallen into that habit."
"You can tell your family I'm fine."
Ian nodded. "That is not why they are here. We are going to a family dinner tonight, if you feel well enough. My sisters brought you some clothes, something suitable to wear." Ian stood and moved his chair back to its original position.
Sonora picked at the blanket covering her. "Ian?"
"Your family and some of the things said. I need to ask, do all Atlantians hate humans?"
There was a flicker of acknowledgment in Ian's eyes, and he hedged. "Hate is a strong word."
"That's why I used it."
"You need to understand, Sunny, there is a long history there."
"Really? Because I knew nothing about Atlantians, nor did any of my friends or family so I have to assume the general public is ignorant of your existence. I've never heard of Atlantians existing, only in storybooks. So who is this history with?"
"It is a very long story, and we don't have time for it now."
"How convenient for you."
Ian sighed. "The condensed version is, even though we have stayed hidden, at times, we were discovered. In many cases, it was fine. But in others, it was disastrous. Not long ago, one of our people had a… loss. He became inconsolable, and it led to him making unwise decisions where the humans were concerned."
"How unwise?"
"He murdered them, lots of them." Skye's eyes widened, but she listened as Ian went on. "After that happened, there were retaliations from humans. Torture, mutilation, and murders of our people, innocent people who had nothing to do with any human deaths. Once, we had looked at humans as adorable curiosities, now they are looked at with suspicion and disgust."
A chill made its slow way down Sonora's spine. "All of us?"
Ian looked away.
"They can't understand that most of us aren't like that?"
"Enough are like that. Look at your world. Violence between nations, between neighbors, even between family members. If there were one word to describe your people, it would be destructive."
Sonora shook her head. "There is a lot of good too."
Ian shrugged. “Perhaps. Hidden under all the bad. When I am on land, I watch your news. What do you see when you watch it? Because vicious, bloodthirsty people is all I see."
"You just told me one of yours murdered humans."
"That was one man, Sunny. Against people who were responsible for his loss. Some would call that justice."
"So you don't have any violence here?"
"No.”
Sonora brought her hand to her forehead. "But that is how all Atlantians will see me?"
Ian sat at the foot of the bed and leaned toward her.
"That is what you will have to overcome, but they will soon understand who you really are as my family and I have."
"This dinner tonight is to help them change their minds?"
Ian nodded. "It will."
Sonora ran a hand over the blanket. This conversation was going so well, she might as well push it further. "And tonight, will you tell me why I'm here?”
Ian ran a hand through his dark hair. "Yes." Ian stood. "Enough questions now. It is time to get ready."
Sonora stomach swirled at the thought of facing a roomful of judgmental Atlantians she needed to win over. "Maybe we should just stay here."
"Thanks to my sisters, my entire family knows about you and wants to meet you. It is important they do so before the others."
"Others?"
"Tonight is for my family, my clan. It is their right to meet you before other Atlantians."
Sonora lowered her head and sighed. This day just got better and better.
A Dream
Chapter Twenty-six
Ian walked out of the room and waved Cascadia and Talise in. Sonora's mouth twisted. The way those girls had treated her yesterday, she wasn't sure she wanted to spend more time with them. But now, they had a smile for her, as well as dresses, a small box, and refreshments.
"We thought you might be thirsty,” Talise said as she sat the cup on the end table near Sonora. "And Sunny, we're sorry for how we acted the last time we met. We should have known if our brother accepted you, then you are a good person."
Cascadia laid the dresses across the bed and stared down at them, then looked back up at Sonora. "We were not sure which color you liked best. But, this one would be perfect, in my opinion. What do you think?"
Cascadia pulled an elegant blue dress from the pile the exact shade of Sonora's eyes. Sonora tried it on and twirled, the light fabric swirled around her ankles. "It's beautiful." She ran her hand over the high waist and the shoulder which were decorated in a design of shimmering gold thread.
Cascadia worked on Sonora's hair as Talise searched the box for the perfect earrings.
When done, the girls pushed Sonora to the mirror. A matching blue ribbon edged in the gold thread wove through an updo that should have seemed a tousled mess but was somehow perfect.
While Sonora was aware many people considered her pretty, she had crossed into new territory with this outfit. "Oh, my, thank you!"
"Well," Talise said matter-of-factly, "we can't have people thinking Ian dragged home some sort of bottom feeder. Besides, we had great fun picking out everything when Ian sent us to the seamstress."
Sonora raised her eyebrows in a question.
Cascadia waved her hand over the pile of clothing. "It's all yours. Ian ordered it for you."
Sonora's heart fell. She'd never be here long enough to wear all these, and she didn't want Ian to think she would be. She put a hand to the earrings. The sapphires seemed real. Oh my, what was she in the middle of here?
Before Sonora had a chance to think any further about it, Cascadia and Talise dragged her out to the living room. Ian stood at the window, his back to her. The dark-blue outfit he had on was something like a suit, only a much lighter material, and with no tie. That tattoo on his body was stitched on the sleeve in the same shimmering thread that decorated Sonora's dress. It skimmed his muscular body, and she couldn't help admiring him.
Ian turned and fastened his gaze on hers, holding it until his eyes trailed over her. Sonora caught her breath. He took his time about it, slowly taking in every part of her from the crown of her head to the tip of her shoes.
Sonora's breathing quickened, and by the time Ian's gaze returned to her face, her cheeks were pink. She glanced at the floor and back at him. He wouldn’t stop staring at her.
