Shipwrecked

[Maira]

How anybody had convinced her to get on a yacht headed into the Bermuda triangle, Charlotte had no idea. Not only did she get seasick, but she couldn't even swim. Her friends had assured her that the boat was safe, and it had been until a freak storm came up on them. When the wind and waves started in earnest though, the yacht got tossed around like a hot potato. Not only did that make Charlotte sick as a dog, but before long the boat capsized and in the process Charlotte got knocked unconscious. The last thing she saw was the furniture in her cabin being tossed about and water streaming in.

*****

Her body and her head hurt, she was fairly certain that the stabbing pain just above her left eye was going to turn into a nice big egg if it wasn't already. Cautiously she reached up to investigate, her whole body protesting the movement, and when her fingers brushed the large lump above her eye a moan escaped her.

Charlotte's moan must have alerted somebody that she was awake because she heard shuffling followed by approaching footsteps. She tried to open her eyes to see who was coming toward her but the light was like daggers into her brain and instead she squeezed her eyes shut quickly before the pain could make her sick.

"You took quite a knock, I wouldn't do that again for a while if I were you," came an unfamiliar yet soothing woman's voice.

In a rough imitation of her normal voice Charlotte answered, "I don't plan on it, trust me."

The woman laughed lightly and then took a seat on the bed next to Charlotte. When Charlotte felt the woman's weight shift slightly toward her head she couldn't help but flinch away in anticipation. "Don't worry," the woman soothed, "I'm well practiced in dealing with tender wounds. You wouldn't believe the injuries we see here in Atlantis."

Charlotte heard the word "atlantis" and nearly laughed. What a fitting name for what must be a hospital located on one of the islands in the Bermuda triangle. Instead she just answered, "I don't doubt it."

The woman's hands were very gentle as she tended Charlotte's wound. And after she stopped whatever it was she had been doing there was a soft, warm glow spreading out from the lump. The warmth made Charlotte sleepy and she was already drifting off to sleep when she heard the mystery woman say, "Rest will help you heal faster. Rest now and you should be able to tolerate light when you wake up again."

*****

The next time Charlotte woke up most of the pain in her head was gone and her body only felt tired, not sore. More than a little surprised at the difference, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder if she had imagined the woman and the healing warmth. Still, she remembered the woman's last words and she slowly opened her eyes. Luckily the light in her room was dim because even though there wasn't the stabbing pain, the little light there was still caused a dull throbbing headache.

When her head and vision proved to be much better, Charlotte was curious about her body. Slowly she moved one of her arms, like she had before, and while it was obvious she was a bit weak there was no pain. That was very encouraging and very slowly and carefully she got herself into a sitting position.

Once she calmed her breathing from the effort of moving, Charlotte finally looked at her surroundings and stared wide-eyed. If she was in a hospital it was unlike any she had seen before. The walls appeared to be made of, or covered in, sand, the window had no glass and was only covered by a gauzy curtain and there was no door. There wasn't even any sign of medical equipment. If she had to guess, she would have said that she was in one of the fancy resorts in Greece that she had seen pictures of. Only with that thought did Charlotte notice that outside her open doorway and window that it was night time and that she could hear waves gently slapping against something.

"God help me, where am I?" Charlotte asked of nobody in particular before swinging her legs off her bed and getting up slowly. As nobody seemed to be around this time, Charlotte decided to go take a look around. Maybe she could find the mystery woman and ask her some questions.

As soon as she stepped out of her room, Charlotte's jaw dropped open. As she looked and what appeared to be a small city floating on the waves, the mystery woman's casual use of the name Atlantis suddenly seemed more eerie. Surely she wasn't standing in the legendary lost city of Atlantis. It had to be a resort by the same name, or a fever dream, or something else logical and more believable than what it seemed to be. Heck maybe she was in a coma or dead after all and this was her own version of the after-life.

She only stood still in shock momentarily before her curiosity outweighed her nervousness and she started walking. As she walked she noted that some buildings were like the one she had been in, single or multi-room huts with sand walls, others appeared to be made out of what she thought was coral, and others yet were made of a strange material she couldn't classify. As she wandered, Charlotte decided that if there had been a resort like this made it would have been big news. And from the way her mystery woman spoke this place had been around for a while. Maybe she really was dead.

After a while Charlotte started to notice what she thought was music and voices coming from what could only be described as a palace in the center of the city. She wasn't sure she was ready to meet other people when she didn't even know yet what her own life/death status was. What if she was dead, wouldn't that mean that everybody else was dead too? Then, deciding that if she were truly dead that this place was too nice to be Hell, she made up her mind to go investigate. Maybe the voices and music were coming from angels and she was in Heaven. Honestly that really didn't sound so bad.

