Water

WATCHTOWERS

Water By

Lucynda Storey

ADVANCED READER COPY: DISCLAIMER

This Advance Reader Copy is the property of Lucynda Storey. The Advance Reader Copy may not be sold, rented, loaned, or copied.

This is an uncorrected copy and may differ slightly from the final published novel, which will be available from Triskelion Publishing in September/October 2005 This work is copyrighted as of 2005 by Lucynda Storey.

Dedication

To JR for encouraging me to follow my dream. To my family for putting up with the hours I spend at the keyboard. To Gail for helping refine my story and ideas. Prologue

July 3033 A movement caught her attention as she looked through her bedroom window at the increasingly rough waves. Picking up her research lens, she watched through the glass as a pale boat bobbled in the water. A couple worked together to anchor the small white yacht in the choppy inlet, lower a dinghy into the water, and begin the arduous process of rowing to the small dock. Keely’s lips turned downward in a frown. What did these people want? The Castle which her father built near the shore, several kilometers from Kilkee provided the rural quiet she needed for her research, but was close enough to town to keep her and her family from being isolated. These people were going out of their way to make physical contact. The man and woman pulled the craft onto the beach and dragged it out of the tide’s reach. Keely watched them until they disappeared from view, knowing they would reappear after they got through the abutment and up the steep stairs. If they got that far. As far as she knew her family had the only coded keys to the electronically operated door, just another device her father installed to protect their privacy nearly ten years ago. The entry had taken some finagling and a lot of cash crossed hands until he’d agreed to purchase the erosion control material for the entire length of beach the Castle property bordered. The “donation” won the family access to the trash-free sands via the abutment. A blessing and a curse. Keely didn’t deny she enjoyed the privilege of researching the dolphins from a deserted beach. It kept her close to home and the pod of Rossi’s she documented. She liked it that way, The purchase, though, gnawed at her conscience. The beach should have been open and available to all the people residing in the area. Her family’s money had earned the right to access the pollution free beach in relative privacy. Something only the wealthy of County Clare had the opportunity to do. Curiosity seized her. Her breath hitched in anticipation. No one in her memory had ever visited the Castle via the beach. She grabbed her yellow slicker and shoved her arms through the sleeves. Keely reached into her drawer and pulled the Sig Immobilizer from the nightstand. She’d been assured it was a good weapon based on the Internet research she did. The virtual salesman in Dublin readily answered all her questions and cut her a deal, too. The lightweight handle was cool in her palm. She flipped the safety off, set it to a mid-range stun, and placed the weapon in the pocket of her dark blue jumpsuit not bothering to seal the slicker. The couple headed toward the Castle didn’t look dangerous from this range, but distance deceived and she couldn’t make out their features, read their body language, or determine their intent. Better safe than sorry. She’d just meet them at the abutment door, get a feel for their motives, and send them back on their way to their small, expensive yacht. With quick steps she strolled out of the house. Once she was certain no one in the Castle could view her, she broke into an all-out run. The soft grass underfoot thinned and Keely crossed the scraggly tendrils to the weather beaten stairs. Her form fitting sand boots were quiet on the steps. At the bottom of the stairway, Keely’s boots helped her find a foothold in the pliable soil. She raced to the abutment door, made sure the lock was engaged, and waited. The dark haired man radiated physical strength with his bulging arms and broad chest. Strands of his companion’s long black hair whipped around her cheeks in the breeze. Both wore boots made for trekking through sand. Whoever they were, they were serious. “Stop right there.” Keely’s voice held a ring of challenge to it, the timbre surprising her. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “Why are you here?” The couple stopped their beach progress. The man scowled. The woman turned and whispered something to him. Keely watched his lips tighten into a hard line.

His deep voice boomed. “We’re looking for Keely Shane.” She squinted through the clear abutment wall. Beyond the couple Keely saw the sea was a bit erratic, typical for the end of summer. The view paled in comparison to the dread churning in her stomach. “I’m Keely.” Her reply was cautious. “I’m Jade and this is Raiden. We were sent to look for you from the EPA.” “The EPA?” The words came out harsh as if she’d swallowed broken bits of glass. She hadn’t done anything worth sending representatives of the Earth Protection Agency to the Castle in such covert ways. She’d swear her throat and tongue bled from chewing the shards. “What does the EPA want?” Jade smiled at Keely. “We just want to talk.” Keely started to turn away. “I want you to leave.” The dark man sighed. “Look, we’re here because you’re one of the few who might be able to stop this guy.” He crossed his arms. “And we’re not leaving until you hear us out.” There was nothing the Earth Protection Agency could want with her. Her research was conducted privately, didn’t harm dolphins, and as she’d been told several times, was a waste of money. All of a sudden, the man’s word’s coalesced in her mind. A ball of fear formed in her stomach. Two forward strangers asking for aid were bad enough. What if this man they wanted stopped came looking for her and didn’t want her help? “What guy?” “An individual is working on controlling the water the way he manipulated the air.” “Even if I believed you, how do you think I could possibly help you?” She didn’t believe them, refused to believe them. “We know about you.” The man’s voice, low and menacing frightened her more. “Know about me… know what?” The razor edge of fear slid deep inside her lodging against her ribcage. Keely inhaled on a shuddering breath. With fear came the pain, the white-hot burning of a past she was afraid to remember. “We know about your mother, about what happened that day when you were three.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tears burned her eyelids and Keely blinked them back. She didn’t know who these people were or what they wanted but she couldn’t resurrect her past. Keely bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the coppery flavor of blood. It was an accident, one she attempted repeatedly, with the aid of her psychiatrist, to wrest from her subconscious psyche. A horrible, terrible accident, nothing else, despite what this man implied. “We know what you did, what you’re capable of. We need you.” She couldn’t do this. It didn’t matter who they were or what they wanted. Her lack of control destroyed the dim memories she cherished of a happy home. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are coming here, digging around in my personal life, but I want you gone. Understand?” “Keely, please listen,” the woman pleaded. Bile rose in her throat and Keely swallowed the bitter liquid. She gulped air in through her mouth and staggered back. The pain was too sharp. Even after all these years, she couldn’t handle the fact she was the one responsible for her mother’s accident.

Chapter One

Late August, 3033 County Clare, Ireland Western Zone, United Europe Keely Shane stood atop the clear abutment protecting the fragile sandstone cliffs of Kilkee bay

from the relentless pounding of the Atlantic, searching. The dolphin pod she sought wasn’t playing in their usual spot. For some time this Irish cliff, overlooking the pale sand, had been her place of refuge, when the loneliness of her life weighed heavy on her shoulders. Near the northern and southern ends, the abutment melded into the cliff, protecting it from erosion. Toward the center, the clear material bulged away from the rock face and allowed for access to the beach. She glanced back at the pseudo-castle her father built thirty years ago. The new brown and gray structure stood proud on a parcel of intense green land surrounded by oaks. The histories said the location once housed a restaurant, hotel, and movie theater. All those business and buildings were gone now; had been for centuries. The sea breeze lifted a strand of her dark red hair, drifting it across her cheek. The air had a cool tinge. Autumn would be upon them before long and the dolphins would retreat to warmer waters. Soon she would closet herself in her laboratory and transcribe her dolphin communication notes from the summer’s research. Her lab, in the section of the Castle her father called “dungeon” was far enough away from the rooms her mother was kept in. In the dungeon, Keely kept her work safe. Several years ago her mother, on a rampage through Keely’s office, destroyed three years of her primary research. Poor Mother. Despite all the wonderful progresses the world had made in eliminating disease, hunger, overpopulation, and pollution, science had not been able to prevent or erase her mother’s mental illness. An illness she was terrified she’d inherited. Perhaps, if her grandparents hadn’t rejected the voluntary DNA screening, now mandatory, they could have prevented the onslaught of her mother’s dementia. But they had. Frequent babblings about talking to dolphins had been her mother’s focus combined with a single-minded fascination with the Greek god Poseidon. When the illness struck her two decades ago, Keely’s father set aside rooms as a specialized apartment for his wife. He spent nearly all his time there. She rarely saw either of her parents and eventually learned to enjoy the solitude, finding companionship with the dolphins of the sea, the very creatures her mother claimed rescued her from her accident. Keely climbed down from the abutment and headed to the concealed door that led to the beach. Perhaps closer, she’d be able to spot the dolphins frolicking closer to the shore. She fingered her smooth magnetic key and opened the door to her own paradise. On the other side of the door, she took off her sandals, stuffed them into the pocket of her slicker, and dug her toes into the light sand. She relished the grains rolling beneath her feet and squeezing between her toes. Being barefoot, despite the occasional cooling waters that splashed onto the tops of her feet, on the beach gave her a sense of freedom from her ordinary life. Her happy sigh drifted on the air. The fierce wind on the beach whipped the sides of Keely’s bright yellow slicker toward her back with loud snaps. Cold air rushed against her exposed torso. Goosebumps raised on her arms. Quickly, she sealed the protective jacket shut. On the horizon, a storm brewed. She’d need to make her observations quickly and get back to the lab. Removing from her pocket the small, powerful telescope she carried in her jacket, Keely hung the strap around her neck, and peered through the lens across the blue ocean at the horizon, looking once more for the dolphins. Nothing. She swung her head to the south, still gazing through the lens and sighed. There would be no hands-on research today. She dropped the scope to dangle from her neck. Keely started off in the direction she’d just looked. Not far was a cove and inside the brown-gray cliffs a cave, the most treasured of her secret places. Often she’d escaped the castle to relax in a place totally her own. She’d shed a few tears there as well, most often over an intense loneliness. How many times had she wished the man who’d been her lover in countless daydreams would be her companion, understand her work, would be real? She shook her head. After years of counseling and

the sentence of a lifetime of medication, she’d reluctantly let the image go. The surf roared into the cliffs and beaches with the power of the heavens and lashed white foam against the protective coating the World Government decreed placed on endangered sea coasts to prevent erosion. The cove though, not considered at risk, had an unprotected entrance to her grotto. Some days the water was placid, a gentle undulation of lulling waves. Today the waves struck with more force but not enough to worry her. She’d be back at her desk long before the coming tempest struck. Keely rounded a corner and gasped. Something lay on the pale beach in a lifeless lump. She picked up her scope and stared at the mass through the lens. “A person?” This stranger could need her assistance! She hurried her steps and then broke into a run, her feet pounding into the gritty sand. Once she arrived, she knelt and placed her forefinger against his neck feeling for life signs. He had a pulse. How do you know this is a “he”? She didn’t. With sure hands she turned the large body over and gazed into the most handsome face she’d ever seen. The man, she was positive of his sex now, was pallid beneath his heavily tanned skin. Wavy, collar length blond hair, shot through with gold, framed his sharp, angular face. He looked familiar. She placed her hand against his lips. The moist warm breath she expected didn’t touch her skin. She leaned closer trying to feel or hear anything to indicate he lived and breathed on his own. Years of living near the sea honed her water rescue skills. Pinching his nose, she covered his lips with hers. She breathed into his mouth. Her heartbeat quickened into a cadence she was unfamiliar with. Keely lifted her head from his lips and frowned. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was not supposed to engage her libido. Around her, the tide licked at her feet, touching the soles with each encroaching wave. The water advanced on the sand and reached cold, wet fingers further toward her and the unconscious man. The continual sound of the surf grew louder. The storm moved faster than she’d anticipated. She turned him onto his side and rapped him between the shoulder blades. “How’d you get here ol’ boy?” As if in response, the man coughed. “There you go,” she said, watching water spew out of his mouth. He coughed again and this time opened his eyes. No blue accurately described the color she saw there. When he finally focused and looked into her face, Keely was mesmerized. It wasn’t until a particularly strong, chilling wave struck that she was able to tear her gaze from his. “Here,” she managed to get out between gusts. “We need to get off you off this beach. Between your wet clothes and this wind you’ll catch pneumonia or something.” She glanced over her shoulder at the sky. “We’re in for a nasty one.” The man pushed up to his elbows and straightened out. Loose Egyptian cotton clung to his legs as though the trousers were a body suit meant to reveal the strong muscles beneath the material. A sprinkling of light hair curled on his defined chest marred by scar-like markings beneath his latissimus dorsi, just above his ribs. His feet were devoid of shoes. Adonis. It was the only name that came to mind. Adonis, the mythological god from the ancient Mediterranean history she’d studied so long ago. Here on this beach, though, antiquated annals didn’t apply. Another wave slapped her feet and splashed water, cold from the wind, up her calf. Keely shook her head. “Can you walk?” The man didn’t speak, just nodded his head. “Fine. There is a cave a few meters from here. We’ll shelter there until the storm subsides.” She slipped an arm behind his back and wrapped his other arm around her neck and over her shoulder. A sense of familiarity stole over her, as if she’d held this man hundreds of times before. With deliberate steps, Keely brought the stranger to the dim cove and sat him on a worn rock ledge, his long legs dangling in the shallow tidal water. She slipped her sandals back on her feet. “Wait

right here. I’m going further back to get you a thermal sheet.” “Thank you.” The dark timbre of his words flowed over her like the expensive, delicious hot fudge her father had given her five years ago for her twenty-sixth birthday. She grabbed a finger hold in the porous cavern wall and hoisted herself up to an outcropping. From within she seized the lightweight blanket she kept there for other outings, and then hurried back to the stranger. She handed him the covering and watched him wrap the blanket imperfectly around himself. “You’re welcome.” He stood in ankle deep water and peeled off his wet clothing. Keely swallowed back the lump in her throat that formed when she glimpsed the man’s strong calves, thighs, and...oh for Domnu’s sake! She needed to get hold of herself straight away. His erection was enough to set any woman’s thoughts to the most primitive of bedding activities. “Do I know you?” she managed to get out. He took two large steps toward her, dropping the thermal mantle. His physique was glorious. The strands of curled hair on his chest arrowed downward and enticed her to look lower. If anything, his erection was larger. Larger? How was that even possible standing naked in the chill? “Yes. I’m Zion. Don’t you remember me?” He stood so close she could see his pupils widen as he adjusted to the faint light of the cavern. He reached a hand toward her, an ancient gesture of peace. Intuitively, she extended her hand to accept his invitation. When they touched, Keely saw an arc of electricity leap from his hand to hers. She shook her head, strands of hair flicking across her cheeks, and tried to make sense of what she’d seen. “How did you do that?” He tilted his head. “Do what?” “The energy spark. How did you transfer it from me to you?” His smooth, deep voice washed over her and echoed softly in the cavern. “It was static.” Again, Keely shook her head. “What I witnessed wasn’t static.” He shrugged his shoulders and didn’t offer another explanation, only moved closer. He invaded her space. Instead of being frightened or nervous, she waited in eager anticipation not moving a muscle. “Do you recognize me?” “No. Should I?” “We’ve conversed often,” he continued. “I don’t think so.” She paused trying to place him in her memory. “I’d remember...” And she would. She’d remember any man looking like Zion who’d deigned to speak with her “...a name so unusual.” She looked up into his face. He communicated, without words, exactly how they knew one another. Images flashed through her mind. Sexual daydreams and fantasies she’d indulged in. Nightmares and realities she’d dealt with for the past thirteen years. Zion engulfed her in his arms. She pushed against the wall of his chest. Beneath her fingers, his skin felt familiar, as if they’d rediscovered a long lost lover. A zing of electricity raced through her arm to him and back again. “No,” she whispered as fear pumped through her blood, heating her skin. She pushed away from him. “This isn’t possible. You aren’t real.” “I assure you, I’m very real.” “You can’t be.” She fought to keep her voice from trembling. Against her, she felt his erection grazing her thigh. Fear rasped against her sensitized skin as if she were being rubbed by steel wool. Zion was the spitting image of the man in the delusions she’d managed to put to rest with strong medications five years ago. One of his hands stroked down her back as the other lifted her chin. Keely couldn’t give in to this aberration. Her heart pounded in her chest. She needed all her wits about her if she were to garner

additional research funds for her dolphin communication studies. She had too much to lose to give hallucinations a foothold in her life again. No! Her mother was the paranoid, delusional one, not her. A large wave crashed against the entrance to the cavern adding to the chilly water on the rocky floor. Keely shoved away from him again, sloshed toward the back of the cave, and rubbed her pounding temples. Glancing over her shoulder, through the cave’s entrance she watched the waves whip into foam and smash onto the rocks and beach. She wasn’t going anywhere with the storm outside. Frantically, she tried to remember what could have possibly set her mental health off kilter so horribly. She shrank back against the rear wall of the natural shelter. Nothing. She hadn’t done anything at all to bring back the illusion of Zion with such physical force. Perhaps there was a problem with the last medication she received. He advanced toward her; his hands palm side up and outstretched. Zion looked real enough. Could this possibly be true? Could her senses deceive her? Didn’t the mind play elaborate tricks in order to convince the mentally ill their perception of reality was correct? If he wasn’t real, Keely needed serious intervention and help. She scrutinized him. If he was, heaven help her. The roar of water and waves grew louder. The few sparkles of light reflecting off the wet walls all but disappeared. “Keely. I’ve come for you.” “What do you mean, you’ve come for me?” she asked terrified. How did he know her name? “We need your help.” She blinked rapidly. Her ocular implants must have malfunctioned. Or maybe it was the cochlear ones. Never before had her illusion physically manifested and spoken. Had she taken on the qualities of a megalomaniac and conjured up a sexy male to deliver the ultimate fantasy of saving the day? When had she slipped so far? “What do you want from me?” Her voice quivered, revealing her terror. Zion advanced. “You don’t have to be afraid. Think back, Keely. Think back to when...” “Do you think you could get dressed, or cover up or something?” She forced her eyes to look away from his impressive physical equipment. He laughed, a deep rumble that bounced off the cavern walls. “I’m sorry, Keely. I’m not used to wearing such confining material. It’s easy to forget when my people are less encumbered by such restraints.” His mirth mitigated some of her fear. “You’re a nudist then?” “I prefer the term naturalist.” So, Zion was the leader of a nudist colony. She’d heard of such a group up Lahinch way. She relaxed more with his intelligent response and took a deep breath before she sat on an outcropping. Maybe he wasn’t a figment of a computer enhancement gone astray. “You’re recovered then?” Zion’s gaze drifted from her eyes and he frowned. “Recovered?” “From your near-miss on the beach.” Comprehension lit his eyes. “Oh. That. I’m afraid a naughty little dolphin played a practical joke on me when I hadn’t quite transmorphed into my land form.” Questions sprang up in her mind like early spring weeds and the fear she’d tamped down sprung back. Transmorphed? Land form? Dear Domnu, what was going on? She was having one hell of a hallucination. “You’ve seen the dolphins today?” “They left for the Florida Keys a little sooner than usual. The sea hasn’t been as friendly to them of late. Downright inhospitable.” He spoke of the sea as if it were a living creature. While its elements were essential and the ocean teemed with life, the water was not an entity, but rather a fluid, moving field of energy. She gathered her legs beneath her, and then stood, reaching toward a small rock shelf. “The dolphins communicated this to you?”

Her fingers rubbed against cool metal. She groped for a small bulge and when she found it, waved her hand in front of the knob. Soft, yellow light illumined the cavern. When Keely turned to sit once more, Zion had leaned his tanned, muscular arms against the rock. “Yes. They talk to you as well.” She gulped, and then narrowed her eyes. “How do you know this?” With insolent charm, he smiled up at her. “They told me.” Okay, this had to be a dream or nightmare. Centuries ago serious scientists had given up on dolphin communication, unable to get past a rudimentary understanding of the series of whirs, whistles, and clicks the mammals made when talking to one another. Keely, herself, had only gotten involved with the archaic research because she believed she had the ability to understand what they said. “No one talks to dolphins,” she stated emphatically. “Each pod has its own dialect, its own interpretation of what their sounds mean to them.” His warm, chocolate voice washed over her again. “You don’t believe I talk to dolphins?” “No. What I do believe is this. You are a wonderful, handsome figment of my overactive imagination.” Another wave surged into the cavern. She smiled at Zion, happy to have found an explanation for his appearance. With a little wave of her hand, she said with a laugh, “Go away, Figment,” before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, fully intending to take a nap while she waited out the storm. Her eyes were shut less than three seconds when she felt Zion’s lips on hers. “Don’t call me a figment of your imagination again,” he whispered savagely against her mouth. “You’ve participated in our unions wholeheartedly.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Even as she said the words, dread skittered up her spine like a spider. Zion couldn’t really be... He nuzzled her neck before lightly tugging on her ear, driving her thoughts deep into her mind to hibernate there. His hand reached beneath her jacket and cupped her breast. “I know how much you like this.” He grasped her beneath the shoulders and lifted her from the rock floor. One hand slid under her rain gear and claimed her butt. He licked and nibbled his way to the hollow of her throat. A needy moan escaped from deep within her. Only her dream lover knew about her sensitive neck. Zion seemed real; could he possibly be the man of her sensual fantasies? The man she’d made love to in her mind since she was eighteen? That was before he flicked his forefinger against her nipple and sent wave after wave of desire straight to her core. Only her delusion knew how the stroke revved her up. Keely wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and gave herself over to the physical incarnation of her imaginary lover. Zion slid the yellow rain jacket first from one shoulder, then the other and sat her on the rock. “Lift your arms.” She lifted them over her head and felt his hands skim over her waist, her ribs, and back down to grab the hem of her sweater. He pulled it over her head and tossed it above them. In short order, he disposed of her bra. Her breasts filled each palm of his hands. Zion stroked the tips into hard peaks. Another deprived moan came from her lips. He nudged his erection between her legs. Having this fantasy look-alike buried within her would feel good. Months had passed since she’d given herself over to a sex-crazed dream. Impatient, she raised her hips and moved her hand to the zipper of her jeans, the rasp of the teeth an erotic sound. His hand pulled the material down from the back and pushed it to her ankles. “Do you want me in you, Keely?” His voice was husky with desire. She took one of his hands from her breast, shoved it under the waistband of her panties, and ground her clitoris against his fingers. “I take that as a yes.” “Yes,” she moaned against his lips. Her body concurred, prepared to take his penis deep within

her. Outside the cavern, Keely was vaguely aware of the storm’s intensity. The power of nature only paralleled the passion raging through her body. She lay back against the water-smoothed stone and opened her legs in wanton invitation. With the fingers of one hand she spread her creamy nether lips, prepared to take this latest daydream to its logical conclusion; a ride of pleasure. “Look at me, Keely.” She peered into his deep sea colored eyes. Of their own accord, her hands moved to graze his chest and toy with his nipples. “Zion,” she whispered reverently. “I never knew your name.” He covered her body with his own taut, muscular one. Skin to skin, his body heated hers. He smelled of salt and the fresh sea. Then she felt the deep penetration of his thick, long cock. Reality slammed into her with the intense force of the tempest raging outside.

Chapter Two

Keely shrieked and shoved hard against Zion’s chest. Lust had clouded her judgment. She didn ’t know him, despite his contrary conviction. “Get off me!” The man withdrew from her and stood, anger etched on his face. “I asked.” The words, terse and short, shattered her sense of reality. She’d told him she wanted this, even shoved his hand between her legs. >From wide-open eyes, she watched him back several steps away. Never taking her gaze off him, Keely scrambled to a sitting position and sought for her sweater with an open hand. His rigid stance, complete with crossed arms proved what she discovered to be the truth. Even his penis had shriveled. This man was real, not an aberrant dream controlled by psychotropics. “I didn’t believe you were real.” Her excuse sounded hollow and weak to her ears. She didn’t allow her gaze to waver. “You took advantage of me.” He narrowed his eyes. A muscle in his tanned jaw ticked. In the artificial light he looked feral and powerful. “I told you I was real.” She pulled the damp garment over her head. The covering provided a sense of modesty from this stranger. Dear God, he’d been in her. She rubbed the side of her face cognizant of the fact she was back at square one with this man. “This is creepy.” She labored to make sense of this experience. “You’ve been nothing more to me than the random firing of my brain synapses. Now you’re here...” she paused a moment, losing the fight against looking at his sexy body once more, “...in the flesh.” She voiced her confusion. “You can’t be both real and imaginary.” Hearing the words leave her mouth convinced Keely she’d slipped over the edge of sanity into another world. The Earth, filled with lots of oddities, and science, with its amazing discoveries had recorded nothing quite like an illusion drawing the breath of life. She slid her legs over the side of the rock ledge, stood, and edged her way toward the opening of the grotto. Outside, the sky was black without a trace of light. The storm raged and Keely saw no indication of how long it would last. The Atlantic Ocean surged in and out of the cave, slapped the rocks, and splashed her with cold spray. Suspended between the insanity inside the cavern and nature’s temper tantrum outside, her stomach twisted with pain. She was trapped. “Sit down, Keely.” The lyrical, hypnotic quality in his voice encouraged her to comply without argument. The mother of all headaches pounded against her forehead like a wild drumbeat. She rubbed her temples. “What I’m about to tell you, will be difficult for you to understand.”

Hey, her flesh and blood delusion talked to her. How much stranger could life get? Any time now, Keely would wake up in her lab, or bedroom, or on the couch, and write down all she remembered into her dream notebook and laugh or cry about how she’d lost it on the beach. “Try me.” Zion paced away from her, his hands laced behind his back. For a moment, Keely thought he planned to exit the cave, but at the entrance he turned around and marched back to her. His angular face held no trace of humor, although she sensed no palpable anger either. “Where to start, where to start,” he uttered beneath his breath. “An introduction.” He relaxed. “I’m Zion as you know.” She nodded. “I’m the son of the sea god, Poseidon.” Her eyes widened and she blinked several times. “Poseidon, from mythology you mean?” It was Zion’s turn to nod. “For millennia my father, brothers and I watched the world, and especially the oceans fill with toxins. We lost many of the mer-people before humans understood the disaster they wrought with their pollution.” Keely, her entire adult life, studied the sea and the life that it contained. Not one scientist recorded any unusual life form, dead or alive, in the past seven centuries. “Impossible. There exists no evidence of such destruction.” “People,” he said condescendingly, “weren’t allowed to see such verification. The last thing Atlanteans need is another near miss. Preventing discovery was difficult enough during the first deep-water explorations.” Good grief! Her fantasy took an unusual turn. Zion must have referred to Atlantis, another ancient mythology. She shook her head and scanned the rocks for her jeans. They were nowhere to be found. “Atlantis isn’t real. Mermen and mermaids aren’t real.” None of this made sense, a compelling delusion, complete with stories based in myth. “You aren ’t real.” This had to be the truth. People just didn’t turn up shouting “surprise, I’m a god” the way Zion had. He frowned. “Believe what you may for the moment. You’ll find out soon enough you haven’t inherited your mother’s insanity and the mythologies you refer to have a basis in reality.” He knew of her mother’s mental state? She jumped from her perch. “I don’t know who you are, or how you know about my family, but...” She picked up the yellow slicker and shoved her arms through the sleeves, “....the authorities take stalking seriously.” He moved in front of her. “I’m not stalking you. For eight years you allowed me full access to you and your life. We shared hours of mutually satisfying pleasure, until you started taking those mind control drugs.” She stepped to the side, her foot stepping onto a thick piece of material. Not taking her gaze from him, Keely grabbed the cloth with her toes, lifted her leg and grasped the sodden fabric. Wet jeans slapped against her thighs. “I had delusions. Your likeness was a big part of them.” Countering her move, he blocked her exit toward the entrance. “I told you, Keely, I’m not make-believe. I’m flesh and blood, even if I’m not human.” Cutting off her egress unnerved her. Thought was difficult in his presence. “So, you’re a sea god. Aren’t gods supposed to be all-powerful? What do you need me for?” “I’m not a god, just the son of one.” He ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Humans figured out they poisoned not only the oceans, but themselves. People cleaned up the waterways and the seas and for the past several centuries lived in harmony with the environment. Their actions allowed us the same existence.” He paused. “Until recently.” Her head snapped up and she looked into his eyes. He had her attention. This man knew something about the ocean that might be able to help her explain the change in the Rossi’s habits. She was intrigued. “What happened?” Zion approached her, laid his hands on her shoulders, and turned her to face the entrance of the

cavern. Outside the power of the storm diminished, but the waves still pounded furiously against the rocks. Keely furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand.” He leaned forward. His lips grazed her neck and sent her pulse skittering. The caress of his breath was warm against the sensitive skin he’d teased just a while ago. Recently extinguished, her desire rekindled and made her long to finish what they’d started earlier. She took a few more steps toward the opening of the grotto, gripping the jeans as if they were a lifeline. “Haven’t you noticed anything unusual lately, Keely?” “Other than the dolphins being more difficult to locate?” “Yes.” Between trying to regain her sanity, reigning in her libido, and working on this enigma, Keely’s brain hurt. She dug through as many memories as she could conjure from the past few months. “Some of the animals have been more challenging to detect. I figured it was related to the change in the Gulf Stream. The mammals have moved with the current.” She glanced back at Zion. The beginnings of a smile changed the angles in his face. “Good, go on.” Dragging on her jeans, Keely sighed and crept closer to the entrance. “Changes in the current are usually related to weather and climate.” “Exactly!” he shouted with excitement. “Exactly?” “Yes, I’ve been sent to discover why the weather is changing, why there are more storms." “And have you?” Zion sauntered closer to her and the entrance, nodding. Curiosity got the better of her when he stopped speaking. “Well, then, what did you find out?” “Someone controls the water.” She snorted. “Impossible. No one has that sort of ability.” He reached out a hand and lifted a strand of her dark hair. “Oh, but they do, dear Keely. Our mischievous friend is not alone either. There are at least two other entities that have the ability to control the ocean.” “Two more?” This whole tale was far-fetched. She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her voice. “I suppose you know who these entities are?” Outside, the storm waned. The ocean calmed. The clouds parted and light edged back into the sky. To the west the sun began its descent and tinged the clouds with fingers of orange and red, the colors reflecting on the water’s surface. He rubbed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I do.” He’s real, he’s real. The reminder did little to keep her body calm, especially when he touched her like the long held lover he claimed to be. “Who,” she stammered, “has this power?” “Walk with me.” The words fell from his lips like a gentle command rather than a question. Zion extended his hand to her and she automatically reached toward his. In an attempt to gain control of her confused emotions, she yanked her hand back to her side and stuffed it into her slicker pocket. “Why? Where to?” “I realize this is difficult. Not at all what your scientific reasoning wants you to face.” He spoke patiently, as if he schooled her in a simple truth she should have readily comprehended. “It’s not everyday I see and speak with a man who looks like the spitting image of my fantasies.” Her mind flitted to snatches of conversation she’d heard between her parents. Her mother claimed to know Poseidon. Now Keely was talking with a man who purported to be his son. Had she slipped over the edge and joined her mother? They left the confines of the cave. Keely peeked behind her at the prints her steps made in the dark sand. There were two sets filling with water from the tide. The prints proved he was real, not some construct of her mind. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was fine. She hadn’t hallucinated Zion or the aborted sex.

Suddenly, another truth struck her. Zion was the one suffering from mental illness. She was okay. He wasn’t. Fear clenched her chest, made it hard for her to breathe. Gradually, she fell back to increase the distance between them while keeping pace with his long-legged strides. Maybe if she kept him talking he wouldn’t attack her. She swallowed a lump in her throat, willing herself to be brave. Her voice betrayed her emotions with a tremor in her words. “Where are we going?” Zion pointed to a section of beach not far from where she’d found him. If he’d heard her fear he ’d ignored it. “Why?” “I need to show you something.” He fell silent and continued his steady march along the beach, powerful muscles in his hips and legs flexing with each step. Great. He wasn’t engaging in chitchat right now and her body was still reacting with sexual hunger to his physique. Keely glanced at the darkening sky. She didn’t want to be out on an isolated beach with a naked, horny, self-proclaimed deity after dusk. “Will this experiment take long?” “No. Just evidence to go with what I tell you.” Games. They were playing word games. He still hadn’t answered her questions about who had the ability to control the water. “What do you need to share?” She sounded like her analyst. “All Poseidon’s sons have special abilities. I can, to a small degree, control the movement of the ocean.” She choked back a terrified laugh. “Really?” What was he going to do? Control the waves by offering her as some sort of ritualistic sacrifice? Her entire life she’d been terrified of inheriting her mother ’s insanity. Never had she imagined she would be a victim of someone else’s madness. Cautiously, she began to speak as she tried to calculate how she could manage to get away. “How are you going to prove this to me?” The scowl on his face indicated he knew she thought he was insane. Tough. She watched him turn toward the ocean, his hand bent at ninety degrees, palm facing the water. “Do you see that large wave coming in, about fifty meters out?” She scanned the ocean looking for a vessel she could hail by waving her arms cloaked in the bright yellow slicker. “Yes.” “Watch,” he barked. She stared at the wave and watched as it rose to curl just before breaking. Zion flexed his fingers and the wave stopped at its apex, the descent of the swell barely started. Keely gasped. “How did you do that?” He flexed his hand again, and as if it had never been stopped, the wave continued inland. She backpedaled as fast as she could from the unnatural phenomenon she’d witnessed. Fumbling in her pocket, she was grateful her magnetic key remained within. With a final wide-eyed glance at the sea and a gloriously naked Zion, Keely gave in to her fear, turned tail, and fled.

Chapter Three

Zion watched his father, Poseidon, draw the rushing chariot to a halt on the surface of the South Pacific Ocean. The hippocampi dragging the conveyance struggled to get their breath. They thrust their heads under the sea, splashing Zion in their haste to recover. Nearly five thousand years old, the Greek god managed to use more energy than his brother, Zeus. “Why did you call me from my race?” Poseidon’s angry voice created a violent swell in the water.

Zion respectfully kept his eyes cast down. The vibrations slowed and the water returned to a calmer state. The gentle undulations wouldn’t last long once he confessed to his father his failure. “You asked me to report on my interaction with Keely Shane.” Poseidon nodded, his long, curled locks, swinging like tendrils of anemone. “Will she help us?” Shifting his weight from hip to hip, Zion treaded water, refusing to look into his father’s eyes. Instead, he stared at the surface of the ocean. The heat of the sun-warmed water caressed his torso and legs but didn’t comfort him. He swallowed hard, not wishing to inflict on any his father’s anger. “No.” His father’s face scrunched, the skin around his eyes crinkled, and his lips turned downward in a grimace. “I’m getting old, boy. Speak up.” He lifted his three-pronged spear, grasping the shaft so tightly his knuckles turned white. The heavy oppressive silence stretched on. Zion gathered his strength and inhaled deeply. “I said, Father, ‘No” she will not help us.” “What do you mean, ‘No’? Use your charm. Seduce the wench into using her power to help us. It is your duty to protect Atlantis with any means at your disposal.” Zion flushed, his face heating with anger. His father’s past conquests had resulted in nearly thirty half-brothers and sisters, most of whom were illegitimate, including him. No amount of entreaty revealed the name of his mother. “I’m not like you.” Poseidon’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that comment supposed to mean?” “It means I don’t rape women to get my way.” Poseidon’s requests and personal lifestyle frayed the limits of Zion’s ability to defer to the man. Zion turned away in disgust, his fists clenched in anger. A shadow fell across the surface of the water. Zion ducked beneath the surface of the sea and darted to the right. His father’s trident sailed past. In the wake of the weapon, a whirlpool developed, not as strong as those he’d created to destroy Odysseus but still deadly. Another trap for hapless sailors. Poseidon had kept an interested eye on the sorcerer when he started playing with the ocean currents, but hadn’t challenged him. Zion was tempted to tell his father to deal with Amidurah on his own, but he didn’t. He had his reasons. To do so would release Poseidon on Keely, and Keely belonged to him, not his father. He dove deeper into the water, his legs morphing into a muscular tail and headed toward his room at the coral palace, prepared to pay later for his impudence. ***** A week later, Keely stood along the beach’s edge from which she had first seen Zion. Since her terrifying eye-witness experience of the manipulation of the ocean and with her psychologist’s encouragement, she’d doubled her medication. During the days, she could work. Nights were another matter altogether. Her dreams at night alternated between erotic romps with the sexy sea god and nightmares about the other unknown entity controlling the waves. Each equally disturbed her. A quiet chirp emanated from the implant above her ear. “Yes, Father.” “The International Funding of Scientific Studies representative has arrived.” “I’ll be up, straight-away.” She sighed. Her stomach clenched in anxiety. The IFSS would want to see her results. The chirp sounded once more, an indication the conversation was over. IFSS only visited for one of two reasons. To award funds or to withdraw them. Since she already had her funding for the year, the visit didn’t bode well. Keely hurried to the castle, conscious of her less than perfect state of dress. At least IFSS would know she hadn’t spent their money on expensive clothing. She barged through the main doors, and the beautiful cherry wood colored polyresin slid into the wall without a sound. Down the hall she heard voices, including her mother’s. Already she formulated in her mind what she would say to her distinguished guest. IFSS funds have gone a long way in furthering the world’s understanding of one of the most intelligent

creatures on our planet. Yes, that would get the discussion off on the correct foundation. Until someone lacking patience interrupted her, as they inevitably did, forcing her to defend herself emotionally rather than logically. She’d gone through the frustrating scene numerous times. She steeled herself for a repeat, praying she’d actually have someone stay quiet long enough for her to detail her discoveries. She paused for a moment to look at her reflection in the hall mirror. Her cheeks were wind burned, her long hair a wild red tangle. She mentally heard her parents harping about her appearance. How she was a sound repository of high quality DNA. Her real purpose–find a suitable DNA match and harvest super-children to save the world from itself. Using her mind wasn’t as important as the perpetuation of the best the human species had to offer, all packaged in a pretty body to attract a high caliber male. No thanks. She wasn’t interested in becoming a living science experiment no matter how good the cause. There was plenty of suitable DNA material around to gather and clone. Bitter emotions never failed to erupt when they discussed her life as if she weren’t present or even a human being. Besides, she held the secret. Zion was right about one thing. She talked to dolphins. Understanding why, that was another matter. She couldn’t explain it and the lack of knowing why drove her studies. She opened a drawer in the table beneath the mirror and pulled out a brush swiping at her hair with hard, fast strokes. She’d attempt to look presentable at any rate. Shoving the implement back in the drawer, she continued to the parlor where her parents held court. Keely knocked on the partially open door and waited for permission to be granted this rare audience. Keely never understood why her father encouraged the pretense of royalty. The lines of British aristocracy had died out centuries ago. From within she heard her father command, “Enter.” She stepped into the room, paneled in dark, pressed polylation, an environmentally safe material that insulated the castle walls. Portraits of her supposed ancestors hung in gilt frames on the striped paper walls. How the family managed to hang onto the golden frames when pure metals of any kind were rare and highly sought after was just another of the dynasty mysteries. “Hello, Sweetheart,” her mother trilled from her restoration Queen Anne chair. “We’ve someone we’d like you to meet.” “Father, I thought you told me members of the IFSS were here.” Her father stood. His tall, lanky frame dwarfed her and her and her mother. But his height was nothing compared to the man who rose and stood next to him. “Darling, I’d like you to meet Stephen Doubilet. She sized Doubilet up quickly. His aura of confidence felt abrasive. Her instincts went on full alert. This man wanted something, but what? Strangers taxed her well-ordered world. She knew she lacked warmth in her voice. “Mr. Doubilet.” “Please, call me Stephen.” He extended his hand. Out of courtesy, she shook it. Immediately, she withdrew it, wishing she hadn’t touched him. His shake was limp, cool and effeminate. She resisted the urge to wipe her palms on her jeans. “Why?” Her mother gasped. “Keely Shane, mind your manners. We’ve raised you better. Apologize immediately.” Stephen Doubilet smiled. The action didn’t resonate with the rest of him. In fact, his eyes seemed to issue a challenge. “Because, Miss Shane, I intend to...” Her father coughed. “Have a drink, Doubilet?” Keely smelled a set-up. The pretense of a visit from the IFSS irked her. How was it her parents didn’t understand her need for quiet so she could pursue her research? She didn’t need a man in her life making demands that detracted from her studies. “Father, a point of clarification?” He nodded and filled two glasses with ice and bourbon and handed one to Doubilet. “The IFSS?”

