I held Raif’s hand like a lifeline as we walked into the building. On either side of the drawbridge, imbedded into the castle were two statues: one a striking man with a trident, the other a woman of such beauty she took my breath away.
“Raif, who’s that?” I whispered. “I mean, that man is clearly Poseidon, but I’ve never heard of a woman associated with him.” He chuckled; the base sounds reverberated and made my whole body shiver in carnal response.
“You are an inquisitive woman, Lady Natasha. It is a statue of Cleito, and if you would be patient, I would tell you the tale of how we came to be here, as well as our origins, to which Cleito plays in integral part. You will discover in due time that she is Poseidon’s amada, and the reason we are here.”
I had so many questions, but the look on his face told me I’d have to wait for him to reveal anything else of his history. I wanted to hear him speak of his home and history more than I wanted to meet the Council and the king, but it didn’t appear I had much of a choice. I trusted Raif instinctively to protect me during this meeting, but I was still nervous. It was terrifying to realize that I could give this stranger my absolute trust without a second thought. All I wanted at this moment was to go home with him and listen as he talked. I also found it unsettling to realize that home to me was starting to become anywhere he was. Even with my unsettled nerves I was more at peace with him than I’d ever been in my entire life. Instinctively I knew that here, miles below the ocean, with a man I hardly knew, I would always be safe, protected, and loved beyond measure.
We walked into the throne room and were greeted by what felt like every Atlantean on the islands. They were packed into a very large auditorium facing a dais in the front of the room, where there sat a row of chairs. A hush fell upon the crowd as we walked in, and every head turned in our direction. The people were very normal looking, if luminescent skin covering muscular bodies, with hair and eyes colors only found in the sea could be called normal. For some reason I had been expecting them to look like bug-eyed aliens, or some other mutated creatures that had yet to be identified. The only difference between the Atlanteans and myself was the skin, hair, and eye color. Well, that, and the fact that no one here had an ounce of body fat on them. The women were all thin with compact figures and lean muscles defining what I could see of their bodies. I could tell that they were used to hard labor.
The men were all muscular. No one that I saw had the couch warrior look to him or her. It was a sea of eye candy. I’d never felt like more of an outsider as I looked at the astonished faces of the people looking at me. My plush curves were definitely out of place here. It took me a few uncomfortable seconds to fully realize that they weren’t just staring at me, but at us. Raif was clinging to my hand so tightly I could feel him trembling. I looked into his face and saw a mask of indifference plastered there, such a departure from how his eyes had been lit before we’d entered the room. This was not the same man I was falling for. This man was cold, calculated.
“Raifuku, you have been honored by Poseidon this day. Please bring your human here so that we may begin with the celebrations.” The tenor voice echoed through the hushed building. The people parted, leaving a direct route to the dais, where the seats were filled by those I could only assume were the Council and the king.
The man speaking was the king. Even without a crown, he held an air of importance that could not be ignored. He also looked strikingly like the statue I’d noticed outside. He had the same wide-set eyes and prominent Roman nose of the statue. His hair was ruffled in a much more modern fashion than the statue’s long pulled back mane, but at a glance I could tell that he was a descendant of Poseidon’s. Raif’s hand tightened even further on mine, and I knew if he didn’t lighten up, he’d break it. I gently squeezed his hand and started rubbing my thumb across it. If I weren’t looking for a sign of him relaxing, I would have missed the imperceptible loosening of his hand on mine, and the slight exhalation of breath.
As we moved through the crowd, I could hear whispered murmurs behind me. Raif tensed, but I couldn’t understand why. His expression gave nothing away.
Once we’d drawn up directly in front of the king, Raif crossed his arms and bowed. He had to let go of my hand to bow properly, and I immediately began to shake. I had
