Turbulent Waves, page 14
She was sure Kai would’ve sacrificed both their happiness for her commitment to her mother’s throne. That would’ve killed something vital in both of them, and she ached at the truth of it. It was also what attracted her to Kai to begin with. Knowing someone was willing to put the welfare of all her people ahead of her own happiness spoke of her noble heart, and Vivien was blessed that it hadn’t come to that.
“This life of ours will be built on how much we love each other, and there’s room enough for all of it. You’ll be queen one day, and I’ll pledge myself to you then like I have now.” She spread her legs for Kai and saw the same gold thread between their shells as before. It appeared fragile, but it would take death to sever it. Of that she was sure. “You’re mine.”
“Totally,” Kai said, coming down on her again.
She kept her eyes open as Kai made love to her, and she felt nothing but relief. It wasn’t from the act but from the sense of coming home. Whatever was threatening their future scared the hell out of her, but she wouldn’t back down. Kai’s fight belonged equally to her, and she’d face it with the same intensity with which she loved her mate.
The goddess might’ve foretold their bond and produced the visual proof of it, but she and Kai had the free will to accept that future or turn their backs on it. There was no question they’d both simply accepted it and would do what was necessary to save Atlantis. It was also a fact that the love they shared was theirs, no one else’s.
Her die was cast, and she found strength in the truth of who she was in Kai’s life.
Chapter Eleven
Daria stood on the bridge with Frem and stared at the terrifying hole that seemed to be alive and hungry. On their approach she’d watched as everything from meteors to stars went in, but nothing satisfied the monster’s appetite. They were now caught in its gravitational pull, so there was no turning back even if she wanted to, and she’d vacillated between wanting to turn back to speeding them up. If they’d miscalculated, the end would come quickly.
“What are you thinking?” Frem asked.
“I have the great Queen Nessa on my mind. All my life I’ve been taught what a weakling she was, but fuck…” She spoke softly, not wanting to be overheard by the hypervigilant crew. Every one of them appeared scared and nervous, and it proved they weren’t stupid. “She sought this out and went into that willingly. I can see now why it took so long for anyone to follow her. This might be suicide.”
“What choice do we have? There’s nothing to go back to, and we both know it. If we die, the poets will sing about it for the little time we have left.”
“Recheck our course before it’s too late.” She gave the order and tried to keep her voice steady.
The ship started to rattle, making her wonder how Pontos the coward had really handled this. Her brother had needed propping up all his pampered life, which was something she believed he’d inherited from their father. When Pontos insisted on going instead of her as had been planned, she’d prayed for his failure. Like all prayers and sacrifices to the goddess, it was in vain. If the bitch had ever existed, she was long dead along with her water orb. Pontos had failed, but in her father’s eyes, his downfall had been because of her, not his own stupidity. She hadn’t prepared Pontos enough to win the war he’d been supposed to wage.
They went in at an alarming speed, and the lights flickered and then died along with their engines. She cursed and screamed for someone to reset everything. There was no way of knowing how long they’d been in this deathtrap, but just as her panic was about to choke her, she was blinking into the sun’s brightness through the deck’s observation window. The planet in the distance was like a bright blue jewel waiting to be taken.
She laughed when the crew cheered, and she let them have their moment. “Set the course to land,” she said to Frem. “Once we review our plan, we’ll make plans to move forward.”
Earth disappeared from view when they landed close to Pontos’s three ships on the dark side of the moon. She opened the communications line to see if Pontos had left anyone on board. The silence meant they were the only true Atlanteans left. Her brother had left no one behind. She wanted to feel grief, considering he was probably dead, but all she could dredge up for him was disgust. Pontos had been all about himself and what power he could grab no matter the planet, and his greed had gotten him killed.
“Send a group to see if there are any other shuttles left aboard any of those cruisers,” she said to Frem. “We might need them to add to our numbers.”
“Do you want to send word home? We have the frequency Pontos used open and ready.” Frem bowed as she spoke, as if setting an example for the others.
Their trip had been long enough for her to know some of her troops had residual resentment over what had happened to their dead commander. They knew she’d killed him without a trial, and some were having a hard time hiding their contempt. She was trying her best not to have to repeat that action, because of the small number of crew, but it was possible she’d have to rip out a few more eyes to assert her power. The idiots who were openly hostile didn’t know who they were dealing with.
“Send a short message to Bronti and tell her to share our first triumph publicly. Report that we’ve arrived and that we’re planning for an attack. Maybe the crew won’t be so irksome if their families know they’re safe.” She stopped talking when one of her men handed her a comm unit. “What?”
“One of the men ran a sweep of Prince Pontos’s ships and found this.”
She pressed the play button. “This is Bella Riverstone. My mother and I are part of the resistance and we need help. We’ve had to run and have no contact with our people.”
The message was repeated on a loop, but Bella sounded more desperate in each new transmission. “When was the last one sent?” She handed the unit back and sat.
“Three days ago, Majesty.”