“Stephen is here on their behalf.” Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She snapped it shut with an audible click. Her father spoke in the uncomfortable silence. “Keely, Mr. Doubilet would like to spend some time with you. I think you’ll find his proposal quite enlightening.” Her father’s choice of words set her nerves further on edge and offered no encouragement. Doubilet by some standards was handsome. Dark hair curled back from his pale face, exposing a high forehead, narrow face, and dark eyes. His sort of good looks didn’t appeal to Keely though. If her father thought to set her up with a man like Doubilet, he was sadly mistaken. The image of Zion standing before her in the grotto flashed in her mind. Defined, muscular arms had lifted her from the rock ledge as if she were nothing more than a small child. Locks of golden hair made her want to run her hands through it and use those strands to bind him to her. She sighed. Zion hadn’t made an appearance since her terrified run from the beach. Nor did she really expect him to. It had taken more than the customary forty-eight hours for her body to adjust to the increase in her dosage, but now she was back at work, undisturbed until now. Stephen stepped forward and took the drink her father had poured. “I’d hoped to take you out to dinner. There’s a new place in Shannon developing quite the reputation for haute cuisine.” “I think you will find Stephen’s suggestions beneficial to you and your research.” Her father’s comment intrigued her. Other than preserving her grant, how could Mr. Stephen Doubilet assist the project she held near and dear to her heart? ***** “So, what is it you really want, Mr. Doubilet?” Keely asked over her dinner of synthetic mutton. The vegetable protein, loaded with vitamins and minerals, looked more appealing in this incarnation than the normal pale gray health food conglomeration everything was created out of. The chef had done wonders making the syn-food appealing. Doubilet placed his fork on the table with a slow, measured motion. He leaned forward and whispered. “I know you communicate with dolphins, Keely.” She covered her shock at his words by delicately wiping her mouth with her napkin. “You sound as if this is a conspiracy, Mr. Doubilet. I assure you of two things. Yes, I do communicate with the dolphins. Two, I’m not involved in nefarious activities. Everyone in this region,” she waved her hand about, “knows of my research.” He patted her hand. “Keely, Keely. Did I say anything about your engaging in suspicious endeavors?” Removing her hand from beneath his, she motioned for a waiter, and then turned her attention back to Doubilet. “Let’s get to the heart of the matter, shall we?” A bot wheeled up to the table. “How may I serve you?” “Water, please,” Keely replied. “Your best bottle of champagne,” Doubilet countered. Then he smiled. Frissons of apprehension set the hairs of her arm standing at attention. The machine rolled away. Stephen reached out and clasped both of her hands between his limp ones. “IFSS is not impressed with the progress you’ve made with their money.” Her stomach felt as if it had been coated in lead. Her studies were finished. She looked into Stephen’s gloating face. So smug. “You needn’t worry, beautiful. Withdrawing support from your studies will only be a loss to the IFSS. There are other sources available to you.” She ground her teeth in an attempt to keep her temper in check. Calling her beautiful was his first mistake, tossing him into the same category as most of the men she knew. He was bent on using her for his own purposes, not interested in her mind and what she could contribute to the betterment of society. “Other legit means of support don’t exist for me.” Her mind flashed to the condition her father had placed on her research financing. With one stipulation, he’d happily sponsor her studies if her

current funds dried out. He’d give her the money if she found a husband that could afford to either stymie the local politicians or pay for her specialized equipment. “I have the private funds to support your studies. Provided, of course, you share any and all findings, significant or otherwise, with me.” She pulled her hands from his and picked up her fork. “You’re looking at a partnership?” He smiled again. The action lacked warmth and sincerity. Something was not right about the entire situation. “Mr. Doubilet...” “Stephen,” he interrupted. “Stephen. Your offer sounds generous, but I have to wonder about your motives. You seem to encourage separation from IFSS.” The bot returned to the table with the champagne. The celebratory pop when it opened the bottle was loud in the muted atmosphere of the restaurant. Based on what she’d heard so far, she didn’t believe there was cause to mark this as a special occasion. “I’ve read your reports, Keely. The ability to communicate with intelligent mammals not of our species, to share in their knowledge could be significant to the future of mankind.” He paused as if catching his breath. “And you, you’ve talked with them. You are on the cutting edge of something huge, and I want to be there with you.” The speech was impassioned; she’d give him that. “I work best alone,” she warned. “I don’t tolerate interference. Others in my field consider my studies unorthodox.” “I know,” he gushed. “That’s why I selected you. You aren’t afraid to step out of the bounds of convention and follow your instincts.” “Mr. Doubilet,” she began, stopping when his eyebrows arched in disapproval. “Stephen. I’m willing to try this out on a temporary basis. Month-to-month. We may not be a good match. And, I want to find out exactly what is going on with the IFSS.” “Deal.” He tipped his champagne glass her direction. She picked up the crystal the bot had set next to her and watched the bubbles slowly float to the top and burst. “Deal.” ***** “Have you won her over?” “She’s agreed to my financial support, your Grace. She’ll be so dependent on your aide she’d turn nowhere else.” “Well done, Doubilet.” Amidurah clasped his hands behind his back and walked along the row of floor to ceiling windows of his penthouse. “Let me know the moment she reveals anything about her communications with the dolphins.” He rubbed his chin. “They hold the key.” “Your Grace?” Humans were so dense. Dolphins and whales, intelligent creatures, knew well in advance when humans put another toxic poison into the water system. “They sense the pollution, Doubilet. If we are to return the eco-system back to its pure state, recreate paradise, the dolphins will alert us to our success or failure.” “Yes, of course. Keely assured me she does indeed communicate with the dolphins.” Doubilet was nervous. Good. He controlled Doubilet’s very breaths even if the man was too stupid to realize it. “Our little experiment in Africa went well. It’s time for the next battle in our war on pollution.” Time to cleanse the Atlantic by using the land of Europe as a toxin filter.

Chapter Four

Excited chirps and whistles greeted Keely alongside her boat. The pod of Rossi’s dolphins she’d been communicating with showed unusual behavior. Usually calm, this group of seven slapped their heads on the side, hitting the surface of the water with energy. In a behavior generally performed by the older animals, all participated. “What’s up, fellas?” More whistles, loud and frantic. Keely dropped the listening/recording device she’d created into the water and placed her headset over her ear. She concentrated on Lotis, the eldest of the group. “Big shake. Flee. Dead.” This was the most unusual communication she’d ever received. “Lotis, what do you mean?” “Danger.” Keely leapt to her feet. “I’ll be right back,” she promised and removed the headset. She ran to the cabin and awakened the computer. An emergency holograph of the ocean sprang to life. Near the eastern edge of northern Canada, Keely saw what alarmed the dolphins. A wave of gargantuan proportions began there. It crossed the ocean at unprecedented speed, already past Iceland and headed directly toward western Ireland and the rest of the Western Zone of United Europe! The calculated time before the wave struck was less than a half-hour. Keely double-checked the computer projections and then turned on the News Screen. Red slashes crossed the top and bottom of the screen with emergency text messages between verifying the impending disaster. The speed of the wave had increased as it neared shallower areas. She ran back to the pod along the side of her boat as she tried to contact her parents. “Go,” she commanded with a wave of her hand. “Be safe.” Her thoughts fled to her parents. Early in the morning her father had informed her they were taking a picnic on the northern end of the beach they owned. Her audio communication device finally connected with him. “Get off the beach,” she yelled. “A tsunami is on the way.” “There have been no warning signals.” He father sounded nonplussed. The sensors in the oceans should have triggered warnings around the entire Atlantic. In place over a thousand years, they picked up the slightest move of tectonic plates. “They failed! I’ve seen the projections on the weather hologram. Get to higher ground now!” “If you’re sure.” Her frustration and fear for them broke out in a scream. “Daddy!” “Keely, if you’re that worried about it, your mother and I will head back home.” She heard a beep indicating he’d shut off the messaging. Dear Domnu, let them take her warning to heart. Beneath her feet the boat lurched. She grabbed hold of the counter to steady herself. Once she’ d regained her balance, she raced to the port side of her vessel. The first stage of the tsunami arrived faster than the hologram projections predicted. The water receded, the depth of the ocean diminishing with alarming rapidity. Keely returned to the engine compartment, cut the engine, and then made her way to the starboard area of her vessel. Once there, she watched in horror as a giant wave formed like some prehistoric sea monster, stretching toward the sky. Bile rose from her stomach and burned her throat. She couldn’t be weak and survive. She grabbed her scuba gear, yanked the straps of the tank over her arms and shoulders, pulled the mask over her forehead, and watched the continued growth of the water. Suddenly, the boat thumped. Keely’s heart leapt into high gear. She glanced over the edge of the vessel, seeing dark wet sand. Large and small fish of indeterminate varieties flopped on the ground. Treasures lost, weapons, oddities of junk littered the exposed sea floor. Still the wave grew. It had to measure seventy meters high and stretched as far as she could see

in both directions. The thought of the devastation wreaked on the coast in a few moments chilled her to the bone. Unprepared, nothing living near the beaches would survive. With a dash to the gunwale, Keely ducked beneath the reinforced plexiresin and prayed her parents took heed of her message and headed for high ground. The rear of the boat appeared the safest area to await the imminent force of the wave. She inserted the rebreather hose in her mouth and sealed it around her lips with the placement of her mask. The wave, with a deafening roar, slammed into the far side of her vessel. The charter fishing cruiser she’d bought via SatBay tipped toward the shore at a sickening angle, and then returned with equal force upright, loosened from the sand. Life vests, deck chairs, pieces of pseudo wood, metal, and other debris slid around the deck. Seawater soaked her clothing, pasting it to her skin. Keely shivered. The wave’s downpour lasted an eternity. The water pushed and lifted the boat in crazy vertical and horizontal directions and drove it further from the shoreline even as it filled with water, fish and aquatic plants. The additional weight drove the cruiser down in the deeper water. Toward the mid-section of the ship, a fishing chair broke loose from the jerking and skidded her way, the broken legs pointed straight toward her chest. Keely jumped from beneath the gunwale and onto the swimming platform at the rear of the boat. At her side, she saw another monstrous wave cresting. With the ship taking on water she doubted it would survive the next impact without sinking or being capsized. The chair struck the gunwale. Keely shrieked and jumped. Beneath the surface of the water, the sea appeared murky. She kicked out, away from her vessel. Calm and quiet engulfed her as she swam from the boat. Shadowy plants swayed back and forth like aficionados waving at holostars. The roar of the wind and waves was blessedly absent. From behind, an object struck her head. Underneath her eyelids, fireworks exploded, and then as she sank, darkness overcame her senses. ***** Keely opened her eyes shocked to see her legs and her left hip were trapped beneath a large piece of debris from a boat’s sidewall. Hers? How long had she been unconscious? The rebreather alarm drummed into her ears. She jerked her head and looked at the gauge on the air tank. Pain radiated from her skull and down her neck. She forced herself to look at the dial. The tank showed ten minutes of air remained. Ten minutes! It’s not enough time to escape . She frantically looked around her for anything she could reach to use as a lever and get the debris off her legs and hips. Stay calm. You use more air if you panic. The water above, clearer, allowed muted light to filter through. On the ocean floor, half buried in the sand lay a long tube of metal. If she could reach it...she twisted and stretched. Fuck! She was too short! Something brushed against her. God, was she bleeding? Had she attracted a shark? Fear raced through her body and she turned, prepared to fight the creature off. Zion? Her brows furrowed. What was he doing here? A moment later, he placed his hand over her ear and with care inserted some sort of object into the canal. Blue eyes peered at her through the water. His golden locks floated behind his broad shoulders in easy, languid buoyancy. “The dolphins said you were in trouble. I’ll have that off you in no time.” Her examination of Zion shocked her. In his hand, he held a weapon reminiscent of ancient whale harpoons. He didn’t wear traditional diving garb. In fact, the man wore nothing at all! Her eyes deceived her. They had to. No human could survive at the bottom of the continental shelf without protective gear. Her eyes widened. Zion lacked an air tank! Air. She glanced at the tank again. Mere minutes were left. She had to get out from beneath the debris and up to the surface. Panic struck full force. Struggling, Keely tried to push the boat wreckage

from her hips. He laid his hand upon her arm and smiled. “Calm down, Keely. Help is on the way.” He pointed in front of her. Keely took a quick breath and tried to control her panic. Zion remained the picture of calm. She focused on him, tried to absorb his composure. Her heart rate slowed a bit. A disturbance rippled the waters. Dark shapes sliced the water. The nearer they got, the clearer she saw them. Dolphins. Rossi’s dolphins to be exact. The Rossi’s dolphins from her pod. The lead nudged Zion’s arm. Once her eyes focused, she saw Lotis followed by Mona. “Let’s dig on this side, and then roll this rubbish off her.” At first she thought Zion spoke to her. He hadn’t. He’d directed his command to Lotis and Mona. To her surprise, the two shifted until they were vertical. They started to use their tails like shovels. Zion pressed against the wreckage. The water turned murky from displaced sand and Keely no longer saw what the trio did. With a heave, Zion pushed against the fallen debris. The boat wall rolled and suddenly one of her legs drifted free. Keely moaned. The wreckage wasn’t completely off her yet and placed more pressure on her damaged hip and leg. The water whipped around her facemask. The two Rossi’s and Zion shoved once more and released her other leg. Agony shot through her. A red stream rose from her leg. The dark liquid dispersed into thinning wisps and her diluted blood flowed throughout the North Atlantic. Death grinned at her, even as disappointment filled her. Blood attracted sharks. Sanctuary didn’ t exist in the depths of the North Atlantic for victims of cuts. Unfinished work, undiscovered love. So much time wasted to help ... no one. When she closed her eyes, Keely knew they wouldn’t open again. ***** Lips. Keely woke to the sensation of lips on her cheek. “Mmm.” She opened her eyes and looked into the face of the man she’d known forever. Another sigh left her mouth and she closed her eyes to settle back into a pleasant dream of dolphins and men. “Keely. Keep your eyes open.” “Let me rest.” “I can’t. You need to stay awake for a little while. This is necessary to help your healing.” She forced her eyelids apart, focused on a deep, tan face and fought the sensation evocative of alcohol bed spins. “Zion?” ***** Beneath her fingers Keely clutched stiff cotton. She opened first one eye, then the other. Pale green walls, tubing and medical equipment were lit by artificial light. Nothing in the room looked familiar. She turned her head and groaned. God, she ached. She stared through the clear polyresin sidewall and fought the panic swelling within. Laser sensors crisscrossed her body. Gradually, the evidence coalesced and made sense. She was in a hospital bed. A swoosh preceded the opening of her door. A bot wheeled into the room. “Good morning.” Keely opened her mouth to speak. Nonsensical utterings poured forth. What was wrong with her, why couldn’t she speak? Her eyes widened and she tried to scream. The garbled tone drew no attention to her plight. The bot rolled nearer, lowered the sidewall, and lifted her arm between its pincer-like hand. With its other appendage, the medbot opened a panel on its chest and placed her hand on it. “Keely Shane. Age thirty-one.” Soft whirs. Subtle clicks. The machine paused and searched her medical data. “Oh dear, oh

dear,” the bot intoned. Then it clicked a button on the same panel where her hand had been placed. Keely’s breath quickened. She took in her surroundings again. Several different beams were aimed at her chest, head, and abdomen. The bot’s unemotional comment left plenty of room for interpretation. Was the “oh dear, oh dear” positive or negative? She tried to say, “What’s wrong with me?” Muffled, unintelligible noises came forth instead. Her sounds went unheeded, as if they hadn’t been heard. Another swoosh. Keely trained her eyes on the doorway. A tall, slender man stepped through, his burgundy jacket bearing the insignia of the medical college of Dublin. Finally, a doctor. “Well, Ms. Shane, I’m glad to see you awake.” She wrinkled her brows and tilted her head. “You’ve been unconscious for several days. Kept trying to tell us all about Zion before you took the big sleep. Lucky man, if half of what I heard was true. Almost too good to be true. You are certainly besotted with him. Called me by his name even.” Had the doctor seen Zion? Or did the man think she was suffering a breakdown because of the lack of her meds? She tipped her head once more and lifted her arm toward her throat. The physician pulled a silver object from his pocket. “You damaged your lower spine. Most probably hit by an unknown object during the tsunami. Fastest way to repair the bruising is by using the nano rebuilder via your airway. It prevents you from speaking coherently while the nanobots replicate and enter your blood stream to carry out their mission. “Close your eyes. It’s easier for both of us and you’ll feel less pain if you don’t look. There will be a tiny prick from the anesthesia. Once you’re relaxed, I can remove the rebuilder.” She forced her eyes shut, squeezing so hard streaks of red flashed behind the lids. Warm fingers caressed her throat, relaxed the tensed muscles. There was a pinch, like the sting of a bee. Keely jerked from the nip and opened her eyes. Vertigo struck. Her head and body no longer seemed one. A disembodied hand caressed her eyelids and made them heavy. She fought to keep them open and lost.

Chapter Five

Keely couldn’t believe it when Zion entered her room later the same day. Everything about him looked solid and authentic, from the black tee shirt molding to his chest to the black jeans hugging his muscular butt. “Good morning, Keely.” His voice sounded real and still held the warmth she remembered from their earlier encounter. Keely prayed whatever the doctor had done to her throat worked. “You’re here? Did you really rescue me?” Zion frowned. “Back to square one?” He understood her! Keely would have jumped from bed and danced around the room if able. Instead, she settled for a smile. “The doctor told me I called him by your name. I think he thought I was dreaming. Was I?” His words cut like a laser through glass. “I wasn’t occupying your mind if that’s what you’re asking.” She hadn’t meant to wound him. “No. It’s not what I meant at all. I just wanted to know it was you I owed my debt of gratitude to.” She was alive thanks to Zion’s efforts. “Were you here while I was unconscious?” He nodded, the muscles of his face relaxing as if he willed his ire to flee. “I couldn’t stay away until I knew you were recovering.” He approached the hospital bed, leaned forward and swept his lips

against her cheek. “Did you really find me under the debris? Call Lotis and Mona to help you? Are they okay?” He nodded. Despite her scientific training which told her otherwise, Zion existed without artificial means beneath the ocean. Each encounter disclosed a different aspect of his nature, revealed his concern for her. “Thank you. I would have died if you hadn’t intervened.” Keely realized Zion wasn’t the threatening entity she feared. Maybe she could help him, and he her. Perhaps Zion held the key to discovering an answer regarding her ability to communicate with the dolphins. “I have good news for you.” Zion quirked an eyebrow, and then straightened to his full height. Unable to conceal her excitement she gushed. “Have they told you? The physicians...are allowing me out of bed today, perhaps even releasing me.” She watched him run his fingers through his long hair. He didn’t smile. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy for me?” “Your leg, is it recovered? Shouldn’t you rehabilitate the break?” Worry lines appeared to crease his handsome face. “If I hadn’t sustained the injury underwater I would have gone home before now. They’ve been keeping an eye on the sealing to make sure no infection developed.” She paused and studied his features. “What is it?” “I’d hoped to take you away from here … to work on your power before there is another cataclysmic event.” She bit her lip. She needed to say more and the words on her tongue wouldn’t please him. “I need to go home.” Keely had never seen the word “crestfallen” as a verb. The look on his face personified the word. Joy ran from his face the way ice cream melted down a cone. Compelled to explain she went on, “I need to take care of things. Look for my parents. Salvage my research. You do understand don’t you?” Desperation tinted her words. Her stomach lurched and turned nauseous at the thought he didn’t recognize her need to see what remained of her home and discover what happened to her family. He held his thoughts behind veiled eyes the way a poker player hid the excitement of a winning hand. Keely detected a small motion, which gave his frustration away, a tic near the upper end of his jaw. “I need to do this, Zion. If the devastation of the tsunami took their lives, I need to put it all to rest. I can’t take care of my responsibilities properly here.” The disappointment she read in his face disappeared. Surprise at his ready capitulation seized her. “You’re not upset?” “What choice do I have? Family loyalties are not to be underestimated.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Her weak muscles refused to hold her at first and she clutched the side of the bed momentarily. Zion rushed to her side, his arm went around her waist to steady her. “I can’t let you do this.” She wasn’t sure to what he referred. “Do what?” “Go home.” He paused and just as she was about to argue her point once more, Zion continued. “Without me. If you go, then I go with you.” She opened her mouth to protest but he cut off her words and clasped her to his solid chest. “It’ s the only way, Keely.” On this point she allowed him the victory. There was no way of knowing what she would find once she returned to the estate. She nodded her head against the solid wall of muscle warming her. He tipped her head so she had to look up at him. His words cascaded over her like a gentle, warm rain. “Are you okay with this?” Next to him she was small and insignificant. It might be easier in some ways if she took care of family matters on her own. Even though he alluded to her mother’s mental state when they met, Zion didn’t need to know the full extent of her issues. On the other hand, natural disasters brought out two sorts of people. Those sacrificing to help

and those using the event as an opportunity for gain. Either could await her at the Shane Castle. “Yes.” She placed her hand on his chest and felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm. Zion’s arms tightened around her, bands of muscle leaving no room for escape. She didn’t want to. Being in his arms offered her comfort and something else precious and almost imperceptible, the illusion of love. Waiting for love to enter her life tried Keely’s patience a lot when she was in her twenties. No one she met measured up to her fantasy man. Now, years later, she understood why. Zion was no dream conjured by an ill mind. Her doctors had been wrong; Zion was as real as the stars, moon or the dolphins in the sea. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his full lips. He lifted her off the floor and brought her more level with his mouth. His lips parted under her gentle invasion and she took advantage of every opportunity he gave. The kiss went on for long seconds until she finally broke it. “I think now is as good a time as any.” Setting her back on her feet, Zion growled against her throat. “For what?” “To finish what we started in the cove.” Keely trailed her fingers across his chest, stopping to toy with each nipple through the black cotton. When they’d hardened into tiny peaks, she caressed his navel through the shirt, and then dipped her hand lower to cup his erection. He grabbed her arm by the wrist. “Don’t.” “Why not? I know you want me.” “I wanted you before and you accused me of taking advantage. I’ll not have my actions thrown in my face again.” His argument made sense. She’d spurned him in the cove. Her rejection must have stung like salt water in a cut. “Tell me something, Zion. All those midnight walks on the beach, the philosophical discussions we carried on in my mind ...what were those about? Getting laid?” He looked as if she’d slapped him. “No. How could you think that?” “I don’t.” Keely smiled. “I was just making sure there was something more to you and me than raw animal attraction.” He twisted her hair around his hands, stroked his face with the strands. “When you were young, I lusted after you. I forced myself to stay away. Then you began taking those drugs; I knew you didn’t want or need me any longer.” “No. That’s not true. Everyone believed I was delusional. They convinced me I was imagining a man that couldn’t be. No one believed we’d been lovers for years. In the end, I believed all the doctors were right.” Her throat closed up, choking her words. What had she denied herself and Zion for the past five years? “That night on the beach when I found you ... why did you come back?” He swept her into his arms, peppered her jaw with tiny kisses before sucking and blowing on her earlobe. “Lotis. He told me he saw you regularly. I couldn’t keep the memories of you hidden. Something or someone seemed to dredge them up with regularity.” Zion placed her back on the bed and straddled her. “I needed you,” he said simply before placing his mouth on the swell of her breast. “I stopped taking the medication a few days before the tsunami struck. I knew I’d never be convinced what was truth and what was imagination while I was medicated.” He stopped his ministrations. Grief filled his eyes and spilled into his words. “I told you I was real, Keely. When will you believe me?” “I was wrong. I know the truth. You are as real as the air I breathe. I need you.” His little kisses resumed and became slight bites, laved by Zion’s talented tongue. He sent heated flashes throughout her body, to the very center she wanted him to fill. She fondled his body, reaching to touch his manhood once more. “I want you Zion, in me, right now.” Even though she’d given permission, he hesitated, as if she’d stuck him in a cold fountain.

“What is it, Zion?” “You’re not ready for this completion. I won’t make love to you under false illusions or pretenses.” Stunned, Keely backed out of his arms. Did she hold false pretenses about Zion? She’d told him she’d told him she no longer doubted his existence, confessed she knew him to be real and not a figment of her imagination. Was he still hurt from her earlier rejection and trying to protect his emotions? Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly turned away. No way was she letting him see her cry. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She was ready to accept Zion for who he was. If he didn’t believe her, she’d just have to wait for her actions to convince him otherwise. She just hoped she could keep her frustrations at bay long enough for him to announce that she was ready for their union.

Chapter Six

Upon her release from the hospital, Keely saw the results of the tsunami’s devastation. Death and debris littered the beach. Gone were the pristine sands where she imagined making love to Zion someday in the future. Broken pieces of wood, boats with gaping holes, downed trees, shards of glass, and sections of the protective abutment disrupted the once placid beach. “Dear God. The force to break the wall…” she couldn’t go on. The sight before her combined with the awful stench of decaying bodies turned her stomach. Rage oozed from her pores at the wanton destructiveness. Zion’s words came to her choked and angry. “I had no idea he was capable of this.” Keely’s anger needed a direction to vent. “Who? Who did this?” A frown crossed his face. Zion moved nearer and pulled her into his arms. “What I’ll tell you is another item you’ll find difficult to believe.” Fisting her hands, she willed herself to listen rather than give in to the urge to pummel her frustration against his chest. “Much of what I know I’ve learned is incomplete. I don’t think there is much remaining you can shock me with.” He kissed the top of her head before he leaned his chin on it. “Remember when I showed you my ability to stop the wave?” “Yes.” The single word hung in the air like a condemnation. “I said there were two others with this ability, besides the perpetrator of these unnatural disasters.” Her head snapped back and she looked him in the eye. “Disasters, more than one?” Zion released her from his embrace, and then guided her toward the abutment. “You’re unaware of the hurricanes?” She shook her head. “Terrible storms ravaged the coast of the United States. Far stronger than normal, but not out of season.” They reached the damaged wall. The gateway door, half open, didn’t respond to her magnetic key. Zion stepped around her and shoved the door further open, wide enough for them to exit and reach the stairs on the cliff. “Stay behind me, Keely.” “Why? I’ve climbed these stairs thousands of times.” He grabbed her elbow and forced her to look again into his aqua blue eyes. Pity resided in their depths. “Are you sure you want to go on? ” A soft breeze lifted the golden strands of his hair and tempted her to entwine her fingers in his silky mane. For a nanosecond she wished she wasn’t here, but she’d made the decision, ignored his advice to go with him somewhere safe to practice. Again, he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t know what you’ll see.” His lips deferentially grazed

hers. She wanted to respond to both his statement and his kiss. He was right. The large arm of the tsunami, having broken through the shielding wall, might easily have reached across the grasses and slammed into the castle. Animals, people, tossed scooters and jet cycles, all could lay in horrifying disarray near her home. Things he’d probably witnessed before to some degree. Keely sighed. Zion’s offer meant to protect her from the ugliness. Silently she followed him up the stairs, also severely damaged by the tsunami. A glance over her shoulder toward the beach revealed debris and destruction as far as she could see. Beneath her breath she prayed the disharmony of the beach wouldn’t be evident once she reached the top. In front of her, Zion stopped. “Keely, go back down.” She stepped around him. Zion’s warning came too late. All about, she saw the results of the tsunami’s rampage. The sight was all she feared and more. Dead animals, fish, bodies decomposing in the front lawn. She rushed forward and searched for familiar faces. There was Johnny from the green grocer. The waves must have carried him here to his final resting place. She turned from his wasting body only to see more destruction. Rusted pieces of ancient metal sliced into the tall oaks. Broken branches from the strawberry trees hung by thin strings of bark. Keely stumbled forward and tried to make sense of the stimulus overloading her brain. Covering her mouth, she continued toward the castle, terrified her parents perished in the cataclysm. Stench wafted from the dead bodies of people, animals and fish and made her nauseous. She reached two more bodies, her stomach clenched with dread. Kneeling, she rolled the first body over and looked into the decaying features of her mother. Around her neck she still wore the black onyx butterfly pendant, a gift her father gave her mother on their first anniversary. Ragged sobs broke from her depths. Her mother, gentle, displaced royalty gone. She scrambled on her knees to the lanky body near that of her mother. She closed her eyes and prayed it wasn’t him, wasn’t her father. She tilted the body toward her and glanced into his lifeless face. Great shudders wracked her body. A chill stole over her, stealing her warmth as though somehow it could be used to reanimate her parents. Gone. They were gone. How often had Keely disregarded them because she believed they ignored her? No more would they try to match her up with a man they deemed worthy of her. No more would they be there to fret about her mental health and her future DNA donor. Their deaths should have brought relief now that she was no longer a pawn in their odd games. Instead, guilt slammed into her with the force of a hurricane. She should have tried harder to communicate her dreams and desires with them, gotten to know why they were so concerned over controlling the physical make-up of their future grand children. Domnu forgive her, she hadn’t made the most of the time she’d been given to be with them. Behind her, she sensed Zion. His rage seethed in palpable waves. The turbulence of his emotions matched hers. Whoever did this needed to pay, needed to be stopped. She gulped down her tears determined to find the person responsible. “Who else has this ability?” she growled. Zion surrounded her with his arms. “You do.” She broke free from his embrace, spun on her heels and confronted him. She tapped a finger against the solid wall of his chest. The fury within demanded release, but she held onto the tattered shreds of her humanity. She looked around once more, taking in the needless destruction, the unnecessary death. She swallowed back the bile burning her throat. “I didn’t do this.” The anger she’d restrained bubbled up from the recesses of her soul. New tears escaped and stung her eyes. She whirled and bolted across the debris-strewn grass toward home. She nearly gained the front doors when she spied a movement at the edge of the castle. Looters. Fury spurred her toward the motion. She rounded the corner ready to leap on the unfortunate

soul who deigned to cross her family’s threshold uninvited. Her intended victim, a tall man, didn’t seem to notice her arrival. With an adrenaline-fueled dive, she crashed on the man’s back and slammed her fist into his kidneys. He hit the ground face first with a grunt, and then with a twist flipped Keely onto her back. She struggled against his stronger physique. His weight bore down on her, effectively controlling her puny efforts. Her lack of physical strength against a foe was disconcerting. However, the alarm in his eyes gave her a moral victory despite the fact that he had her pinned. “Who the fuck are you?” “I’m on top. I ask the questions.” He arched a blond brow. “What are you doing at the Shane residence?” “I live here,” she hissed. Zion’s form hovered at the back of the man who held her captive. Keely smiled. “You don’t.” Zion hauled the man from her body with a single hand. “That’s no way to treat a lady.” “She didn’t kidney punch you.” Zion snarled. “I didn’t give her a reason.” Keely sprang to her feet and kept her voice low and menacing. “I’ll ask you once more–” “Yeah, I know. You want to know who the ‘fuck’ I am. Do I have that about right? Wouldn’t want to miss the tonal inflections you delivered.” She narrowed her eyes and framed her hips with her hands. “My day isn’t going so great right now. Don’t make it worse. Why were you skulking around my house?” The stranger tipped his blond head toward Zion. “Inside jacket pocket. I.D. Thane Denton, EPA.” Keely grimaced. “Earth Protection Agency? Denton nodded “I’m looking for Keely Shane.” The idea of the EPA returning for her didn’t sit well. The visit by Jade and Raiden coupled with their insinuations regarding her past still rankled. It took just a moment to make her decision. Denton wasn’t finding out anything from her anytime soon. Not until she had a clear idea of what the EPA truly expected of her. “Great. Yet another government entity to deal with. Don’t you guys find enough electronic paperwork to do without bothering hard working folk?” This would challenge her nearly non-existent acting abilities. She nonchalantly waved her hand. “Ms. Shane isn’t here.” Ignoring her diatribe, Thane Denton smiled, almost as if he laughed at her. “Ms. Shane, you might be a talented scientist, but don’t ever go into espionage. You already confessed this was your property.” Every fiber in her being wanted to argue with him, but the man caught her in her own small web of deceit. Lying backfired on her every time. “So,” Denton continued. “Do you think you could call this Neanderthal off me?” ***** Zion didn’t like Thane Denton. He didn’t like the way the cocky bastard talked to Keely, didn’t like the way he’d pinned her to the ground outside the Castle. Their chat with him in the parlor didn’t improve Zion’s impression of the fast-talking American. The EPA sounded legit based on his chat with Jade and Raiden, but Thane still hadn’t explained what he exactly wanted Keely to do. If it dealt with stopping Amidurah, he’d let Denton know she wasn’t strong enough to even make an attempt. “The EPA has reason to believe the tsunami was intentionally created.” Zion couldn’t keep the protective growl from his voice. “Go on.” Denton gave a nervous glance to Zion before he directed his comment to Keely. “There have been highly unusual weather patterns on the eastern seaboard of the United States.” “I’m aware of the hurricanes.” Denton’s version of the truth and her soft voice floated through the room to mitigate Zion’s ire.