She startled when Ian started her way and looked down, hoping he would go right past her. But when Ian's shoes appeared in Sonora's eye line, she knew she had no choice but to acknowledge him.
Sonora explored Ian once more as she raised her gaze to his. If he could do it, so could she. Her heart thumped. She made it to his jaw and watched a muscle moving along it. She couldn't meet those intense gray eyes of his.
But Ian wouldn't have it any other way. He put a hand under her chin and tipped her head until his gaze held hers. He smiled, and his eyes lit. "You are a dream come to life. The most beautiful sight I've ever seen."
Sonora's heart stopped. After a moment, she hauled in a ragged breath, and it pounded back to life again. She whispered, "Thank you." But it hardly seemed enough.
Her gaze roamed Ian's face. There was something about this man.
Jorah cleared his throat, and Sonora remembered there were others in the room. Good sense slammed through her body like a punishment. What was she doing? She brought her hand to Ian's and gently pushed it away from her chin. After taking a step back, she swallowed hard.
It was a moment, that was all. Something that came and would now go. Nothing special. Whatever this is, this place, these people, this man, I'm leaving soon. The sadness flooding through her at the thought surprised her. She pushed it away.
Sonora sent Ian a stiff smile then looked at the others. "You look nice too. You all do."
She said the first thing that came to her mind, anything to break the tension in the air. Sonora waved at the stitched tattoo on Aleena's gown. "I thought Ian's tattoo was simply decoration, but they seemed to be more than that. What am I missing?"
Aleena ran a hand over her sleeve. "Each clan has its own marking. Children are given the markings of both their father's and their mother's clan at birth to create each family's unique signature. And don't worry, it does not cause the child any pain."
Sonora glanced at the shimmer peeking through the thin material of Aleena's sleeve. "I've never seen anything like them."
Aleena nodded. "It is unique to Atlantians."
Jorah opened the door and waved everyone out. "If we are ready, let us join the others.”
Family Dinner
Chapter Twenty-seven
Ian reached for Sonora's hand, after a second of hesitation, she gave it. She would need all the support she could get. Ian drew her hand up over his arm. "Will there be many at the dinner?" she asked.
"It is for both clans, Mother's and Father's."
Ian seemed to be skirting the question, so Sonora persisted. "So some grandparents? A few cousins?"
Ian gave a nervous laugh. "Yes, a few. Our extended families tend to be considerably larger than humans. About 100, I think at last count. Or was it two?" He tipped his head toward his mother for confirmation.
"What?" Sonora squeaked as she quickly withdrew her hand from his arm. "I'm not prepared for that."
"You will do fine, Sunny." Ian took her hand and replaced it on his arm.
Sonora felt as tense as a piano wire by the time they stood at the entry of the dining room, which was a few doors down the corridor from the garden. Things were happening she'd been trying to ignore. Ian's odd behavior, his undeniable attraction to her, the need for her to meet his family. She pushed her discomfort away, unable to handle even a hint of what was truly going on.
Instead, Sonora pulled Ian to a stop and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the dining room as well as calm her racing heart. Wood walls shone against candle and lamplight. Bright, lush flowers adorned every table. It was beautiful.
The rest of the room nearly frightened her to death. A crowd, definitely more toward the two hundred mark. The loud, echoing conversations hushed to silence the moment Sonora and Ian were spotted. The sudden grip of Ian's hand told Sonora this was not a regular occurrence. Her gaze swept the room. Every eye was on her.
Aleena, Cascadia, and Talise moved closer to her and Ian. While Jorah spoke to the crowd. A little shock ran through Sonora. She'd forgotten she wouldn't be able to understand anyone. This was getting worse with each passing moment. As Jorah talked, the stares continued. Sonora brought her other hand to Ian's arm and stepped as close to him as she was able. Maybe his big bu
lk would hide her.
Ian's calm voice helped. "It is okay, Edinara. It will be fine." Though Sonora wasn't sure what Edinara was.
Ian's father stopped talking. The silence continued until one elderly man offered something that sounded like a complaint. Some grumbled in response but many more laughed. The ice was broken.
"You will now meet many people," Ian whispered to her, "just give a small bow of the head or curtsey, whatever you are comfortable with. They will not expect you to respond as you do not speak Atlantian."
Sonora looked up at Ian with wide eyes. Why wouldn't he have prepared her ahead of time for this? Sonora watched Ian's mother and sisters, repeating what they did. Ian stayed at her side, offering a reassuring nod or a warm glance from time to time. She must not be embarrassing him too bad.
The reactions of people to her were mixed. Some seemed genuinely kind to her, others overly curious, looking her over as if she were a museum exhibit. Still, others had no trouble showing their bias, a scowl or grunt their only response as they passed Ian and Sonora. Although Sonora's world had plenty of prejudice, it was not a situation she was used to, and for some reason, she felt bad about it. She needed to keep reminding herself that she'd done nothing to be on the receiving end of such treatment.
When another grumpy Atlantian passed without even a glance at her and Ian, Sonora couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the evening would go.
After meeting everyone, Ian nodded at a group of people waving at him, Cascadia, and Talise. The four started toward them, Sonora stumbling over a stair, grateful for Ian's strong arm. She kept one wary eye on the group but blew a sigh of relief when they gave her a friendly smile.
A young woman separated herself from the group, stepping forward and reintroducing herself. "We saved you a seat at this table with us. We all speak English and thought you may be more comfortable here."
To hear English again seemed so much like a godsend to Sonora, she almost gushed. "Oh, yes! That is so kind of you. Thank you."