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“This can’t be real. I am standing in the Atlantean castle while watching mermaids and merdudes swimming around the bottom of the ocean.” Kye’s shocked voice broke the silence.
“Mermen,” Fynn corrected him automatically.
That snapped Kye from his daze, and he snorted. “Yeah, because you know what they prefer to be called, right? How many merpeople had you met before our Zosi?”
“I don’t know what they prefer, but I guarantee very few men on earth want to be called ‘dude.’” Fynn pressed his hands against the thick glass panes, his breath causing fog to form on its surface. Doctor Fynn’s curiosity must be through the roof.
“Where did they come from?” Zosime slid across the floor, making the movement appear smooth and graceful. She must not trust her legs to hold her up, but she was too stubborn to ask for help.
“Lokene, how did this happen?” Her voice broke, her sorrow tearing at my heart.
I looked toward the man, the ‘Ancient’—whatever that meant—and watched his shoulders droop. His joking manner dropped, and he seemed to age several years in front of my eyes. Sitting down abruptly, he groaned when he hit the floor harder than expected.
“I’ll try to explain things as best I can. It’s a strange story, and to be completely honest, even the Ancients are unsure about the details.” He took her slender, pale hand and held it between his own. “Soyale, you weren’t ever fully human. Your mother was an Ancient.”
Zosi recoiled like someone had slapped her. She tried to cover her cry with the back of her hand, and her skin paled to the point it rivaled the color of a ghost. “No! She was human.”
I couldn’t take seeing her pain anymore. “Enough. You’ve been giving us bits of information here and there. It almost feels like you are trickling it out for your own amusement. Give her the answers she deserves.”
Lokene nodded. “Soyale, I’m telling the truth. You know an Ancient does not lie. Your mother was a pure Ancient who lived as a human.”
“She was an Ancient...” Zosi whispered. I couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question.
“Yes.” Lokene drew the word out, exasperated at having to repeat himself. Well, too bad for him.
“You couldn’t tell? Does that mean not all Ancients are a pain-in-the-butt like the one we’re stuck with?” Kye watched Lokene out of the corner of his eye. I couldn’t blame him. The man hadn’t hurt us, but he seemed to treat most things as though they were a game meant to entertain him.
“I noticed nothing unusual about how she behaved,” Zosi sighed. “To me, she was my mother and the queen. I never knew her as an Ancient. She didn’t display any otherworldly power or anything else of the kind.” She gazed out the large windows. Her thoughts were on a time long ago and in a land that no longer existed.
A thought struck me with a jolt, shock rippling through me. “Wait. Do you mean queen? As in, the actual Queen of Atlantis?” Surely, she couldn’t mean—
“Yes, the Queen of Atlantis. She was an incredible leader for our people.” I didn’t miss the wistful note in her voice.
“If your mom was the Queen of Atlantis, that would make you…” Fynn stammered, “the Princess of Atlantis.”
“That’s correct, although our girl never liked the title. She preferred to be known for her skills in battle.”
Kye guffawed, his laughing echoing loudly and causing us all to jump. He grabbed his stomach with one hand and motioned at Eason with the other. “No wonder she looked like she wanted to kill you every time you called her princess.”
Lokene snorted before succumbing to his own chuckles. “You are a brave man, my friend. I have seen her neuter a man for less.”
Eason paled and slid a hand protectively over his family jewels.
Leaning toward Zosime, Lokene stage whispered, “They are finally catching on, although they are still missing the obvious. Where on earth did you find these men? Was this the best earth could offer?”
I would have been insulted if I hadn’t caught the humorous glint in his eyes. Glancing around at the guys, their expressions were just as confused as mine was. We were way out of our depth with talk of Ancients, Immortals, and Atlanteans.
Lokene’s eyes locked with mine over Zosi’s head. “Ancients have been around for as long as anyone can remember. We are immortal. They based the mythology of the Grecian gods on the Ancients.”
“Do you read our minds constantly?” I questioned, more curious than offended.
“Oh, Hades no! Having the thoughts of others constantly beating at your mind is annoying, not to mention most humans are mundane. I can turn off the ability when needed. However, right now, Zosime is still fragile from traveling so far and being separated from the lot of you. I want to know everything going through your minds.”
Lip curling in disgust, his eyes landed on each of us. “One job. Keep her satisfied. Most human males would die for that type of opportunity, yet three of you go traveling the oceans and leave her behind. Idiots.”
“We had no way of knowing that she needed us close by or that she needed physical contact to survive. That isn’t a human thing. We can be away from our partners for long periods without dying for the separation,” Eason spoke up, trying to explain our incompetence, but it still caused me to wince.
“Again, you show your ignorance. Sure, humans don’t physically die when separated by great distances, but their bond slowly withers away. Humans need closeness with their chosen partner as well. There is a magik in the mate bond, one that requires protection and nurturing. This is true of humans, immortals, Ancients, and Sirens. We all need love and to feel close to the one who holds our heart.” Lokene absently stroked the back of Zosime’s hand as he spoke.