“Additionally, there was a sizeable tsunami off the coast of Africa.” Keely tapped her fingers against the arm of the Queen Anne chair. “I’m aware of the African tsunami as well, Mr. Denton.” “Do you know the scale of the earthquake preceding the tsunami?” Zion watched Keely purse her lips in thought. He knew the answer to Denton’s question and Zion was certain Keely didn’t. “I don’t recall.” “There’s a reason you don’t recall the Richter measurement of the subduction zone.” Denton paused. “There wasn’t one.” Couldn’t the man just get to the purpose of his visit, and then get the hell out? If the EPA continued to push Keely into service before she was ready, they might agitate the sorcerer and create a worse problem. One that would easily jeopardize Keely. Impatient, Zion blurted out his question. “Your point, Denton?” “There wasn’t one for this last tsunami, either.” Keely closed her eyes and steepled her fingers in front of her chest. “A quake would have set alarms off around the world. Without seismic activity on the ocean floor, especially of the magnitude needed to do this sort of damage sustained in Africa and again here, the early warning system had no information to distribute. Ergo, the tsunami developed from other means. But I fail to see what the lack of an earthquake has to do with me.” “The EPA is aware of your studies regarding dolphin communication. If you converse with these mammals as you claim, is its possible they might give you a personal early warning?” Keely appeared to consider her response to Thane’s question. “The Rossi’s dolphins I work with saved my life, Mr. Denton. I’ll happily pass on any information they give me.” She rose from her seat. “You stated the phenomenon wasn’t caused by an undersea quake. What did cause the tsunami?” Zion watched as a Denton pasted a fake smile on his face. “Unless you agree to help us, Ms. Shane, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be wise to say much more.” The smile Keely returned was just as false. “I totally understand, although more detailed information would help me decide if I can help you or not.” Like a princess, Keely glided toward the door to usher Thane Denton out. Denton took the hint and exited without protest. At the last moment, he turned around. “Someone wields incredible power. I ’ve managed to locate two who’ve helped limit the destruction of the cat six hurricanes. The EPA believes there are others with the ability to combat this bastard. They are our watchtowers against natural disaster.” He walked back up the path. “Here’s my VDU card. Upload it if you need to contact me–for any reason.” Zion stood behind Keely and watched Denton leave, relieved the EPA representative was out of her house. If he’d re-sent Jade and Raiden, at least Keely would have a woman to talk to, maybe share some commonalities with. When he’d met the couple on the beach, he was immediately drawn to Jade. Raiden on the other hand rubbed him the wrong way. He’d sensed the protective man wasn’t revealing all he knew. Zion placed a hand on Keely’s waist and turned her to him. “He’s fishing, looking for someone to counteract Amidurah.” “Amidurah?” Zion nodded. “He’s a thirty-five hundred year old sorcerer with an attitude.” “How do you know?” “Lotis. He’s my eyes and ears under the water with contacts throughout the seven seas.” He smiled and then noticed the pallor of her skin. “You’re exhausted.” Keely nodded. “It’s been a long day. I’ve still got a lot to accomplish, including ....” Her words trailed off and Zion watched the tears rim her eyes. She tried to hide her sorrow by reaching for the com unit. She punched in a code. “This will

alert the authorities. Once they see,” she choked, “my parents, and the others, they’ll take them to the morgue. Then I’ll …” Her parents were dead. Amidurah had taken them from her. Sorrow spilled from her eyes in silent weeping. Tears Zion had been unable to prevent. He held her tighter and let her cry. Her sobs dampened his shirt and like acid, ate away at his heart. She sniffed, swallowed, and looked him in the eyes. “I have to know how much survived.” He propelled her back toward the hallway. “Where’s your bedroom?” “Upstairs.” “I suggest a nap. You’ll be better able to handle the next set of trials rested.” Concern etched her features. “Where will you be?” Zion couldn’t help his impish grin. “Right next to you.” ***** Reclining on her bed, wrapped securely in Zion’s arms was not how she expected the evening to end. The steady thump of his heart, the only normalcy in a world turned inside out, encouraged her to breathe deeply. Zion’s hand stroked her tresses, following the strands to the very ends lying over her shoulder. He wrapped her locks around his fingers and caressed her cheek. Simple and gentle, Keely concentrated on the relaxing caress, tried to toss the pictures of today’s nightmare into a closeted recess in her mind while trying to open another. The soft touches, familiar yet unusual, encouraged her memories to return. He knew her. He knew how to make her body react in longing and how to make the pain of familial rejection diminish. Once again, Keely was alone. She needed Zion, needed him as much as she needed air to breathe. She shifted against his shoulder and allowed dim memories to guide her. She kissed the edge of his chin and waited. Unfurling her hair from around his fingers, he spoke. “Keely, is this wise?” His voice, a soft velvet growl of desire, buoyed her spirits. So much had been lost in the past few days and Zion had been her rock. Making love would anchor Keely to the only person left that she knew and cared about. “I don’t know,” she whispered against the stubble on his face. “Reality and nightmares have exchanged places. Maybe acts of foolishness are the right course of action when nature is denied her proper order.” “You speak in circles,” he rumbled. She smiled against his jaw, kissed the strong planes of his chin and worked her way up to his lips. “You’re torturing me.” His grumbled words tickled her lips. She pushed against him and maneuvered her body so she could straddle his hips. His erection grazed her sex, fueling her need to join with him. Reaching between their bodies, she stroked his length, felt it harden more beneath her palm. “Keely, we’ve been here before—” “I was wrong, confused. You’re the only reality I comprehend and understand; all that is left me.” Firm hands grasped her waist, stole beneath the hem of her sweater to heat her skin. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the electrical sensations race through her body. Memories flared of the times they’d made love on the beach, before her family and psychologists convinced her that he was nothing more than a coping device to handle her isolation. Not so any longer. Sweet, hot memories melted into the sizzling fire trailing through her veins. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she grasped the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. With a sultry glance at Zion, she tossed the garment, and then reached behind her back to unseal her bra, letting it fall in a heap on the bed.

He gasped, his eyes wide, staring at her like a lion waiting to pounce on its prey. “Like what you see?” she taunted. “Oh, yeah. The scenery is excellent.” He flexed his hand against her skin as if he wanted to reach out and touch her breasts. Suddenly his fingers curled into a fist. She shifted against him, sliding her sex against his length. The bulge in his black jeans strained against the material. “One of us is overdressed,” she purred. Again, she slid her hand over his erection, pausing a moment at the top of his zipper. “It’s you.” She shimmied down his thighs until she could lean over the waistband of his jeans. Quickly, she unbuckled his belt, twisted the fastening through the buttonhole and dipped her head toward the zipper tab. Zion groaned. “If you go there, I won’t be able to stop myself.” “I don’t want you to.” She gripped the pull-tab with her teeth and dragged the zipper down. His massive erection jutted free near her lips and she glided her hands beneath the waistband of his jeans and pulled them over his hips. Another wave of familiarity washed over her. She was comfortable with his body, more proof of the part he’d played in her life years earlier. She palmed his length and opened her mouth to accept the burgundy head of his sex between her lips. Filling her mouth, Keely had forgotten how he felt and tasted. Her tongue slipped over the satin smooth head and she tasted the warm, slightly salty skin of his shaft. A moan of recognition rumbled from her mouth and vibrated around his cock. Zion jerked, fisting his hands in her hair. “Do that again,” he groaned, “and I’ll come in your mouth.” In reply, she took more of him, deeper into her mouth, laving his length, teasing the slit at the top of his cock with her tongue. Newfound familiarity comforted Keely in a way she hadn’t expected. Releasing her hair, Zion grabbed her shoulders and lifted her off his length. She moaned. “Don’t you like what I’m doing?” He didn’t answer immediately. Zion partially sat up and with deft fingers unfastened her jeans, shoving the garment to her thighs. “Get them off,” he ordered, his fingers moving her panties to the side. Warm cream flooded her core and her breath hitched. Keely shook the jeans off first one leg, and then the other. She tried to pull the silky undergarment down, but it tangled in Zion’s fingers. “No more panties.” He yanked on the material, rending it, the ripping sound loud in the quiet room. Two of his strong fingers entered her as he lay back down, pumping in and out of her until she was nearly a molten mass of hot, mindless lava. She rode those digits giving way to the tremors seizing her body. “Yes,” she moaned, agreeing to his demand. “No.” His husky rebuttal surprised her, but she couldn’t stop writhing. “Not yet. I want to feel you come around me.” Zion withdrew his fingers, grasped her waist and slightly lifted her, positioning her over his cock. “Last chance, Keely.” The trembling in her body begged for release. She needed him, needed to finish what they started here and in the cave days before. Wriggling, she impaled herself on his rod, letting him fill and stretch her. The aching sense of familiarity flashed through her mind, heightened by her possession of him. Pressing her hands against his firm thighs, she lifted, then descended again and again on his cock He thrust up. One hand held her hip while the other fondled her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. Another flash of flame ripped through her, starting at the taut nipple and ending where they were merged as man and woman. She quivered with the ecstasy he created. Deliciously filled, she tightened around him, sliding up and down, breathless moans escaping her lips. “That’s it, Keely, come for me. Let me feel you, baby.” He savagely stroked up and lightly brushed the pad of his finger over her sensitized nipple. Within her core, Zion’s cock swelled and he groaned, fierce and feral.

Squeezing tightly around him, a vortex of flame engulfed Keely, hurling her to a center of unrestrained passion. The fire within her coalesced into a single mass of super heated sensations. Keely’ s keening wail accompanied by her clenching muscles joined his frenetic groans. When he released deep into her she was lost in a blinding nova of orgasmic rapture. ***** Keely collapsed on his chest, listening to the loud, rapid-fire thumping of his heart. The swirl of sensual sensations slowly diminished, leaving her a spent, boneless heap sprawled on Zion’s body. When she woke, she was surprised to see the fingers of the sun stab through the western window of her bedroom. Naked, she slipped from beneath Zion’s muscular arms, padded to her dresser and pulled out a cropped goldenrod tee and rust colored capris. Sliding them on, she surveyed her room. The roof had a gaping hole and cracks in the walls let in light. In addition, the pictures of the destruction’s remnants jumped around behind her eyelids like vengeful dragons. Even the colorful glow of the impending sunset didn’t ease the ugliness of the beach scene. Thane Denton’s arrival and revelations only reinforced the message Zion tried to get through her hard head. All of it eerily echoed the words of the first EPA visitors. She had the ability to stop Amidurah. She clenched her fists. “What’s going on in your mind?” Zion’s words lifted stray strands of her hair near her ear. A small smile crept into her face and she turned to look at the sexy undersea god. He’d donned his jeans once again, but hadn’t replaced the tee-shirt. Sculpted muscles called to her to touch him again. She’d never get enough of him. Exhaling, Keely relaxed her hands. Zion’s silken words tempered her anger and helped her remember kindness and concern. She leaned against the window frame and stared at the beach. All the ugliness of the world lay strewn on the pale sand, but the bodies of her parents were at least gone, held in storage for the time when she’d give them her final farewell. The sight matched her feelings of resentment and exasperation. “So much viciousness from one individual.” He took her hand. The simple gesture flustered her insides, as if a thousand butterflies flitted within her stomach. Zion exuded strength though she felt drained. With a squeeze of her hand, he let go and paced to the door. “The hurricanes aren’t all, you know.” Zion’s voice, calm and matter of fact, worried her. She nodded. “There are the tsunamis as well.” “Amidurah’s goal is to be dictator of the world.” Keely gasped. “How can anyone accomplish complete dominion? Total control failed every time it was attempted according to history.” Zion paced away. “While my father and the rest of the Olympians like to think they’re the only show in town, many Atlanteans, me included, know they’re not. No one religion on Earth has it completely right. Every evil has an equal in good.” Her heart pounded in trepidation. What did religion have to do with Amidurah? Where was Zion’s logic taking them next? “Okay,” she drawled. He turned to face her from across the room. “I believe there is a higher guardian of Earth and the cosmos. Amidurah believes the earth is his protectorate, belonging to him alone. He has incredible power. He’s shown he manipulates the wind and the water. He may have other abilities he hasn’t revealed yet.” Keely turned from the window and moved toward Zion. “Such as?” “Many believe the basic elements of the earth are tied together. He’s managed to tap two.” Zion recrossed the room and held both her hands in his. “This is where you come in.” Her chest muscles knotted. “How can I possibly have anything to do with Amidurah?” “The afternoon I first sought you...I told you my people needed your help. I showed you how I

controlled the water.” Again she nodded her head, remembering all the requests she’d ignored. “Keely, you can do the same and more. You’re the balance.”

Chapter Seven

The look Keely gave him could have melted a polar ice cap. “I know you said I could control the water, but what makes you think I can and rival Amidurah’s strength without a thousand years or more of practice?” “Amidurah has a following.” She fixed him with a stare. “A following? Like groupies?” Zion laughed. “In a manner of speaking. Not a holostar; more like a religious leader. They call him ‘Your Grace.’” “How do you know?” His laughter faded away like the sun leached the color from hair during a hot summer. “Ireland isn’t the only place I’ve spent time. Amidurah’s ‘groupies’ exist worldwide. He favors them with inflammatory, charismatic speeches about a New World order. A world cleansed of pollution and the abuses mankind has heaped upon it.” Her eyes widened and she grimaced. “You’re concerned his utopia will necessitate...” She couldn’t finish. He could see she realized the implications of his words. An idea too heinous to be real to her quiet soul. Repeated strikes with his father’s trident would have been less painful than seeing the look of revulsion on her face. Amidurah wouldn’t be satisfied until the world was solely his. To accomplish such a feat required the extermination of nearly the entire human race. Perhaps her willful spirit would rally to prevent the annihilation of the world’s population. If not, he’d have to match her stubborn streak with his own. “Come,” he said, in an attempt to take the weight from her shoulders. “Let’s see what you can do.” Her scowl would deter most men. Thank Zeus he wasn’t most men. “I don’t possess the ability you ascribe to me.” “Because you haven’t accepted it, nor practiced with it.” She sighed, compliance evident in the sound. “You believe I can stand up to Amidurah.” It wasn’t a question. The words fell from her mouth heavy and defeated. With her attitude of resignation, Zion knew the battle would be difficult. He needed to prepare and convince her she had a chance. “Tomorrow Keely. Tomorrow I’ll show you what you are capable of.” “Why not tonight?” “You wanted to know the state of your research. Once we resolve where your work stands–” the sound of a breaking piece of glass stopped him mid-sentence. “Shh.” Fear leapt into her green eyes faster than a horse reared from a threatening animal. “What is it?” “Someone is in the Castle. Can you reach the Sentries on your pc link?” Keely nodded, her deft fingers already sending the emergency information. Zion moved toward the bedroom door. With a whoosh the door slid open. He turned and held her with his gaze. He needed Keely’s assistance to navigate the house. “Stay behind me.” She met his stare, her eyes never wavering. Those green eyes, the color of the Irish hills, made him consider the possibility of living permanently on land.

“I can take care of myself. I have my stun gun. Besides, I alerted the Sentries.” “Humor me.” The noise he’d heard set his senses on full-scale alert. He needed to know she was safe. Keeping her with him allowed the luxury of knowing where she was at all times and permitted him to protect her. Zion kept close to the hall wall and treaded carefully. He sensed Keely behind him. The floor, cool under his bare feet wouldn’t give him away, not yet. The element of surprise was vastly underrated and he planned to use it if possible. He took a deep breath and readied for the coming confrontation. “The elevator is down the next corridor.” Zion glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smile. By Poseidon’s trident, she stole his breath with her earthly beauty. He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek and allowed the strands of her red hair to slide between his fingers. Scenes of their lovemaking danced in his mind and his shaft hardened and rubbed against the confines of his black jeans. He stifled his groan of desire and shoved back the lust she stirred. Concentrate on making sure the house is safe. His reminder propelled him on. He slid further down the hall and turned right. At the elevator, Zion waited for Keely. Above, an electronic eye stared, unblinking. “The elevator is out. Where are the stairs?” Keely stepped around him. He followed the sway of her curvy ass down another hall. She paused at the head of the stairs and waited. A smirk lifted her lips. “After you, big guy. I don’t want to disobey your orders.” Zion crossed in front of her. The sound of each foot falling on the stairs echoed unnaturally loud in his head. Did their unwanted visitor hear them advance? “This is ridiculous, sneaking around my own home.” The whisper cut across his skin like a halberd freshly honed blade. She needed to keep those sorts of thoughts to herself until this escapade was resolved. Losing the advantage of surprise could out Keely at risk, something he’d do his utmost to avoid. The thought of a life without her vivacious energy was not to be borne. He glared and put his finger to his lips, with hopes the action would quiet her. “Shh.” Keely scrunched her face and tossed her head. The curls of her silky red hair bounced. If all she did was make a silly face at him, fine. Her compliance would keep her alive. A glance in the main hall revealed no human activity. So far, so good. Zion took a deep breath and peered into the open door of the parlor. Nothing. He kept to the wall and edged back toward the less formal living area. Another empty room. The damage the house sustained from the tsunami might be responsible for the noise. Beneath his feet, the synthetic floor seeped cold. His extremities protested at the abuse. The muscles, chilled, refused to respond rapidly. He leaned forward, kept his vision fixed on the rear of the main floor and rubbed his calves. “What’s wrong?” He gave Keely a wan smile. Pleasure swelled within his breast at her concern. “Floor is cold.” “The entire house is. The climate control failed.” Zion moved forward. If Keely joined him in Atlantis, she’d never be concerned about climate control again. What would it take to get her to stay with him? Another noise. This time, a splash. He spun to see where Keely was. Thank Zeus, she remained behind him. “Where’d that come from?” Her eyes widened. “Dungeon.” “How do I get to it?” She took a deep breath. The action lifted her generous breasts. His hands ached to hold them. Later. Caressing her would have to come later, once the danger passed. Keely moved around him. “This way.” He shot his arm forward and grasped her hand. He encountered firm yet soft skin. His heart beat in a cadence he found alarming. Just touching her added more fuel to the flame of the arousal he couldn’t quell. He pulled her back. “Stay close.”

Zion didn’t release her hand. She stood in front of his shoulder where he could jerk her behind him if necessary. She flashed him a look of irritation. Her mouth thinned and her jaw twitched. “This isn’t the seventeenth century, you know.” With a nudge, he sent her forward. At each doorway, he halted her and waved his hand in front of the sensory beam. Few of the rays worked. Of the minority managing to operate on standby power, the door panels slid silently into their recesses. Closed doors refusing to open provided a sense of safety. The ones opening made him nervous. Adrenaline pumped through his blood. Keely led him to the closed door of her dungeon. His breath hitched. He waved his hand in front of the sensor, jerked her behind him, and flattened himself against the wall. Nothing. Not a swoosh, a click, or a single sound emanated from the door. Shit. He ran his fingers over the edge of the small curve framing the door. Where was the auto release latch? High on the far side of the door he touched the trigger. The audible click resounded in the back room. He jumped back to his former position of safety. The door slid open. He stole a look around the frame and saw nothing but empty, stone stairs. The sound of splashing water reached his ears. Good, water was his element. The liquid provided him with additional strength and the weapon of itself if needed. With all the noise the intruder made, Zion was certain they hadn’t been heard opening the door. He turned his head toward Keely, stared at her and nodded his head back toward the entryway. She returned the nod. Zion kept to the edge of the steps, placed each foot cautiously on the next step. The chill of the house, more pronounced on the stone, knotted his calf. He stopped and flexed his foot. Keely hovered near his back. She held her stun gun, the latest Sig Immobilizer, steady. Zion watched her arm tense. She could get away from the intruder if she shot the powerful weapon. She shouldn’t be here, her usefulness in getting him to the dungeon, ended. Upstairs she could wait in safety for the Sentries and his return. He straightened and leaned toward her ear. “Go back upstairs and wait.” She shook her head. “I know you’re strong and all, but it looks to me like you’re having issues.” Denial sprung to his lips. He didn’t relish living on dry land. Being topside was as foreign to him as breathing water was to Keely. Admitting a weakness, though, he wouldn’t do. “Please.” “No.” He frowned. “You’re going to get killed.” “I’m being sacrificed to Amidurah anyway. I have no hope whatsoever of defeating this menace. What does it matter?” The words slammed into his chest like hurled daggers. It mattered. She mattered. “You’re not being sacrificed, Keely.” She shrugged. “Semantics.” He glared at her. She glared back. Infuriating, stubborn woman! “Go!” Keely pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. The look combined with a shake of her red tresses alarmed him. The tight lips and rigid stance left no doubt she wasn’t backing down. He spoke in a low voice. “You win, but this isn’t over.” He turned away from her and crept down another set of steps. Her breath, hot on his neck, told him she’d stayed close. Near the bottom of the stairs, Zion risked a quick look. No lights lit the dim room. The cellar of the Castle was decorated to give the impression of a dungeon complete with barred cells. The water on the floor, almost level with the lower step, shimmied. Fish. The water in the dungeon came from the tsunami. Nothing else in the room moved. Zion sloshed into the area and kept close to the walls. Ahh. Healing energy flowed into him from the seawater. The cold in his legs eased and his eyes adjusted to the dim light. He stepped

forward. The faintest splash sent water onto his bare leg. “Brr.” He grinned. “You get used to it.” Zion continued on. Their motion should have turned on the recessed lights in the ceiling. The room remained dim, a blessing from Zeus. At the far end he spied another door, partially closed. He reached back and placed his hand on Keely’s arm. Waves of sensual awareness flooded him again. Once they dealt with the coming unpleasantness he would love her, release his frustrations, claim her as his, and let her know beyond any qualms, she mattered. Greatly. By the seven seas he wanted to make love to her! Take her in every way imaginable. His thick erection pointed to the heavens, uncomfortably tight against the heavy black denim. He shifted his weight, an attempt to prevent Keely from seeing his randiness. The erotic thoughts punctured into his heart like a trident pinning a victim to the sea floor. He was no better than his licentious father was. He forced the words from his mouth in a hoarse whisper. He had to keep his mind on the intruder and keeping Keely safe. Not bedding her. “What’s behind the door?” “All my research.” A crash coupled with swearing broke from the room. Zion couldn’t any longer entertain thoughts of a trapped animal, or the reaction of the house to the tsunami. No doubts remained. Someone was in her office.

Chapter Eight

The noise of her equipment falling into the water stopped Keely cold. Her breath quickened. The sound reverberated in her ears like the ancient beating of tribal drums. Frigid water soaked the lower legs of her capris and chilled her skin. She clenched a fist in fury. Who the hell was in her office and why were they tossing her stuff about? She checked her Sig, flipped the safety off, and set the gun to a mid-intensity stun. She fingered the weapon comfortable with the perfect way it matched her grip. Blasting the bastard would provide some sense of satisfaction. She raced around Zion. The aquatic god lurched forward to grab her and missed. The looter stood with his back to her. He was tall with broad shoulders and presented a target she couldn’t miss. She fired the Sig, streaks of electric light flying across the room and into the back of the perpetrator. His scream rent the air. The buzz of the Sig drowned out his curses. Keely continued firing and ignored the smell of singed flesh. She was furious. She wasn’t about to stop until the man dropped. No one invaded her sanctuary. No one. A hand grasped her by the wrist. “Keely, stop. You’ll kill him.” She eased up on the trigger. Zion’s forceful grip lessened. Keely watched the man fall forward, grab the edge of her work desk, and then slump over. The rapid pounding of her heart slowed. Her ire fled. Guilt washed over her with the violence of the tsunami and threatened to make her vomit. “Oh my God, what did I do?” Shoving the gun in her pocket, Keely leaned over and allowed the queasiness to subside. Zion sloshed forward and threw the man over his shoulder, blocking his face from her view. With her head nearly between her legs, Keely won the battle over her stomach. “Take him to the parlor.”

“Are you okay?” She allowed herself a moment to stare at Zion. His skin glowed with a healthy, dark tan, his blond hair subtly reflecting the insufficient light of the dungeon. He was glorious in his near nakedness. In her current world, he was the essence of normality. She envied his calm. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” After inhaling several deep breaths, Keely stood and splashed over to the desk. Video chips lay scattered along the top next to her sleeping VDU. “On.” The visual display sputtered with eerie buzzes, flickered, and projected a distorted image. Keely ’s eyes widened in disbelief. The intruder wasn’t a pure opportunist, looking for easy finances. No, this trespasser purposely targeted Keely, and more specifically her work. Spinning around, Keely headed for the parlor. The waters splashed higher on her clothing. The damp material chilled her skin, but not her temper. By the time she arrived at the top of the stone stairs, she was thoroughly steamed. Her shoes squished in the hallway and heralded her arrival at the parlor. Zion glanced up and shook his head. “He’s still unconscious.” Keely narrowed her gaze at the back of the prostrate figure on the couch. The guilt she experienced earlier passed. She wanted to grab the man and shake him senseless, an action currently without purpose. Later. When he woke, she wouldn’t hold back a sliver of her temper. She pointed a shaking finger at him. “That man ransacked my study notes.” Zion stood and crossed the room. Taking her into his arms, he crooned. “I’m sorry, Keely. I know how important your studies are to you.” His scent, the sound of his steady heartbeat, the solid chest she leaned against, all worked together. His hands stroked her back, her hair, kneaded her shoulders. The powerful combination did more for her peace of mind than any prescription she ever took. Every time Zion pulled her into the conclave of his arms, Keely calmed. “My work is the single most essential thing in my life.” Zion stiffened. She leaned more fully against his chest, ran her fingers over the strong ridges of muscle, the odd line of a scar that flawed his chest. She stroked her fingers against his jaw. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. “I don’t know what we have, but, I’m connected to you on the deepest level I’ve ever known.” “You spoke of hallucinations and fantasies when we first met. For years, you were an unobtainable dream. I won’t accept second place to your work.” She sighed and pushed away from him. Without the warmth of his arms, Keely chilled, goose bumps rising on her skin. The men in her life restricted her from solving the mystery of her communication with the dolphins with their conditions and lack of support. First, her father demanded she swap DNA with someone deemed worthy and now Zion insisted he was more important than her studies. Damn them! She had gotten this far without their validation and could continue to do so if need be. A low moan from the man on the couch interrupted her thoughts. Zion headed toward the uninvited guest. Keely followed. For the first time since they left the bedroom, she gladly focused her attention on something else. The subject of her work and its significance in their burgeoning relationship was one she was loath to deal with right now. Zion’s back blocked her view of the interloper. She scooted around him and gazed into the unconscious face of the man she’d shot. She gasped in shock. She knew this man. All the fury she quelled moments ago raced through her body. What the hell was he doing in her house? Her victim’s eyes flitted open. He looked at Zion’s face, and then into hers. Recognition flickered in his eyes and he tried to sit up. “Stephen Doubilet, what are you doing in my house?” The lanky man froze trying to get upright. There was a slight tremble to his lower lip. “You know this man?” Zion sounded angry. Keely pulled the Sig from her pocket, the handle considerably cooler since she’d fired it.

Memories of their conversation replayed in her mind, the offers of support, and the flattery of being a unique thinker. She took a deep breath and leveled the weapon at him. “I won’t ask twice.” His glance darted from her, to Zion, to the gun in her hand, and back to her face. Beads of sweat appeared on his brow despite the cool room. “I thought you were dead.” He swallowed several times as if he were trying to force words out of his throat. “I wanted to preserve your work for posterity.” Her jaw tensed and she ground her teeth. It took all she had to control her wrath and keep from zapping his sorry ass off the couch. She’d settle for a little less and allow him to stand before she fired her Sig. She’d literally zap his ass, out of her house, out of her life. Keely stepped away from the couch and kept the Sig trained on him. “Get up, Doubilet.” The man’s eyes bounced back and forth in his head like a perpetual motion toy. Keely felt the fear radiate from his body. “You heard the lady.” Zion moved closer, grasped Doubilet by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him from the couch. For a suspended moment in time, Stephen acted the part of a boisterous hoodlum. His voice deepened. “You can’t do this to me. I have powerful friends.” He finished with a sneer. “You can’t begin to comprehend how powerful.” Then his eyes widened and his bravado deflated like a punctured balloon. Keely turned to see what altered his state so rapidly. Sentries stood in the doorway. “We heard enough.” The mechanically enhanced men grabbed Doubilet and dragged him from the room. Shaking, as violent as a powerful earthquake, rushed through Keely’s body. The tremors started in her fingers, rushed through her arms, and didn’t stop even when her entire body shuddered with visible force. Zion clutched her elbow and led her to the couch. “Keely, its over, he’s gone.” Not that she was frightened. The discovery of Stephen Doubilet’s duplicity sent additional blasts of adrenaline through her blood. Several deep breaths later, she began to calm. Zion’s deep voice further reassured her. “What did he want with your research?” A good question. She furrowed her brows in thought, and then shivered. “He thought the dolphins communicated information that could be used to pre-warn people about undersea events.” Given what she’d learned from Zion and Thane since making her agreement with Doubilet, a nebulous thought formed. “I think he works for Amidurah.” Zion frowned. “Knowledge from the dolphins is useful to Amidurah to prevent counteraction to his manipulations of the seas.” She mulled over his statement. “Thane indicated Amidurah had something to do with the hurricanes and tsunamis. What else can this maniac influence?” “The remaining elements are earth and fire. We’ll never know until someone opposes him.” He took a deep breath. “Are you ready to see what you can do?” Her mouth suddenly went dry and Keely licked her lips. Silence hung between them like a sword poised to lop off an enemy’s head. Then her ears heard a faint whir. The Castle was righting itself. In a short while, the climate control would resume and the sump pump would begin to work on removing the remaining water from the dungeon. The locking mechanisms on the doors would engage. She’d check for system hardware integrity after the room dried, if the resettling didn’t further damage her home. The information loaded in the VDU was compromised by the damage Doubilet visited on the unit. Her most recent breakthroughs hadn’t been transferred yet to VDU storage. Knowing the tiny encapsulated chip replicated her basic studies and was stored in two separate locations, Keely nodded her head assured that not all was lost.

Chapter Nine

Keely tied her hair back and watched Zion check the power level of the yellow jet bike in the stable. Enjoyed the way his muscles flexed and the definition the tight, black cotton jeans gave his ass. Nothing in her imagination prepared her for the reality of Zion and his sexiness. Heat pooled between her legs thinking of the way they’d made love, the ways they could make love. “We’re set to go.” She was set all right. Not to practice her supposed power in the upcoming fight with Amidurah but set to jump Zion’s bones. She shifted trying to ease the volcano-like desire building and ready to erupt in her core. “Great.” Her voice sounded half-hearted. She didn’t want to manipulate the water like she’d seen Zion do. Nature never intended people to wield the sort of power capable of changing the flow of rivers and pushing back tides. “So what are you standing there for? Get on.” Or get off. She shook her head. Domnu help her. She couldn’t get her mind off the possibility of a quickie with this hunk. Keely straddled the jet bike and placed her hands around Zion’s waist. The black tee he’d donned after the Sentries removed Doubilet, molded to his torso, the heat of his body engulfing her hands and arms. She couldn’t imagine getting to Doonbeg River, ten minutes away, without spontaneously combusting from the sexual fire smoldering within. Between her legs the engine of the bike thrummed to life, the sensations acting like a huge vibrator against her sensitive slit. She’d never make it to Doonbeg without bursting into a spontaneous orgasm. Zion gunned the machine and it shot forward out of the stable and onto the path leading to the road. Every direction she looked traveling north dampened her sexual ardor. Keely saw the damage wrought by Amidurah’s tsunami. Crews on N67 worked to clear a wider path free of dirt, broken oak limbs, and pieces of buildings. The gentle roll of the green hills was dotted with small, contained fires. The scent of burning flesh tainted the air. The cloying odor roiled her stomach, overpowering the vibrations racing through her body and corresponding longing. She still couldn’t comprehend the necessity of such needless violence. What did Amidurah hope to accomplish with such destruction? Just outside the town of Doonbeg, Zion turned onto a narrow road. Evidence of the tsunami shoving the ocean water up the river littered the area. He dodged the bike around downed trees and decaying animals. “Stop.” The single word seemed enough for him to bring the bike to a halt. She leapt from the seat and ran to a tree near the side of the road. Her stomach reacted to the surroundings forcing her to bend at the waist. She heaved, shoulders lurching forward, but nothing came up. Tears slid down her face, a visceral reaction to the combination of what she saw, the dismay she felt, and her inability to vomit the intangible. Behind her, she heard Zion’s footfall trample the grass. He draped an arm around her shoulder and one of his hands pulled the strands of her hair away from her face. His presence offered her comfort. She caught her breath and stopped jerking. The tears continued in a helpless torrent of the anger, betrayal, and disappointment she’d kept dammed up. Zion turned her toward him, wrapped his arms around her and said nothing. Words were unnecessary. The safety and comfort of his arms allowed her sanctuary and told

her more about him than weeks of long drawn out courting rituals. The pad of one of his thumbs brushed aside an errant tear. Keely wanted to linger in the haven Zion provided knowing she couldn’t. Amidurah beckoned with his calling cards of natural disasters of unprecedented proportions. Weak, she knew she was no match for him. Only one reasonable choice was left. She straightened, cleared her throat, and leaned back to look into Zion’s blue eyes. Her pain mingled with his and radiated back. She reached up and stroked the side of his face, a tender caress to give back a little of the comfort he’d given her. “I’m ready to bring this bastard down.” ***** Keely’s statement echoed in his mind. She was mentally ready to take on Amidurah.. He fisted his hands in her hair and kissed her, his lips crushing hers in possession. Beneath his, her mouth opened in invitation. He thrust his tongue into her warmth, stroking the velvety heat. Her body melted against his, made him aware of every sexy curve and his own hard desire. By the gods, he wanted to take her this very moment. With effort he pulled his lips from hers. “You make me insane with lust.” A blush crept up her face and she cast her gaze toward the ground. “I feel pretty much the same.” He tipped her chin up and stared into her green depths, wanted to devour her with his primitive urges. Silky soft, her very skin called to him to make love to her all day long. Amazing, she’d finally given in to his presence and he’d been the one blessed. There would never again be life for him without her by his side. The thoughts made a difference. Poseidon held no such beliefs beyond lust and sating the body with whomever was handy. He reigned in his desire the way that his father halted the hippocampi, with powerful yanks on his mental restraints. “Much as I’d like to test the limits of my virility and your ability for limitless orgasm we don’t have the time.” Her eyes warmed and she blushed again. “I’d like to try.” Suddenly Zion felt like beating his chest in victory. The sound of her husky voice nearly swayed him from his resolve. “The sooner we find out just what you do, the sooner we discover our limits.” He winked. A smile briefly crossed her face, and then her countenance turned serious. “Just what did you have in mind?” He couldn’t resist answering the question. “I thought about electronic bracelets locking your wrists to the bedposts and a pair for your ankles.” He rubbed his chin in mock thought. “Yes, then I could have you at my will, any way I desired.” Her eyes widened. “You’d do that?” “And more. I’ll tantalize you into total submission, darling.” The thought of her helpless beneath him, writhing in pleasure hardened his cock to the point of pain. He leered at her, licked his lips, and reached out to grab her. Keely scampered away from his outstretched arms. “Oh, you big tease,” she laughed. “It’s time to get serious.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m not?” ***** She forgot to breathe. Zion’s suggestions were so, well, suggestive. Her nipples tightened against the synthetic cropped blouse. He knew how to make her body quiver with erotic excitement. The sooner they worked on her water control, the sooner she’d discover what other sensations he’d elicit in her sexually hungry body.

Instead of responding to his playful question, she turned her back and headed toward the Doonbeg River. The scars wrought by Amidurah on the river and the surrounding land burned onto her retina. She’d never forget what he’d done to her beloved Ireland or the murder of her parents. Keely stuck out her hands, pointing them at the still murky water. Nothing. Disappointment held her in its grip. At the beach, Zion had flexed his wrist and the incoming wave stopped mid-motion. Another twist and the ocean resumed its advance to the beach. She scowled. “Here now, you’re going about it wrong.” Spinning, she faced Zion. “Then what am I supposed to do?” He turned her so she looked at the river again. His arms came down on each side of her with his hands resting on top of hers. His warm breath tickled the side of her neck. “Relax. Let your essence open to the innate, natural power of the water. Close your mind to outside influence.” She nearly snorted. She fought to close her mind to the loud crashing water and the singing birds, but was unable to keep him from her thoughts. A subtle move and his hands would be on her waist, skimming up the side of her ribs and able to caress her breasts. Her heart pounded in a crazy staccato. Always she’d be aware of Zion, his male presence, the scent of his skin, the way she responded to his touch. There was nothing to do but settle for what she could do. “Good. You’ve been angry with what Amidurah’s done. Rightfully so. Now let go of the anger and think of why he must be stopped. Let empathy and sorrows guide you. Love, kindness, and genuine concern are far more powerful than the hatred and revenge flowing from his being.” Keely closed her eyes and concentrated. There were precious few memories of love in her past. Sorrow for the losses she and others endured and empathy for the plight of the ocean’s life abounded. Memories of her parents decaying bodies, the destruction visible on the beach, roads, and pastures rushed to mind. Her heart clenched with the ache such devastation created. “Yes, Keely. Strong, sincere emotions will combat Amidurah and weaken his strength. Let the truth of his ugliness guide your responses.” Zion’s hands kept her arms lifted in front of her. He provided her with physical strength and more. A thread of power connected them. Cleansing her spirit, she inhaled deeply, exhaled, and repeated the action. She let go of her sorrow and felt tears steak down her face. “That’s it. Let it go, all of it.” The power grew. The tenuous thread between them became a ribbon, turned into a rope. It wrapped protectively around her, binding her with strength. She opened her eyes and gasped. A narrow wall of water stood tall in the middle of the river and cast a rainbow. ***** Keely stared out her bedroom window, a hand resting flat against the wall. She’d been like that for nearly a half-hour, not saying a word. All Zion did was hold her. The satin smooth texture of her skin, the floral scent of her hair renewed his resolve and strength in ways he didn’t know were possible. She turned, broke from his hold, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Will I have to work myself into such an emotional state every time I use this ability?” He looked at the pale gray, splintered walls of her bedroom before meeting her anxious eyes. Apprehension filled her green depths. There was more, an unspoken fear that tore into him like a mouthful of shark’s teeth. Zion didn’t know how to respond. She’d managed a thin wall of water, the effort depleting her physically and emotionally. Hell, her struggle fatigued him. It would be a long time before she could handle the feat on her own. Time they didn’t necessarily have. He needed to return to Atlantis and rebuild his own diminishing strength if he were to be of use to Keely or his people. “No. Not every time.” “How long then before I don’t feel like a wrung out rag?”