Once she was close enough, Charlotte discovered that the palace was more like a collection of oddly shaped towers made out of that unknown material and they were all floating in an open area of water, connected to the city only by bridges. There were also many docks but all of the boats appeared to be over at the tower-island. With no other options available, Charlotte made her way to the nearest bridge and slowly made her way across.

At the apex of the bridge, Charlotte stopped and admired the city surrounding her. The lights from the houses and buildings gently bobbing with the rise and fall of the waves almost looked, to her, like fireflies floating on a summer breeze. That thought made her smile warmly. She was so lost in her thoughts and admiring the city around her that she didn't hear somebody approaching her from the tower side of the bridge.

[Demeter]

His mysterious guest had gone missing. He'd been out with a patrol when they'd seen the boat going down. While the others made sure that the sinking boat didn't harm any of the reefs or wild life, he'd pulled a woman from the wreck. She had a nasty bump on the head and was unconscious. A quick tap of his fingers to her forehead and the magic he possessed caused her body to go into a sort of stasis - she wouldn't drown while under water.

He'd held her and observed her companions. They didn't seem to interested in locating the woman in her arms. Shrugging, Zahir had ordered the patrol to resume their pattern when he took the woman to the healer's wing. And now, her healer had come to him to tell him that she'd gone missing. Zahir left the party and searched the city.

It didn't take long; she was staring at the city from one of the bridges. "It's beautiful, isn't it? You should have seen it last year. It was a mess. A lot of hard work as gone into restoring Atlantis to it's former glory. I'm Zahir, the ruler of this place.

[Maira]

Suddenly hearing a male voice beside her caused Charlotte to jump and the sudden movement caused a wave of dizziness to take her. She nearly lost her balance but between grabbing onto the rail of the bridge and the man catching her by her other arm she managed to stay upright. Mostly.

Once she got her feet back under her and she was stable again she took the time to process the man's words and she couldn't help but gape at him. "Ruler? Like a kingdom?" She was still half convinced she was dead and that this was supposed to be Heaven or some other pleasant version of an afterlife but why would Heaven have needed restoring. Shaking her head slowly in confusion she questioned him some more, "So this is not some fancy resort?" At the negative shake of his head in answer, she asked, "And you expect me to believe that I'm not dead or delirious and that this is actually Atlantis?" This time he nodded and smiled at her and Charlotte swore she felt another wave of dizziness try and overwhelm her.

Instead of starting at the smiling, or possibly smirking, man Charlotte turned away and gazed back at the palace. She could still hear the voices and music and she wanted badly to believe that she wasn't crazy or dead. But Atlantis was a myth, a city of ancient times that nobody could ever prove existed. Finally managing to shove her skepticism into a corner of her mind, Charlotte turned to the man and with a small smile of her own, part shy and part eagerness to see more, she requested, "Show me around? Please?"

[Demeter]

Zahir worked hard to swallow a chuckle. He had an idea that this woman wouldn't take kindly to that. "You believe that Atlantis is suppose to be a myth?" He raised a hand and tapped a finger against Charlotte's lips, grinning when she leaned back. "If Atlantis is suppose to be a myth, what are you supposed to be, Miss Vampire?"

When she shot a look at him, Zahir laughed. Still chuckling, Zahir slipped an around Charlotte's waist. He turned her and, with a little pressure on her lower back, showed her around the outer edges of Atlantis. "I imagine that your head is still pounding. The festivities on the central island will probably give you a head ache. Tomorrow, when it's quiet, I'll take you there. For now, please, come to my private rooms."

After her slightly reluctant agreement, Zahir took Charlotte over several bridges and to one of the outermost islands. Instead of taking her up into the tower, her took her down, past the surface and under the water. The magic of Atlantis kept the water outside of the tower. He took her to his sitting room, where the big picture window looked out over the coral reefs in the clear water of the Caribbean. Thought it was night out, there were lights outside the window.

Zahir watched as Charlotte started out the window. "Do you still think you're dead?"

[Maira]

When Zahir tapped her lips and called her Miss Vampire, Charlotte shot him a look that was equal parts shock that he knew, and annoyance that he'd touched her lips. Not even many of her friends knew she was a vampire, she'd hidden it from all but those she knew were Others like she was. How the hell had this strange man known?

Deciding that brushing off her annoyance until she was feeling better, Charlotte let herself be directed around the complex of interconnected floating islands. She'd never seen anything like this place and by the time they finished the tour, Charlotte was intrigued enough to only hesitate slightly before agreeing to go with Zahir to his private quarters. When they approached one of the towers at one of the outermost points of the complex, Charlotte couldn't help but gawk in appreciation. How such a thing could be actually floating she had no idea.

