The men barely paid any attention to me or to Victoria, who’d begun to shed her many layers. She was down to a low-cut halter, snug, low-rise jeans, and black sling backs. She shook out her blonde hair, pushing her glasses on top of her head to reveal a bright red sunburn line that dissipated before my eyes.
“Natasha, how good of you to visit again. I trust your vacation went well?” Stephan glided toward me, embracing me in a friendly hug. He was still magnificent with his molten silver eyes accented by just a hint of coal. I hugged him back.
“It was eventful. Victoria and I are here to meet her boss so I can thank him for sending her to watch out for me. She was a lifesaver.” He bowed, giving me his arm as he stood to walk me over to Victoria.
“Master,” she said bitterly as way of greeting, bowing low to kiss his hand. “I brought her back safely, just as you requested. There was one of the Earthen on board that was disposed of. He’d found a way to incapacitate the other clans. We’ll have to be more proactive in the future. I was not expecting an attack from one of our own. I hunger, and must rest. This has been a most unpleasant task for me. Do I have your leave?”
“Feed and sleep. We will talk of this attack tomorrow night. You’ve done well, Victoria.” Just before she ran off to the back hall I saw her slight smile of appreciation. It transformed her from pretty to breathtaking.
“So, you’re her boss? No offense, but why would a bar owner be interested in my welfare?” I appraised Stephan coolly. I casually removed my arm, standing across from him in a defensive posture.
“You may have already noticed that Victoria is not all that she seems to be. Neither am I. This club is not just a bar, either. I created this place to be a haven for the other Atlanteans that were trapped here after the island sank. I, myself, am from Atlantis.” He waited for me to grasp that knowledge and ordered us both drinks. I sat in stunned silence for a few minutes in the nearest chair, digesting the fact that not only had I visited a mythical country, but its inhabitants had also been living in our society for thousands of years without our knowledge.
“Please, go on. How’d you know my name before? Why’d you send Victoria? What’s going to happen to me now?” I was proud that my voice didn’t tremble.
“Lady Natasha, I intend you no harm. I was once Poseidon’s high priest sent with the troops to enlist Poseidon’s guidance during our plunder. It was a massive failure, as you know. We did not know that Atlantis had sunk until we tried to return, empty-handed. Our people were not welcomed into any other nation, so we drifted at sea. Poseidon would not answer my prayers for weeks, as he was so grieved by the betrayal of his kin and the loss of his mate. When he finally did answer, he was merely a shadow of the god he once was. He decreed that until Atlantis rose again and we had access to the healing waters, we’d live on the blood of our fellow man. It was our bloodshed that got us into this mess, so with bloodshed we would be forced to continue our existence.”
“Wow. So, what, you drink the blood of others to survive?” It was hard to miss the sarcasm in my voice. I downed my drink and put it back on the bar. Vampires. It was too much. I quietly remembered the kiss we’d shared before I left on the cruise. How he’d sucked on my neck in what I’d thought was an attempt to leave a hickey. I thought of Victoria’s sunburn from the few minutes we were out in the sun earlier, and started to tremble with real fear. “Are you trying to tell me that you and every Atlantean remaining on the surface are vampires? How could Victoria be out during the day if she is one of the bloodsucking horde?”
“Not all of us are vampires. The one you met on the ship was a member of a different clan, and therefore was destined to follow a different path than Victoria and me. Victoria can still withstand a bit of sunlight to an extent, as she is not wholly Atlantean and still a relatively young vampire. The history of my kin is not pleasant.
“Very few of us survived our initial mission, even fewer wanted to live on blood for all of eternity. The idea of being immortal, surprisingly, does not appeal to everyone. Most of us had lost loved ones; families slaughtered by Poseidon’s rage, or they had succumbed to the anger of the other gods’ wrath. It was not just Zeus that we’d angered with our prideful arrogance, and most were not content to leave us exiled. I left behind a younger brother, who is now Poseidon’s new high priest.”
“I met him. He was interesting.” It was the kindest thing I could have said. I thought about Atreyu and finally noticed the similarities between him and Stephan. The silver undertone of Stephan’s skin was slighter than Atreyu’s, but it was there now that I was looking for it. Their eyes were the same silver, and while Stephan had short, dark hair, he also had three thin braids woven in, but tucked away. While I could see a family resemblance, there was a distinct difference in their personalities. Atreyu had a power and vibrancy to him, while Stephan just seemed sad and worn.
Stephan nodded, continuing as if I hadn’t