“Depends.” “On?” “Your aptitude and willingness to learn, practice, and cultivate your power and emotions.” “Like this?” Keely stood on her tiptoes, took his face between her hands and kissed him. Zion surrendered to her insistent kiss; allowed her to take control by softening his lips beneath hers. Keely represented everything right with the world. Studious, kind, tender hearted, beautiful. The perfect counterpart to govern Atlantis. He stroked her cheek with his fingers, memorizing the feel of her delicate, scented skin. The reality of Keely was better than the visitations he’d made in her mind prior to her eighteenth birthday. He hated the thought of letting her go. But he had to. He pulled her hands from his face and kept them captured between his own. The colorless gray walls of the bedroom closed in around him, constricting the breath in his lungs. He had to leave. Soon. He shifted from foot to foot. “What is it, Zion?” Her voice, a barely audible whisper, slashed at his heart. Every moment he spent with her on land took twice as much energy as his life in the sea. The power that flowed from him to her emptied the little reserve he had remaining. “You know I’d never willingly abandon you. You’re the most important woman in my life.” Her eyes lit with happiness and she shyly smiled. “But, I can’t stay indefinitely. I have to leave.”

Chapter Ten

Keely couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. “Leave?” Zion nodded. “On land, my power diminishes, rapidly.” A chill caressed her skin and she rubbed her arms. Her mouth formed an “O” but the word didn ’t come out. He had to leave her. The man who’d just professed his devotion was leaving. She rolled the words around in her mind and tried to keep them from stabbing and slicing her heart. She failed. She stumbled away from Zion. With the heel of her hand, she scrubbed her eyes, an attempt to keep tears from falling. She didn’t want to face him, not until she could calm her swirling emotions and get herself together. “When?” The single choked word was all she managed. “Soon.” She swallowed hard. That one word he uttered sounded forlorn. “You don’t want to go?” A moment later, Zion was behind her and turned her to face him, his hands gripping her upper arms. “No. But, I must. I’ll be no good to you dead.” Keely flinched as if she’d been slapped. Worry gnawed at her stomach. “Dead? What’s wrong with you?” He let go of her arm and stroked her face. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I can’t stay topside for long. I am, after all, a man of the sea.” She nodded, trying to comprehend. Part of her mind accepted his words at value. Another part realized with sadness they could never be together permanently. Her heart ached with loss. “Will you come back?” He smiled. “For as long as I’m wanted.” The words were hauntingly familiar. She laid her palm over the top of his hand. Firm and strong,

just like the rest of him. But it was an illusion. A strength he couldn’t maintain on land. Zion weak was not a reality she readily imagined, not when his potency currently emanated from every pore. Keely drew his hand toward her lips and kissed the tender inner skin. Zion began to pull away. Keely kept a tight hold, kissing his palm again, covering every centimeter of skin with her lips. She had to show him how much she loved him, even knowing he would have to leave her forever one day. When she reached the pad of his forefinger, she drew it into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the tip. A needy groan met her ears. She released his finger, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips. Zion grasped her hips and pressed her against him. His erection nudged her sex and she spread her legs. With a shaky breath, she pulled away from his face, as sexually aroused and aching as he was. “I want to make love to you before you go.” He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, tipped her chin upward and crushed her against the solid wall of his chest. The strong column of his neck called to her and Keely nibbled on the slightly salty skin, working her way up to the tip of his earlobe. Tasting Zion intoxicated her. She’d never get enough of him. “I want to feel you around me,” he whispered, his voice uneven. Lowering her feet back to the floor, she unfastened his jeans and shoved them off his hips to pool around his ankles. Deftly, he stepped out of them, held her away from his body and stripped off his shirt. Warmth flooded her body, preparing her to accept his length deep between her legs. Together they would make love to one another, create a new symphony, and weave a tapestry of binding love, all symbolized in the union of their bodies with one another. Her goldenrod shirt flew off her body in a rush. Cool air caressed her skin, but it didn’t stop her from reaching for the waistband of her capris. Her hand met Zion’s. Together they tugged the slacks down, until she too was gloriously free of restraining clothing. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her nipples tingled against his skin, hardening into tight, aching points. Caressing Zion’s taut muscles, it was hard to believe he could ever be weak. But the way he’d said it had frightened her. Accepting he had to depart was difficult, but if leaving kept him alive, Keely had no choice but to let him go. A firm hand stroked over her bottom, a finger teased the cleft between her thighs. She shimmied against the caress, her breath caught in a hitch as she waited for more. Zion slipped from beneath her arms and with a light stroke of his hands on the backs of her thighs, dropped to his knees. “Mmm, you smell so good I want to taste you.” Anticipation coiled low in her belly, arousing her further. She shifted slightly when he pulled her thighs closer to his lips. When the first stroke of his tongue touched her intimately, Keely moaned. Languid lashes started at her clitoris and continued to probe her ready entrance. Her hips bucked forward to let more of Zion’s wicked tongue minister to her. Damn, but his tonguing felt wonderful. “You’re so wet, il mio cuore. It would seem you enjoy oral pleasure.” He laughed, a soft intimate sound. Keely moaned again. “Yes.” She closed her eyes, giving herself over the sensual electricity. Unexpectedly, Zion entered a finger into her heat. Her eyes flew open even as she squeezed around the digit. “Oh, yes.” She grasped the top of Zion’s head pumping against his tongue and finger. He sucked harder, whipping her to a frenzy with his tongue. A second finger entered her, stroking her creamy center. He reached up and caressed her breast, lightly flicking her nipple. In her core, she felt the trembling of her impending climax. She pushed harder against his hand, wanting to encourage another digit to enter her. Abruptly, he pulled away. “Oh no, not yet.” His fingers withdrew from her heat. Zion stood and pressed his erection against her. Glancing at his rod, Keely sighed in frustration. “You didn’t let me come.”

He smiled at her, held a pair of fingers to his nose and inhaled. “Your lust tastes as wonderful as it smells.” With a slight bend at the knees, he grasped her around the waist and threw her over his broad shoulder. Keely shrieked with delight, playfully swinging her free hand at his back while the other held on for dear life. Without her feet on the floor she was deliriously off balance. “I didn’t know you to be a Neanderthal.” Zion laughed again, louder this time. “I didn’t know you to be such a hell cat either, il mio cuore.” “Il mio cuore, you said that before,’ she gasped. “What does it mean?” He stopped at the edge of the bed and caressed her butt. Keely shuddered in delight. His touch was wonderfully wicked and sensual, so light it nearly tickled, so hot she felt her body readied for his possession. Without ceremony, he dumped her onto the bed. His impressive erection jutted from between a thatch of blond hair. A primitive look of raw sexual hunger fired his blue eyes. Heart hammering, Keely nearly forgot to breathe. So this is what its like to be a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her arms to him. Zion responded to her invitation by covering her slight body with his muscular one. His mouth covered her nipple, teasing with licks, bites and gentle pulls. His erection nudged against her slit. She spread her thighs further apart, splaying wide her nether lips with her fingers. Her own essence drifted to her nostrils. Hot bolts of urgency shot through her. “Please, Zion,” she heard herself beg. He lifted his lips from her breast and captured her mouth, his tongue darting in with wicked little strokes. He glanced down between her legs. His large hand covered the fingers she used to hold herself open for him. Taking her forefinger, he guided it with his own into her heat. Her breath hitched. Both their fingers in her needy cleft working in and out. His thumb grazed her clit. “You’re so wet. Do you want me?” he teased. “Come, my heart, show me. Touch yourself. Let me watch your passion.” Gods had such flowery speech. She was much earthier. Her nipples tightened further, tingled with anticipation. She reached her other hand between her legs, rubbing her clit with slow movements, making sure to caress his erection with each pass. Sheer, sizzling fire jolted through her, making her clench around their fingers. Hot juices coated them as her muscles continued to tighten and release. Keely grabbed Zion’s rod in her hand. “Fuck me,” she moaned, and lifted her hips to shove his cock deep into her. Zion groaned, grasped her hips and lifted them slightly, pulled out, and then slammed back into her welcoming core. His balls slapped at the sensitive skin between her vagina and anus. She lifted her legs to brace her ankles on Zion’s shoulders. She needed more of his touch. As if he could read her mind, he leaned forward on a thrust, capturing her mouth with his lips and tongue. Another hand played with her breast, teasing the nipple with electrifying flicks. Ecstasy hovered at the edge of her awareness. Flames danced on her skin, shivers of delight running through her body. Zion shifted slightly and his cock began stroking the mass of nerves within her. Beneath him, she writhed, teetering on the edge of an explosive climax. Her nails raked his back, her hands stopping on firm muscle just below the curve on his hips. Beneath her fingers he felt strong and virile. Hers, Zion was hers, as she was his. Keely bucked up, and the angle allowed his length to hit more of her sweet spot. Chills stole over her arms and her back arched. He drove into her heat, faster and faster, swelling within her tight passage. Her body trembled and she tried to bring him deeper into her. Spasms of passion loosed themselves, racing through her body as if they were convicts trying to escape. A hand lifted, seemingly of its own volition, and she slapped his ass with a resounding smack. “Oh,” he groaned, pounding into her with a renewed flurry of energy. Her insides constricted, squeezing around him as if she could meld their bodies into a single unit.

As if that unity would make them one, keep them from ever being apart. “Zion!” she screamed as her orgasm exploded through her body in wave after wave of exotic pleasure. Her muscles continued to clench his length. Glancing into his face she could see his eyes were glazed in a haze of passion. “That’s it, baby,” she gasped. “Come for me.” She raked her nails down his back, delighted to feel his flesh pebble with goose bumps. On his next thrust home, he groaned, filling her with his hot seed. He collapsed against her breasts, careful to keep his full weight off her. Keely cradled him in her arms, trying to memorize the texture of his hair, his skin, the pattern of his breathing, the sensation of holding him. Domnu only knew when she would next have this opportunity. ***** Zion left. She’d walked with him to the beach, shared an emotional good-bye, and watched him swim deeper into the blue water of the Atlantic. Neither of them knew how long he’d be gone. She wanted to give way to tears. She didn’t. If this were to be a pattern of the future, she couldn’t break down each and every time. That was yesterday. Today welcomed in a new and fresh start. Life without Zion for an undetermined amount of time required her to remain independent. It only made sense to continue her work both in and out of her office. She’d resume communication attempts with Lotis and the pod and apply herself to honing her water manipulation skills. The first order of business though: determine the extent of damage in the dungeon and replace any equipment not functioning. Work would make the time pass faster. Wouldn’t it? ***** T he damage sustained by the office was total. Save for the data she’d stored elsewhere, all the information in the dungeon had been damaged beyond use. There were large pieces of equipment needing replacement. Drives, chips, and other components corroded from the seawater needed exchanging. Keely scribbled a list on her palm, uploaded the information to her pc link, and sent the information to the shop in St Stephen’s Green. Scheduled for late evening delivery, the teleshipped hardware would have her back transcribing her notes within a day. Domnu knew how long it would take to reacquire the information destroyed. Keely spent the remainder of the morning on the placid water, searching. Logically, she sought the Rossi’s. Emotionally she looked for some sign of Zion. “This is ridiculous, pining for…” she couldn’t bring herself to finish. The ache in her heart was too real to deny Zion’s existence. She was getting nowhere. “I might as well see what I can do on my own.” She brought her replacement vessel into dock, loaded her recording devices onto the jet bike, and took off. Road bots continued clean-up efforts. The green hills, dotted by colorful oaks whose leaves were changing from green to reds, oranges, and yellows, appeared nearly untouched by the tsunami. Her destination was not Doonbeg River, but a rather small lake just southeast. Nestled in a gentle swell, the tiny body of water would be perfect. Keely would practice and the results, good or bad, would only impact a limited area. Parking the jet bike under an oak, Keely leisurely walked to the lake’s edge. This was big, attempting to move the water without Zion. She held her hands straight out in front of her and concentrated. Just as the first time, she saw no effect from her effort. What had Zion told her? Feel the power inherent in the water?

Yes, something similar to those words. She closed her eyes. A slight breeze lifted the strands of red hair loose from her tie and blew them away from her face. The touch of wind reminded her of Zion, his gentle caresses of her features, the insistence of his hands on her body when they’d nearly made love. She sighed, an exhalation rife with promise and happiness. More than that though. Love. She loved Zion. His strength, his gentle way, his instinctive understanding of what she needed to do to be strong herself. Love surged through her veins, oozed from her pores. As long as she had the memory of Zion, she’d be able to call upon these feelings to aid her. Around her, Keely felt the vibrant thrum of life. From the smallest insect to the large oaks, the river of energy hummed. Stirrings of power encouraged her. Energy coursed through her, and gave her confidence. This time she’d move the water on her own. The natural forces gathered around Keely like armor. She flexed her wrist up, her hand facing the lake. The stream of power collected in her palm and shot from her body. She jerked open her eyes. In front of her, a wall of water still formed perhaps a half dozen meters high and growing. Fish flopped into the muddy residue. Her mouth opened in a wide gape. Domnu! She was killing them. Quickly, she covered her mouth with a hand. Half of the water dropped into the lakebed with a loud splash. Keely jumped back from the shore a nanosecond late, her feet soaked by the cold water. The remainder of the water wall collapsed. Control. She must learn control to prevent the destruction of aquatic life. “Okay, let’s try this again, shall we?” The chirping of birds, the rustling of dry leaves, all the sounds were filtered from her mind until she became aware of only the water and how she communed with it. Peace flowed over and through her being. Opening her eyes, Keely bent her wrist upward with slow, deliberate motions. As she did so, the water eased upward forming a low hedge. With equally deliberate movement she relaxed her wrist and watched as the water returned to its normal state, nary a ripple out of place. Success! Pride swelled within her. She actually moved the water as Zion told her she could. Calm down. This is small. Nothing compared to the wall of water Amidurah slammed into Ireland and the rest of the world. Over and over, Keely practiced, refining the motion of her hands to match what she wanted to do. Each time became easier and drew less energy from her body. But an afternoon of manipulations left her exhausted. She collapsed onto the grass near the shore and sat staring at the water. A week ago, she’d no idea she commanded this marvelous ability. She lay back and stared at the blue sky, the sun above warming her. The grasses tickled her exposed skin. Only one other thing would let this day be totally perfect. Zion. Easily, she recalled his touch on her cheek, the way he wrapped her hair around his fingers, the possessive kiss of his lips. The heat of the sun disappeared. Damn. A cloud must have covered Sol. She opened her eyes to check on the weather and felt them widen in shock. “Stephen, what are you doing here?” She pushed herself to a sitting position, and then stood. “Looking for you.” His features, despite a glistening sheen of sweat were devoid of emotion. He was supposed to be in custody. His arrival at a spot she didn’t even know she was going to terrified her. Fear gripped her. A chill raced over her skin with the fury of a mid-winter ice storm. “How’d you find me?” Doubilet pulled his brown Aran sweater over his head and began to unbutton his shirt. Pulling the tails from his trousers, he opened the shirt wide, the breeze billowing it further open. Across his chest were ugly, red welts. Keely gasped. “What happened?” “An electric cane.” “The Sentries?”

He shook his head and snarled with what sounded like pride. “My boss.” “Your boss? Why would you work for someone who does something like that?” He took a step nearer. “He’s the most powerful man in the world. Serving him faithfully provides me with a position of influence in his New World order.” Keely shrank back from him, toward the shore of the lake, her stomach clenched in alarm. Zion mentioned a New World when he spoke of Amidurah. Oh, God. Stephen was one of Amidurah’s spies. Anger and fear mingled in a powerful cocktail. She’d see that Stephen was punished somehow for his part in the desecration of Ireland and other areas of the world, the murders of her parents and countless innocents, but she had to get away from him first. There was nowhere for her to run. Fast thinking, faster talking was the only thing to save her now. “I don’t know anything about a New World order.” A sadistic smile creased Stephen’s face. “Amidurah has seen the poison wrought by our greed for more. He’s cleansing the water, the air, so there will be a better world for those whom he chooses. I am one so chosen.” If there were a remaining doubt in her mind, he’d erased it completely by mentioning Amidurah’s name. In his eyes there was a fervor reserved for those slipping from reality. Stephen’s mind had been poisoned by the rhetoric of an ancient sorcerer. She shivered and glanced around nervously. Her heart thumped in her chest. Panic clawed at her. She couldn’t escape Stephen. No one would hear her if she screamed. Allowing her panic to break free would only weaken her for whatever Stephan had in mind. What did he have in mind? “Stephen, you haven’t told me? Why are you here? How did you find me?” He gave her the creepy smile again. “His Grace felt you, and alerted his nearest trusted follower, me. I was on the Doonbeg Road, headed to see you already.” He grinned evilly. “Repay the last kindness you showed me.” Stephen paused as if he wanted to let that last fact sink in to scare her. “He wants you. Your power is like a beacon to him, it pinpoints you precisely with more accuracy than a homing device.” Keely took a step so the water was on one side of her, Doubilet on the other. To an outsider the view would appear as one of acquaintances in discussion, two people enjoying the last of a beautiful fall day. “What does ‘His Grace’ want me for?” “He’s heard of your abilities.” Her eyes widened with surprise. “You are joking?” “I assure you not.” He stalked closer, grasped her hands in his. “Your abilities to communicate with the dolphins and your power with the water interest him greatly.” Jerking free, she shook her head, and stalked further from Doubilet. Fingerprints from his grasp marred her flesh with white, and then red marks. Beneath the cultivated exterior he’d sold her with when he offered to bankroll her studies laid the heart of a violent man. No wonder Amidurah recruited him. She pointed at his exposed chest. “I want nothing to do with a man that treats his loyal followers with caning.” The grass rustled behind her. He wasn’t giving her the distance she craved. “You didn’t find what you wanted in the Castle. That’s why you’re really here.” He grabbed her again. His touch made her skin crawl and she shook him off. “He sent me to make sure you were okay.” She narrowed her eyes at his statement. “You didn’t need to sneak into my home and rummage through my office to ascertain my well-being.” He shrugged his shoulders. “What you do or don’t believe is no longer relevant. Amidurah wants you. I won’t fail in bringing you to him.” Keely straightened her shoulders with resolve. Her stance provided her additional fortitude. No one was taking her anywhere without her approval. She strode toward the shore. “I’m not going with

you Stephen.” He grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. “You’ll go wherever I say you will.” Pointed directly at her, Doubilet held a Sig. Not a deterrent weapon. She recognized the six hundred year old artifact. The deadly gun had been in the news vids just before the tsunami struck. Lifted from a Dublin museum, the weapon favored by snipers had been responsible for hundreds of thousands of political assassinations. Her breath hitched and she trembled. Fear coiled like a tight spring in her stomach. She’d never been held against her will with a weapon. Keely flicked her wrist, twisted her arm around and around, and prayed the water would respond. Stephen grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Her cheek struck a gnarled tree root and the top of her head slammed into the trunk. Blood rushed from the side of her face and ran in rivulets through the fissures of the rough bark. She pulled her hand back and called the water to her. Not far from shore, the water gathered and spun, its force disturbing the air. It grew taller and advanced. Someone screamed. The sound scraped her nerve endings, added another irritant to her exhausted spirit, and battered head. Belatedly, she realized the scream was that of Stephen Doubilet. With the last of her resources, she lifted her head and watched the water strike him with its spinning, full of fury. The spout lifted him from his feet and threw him into a tree like a stuffed animal. He hit with a sickening thud of breaking bones. Doubilet slid lifeless down the trunk of the oak. The water receded and returned to the lake. Her world turned black.

Chapter Eleven

The warm salt water sluiced over Zion’s skin, beginning the rejuvenation process being topside necessitated. Energy seeped into his exhausted body. Complete restoration of his flagging potency took days. He cursed his weakness. He belonged with Keely. Schools of fish flashed by, unaware of the deadly sorcerer disrupting the sea. Many humans were like the fish, ignorant, oblivious of what the future held. The sorcerer’s defeat wasn’t assured. Keely could stop Amidurah, if she had a mind to learn how to control the waves and control was the necessary ingredient she lacked. “Hello, Zion.” He ceased swimming. “Evadne. What are you doing here?” The water nymph smiled. Large breasts, tiny waist, full hips, Evadne provoked the jealousy of many nymphs. Such a shame. Evadne, despite her flirtatious ways and numerous lovers, proved his most faithful friend. “Your father is still in a rage over your defiance.” Zion sighed. His father wouldn’t be satisfied until the last penalty of his sentence was paid in full. Poseidon’s penalty to exact on his son had yet to be announced. “Do you know what his intent is?” “You mean past skewer you to a reef and make you shark bait?” Her teasing voice made it difficult to take the situation with the gravity it deserved. A mistake he couldn’t afford. “Seriously?” “He was mighty pissed. Tossed all his spare tridents around, had his way with some of your half-sisters.” Zion groaned. His father had an outrageous sexual appetite. “I have new siblings on the way?” The nymph kissed him on the cheek. “A few.” She laughed. “He’s pretty potent for a guy his

age.” “Too potent.” She ran a finger across his cheek, and down his chest. Damn! Her touch sent chills through his body. Another time, years ago, and he’d have succumbed to her temptations. Chills were nothing to the heat Keely created. He captured her wayward hand in his, tipped his head in warning, and gave her a wan smile. “I’ m in love, Evadne. I’m not someone you can scratch your itch with.” She sighed. “Keely?” Zion nodded. “You always were perceptive.” “My curse in life.” A frown creased her face. “So, you two haven’t …” “It’s none of your business.” “Look big, guy. Your sexual well-being is my business. Does she give good head?” This time a deep laugh erupted from Zion. “You’re outrageous! Why haven’t one of my brothers claimed you?” Evadne winked. “What makes you think one hasn’t?” “I wouldn’t put it past you to sleep with dear ol’ dad.” “He’s hung, that’s for sure, but I’m not interested. Can’t do the gray.” “Doesn’t seem to stop him.” “That’s what really bugs you isn’t it? All his cavorting?” She pushed away from Zion and flipped some water at him. The teasing motion usually made Zion smile. Not today. He still didn’t know how angry Poseidon was. He avoided her astute question regarding his father’s philandering ways. “You haven’t given me a straight answer.” “Here’s the scoop, Sweetie. If you fawn over him, tell him you got Keely to cooperate he’ll act as if nothing has happened. All that screwing around put him in a better frame of mind.” Zion frowned. They had Keely’s cooperation, but not her strength. “If I don’t?” “You’ll make the sufferings of Odysseus look mild.” ***** Zion swam into the throne room of his father. The floor was tiled in alternating pale peach and green. Ornate sculptures of nymphs, human women, and Goddesses placed at strategic intervals reminded him of a chessboard. Those same effigies also held deadly weapons, some hidden, and some removable from the hands of the statues. At the far end, Poseidon lounged on his gold throne. Three beautiful, young women flanked him, listening intently to his chatter. The mermaids, similar in appearance had long, dark hair that drifted to their waists and young, nubile bodies. No doubt his father had fucked them, the way they hung on his every word. All of them made Zion sick to his stomach. He approached the elaborate throne, keeping a respectful distance from the dais. No need in getting things off on the wrong foot immediately. He bowed his head. “Father.” Poseidon’s voice boomed through the room. “Face me. What do you want? Do you bear good tidings?” Straightening, Zion did as his father commanded. “As you know, Amidurah attacked the eastern edge of the North Atlantic.” The God leaned forward and fixed his gaze on Zion. “As you know, I don’t care about the tsunamis or his attacks on the humans. However, I don’t want Atlantis damaged or discovered. Have you made progress in this regard?” Anger simmered within Zion. His father was as callus now as three thousand years ago. Zion forced emotion from his face and kept his voice detached. “I’ve secured the help of Keely Shane.” “The human female you’re enamored with?” The sound of tinkling bells crossed from the throne to Zion’s ears. The sultry sex nymphs

giggled. He looked up to see them vying for position between his father’s legs. If the three had any sense they’d leave his pig of a father before they were crushed by his unfaithfulness. He shook his head at their stupidity. “Yes.” “So you did seduce her as I suggested.” There was nothing he could say to answer the question without sounding as if he’d followed his father’s command exactly. He kept his mouth shut. Poseidon laughed. “It’s about time you did something I told you, boy.” The rebuttal stung. Plenty of times in the past, he’d followed his father’s wishes and orders. Zion was charged with the safety of Atlantis, a job he took seriously. The rage he tried to control threatened to burst forth and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to restrain his anger. “If you have nothing else of note to relay, you are dismissed.” Zion nodded. The women led his father to the divan. One straddled his face and the second placed her mouth around the old man’s cock. He wasn’t about to see what the third woman had in mind. He bowed and left the room as quickly as his dignity would allow. ***** Keely woke with a king-sized headache and a piercing pain in her side. She looked around, trying to focus and get her bearings. Large oak trees, waving grasses, the sound of lapping water. The memory of her confrontation with Stephen Doubilet crashed back into her with the force of the waterspout she’d attacked him with. She pushed to her hands and knees, gasping. Each breath sent another wave of agony rushing through her. She needed to get to the bike, alert the authorities to Doubilet’s death and get help for herself. She clawed at the grass, using it to gain a purchase and pull herself forward. Dirt lodged beneath her fingernails. She paused to catch her breath. The wooziness slowly dissipated. Her gaze fell upon a tree root. Keely seized the gnarled core with her hand and followed the rough anchor to bring her to the trunk. The bark scratched her fingers and broke four nails, but she continued on until she stood upright and leaned heavily against the trunk. The urge to slide down the rough bark was overwhelming, but she fought it. She’d expended too much energy getting into an upright position. She rested against the tree several minutes. Her cheek throbbed. Gingerly, Keely touched the injury, the blood a sticky stream. At least bleeding to death wouldn’t be a problem. She inhaled deeply and moved forward. Her bike wasn’t far. Each advance renewed her confidence and strength. The ache in her head, cheek and ribs increased. Her breathing turned shallow. She located the emergency notice button on the bike and engaged it. Birds sang in the branches. Cool, late afternoon air chilled her skin. She battled her frail body to stay upright and alert. She didn’t know how long she’d have to wait. The Sentries were known for their quick response, using the engaged locator beacon to pinpoint precise locations, but she didn’t know just how close they were. She concentrated on remaining calm and awake. A good while later, a male voice rumbled through the trees. “There she is.” Thank Domnu. Help finally arrived. ***** A Sentry applied the temporary sealing gel to the gash on her face. The three Sentries arrived in two vehicles, one drove a jet bike, the other a hydrogen fueled emergency wagon. “Put the male in the rear compartment. The female can sit in the back seat.” A Sentry nodded and did as commanded. A different guardian held the door for Keely and she slid into the upholstered bench fighting a wave of vertigo.

The ride to the triage group was blissfully short. Several units had been set up since the tsunami to handle the influx of injuries to man and beast. The gray blue polyresin walls transported easily, set up quickly, and were speedily taken down and moved to the next emergency triage location when the need arose. Sitting on a gurney, the top half of her body nude, a medbot applied electrical shocks to Keely’s black and blue ribs. The controlled pulses knit together the cracks she’d sustained when she struggled with Doubilet. “Return to the nearest medical facility in seventy-two hours.” The bot expelled a small data disc. “Your discharge directions.” This was one appointment she doubted she’d make. Within seventy-two hours she’d be facing Amidurah head on. ***** She returned to the Castle, salvaged what she could of her research data, clothing, and family heirlooms. Keely altered the delivery of her research equipment to a storage facility in Shannon and arranged for the items she’d scanned into a recorder to be taken there as well. Keely took a final glance around her home. Although the Castle had done its best to repair the damage it received, the job had proven ineffective. Her fingers took in the smooth polish of her mother’s Queen Anne chair, ran over the cool gold frames of her ancestors. The castle would come down eventually. The tsunami compromised too much of the structure. It was only a matter of time before she received official notice scheduling the demolition of her home. Every night she slept here was like playing Russian roulette. A sense of sadness and defeat overcame her. No, she hadn’t been particularly happy in the house, but she’d not been especially unhappy either. Still, the image of her parents, sitting in the drawing room the day Stephen Doubilet appeared in their lives was a vivid memory. A tear slid down her cheek, burning the tender skin of her recent injury. Doubilet was dead. If she were to believe his words, that he really was the right hand man of Amidurah and the sorcerer wanted her, she was dead. She shoved a few personal items into a cross-shoulder hung hip bag. The durable material, a dark green, held the most important article of all, her Sig Immobilizer. It still puzzled her how Doubilet found her. She had to assume Amidurah knew of her because of the monies he’d spent in funding her research. But, Doubilet said Amidurah felt her power. Did Amidurah really know about both of her talents, or had Doubilet been trying to trick her somehow? If her power really called the sorcerer she’d be foolish to practice the control needed to manipulate the water. She didn’t need any more of his misguided minions attacking her. A half-formed plan came to mind. What if she practiced on the run? Surely, moving from one locality to another would make Amidurah’s job of locating her difficult. Changing settings created other issues. She couldn’t use her own identity; her ident card would act as a beacon. No doubt other men and women like Stephen Doubilet waited to move ahead in Amidurah’s ranks. They’d know to trace her. In Shannon and Dublin, there were criminal elements willing to create false identity docs. Both were too far away. Besides, she needed a ready supply of money. Money to burn with a common name. Keely smiled and headed toward the castle ruins. With the huge body count, it would be weeks before her family’s financial accounts were seized and sent to probate and her mother’s assets frozen. And, there were hundreds of thousands of women named Mary Murphy.

Chapter Twelve

She should contact Zion. But how? He’d disappeared into the blue waters of the Atlantic a few days back and she hadn’t heard a word from him. Not in her dreams or from Lotis the dolphin who’d kept Zion informed of her activities through the past few years. Keely zigzagged through the rolling hills of the green countryside on the lookout for small lakes, creeks, or inlets where she could practice. She stalked through the grasses until she reached the edge of the water. She’d call the water back and forth for an hour, honing the craft of water manipulation, and then hop on the jet bike and head for the nearest city boasting a large populous. Getting lost in the throngs was effortless. There were plenty of people in the villages and cities. Too many for towns not equipped to house and feed the tsunami’s homeless. The narrow streets were perfect for a twisted route through town and an opportunity to escape to a new destination without detection. There was no rhyme or reason to the pattern Keely followed. One day she’d head south to the mouth of a river, the grassy banks low and marshy. Cold water would soak her shoes, a visceral reminder of why she stood in the quagmire. Sometimes the water was nothing but a trickle, the river having seen better times. Her heart ached when she thought of the green grasses of Ireland reduced to a drying waste. Such thoughts inevitably led to memories of her parents and her home. Silent tears fell, renewing her vow to bring Amidurah down. It hurt even more when she neared a western coastal town and saw more remembrances. Once pristine beaches had been littered with debris lifted from the ocean shelf and tossed onto the sand. Dead fish and other sea animals decayed on every shore and outcropping near the Atlantic. The stench wafted for miles when the wind blew right. Not far from Galway, Keely tried to bring a gentle wave close to the rocky shores, an attempt to wash the outcroppings like an easy spring rain. In the distance, she saw a pod of Rossi’s leap. She sighed, missing her aquatic companions and their frolics in the sea. If they’d been closer, maybe they would have been able to help her contact Zion. Keely turned away from the playful sight. She couldn’t go back to her research until she was done with the schooling of her powers. Each time she used them, more concentrated energy flowed from her being at a less restrained, more controlled pace. She didn’t tire nearly as easily as the first feeble attempt she’d made. Confidence in her abilities rose. Keely could defeat Amidurah at his own game. With an easy flick of her wrist, she lashed the water at the final outcropping and watched as the dead returned to their rightful burial ground. The time arrived to put her own parents’ spirits at rest for their untimely demise and exact payment for the other lives lost throughout the north Atlantic. It was time to find Amidurah. She got on the jet bike. The powerful machine rumbled between her legs and reminded her of the first attempt she’d made to control water with Zion. She should have made love to him when she had the chance. The narrow, back roads to Waterford disappeared beneath the wheels of her bike as if the machine ate the black ribbon bringing her nearer her destination. Here, a few sheep dotted the deep green hills. Oak forests, their palette of colors announcing fall, provided a clear, nearly pure backdrop. It was hard to imagine the ugliness of Amidurah reaching this far inland. She stopped at a hydrogen recharge station and made sure she had enough storage energy to propel the jet bike around the countryside for a couple of days. Keely patted down the breast pocket of the skin-tight green jumper she wore, feeling for the miniature memory disk containing all she’d discovered about Amidurah. Snug in her hip bag the Sig rested. Keely still didn’t have enough information. She reseated herself on the bike, gunned the engine

and with a roar continued toward Waterford. The town was big enough to hide in while she practiced and researched. Close enough to Dublin so if she found useful information on Amidurah, she’d be able to transport to a receiving location near him. Flipping a Euro from her bag to a street kid to keep an eye on her bike, Keely parked the vehicle and engaged the electronic lock. The cyber pub had a bright red door set in a plaster front meant to make the building look as if it survived the Eighteenth Century. She hated the lurid attempt on sight. Loud music pounded a beat from within, the thrum vibrating the windows and booming onto the narrow sidewalk. She resented Amidurah all the more for the forced changes he’d wrought on her life. Keely swallowed hard, prepared to have the raucous sounds chip away another layer of her quiet, studious life. The smell of ale mixed with human bodies rushed from the heavy door she opened. The dim light, the mumbled voices all trying to be heard above the din assaulted her ears. She squelched the attempt to cover them with her hands. A large man at the dark, pseudo oak bar took a swig from a mug. “They found another thousand dead when they dredged the Dublin harbor.” “The feds said there’d be another couple months before the main roads would be properly repaired,” his companion responded. Keely attempted to move through the crowd and slid the shoulder strap of her bag so the bulk was in front of her mid-section. There was some give in the press of bodies, but not much. Heat radiated from every direction. Sweat formed on her brow, dampened her underarms. For Domnu’s sake, she didn’t want to be here. But, she had to be. At the far end of the crowded room, she spotted the cyber link. “Excuse me.” No one moved. She raised her voice. “Excuse me.” A few shuffled to the left and right of her and she gained a few meters before the crush of people blocked her way again. In her peripheral vision, she saw a man with four mugs grasped in each of his hands. He didn’t say a word, just shoved his way through the crowd. Ale splashed from the containers. “Ya fuckin’ gobshite,” the victim bellowed. Keely followed the man’s path, thankful the broad back in garish blue plaid was easy to pursue. She lifted her hand to wipe the sweat away from her face. Domnu, it was hot. She reached the cyber VDU link, opened her bag, slid in her access card, and began her research. The most recent news items on Amidurah loaded. Her eyes devoured the words on the screen. Nothing indicated where the sorcerer intended to be. “Damn,” she muttered. She drew in a deep breath. Ale and body odor overpowered the illegal smoking. She pulled her chip from the terminal and stepped away, striking a solid human body. She turned her head to apologize. It was the man from the bar who’d talked about the harbor. The man beat her in showing remorse, his speech slurred. “Hello there. I’m sorry to ram ya Ms.” His gaze drifted toward the VDU. “I see you’re looking at innovative people.” Keely followed the direction of his glance and watched the last of the information on Amidurah fade away. Her palms turned clammy. She wrinkled her nose to alleviate the stench and failed. She didn’t want to get into a pointless discussion with a stinking drunk regarding the man set on finishing off the coastal areas of the world with tsunamis. “I know him, ya know.” Keely’s world view tilted. She lifted her eyebrows in what she hoped was an accepting, questioning look, leaned against the VDU, and stared at her latest companion. ***** Zion returned to Kilkee as soon as his energy rebounded. The littered beaches hadn’t been cleared yet, but something was different. He didn’t have the luxury of time to discern just what and

headed straight for the damaged stairs. Within the Castle, he’d hoped Keely would be waiting for his return. Zion scanned the crown of the cliffs. Not a single soul waited on the top. He sighed, more from disappointment than the sense of loss. She had work to do, and she’d made it clear work came first. Shrugging, he allowed himself a brief moment to mourn the loss of a piece of his heart. The stairs were more rickety than Zion remembered them being a few short days ago. The hem of the black jeans he donned on the beach caught on a fastener. Stumbling, he regained his balance and resumed the climb with more care. Broken rungs, a misplaced footing, and he’d be no good to her. Keely needed him. Of that fact he was sure. Her failed attempt to handle the water the day before he left proved it. Practice. She had to practice, and he was the only one capable of guiding her through the intricate steps of controlling her powers. At the top of the cliffs, the air was fresher. The only dead items he saw were drying uprooted plants. Thank Zeus the bodies of deceased humans and animals were gone. Zion strode toward the castle. A fragment of the west wall hung at an unnatural angle. The section was located just about where Keely’s bedroom should have been. His pulse leapt into high gear. What if she were in the room, injured? He broke into a run. The only sound he heard was the pounding of his bare feet on the duracrete sidewalk, the slap of his soles an oddity to his ears. The house was unnaturally quiet. If Keely were alive surely there would have been some sort of sound created by power. The house would have to turn a machine on or off to maintain climate control, especially with a wall missing. Zion rushed into the house, fueled by anxiety for her well-being. The receiving room was empty. By Zeus, not a stick of her family’s furniture resided in the space. She’d been worried about looters. His heart hammered, crossing the line from worry to fear. Dashing from room to room, waiting for doors to slide open, Zion saw much the same. Chairs and tables, paintings from the walls, and even displayed family treasures were all missing. Dark dread crept over his skin like the subtle stroke of a squid approaching its dinner. The feeling immobilized him. His feet refused to move further. His mind whirred in confusion. Where could Keely be? The chambers didn’t have the look of random vandalism. The rooms were too neat and nothing appeared broken. Like a slow moving Leviathan, Zion finally forced himself from the sun parlor and back into the hall. The movement kicked his adrenaline into gear. Bounding up the stairs two at a time, he shouted. “Keely, can you hear me?” He rushed into her bedroom. Here the furniture remained. Had the thieves avoided the upper level as being too difficult to make a clean getaway? Clothes lay strewn everywhere. Zion grasped a floral print blouse, held it close, and inhaled her unique scent. He hungered to hold her, stroke the soft skin of her cheek, lose himself in her green eyes. Disgusted with his inability to locate her, he tossed the blouse to the bed. An electronic card fell to the floor. Zion picked it up and glanced at it. Her identity card. Wherever she was, she didn’t even have access to her money. He slid the card into his pocket and left the room. If Keely were in the Castle, there was only one area left to explore. The dungeon. He stormed down the stairs, waved his hand across the front of the electronic door, and stomped down the cold stone steps. The floor was dry. Keely had been right about the house attempting to right itself. He dashed to her office. On the floor were pieces of equipment. Zion glanced over the hardware. Nothing seemed to be missing. “Keely, where are you?” He leaned against the VDU and jumped when broken sound issued from the unit. Whirs and whistles. He slapped his hand against his forehead. “Of course. I’ll ask the dolphins.” Zion retraced his frantic steps out of the house to the stairs. Cautiously, he descended, and then ran across the sand to the water, stripping the jeans from his body.