When Zahir ushered her inside, she had expected to be take up into the tower but when he directed her toward a set of stairs leading down instead, she looked at him askance. It was just water down there and she didn't know how to swim. But he was confident and that lead her to believe that maybe there wasn't just water down there and she let herself be led down. The sight that greeted her at the bottom of the stairs froze Charlotte in her tracks as she stared out the big picture window that looked out over some coral reefs.

As she stared out the window, Charlotte barely heard Zahir ask if she still thought she were dead but once it registered she tore her gaze away from the sight of the reefs and answered with a laugh, "I almost hope so, I'm not sure I want to go back." Then, a big smile on her face she walked around the room peering out of the other windows to catch the other views of the surrounding waters.

[Demeter]

Zahir couldn't help his smile as he watched the woman bounce from window to window. "I assure you that you are very much alive. Though I would rethink your friends. They would have let you drown and from what my associates tell me, no one has raised the alarm about a woman missing in the triangle."

Zahir held out his hand to Charlotte. "This is really Atlantis. Or, at the very least, part of Atlantis. Not all of it could be salvaged but we are uncovering more and more everyday."

There was something about this woman. She was oddly compelling to him. And he wondered why her friends wouldn't have searched for him. He knew that some people had no loyalty and would't have been bothered by her drowning but mist would have searched. He watched, curious, as she circled to where the trident Sea Song was displayed. When he felt the laughter of his God, Zahir's curiosity turned to excitement as the woman stared at the ancient weapon. He held his breath when she reached a finger out towards it.

[Maira]

The whole experience was surreal. Being in a room underwater in the middle of a floating city in the middle of the Bermuda triangle was the last thing on earth that Charlotte ever expected to happen to her. When she'd finally had enough of gazing out the windows, and while she listened to Zahir talk, she browsed the rest of the room, letting her fingers brush along shells and other artifacts. Finally, she spotted what could only be a trident. She'd seen them in artwork of the ancient Gods Poseidon and Neptune but she had never seen a real one in person. Like she'd done with the shells, Charlotte reached out to the trident and she ran her fingers gently along the staff. The sudden scent of saltwater, sound of the waves, and a voice she didn't know accosted her senses and sounded in her mind, *Welcome to Atlantis, we are pleased you have finally come home.*

Charlotte yanked her hand back from the staff, looked at Zahir curiously, and then collapsed. Her head connected with the stand the staff was in and knocked it to the ground as she toppled.

*****

The next time Charlotte awoke, she was in a hospital room surrounded by flowers, cards, and balloons with a big sign that ready "Wecome Home!" She shook her head, a little bit of pain stopped her, and wondered if the memories that were drifting to her were real, if she had been dead for a while or if everything was just a really realistic dream. The first option was impossible and the second one just scary to think about so she settled on the third. Not ever girl gets to dream about a handsome king of Atlantis taking her into his sunken bedroom after all.

*****

Spring break was far in her rearview, school had actually just let out for summer and before she took off on a research summer program she was having one last weekend with the girls. One of the girl's she'd met while on spring break in Florida had turned out to be a fellow student at her college in Louisiana and when they had gotten back to school they'd hit it off immediately. It was at that girl's family house in the Florida Keys that they were staying since her parents had flown back up north for the summer where it was cooler. Just a few minutes away from Marissa's house was a new club that had opened and the girls had all gotten dolled up to go dancing. For Charlotte, who had been in a shipwreck over spring break and then somehow wound up in a hospital with a minor head injury and apparently no other wounds or trauma, dancing sounded a lot more safer than a midnight cruise around the islands.

When the girls arrived at the club, they suffered through the long line and breathed a sigh of relief when the velvet rope went up behind them as the club reached its limit with their entrance. Marissa and Charlotte immediately took to the dance floor, the other three girls headed for the bathroom, the bar and then a table.

The dance floor was crowded, and there was a strange energy present that she almost recognized. The music had been switching songs when they entered but as soon as it started playing and the crowd started moving again, Charlotte stood stock still. She knew this music, recognized it from her dream after the shipwreck. It only took Marissa giving her the, "What's wrong?" look to get Charlotte to smile and brush off her sense of deja vu.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been dancing when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Thinking it was one of the other girls Charlotte turned, a goofy smile on her face from the fun of dancing, and when she saw it was a man instead of one of the girls she stopped dancing and asked, "Did you need something?" His answering smile set off warning bells in her brain, and the more she looked at him the more familiar he seemed. Like the music, he seemed to be from her dream. She tilted her head slightly, curious, and asked, "Do I know you?"

