"Come, brother, we are almost there." Victor calls over his shoulder. His face is pale and his eyes are droopy. We barely sleep anymore. Eating only enough to have the energy to keep going.
Chapter Four
EVERLY
Day 3 in Atlantis
Most of my time is spent sitting by the window gazing at the city. They don't do much other than mill around, but it passes the time watching them. My chest gets tighter with every breath, my head pounds and my whole-body aches. Darcy brings food, we eat together in comfortable silence. I check and recheck every inch of this room.
I miss my guys so much already; it feels like weeks since I saw them. I feel like I'm in limbo waiting for the inevitable to happen. It turns out, Darcy was punished yesterday for dropping a cup. A guard grabbed her by the throat and banged her head against the wall. Over a cup. I fucking hate this place. There isn't a single thing I can do to help her; all I can offer is safety while in this room with me. A chair lies on the floor beside me. Broken into pieces. I smashed it against the window a few times until it fell apart. The glass is reinforced or something. It didn't even make a scratch. The floor in front of the chaise is littered with all manor of knickknacks. None of them made a dent in the glass either.
Being trapped here is really beginning to piss me off. I've never felt so weak, even when I believed I was human.
Victor
Day 20
The days are rolling into each other, I have no idea what day or time it is. Witch after witch tells us they can't help. Either they don't know how to get to Atlantis, or their spells wear off too quickly. I've lost count how many times Karl has drowned, how many times Garrot has had to have collapsed lungs healed. Now, we sit in a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, halfway between Scarborough and Denmark. Waves buffet the side of our small ship, rolling us across its surface. The heavens have opened, cold rain pours from grey clouds, soaking us through as we look over the edge of the stern, we watch with little hope in our hearts that the newest offering from a spellcaster is the one that will get us to our Queen. Karl bobs in the water, his face shark-like, rows of teeth line his elongated mouth, a tall fin protrudes from his back. Next to him, Garrot's body has been stretched to twenty feet long, six feet wide. His blowhole shoots a fine mist into the air, coating our faces.
Leyland, barely able to stand from exhaustion, leans over the port side, his deadened eyes staring into one of Garrot's tiny eyes. Silently, they communicate all the things no-one dares say aloud anymore. When we did this the first time, one of us transformed by a spell, we celebrated. Excited at the prospect of finally reaching Everly. I don't know how many times we've done this since, but each time has ended in disaster. Our hopes turned bitter, our hearts shrivelling a little more with each failed attempt. Karl and Garrot disappear into the inky depths I once called home. I envy them. Leyland slumps down the side of the boat, his knees raised, elbows resting on them, his head in his hands. A single tear slips down my cheek.
Chapter Five
LEYLAND
Day 20
Hours tick by like days, Victor never takes his eyes off the ocean below us. A look of longing in his eyes. His Kraken form still has not recovered. Garrot thinks it's because he isn't taking care of himself. The huge man has lost weight, his once hulking frame now hunches in on itself. We've all lost weight. Barely eating or sleeping. The fact that we can't get to Ever is killing us slowly as each day passes. With every failed attempt to reach her, a piece of my soul dies. It's a wonder there’s anything left of me to shrivel and die. I haven't seen or heard Karl cry. Never losing sight of the mission, he remains stoic. He believes it's inevitable we will get to her, to save her, bring her back. Me, well, I find my mind wandering into the dark more and more. It's peaceful there. The light is full of chatter of Everly's disappearance. The kidnapping of the Queen of the sea is all that those in the light talk about now. That, and the fact that I have not performed my duty for weeks. The divorce rate in Scarborough has hit a new high for the last one hundred years, tripling in these past two weeks. The connections I formed previously are beginning to fall apart, and with them, my soul darkens with each break.
Victor moves around the boat, panic making his movements jerky. Something’s wrong. I know I should get up and help, but I just can't. The darkness surrounds me, it's comforting tendrils of inky blackness wrap around my heart, silencing the hurt contained there.
