Poseidia (13 page)

Then she took my hands and embraced me. She pressed her cheek against mine, one side, then the other, as she had done before. Replaced with calm, all the painful memories faded. I closed my eyes and soaked up the warmth and affection emanating from her.

Lily pulled back
and put her hands to each side of my face. When I opened my eyes, a glowing green hazy light surrounded us, wrapping us in a cocoon.

I
pulled away and shook my head.

“It’s late and we have the High Council meeting tomorrow morning. I’ll walk you back to your quarters,” she said.

She took me back to my room and left me alone after bringing up a tray of fish and seaweed. Hunger gnawed at my stomach after all the activity.

I checked all the doors to see if she w
as still locking them. She was.

C
hapter 13

T
he first floor of the pyramid held an enormous open foyer in the front. We walked through it to the very far right corner where we passed through a doorway into a long hall lined with closed doors. The passage was angular and covered in yellow gold, different from the iridescent arched hallways in the rest of the city. Jewels outlined the borders of the walls; the way humans used molding to outline their doors, flooring, and ceilings.

At the end of the
hall, we passed through another door, which opened up to a small staircase, and climbed at least twenty floors.

As I followed Lily up the stairs, I ran my fingertips over the
intricately carved gold rails, taking in the texture. Finally, she stopped on a landing and walked out a door, which led to a large open room.

Paintings hung on the
se walls, in contrast to the bare city walls I hadn’t realized I’d become accustomed to. Large tapered candles were the only source of light since thick maroon drapes covered all of the windows. The room smelled dusty and ancient, a tomb pried open after centuries of enclosure.

Against the far wall, a raised area sat about three feet off
the floor, atop a set of steps. Ten thrones sat in a semicircle on the raised platform. Two smaller, less regal, chairs faced the dais, at the center-bottom of the steps. Ten men and women, all with long silver-white hair and iridescent skin, perched on the thrones. They all resembled Lily. No smiles graced their faces.

The angst hit me hard in the gut. I’d never been in trouble in my whole life with any kind of authority and
now my heart raced with the uncertainty of what lay before me. My hands immediately started shaking and I grabbed them, interlacing my fingers together in a feeble attempt to stop the visible trembling.

As we entered, t
hey all turned their heads in unison, from silently conferring amongst each other. Their hair, and the silver and white robes they wore, glinted in the candlelight.

“Welcome,” they
called, in harmony.

“Follow my lead. Go forw
ard and kneel,” Lily whispered.

I did as she
directed and knelt before them. As she bowed her head, I bent mine too.

“You may rise and sit,” one of the females
invited, indicating the two lesser chairs with a simple sweep of her hand.

We got up and took our seats. I kept my mouth shut, waiting for them, or Lily, to speak.

The woman who had spoken first went on to say, “We have gathered here this morning to talk to you, Anna. We have not yet met the newest addition to our community. Lilith and Lucas give us regular updates on your development, but we have failed to make time to meet with you. We apologize.”

“No apology necessary,” I
stammered, unsure of what else to say.

“You
are most gracious,” she replied. They all bowed their heads to me in agreement. “We have been informed of a certain mishap and have spoken in great length to Lilith as to how to proceed in the best interest of our city here, and of all the cities, in all the oceans, all over the world.”

All the citie
s? All over the world? What?

“We trust Lilith has explained to you how you came to be with us. And what great lengths, and risks to ourselves, we have undergone to save your life.”

“She has explained a lot.”

“Then why is it you wish to leave us?” She walked to the edge of the platform.

“I no longer wish that.” I lowered my head and closed my eyes, swallowing a surge of nausea.

“I see
.” They all turned and looked at each other, silent for a few minutes. They were communicating, likely through telepathy, amongst themselves. I recognized and understood the behavior now.

“Do you understand the risk you have put us all in? We have remained hidden, in the depths of the ocean, away from
human brutality for thousands of years. We have helped humans when we can. But we know all too well, if we were ever to be discovered, they would destroy our city and claim we were the threat.”

“Yes, I see that now.
It was hard to understand at first. I’m truly sorry for my immature behavior. It was an emotional and impulsive decision. I didn’t understand the gravity of it. I acted selfishly, I admit, and take full responsibility for my actions. I’ve made many mistakes and I am truly, truly sorry. I promise to not do it again, if you would consider giving me another chance,” I pleaded, nervously rambling toward the end.

They communicated amongst themselves again for a few moments.
The dampness of a nervous sweat made me want to squirm, but I held perfectly still.

“We have decided. Since this is your first offense and you have only been here a short time—instead of punishing you, we
shall order your sensory dampener turned up to level two. Has it been explained to you there are ten levels?”

“Uh…”
What will that do?

“Lucas can perform the procedure in the Healing Center
,” she continued.

I nodded my head in
mute agreement.

“This is so you may be more connected to us. We want you to view us as your family. It is also so we may sense the sincerity of your words and your heart. You
will have one week to prepare. Lilith will help. Do you agree?”

I glanced over at Lily, and she gave me a slight nod. “Yes,” I
conceded, “I agree.” I just wanted out of there.

“You may go. We
will be in contact with Lilith, and she will help you through the preparation process.”

“Thank you
.” I got up with Lily and walked out. As soon as we were out of the pyramid, I said, “I need to go back to my quarters. It will take some time to absorb all of this. Are you allowed to leave me alone yet, or do I still need a babysitter?”

“I’ll walk you back to your quarters, but not as your
guardian, as your friend,” she asserted.

We walked back to my quarters
in silence. I quietly analyzed everything they’d said and needed alone time to process the ramifications.