Cool air caressed his skin. He didn’t want cold. He wanted heat. Keely’s heat, igniting every inch of him. He splashed into the surf, and then dove beneath the wave propelled by irrational fear. He called his dolphin charges with his own clicks. They answered with their high-pitched sounds and tonal signals. Bulbous headed gray Rossi’s replied first. The pale gray mammals flanked him. “Lotis. Keely is missing.” The agitated Rossi flipped his fin as if he were on the surface of the sea. “What is it?” The varied pitches threatened to engulf his ability to sort the sounds. Thirty area dolphins, ascending and descending, attempted to communicate. Zion appreciated their struggle. The gist of their news… they’d seen Keely several times over the past few days and she’d been moving the water. He was of two minds. She lived! But, the sensation of his stomach sinking like an anchor didn’t agree. Instinctively he knew Keely manipulating the ocean would alert Amidurah to her location.

Chapter Thirteen

Her escort, Michael, didn’t set Keely at ease. A drunken fool. He introduced her to the people he sat with and she strained to hear their names over the clamor. Someone bought a round of ales and one was placed in front of her. Grasping the mug, she let the condensation pool under her palms. Not overly fond of any sort of alcohol, the thought of room temperature ale didn’t excite her. She looked at her companions. Raucous, they swigged the amber liquid. If she didn’t drink soon, her tea toting would stand out. Keely picked up the cup and took a cautious sip, letting the bitter brew slip down her throat. Five others sat at the pseudowood circular table. Keely rounded out the heterogeneous couple count, not that she considered Michael couple material. No one matched Zion. Which was why she was here with these stinky, loud people, crouched over the table trying to catch every last word spoken. She wanted to get this Amidurah issue handled, over and done with, finished. If she survived, then she’d be free to go home and work with the limited parameters of a relationship with Zion. “Here now, Missy, what’s wrong?” The expression on her face must have changed when she thought of the difficulties a liaison with the son of a sea God created. Quickly, Keely tried to think of a response. She opted for honest emotions. “I lost my family.” There were tsks and murmured condolences. A woman across the table from her said what Keely dared not voice. “Some say as it’s the cult of Amidurah.” Keely didn’t feign the shock in her voice. “Cult?” “Meghan,” her partner supplied. “No man is capable of such a thing.” The poor lad was in for a hell of a surprise. Hadn’t Keely felt the same way? The dark haired man’s rebuttal could have easily fallen from her lips a few days ago. “All the same, there’s talk.” Meghan’s partner squelched her from saying more by laying a monstrous kiss on her. Additional heat rushed to Keely’s face and she turned away. Michael stared at her. His blue eyes reflected an intelligence she hadn’t suspected in a drunk. “My lady friend is herself looking for people of innovation.” What could she do but nod her head in agreement? At that moment a calm stole over the bar, as if every customer in the place wanted to hear something witty in response. Thankfully, it was a momentary hiccup and the racket returned full force. Keely waited for someone to say something. Michael supplied the response. “Our new friend was looking up information on Amidurah. Did

you find anything of interest, Miss?” Keely shook my head. “Everything on the VDU was old. I’ve heard a few whispers here and there about how he wants to cleanse the planet.” She looked into each face the best she was able in the dim light. No one seemed to register alarm. “I work with oceanography. I think cleaning up the water is a damn fine idea.” Across the table, Keely saw the men nod. It was as if she could see the thought process of their minds. Meghan’s boyfriend was the first to bolster her statement. “To be sure, the ocean needs it. The shit that’s been put into the sea, why it’s making kelpin’ hard, just when it started to pay. There are a lot of people here about that depend on the economics of the sea.” “Aye.” Michael’s other companion added. “And t’would be nice to actually fish again instead eating all they synthesize out of yer kelp, Forbes.” They raised their mugs and she joined them. Keely’s glass was still quite full and some of the warm liquid splashed onto the back of her hand. Two of the men drained the last of the contents in their glasses and finished with an audible belch. She held her breath and did her best to avoid inhaling the odiferous air. She set her mug down on the table and wiped her palms on her pants. Keely needed to get what information they had and get out before the bar or any of its patrons made her puke. Keely didn’t have to wait long. Michael swallowed the last of his ale, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and winked. “The lady and I will be discussin’ innovative people.” His comment brought a chorus of bawdy laughter from the men. He rose from his seat and she did likewise. The movement allowed her to escape his possessive ploy. His touch chilled her blood. She wouldn’t be straying far from the sidewalk that edged the popular thoroughfare. Keely mustered all the politeness she could. “Thank you for allowing me to join you.” There were nods and slurred words of farewell. Finally! She’d be able to chat with Michael where her eardrums didn’t painfully reverberate. The man shoved his way through the people occupying the pub. A few clapped him on the shoulder, exchanged a moment of conversation, and then glanced her way. She kept silent and renewed her vow to stay in the public eye while she was with him. Pushing open the bright red door, Michael stepped back and held it open for her. Fresh air rushed against her face, lifting tendrils of her hair lank with sweat. She reached back and lifted the strands from the nape of her neck. The breeze appreciably cooled her skin. Keely scanned the area for a bench. An open place that could be observed yet private enough they could talk. She had to find out what Michael knew about Amidurah. The river seemed as good a destination as any. A few small groups of people meandered the narrow sidewalks and stepped around the vehicles half parked on the street. Michael stayed silent by her side. He didn’t appear to be a man of deep thought, yet she recognized the fact that she hadn’t thought him intelligent either. When they neared the walkway leading to the grassy bank, Keely decided to broach the subject of “innovative individuals” carefully. “Tell me, Michael, have you inherited the revolutionary spirit of our ancestors?” He kept his response low and she struggled to hear his question. “That of the Easter rebellion?” Keely nodded. “There are changes afoot. I can feel it in the air.” “Missy, you best not be speaking of things you don’t understand.” The sidewalk sloped toward the river. The last of the green leafed trees struggled and lost their battle with the encroaching fall. Brilliant oranges, bright yellows, dazzling reds shivered in the branches. A few oak leaves fluttered to the ground and landed among the crisp leaves beneath their hefty limbs. Only Zion’s company would perfect the scene. “It’s not like I’m speaking treason.” “Aren’t you now?” She shook her head. “It’s time for a change. Ireland, the world for that matter, can’t go on the way it has. We take two steps forward in our quest for reversing the adverse affects of pollution only to

turn back our progress with a stupid political decision.” Keely paused and looked straight into his eyes. “Politicians always muck things up.” He nodded and walked ahead of her. He turned his head from side to side several times as if canvassing the area for something or someone. As far as she could see, the river was devoid of vessels, the quay free of other conveyances. The path they walked had few occupants and those were small groups a long distance away. Michael turned toward her and she saw a battle raged behind his blue eyes. His grim face was far more serious than the man who’d been a short time ago four sheets to the wind. “There is someone. A powerful man who seeks to redress the wrongs the political elite have inflicted.” It took all her acting skills to scoff. “He’s kept under radar if this man even exists.” “You were looking up information on him earlier.” Keely furrowed her brows and did her best to look like she was remembering what she’d seen. It was a stretch. She allowed the light of recognition to shine from her eyes. “You mean Amidurah?” Michael seemed to buy her thespian skills. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod of his head. “Why were you digging up information on him?” Keely altered the subject. “Everything on him was a year or more old.” He took a step closer and encroached on her space. “But why, Amidurah? You could have researched any other politician.” She took a deep breath and readied her response. “I, um, did a search of people fighting the repollution of the ocean.” If he heard her hesitation, he didn’t show it. Keely boldly continued. “I need practical answers and changes. My livelihood depends on it.” He rubbed his chin. “Lots of my mates depend on the water too. We’re as anxious as you to see it kept in its pristine state. That’s why we listen to him.” “How? I didn’t find a thing listing personal appearances or speeches, or even a thesis.” Keely watched him pace. Michael held back. He slunk down to the riverbank, paced its length, and then headed back up the walk toward her. Waving his hands back and forth he looked as if he were weighing pros and cons. Sharing the information with her was apparently an internal skirmish. Whatever his decision, his severe countenance and steely gaze let her know he’d made a serious decision. She had to tread carefully. Men like Michael, participating in something possibly considered counter to the rules and mores of society, didn’t readily reveal much. If Amidurah were suspected of organizing a coup on the world government, he would be kept under a watchful, distant eye. Intelligence gathering, a covert business for better than a thousand years, was sophisticated and precise. Dread mingled with excited anticipation. Keely held her breath, waiting for what he would say. “There’s word that Amidurah is payin’ a visit to Shannon.” “Shannon?” Keely’s voice squeaked in shock. No acting was necessary. The city was far too close to home. Intuition told her Amidurah was coming to pay a visit to see the damage his tsunami wrought. “Why Shannon?” “Seems there was an unexpected casualty among his staff not far from there.” She gulped and her palms sweated. Intentionally, she flexed her fingers and kept them open. A breeze off the River Suir whisked the moisture from hands leaving behind a chill. Shit. She was in deep trouble. “A death?” Michael nodded. “His Grace isn’t happy either. Rumor is the man was murdered.” The news traveled quickly. Going back to County Clare held dangerous prospects. Shannon was large enough to accommodate a powerful man like Amidurah, but not substantial enough to hide her presence. She couldn’t return home either, if what Doubilet told her about Amidurah’s locating abilities proved true. Swallowing back the fear that attempted to choke her, Keely thought fast. She ambled up the tree-lined walk toward the quay. “A man staying beneath the spy nets won’t be too public.”

“Aye. He usually speaks in innocuous places, small warehouses, and the like. He’ll be at the Roscoe warehouse tomorrow night.” Finally, the information she’d been waiting for all evening. A bona fide lead to follow. “No wonder he was upset over Doubilet’s demise. A cautious man. I like that.” Michael grabbed her by the elbow and tried to turn her around. Fuck! She’d screwed up. Michael hadn’t used Doubilet’s name. She scanned Thomas St. looking for an excuse to break away from her escort. A stranger was bent over the handles of her jet bike. She jerked her arm from his, and then shouted. “Hey! Someone’s trying to steal my ride.” She ran toward the pub. Since the tsunami, she hadn’t put such stress on her injured leg. She’d been assured it had healed perfectly, but had it? Breathing hard, she crossed the street and neared the corner of O’Connell and Thomas. Michael was behind her, but her lead on the big man diminished. Her heart pounded and her throat burned. Sweat poured from her face. She smelled her fear. No! She had to get away, had to confront Amidurah and bring him down. ***** Zion swam away from Kilkee into Moore Bay and down to Loop Head. Dolphins accompanied him through the warm waters. He paddled frantically. Frustration ate at his heart. Where was Keely? The waters near the coast usually warmed him. Not today. He couldn’t shake the chill that coated him like crude oil. He swam faster, harder. Occasionally, he’d receive a message Keely had been seen manipulating the water of a river or inlet. Her trail zigzagged around the coast of Ireland. There seemed no pattern to her locations nor her timing. Zion headed back north, toward Kilkee. Perhaps she’d headed home by now. Maybe she’d gone even further north. He passed a devastated Smerwick Harbour, sliced through the waters of Tralee Bay, and rounded Kerry Head into the mouth of the Shannon River. Every coast suffered. Some more than others. In the narrower ends of bays the devastation was complete. Near Kerry Head he gained the first news of major importance. A gray dolphin informed him Amidurah was headed to Shannon. “Why?” His clicks and whistles alarmed Zion. The interpretation was not good. Amidurah had come to Ireland to seek the murderer of his assistant. “How did this person die?” More agitated sounds assaulted his ears. This time his understanding conveyed worse news. “Water broke back.” Water breaking a person’s back only meant one thing to Zion. Someone used the water as a weapon. Amidurah would only perform such a feat in order to further his goals and achieve some degree of notoriety. Zion knew it hadn’t been him, leaving only one logical conclusion. Keely. The sorcerer had managed to trace her to southwestern Ireland. Suddenly, the erratic patterns of her practice schedule made sense. She knew her activity would attract Amidurah. Keely was on the run. “Thank you friend. Do you know where she is now?” “Lady in glass city.” Zion puzzled out the final statement. The only glass city he thought of wasn’t made of glass, it created crystal. Keely had gone to Waterford on the southeastern side of the country. He had a small window of opportunity to find her before Amidurah did. “Stay aware friend. There is trouble coming. Send word if you hear from the lady.” The dolphin slapped his flipper on the top of the water and dove beneath, a flash of gray that disappeared with haste. Zion remembered her anger at the man responsible for the death of her parents. Her indignation

at Amidurah for intentionally willing the disaster. Her arbitrary practicing, her unpredictable movements, the death of Amidurah’s assistant combined with the revelation of the sorcerer being in Shannon only meant one thing. Keely was going after Amidurah. She was in way over her head. Zion knew she didn’t truly appreciate the power the ancient sorcerer wielded. If he didn’t get to her soon enough, Keely Shane would be dead.

Chapter Fourteen

Keely ran as hard as she could across the rutted road, her bag banging against her hip. Her breath hitched in her chest and her throat burned. Each step toward the bike jarred through her feet and into her legs. Her thigh contracted painfully. The stabbing agony was her fault. She’d been in too much of a hurry to properly rehabilitate the damaged thigh muscle. Her impatience cost her. She could feel the stress on the injury and each grueling step on the leg threatened to hobble her. But, her jet bike was almost in reach. She prayed the leg would last those last few meters. Behind her, she heard Michael’s breathing. The rasping sound buoyed her spirit. If she could endure, she’d push the stranger aside and take off a mere hair ahead of her pursuer. The muted, indistinct noise of the pub grew louder. The bright red door concealing the blue-gray, smoke-filled room loomed closer. “You there, get away from my bike.” The engine of the jet bike idled. The man straightened and turned around. Keely’s eyes widened. Somehow, Thane Denton had found her. “You?” “Hop on; I don’t think we want to discuss this with your buddy.” The jet bike roared into action and Denton drove off. Keely chased the bike thankful the exploit made her interpretation of a theft more plausible. She hopped on the back, wrapped an arm around Denton’s waist and swung at him with her free fist as if she were trying to dissuade him from taking the bike. Denton gunned the engine before Michael had a chance to confront them. He made a quick right turn around the corner, and then two blocks later a left. Anyone pursing them would have a difficult time following the circuitous trail Denton wove. The number of business establishments thinned, replaced by ecologically sound homes masked as peasant style huts, circa 1800. Even those dwindled until they were among the hills, restored to their ancient forested state. Denton slowed, stopped the jet bike on the green shoulder of the road, and allowed the engine to idle. “What were you doing with your pal?” “How did you find me?” He got off the vehicle and looked her directly in the eye. “I asked first.” She met his cold gaze with her own fiery one. Anger bubbled inside her. How dare this stranger intrude on her life! Keely mirrored his movement and swung her leg over the bike, keeping it between him and her. Her feet landed in soft grass. She furrowed her brows. The half-open lids of her eyes barely contained her rage. “I’ve had a change of heart since I saw you last.” His gaze tore away from hers. “What?” She held back the smile of satisfaction she had at shocking him. If only Zion could see how she bested this overly righteous bastard. “I’m looking for Amidurah.” “You seem to have somewhat succeeded.” “I would have ended this once and for all, if you hadn’t interfered.”

He snarled at her. “I saved your life. That man was one of Amidurah’s lieutenants.” The rage she’d fought escaped the confines of her mouth. “That man was going to take me to Amidurah, and would have if I hadn’t seen you monkeying around with my bike.” Thane stepped closer, his leg brushing against the engine housing. “What do you mean you’ve had a change of heart?” This time she leaned over the bike, into Denton’s space, and smiled. “I’ve been convinced I have some small ability to counteract Amidurah’s water power. His senseless destruction of the innocent must be stopped. I’m the woman for the job.” She straightened and let the full implication of her words sink in. Maybe while he was flummoxed he’d give her answer to her own question. She kept her voice evenly modulated and reseated herself on the bike. “How did you find me?” Denton ran a hand over the stubble on his chin and paced. “I stuck a simple electronic tracker on the bike behind the tail light.” She took a deep breath of cool air and let it leave her lungs in a hot, unnaturally slow whoosh. The air lifted wayward strands of her red hair off her forehead. She repeated the action several times until she felt in command of her emotions. Denton wasn’t the enemy, but she sure as hell couldn’t trust him either. The placement of the tracker was all the proof she needed. Yet if it hadn’t been for Denton, she wouldn’t have had a getaway from whatever Michael planned to do with her because of the slip of Doubilet’s name. She revved the engine for the hydrogen energy release that would take her away from him, hopefully for good. “The way I see it, you have two choices. You can walk back to town and face Michael and his mates, or I can give you a lift to the next town.” He returned to the bike. “You’re playing with fire, Keely.” The corners of her mouth lifted in a large smile. “No, Mr. Denton, I’m playing with water.” ***** Sloshing out of the River Suir and hauling himself up a rickety dock did nothing to improve Zion’s mood. He’d swam frantically for hours and skirted the southern coast of Ireland in order to get to Waterford. A cold wind blew across his wet skin and he shivered. The chill did nothing to cool the twin spears of worry and anger. “Okay, Keely, where the hell are you?” Zion stalked the length of the quay looking for some confirmation to the intel the gray dolphin had given him. He turned left at Bridge Street and headed back east on O’Connell. He hiked a block when he heard a commotion. His heart thumped hard in his chest and he sprinted toward the noise. A man and a woman ran toward a bright yellow jet bike. He recognized the bike, the man climbing onto it, and the woman running toward the bike. Zion’s gut twisted. Thane Denton raced away, with Keely in hot pursuit. He ran harder. Keely had too much of a head start. Gasping for air, he stopped near the man she’d been running with. “Fuckin’ cunt. She’s the one as murdered Doubilet!” Strike that. Keely must have been running from the brute next to him. Zion’s hands fisted. Next to catching Keely, nothing would please him more than letting this foul mouthed swine swallow a few of his own teeth. A fistfight though, wouldn’t help him get to her any quicker. Right now, he needed to find a conveyance so he could follow them. Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled, and strolled away from Keely’s latest acquaintance. ***** She could see Denton wasn’t happy about being dropped in Portlaw, a hamlet of a town that never quite recovered from the last economic depression. “Don’t leave me here, Keely. You can’t do this alone.”

“The hell I can’t.” Keely mentally counted to five. She was too angry to go as high as ten. “You do what you have to, Denton. But, get this straight. I’m not some dog and pony show and I am not on EPA payroll. You don’t own me, never will.” The strength of command oozed through Denton’s voice. “Don’t go. You need support. I’ll back you.” She shook her head. Loose strands of hair fell across her cheeks, irritating her further. Keely didn’t care what Denton thought, what level of command he presumed he had. He was government and she’d dealt with enough bureaucrats in her life to know they weren’t one hundred percent trustworthy. There was something about him, maybe his secretive nature that set her nerves on edge. He’d just have to deal, call his EPA buddies, Jade and Raiden. When she’d seen them on the beach, all she’d focused on was her negative past Raiden thoughtlessly tossed at her. Denton only saw her power as a weapon. Nope the EPA was definitely not to be completely trusted. Keely wasn’t about to be a weapon of destruction. Her stomach painfully clenched thinking of the way she caused Doubilet’s death. She’d not be used by an “agency” to deliver such punishment over and over to whomever they deemed politically deserving. “I don’ think so, Denton. You handle Amidurah your way and I’ll handle him mine.” Denton slammed his hands onto the handle of the jet bike and nearly knocked her from her seat. “You don’t get it. You are the way I’m handling things.” The fragile hold on her temper snapped. She shot her hand forward and gripped Denton’s wrist, pulled his hand off her bike, and sent his arm jerking toward his chest. She recaptured the handle in her palm. “You’re not getting the picture. You don’t own me. I’m doing this without you.” She revved the bike, engaged the accelerator, and shot off, leaving her adversary inhaling the dust kicked up by the vehicle. A kilometer or so down the road, Keely came to the next small berg. Portlaw too, reflected the aftereffects of the tsunami, albeit the visible evidence was not nearly as destructive as the waves that struck the west coast. She crossed the Suir Bridge into Fiddown and kept to the north side of the river. Only a few sections of the road this far inland showed where an unexpected wave of water had crested the riverbanks and flooded onto the highway. The scant mud left light ripples of tan sand and dirt in dried-out patterns on the road. N24 would lead her to Luimneach. Outside the city, she’d jettison the bright yellow bike, walk into town, and purchase a different vehicle. She patted her green jumpsuit and assured herself her new identity card that would enable her purchase was in the sealed pocket. Keely stopped in Tipperary a while later and grabbed a bite to eat before she resumed her trek. The syn-food dispensed through a vending machine in small, bite-sized squares assuaged her hunger, but not her appetite for something more appealing. She purchased a biodegradable bottle of vitamin-filled water and climbed back on the bike. With only forty-five kilometers or so to Luimneach, a reasonably full stomach, and Thane Denton long behind her, Keely released her finger-numbing grip on the handle and relaxed. Rushing air blasted beneath her sweaty hands. She shivered and bent her head forward, enjoying the stream of ventilation cooling her. Momentarily freeing a hand, she unzipped her jumpsuit to allow her cleavage the same refreshment. The thought of a bath, or even a skinny dip to wash the day’s disgusting events from her skin appealed to her inner woman. Soon. Soon, she’d confront Amidurah, kick his ancient ass, and find a place to collapse. Exhaustion, combined with the trauma her body had been through the past few days convinced her, more effectively than Thane Denton, to wait. Each jolt in the road sent her leg into muscle-tightening spasms. Keely stifled a moan, followed by a yawn with the back of her hand, fighting the lassitude that relentlessly pursued her. A pale, shadowed glow from the moon replaced the radiance of the sun. Every hedge took an ominous color, shadows stretching onto the road. If her calculations had been correct, she wasn’t far from the light of Luimneach, and a new transport to Shannon. Maybe she’d splurge and buy one with a

programmable autopilot. ***** She’d been tempted to take the monorail to Shannon to Luimneach rather than her jet bike. The traffic between the two cities had warranted the building of the convenience years before. The popularity of the interpersonal transporter available at the Shannon reception area increased traffic exponentially and the city governments addressed the issue by building the rail. Once off the people mover, though, Keely would have no vehicle to make a get away should one be necessitated. Instead, Keely opted for a hydrogen-celled two door that included the autopilot function. She set all the programs to allow for complete courtesy to all drivers on the road, stretched out in the rear seat and set a command for the on-board computer to wake her when they neared the Shannon city limits. Keely drifted off into a much-needed slumber. ***** A repeated, high-pitched chirp brought Keely out of her dreamless sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The hydrogen car had the new upholstery smell none of her pre-owned vehicles had ever had. Beneath her fingertips, new stain-resistant fabric, a cream color, contained body sensitive climate control sensors. “Computer, slow, then stop at the next wayfarers’ station.” The car soundlessly slowed. Keely watched the dark gray sky roll past along with the near black hedges. Ahead the light of Shannon sliced into the night sky. Amidurah, a powerful sorcerer, was nearby. Beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead. She swallowed back the sudden fear. Everywhere she’d gone she’d seen evidence of what one man wrought. What one man wrought, a woman could set right. She squared her shoulders and sat upright. The sooner she got the confrontation over with, the sooner the world would be safe from the reckless destruction the old sorcerer created. She climbed between the front seats. The expansive windshield afforded a one hundred eighty-degree view. To the left and to the right open fields stretched on as far as she could see in the dark, the deep musky scent of soil filtered in through the air vents. In front of her, the black ribbon of road led directly into the lion’s den. Plopping into the driver’s seat, Keely reached for the computer console and typed in “Roscoe warehouse.” It was a long shot. Michael probably warned Amidurah she was on the way. If he was smart he’d relocated. Keely patted her bag. The Sig was still there should she have need of the weapon. She thought about what she’d learned of Amidurah through Michael and Stephen. There was a good chance an outraged or offended Amidurah waited for her and didn’t move the meeting site. She’d play right into his ancient hands. In Shannon, the streets were busier; groups of people strolled the sidewalks, window-shopped, cuddled, entered and exited restaurants for dinner as if all were right with the world. Keely set her jaw in determination even as a chill ran through her. Gradually, the busier streets gave way to quieter roads. Conveyances of assorted designs passed her car in both directions but here at least the traffic was lighter and the road less bright. Working off the assumption that Amidurah knew she was on the way via Michael’s intel, a direct confrontation at the warehouse was dubious. She pushed a button on the autopilot console and took command of the vehicle manually. Keely slowed the car and turned a block prior to where her computerized map showed the Roscoe warehouse to be. This was a workingman’s district. No cars jammed the limited parking slots.

Street lamps were few. The primary illumination for the area came from the crime lights perched on the gutters of the buildings. The warehouses themselves were non-descript, a boring brown color. Large white numerals at the corner of each building announced the address. A few buildings had the names of their occupants on a marquee in front. The Roscoe building was not quite so audacious. Its simplicity was its first line of security. She drove a block past the warehouse, and then another before turning right. The river Shannon was on her left. Gripping the steering wheel, Keely turned around in the empty road. She could wait at the end of the street in the shadows and watch. Amidurah would need to leave the confines of the warehouse at some point. With the river behind her, she could attack the sorcerer when he neared. If he didn’t, she could follow him until she was near another body of water. Keely rubbed her temple and attempted to relax her clenched jaw. She’d fail if she didn’t unwind a bit, think things through more. She stretched and her elbows popped, loud in the quiet. She couldn’t stay with the car. If she slapped a wave at Amidurah as she had Stephen Doubilet, the wave, or its backlash would strike her as well. Grasping the cool door handle, Keely exited her vehicle, crossed the road, and watched from behind the corner of a building. Never before had she considered taking a life and never in such a calculated way. Her knees weakened with the enormity of her murderous thoughts. Amidurah was the murderer, not she. He killed randomly without regard to the number of lives he destroyed. She wasn’t like him, despite her ability to manipulate the water. She turned from the corner of the warehouse to head back to her car. There had to be another way to stop Amidurah without sinking to his depths. A door slammed somewhere behind her. Keely whirled and saw several men exiting Roscoe warehouse. She gasped. Michael was one of the men. “There she is!” Michael’s voice rang loud in the empty streets. The group of men broke into a run, dividing their numbers so they were on each side of the road. Terror seized her lungs and made it difficult to breathe. She sensed a pair of men near. Her injured thigh screamed in protest at being worked again so hard so soon. Someone’s arm reached out and grabbed her, spinning her around. Keely stared into the face of a young blond-haired man, his blue eyes blazing hate. In his hand he held an Immobilizer, his forefinger on the trigger, pulling. She flung her arm up to protect herself from the blast. “No!”

Chapter Fifteen

The foul-mouthed swine chasing Keely in Waterford never saw Zion tail him. The jerk needed to get a vehicle and by the time he’d found the access code to one, Zion had by-passed the security on another, hidden around the corner, and waited. By the time the owner discovered his jet bike missing, Zion would have jettisoned the vehicle in a location that would ensure its safe recovery. The pig running after Keely led Zion straight to the warehouse and was none the wiser. Amidurah pontificated inside, unaware that outdoors a new threat to his power laid in wait. Keeping watch over the rear door where everyone entered, Zion hoped to see Keely, stop her from her confrontation, and talk some common sense into her. She was far too emotional with the loss of her family and her research to see the logical end such an altercation would inevitably lead to. A scream tore through the air. Zion heard Keely’s cry and felt the ripple of her power surge through the air. He rushed in the direction he’d heard her screech. The scent of road dirt and water flooded his nostrils. He prayed he wasn’t too late. He’d had a choice, to watch the front or the back of

the warehouse. He’d opted for the busier entrance and was wrong. This was the second time in less than twenty-four hours he’d not been there for her when she needed him. Guilt drove him forward, faster, like a spur to a seahorse’s flank. Zion saw the wall of water hurl toward the men on the street, another man’s body floundering as the wave headed inland. Keely had fallen to the road behind and to the side of a vehicle. The swell whipped through the narrow street and knocked flat those who’d attempted to trap her. A chill ran down his spine. He ran faster toward her. Cries of the injured assaulted his ears. He had to get to Keely before the backlash of the wave that knocked over the men washed her into the river. He yelled across the distance. “Come on Keely, stand up.” Wobbling, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees as if she heard him. “Zion?” The wave retracted, pulling the screaming men and Keely’s vehicle toward the refilling river. Zion’s footfall softened, no longer striking the street but rather hitting the sodden earth. He streaked to Keely’s side, grabbed her about the waist, hauled her up to his chest, and turned so his back would take the brunt of the receding water should he not make it to the confines of the river fast enough. He half-dragged, half-carried Keely to the riverbank. With him in his element, she’d be safer in the water. The river sucked at them like a giant vacuum and pulled her from his arms. Keely shrieked, flailed her arms, and disappeared beneath the waters of the Shannon. Terror clawed at Zion. He jumped into the water seeking Keely. Without her scuba equipment, she wouldn’t be able to survive for long beneath the surface. The cold water renewed his strength. Relief rushed through him when he spotted her. The respite was short-lived. Her manipulation of the river created an underwater whirlpool. It sucked her deeper beneath the river and she got caught by the vortex, following the car she’d been near. Zion kicked his feet harder, racing to the swirling pool of death. Stronger, larger fish escaped the spinning water. Hope surged through him. Keely was close. He grabbed her beneath her arms. The water raged and the centrifugal force attempted to keep them trapped in its grasp. Adrenaline pumped through him and he broke free of the whirlpool’s center. Fighting the spinning water, Zion looked into her face. Red hair twisted around her head following the pattern of the water. Her face was devoid of color; her green eyes shuttered beneath closed lids. No! He couldn’t let her die, not like this. He closed his mouth over hers. Humans called it the kiss of life. The gift of his air he gave freely with all the strength and passion to live he could will into her body. Her eyes fluttered open for a mere moment. She lived! Zion fought his way out of the whirlpool, muscles straining with exertion. He glanced over his shoulder. A few more seconds and they would be totally free of the deathtrap, far enough down river toward the bay that he could bring her to the surface. Each moment was agonizingly slow. He needed to get her to the air, but he needed her safe from Amidurah and his cronies as well. There was only one place she would be safe enough to recover. He had to get her to Atlantis. He broke through the water’s surface at the last possible moment, pulling her up with him. The river slapped at him with gentle, playful surges. The banks were empty, save the lightly swaying reeds edging the water. Zion pushed wet, red hair away from Keely’s face, leaned her over his forearm, and rapped her between her narrow shoulder blades. She coughed and spit out river water, and gasped for air. She remained limp in his arms. He slipped beneath the water’s surface once more, prepared to repeat the process as often as necessary until he got her to Atlantis and to safety. ***** Opening her eyes cost Keely. The lids scraped her tender ocular tissue like sandpaper.

Squinting, she looked around. Keely didn’t recognize the sea-themed artwork on the pale yellow walls. The bed she lay in, the silky textured blanket beneath her fingers, the muffled sounds of machines were all unfamiliar. She opened her mouth to scream, but couldn’t. Something covered her mouth, wrapped around her head, and confined her to a reclining position. Panic seized her. Where was she? Keely struggled against the material oppressing her. Despite the pain, her eyes widened. Near her, something flashed like a warning signal. A shrill beep thrummed through the humid atmosphere. She clawed the blanket beneath her fingers, thrashed her legs trying to rid the offending material. A door opened. She tried again to scream for help. Oh Domnu, help me, she begged in silence. “Stop.” The voice, she knew that voice. A man came into her line of vision. Zion! Her chest heaved in jerky sighs. Zion was here. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her erratic breathing. “Zion,” she attempted to say through the object covering her mouth. Zion smiled. His beam warmed her. The smile she attempted to return cracked and split her lips. She watched Zion motion with his arm. A woman, large seashells covering her breasts, seaweed streaming from her hips, appeared at Keely’s side. Soothing fingers removed the device from her face and rubbed a salve on Keely’s lips. “Zion,” she sighed. Zion nodded and the woman near the head of Keely’s bed withdrew to a far corner of the room. “Good. You remember me.” “Where am I?” “My father’s kingdom.” His whisper caressed her skin. This time when she smiled, the act didn’t split her lip. “I forgot. You’re the son of a sea god.” He picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “You say that as if you don’t believe it. Our realities are different, but both exist.” The stroking of his thumb on the back of her hand increased her concern. “What happened? Did Amidurah attack?” “No. A band of his soldiers attempted to take you in Shannon. Don’t you remember?” Grief overwhelmed her. She’d failed. Amidurah was still on the loose. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She tried to remove her hand from his. He held fast and resumed the gentle caresses on the back of her hand. “Calm yourself. Be thankful I was able to get to you in time.” Her limbs felt weighted. “I feel so... disembodied.” The deep timbre of his voice soothed here. “We gave you something to control your surgical pain.” Like small eddies, scattered memories of a dim street flitted to mind. “Surgery?” He nodded and a lock of golden hair fell over an expressive eyebrow. “It was necessary to keep you safe and alive.” “Thank you. Just where am I, exactly?” His facial muscles tightened and his eyes darkened. “Do you remember when I told you who my father was?” Poseidon, ruler of the Seven Seas, was the man, er, God he named as father. She nodded. “I’m currently the youngest son and he’s given me charge of Atlantis.” Keely felt her eyes widen at his pronouncement. Deja vu overcame her senses. “Atlantis. The Atlantis?” She clasped her hand over her mouth when she realized she’d spoken her thoughts aloud. “I assure you, Atlantis is where you are. When you feel better, I’ll show you some of what makes my city unique.” He smiled again. The small act reassured her until she noticed his face. Dark circles beneath his eyes gave him a tired, world-weary look. Stubble covered his chin. Her heart went out to him. “How long have you

been here with me?” “Three days.” Keely gasped. “Three days? The whole time...I’ve been unconscious?” He nodded. When he spoke, his voice carried concern in each word. “You nearly drowned. The physicians thought it best to keep your body quiet while they repaired your lungs.” Her mind whirled. There were so many questions she needed to ask. So much she needed to know. “Am I...” she paused, afraid to hear the answer to the question she was about to ask. “Am I underwater?” “Entirely, but the air pressure within the city keeps the sea at bay.” She lifted her brows, more questions coming to mind. “How do I breathe?” He grasped her hand, and sat at the side of what she presumed was a bed. “Within the city, you inhale as you would on the surface. However, Atlantis is thousands of kilometers from any known body of land, and you are several leagues beneath the ocean surface. My physicians outfitted you with an implant. It works like a fish gill, extracting oxygen from a watery environment. They placed a valve in your trachea to prevent the ocean water from filling your lungs.” She clenched her teeth together to fight the anger building within her. She hadn’t been consulted about the changes to her body. How dare anyone take such liberty! A glance at Zion reminded her where she was. Davy Jones locker, the bottom of the north Atlantic. By all rights, she should be dead. Amazement at the thoroughness of the undersea physicians replaced her ire. They’d given her the ability to survive. Rather than being pissed, Keely knew she should be grateful. She imagined her anger trapped in her fist, beating against her palm. She forced her hand to relax and let the emotional tempest float away. Her next question was remarkably calm compared to the ire she’d just let go. “How can you understand me and vice versa?” “Your words are formed as they are on land. Speech works the same here, but when you are outside the city walls, instead of creating sound waves that travel through air, your sound waves will travel through water. The density is atypical to you, but Atlanteans are raised in this environment and have no difficulty.” His hand moved to her forehead and smoothed back a lock of hair. “You hear and understand because of the device I placed in your ear several days ago.” The memory rushed to her mind. He’d touched her ear when she was trapped under the boat debris. She’d been able to understand him then. “Are the implants permanent?” “No. When you are ready, they can be removed. But, enough questions. If you continue to bombard me, the physicians are likely to place me in their care from exhaustion!” She watched him as he rose to leave. A feeling of loneliness overcame her. Her dysfunctional family no longer existed. Her attempt to thwart Amidurah hadn’t been enough to put an end to his threats against the world. Guilt weighed on her conscience. “Please, don’t leave.” Zion returned and sat at her side patting her hand. “What do you wish?” His query calmed her. In the early hours of the morning, after she’d woken from sexy dreams of making love to this man, she’d imagined his deep voice. “Stay with me. Talk to me. Hold me. I don’t want to be here alone with sad memories and regrets.” Zion helped her sit up and placed his muscular arms around her. “I love touching you,” he whispered near her ear. “You tempt and torment me like no other living being.” She snuggled against his chest and winced with the movement, pondered his words, and allowed their power to sink into her heart and soul as a salve. “How long before I can be up and about?” “The physicians will allow you up when they proclaim you ready. They keep their own counsel and refuse to answer questions.” “They seem to have a lot of power,” Keely lamented. He shrugged. “Their abilities differ from mine. I don’t intrude on their expertise and they do likewise.”