“Can you answer it, or did she send it on a closed circuit?” Bella had discovered she was distantly related to the Oberon family and had used her position with Galen to contact Daria. Daria had leveraged that contact to start what Pontos had tried to finish. Bella had been promised a joining with Daria, so she could ascend to Nessa’s throne as her consort.
Bella Riverstone would have the answers Daria needed about what had happened here.
“She used the prince’s private channel. You can contact her if you like.”
“Good,” she said, nodding. “Lead one of the teams and personally search my brother’s quarters to see if you find anything that’ll lead us to him.” She waved the man away and retired to the commander’s office. The security code to the channel Bella had used was the same for the whole royal family. She listened to the message again and replied in a coded text.
Her contact with Earth had started with Bella, but she got what she wanted from Francesca Yelter. Not everyone in Galen’s little paradise was happy with the little they’d claimed of this planet, and it’d been her luck to have found someone who wanted to crush Galen and rebuild. That kind of ambition she understood and could exploit. That Yelter was familiar with Galen’s military force and defenses had been a gift from the goddess.
“Do you think any of them are still alive?” Frem asked when she joined her. They were both staring at Pontos’s ships.
“I doubt Galen’s forces could’ve defeated all our people. But Pontos is most certainly dead. He wasn’t much of a warrior except when it came to bragging about being one, but the trainers always had to hold back so as not to bruise his ego along with his body. Right now, all I care about is finding Yelter and her family, as well as Tanice.” She laughed at how easily Tanice had manipulated her brother into commitment, making him think it was his idea. “If anyone was smart enough to survive, it was that bitch.”
“When do you want to head down?”
“When I’m ready. Galen will outnumber us head-to-head, so we have to be smart about how we do this. I want our first blow to send them scattering and not give them a chance to regroup.” She tightened her fists and laughed. “The new Atlantis will be built on the ashes of Nessa’s throne, and her ideas will end with her people because they’ll either surrender or die. You’ll be at my side ruling with me.”
“What about your promise to Bella?” Frem sounded jealous, and it was humorous.
“She’ll do as a number two wife, but you have my heart.” As much of her heart as she knew how to give. “Let’s get ready. I’m anxious to begin.”
Chapter Twelve
Kai opened her eyes to the cloudy day and could smell the rain in the air. It was a perfect day to stay in bed and enjoy the peace that would inevitably end. She’d only been married a day, and she’d already learned plenty about partnerships in that short span. It’d been interesting. Before now, nothing she did for the realm and herself called for a lot of advance consultation with anyone else. Having a wife would change that dynamic.
She smiled and closed her eyes when Vivien hummed in her sleep. They had until that afternoon, and she wasn’t wasting a minute. The rain started coming down in sheets, and she heard the thunder in the distance. She’d always loved playing in the rain as a kid, but now it made it easy to drift back to sleep.
“Hey,” she said a few hours later. Vivien was facing her, tracing her eyebrows with her index finger. “Have you been up long?”
“Just enjoying watching you sleep.” Vivien leaned in and kissed her. “It’s hard to believe it’s raining outside. How is that possible?”
“The atmospheric technology is amazing. It uses ocean water, obviously, but it filters and desalinates it so it won’t kill the plants. The thunder is created using the cave’s natural echo system. But we’re not in control of it, as such. It self-regulates, just like the weather topside.” She moved to reach Vivien’s lips again. “As much as I’d love to explain all that to you, it’s raining, we’re in bed, and we’re naked.”
Vivien had the best laugh, and she blushed beautifully. “That’s all true, and you can add that I’m deliriously happy. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my life now.”
“I feel the same way. You’re so perfect for me, and I can’t help but fall in love with you over and over. And I’m glad you agreed to come here with me. This place is special.” She held Vivien closer when the wind picked up. It was blowing through the thin curtains, dropping the temperature of the room. “You have to ask my mother about it. It’s special to her for more than the obvious.”
“Excuse the intrusion, Highnesses.” Nicole kept her eyes down as she entered with a tray. “The queen ordered breakfast.”
“Of course she did.” She smiled at her mom’s hint to take care of Vivien.
“Thank you, Nicole. You can leave it if you like,” Vivien said. She pulled the sheet up and smiled at Nicole. “Please thank everyone for dinner last night. It was lovely.”
“My staff will love hearing that, Highness. This is one of the most sought after jobs in the realm, so they try their best.” Nicole appeared as taken with Vivien as everyone else who met her. “Please let us know if you require something else.”
“Perhaps move lunch to the dining room,” Kai said. “I doubt we’ll be able to use the space outside today.” She felt Vivien’s hand on her stomach, and it reminded her of the clock. Their time alone was running out.
“Her Majesty the Queen called this morning. She wanted me to tell you they’ll be arriving earlier than she mentioned. There have been new developments.”
“When?” she asked, not believing the timing of all this crap.
“In an hour. I hated to bother you, but duty calls.” Nicole smiled, bowed, and left.
“Don’t be mad. We have a lifetime of mornings and it sounds important.” Vivien rolled away from her and poured them some coffee. She looked beautiful in the morning light, and Kai wanted nothing more than to touch her. “Stop, we don’t have time,” Vivien said, winking at her. “I’m not greeting your parents reeking of sex.”