At the door
Lily said, “I have to meet with the security team about an issue. Then I’ll return and we can train. You’re still physically weak and need to stay on schedule.”

I nodded as the door slid open and ambled inside.
On the other side of the door, I leaned my head against it and closed my eyes. My whole body shook, fearing the unknown.

Integration, so soon?
Am I strong enough yet?

As promised,
Lily returned later and took me to train. I ran laps around the track, faster than before. It was good to run out all the stress I’d bottled up inside. My body was growing stronger, so different from when I had first woken up here. I’d changed so much it frightened me.

Was I ready
to fully let go of my need for revenge? It’s David’s fault my baby is dead.

I wanted to. I did. But then
… I didn’t.

Secretly, I
fantasized about what the look on David’s face would be if he could see me now.
Stop. It won’t bring back my baby.
But I couldn’t help it or shake the feeling I needed to see him face-to-face—I wanted him to know the depth of what I’d experienced. Selfishly, I knew it was wrong and I should take the high road, but I simply couldn’t let it go. Was my wanting to return to retrieve my locket simply an excuse for a darker desire?

The next few days we
trained intensely. I skipped sword training the first day, afraid to see Roman. Then, when I finally worked up the nerve to resume, he was gone.

A replacement weapons trainer took Roman’s
job. A deliciously handsome Mer, named Eric, I learned he was Roman’s most trusted apprentice. He was tall—at least six foot five—and lean, yet muscularly cut with long, tousled white hair. I found myself flirting shamelessly while he taught me how to throw small daggers. The smaller knives were much easier to work with and I learned, to my surprise, I was good at it. Eric remained friendly but professionally aloof—something I sensed was out of respect, or fear, of Roman.

It was two days before my integration.
Alone in my quarters, I soaked in a long hot bath, easing my tired muscles. After I emerged from the tub, I examined myself in the mirror, observing all the noticeable changes over the last few weeks. The shape of my body had changed. I flexed my bicep in the mirror and muscles rippled under my skin.

T
he door buzzed. I tucked the towel around me and went to open it. Lily trusted me enough now to leave the doors unlocked.
I hope it’s the food I ordered—I’m starving.
The door automatically slid open the moment I approached.

In stepped Roman.

I squealed and ran into the bedroom. “Don’t you even wait for someone to answer the door?” Tucking the towel tighter around me, I grabbed a robe out of the closet.

Shirtless and confident, h
e leaned against the doorway to my bedroom. “Why would I do that? I would miss the show.” The brown leather skintight pants he wore hugged his legs, displaying their massive strength. It was all I could do not to stare at the prominent bulge where his legs met.

Think of hot dogs.
I threw a pillow at him. “Don’t follow me in here. Wait out there while I get dressed.”

“Why are you so shy? No one else here is. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I’m not ashamed. I’m just not comfortable with it. The lack of modesty around here takes some getting used to.”
And I don’t want you seeing me naked.

“How’d it go?” he asked
, his eyes never leaving my face.

“
How did what go?” I snapped, pointing for him to return to the living area while clutching the robe to the towel in front of me.

“The High Council meeting.” He ignored m
y demand and stayed planted right where he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“That was days ago, where have you been?”

“In Atlia, my home base. King Atlas needed to see me.”

King Atlas?
Shivers ran up my spine. The same strange tickle at the back of my mind and strong sense of déjà vu, hinted I knew something about what he said. Or the name sounded familiar. Confused, I lowered my hand, and the irritation at Roman’s intrusion eroded. “What is Atlia?” I rubbed my forehead, trying to sort out the discord of feelings.
What is wrong with me now?

“Another community.
”

“There are other cities
similar to Poseidia? The High Council mentioned that, but I had forgotten—I’ve been so focused on getting ready for integration.”

“Yes, ten of them
, each with their own king. For integration? So soon?”

“
They want to integrate me to a level two. In a few days.”

His eyes
, now leaving my face, wandered down my body, lingering there. “I don’t believe you’re ready.”

“
Tell me about your experience. Does it hurt?” This would be Lily’s first time adjusting a sensory dampener and she remained unsure of what to expect.

“My integrations weren’t a pleasant experience…
but pain… never lasts.” His eyes darted away, filled with a sudden dark sadness he quickly hid. Or so it seemed.

Pain? I didn’t think it would be painful
, only different.
“What about after?” I swallowed loudly.

“You’ll feel sick. Disoriented. It’s hard to explain.
Try to imagine thousands of people in your head all at once and you can’t differentiate your thoughts and memories from theirs. It takes time to learn to live like that without going insane.” He took a few steps toward me.

“It doesn’t sound pleasant at all.”
Slowly, I stepped backward as he predatorily advanced while I tried to clear my head.
Hot dog…

“It’s only to a level two. It shouldn’t be so bad. The higher levels are
a much more difficult adjustment.” He closed the space between us.

Clutching
at my towel and robe, I tried to stay covered. My back hit the cold wall, shocking my bare skin and I jumped forward.

He p
laced both hands against the wall, trapping me between them.

I leaned back, pressing my body solidly
against the cold barrier and fought the heat surging through my body. “Excuse me.”

Roman
leaned in, placing his nose right below my ear. “What is it you want?”

“Nothing—nothing at all
,” I trembled.

“I thought you wanted me to help you accomplish a certain mission?”
Changing tone so quickly it left me speechless for a moment, he pulled away and released me from his entrapment.

Now, unsure if
I was relieved, or disappointed, he let me go, I quaked, “Oh, I forgot,” feeling dizzy and lightheaded.