“Thank you, I dedicate myself to her and thank her for her gifts.” Vivien bowed to the river goddess without releasing Kai’s hand. “And for her.” She bowed to Kai next. It was as if Vivien had grown up speaking a dead language no one on Earth knew existed.

  “You are bonded in the eyes of the goddess but must return in two days for your joining before the nation.” Oba smiled and stepped closer. “May I?” She pointed to their shells.

  It was then that Kai noticed the shell she’d made for Vivien was now a clear material with different etchings. They resembled the stones Nessa and Jyri wore, only they’d retained the shell shape. What else was to change?

  “Kai, take Vivien to the pool for a cleansing bath,” Oba said with a smile. “We’ll leave you and close the gardens.”

  “Okay,” she said, lengthening the word. Apparently no explanations would be forthcoming.

  The priestesses all bowed and left them on the altar staring at each other. “You want to tell me what just happened?” Vivien asked and laughed. “Do you have any idea how I understood what she just said? Or how I replied in the same language? It feels like someone’s rewired my head.”

  “Did you just get really hot?” Kai was trying to understand, but there was no logical explanation. Religious teachings had been part of her education, but there was nothing like this experience in the tomes.

  “It was more my head than my chest. Did that have anything to do with it?” Vivien pointed to the orb. “Or was it the bond we share?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I think something plucked all that information out of my head and shared it with you.”

  “Seriously? You have the technology for that?” Vivien followed her outside, and she headed for one of the small pools that wasn’t one she’d shared with Oba.

  “No, which is why I’m confused. Right now, I believe we’ve been given permission to get naked, so let’s talk about this later.” She dropped her shirt, and Vivien pulled the drawstring on her pants, leaving her in her underwear.

  “Goddess, you look good in nothing but skin,” Vivien said, lifting her sundress over her head. “Is it going to be freezing and kill the mood?” She blushed. “I doubt water sex has a part in the cleansing bath. Sorry.”

  “I guess two days won’t kill us, but no one said we couldn’t hold each other. And the pools are heated by the sun, even at these depths. I promise I’ll keep you warm.” She held Vivien’s hand and helped her in. She looked at Viv when she sucked in a breath. “Too cold for you?”

  “No, I feel like the water’s different for some reason.” Vivien cupped a handful of water and let it flow through her fingers.

  “Different, how?” She placed her hands on Vivien’s hips and took them deeper.

  “I’ve always felt at home in the water, but now it feels like a part of me.” Vivien kissed her and mentally asked to go under. “It’s hard to explain.” The water was cool in a way that made it perfect, and they both kept their eyes open. Shit!

  The word exploded loudly in Kai’s head, and she kicked to keep them from sinking to the bottom. She looked around, thinking something was coming close to harm them, but there was nothing but the usual tropical fish they cultivated to repopulate the oceans.

  I have gills. Vivien’s thoughts came into her head and she smiled. How?

  Whatever happened in the temple gave you more than an understanding of an old language. Total freedom in the water was something she thought she’d never be able to completely share with Vivien, but this changed everything. When Oba said you were a true daughter of Atlantis, she was right.

  They swam and played so Vivien could enjoy her new gifts. Vivien had no trouble adjusting to the changes in her body, and she appeared to be an excited child with a new toy. The small sand shark swimming around them came and bumped against Vivien’s chest. So understanding the original language and gills weren’t the only things the goddess had given her. Vivien was perfect before, but now she was the only match that fit perfectly with her heart.

  Vivien put her hands to the sides of her throat when she surfaced, and the gills closed. “This is beyond amazing,” Vivien said as Kai reached for the towels that’d been left out for them. “Is the orb technological or magical?”

  “It’s…it’s hard to explain.” Galen had told her true devotion would come with age. When she truly had something to pray for, the orb would speak to her as a future queen. “The orb bonds with the head priestess and gives her sight of the future. The only two people who touch it are Oba and my mother. Let’s head to lunch and maybe we can ask her about what happened. In all the classes I took in my training, I’ve never read of something like this.”

  Vivien put her dress back on and handed her the T-shirt. “Do you think it will upset her?”

  “I don’t think that’ll be it at all. She’s going to find it fascinating, if anything.”

  They rode a small shuttle back to the palace and walked to her mother’s private dining room, which was used mostly for family dinners, and she pulled a chair out for Vivien. The paintings on the wall were done during the Renaissance in Florence, and she could sit and look at them for hours.

  “Is that a Leonardo da Vinci?” Vivien asked. She stepped close to the large painting of an angel hovering over a turbulent sea.

  “It is.” She pointed to the one across the room. It was actually first in the series. The second painting was of a beautiful day that was either dusk or dawn. It included the same angel, but this time his head was bowed.

  “Is this the morning or sunset?” Vivien asked.

  “The series is done at four different times of day. This is the beginning of the day and the Lord’s warrior is giving thanks. It’s my favorite.” The painting was masterful and had been rescued from one of the many senseless wars started by humans throughout history. “Da Vinci was truly touched by the angels he included in much of his work.”