Keely yawned. Although she hadn’t been awake long, exhaustion struck her. “How long will you stay with me?” With a soft touch, he stroked her hair. “As long as you want me.”

Chapter Sixteen

For decades, Zion watched the woman he now held in his arms. For most of those, he’d been in love with her. What started as watching a child with a powerful gift, turned into lust for the beautiful young woman she’d become. He’d settled for allowing himself into her dreams, never suspecting each encounter would addict him to her thoughts and emotions with increasing intensity. Never expecting the subliminal relationship they shared would manifest and mature into an intense love. He stroked her silky hair and kissed her cheek. Touching her sent longing racing like a ravenous shark throughout his body. “Keely, Keely,” he whispered. “What am I going to do about you?” He’d stayed away from her when she questioned her sanity, when the drugs altered her sensitive spirit. Long years he’d spent watching her. All he’d done during those dark days was morph into an irritable, lazy sea prince. In an attempt to distract him from his unrequited love, his father had given him the additional charge of his dolphins. The responsibility for taking care of the city’s unique inhabitants was one Zion took seriously. His father, all powerful and in so many ways wiser than his Uncle Zeus, guided him in understanding the distinctive needs of the intelligent mammals. Zion filled his days with work, grooming the dolphins and seeing to their well being in an effort to keep Keely from his mind, eschewing his favored status as a prince of the realm. Despite the demanding occupation, Keely remained in his thoughts, day and night, year after year. His father’s plan worked well and kept him busy. Unable to visit the woman who held his heart and fearful he’d driven her to the edge of sanity, Zion kept his feelings locked up tighter than a rusted shut sea chest. Until the day one of the dolphins told him of a beautiful woman with hair the color of a Tasmanian red anemone and eyes the color of emeralds. Keely. Memories of his time with her rushed back with the force of a hurricane. His heart quickened in an unbidden response that five years apart didn’t extinguish. Deep into her research, thinking her delusions contained, Keely managed to find an active purpose for her life apart from him. For weeks he debated what he should do. He was miserable. She wasn’t. She deserved as uncomplicated a life as she could enjoy. Letting Keely hold onto her erroneous beliefs of what was real and what wasn’t, allowed her peace of mind. To give her tranquility meant he had to be out of her life. Until Amidurah. The hurricanes caused by the old sorcerer shook up the dolphins. When they returned to Zion with reports of a woman fighting back, causing the wind to push the hurricanes back into the Atlantic, Zion immediately thought of Keely’s power. He didn’t know if Amidurah would seek her out. If she ever used her power unwittingly, as she had when she was a child, the sorcerer wouldn’t rest until he discovered her and one way or another contained her. Amidurah was the only reason Zion had reinserted himself into Keely’s life. Jade and Raiden had stopped him on the beach, less secretive than Denton, and warned him that Keely was actively being sought by Amidurah. He couldn’t help but remember the sorrow of Jade’s eyes as she and Raiden tried to convince him to bring Keely around to their cause. Keely could use Jade to talk to now. The two

women, having lost family to Amidurah, could help one another get through the dark times they now faced. ***** Zion entered the room, a fine linen tunic draped over his left shoulder, secured about the waist with a leather belt. “I see you wear the clothing of the mer-people.” Keely turned toward the mirror and gazed at the costume, blushing at Zion’s words. The seaweed skirt barely covered her backside. Small scalloped shells hung by a kelp rope around her neck and fit her nipples leaving nothing to anyone’s imagination. “It was what was left me.” “I’ve seen you in far less,” he taunted. Her heart hammered in her chest at the erotic memory. She turned to face him. “Our encounters are something we need to talk about eventually.” He nodded. His eyes sparkled as if contemplating some mischief. Instead, he sauntered over and wrapped his arms about her, dipping his head toward her lips. The pounding of her heart tripled. She relished the strong arms about her shoulders, the feeling of security Zion provided. His bared arm flexed, revealing sculpted muscle. She placed the palm of her hand on his upper arm and let it trail down his chest to rest on his sternum. His heart beat as frantically as hers did. “Are you just going to stand there staring at me?” His thumb tenderly grazed her cheek. She leaned into the sensuous soothing motion, closing her eyes in anticipation. How long had it been since he’d kissed her, since he turned her legs into a quivering mass of muscle unable to keep her upright? Too long. She looked into his face. The intense love she saw in his eyes filled the empty crevice of her lonely heart. With the swiftness of a Blue fin tuna, Zion claimed her as his with his mouth. Keely moaned against his firm lips. Against her thigh she felt the hard length of his arousal. Longing erupted within her core to finish what he’d started in the grotto. A subtle cough jerked his mouth away from hers. His voice was an agonized whisper. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “Don’t be. I want to make love to you.” Running a finger through his wavy locks, he turned toward the nursemaid and nodded toward the door. He leaned close and nipped Keely’s earlobe. “Are you absolutely sure?” Once the door was closed, Keely lay back on the bed and spread her legs wide like she had in the cove. “Would you like to taste or feel my surety?” He didn’t answer with words. He moved the shell barely covering her breast to the side. Zion fastened his lips around the nipple and suckled, drawing the hardened nub fully into his mouth. His tongue swirled around the sensitive flesh. Keely moaned. “That feels so good.” When he finished tormenting her breast he attacked the other with as much gusto, repeating the swirling motions of his tongue. Electrifying zips shot from her breasts straight to her core, making her hot and ready to accept him. Her voice, husky with desire begged him. “You’re overdressed.” Sweeping aside her seaweed kilt, Zion lifted his chiton and entered her. His penetration, slow and considerate, sent powerful pulses of desire zinging throughout her body. Keely sighed at the unity she felt with this man. She reached up and drew his face toward her. The intense desire she saw reflected in his eyes took her breath. Two equally passionate lovers together once more. Keely lifted her hips and brought him into her more fully. A groan escaped her lips. “Are you okay?” She lifted a hand and stroked his tanned face. “Oh yeah. Not a thing for you to worry about.”

Immediately, he withdrew his length from her body. His brows were furrowed with concern. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “No, Zion, don’t stop. I want you making love to me.” Her words went unheeded. Zion pushed away from her body, leaving her achingly empty. He toyed with her nipples, kissed her ribs, and tongued her belly button. Each touch sent ripples arcing between the area he teased and her neglected nether regions. Her moans had nothing to do with aches and pains. With a hand, he reached between her legs and slid his fingers between the curly thatch of red hair. Deft digits found her clit and tapped it in a rhythm all Zion’s. Keely reaped the benefits. The soft beats against the sensitive bud combined with the erotic foreplay. She felt the arrival of an impending orgasm. “Oh, god,” she moaned. Then she began to convulse and send the sweet torment of her orgasm throughout her being, beginning between her legs and ending with the erratic beat of her heart. Languid relaxation overcame her. “I’m not done.” He whispered his intention while his head remained between her thighs. “Equal time,” she gasped. Once more he ignored her words, busy with his tongue lavishing the spot his fingers recently vacated. Desire to give him similar pleasure made her beg. “How can I please you?” He lifted his head from his ministrations. “By enjoying.” He returned to his cunnilingus. His hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her higher until her ankles rested on his broad shoulders. She writhed in pleasure. “You taste as I remember. Sweet and hot.” He nuzzled her entrance with his mouth and nose. “Mine, all mine,” he groaned against her arousal. Zion lowered her back to the bed keeping his face buried between her legs. His tongue flicked over her hot slit, diving between the folds to enter her. Then she felt his marvelous, wicked tongue trace its way back to her button while he entered her with two fingers. “Please,” she moaned. “Please what?” he countered. “Make me come.” In answer, he pushed his fingers in and out of her ready entrance. Her body made his penetration smoother and a moment later she felt another finger enter her. Her muscles grasped his fingers to hold him within and still he drove in and out with increasing speed. Anticipation coupled with desire built deep within her core. With a final thrust of his fingers, her orgasm crashed over her in wave after wave of breathtaking sensations. Zion kept his fingers within her core while he made his way up her body. When he had to withdraw them, Keely felt a pang of emptiness. The feeling was short-lived. His hardened length nudged her ready core. She heard his husky, deep voice ask, “Is this what you want?” She managed a short nod, and then he filled her with his cock. He held still and her body adjusted to his girth and length. “Zion,” she exhaled. “You feel wonderful.” He shifted before he partially withdrew before another plunge into her center. “You fit me ... like a missing puzzle piece,” he groaned. There was truth in his statement. She’d fought against the reality of Zion for what seemed a lifetime. They did belong together. The sync of their bodies as they made love cinched it for her. Zion leaned forward and kissed her, hard. Her mouth parted under his and he claimed her once again with his tongue. One of his hands cupped her breast and she gave herself over to the delicious sensations he elicited. On his arms, goose bumps rose, a testament to his approaching climatic state. Her breath caught in her throat and she grabbed his hips to draw him into her harder and deeper. Faster they danced the

pattern of familiar, long lost lovers. Her body trembled. A shiny band of perspiration beaded his brow. Together, she soared with Zion into the world of completion and unity where different realities didn’t matter. She screamed her orgasm as he spurted his seed with a primitive groan into her hot, willing receptacle. Zion collapsed on top of her, rolling her into his arms before he crushed her with his weight. His arms wrapped her tightly against his chest. In her ears, she heard the pounding of his heart. She stilled and soaked up the essence of the man who held her. A breathy sigh of contentment escaped her lips. Their mingled scents tantalized her. Keely snuggled closer. Her fingers wandered over his taut muscles and allowed her to begin to memorize the feel of his skin. How could two people living in such different worlds match one another so perfectly? No answers readily came to mind. “What is it you humans say when someone is deep in thought?” His voice stroked her, fueled her desire to make love with him again. “A penny for your thoughts?” He kissed the top of her head, moved to her forehead, on to her eyelids, her cheeks before a lingering kiss at her lips. “Yes. A penny for your thoughts.” The magic of the moment would evaporate if she voiced her concerns. This day had enough troubles of its own to resolve. She didn’t need to add another, so she opted for a simple truth. “Let’s make love again.”

Chapter Seventeen

Zion made love to her again, this time with even more passion and intensity. Although he never spoke the words she longed to hear, “I love you,” every action implied his devotion to her. He coaxed her body to pinnacles it had never before scaled. Once on top of those heady mountains, he made her flesh sing in wave after wave of sensual heat. Each subtle touch of his lips, fingers, and sex drew her into vortex of climatic possession. Keely’s emotional, self-protective wall shattered. Her muscles lost all semblance of useful strength and she collapsed against Zion’s chest fully sated. Beneath her ear, his heart drummed in a rhythm matching her own. Two individuals in tune with one another as though they’d been lovers a lifetime. She drifted off to sleep safe in the arms of a man she’d known nearly all her life. ***** Keely stretched and yawned. For a moment, she’d forgotten where she was, but then her gaze fell on a nude Zion leaning over her with a satisfied grin on his face. She yawned again and ignored the flare of yearning threatening to ignite. “What are you smirking about?” He picked up a tendril of her hair and twisted it around his finger, and then stroked the silken fibers across her cheek. “You’re gorgeous when you sleep.” He leaned forward and kissed her nose. “There isn’t the smallest trace of worry on your face. You’re totally content.” Last night, after he’d made love to her again, the sea prince carried her to his rooms. Tridents, blades, and other weapons covered one wall. A huge bed, created from a giant seashell was the room’s centerpiece, and she lounged in a deep cushion of red coverings like an opened oyster about to be devoured. She lifted a hand and traced the contours of his chest with a finger. Beneath her fingertips, Zion was solid muscle sheathed in a smooth, nearly unmarred layer of skin. Longing flooded her, her body

responding to the possibility of seduction yet again. She flicked her finger over his hardened nipple. He grasped her hand and pulled it away, dragging it to cup his erection. “Witch! See what you do to me?” Keely giggled and stroked his arousal with her palm. His length was engorged and hard in her hand. “I think you rather like what I do to you.” Enticing him to make love to her yet again was a heady, personal aphrodisiac. She spread her legs in invitation. Zion’s eyes grew wide and he licked his lips. “I wish to partake in the delightful meal of Keely Shane.” He inhaled deeply. “I cannot, however.” Keely stilled her hand, and then dropped it from his rod. Had she disappointed him? “Why?” He straddled her hips, the head of his sex nudging her femininity, caressing the folds to find the bud of her clit and torment her with sexual frustration. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over hers. “My father requests my presence.” She writhed beneath him. Her loins flooded in readiness for his powerful penetration. The musk of her desire tantalized Keely’s nostrils. She couldn’t get enough of Zion. The intense coupling they shared was addictive. Making love with him, day in, day out, for a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to relieve the sexual tension he filled her with. “How long will you be gone?” “A week, ten days perhaps.” Her gaze flew to his face. The room became silent except for the raspy breaths escaping her throat. How could he stay away so long after what they just shared? Keely opened her mouth to complain. “So long?” The skin around Zion’s eyes crinkled and his mouth made an odd quirk. He laughed. Laughed! This was no joking matter. She pushed against the solid wall of his chest and looked into his eyes again. Mirth danced in their depths. Relief washed through her. Laughter erupted from her mouth. She couldn’t believe she’d given in to the panic of losing her lover so soon. “Oh, you, you, big tease!” A smile graced his face and continued to grow until it threatened to engulf all his features. “Seriously, though, as much as I’d love to keep you tied to this bed and have my way with you in endless variations, duty calls.” Zion pushed away from her, stood, and grabbed his chiton. “I didn’t want you to forget me.” Keely rolled her eyes. “As if I could.” The grin widened. “Just making sure. I don’t know how long he’ll keep me. It could be for a significant portion of the day, or mere minutes. Poseidon is rather unpredictable that way.” “May I visit the dolphins?” He slapped a hand against his forehead. “I should have thought of that. Of course, you may. In fact, I can’t think of a place that would be restricted to you.” Keely scrambled from the bed and replaced the shells over her breasts. Excitement hummed through her at the possibility of exploring Atlantis and seeing the dolphins. She scampered to Zion and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you. This is an incredible opportunity.” Zion nuzzled her neck, and then nibbled on her earlobe. Quivers of craving covered Keely’s skin like gooseflesh. She twisted her head to escape his marauding teeth and captured his lips with hers. Scorching need streaked through her. She needed him to make love to her again, but even more, she desired to give him pleasure. Increasing the pressure of her lips against his, she attempted to tease him with a thrust of her tongue into his hot mouth. His hands clamped down on her shoulders. With agonizing slowness, he broke her kiss. “I have to go, Keely, my father is waiting.” He pushed his hips against her pelvis. “Your seduction techniques are very good, but we have to wait until later.” The evidence of his arousal pressed against her made her smile. “Promise?” Zion reverently kissed her cheek. “I promise.” *****

Zion left her on her own at the entrance to his father’s throne room. “We’ve an open society here, Keely. The food, the weaponry, clothing, they are available for all without the cost of coin. Few have personal belongings and among my people those special objects are treated with deep respect. We work and share equally in the labor and its profit.” “Sounds like utopia.” He smiled. “This utopia isn’t perfect, but we try.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Enjoy your day. I look forward to our evening together.” Zion released her from his hold, spun her around, and swatted her fanny. She giggled at the spank and sauntered off, making sure to wiggle her bottom seductively. Keely followed the long marble hall for an hour. Every so often, she passed a niche occupied with an archaic weapon or bust on a pedestal. Occasionally, she crossed paths with an Atlantean and asked questions about the place Zion called home. Periodically trays laden with tropical fruits sat on stands. Momentarily, she wondered how the fruits were delivered, but then Keely’s stomach grumbled in appreciation and she assuaged her hunger, devouring carambola and guava. Oranges, bananas, pineapple, even pomegranate were available, too. She aimlessly wandered, ingesting the peace and calm of her surroundings. Leaving the palace building she entered a large garden area and enjoyed the sight of schools of tropical fish swimming with their brilliant yellows and blues flashing by in the water above the clear dome. Statues of ancient Greek gods and goddesses, looking as though they were carved yesterday, stood among green plants growing in alcoves. The dolphin receiving area eluded her. Frustrated, she turned around to head back to Zion’s rooms. After a few false starts she found a particularly unique statue, of a god disrobing a woman, and knew she was on the right track. If Poseidon had decided on the overall decorating scheme, he’d had sex in every conceivable position on his mind. A colorful tiled mosaic depicted a woman sucking one man’s sex while two other men penetrated her both vaginally and anally. Until she saw that depiction, Keely hadn’t considered the idea of multiple partners for sex and certainly not three. From around a corner voices drifted toward Keely, those of a man and a woman. She recognized the deep timbre of the man. The rumble of Zion’s voice and his low laugh mingled with a higher pitched giggle. Curiosity seized her and she slowed her gait. Zion seemed to be enjoying himself if the mirth he exhibited were an indicator. The tinkling voice of the woman grated on her nerves the way stones crashing upon one another did. Her hot breath left her mouth in shallow puffs. Jealousy flared within her. Had she ever made him laugh like that? Keely shook her head. She knew the answer and it was no. All she’d shared with Zion past a respite of frenzied, orgasmic sex was sorrow and devastation mixed with a healthy dose of anger. Unbidden, her feet continued to carry her forward. As if she needed to hear any more laughter coming from those two! Apparently, her body had other ideas. Her hearing became more attune to the pair of voices. She edged closer to the edge of the wall, wanting to look, afraid of what she might see. “Zion, I do so love you.” “I love you, too, Evadne. I don’t know what I would have done without your support through all the dark years.” Keely stuffed her fist into her mouth and shrank back against the wall. Her heart ached as if a large animal with long dull claws had shred it, each swipe painful and ragged. Dear Domnu, what am I going to do? “So have you bedded her yet?” “What?” “Have you fucked the Terran yet, the way your father wanted you to, so you could get her cooperation?” Tears sprang to Keely’s eyes and streamed silently down her cheeks. She blocked out their

conversation, unable to bear another syllable of his betrayal. Zion had used her. Made love to, no, fucked her because of his agenda. She swallowed the huge lump that formed in her throat and fled.

Chapter Eighteen

The cold marble flooring reflected the chill in Keely’s heart. She had to get away from Zion and repair the damage to her soul. The past few days had been painful enough with the passing of her family, but she’d thought she had Zion’s backing and unspoken love. Believing in his support had somehow made those losses bearable. Unspoken. That should have been her first clue. While Zion had talked about being a part of her life for eons, he hadn’t said the words that mattered. He hadn’t verbalized in any way, shape, or form his commitment to her. Keely knew why now. Zion was devoted to someone else. Keely was simply a means to an important end. Wandering the halls, she’d escaped the lovers’ voices. Eventually, after a good deal of time wandering, she found her way back to the only part of Atlantis she knew well, Zion’s rooms. She tried to put herself in his place. Would she have seduced someone in order to protect a large unsuspecting populace? Maybe. No, no, she wouldn’t. There was a matter of self-pride involved. Keely Shane would have found another way to save her people. Even though she knew her own answer, it didn’t resolve her present dilemma. She paced in front of his rooms, unsure if she could face him after her discovery. A few drops of water escaped her eyes. Damn tears! She scrubbed them away with a balled hand and stood taller. There would be time for weeping later. She had to get away from the man who’d caused those tears and shattered her heart into pieces so tiny she’d never be able to put it back together. The obvious solution, though, wasn’t as easy to implement. “For Domnu’s sake, I’m in Atlantis, somewhere in the Atlantic. How am I going to get out of here?” Weighing her few options didn’t yield many results. She could leave on her own, swim toward Ireland an unknown distance and fight off sharks, dehydration, blistering sun, storms, and anything else the ocean might throw at her. She could ask Zion to take her back with two variations, confront him regarding his amore or act as if nothing had happened. A skirmish with the man she loved would destroy the little pride she had left along with the few memories she hoped to draw upon in the future when the lonely days threatened to drown her. Likewise, ignoring her discovery would require her to be as duplicitous as he had been, would continue to be. She shook her head, trying to make it work. Making love with Zion wasn’t just physical for her. It meant something, a connection, a promise of a deeper relationship than just one of carnal enjoyment. Hell, if sexual pleasure was what she wanted, she could find bots to relieve her needs. Keely stopped pacing, squared her shoulders, and approached Zion’s door. Her first knock went unheeded and she rapped the door harder. “Who is it?” “Keely.” “Come in.” She pushed against the heavy oaken door and nearly knocked Zion over, losing her own balance in the process. His strong arms reached out to steady her. Where his hands grasped her sexual heat entered her being. The sensations raced through her body, quickened her breath, and weakened her legs. This would never do. She couldn’t allow her body

to react to his touch, not when she knew he belonged to another. She attempted to pull her arms from Zion’s flaming touch. “I’m sorry.” His grip tightened on her forearms. “Don’t be. I promise I’ll never let you fall.” Of course not. She’d already fallen to the bottom of her soul and lived at the bottom of the sea. She couldn’t drop any further. “Really, Zion, there’s no need. You are a busy, um, sea prince. Hovering over me has to complicate your responsibilities.” She cast a glance at his face, careful to avoid looking into the depths of his eyes. To maintain this illusion, she couldn’t look him in the eyes directly. Too much was at stake for him to see her brokenness. She glimpsed his frown. The room had taken on an unnatural stillness, as if time had frozen this vignette. Keely needed to move, get his hands off her. She shrugged and broke his hold. “You talk like I rule the oceans.” A faint floral smell tantalized her senses. Until now, she hadn’t realized how much she missed the scent of the world. She searched around for the source of the perfumed air. A small votive burned on a stand not far from the bed. An open book lay next to it. Had Zion been meditating? For a moment she considered the possibility, Zion searching for inner peace. Then the memory of his woman’s laughter came to mind. Maybe he prayed for cleansing from his betrayal of her. She narrowed her eyes and tore her gaze from the accessories on the stand. “Won’t you someday? I’m sure I don’t know how many are in line for Poseidon’s throne before you, but you are a prince of the ocean, son of one of the most powerful Gods of Olympus.” “I’ll have charge of Atlantis, as I’ve had for some time now. Nothing more.” There had been bitterness to his words and Keely didn’t know what to say. Neither of them spoke and the silence grew heavy and oppressive. “Even if rule of the sea were granted me, I’m not interested. Someone else occupies my interests much more.” The implication was she interested him, but Keely knew where that stood. Time to change the subject to one that would aid her in leaving Zion’s kingdom. Pacing to the other side of the room she kept her back to him. Zion couldn’t be allowed to see how his casual statements affected her. She gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Be that as it may, my work is topside. I need to return to terra in order to stop Amidurah.” Behind her she heard a sharp intake of breath. Maybe the use of the word “terra” invoked a memory of another word used to describe her, “terran.” One of Zion’s large hands gripped her upper arm and turned her toward him. “What is this about?” At least he was perceptive. She swallowed and took a deep breath. “Unless I stop him … soon …there will be few left to express interest in anything or anyone.” Zion pulled her close. Keely turned her head so she wouldn’t have to look into his face. Her ear burned against the muscular torso, his heartbeat thundered in a cadence that was all Zion. Briefly, she entertained the thought of staying by his side in Atlantis. Just the word “Atlantis” reminded her she was out of her depth here, and another held the right to the position of intimate, trusted counselor. She closed her eyes and sighed. Being close to him was not smart. “I’m exhausted,” she whispered. ***** Swimming through schools of fish riding Lotis and Mona and taking in the colorful underworld sea Keely had come to love long ago, had been uneventful. The pair of dolphins stayed near one another and Zion’s grasp of her hand didn’t allow her to forget her goal of defeating Amidurah. She was on her way back to Ireland and her beloved Kilkee where she would confront the sorcerer and eventually sooth

the ache in her heart. Earlier, Zion explained the necessity of being near seawater. Kilkee would provide them both an anchor to renew their strength when needed. The ocean would refresh Zion’s flagging energy. Being among her own people in the land she loved would revitalize Keely. A solid night of rest and she would be as ready as possible to face Amidurah. A night next to Zion was a whole different proposition. Last night, he seemed to accept her excuse of fatigue without question. Even though Zion did the guiding and swimming, carrying her along, Keely was exhausted. Maybe her body would force her into sleep once they got back to Kilkee. There was a possibility he’d even accept nervousness as a reason for lack of intimacy tonight. Domnu knew she didn’t have the confidence she exuded. Her own reaction, refusing to kill when Amidurah’s men attacked, had back lashed on her. If Zion hadn’t shown when he did ... She choked the thought before it sprouted further. Several hours later, near the southwest coast Zion spoke. His words came to Keely as clearly as if he’d spoken to her in her mother’s sitting room. “Amidurah is likely to have the Castle watched.” “We can choose the location I should confront him at, and then rest. Tomorrow is a big day.” They exited the water further south at Kilrush. Keely’s legs felt like columns of jell-o. Rivulets ran down Zion’s chest. Narrow streams of seawater dripped from the snug body pants he wore as a nod to Keely’s notions of propriety. Slogging across the narrow strip of sand, Keely sighed. Low grasses covered the vista before her like a rich green quilt. In the distance, a variety of hardwoods dotted the hills. By their very existence, short houses made of fireproofed thatch welcomed her home. Home. Ireland. This was where she belonged, not beneath leagues of salt water contained in an environment artificial to humans. Terrans, she reminded herself. “We should find a place to stay, away from the water. I don’t think he’ll look for us at a distance from the sea. Kilmihill, or maybe Cooraclare aren’t far from here.” She sighed. It wouldn’t belong until her fight with the sorcerer was on. “We’ll choose the location and call him to us, taunt him to face me.” Zion held out a hand. She ignored it and climbed the slope of the beach unassisted. She didn’t need to be touching him if she intended to keep her focus. He turned to her and grabbed her hand. “I don’t know precisely what has you upset, but it’s more than meeting Amidurah.” Why did the strength of his hand wrapped around hers have to be so damn comforting? She had to let her emotions go when it came to Zion. He belonged to someone else. He belonged somewhere else. Keely feigned humor she didn’t feel and laughed. “What else would it be, Zion? It’s not every day a woman faces the possibility of her death in order to save the world.” He jerked her arm so she fell against him. She hit the solid wall of his bare chest, her breath whooshing from her lungs. Anger bubbled within at his caveman tactics. “Hey! What’s this about?” “You’re provoking me, Keely, and I’d like to know why.” The warmth of the words coming from his mouth caressed her cheek. Her legs began to buckle and she fought the reaction, grasping his forearms to steady her. “I assure you I don’t know what you mean.” “It means,” he ground out, “that when I touch you, instead of welcoming the connection, you work at breaking it. It means you aren’t acting like yourself despite the reasonable fear a normal person would have confronting someone like Amidurah.” He lifted her chin so she was forced to look in his eyes. “It means you’re distancing yourself from me and I want to know why.” Keely loosened her hold on his arms and broke free of his embrace. The wind blew her hair

across her face and she pushed it back and tucked the strands behind her ear. Apart from his warmth, a chill stole over her skin caused by more than the blowing air. She folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself. Comfort wasn’t forthcoming. She marched away from Zion, moving further toward the small town. Here too, the aftereffects of the tsunami created by Amidurah were evident. Watermarks stained the white buildings. Sand, plant life, decaying fish, and pieces of debris sloped in curved piles against the street gutters. Kneeling, Keely examined a soil deposit. Already, the bright green life of some sort of vegetation pushed through the muck, a promise that the world would continue despite the ugliness. Carefully, she picked up a handful of damp soil; let it fall through her fingers as if she were some sort of mesh strainer. The smell of damp ground so close to her nostrils overcame the smell of rot; the sight of the green resurgent through the mess, even the touch of the wind on her cheek bore the simple truth. Amidurah might win many battles, might destroy a lot of the living beings on the planet, but he wouldn’t defeat the human spirit. Earth would never be his. Life would win. Accepting the fact that she’d face him had come far easier than she’d imagined. Oh, she’d put up an internal fight, even an external fight with Zion regarding her abilities, but she’d known deep down those attributes existed. Zion’s strong voice crossed the distance she had put between them. “Keely.” She stood and brushed the soil from her hands onto the knees of her jumpsuit. The rough particles were real. On the pseduostone pavement Keely walked toward the heart of the hamlet. They’ d find a bicycle, a car, a jet bike, something to bear them away from Kilrush and toward a quiet place she could get her head together. “Yes, I’m putting distance between us,” she confessed. She sensed Zion’s approach from behind. He made walking away and not facing him difficult. The words of her explanation stuck in her throat like an ant caught in honey. “Why?” There were thousands of excuses, but what was the real reason? “My feelings for you are hindering my concentration.” One thing she positively knew. She had to do this without him. He was a distraction she couldn’ t afford. Zion grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. “What about my feelings?” The tenuous thread she’d used to keep her emotions in check snapped. “Your feelings? I think you’ve made it quite evident where your heart truly lies. I can accept that. But do not make the mistake of thinking you can continue to toy with me, my affections, or the job you’ve convinced me I must do. Once this is all over, you, Zion, son of Poseidon will go back to your undersea world and your lover. You’ll forget you even knew me.” Maybe it was time to call for reinforcements and contact the EPA. She’d grovel if need be to get Denton’s support if it would keep Zion out of the picture and salvage what was left of her heart and dignity. She stormed toward a rack of bikes outside a closed pub, rattled each of them viciously testing the locks. Glancing down she saw silt sloped against the tires. These bikes hadn’t moved since the lower reach of the tsunami’s waters receded. The owners were most probably dead or never returning. Renewed fury hummed through her veins at the thought of Amidurah killing more innocent people. The low growl of Zion’s voice rasped her ear. “What are you talking about?” She whirled, ready to finish the verbal battle, fueled by the rush of anger she felt toward Amidurah and the situation he’d created and Zion’s undersea lover. In equally low and menacing words she responded. “When you first tried to make love to me, I didn’t believe you were real. Now that I’ve been with you in the flesh and blood, you’re still just an untenable dream for a terran like me. A very powerful, physical illusion. You belong to the sea, not Ireland, and most definitely not me.” God, as she voiced the thoughts plaguing her, she was ripping out her heart as well. “I heard you tell your lover how much you needed her during your dark days. Well, I have my

own. I’m living them right now. I’ve lived them all my life, since the day my mother nearly drowned during an unanticipated squall.” Keely poked him in the chest. “You and I can never be.” She sucked in her gut to slide past him. The air was colder now, the wind more fierce. Soon, rain would fall, along with the tears Keely knew she’d not be able to contain. Hopefully, Zion would be nowhere near when the weeping for their impossible relationship struck. Zion barred her escape with his brawny arms. “You ran from me when you were three, Keely. I ’m not about to let you run again.”

Chapter Nineteen

Keely was trapped. Zion had her penned like a wild animal needing to be gentled. His words echoed in her ears, growing louder. Her breath came in shallow gulps. “What do you mean I ran from you when I was three?” She glanced into his face. His eyes radiated sadness. Without conscious thought she reached out and stroked his cheek. Her voice was softer when she questioned him again. “What do you mean?” “I was there the day your mother fell from the abutment.” Keely gasped. “What! Why?” He released his hold on the rack and turned his back to her. A few birds twittered from their perches on the gutters running the length of the rooftops. Her heart pounded as loud as tympani in an ancient orchestra. Zion ran a hand through his damp blond hair. Somehow, the action made him appear vulnerable. If the situation hadn’t been so serious Keely might have laughed at the irony. “I was swimming with the dolphins and saw you on the abutment. Your hair was long and loose and the wind blew it every direction. You looked like you were performing a scene from an old gothic movie I saw eons ago on an excursion with one of my brothers. Your back was ramrod straight, and your chin tilted obstinately toward the sea.” Keely nodded. There weren’t a lot of childhood memories she recalled, but looking out onto the ocean from the abutment was one of them. He turned and paced back to her. “Your mother came out on the abutment after you. I saw the similarity in your coloring and features. There was no mistake. You were her child. Your mother was beautiful. Her daughter grew up even more so.” Keely tapped her foot and crossed her arms. “Where is this leading, Zion?” “There’s no easy way to say this.” Her eyebrows arched. Curiosity and impatience danced in her mind. “What?” Zion heaved a mighty sigh. “Your mother and my father were lovers.” She swallowed hard. Poseidon and her mother? No, that was too far fetched to have merit. “I don’t believe you.” “It’s true. My father sent me to the Irish coast to look for her. I found you both.” The revelation was disconcerting. Her stomach flipped, flopped, and then twisted in painful gyrations. Zion’s news solidified her need to keep away from him. Dear Domnu, she’d bedded her own brother! Keely moved from her perch on the rack. She had to move, wanted to gallop away, but didn’t want to give Zion another piece of evidence in regards to her running from him. “We can’t use these bikes. If we try to get them freed all we’ll do is succeed in damaging them.” Put one foot in front of the other. Just follow the road to Cooraclare. Follow the road. It was a good mantra. Walking the dusty road would allow her time to pull a cloak of protection around her battered emotions. Her mother and Poseidon. Who would have thought it possible?

Until a few days ago, the concept of sex with a mythological being would have sent Keely into peals of laughter. Not now. She knew what it was like to be touched by a God, cherished for a moment in time. With the information Zion shared, Keely understood a part of her mother’s mental instability. How long had her mom been fighting the same demons Keely had? A dried leaf skittered across the unusually quiet road. Keely kicked at it and continued on. “Keely, wait. Where are you going?” “To Cooraclare. I need to prepare for Amidurah. I need some time alone.” “You’re not going without me.” She shrugged her shoulders. Her muscles were tense and the movement relaxed them. She repeated the action. “Damn it, Keely, I love you.” This declaration was too much. Anger with him, with herself, with the entire situation raced along her nerves like a wildfire. She rounded on him. Venom dripped from her words. “News flash. I don’t fuck my relatives.” She turned again and stomped down the road. If she thought the declaration would root him to the spot she was wrong. Once again, Zion laid claim to her, clasping her shoulders, and spinning her toward him. “Is that what you think? That I ‘fucked’ my sister?” She glared at him and refused to take his bait. “My father and your mother became lovers after you were born. He sent me to find your mother and bring her back to him. I found you instead.” Keely didn’t blink. “Do you think it makes a difference?” “Hell yeah. I don’t go in for incest.” The actual word uttered made Keely flinch. Her face stung with anger and a healthy dose of embarrassment. Thank God they weren’t flesh and blood relations. “Just borderline pedophile then?” She watched his eyes widen, as if she’d just landed a blow with an open hand to his face. Then he narrowed his eyes. A dangerous glint lit them as if she’d gone too far with that last statement. “I watched you because the day I found your mother, I witnessed your childlike attempt at murder.” Her mouth dropped open. No words came forth and she shut it with an audible clack of teeth. Her nostrils flared and Keely fought to reign in the last of her temper. She took a deep breath. Slow and soft the words fell from her lips. “I’ve had far enough of this,” she waved her hand, “attempt to embroil me in the sick workings of your family. For your information, I loved my mother and father. I would never intentionally hurt them.” “You were a child. You had a temper tantrum. You called the ocean to you then as surely as you are able to now. The water crested the abutment and your mother lost her balance, falling into the waves as they receded.” Portions of the scene replayed in Keely’s mind. The echo of her mother’s falling scream prickled her flesh and made her tremble. “You’re saying I’ve had the ability to control the water all my life?” Zion nodded and stayed quiet. She narrowed the gaze of her eyes and stared at him, clenching her teeth. Deep down she’d suspected she had a special connection to the ocean. Zion confirmed it. His quietness alarmed her. She turned her head and looked toward the peaceful green forest. “There’s more isn’t there?” There had to be. Her mother hadn’t drowned after her fall. Her terrified scream alerted her nearby father and he’d rushed to the abutment, and then to the door leading to the beach. The memory of the panic on that evening flooded Keely’s mind and sent her pulse into overdrive. In her mind’s eye she saw herself, a small child standing forlorn on the top of the cliff wall, clicking her tongue against her teeth to control her fear. In the waning light, a large animal jumped from the water in a graceful arc. A dolphin. Two more large gray mammals followed the motion.