Victor
Day 20
The line attached to Karl tugs, signalling trouble. I rush to pull him up,
"Leyland! Help me, pull Garrot up!" I yell to Leyland who is lying prone on the deck. His body curled into the fetal position. He doesn't move as the rope in my hands stops jerking. Shit. I pull faster, the weight on the other end becoming heavier. Blood drips from my hands as I pull Karl to safety. More than likely, he is dead. As with every other time we have attempted this. A dark head breaches the surface of the water, my arms burn as I pull him over the stern and into the boat. The shark from the spell disintegrates in my hands. Rough, blue skin melts through my fingers as I lace my hands and pump on his chest. Over and over I blow air into his waterlogged lungs.
"Don't die, Brother, you can't fucking die!" I pound on his chest. Finally, he coughs and water shoots from his mouth. "Thank fuck." I sigh while turning him over, slapping his back to aid the process. As he pulls in gulps of air, I remember Garrot is still in the ocean.
Chapter Six
GARROT
Day 20
Swimming in the ocean as a whale is surreal. My huge body glides through the water gracefully. Opening my mouth, I let out a breath, with it comes a deep, resonating sound that sends tingles down my spine. Around me, all manner of sea creatures mill about, paying me no mind. Shoals of fish avoid me, swimming away as I push deeper into the dark, foreboding ocean. An odd feeling comes over me suddenly, taking my breath away. My whole body stiffens, my fins stop moving and I start to sink. Panic sets in, I try to wiggle and turn around but all that happens is I sink further down. I manage to jerk my huge head to the side, tugging on the rope in my maw, letting my brothers above the surface know I'm in trouble. Again and again, I tug. Expecting any second, they'll drag me back up. My lungs burn, my mind races. Shit. I'm going to die, again. This is my third attempt at being an amphibious creature, each time I've drowned or nearly been killed by a predator. Last time, I was a seal. Not the Selkie kind, just a normal one. The memories of being chased by a Selkie enter my mind as water floods my lungs. Just before I go limp, Everly's face is the last thing I see. In my mind's eye, I reach out to her as she laughs heartily.
I COME AROUND WITH water spurting through my nose and mouth. It burns as it forces its way out.
"Oh, thank God." Karl sighs and slumps to the floor. Bits of blue skin sluicing off him and landing wetly on the deck.
Another failed attempt to get to Everly. I look over Victor's shoulder, my eyes catch sight of bright red hair, my heart constricts as a longing blooms in my chest.
Everly
Day 4 in Atlantis
The only being I've seen has been Darcy. No one else has come to my golden room, other than her. I've never been good at sitting still, so being locked up in here is driving me crazy. The tightness in my chest, the one I suffered with before I met my guys, is back with a vengeance. I can barely get a breath.
"Darcy, the days here seem so... long. What's with that?" Time ticks by on the gold clock on the gold fire mantle, it feels like years have past. Darcy looks up from the breakfast of oatmeal and honey I share with her. I've been locked in this awful room for what feels like years with nothing to do but eat and talk. She doesn't say much. Darcy mostly listens to me talk about my guys and how much I miss them already. I've counted four sunrises, or whatever it is that makes the sunshine down here. Obviously, it's not the sun, we’re too far below the water's surface for the sun to reach us. But each time I wake, the city of Atlantis is bright, and each evening, it darkens. The time between them seem
s to drag on and on.
"Oh, yes my Q- Everly," she wipes gloop from her dark lips and ducks her head at her slip up, "Time is different here," she pauses, tapping a long, pink finger against her chin, "I have a friend who visits above, she tells me that one of our days is six on land."
"What? Wait," I jump from my seat and pace back and forth in front of the window, "That means I've been here for nearly a month back on land?" My heart pounds in my chest. Twenty-four days? How could this be?
"Yes, that sounds right. Why? What is wrong, my Q-Everly?" Darcy's panicked voice barely registers as I pace.