  “You’re a true romantic, my love.” Vivien smiled up at her and kissed her hand.

  “She gets that from Hadley,” Galen said. “They both have a core of steel, but they show their soft side to the women they love.” Her mother kissed both their cheeks and sat at the head of the table. “How did this morning go?”

  “It wasn’t what we expected,” Kai said. She looked at Vivien and winked. “Go ahead, honey.”

  Vivien explained in detail, and Kai had to chuckle at her mother’s expression. The gods didn’t manifest themselves in their lives in such blatant ways, but it was the only way to explain what happened. She was still trying to process it, and even with her experience, she couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.

  “May I?” Her mom’s question snapped her attention back to the conversation. Vivien nodded and her mom stood and reached for the shell. “The etchings match yours, Kai?”

  “They do now, and even the lines on mine are changed.”

  Vivien raised her hand. “What does it mean?”

  “We exist in the world as individuals, but we’re all born and belong to the realm as a whole. The shells link our thoughts, so we know we have a place here. But when I made yours, that’s not why I did it.” She stood and knelt next to Vivien. “I wanted to hear your thoughts, but you and Franklin formed a bond that allowed that and shut everyone else out.”

  “What does that mean?” Vivien repeated her question.

  “I didn’t need the shell to hear your thoughts or to feel your emotions. Your despair is what made me visit your room that night.” She held Vivien’s hand and felt the love Vivien had for her like a physical, tangible thing. “The markings on your shell were missing the history of my family but did include what Franklin is to you.”

  “And now ours match? Does that mean something now? Will our relationship change?” Vivien reached for her hand, then let her go when she glanced at her mother.

  “It’s okay,” she said smiling. “I’d like to think it means the goddess approves of our match.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to speak to Oba about all this.” Her mom tapped her fingers together and just stared outside. “Your sudden transformation should quiet any critics you have, because you’re right. The goddess gave you this gift, even if we could’ve done it the way we did for Franklin.”

  “Some people won’t change their minds even if the goddess asked them out for a beer and begged them to.” She enjoyed making them both laugh. “In two days I’m going to marry this incredible woman and share my title with her.”

  “And then my parents would like to give us a wedding,” Vivien said, her attention on Hadley.

  “Kai told me, and we’re looking forward to it. It’s been years since we’ve been to New Orleans, so I’m ready for some fun. We don’t visit the surface as often as we used to anymore, but we do make regular trips.”

  Her mom called for lunch, and they had a great hour. She knew there’d be more to this, but she’d wait until they had time. What happened today had been miraculous, and those kinds of things never came free.

  “We’re going to explore the ruins before we’re due at dinner tonight.” Now that Vivien was physically transformed, there was no reason not to have fun. That, and she wanted to test the limits of Vivien’s capabilities. In her gut she knew they’d be important going forward.

  * * *

  Daria stared out at Atlantis as the planet became smaller and smaller. The force she’d brought with her was small, but it was enough to take over Galen’s primitive realm. Once that was complete, she’d have access to their ships, giving her the resources she’d need to take over the rest of the planet. The one thing Pontos had said about the human population as a whole was that they were weak and petty. All their wars were based on greed and power. That she understood, but they didn’t understand what was coming. Atlantis’s advanced civilization would crush them if they didn’t surrender. She wanted a new, undying planet with plenty of resources to exploit. She’d have no issue with taking it.

  “Highness,” the navigator said, standing next to her chair. “From the logs Prince Pontos followed, we’re a week from the jumping point.”

  “Are you set at top speed?” Atlantis finally disappeared from view, and the only thing she regretted leaving behind was her mother, whom she hadn’t bothered to say good-bye to. Rhea had fallen in love with her father and condoned how he’d treated Daria, so Rhea’s future was tied to her father’s.

  “We are at limit, ma’am. This came through for you.” The man handed her a slip of paper and bowed.

  The message was from her father. It was a plea for her to return and proved how weak he was. It was freeing to leave him and all that behind. There would never be a time when she bowed before anyone and begged for their mercy. This conquest was her beginning, and she would never show the cowardice of her father and brother. Her destiny was greatness. Atlantis could rot.

  “Good, call me if anything goes wrong. I’ll be in my quarters.” She wanted to read the history of Nessa again. The traitorous bitch was the seed from which the new Atlantis had grown. It was time to kill what she built and show this new world real power.

  “How long do you think Bronti will keep things from devolving into chaos?” Frem Nye, her second, asked. Frem was naked on her bed and bent a leg when she stared at her. In a life full of competition for her parents’ attention, Frem was the only person she thought cared about her.

  “Sol Oberon will curse the day he pushed me aside. His reign will not last a thousand years. I’ll be shocked if he lives out the week, and I doubt Bronti will keep the people from overrunning the palace, but that’s not our problem any longer. I have no intention of going back.”

  “Forget that now and come.” Frem lifted her hand and smiled. “Victory awaits us tomorrow, so let’s enjoy the moment.”

  “When we win, you’ll stand by my side through all of it.”