The trio surrounded the toppled woman and kept her head out of the water. They brought her mother near the beach, as close as they dared. By then, her father was on the wet sand, splashing through the diminishing ripples of the ocean’s waves. Keely’s brows furrowed with the memory, and she returned her gaze to Zion with a tilt of her head. “That’s when it started, didn’t it? The whole communications drive to talk with the dolphins.” Zion crossed the space between them. “Any other child would have run and hid, but not you. You called the dolphins to save your mother. Before I could render aid, they were there already. “While your father worked to get your mother to the castle, you stood there alone on the abutment, cloaked in the dishonor of your actions.” The enormity of the horror Zion accused her of churned her stomach. “I was three! What did I know of honor or power or life?” Zion pulled her into his arms. She leaned against his solid body, soaking in his strength like a sponge. Hot tears scalded her cheeks and Keely knew from her past experiences her eyes would turn an unsightly red. Against his chest she murmured. “That’s when you started visiting me?” “Not precisely. My father wanted a report regarding your mother’s whereabouts. He’d promised to return her to her home, and he kept his word although he searched for ways to bring her back to him. In his own way, I guess, he loved your mother. “I told him how Mary Murphy almost drowned and how her young daughter called the dolphins to save her mother. He assigned me to watch Mary, to make sure nothing else happened to her.” He stroked her hair with his large hand. “The fringe benefit was observing you grow up into a gorgeous woman, sharing quiet times with you in the confines of your mind.” The comforting gesture restored a great deal of her inner peace and confidence. “Were you… on the beach when I was eighteen?” The gentle stroking of his hand stilled. “Yes.” More memories surfaced. The day she’d turned eighteen, she wandered the beach, called the dolphins to her, and enjoyed a beautiful orange and red sunset. Several members of a Rossi’s pod neared and started their unique blend of whirs and clicks. She’d accepted their version of birthday greetings and slipped on her sand boots for her return walk home. Halfway down the shoreline she’d seen a figure walking toward her. Even then, her father had insisted on Keely earning a concealed weapon permit and having an Immobilizer at the ready. Patting her pocket, she felt the weapon and vanquished her fear that day. Straightening her arms and leaving her palms against his bare chest, Keely pushed away from Zion and peered into his face. “That was you, wasn’t it?” He nodded. So many pieces of the puzzle of her life fit together. All this time she’d believed she was crazy, delusional because of the man she’d met on the beach. She’d seen Zion nearly every day for a couple of months way back then. The inevitable happened, too. Keely fell in love and the man of her dreams disappeared. Oh, he ’d had help. The one time she’d mentioned meeting Zion, she hadn’t been allowed to traverse the beach again, alone, until Daddy gave the all clear. Again the sequence of events made sense to her. If her mother had an affair with Poseidon and her father had discovered her infidelity he would naturally keep his daughter away from the son of the man who’d cuckolded him. “They convinced me you weren’t real. When I insisted, they had me sent for conditioning. Later I was placed on powerful medication.” He grasped her wrists and with gentle pressure pulled her back into the confines of his arms. “Those were the darkest days of my life. I couldn’t see you, couldn’t even speak to you in your dreams. Your mind was clouded, like a long lasting ocean squall. There was only tumult and darkness in your thoughts, walled in by those damned drugs.” Keely frowned. “Why didn’t you come back when I stopped taking those control drugs? Why

didn’t you help me understand my relationship to the dolphins?” He reached out and touched her face with the pad of his thumb, each caress sliding over her down-turned lips. “I did.” Two small, simple words. Zion offered her a mighty temptation, to turn her head toward the palm of his hand and bask in the caring sensations of his sensuous touch. She resisted his haven of contact, frustrated sexually, emotionally, and mentally. If she gave in to his seductions now, she might not ever find all the answers she felt she needed. She shook her head and broke contact with the thumb that rubbed her lips. “No. I never saw you again. Not until the day I found you on the beach.” Zion smiled at her, a sad looking, tight-lipped curvature of his mouth. Pity resided in those blue eyes. Pity for her. “Don’t you remember?”

Chapter Twenty

There wasn’t time for Keely to reply to Zion’s question. Four jet bikes bore down on them from the direction they were headed. She unzipped her bag and pulled out the Sig Immobilizer. “Hide!” Zion scurried to the left. Keely jumped over a low-lying stone wall across the road from him and aimed. ”He’s the one lads, the bloke that helped the girl at the river.” Keely flinched. The sound of Michael’s voice grated on her nerves like the hull of a ship being scraped for barnacles. Damn! She quickly lifted her head to see which bike Michael rode but was too late to discern which helmet-covered rider was her hunter. Double-checking the Sig to make sure it was on stun, Keely slowly placed the barrel on a concave indentation in the stone. The four men, dressed in different colors, parked their bikes and headed toward Zion’s hiding place. She took a deep breath, exhaled a tiny bit, and then held the air in her lungs. Long ago, on a small motor boat, Keely’s father had taught her how to use her breathing to steady herself before casting her rod into the water. With continual, gentle pressure, she pushed in the trigger and let loose a long blast of energy at the back of a man clad in burgundy. He jerked around when the blast hit him, screamed, and began swearing. Keely fired at his chest, keeping the trigger depressed. The filthy words coming from his mouth ceased and he fell to the ground in a heap. She twisted her wrist so the barrel of the Immobilizer swung slightly to the left and fired another long blast of energy at a man in deep green who began to turn toward her. Her target grabbed his back at waist level and fell. Two down. She glanced at the energy level in her gun. The three blasts had depleted the stores to twenty-five percent of capacity. She needed a few extra seconds to ensure a disabling hit. “Get her,” Michael yelled. Keely peered over the muzzle of her weapon. Her view of Michael’s body was blocked by that of a large, bare chested man headed her way. She watched as he pulled a specialized military weapon from his black camouflaged trousers and pointed the gun her direction. Instinctively, she fired. A burst of energy struck the ground to his left. Damn! She hadn’t aimed and missed her target. The air in front of her quivered, distorting her view. The ripple headed straight for her. Keely twisted and leapt to the side, but she wasn’t fast enough. The blast hit her waist and buttocks. A terrified, mournful scream tore from her throat. Her body careened toward the stone and she fell with a thump to the grass. She tried get up on her arms, tried to call out to Zion.

Panic filled her. Her heart pounded furiously as if getting more blood to her extremities would help her stand. Keely couldn’t move or speak. ***** The last time Zion heard a scream of such terror was when Keely’s mother had fallen off the abutment. He jumped from his hidden location in the grasses and onto the narrow shoulder of the road. The barrel of one of their attacker’s guns pointed straight at his heart. Just beyond him, Zion saw two men on the ground, felled by Keely’s shots. The man in front of him, wearing a “Free Ireland” shirt and jeans snarled. “Who might you be?” Zion ignored the question and once more peered past him. Another man with long black hair and matching black pants carried Keely in his arms and she didn’t move. “I’ve got the woman.” “I’ve got her hero.” The man shoved his weapon toward Zion’s ribs. “Not much of one if you ask me.” Zion deflected most of the blow away from his gills with a slight crook of his body and allowed his flexed stomach muscles to bear the brunt of the strike. A welt rose where he’d been hit, a purplish color beginning to stain his skin. No one dared strike a sea prince. “I wouldn’t do that again if I were you.” His attacker turned away from Zion for a millisecond, and then turned back, swinging with the hand holding the weapon. “I’ll do whatever I damn well please, mate.” With well-trained precision, Zion stopped the strike several decimeters from his face, catching the man by the wrist in a crushing grip. Anger simmered within him and threatened to explode in a deadly attack, one he couldn’t risk. They held the ultimate ransom in their arms, Keely. He released his hold on his assailant with a shove. “What do you want with us?” The man shook his wrist gingerly, glared, and then pointed his weapon level with Zion’s heart. “Who are you, and I’ll thank ya to not make me ask again.” Zion glanced at Keely in the other man’s arms. Anyone touching her like that heated his blood to boiling. “I’m Zion, who are you?” A smile crossed the aggressor’s face, revealing less than perfect, yellowed teeth and releasing a foul odor. Apparently, not even modern wonders were able to work their miracles on this scum. No wonder Keely ran from him. “Michael, an emissary of His Grace.” The words seemed regal, yet he’d never heard his father referred to in such a way before. “His Grace? My father?” The man laughed and moved toward the man bearing Keely. “Who would that be?” “Poseidon.” The burly man in black guffawed. Michael joined in. “Sean, did ya hear that? Poseidon. Now that’s funny.” Sean continued to laugh. A long strand of greasy looking dark hair fell into his eyes. “Aye. He would be king of the ocean, would he?” The temptation to utter a scathing retort to these two morons enticed Zion. Again, he held back. The man holding Keely, Sean, spoke again. “What should we do with him?” Michael appeared to consider the question. Zion swallowed hard and waited, tempering his normal instincts to fight for his honor and that of his family. He balled his hands into a loose fist. His goals were important. He had to make sure these cretins didn’t harm Keely and keep her from facing Amidurah. “Under normal circumstances I’d say have some sport with him and then kill him.” Michael paused and rubbed his chin. “As he’s been seen around the woman, maybe he’d have something of import to share with His Grace.” “How do you intend we transport them?” Sean shifted on his feet. “What of the men she’s

downed?” “Leave ‘em. They’re only stunned and will return to their senses eventually.” Deep breath in, and then out, loosen the hands, flex your fingers, roll them into your palms, deep breath in, out. Each stretch loosened his tight muscles. Each time he rolled his hands he fought to keep from throwing a fist. Mentally Zion went through the relaxation watching the men argue his fate. Do what you must to keep Keely alive. Michael mounted a bike, pointed at Zion, and then indicated one of the jet bikes. “I’ll be keepin’ the woman. You’ll be in front of me, behind Sean on that bike. If you try anything funny at all, I’ll be lettin’ the air out of her lungs.” He brandished a lethal looking knife. “Permanently.” Moving toward the jet bike indicated Zion heard the breeze rustled through the leaves on the maples and caressed his skin with a cool, steady stream of air. The wind in the trees was one of the few sounds he enjoyed when being topside. The sound reminded him of a pure waterfall rushing over stones into a pristine pool below. If they survived this mess, he’d take Keely to one of the larger ones, Niagara maybe, or Victoria. He allowed himself the luxury of the daydream for a small moment. They had to endure though, and stop Amidurah from destroying all of Earth’s life forms. Zion doubted the man would hurt Keely, not when Amidurah wanted her, but he couldn’t risk being wrong either. With a begrudging respect he responded to Michael. “I understand.” Sean transferred Keely to Michael’s arms and got on one of the jet bikes. Zion straddled the vehicle Michael indicated. “You follow Sean and don’t be actin’ the hero.” With a nod of his head, Zion grasped the handles. Sean gunned the engine and took off. Zion followed as ordered, trying to think of a way to turn this to his advantage. ***** A short time after they passed a road sign indicating they were near Cooraclare, Sean veered east. Dust rose from the rutted dirt road. Zion inhaled the musky scent of damp earth and realized they were near a body of water. The road Sean and Michael followed took them to meet their destiny. Zion had no doubt they were about to meet Amidurah. A strange sense of excitement filled him. One way or another, the outcome of his and Keely’s lives and the fate of Atlantis were about to be decided. A half-hour later, Sean turned north onto a narrower road. Every rotation of the jet bike’s tires jarred Zion, the vibrations further agitating his taut muscles. Thankfully, the annoyance lasted only a few minutes. Sean pulled to a stop near a five-meter high red stone fence capped with wrought iron spikes forty centimeters apart. Just past him was a gate worked in the same metal as the spikes. He dismounted, pulled a phaser from his pocket, and backed toward the gate, keeping his gaze trained on Zion. Once he passed the gate, he spared a glance at the stones before selecting one to push. “We’re here. We’ve brought company.” “I’ll inform His Grace,” a disembodied voice responded. Great. How many people were in this new refuge of Amidurah? He’d thought he would work on the strategy of divide and conquer, but the success of the plan ultimately depended on the numbers. Two, one out of commission, faced an unknown quantity. If need be, he was adaptable. He’d recalculate the risk and adjust accordingly. If all else failed, he’d be impulsive. Spontaneity seemed to throw adversaries off anyway. “Get off the bike now.” Michael’s voice was nearly inaudible. “Remember who I have.” As if he’d forget the woman in his enemy’s arms or her importance to the world. Zion shrugged, feigning a nonchalance he didn’t feel and swung his leg over the seat of the jet bike. Sean continued to stare at him and kept the weapon aimed directly at Zion’s chest. Zion returned the glare, staring until he forced Sean to blink and look away momentarily. Good,

the law of canines seemed to apply to human men. Sean knew Zion was the dominant male in the current power struggle. As soon as they entered Amidurah’s enclave, Zion would need to reestablish his superiority among the new humans he encountered. A high-pitched grating sound came from the gate. Zion inhaled deeply and fought to keep his hands from covering his ears at the irritating sound. Sean motioned with a nod of his head for Zion to move toward the entrance. He did as indicated. In front of him were two more men, easily the size of Sean, perhaps larger. Each man held a weapon reminiscent of the automatic machine guns he’d read about in ancient history class. If they held equally volatile projectiles fired at a similar rate Zion knew he’d not be able prevent damage to his body. No, rushing the men with the deadly old weapons was not pragmatic. He’d have to wait until he found a way to disarm his opposition and even the odds some. The men flanked him as he walked toward a rather plain looking two-story dwelling. Sean followed close behind him, prodding Zion along with a poke in the back. Zion knew Michael carried Keely and he could hear an occasional word Sean and Michael whispered back and forth to one another. In front of him, Zion watched a bright green door open. No welcoming light spilled forth onto the stoop. Stepping through the doorway and into the dark hall, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. The hallway wasn’t long, perhaps fifteen meters, but on each side of the narrow entrance were five men. That meant a minimum of fourteen soldiers to dispatch. Based on what he’d seen, Zion calculated there were several more fighters scattered throughout the building. They turned to the left and halted at a pair of white doors. One of the men rapped on the doorframe. A slender shaft of light flashed in the wall to the side of the frame. A moment later, the white doors slid apart into recesses within the walls. At the far end of the room, a brown haired man sat in a deep red, wing-backed chair. A settee sat to the left of him, an antique wooden buffet laden with food was to the unassuming man’s right. Zion frowned. Amidurah was supposed to be as old as his father. This man, who looked to be in his mid forties, didn’t show near the age Poseidon did and revealed no outward sign of weakness Zion could discern. He and Keely were in for a serious battle. Michael’s voice held a note of pride. “Your Grace, we’ve the woman you seek.” Amidurah’s dark eyes appeared to take in the group before honing in on Michael and Keely. “Bring her forward.” Straightening his back, Michael strode forward. Keely’s hair covered one arm and her legs draped over the other. A soothing, calm voice permeated the room. “What was the weapon set on?” “The strongest stun, Your Grace. This woman has proved problematic in the past. She downed two of our best soldiers.” Amidurah frowned and kept silent. He steepled his fingers and appeared deep in thought. Long seconds slipped by before he finally tsked. “Is that anyway to treat a lady?” Michael shook his head. Careful not to stare directly at Amidurah, Zion watched the exchange between the two. The aged sorcerer was unhappy with Michael’s recent performance. The ancient man’s reaction bode well for Keely. She wouldn’t be harmed...yet. The time to challenge Amidurah hadn’t arrived. He’d let the situation with Michael develop naturally. If it went as Zion hoped, there would be one less human to deal with. “Put the woman on the couch.” Michael hurried to fulfill his master’s bidding. He stumbled over his own feet as he rushed to put Keely down. Zion started and moved to aid Keely. One of the soldiers standing near blocked his attempt and another restrained Zion with a pull on his arm. He shrugged off the feeble attempt to hold him back and reluctantly resumed his position in front of Amidurah.

Amidurah’s calm voice floated toward Zion. “You bear affection for the woman?” Zion stiffened. The words were surface dressing. Underneath, Zion felt the power of the sorcerer trying to fathom who he was. Casually, he strengthened his mental acuity and prepared for the repeat of such subtle tactics. Keely would have a much harder time deflecting the subliminal probes Amidurah was capable of. He couldn’t keep his eyes downcast to play the part of a humbled captive. It was as foreign to his nature as living above the water long term. Zion opted for a conciliatory tone in his voice. “I do. Her name is Keely.” “Yes, I know.” Amidurah paused and bestowed a cold smile on Zion. “Her research with dolphins is of particular importance to me.” He stopped again and this time scowled. “Yes, many will rally to me because of her and the just punishment I mete out to her on behalf of my lieutenant. Murderers will be dealt with swiftly and harshly in my New World Order, a fact that will comfort many.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Keely was aware of everything going on about her. Unable to speak, paralyzed by the phaser wielded by Sean, she relied primarily on auditory input; her visual acuity limited to activity directly in front of her eyes. Based on her inability to move, her aggressor must have had the weapon on the highest stun intensity. She’d read a VDU dispatch about the stunner used on her. The weapon had been developed to paralyze major muscle groups without harming essential life functions. Time and industrious weapons researchers had honed the effects and their duration. It could take hours for the zapped nerves to restore complete function to arms and legs. Watching the treetops had allowed her to be conscious of the bouncing on the roads her escort followed, but Keely hadn’t felt a thing. The experience alone was disconcerting. Combined with Amidurah’s most recent pronouncement fear filled her. In her current condition, she could think of no way to fight him. Zion’s words came to her, soothing, despite their content. “What would such a punishment require as penance?” Amidurah laughed. The insidious sound did nothing to ease her worries. She wished she could turn and read the body language of the two men who discussed her as if she weren’t capable of thought. “An eye for an eye, of course.” Dear Domnu, what did the man refer to? The fear in Zion’s voice alarmed her. The meaning of Amidurah’s words meant something to him. “You jest. You must.” “The ancient Hebrews understood the power of evil and the potential results of letting crime go unpunished. Had Earth’s societies understood this principal and meted out just penalties to match the severity of the crimes committed, perhaps the world wouldn’t have gotten into such a bind. What sort of leader would I be to allow the death of Stephen Doubilet to go unpunished? The man’s very soul cries out for justice.” Zion’s voice rippled through the air, a sense of sternness bolstering his words. “What is your intent?” “Simply that she dies the way Doubilet did. An eye for an eye, after all, needs not only the same net outcome, but a similar causation to achieve the result.” She remembered the sickening thud of his head smashing into the tree. How did Doubilet actually die? Was it from the blow his head took when he landed against the tree, or did he drown when the waters rose up and protected her? Domnu, please let him have drowned.

“Our tête-à-tête is complete. Take Ms. Shane upstairs to the bedroom. I’ll send Mercy up to prepare her for the evening’s festivities shortly. Interrogate her accomplice in the back room. Find out what he knows about Ms. Shane’s abilities as she’s rather unable to speak for herself right now.” Keely heard a grunted reply. A moment later, Sean lifted her legs by the ankle. Michael’s face leered down at her and she experienced the weight of her body swinging between the two men. She wanted to scream “What festivities?” but nothing came out of her mouth. Then she heard the sounds of a scuffle and Zion’s hoarse words, encouraging yet impossible. “I’ ll save you Keely. Count on it.” ***** The bedroom itself, from what Keely could see, was masculine looking. Dark browns accented the frames of the closet, door, and windows. An old painting of men slaying bison with spears took up the majority of the space on one ivory wall. Nondescript, tan curtains hung in the windows. The frame holding the mattress, covered with a deep green coverlet, was made of wood, making it an artifact of great value. Sean and Michael deposited her on the king-sized piece of furniture and quickly disappeared. On the bed, Keely had only her thoughts for company. Time slowed as she waited and wondered what Amidurah meant by “festivities?” Did he refer to her punishment? Where had he taken Zion? She should have known a sorcerer with thirty-five hundred years of life experience to guide him would have known to split them up. A cord was made of interwoven strands. Separate the strands and the cord was weakened. If Amidurah hoped to undermine her by taking Zion from her side, he was in for a shocker. Once the ability to move returned she’d make quick work of the ancient man, find Zion, and send word to Denton that Amidurah was handled. The door slid open with a loud whoosh. A moment later, a woman’s face came into view. “I’m Mercy. His Grace sent me to you to prepare you for the...” the woman hesitated. “Festivities tonight.” Keely heard a loud snap. A large white sheet fluttered to the bed next to her, and then Mercy rolled Keely onto her side. The woman guided Keely’s head and turned it so she wouldn’t be face down when she was on her stomach. “There now, Ms. Shane. I’ll be getting your jumpsuit off you so I can give you a proper rub with essential oils. You must be able to stand on the platform. His Grace would be most disappointed should you be less than in perfect condition for the evening’s ceremony.” Keely first heard the squeal and distinctive click of scissors. The ripping of fabric came next. Mercy continued to prattle about this oil and that herb and from the sound of containers being opened and closed knew Mercy applied those same oils to her back. No doubt, after a stressful day on the coast, a massage like the one she imagined Mercy gave her would be welcome. “I’ll be working your arms and legs next miss. If you ask me, those stunners are a nasty bit of work. Very hard on the system you know. Bodies weren’t made to take those sorts of electrical charges.” Mercy picked up Keely’s arm. “See if you can wiggle your fingers now. Hands seem to come back first. I’m not sure why, perhaps because we use them so much.” Keely attempted to flex her fingers. She imagined energy flowing from her center, down her arm and into her digits, conveying the message to move. “Why there you go, Miss. I saw a twitch of movement. Keep on trying.” Keely concentrated on the visualization once more. Mercy held her hand in such a way Keely could see her appendage in her peripheral vision. Tiny pinpricks of feeling flooded her fingertips and sent messages of pain to her brain. “Very good, Miss Shane. I’ll be turning you over now so I can work your shoulders and the top of your thighs. Why don’t you see if you can move your neck and watch me?”

Keely saw her view of the walls change to that of the ceiling. Reaching across Keely, Mercy unzipped Keely’s jumpsuit and pulled the remnants from her body. “I’m sorry, Miss. I didn’t have much choice. It’s hard enough to roll you without trying to bend your arms to get them out of the clothes.” A white terry towel flitted down to cover Keely’s chest and waist. “His Grace prefers a woman to be hairless.” Keely’s mind raced thinking of the implications. Did Amidurah intend to have sex with her before he enacted his death sentence? A new odor teased Keely’s nostrils. Melting wax, like that of the candles her mother kept around for emergencies. Damn! At least she wouldn’t be able to feel the hair being ripped from her body. The efficiency Mercy displayed in ridding Keely of fuzz amazed her. By the end, though, Keely felt the warm wax, the pulls, and the momentary sting that accompanied the action. The sensation signaled one thing. The effects of the phaser were wearing off and she’d soon have control of her muscles again. She attempted to turn her head and succeeded. The vertebrae in her neck popped. Domnu, it felt great to move. She wiggled her lips, let the sensations return, and opened her mouth, too. She actually felt a swallow. “Could I trouble you for some water?” Mercy dropped Keely’s leg. “Oh, Miss, that’s wonderful.” Keely watched the woman open the closet with a press of her palm against a camouflaged pad. Concealed inside was a silver colored container like the refrigerator at the Castle. Mercy reached inside, turned around, and grasping a bottle returned to Keely. Pushing back on her arms, Keely struggled to get into a semi-reclining position. Attempting to clutch the towel covering her, she watched it drop into her lap. Her fingers worked together as one unit as if they’d been welded together and she couldn’t retrieve the minute bit of modesty she’d been given. Coordination was a real problem. Blood rushed to her face, warming her cheeks with her embarrassment. Always a private person, Keely had never revealed her nakedness to another woman since her childhood. Mercy held a biodegradable bottle, dripping with condensation, to Keely’s lips. The cool water refreshed her parched throat. Drops of chilly water trickled onto her breast, a nearly painful shock. She gulped several swallows of the frigid water. “There now, Miss Shane, if you ask me you are recovering quite well. I’ll help you to sit, and we ’ll get yer dress on.” Mercy returned to the closet and palmed the pad. The closet door opened wide, revealing far more than the refrigerator. From the rods within hung gowns and dresses of every imaginable hue. From her perch, the bright garments were a dazzling rainbow of colors. When Mercy turned back toward Keely, she held a long, diaphanous gold gown. The neck was low cut, and one side was slit high. Mercy slipped the sleeveless article of clothing over Keely’s head, manipulating her arms so the gown hung over her breasts. At least she was covered, even if the gown revealed more skin than Keely felt comfortable with. “Let’s see if you can sit now, Miss Shane. It will be easier to fix your hair sitting at the vanity.” Keely tried to sit up a bit straighter. Every movement loosened her tight muscles and renewed her strength. With Mercy’s help, Keely began to feel more like herself. Every second the will to fight grew and the ability to do something about her frozen plans thawed. She should surprise Mercy, hold her hostage, knock her out, but she couldn’t. All Mercy had done was live up to her name. She’d shown Keely nothing but kindness. Hurting her in any way would be slipping to Amidurah’s level. She’d not injure an innocent. Mercy slipped an arm around Keely’s waist. “Try to let your weight rest on me, Miss. The way I see it, your legs are going to be as wobbly as a newborn colt. Rely on me and we’ll get you doin’ a jig in no time.” “Thank you, Mercy.” Keely stood and the gown fell gently to her ankles. A wave of dizziness washed over her. She didn’t move, just let Mercy support her weight as she’d suggested. “You

certainly seem to know how to handle stunner victims.” “Aye, Miss. My brother suffered stun injuries. He was employed as a weapons tester.” “He refined the stunners?” “Oh no, Miss. He wasn’t educated as well as that. His job was to let the designers test the weapons on him in simulated warfare. The pay was reasonable, but I had to learn massage in order to get him back on the field. He did so hate missing more than a day.” Mercy’s words had been spoken with a soft respect, as if her brother were no longer a part of her life. A shudder went through Keely at the thought of any person voluntarily being subjected to such physical extremes. Life around her, outside the Castle properties was harder than she’d imagined. “Do you miss him much?” “Aye, Miss. I do.” Keely turned her head toward Mercy and she saw a tear trickle down the woman’s face. “I’m sorry, Mercy.” “It isn’t your fault, Miss. A man’s body just isn’t made to take that sort of abuse.” No, it wasn’t, Keely thought. People weren’t made to take a lot of things. The sicknesses caused by pollution that affected DNA from the previous millennium were proof enough. Science didn’t need to develop more ways to injure and maim. Nor did the world need power-hungry, dominating individuals set on destroying the essence of man’s free spirit along with his body. Keely shuffled a foot forward. Mercy held her tight about the waist. Keely slid another foot forward. “Yes, that’s it, Miss. You’re doing just fine.” The gown billowed slightly with the movement, caressing her thigh like a lover’s whisper. Under different circumstances, the dress would be a beautiful tool for seduction. She frowned. There was only one man she was interested in seducing and before their capture seduction was the furthest thing from her mind. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would even see Zion alive again, much less be intimate with the sea god. They crossed the floor to the vanity, and Mercy helped her sit. Keely’s hair had gone wild in the past twenty-four hours. Mercy carefully began to brush the long strands out, starting at the end and working her way up to Keely’s scalp until her red tresses shone in the mirror’s reflection. Mercy’s deft fingers arranged her hair in a loose bun, wisps of hair artistically arrayed along her cheek and nape. A chime rang in the room, the sound a mechanical tinkle trying to imitate champagne glasses. “There you go, Miss. I’m sorry I don’t have more time. His Grace calls us to attend to him now.” Keely swallowed hard. Gazing at her reflection an odd sense of sadness filled her with melancholy. She looked beautiful and it was all for the wrong man. All she could do now was bide her time and wait for the opportune moment to strike. She uttered a prayer for Zion’s safety and, with halting steps, relied on Mercy to help her meet her date with destiny.

Chapter Twenty-two

With each step, Keely gained strength. By the time she’d reached the sitting room, she leaned on Mercy for show rather than need. The dim room didn’t reveal much in the way of new details. The furniture had been rearranged recently, if the scrape marks she saw in the floor were an indication. The curtains had been pushed aside and a glance out the window revealed the lush green of her Ireland. “Where are we?” she whispered to Mercy. “Just outside Doonbeg.”

Keely exhaled, a happy sigh that reached deep into her heart. The breath was cleansing and invigorating. She was so near to home she could almost breathe in the scent of her small part of the Atlantic. Joy energized her spirits. Surely, she had an advantage here that Amidurah didn’t profit from. “Do I hear water?” “Aye, Miss. That would be the sound of the Doonbeg River you hear.” Keely smiled. This was a wonderful boon she hadn’t anticipated. Amidurah’s voice intruded on the fledgling happiness she momentarily held. “Ah, here is Ms. Shane.” His words crawled over her skin like maggots eating rotten flesh. Her stomach twisted in disgust. She locked her jaw and forced the rising bile to remain at bay. Jitters made her arms tremble. “It’s all right, Miss,” Mercy crooned. She patted Keely’s arm in a show of concern. Slowly, Keely moved her gaze from the scene outside the window to the man who’d spoken. She registered a man of average looks and age. Dark eyes, brown hair. Nothing about him appeared out of the ordinary. Nothing screamed that this was a man who’d taken lives without a drop of remorse, the man responsible for the death of her parents. Mercy continued to aid Keely as they walked forward to the chair where Amidurah sat. The sorcerer stood. Even his height was average. He extended his hand toward her. “I see you are recovering from your injury. Has Mercy treated you well?” The conversation Mercy had shared regarding her brother rushed to mind. Mercy, who’d shown her respect and kindness, carried her own burden of grief. For Mercy’s sake, she would carry out the charade until justice could be done. She’d not see the gentle-souled woman suffer any on her behalf. Keely took Amidurah’s proffered hand. Soft and smooth, the skin of his hand touching her sent Keely into another round of heebie-jeebies. She beamed at Mercy. “Yes, Mercy was marvelous. The value of her services can’t be calculated.” Between the help given by Mercy and the sorcerer, Keely managed to sit in a stuffed chair matching Amidurah’s red one. The self-proclaimed dictator of the world sat and Mercy continued to stand near her chair, like an overprotective mother. “You look exceptionally lovely this evening.” Amidurah definitely creeped her out. How did he know how she looked compared to other evenings? The gauzy material he’d selected for her gown left little to anyone’s imagination. Domnu help her if she got wet. Once she’d confronted the man, she’d get out of the revealing clothing. Then she’d find Zion and attempt to resume her life. “Not talkative tonight?” She shook her head, knowing she should have replied to his compliment. It was impossible to sit here in this chair and pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary, not when she knew the sorcerer would eventually be looking for his pound of flesh from her. “She’s still recovering Your Grace. If you ask me, those newfangled weapons are far too harsh.” The icy tone of Amidurah’s voice cloaked Keely like a frozen cape. “Yes, well, Mercy, no one did ask you.” Keely took a deep breath and prepared to verbally defend her helper. A slight movement of Amidurah’s hand stayed her words. “Let the festivities begin.” The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes. Perhaps their conversation was being broadcast. Keely didn’t know for sure, but a moment later, several burly men entered the room and removed the larger pieces of furniture. When the room was as clear as they apparently thought necessary, Keely watched them haul in something that oddly resembled a wrestling mat. Apprehension raced along her newly wakened nerves. This was not good. “Bring in the prisoners.” All her instincts went on full alert. Zion had arrived with her. Was he one of the prisoners

Amidurah referred to? Who was the other? Her worst fears were realized a moment later. Zion was shoved forward by one of Amidurah’s henchmen, followed by Michael. Michael? Keeley squinted, trying to make sure her eyes weren’t suffering some after effect of the stunner. Michael was a prisoner too? Zion looked awful. A bruise colored the area around his left eye, and his arm bore an ugly welt. She’d seen a mark like that before. Doubilet had borne such marks from an electric cane on his body. She closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself. How could Amidurah expect a fair fight when Zion had been tortured and weakened? With the seriousness of a world leader, Amidurah spoke. “Here are the rules. The first to reach twenty-one points loses. A pin of the shoulders is two points against the man pinned. Partially off the mat, three points. A punch knocking your opponent to the floor is five points against the fallen. If you’re completely off the mat and pinned seven points is added to your debit. My rule is final.” Keely exhaled a pent up breath. Under such a system, Zion had an excellent chance of defeating Michael despite his previous beating. “Is there anything either of you would like to say?” Michael stepped forward. “I will defeat this and any other enemy who deigns to raise his hand against you, Your Grace.” There was determination in Michael’s eyes. Fanaticism flared in their depths. A willing spirit would make Zion’s efforts to win more difficult. Zion had to win. She didn’t want to think about the potential consequences of him losing to Michael. Fear for his safety churned within her. “Your Grace?” Amidurah bestowed a condescending smile on her. “Yes.” “I beg you, stop this, please.” She swallowed, trying to buy time in order to find the words that would set Zion free. “You want your followers to know you’re compassion as well as just.” “You beg for the life of the prisoner?” “Yes, yes,” Keely replied without hesitation. Amidurah patted her hand in fatherly like fashion. The action did little to assure her that Amidurah would heed her pleas. “He fucked you didn’t he?” The question acted like a slap to her face. She jerked her head toward Amidurah unable to speak. Keely’s face reddened as if a flame had ignited her skin. She turned back to gaze upon the man she loved. A solitary tear slid from her eye, quickly followed by another, then another. She sat up with as much dignity as she could call to aid her and refused to answer the sorcerer’s question. Zion was dead if she didn’t save him. ***** For making Keely cry, Zion would kill Amidurah, as soon as he finished with Michael. He’d hoped to have a moment to tell Keely he loved her, but Amidurah didn’t afford him the same courtesy to speak as he’d given his opponent. A servant brought forth a black case and silently waited. The sorcerer nodded his head and the man opened the box to reveal a small standing silver bell. Another nod and the man brought the case forward. By its handle, Amidurah lifted the bell from the cushions surrounding it. An evil smile crossed the sorcerer’s face. Zion threw back his shoulders in challenge to the maniacal leader. The tiny movement flexed the skin damaged by the electric whip used on his back earlier. Pain radiated from the welt deep into his muscle. Since Michael had been the one to administer the punishment, he also knew where to attack Zion. He’d be wise to keep his injury out of Michael’s reach. In his peripheral vision, Zion saw the hand of the sorcerer twitch. The bell rung. Immediately, Michael rounded on Zion and caught him under the jaw. The strike staggered Zion backward, but he didn’t fall.

Zion flexed his stomach and swung. His fisted hands pummeled Michael repeatedly in the gut, forcing his opponent back a few steps. He didn’t let up the volley of punches and kept Michael moving backward. Zion doubted the man was aware of his proximity to the mat’s edge. He contracted his legs and leapt on Michael. Michael stumbled off the mat with Zion on top of him, giving Zion a pin. “Seven points against Michael, three points against Zion.” Damn! He hadn’t figured he’d be penalized for pinning his opponent. He leapt back into the makeshift “ring” and waited for Michael to get off his back and return to the fight. The rapid-fire punches he’d thrown irritated the back injury he’d received earlier. There was no giving into the pain. If he didn’t win, Keely would bear the brunt of Amidurah’s anger before the sorcerer ended her life. Michael returned to the fray with a flurry of jabs to Zion’s face, near his black eye. Blood flowed in his mouth, the warm liquid reminding him of all that was at stake. Zion threw his arms up in a protective stance, feeling blood dribble from a cut. Unable to use his fists, he head-butted Michael, dropping him to the mat and pinning his opponent once more. “Michael nine.” Zion took a deep breath. Six points, he had the beginning of a decent lead. He looked down at the placement of his feet. They were too near the edge for his liking. He managed a half step forward. His adversary barreled into him full force and they both flew off the mat. Michael had him down. “Zion ten.” Michael jumped off Zion and reentered the fight arena. Zion waited for the penalty to be assessed against Michael. The pronouncement, “Michael twelve” never came. The air in the room was hot and humid from their exertions and the excited individuals privy to this fight. The heavy air was suffocating him. “That’s not fair,” Keely’s angry voice argued. No, it wasn’t. The rules of the game obviously favored Michael. Pushing to his feet, Zion moved to return to the fight. Aches threatened to freeze the muscles of his thighs. By Poseidon’s trident, he was weakening. He forced himself to go forward. His enemy couldn’t discover how little strength Zion had left. Michael leapt on him the moment one of Zion’s feet touched the mat. Once more, Zion fell outside the designated boundary, his head slamming hard against the floor, Michael on top of him with a weighty pin. “Zion seventeen.” Michael shoved him in the stomach, perilously close to his gills when he stood. A painful grunt left Zion’s mouth and he remained on the floor trying to catch his breath from the illegal strike. Zion waited to move until he was sure Michael was back on the mat. Warily, with hands clenched into fists, he stood. Michael wouldn’t get the drop on him like that again. Michael glared at him as if he dared Zion to reenter the fray. Oh, he’d fight on. He had Keely and his people to protect. Failure was not a word he accepted. His foe leapt at him again. This time Zion sidestepped and Michael landed on his face at the edge of the mat. Before he had a chance to roll Michael and pin him, the man was back on his feet. Sweat coursed down Zion’s face, the salty drips burning the cut near his eye. His leg muscles clenched and he stumbled, his own sudden frailty hitting him sooner than he’d anticipated. He tried to straighten and locate Michael. A powerful blow staggered him backward and Zion fell to the floor. “Zion twenty-two. Michael is our winner,” Amidurah announced with gloating triumph.