Leyland, Karl, Garrot and Victor. They must be going out of their minds with worry. Shit, I bet they think I'm dead! There must be a way out of here.
"Darcy, we have less time than I thought, I'm nine weeks pregnant now," my hands rub over my slightly rounded stomach as I sit next to her, "Please, help me get out of..." at that moment the door swishes open, I jump from the bed and peek around the corner, only to see Gordon filling the space where the door was.
"Sister, come. It's time." He mutters darkly.
Oh, shit a duck up its arse. It's time? For what? For them to kill me?
"Why? I've been here for four days! That's a month above, Gordon! A month!" I scream at him, my anger bubbling over.
"Oh, is it? I don't understand earthly timekeeping." He replies offhandedly. "Now, come. Father requests your presence."
Oh, I bet he does. Reaching inside of me, I check that I can still see and feel the silver light at my core. The first chance I get, I'm going to unleash everything I've got on Poseidon. And then, I'm making a break for it.
I follow my twin out of the door, and we walk for what feels like miles through bright white halls with seemingly no doors. The walls are smooth, no indication there are rooms here. Gordon doesn't say anything as we walk side by side, even though he keeps looking at me from the corner of his eye, I feel him poking my mind, kind of like Garrot does, only Gordon's pokes are more painful. I block him as best I can, but I know in my soul if he wanted in, he'd have no trouble doing so. Eventually, we approach a set of huge colourful doors. They appear to be made from coral pieces, all different shapes and sizes. The rough edges capture the light that beams from the ceiling, highlighting all the little details. They're beautiful. He stops before them and turns to me. Our eyes lock, his are the same shade as mine, I see why Victor likes them so much.
"Sister, I warn you, father is," he pauses to think. "He's not what you've been told. Just bear that in mind today, and you may come to realise this is where you belong." Gordon warns me, his voice is robotic. Before I say anything, the coral doors open, revealing the most beautiful room I've ever seen.
The walls are made from glass, or that's my guess, behind them, is the ocean. For as far as the eye can see, creatures of all shapes and sizes, swim around in the salty water. Sharks, like the one that bumped my dome on the way here, propel themselves amongst a cacophony of colourful fish. I would have thought the ocean this deep down would be dark, inky. But an unknown light source illuminates the surrounding area. As I step into the space, I have this urge to touch the barrier between them and me, but a deep, rumbling voice pulls me back to reality.
"Daughter! Ah, and my son. Come, join us. The feast is plenty." Poseidon sits on a throne made of white and gold marble at the head of the longest table in history. It stretches from one end of the room to the other. People line either side of it, all men, all different colours. They don't look up from their feast as Poseidon yells. He is so far away; Gordon has to raise his voice so he will be heard.
"Father, I have brought you the girl. I have matters to attend to..." Gordon's hand presses on the bottom of my back and pushes me forward. I wasn't expecting him to push me, so I stumble forwards, almost falling face-first onto the pure white marble floor but I manage to catch myself. Jesus, he's strong.
"Nonsense, you're to be her guide," Poseidon answers, waving his hand dismissively, shovelling a fist full of food in his mouth with the other. He chews without trying to be polite. I vomit a little in my mouth as a piece of crab gets caught in his beard, it's claw still opening and shutting.
"But, father..." Gordon starts to complain, but is cut off like a knife through butter.
"I said, you will guide your sister. Teach her our customs," he flicks his eyes to me for the first time, a sneer on his lips. "It'll be your job to prepare her for the reason she’s here." His face twists into one of pure menace, I swallow thickly as he continues. "To take her rightful place here in Atlantis, as their Queen."
Chapter Seven
EVERLY
Day 4 in Atlantis
"Yes, that's right, daughter. I know you've been told I want to kill you," Poseidon is around seven feet tall, thin, his hair and beard are pure white. His robes are made from silk, I think, and swish as he strides towards me with purpose. "But that's not the case. I brought you here so you can claim your place as Queen of the sea, of Atlantis." His fake smile makes me want to explode his head.