  Chapter Eight

  The underwater Atlantis was a different world in so many aspects. It was modern, advanced, yet ancient and strange. The sun shone through the domes in the morning, it even rained in some sections, and people went about mundane things like shopping and bringing their daughters to school. While they were inside the domes, their clothes resembled what Vivien would see on a daily basis in New Orleans, yet when they were outside, the suits they wore were not of this world.

  Tonight, the navy blue uniforms were similar to a marine’s uniform without as many embellishments. The gowns were made of a shimmery material she wasn’t familiar with, but it felt good against her skin. The style reminded her of a Roman toga like the priestesses wore in the temple. They were a bit more form-fitting, though, with a slight dip in the back. She’d picked a deep blue that varied slightly from Kai’s uniform and liked that they looked good standing together. Not that she’d seen much of Kai tonight.

  Vivien was getting a crash course in Atlantean politics and ceremonies. After her visit to the temple, she and Kai had given an interview to the capital’s news, and then they sat for their first state dinner. In the oil business, politics played a big role in how successful you’d be, but it wasn’t anything like this. A matriarchal monarchy seemed to have a different feel to it, but the politics were there right under the surface.

  The difference here was that Galen’s rule was respected by most, and those who opposed her were mostly on the fringes of society. Except for Bella Riverstone, who she’d been told was close to Galen, whose family was planning the downfall of the royal family. At dinner there were a few people who’d brought that matter up and hinted that Vivien’s presence in the capacity Kai had elevated her to wouldn’t sit well with some people. Vivien’s gut told her it wasn’t sitting well with the gossiping hinters, but only time would tell. But the fact that those people were sitting at the royal table, close to the throne, was worrisome.

  “Are you having fun yet?” Kai asked when she was able to make it across the room to her.

  “Only three more days to go and you’re stuck with me, which means all these people will be stuck with me too. Some of them give the impression that they’d rather drink scum water than have that become reality.” She squeezed Kai’s fingers and kept a smile on her face. Surprisingly, it was her father’s voice in her head telling her never to show fear that was helping her through this.

  “My life is set in so many ways, but I’m not compromising on who I love. The pond scum people will have to come to terms with that.” Kai kissed the back of her hand and opened her mind to her. The words I love you did make her feel invincible. “But you know better than most that in every group there are a few nutters.”

  “Your world is so beautiful and amazing, and I guess I was hoping everyone was equally beautiful and amazing. Wishful thinking, huh?” The place really was much more than anyone could imagine. When she’d first started diving, trying to find the secrets her shell told, this wasn’t what she thought she’d find. It was actually mind-boggling that an entire society lived in the ocean, with technological means far beyond that of the people living on the land above them. They were so far advanced, and they made humankind look so primitive in contrast.

  “We may not be human, but we’ve been here long enough that we can probably claim aspects of humanity. And human nature is what it is. People act like people, especially when it’s in their best interest. Some people think their best interest will be served by someone else’s family taking the weight of the crown off my mother’s head.”

  “Is that even a possibility?” Finding a civilization no one knew existed was strange enough, but finding one that could have a civil war right under the Atlantic Ocean was downright bizarre.

  “Anything in life is a possibility, but they’ll have to get through me and everyone loyal to my mother. Even if that happens, you still hold our future.”

  “We hold our future, so make sure nothing happens to you. There’s so much more for me to learn, and I happen to love your lessons.” There was applause when she kissed Kai, and their embrace ended too soon for her liking.

  “Anything else bothering you?” Kai asked.

  “It’s not that anything in particular is bothering me, honey.”

  “Don’t hold back, Viv. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

  “It’s been a long few days learning all the political stuff, as well as the stuff I need to know about the temple and goddess. I don’t want to disappoint you or your family.” Insecurity really sucked at times.

  “I can say you’re never a disappointment until I’m hoarse, but you have to choose to believe it. In three days I’m going to marry you because I love you.” She smiled at the people milling around them. “And you pick the most interesting places to have talks,” Kai said and laughed.

  “I’m sorry. This is the last place I needed to do this.”

  “I’m glad you did. I’m over here talking to you instead of talking to some of the windbags over there.” Kai kissed her hand again and placed it on the bend of her elbow. “How about I walk you home, so I can kiss you where no one feels the need to clap?”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  That’s what Kai did, and Vivien had learned what it was to be the center of someone’s world. Kai might’ve been the future ruler of Atlantis, but she was excellent in getting across how she felt about her to the exclusion of everything else in their lives. Three days passed much quicker than she’d expected, and Kai’s family had truly embraced her. She was ready to join her life to Kai’s and take on the responsibilities she’d have as future consort.

  Galen had talked extensively in a way that was different than her own mother, but she’d appreciated Galen’s openness and curiosity about her life. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her own mother, but the relationship they’d had for so long was distant and adversarial. That had changed recently, and her mom finally saw her as an individual capable of making her own decisions and choices. But Galen had seen her, understood her, and recognized how much she loved her child from almost their first encounter.