Chapter Twenty-three

“But it wasn’t fair,” Keely shrieked. “You didn’t count any points against Michael. How could Zion possibly have a chance with that sort of scoring?” Amidurah smiled sadistically. “They knew the first to twenty-one lost. If he were the better man he would have made Michael take the falls and the points.” Too late, Keely realized her mistake. Amidurah never intended Zion to have a fighting chance. “What do you plan to do now?” He extended his arm to her. “Come with me, and you’ll see how my new order punishes those who displease me.” Keely dammed her tears with a final sniffle. Deep within she could feel the stirrings of righteous anger. Anger to enable her to fight Amidurah. She sensed the time for the confrontation was near. Biding her time would give her opportunity to focus the white-hot rage she felt burning, defeat Amidurah, and rescue Zion. She accepted the mock courtesy and walked with him to the recessed doorway. At the entrance, he stopped and turned to the followers assembled in the room. “Bring the combatants to the dock.” The dock! Despite hearing the river earlier, she’d had no idea they were this close to the water. Domnu looked upon her with favor to provide the aid of the river she’d practiced her abilities on days before. She tempered her happiness at the straightforward command. It seemed so simple. Amidurah couldn’t possibly know of her ability to command the water, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought her to the very source of her power. Although he knew her as the murderer of Stephen Doubilet, he didn’t have the evidence to indicate just how she’d accomplished the feat. They walked at a leisurely pace to the old wooden outcropping. Somehow, Amidurah managed to escape the stringent ecological rules regarding natural resources. The dock, stained dark, like the trim in the bedroom, was in a series of staggered heights. The highest appeared to be some sort of platform for prominent guests. The sorcerer wrapped an arm around Keely’s waist and continuing to hold her arm helped her up the dock steps. When she turned around, Keely’s mouth dropped open with surprise. There were far more follower’s of the ancient sorcerer than she’d imagined in the old home, at least three dozen. “Faithful adherents,” Amidurah intoned. “Today you are here to witness the truth of my words. Our earth needs purifying. We’ve begun the process, using the air to cleanse the pollution from the skies of our major cities. The oceans, too, clean our cities of the marring effects of man against the very ground he walks on.” Amidurah paused. The gathering broke out into applause. When it died down, he continued. “More than earth and sky need to be cleansed. We’ve diluted the true purposes of our plant species. We need to purify by fire the very ground our sustenance grows in. We need to lift up a pure and new Earth to hallow for the future. “But that is not all we must accomplish. All the cleansing will fail us if we do not decontaminate that which is most essential to the new order, the hearts and souls of men. “Standing before you are two men. They battled each other, one a victor, the other the vanquished.” Keely’s heart rate tripled. This was it. Amidurah was to make his judgment on Zion. No matter how worthy this son of Poseidon was, Amidurah saw only flaws. Keely glanced down at Zion. As if he felt her gaze upon him, Zion looked up at her, his eyes radiating intense feeling. For a heartbeat she imagined the emotion was one of passionate love.

No, it couldn’t be. He loved another, not her, didn’t he? The state of his heart toward her didn’t matter at the moment. She couldn’t bear to lose him, too. She loved him. She loved his subtle strength, his conviction to do the right thing. If only she could tap into his strength right now and ... she stopped her thoughts. This was it, the end of the proverbial line for both of them. Zion was weakened from his fight with Michael. Then he winked. He had a plan, some hope of action that would save his life. Quickly, she took her gaze away from his face, casting her look downward until she could effectively mask her buoyed emotions. “If there is one thing history has taught us,” Amidurah continued with charismatic delivery, “mankind doesn’t learn from its past mistakes. Men do not change willingly.” The group below erupted into a loud raucous of cheers. Amidurah held up his hand and immediately the crowd silenced. “Bind the prisoners!” A cadre of men rushed to do as their master ordered. “Bring them forward.” Keely’s eyes widened at the revelation. She strained to look at Michael. Perhaps he would aid Zion now that his own punishment had been decreed. “Only water can cleanse the impure! “No!” Keely screamed as much for the disgusting Michael as for an opportunity to provide a distraction for Zion. “You can’t do this. People don’t deserve to die because they don’t measure up to your standards.” Amidurah turned to her, hatred in his eyes. “This is my world, not yours!” Keely turned once again to look at Zion. Immense sadness resided in his being. His shoulders slumped with defeat and his lips turned down in seeming disappointment. Had she misinterpreted his earlier sign? She shouted the words of her heart, reluctant to begin her assault with the words left unspoken. “I love you!” His head snapped up and she saw a glint of his former self in his face. “Bind her!” Amidurah yelled, and then lifted his hands over his head. Members of his guard rushed toward her. Amidurah threw his arms forward, the arching motion reminiscent of a sportsman casting a fishing line. Behind her, Keely heard the flow of the river water shift. Keely took a deep breath and looked once more at the man she loved. Now. Now was the time to act. She spun toward the river where Amidurah had begun creating a river tsunami. A mighty wave rose, gathering the waters as far as she could see in either direction. She rounded on Amidurah and lifted her arms to stop the advance of the water. “You will not hurt these men! The wave crashed upon them all, its intensity barely reduced, the sound unlike anything she’d ever heard. She threw her hands in front of her face in a protective gesture. For the first time, she was truly thankful Zion had the gills inserted into her body. The water slammed into her, but not before her own effort, a stream of water, wrapped about Amidurah’s feet like a rope and sent him flying toward his followers. The power of the water closed around her, a furious lashing that slammed her against the rail of the dock. Her last sight was of Zion raising his hand in apparent triumph, a huge smile on his face. Men and women screamed in panic. Keely saw Mercy fall under the crest of the strong wave. The deluge, several meters tall, began to recede. “Mercy!” Keely jumped to her feet and rushed down the sodden steps in the cascading flood of river water. Fish jumped and flopped in the powerful onslaught. The golden gown stuck to her torso like skin. The long skirt wrapped around her legs. Keely shoved the material between her thighs where it

hindered her less. The target of her quest pushed up through the water and struggled to gasp air. Keely reached her, and dragged her to an area where the river was beginning to recede. “Stay here.” Mercy didn’t move but looked at Keely as if she were insane. “Zion!” Where had he gone? She sloshed through the waist deep water, summoning a wave to knock down a man trying to grab her. “Zion!” Cold touched her skin. It wasn’t the water chilling her though. Domnu, no, she couldn’t lose him, not when they’d come this far. “Zion!” “Over here.” She turned toward the sound of Zion’s strong voice. He wasn’t far from the dock. The carnage Amidurah visited on his followers, strewn about the green grasses, amazed her. Their enemies were down, many no doubt dead. She scanned the destruction, unable to locate the evil sorcerer. “Where is he?” She shuddered at the thought that Amidurah had escaped. They couldn’t let him continue to wreak havoc on the population of the world. Zion pointed to an area just past the land side of the dock. “There!” Keely spun around to look in the direction Zion pointed. Amidurah floundered in the water returning to the river, trying to reach a hold on the dock. The sorcerer grasped a support beam from the dock and glared directly at Keely. With a flourish, he twisted his hand and summoned another wall of water, directing it at them. Intuitively, Keely threw her hands forward in protection. Power surged through her as if she’d been wired directly into a hydrogen generator. The flow of energy forced the hair of her body to stand on end and even lifted the loose wisps around her face. She inhaled deeply, renewed in her resolve to defeat Amidurah once and for all. She could beat him at his own game! The wall of water halted at its apex. Fish jumped in and out of the life-giving liquid as if they were behind a clear plexiwall. Force continued to rush through Keely and out her hands, pushing back the swell. Little by little she advanced against the sorcerer, reclaiming Irish soil from the horror. The hatred in Amidurah’s eyes seemed to intensify his strength. He called the sluggish water back; brought it to a great peak. An evil smile covered the lower portion of his face. With a snap of his wrist, the wall crashed down, directly at them. Keely mentally shoved back harder than she thought possible. The water froze in a cresting arc above the manor house. Keeping her eyes trained on Amidurah, she leaned down and grabbed Mercy by the hand. “This house is going to fall!” They rushed toward the gateway, Keely dragging Mercy. Adrenaline poured through Keely’s body, fueling her movements. The boost wouldn’t last long. In seconds, the water she held back would furiously crash upon the house, knocking it loose from its foundation, with the walls sure to collapse. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Zion followed. She exhaled a shaky breath and whirled to face the weakening wall of water. The effort to hold back the onslaught cost her. Her legs trembled and it was tiring to keep her arms extended. Keely dropped to her knees fighting the attacking surge. Disappointment swamped her. How could she have failed, now, at the most critical juncture of her fight with Amidurah? As if he’d heard her thoughts the sorcerer laughed. “You have no business determining the fate of the world. You are nothing but a weak woman.” Indignation at his taunt renewed her determination. She wasn’t weak and she could help determine Earth’s fate. No way would she leave the future in the hands of a madman. Keely pushed back to her feet and raised her arms, willing the ache to subside and strength to flow through her limbs. She was too late. The swell descended upon the house, rained down upon the living and dead in the yard. Windows shattered, the stones, bricks, and mortar collapsed upon one another like blocks of dominoes. The roar assaulted her ears, the wave threatening to push her back toward the river. Keely cocked back her arm and pushed against the water with all she had.

The laughter of Amidurah faded as he attempted to stop the rage of river returning to him. He shoved the water back toward her. She pushed against it once again. They wouldn’t be able to keep up this tennis match of nature indefinitely. She needed some extra help before her energy totally dissipated. She needed someone who drew strength from the water. Zion. She turned again and saw Zion nearing. She grabbed his hand. “Together. Maybe our strength together...” In unison, they lifted their hands, a silent plea calling the water to strike the sorcerer. Energy unlike any she’d yet experienced filled her. Her nerves hummed with the force coursing through them. Intense vibrations sang through her skin, radiating the imposing strength overcoming her. The river swirled around him and he pushed it back at them, making their efforts seem puny in comparison. “Love, Keely. We can defeat him with the power of our love.” She shook her head. A warmth stole over her, replaced the cold fear that enveloped her earlier. Our love. He said it, the words that were a powerful balm to her grieving heart. Whatever had happened before they could resolve given enough time. He’d physically made a choice, standing with her in the fight against Amidurah. She inhaled the scent of wet soil, clothing, and Zion’s hair. She looked at him, love pouring from her very soul. “I love you!” Zion lifted Keely’s arms. More power coursed through her body and lodged in her hands. She felt as if the potency she contained would make her explode into thousands of tiny pieces. “The world is about love, Amidurah! Begone!” The water rose in response once more. It whirled around Amidurah with a velocity Keely had never seen. The speed and force lifted him high above the ground and wrapped him tightly in a wall of heavy water. “Not again!” Amidurah’s voice echoed through the air like a bad loudspeaker announcing a football game. “This isn’t over, Keely Shane. I’ll destroy you and the others.” The air shimmered. Keely blinked and refocused on the area she’d last seen the sorcerer. He was gone. Fear trailed over her skin. The battle was over, but the war wasn’t. “Amidurah must know about Jade. We have to contact her, warn her he’s looking.” “It’s more than Jade.” Zion pushed off Keely’s cheek a strand of wet hair and continued. “Didn ’t Denton mention something about ‘Watchtowers’? If he’s already manipulated air and water, Amidurah may be looking at controlling earth and fire too.” “Then we have to find them all.” Zion crushed her to him, lay claim to her mouth with his lips. “We’ll do that Keely. Soon, I promise, once we clear the air between us.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Once they dealt with the arrival of the Sentries and given their statements, Keely allowed Zion to hustle her away from the rubble caused by the Doonbeg River manipulations. Was it possible they were finished with Amidurah, that somehow she’d truly bested him with the addition of Zion’s power and the sorcerer had been annihilated? Domnu, let it be so she prayed, but in her heart she feared it was otherwise. Amidurah’s last screech had been about destroying the others and Zion reminded her there were other elements the sorcerer might try to control. It took effort to put one foot in front of the other. Keely’s shoulders slumped as if the combined weight of the thirty confirmed dead pushed her toward a tailored personal version of Hades. Would she go to the hall of heroes, or that of evil doers? Her very soul felt world weary. Fighting Amidurah had

taken a lot out of her. “Where are we going?” “I thought we’d get away from the scarring that has taken place here today, find a calmer locale, and then we’d talk and I’d take you home.” A long, soft sigh escaped Keely’s lips. A short distance from Amidurah’s manor, she smelled the dying river life, an odor it would take a lifetime to forget. Home. She believed it to be Kilkee, the Castle, and Ireland. The importance of the past several days crashed around her as hard as the violent wave Amidurah created. Her parents were gone and she still had yet to properly say good-bye to them and mourn their loss to Crobdh Dearg, the ancient goddess of death. The Castle was beyond repair. Zion would return to his undersea home and lover when he could no longer stay on land. She’d store the moments of happiness they shared together until he left for Atlantis. Once he was gone all she’d have left was her pod of Rossi’s. While many people were polyamorous, and Zion’s father exhibited those qualities in abundance, and despite Zion’s declaration of love, she couldn’t picture being a part of such a relationship. Unable to bear the thought of sharing Zion with another woman, a bleak, depressing future stretched out before her. “Penny for your thoughts?” Keely ruefully smiled. “I doubt you want to go where they are taking me.” She continued to place one foot in front of the other as if she’d become an automaton. Zion laid an arm on her shoulder and halted her. “That’s where you’re wrong, Keely Shane.” She gave a brittle laugh. “You want to know about those cheap thoughts? I was thinking about how desolate my life is going to be without my family...” she paused and looked into his face, “...and my friends. I was thinking about no longer having a home.” He lifted a loose strand of her long hair, brushing it against her cheek. “You have a home, love.” The tender words drew a gasp from her. “Please don’t call me that.” “Call you what? Love? This is one area I won’t give in to your will with. You are my love.” “No.” The word tore from her heart in a quiet whisper. “You have another.” She hung her head and allowed her hair to hide her face from Zion. “I heard you with her while I was in Atlantis. I know I was a tool, a method for saving Atlantis. I hope in that regard I’ve helped you succeed.” Tenderly, he lifted her chin. Keely was forced to look him directly in his eyes. They seemed full of emotion but which one? She prayed it wasn’t pity. “Keely, I’ve been with you since you were three. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Doesn’t that tell you something about me?” She managed a nod, her throat thickening with sorrow. “You’re a sea prince, hundreds of years old. I’ve been an amusement for better than twenty-five years. Now it’s time for you to return to your undersea kingdom. We were never meant to be together permanently. I can accept that.” His thumb grazed her cheek. Why did he have to be so tender, right now, when the cut in her heart would be so much cleaner if he just left her? “What if I can’t?” The beat of her heart stopped for a moment and her breath caught in her lungs. What did he mean by his question? “If you can’t what?” “If I can’t accept your statement. Keely, I’ve stayed with you all these years because you fascinated me, because I fell in love with you. There’s only been you for nearly three decades.” Her words came out in choked syllables. “That’s not true. What of the woman who helped you through your dark years?” Frustration tinged his words. “What are you talking about? “The one who wanted to know if you succeeded in seducing me to win my aid?” His eyes widened. “That’s what you heard? You threw me out of your life for drugs and hot fudge sauce. The dark years were those when you were on those damnable drugs. You heard Evadne, and I’ve never loved her as anything more than a friend; like a sister.” She jerked her head from his hand. “Like that’s supposed to mean something? The Olympians

aren’t known for their capacity for fidelity or caution in who they sleep with.” He ran a hand through his drying blond locks. “Yeah. I know. You have no idea what it’s like to not know who your mother is, much less know her.” The pain in his words lanced her heart. No, she didn’t know what it was like. Her entire life both her parents had been there for her, maybe not in the best way possible, but they had both supported her to the best of their abilities. “I’m sorry, Zion.” He gave her a wan smile and continued walking. “It’s not your fault. You don’t have anything to be sorry for because dear ol’ dad can’t keep it in his proverbial trousers.” “You’re wrong. While I’m sorry about you not knowing your mother, I do regret painting you with the same brush as your father. It wasn’t fair.” “No, it wasn’t. But I can’t blame you for the attitude. The overall reputation is well deserved. I do have over forty brothers and sisters that I know of and more on the way.” Keely’s eyes grew wide and she laid a hand on his arm. Zion turned toward her and looking into his blue gaze, she could see he told the truth. Over forty siblings? Dear Domnu! “I don’t know if that’s good or bad?” He shrugged. She reached for his hand and held it. Tanned and large, hers looked tiny in comparison. This moment was important. Zion carried his own burdens regarding family. The road they walked down grew drier the further they traveled away from Amidurah’s lodging. The grasses grew tall and Zion led them off the road and onto a well-hidden path. In the distance, Keely heard the faint gurgling of water. She stifled a yawn. The encounter with Amidurah tired her more than she realized. “Could we rest a bit?” He turned and swept her up into his arms. “By Poseidon’s trident, I’m sorry Keely. I should have secured transportation.” She wanted to shout, ‘Put me down,’ but didn’t. The fact of the matter was she enjoyed the feeling of safety, hearing the thump of his heart, and letting the heat of his body warm her. She loved being in his arms. If there was some way to figure out a solution to their impasse, Keely was all for it. She squirmed in his arms. “Don’t carry me too far. You’ve got to be exhausted too.” Zion bestowed on her a bright smile. “The water rejuvenated me. I’m ready for anything.” He stopped moving and for a heartbeat, Keely didn’t know his intensions. Then his lips came down on hers in a kiss so possessive and sensual she thought she’d melt into a puddle of wanton desire on the spot. The kiss went on forever, at least it seemed that way. Her concerns vanished like a cosmic event blotting out the stars in a single moment. Trying to catch her breath and understand what this kiss meant, she slightly pulled away from his lips and sought out the answer in his eyes. “In all the time I’ve watched you, communed with you, made love to you in your mind, I’ve never been unfaithful. It’s abhorrent to me.” Keely gasped. Is that what he’d been referring to when Michael and the thugs with him attacked? She’d forgotten his lovemaking? Oh Domnu, have mercy on me. Then another thing hit. Of course, the concept of infidelity would disgust him. He’d seen, experienced first hand the results of planting his father planting his seed in any receptacle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back trying to put all the love she felt in that meeting of lips. She must have done something right because he groaned, a primitive sound that left no doubt as to what he was thinking at that very moment. “Yes,” Keely murmured against his mouth. No further words were spoken. Zion set her on her feet and slipped his hands beneath the shoulders of her ruined gown. Keely sighed, the touch of his hands on her skin soothing away her unvoiced concerns. With soft caresses, the material fell down Keely’s arms and toward the grassy ground. The chirping of insects, the songs of the birds, and other natural noises were siphoned out of her

awareness. There was only Zion and the marvelous sensations he sent throughout her body. He backed her against a tree, cushioning her skin with his muscular forearms. His voice sounded anxious, as if some monumental decision were about to be made. “Keely, I have to know. If I make love to you now, will there be a future for us?” She placed a finger on his lips, traced the outline of his sexy mouth. “How can I know?” she whispered. Her concerns mirrored his. “I’m a land dweller. You’re a sea god not meant to be here.” Zion’s hand swept over the swell of her breast. Keely’s nipple pebbled at the light touch. He knew how to make her body sing with sensual thrumming. Frantic, she begged her mind to find a solution to the problem of their two worlds. “I know you want, need an answer from me. But, how can we be together when you can’t be on land for more than a day or two at a time?” His smile lit not only his face but the space between us. “You have gills.” She gulped. A blast of happiness jolted through her being. She’d forgotten temporarily about the implants that saved her life such a short time ago. Keely could live with him in his undersea world. Then came the harsh reality. The rocket of joy she’d just experienced crashed like a meteorite. Did Keely want to? Living with Zion beneath the Atlantic would mean giving up everything important to her. The Castle, Ireland, her research. Mentally, she ticked through each item on her very short, yet important list. The Castle had to come down. The tsunami had destroyed far too much for it to be properly repaired. Keely had no home. Ireland. She would miss Eire, the green of the grasses, the gently rolling hills, the pretences of the old ways. Was it really enough to hold her, though? Countless men and women through the ages had gone with the one they loved to new horizons, making a home in a strange land. No. Ireland wasn’t really enough alone to keep her on dry ground, she concluded. That left only her research to consider. Did she want to know the secret of her communications with the dolphins? The search had been the focus of her adult life. Were those same studies worth the risk of losing Zion, potentially forever? Keely heaved a heavy sigh. She would be giving up so much and knew there was no way Zion could stay topside. At that moment, he touched her again. The pad of his thumb grazed her cheek and his hand continued the gentle movement, sweeping over her shoulder and down her arm until he grasped her hand within his. The look in his eyes pleaded with Keely to put him out of his misery soon with an answer. “You won’t have to give up your studies, Keely. We can come back when we need to in order for you to publish your findings and do the academia things you need to do.” She glanced down to where his fingers were entwined with hers. The heat felt as if their hands were being fused together. It was in that moment Keely made her decision. Pursuing her dolphin research for pleasure could be accomplished in Atlantis. She didn’t want to share the findings with the world to see them abused as Amidurah had planned. Keely met his gaze with a certainty she’d rarely experienced. The burden she’d carried since her visit to Atlantis dissipated into thin air. “Make love to me, Zion.” The attack of his lips on hers buckled her legs. With an easy sweep of his arms, Zion picked up the remnants of her gown, and then lifted and cradled her next to his chest. The firm plains of his pectoral muscles, tipped by the hardened tips of his nipples begged her to touch them. Tipping her head she laved the nearest peak with her tongue, enjoying the rough intake of air whooshing into Zion’s lungs. With a groan, he carried her off the path, tossed the golden material onto the grass and reverently laid her upon the makeshift blanket. “Is this what you truly want, Keely? A life with me?” The moment of her verbal commitment arrived. “I have no life without you.” She resumed toying with his extended nipples, teasing the tiny hard buds with gentle pinches. Zion rolled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against him. She inhaled deeply and sighed. In his arms she saw the faint traces of a future outside Ireland. With a flick of her tongue, she tasted the salt

of his skin. Keely wriggled against his tight hold to kiss his shoulder and bit his neck with teeny nips. His hold lessened. She slid further up his body, finally able to tug on his earlobe with her teeth. His erection grazed her belly, begging to be sheathed within her. Zion’s hand closed around her breast, his fingers brushing lightly against her nipple sending torturous longing spiraling through her body. The sensual shudder shot straight through her and into her heart. He knew how to touch her, make her feel the need to be united with him. The response of her body threatened to overtake her mind. Zion made sure this was her decision. He’d already arrived at his, doubtful of her previous response. Stroking his face and looking into his eyes, Keely saw without a doubt the intensity of his love for her. “I want a life with you.” The sureness of her words encouraged her further. Brazenness overcame her, blotting out the thoughts she tried to put together. With a final tug on his ear, she pushed away from Zion and sat up. “What are you doing?” he groaned. She looked at the handiwork she was responsible for encouraging and grinned. Slipping lower, Keely wrapped her hand around his erection. The soft skin under her fingers belied the strength of his desire. She smiled and bent her head to take him into her mouth. Zion shifted his hips to the side. “Oh, no you don’t vixen.” With a pout, she lifted her gaze to Zion. “I want to pleasure you.” “And I you.” Sitting back on his thighs she thought a moment, attempting to keep the levity from her voice. “This could be a stalemate.” “I’ll not give up my wish to bring you oral pleasure.” Keely slid her hand down his shaft, a squeezing caress. “I suggest a compromise.” “What would that be,” he groaned. She spun around, her knees by his waist and faced his toes. She giggled. “You have such―” The words never made it out of her mouth. Zion grasped her waist and dragged her intimate places flush with his lips. When his tongue caressed her clitoris, Keely moaned. “You don’t fight fair.” For a moment she allowed his kisses, licks and nibbles to go unchecked. He tongued her as if he’d been starving, her body providing the substance he needed. Keely returned her attention to his magnificent cock, sucking the head between her lips. He filled her mouth. Keely moaned as he drove his tongue into her slit. “Neither do you.” With her palm she continued to stroke up and down his length, and she pulled away with a moan before licking the underside of his shaft and continuing to the lightly furred balls at the base. Languidly, she licked a testicle, feeling it move away from her lips. She opened her mouth wider and slowly sucked the orb into her mouth. Zion’s groan reverberated through her swollen nether lips. Instinctively, she pushed back against his face, releasing the hold she had on his testicle. Pleasure raced from her core in flashes of heat, Zion knew how to play her erogenous zones to perfection. One of his hands stroked her bottom, grazing the sensitive seam between her buttocks. The sensations scorching her flesh continued building. It wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge of passion. She wouldn’t go there without her man. Carefully, she shifted away from his lips. “I’m not done.” Passion roughened his husky voice. “Neither am I.” Without hesitation, she repositioned herself so she was able to look him in the eyes. Entwining her fingers around his, Keely lowered herself onto his cock. The thick shaft filled her completely. She didn’t move, letting her body moisten and adjust to his girth. Within her tight sheath she felt him stir. Leaning over Zion’s chest she kissed him. Her tongue laved the edges of his lips, demanding to be let in to the warmth. Anticipation coiled through her when he sucked her into the hot cavern of his mouth. His hips bucked up, his length brushing against the mass of nerves within. Gently she pulled away from his kiss. “I need you.”

Her words, barely a breathy moan, voiced the facts she’d accepted in her heart long ago. “I love you, Zion.” “I love you Keely. Never doubt it for a moment.” He withdrew his length before plunging into her core again. The give and take, push and pull of their coupling renewed the trembling of her sex. Her hair flew over her shoulders into her face, into Zion’s. Powerful thrusts brought her closer to the peak of pleasure she stood at moments ago. Their bodies sang together, the rhythm of their joining in a tandem unlike any they’d had before. When he caressed the puckered opening of her anus, her world began to fly apart. Faster, tighter she lifted and squeezed. He pushed harder, deeper into her and she sank down on him, tightening around his rod. When he reached between them and caressed her swollen clit with his thumb she could hold on no longer. A scream of pleasure tore from her throat and she gave herself over to the glory of his lovemaking. Zion’s grunt of satisfaction mingled with her cries of pleasure and together they soared into a world all their own.

***** They descended the cliff stairs, still unrepaired from the damage wrought by the tsunami. Zion carried the urns holding her parents’ ashes as if they were the most priceless object in the universe. Keely had been grateful when he offered to go with her to the mortician’s office to retrieve the remains. He hadn’t balked when she told him she wanted to sprinkle some of the ashes on the waves of the ocean and then return the urns to her cove. She walked across the beach toward her moored boat stronger than she’d been in years. Zion had a lot to do with it, but so had her confrontation with Amidurah. Life had a focus now that wasn’t solely inward. She climbed aboard and reached down to take the urns from Zion’s hands. The rose and greens of the cloisonné pottery reflected a gentle cushioning for the memory she held of her parents. No, they hadn’t been perfect, but they had loved her to the best of their abilities. More importantly, her father had loved her mother unwaveringly. That was how she wanted to love Zion. It would be difficult, the days ahead. Zion still needed to reconcile with his own father. Amidurah wasn’t dead, just missing. Then there was the trip to Spain they needed to make with Jade and Raiden. After contacting Thane Denton, he’d asked her to look for other Watchtowers. Keely recalled the conversation. “There are at least two others,” Denton announced. “Two?” “Have to be. There have been an abnormal number of earthquakes and devastating large-scale fires since you shut him down. Those activities represent the last of the major elements of the ancients.” Zion had once said something about the elements, too. Both men had their own unique insight into Amidurah that led to the same conclusion. “Keely, I think the other two are women.” “Women? Why? Because Jade and I are female?” “Yes.” Denton had said it so bluntly it had taken her a moment to respond. “I don’t think so, Denton. I couldn’t have defeated Amidurah without Zion. Jade and Raiden had a similar experience. We’re looking for four people.” Zion climbed on board and took an urn from her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close. Keely leaned into him, relishing the support he lent her. Her nostrils filled with his fresh scent, her body warmed from contact with his. A sigh escaped her lips and she wrapped her free arm around his waist. She’d never get tired of this feeling of wholeness she had when they were together.

“Come on big guy,” she whispered, and then she led him up the fly bridge to the helm station, where she putt the vessel into gear and to lead them to their rendezvous with Jade and Raiden.

Epilogue

Keely glanced at the faded grey structure. The old bar certainly had the appearance of a business that survived on the edge of profitability. A step above seedy, it hardly seemed the sort of establishment to house another Watchtower. She had her degree in marine biology with an emphasis on Rossi’s dolphins. Jade was a university professor. They were women of books and education. Not working at a bar on the edge of anything resembling civilization. Wouldn’t the other Watchtowers, if they existed be similar? Then she thought of Zion and Raiden. They were literally worlds apart in temperament, background, and attitude. Domnu only knew what they’d really find here, in this forsaken section of coastal Spain. A warm hand on her back bolstered her confidence. Zion knew just when to touch her and give her the extra strength she needed to face uncertain and unpleasant events. Seeking out the other Watchtowers pushed Keely beyond her comfort zone and she’d been pushed plenty lately. She leaned into Zion’s hand, drawing on the power he lent her. They had to do this. If this woman Thane sent them after was truly another Watchtower, they owed it to her to give her as much help as she’d accept. She glanced around one more time. Everything in this little village had a colorless appearance, almost as if the buildings were trying to fade into the pale brown earth. Keely gasped. She realized why the woman was here. The woman they were sent after was hiding, knew she had special abilities that set her apart. Near her ear, so low she strained to hear it, Zion spoke. “Are you okay?” Keely nodded. The tight ball her stomach had churned into loosened. On the transport, Keely and Jade talked of their own fears, how they faced them with the men at their sides. “She’s afraid. She knows what she can do and she’s hiding.” The door of the bar slid open with their approach. She followed Jade and Raiden through the doorway, with Zion behind her. The scent of smokeless tobacco and alcohol rushed through the open doorway. The bar was busy and many patrons sat staring at a media screen. Threading their way through the crowd, Raiden led them to a table near a back corner. Keely sat in the crook, two walls near her back. Jade sat on one side of her, while Zion sat on the other. Raiden occupied the fourth seat. Domnu, let us look like two couples enjoying one another’s company and a drink. “Is she here?” Jade whispered. Raiden nodded. “I feel power here, a lot of it.” A waitress, weaving her way through the crowd, approached and the men ordered ales. “House red,” Keely requested. Jade reached out and patted Keely’s hand. “Same for me.” “What if she doesn’t listen?” Keely remembered her own stubbornness at welcoming Jade and Raiden into her life. “We’ll do what we can, and eventually look for the other Watchtower. You threw us off your beach, if you remember.” Raiden frowned. “I wasn’t sure if you knew how to use that Sig or not, but I wasn’t going to push you and find out either.” The waitress returned with their drinks, setting them on clear, plastic coasters. Zion threw some sort of currency onto the round tray and the woman smiled. “Let me know when you’re ready for

another round.” She winked. “Or anything else.” Shock flashed through Keely, but before she could snappily reply, “He has what he needs already,” Zion used the opportunity handed him. “Actually, you could help us. We’re looking for Opal Wolfe. She is the proprietor, right?” The stocky woman looked them all over. With a quick, edgy glance over her shoulder, the waitress inadvertently indicated just who Opal was. Keely noticed Opal at the bar talking with an attractive man. He appeared as out of place in this bar as she was sure they did. Zion continued. “I can see you’re busy tonight. When you have a chance, would you have Opal stop by our table?” The waitress nodded and headed directly to the bar. Keely swirled the wine glass by the stem between her fingers. Afraid her nervousness would give her away before they had a chance to really talk with Opal, she quaffed a large portion of the wine, letter the fruity alcohol burn down her throat. The drink hit her stomach like a lead fishing weight. The scrape of chair legs rasped in the noise filled room like the beginnings of an earthquake. Zion snaked an arm around her shoulders and nuzzled her neck. “It’s okay; everything is going to be fine.” She leaned into him again for strength and reassurance. She glanced at Jade. Raiden, too, had secreted her in the curve of his arm. Keely sighed. Everything would be okay. The confidence lasted a mere millisecond. Striding toward them Keely spotted Opal. Swallowing her anxiety, Keely went on the offensive. “Opal Wolfe?” Momentarily, Opal appeared stunned. Quickly, she recovered her aloof aura and pulled out a chair. “Who would you be?” “Friends,” Keely responded, trying to get the conversation steered in the right direction. “Really.” Uh oh. This wasn’t boding well. She made introductions in a rush. “Jade. Raiden and Zion.” “Well, now that we all know each other...” Keely smiled. Any time now, one of the others could jump in. She wouldn’t mind at all. Nothing. No one volunteered. She took a deep breath. “Are you familiar with the EPA?” Slowly, as if the words were being mined from some dark recess of her being, Opal replied. “I am.” “Then you’ve heard―” How about we just skip ahead to you telling me what they have to do with you four or me for that matter?” Keely was about to explain when Zion intervened. “We have reason to believe that you can control fire.” “Do you still believe in Santa Claus, too?” Opal looked around the table. “I really don’t have time for this.” “We know about the fire in your school,” Jade said patiently. “We know about you Opal, what you can do, and we’re not the only ones.” The lead in Keely’s stomach tightened as if it had magnetically attracted more heavy metal. Jade and Raiden had attempted the same tactics on her when they approached her on the beach. It hadn’t won her support then and she doubted such a conversation would convince Opal to hear them out now. “What the hell are you talking about?” The anger evident in Opal’s words brought back the scene at the beach abutment door with razor sharpness. Even now, understanding more of what made her mother the way she was, didn’t lessen the deep cuts of the ugly memories of her own past. “We need you. If you don’t listen to us we can’t guarantee your safety? Jade’s sweet voice tried to diminish the impact of her earlier words. Derision shot forth in laser strong bolts from Opal’s eyes. “My safety. You think to protect me? If you’ve done your homework, and you obviously have, you know I’m pretty good at taking care

of myself.” Keely spoke, trying to dampen Opal’s emotions to something less incendiary. “We know. You’ d be surprised how much we know.” “I’m sorry…was that whole friends bit a bunch of bullshit, or do you four actually have a point to make.” Jade pointed toward the media screen. Scenes of a wild fire in Hungary slashed across the viewer. “One man is behind all that. And he knows about you, about us” “Well, it’s great that you guys are little EPA groupies, but I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling.” Around her shoulders, Keely felt the muscles of Zion’s arms flex. While he’d had infinite patience with her, Keely wasn’t sure how far it extended. “It’s not that simple.” Opal pushed the chair away from the table. “Really? It’s pretty cut and dried for me.” With a quick flick of his arm, Raiden reached out to grab Opal. He backed off at the look of rage on her face. At the bar, a man stood up. The one who’d looked out of place earlier. The man leaned back against the bar, attempting to look mollified. Her senses went on alert as Zion stiffened in the chair next to her. “I don’t like him. He’s too...” she fumbled for the right word, “slick. He reminds me of Doubilet, only better looking.” “Power is radiating off him like a volcano. They’re tied together somehow.” Keely sighed, letting the information coagulate in her rapidly tiring mind. “Was I this hard to get through to?” Jade flashed Keely a companionable smile. “Depends. I think she actually believes us.” Keely momentarily frowned. Until she’d crossed paths with Amidurah personally, she’d wanted nothing to do with Jade, Raiden, Thane Denton or the EPA. Zion placed a kiss on her temple and whispered in her ear. “We’re trying to do better with Opal.” They really should have talked more about tactics. Had a couple different scenarios in case the fire starter proved to be difficult, which she showed signs of being. The current modus operandi was failing miserably. Opal sank her hands onto her hips in a defiant stance. “Say I did believe you. What do you think I have to do with any of this?” “You’re the element of fire.” Thank Domnu for Jade’s patient explanation. “If we know it, he knows it.” Opal’s voice filled with challenge. “Who?” Zion squeezed her hand as Keely stared into Opal’s rebellious gaze. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Amidurah.”