What the actual fuck? Is he pulling my leg? There's no way he's telling me the truth. If that was the real reason, he wanted me here, then why send his army of monsters after me? Why hurt my men?
"You raped my mother, you're a disgusting being. I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth. So, nah, I don't believe you. Nope. And, " I wag my finger in his direction. "As for being a Queen, that ain't happening either, buddy. I happen to like my life on land. So, if you don't mind, I gotta go..." I try to turn but Gordon is right behind me. Does he honestly think I'm that stupid? To believe this? He needs to let me go, because I don't want to be Queen! Gordon spins me back to Poseidon.
"Oh? Well, you'll see," his head snaps up, "I take what I want, when I want. It is that simple. Gordon, show your sister to her chambers. Everly, please believe me when I say this," he moves so fast, my eyes can't track him, one moment he's across the room, the next, he's right in front of my face, his pungent breath assaults my senses. "You will become Queen. It’s your destiny. I intend to make sure you remain here to complete your destiny. I always get what I want."
I don't flinch, and I don't back down. So, he's an all-powerful god who can smush me with a flick of his wrist, and the gold Trident in his hand looks razor sharp, but that doesn't mean I have to bow down to him. I thrust my chin into the air and turn on my heel. I might be shaking inside, but there's not a cat in hell's chance I'll show it. Stiff upper lip, Darling. I giggle in my head at my own joke.
"We will see about that." I threaten. He took what he wanted from my mother, but he sure as shit won't get away with it again. I'll make sure of it.
Gordon takes my elbow roughly; I shrug him off with a frown and stride from the great room. My gaze lands on the left glass wall on the way out. Sharks, whales and all manner of fish line it. Their eyes on me. I probably should be freaked out by that, but oddly, it's more comforting than scary.
"You shouldn't disrespect father like that, sister. He means to protect you." Gordon scolds me as we walk through the coral doors. My feet barely keep up with my long, angry strides.
"You're joking, right?" I look up into his blue face. "He wants to kill me, Gordon, like, dead dead. He doesn't want me to be Queen. He wants me six feet under with worms eating my flesh. No, I'm not fooled, Gordon, but you, well..." I shrug. I feel in my soul Poseidon is lying. But I also get the feeling Gordon won't be turned from that mad man. He's well and truly Poseidon's bitch, so I don't bother trying to get him to see reason, yet.
As we walk through the same white corridors as before, my twin doesn't say a word. Even when I ask him a million questions. His expression is made of stone as he guides me back to my room. Leaving me to fume by myself.
GORDON SHOWS UP AT the golden room in the afternoon, Darcy just left to complete other tasks in the oddly modern castle that holds us both against our wills. He doesn't knock, just opens the door and demands I follow him.
"Follow me, sister." He grunts. His expression barely
changes, like his face is frozen in time or made of stone.
I sigh but follow him. It's not like I have much choice here. I'm their prisoner, my cage may be golden, but it's a cage none-the-less.
We walk through a tunnel of some kind; the tube-like structure is made entirely from clear glass. Or plastic, I'm not sure. Do they have plastic in Atlantis? I'll assume it's glass like the tanks in an aquarium. I look up as we walk in silence, buildings loom around us. Closer now, I can see that they are alike, as if the same person designed them.
"Who designed the tall buildings?" I ask myself, but Gordon answers me.
"Father did, he designed the whole city. Come, sister, you have much to see." He pushes open the doors at the end of the tunnel, revealing the city of Atlantis.
The air smells faintly of brine as I step out of the tunnel. People of all sizes walk around, chatting, eating and shopping. Some are small, child-like in stature, others are so tall I have to crane my neck up to see their faces. It's just another day under the ocean waves for them. For me, it's day four of captivity. Which means my guys have not seen me for twenty-four days.
The Everly Davis chronicles Page 42