“Then put some clothes on, or get over here.”
“We can come back, right?” Vivien stacked the pillows behind Kai’s back, so she could straddle her lap and share the cup. “I know Nicole and the others are here, but it seems so private.”
“Anytime you want. Being related to my mother has some pretty good perks. Now eat something before my mother gets mad at me for not taking good care of you.” They shared breakfast and then a shower, so they could sit on the covered veranda and wait. “Here they come.”
It was still raining when the small shuttle broke to the surface. “They don’t like swimming?” Vivien asked.
“I’m sure this is Mom’s way of easing Frankie into the world under the surface. Eventually he’ll fall in love with it like you did, if he hasn’t already.” Kai walked out and greeted the party leading them inside.
“Highnesses,” Vivien said, bowing.
“Please, Vivien, no need for formality when it’s just family,” Galen said, hugging her.
“What a beautiful spot,” Frankie said. “How far down are we?”
“Speaking in miles, about fourteen,” Kai said smiling. “Don’t let it freak you out.”
Nicole greeted Kai’s moms with hugs before inviting them to lunch. “Whenever you’re ready, Highnesses.”
“Thank you, my friend,” her mom Galen said. “We’ll catch up once we’re done. It’s been too long since our last visit.” They followed Nicole to the hall, where lunch was already laid out and ready. There was little formality about the seating, which Kai was grateful for. It was enough to have that in the city—she didn’t want it in a place they were meant to relax.
Kai shook Laud’s hand and knew her being here had to do with more than protecting her mom. Laud was one of the most loyal people she knew, and it comforted her that she was at her mom’s side when she and her mom Hadley weren’t. The head of her mother’s guard had been one of her trainers from the time she was old enough to hold a trident and had taught her to stay calm in every situation. Those lessons were the only thing that had kept her alive when she’d faced Pontos.
“Did you have a good day, Vivien?” her mom Hadley asked.
“We did. Kai treated me to dinner on the beach with Nicole’s help. The weather was beautiful until early this morning, but despite that, this really is paradise.”
Her mother Galen smiled and nodded. “It is, and I promise I’ll order a long vacation for you and Kai in the future. It’s not really fair that this is happening during a time that should be all about happiness and celebrating the future.”
“We’ll have time for that, but not until we know everyone is safe,” Vivien said, making both Kai’s mothers smile. It was clear Vivien might not know all their ways, but she understood the importance of service.
“What did you find out?” Kai asked, not caring who answered.
“Laud has Tanice Themis talking, so we know how they got here,” her mom Hadley said. “It took the scientists on planet Atlantis time to figure out Nessa’s route. They’d believed for centuries that they’d taken a more conventional path. I can’t believe Sol would’ve gambled with Pontos’s life by sending him into what’s basically a time warp.”
“From what Tanice said, their world is in bad shape, and Sol’s reign has sped up their decline. They had no choice but to try what Nessa had,” Laud said. “From their calculations, it’s not a total planetary collapse, but their current situation will kill approximately ninety percent of their population, if not more.”
“They’ve been in that situation for eons,” Kai said. “They waited until now because the catastrophe is imminent?”
“Everyone always thinks they have time, but the people left on Atlantis are starving and sick from their contaminated waters,” her mother Galen said. “Our genetic makeup and preferences from a home we only know through history books hasn’t changed. Water makes us strong, and it’s in our blood. Nessa and Jyri started on land here, but they always stayed close to the water because they understood that fundamental truth. What’s happened on planet Atlantis is tragic, but they can’t be allowed to repeat their mistakes here. This is our home, and we’ll protect it until death.”
“This is our home, but it’s different, isn’t it?” Kai said.
“What do you mean?” Vivien asked.
“Earth is larger in size, has more species of land mammals and fish, and there are humans. Even though our Atlantis here is more advanced than the planet of our ancestors, Atlantis and Pontos’s people are more advanced than the human race.” Laud said it so calmly that Vivien simply blinked. “From what Tanice admitted, Pontos’s plan was to enslave everyone on Earth once he’d destroyed Queen Galen and the rest of us. After he’d taken the throne, his plan was to bring their entire population here. The cycle of abuse would’ve started all over again.”
“Is that why he tried to kill you?” Vivien asked.
“We’re what stood in the way of what he wanted, but he’s dead.” She tried to sound reassuring for Vivien and Frankie, but there had to be more to this. Pontos was dead, and the survivors of the people he’d brought with him would never be free. But the tension in everyone’s eyes was clear. “Did some of his people escape?”
“No, our conversations with Tanice have been productive toward figuring out who was involved from our end. Bella Riverstone played a much larger role than we thought. It seems she’s convinced she’s related to the Oberons, albeit distantly,” her mother Galen said. It wasn’t often her mom sounded disgusted, but the betrayal of her trust was evident in her tone. “That’s not a heritage I’d think anyone would be proud of, but she used her clearance through my office to start communication with planet Atlantis. She covered her tracks well enough that no one here figured it out. Not until it was too late.”