[Demeter]

He'd named the place Atlantis and the dance club was a profitable front. He wasn't running drugs or into human trafficking. Rather, he was bringing people home. Ever since word had started to spread that the real Atlantis had been raised from the bottom of the sea, the lost ones had been flocking to their former homeland. By funneling them through the club, he was able to control who got in and when they did. Any Alati who approached the borders of Atlantis was turned away and directed to the clubs dotting the Florida Keys. 

This location was the most popular and Zahir made it a point to visit on the busy nights. He was still new to his power and he made himself visible to any possible rivals. They all knew him by now and knew that his bloodline was blue and that his allies were powerful. It had been months since anyone had tried to overtake him. 

He was also on the lookout for her. 

He's found his other mate during the crowded spring break season. Given that she thought she was either dead or hallucinating, he'd thought it best to return her to the outside world. As he stood on the edges of the dance floor, Zahir looked up into the catwalks above the floor and spotted Lorelei, his other possible mate. He sneered at her. He wasn't sure he wanted that man eater for a mate. Head of security and personal bodyguard, yes but as a mate? Ice was warmer that one. 

She even dressed like a man eater, he mused, with her hair twisted up into some slick knot, the tailor suit - sans shirt - she wore and the mile high heels she preferred. Although, it made sense for Lorelei to be a man-eater; her seaform was that of a tiger shark. Neither one was pleased at the prospect of being the others mate but the trident hadn't said yay or nay yet. Six weeks ago, he caught her using the trident to fend off the overly amorous barracuda who'd gotten into his private lagoon. They'd been circling each other ever since. 

Zahir knew that Charlotte, wherever she'd gone off to, was meant for him. She was a non-alati being who could touch the Trident without being shocked. Yes, the damn thing had knocked her unconscious all those months ago but it hadn't tried to fry her. 

Lorelei was something else though. There was a loophole in the Others Cannoy Touch rule about God Tools. The ones that were tied to certain locations, such as the Trident Sea Song to Atlantis or how Excalibur was tied to Avalon, were also connected to the bloodlines of the original being to wield the tool. Meaning anyone who carried that blood could handle the God Tool. 

With this New Atlantis, he would be a foundation of the new bloodline that was bound to Atlantis, Sea Song and Poseidon but that didn't mean the old line had been wiped out. Charis still lived, along with her children and their offspring. And there were others who were not so legitimate as the former queen. One of Lorelei's parents was a direct descendent of a bastard born from union between a court follower and Charis' grandfather. Meaning, Lorelei could waltz around with the Trident if she wanted to.

Zahir watched as the woman he was thinking about paced the catwalks. He didn't like her, didn't find her attractive but understand that she was the best person to head up his security unit and that having a member of the old royal line as an ally was also a positive. So, he put up with her. 
Shaking his head, Zahir looked out over the crowded dance floor. He'd been called here tonight, summoned by his God, but why? He knew better then to question the deity but an explanation would be nice. 

Right as he finished that thought, the crowd of patrons parted and he saw her. Charlotte. His Charlotte. Grinning, because she wasn't afflicted with a head injury this time,
Zahir stalked forward to claim what was his. He tapped her on he shoulder once he was close enough and smiled when she spun around. When Charlotte asked if they knew each other, Zahir couldn't help grinning at the woman. He leaned in close enough to be able to whisper into her ear. "Does a floating city in the Bermuda Triangle sound familiar? What about an underwater room? It wasn't a dream, My Queen, you were destined to find us."
****
Up on the catwalk, Lorelei narrowed her eyes as Zahir approached some woman and started whispering in her ear. She didn't like the guy but it was her job to keep him in one piece. And, admittedly, she did experience some jealousy as she watched him with this other woman. It was a dratted thing, knowing that she was supposed to be with him and, even though she didn't like him, watching him charm this woman made her twitchy. There was only one other person she was willing to share him with. 

"Calm down, little Tiger, Grandfather says that the woman he is with is the other."

Lorelei turned her head. "Graham! When did you get back?" Lorelei bounced as much as her heels would let her. It was more of a shuffle then a bounce as she scooted into her brother's arms. 

"Grandfather sent me to tell you to knock it off. He will come to you eventually. You already know; he has to convince her that all of these is real. Mythical cities just don't pop up, you know." 

Lorelei pouted. Graham, her twin brother, was a trusted emissary of their grandfather, the great god Poseidon. Well, more like many times a great grandfather. The amount of holy blood in their veins was minuscule. When their parents had perished in a tsunami, the deity had raised them himself. From a young age, Lorelei knew she'd be destined to be the mate of the leader of New Atlantis, thereby keeping the old line attached to Sea Song and sparing Charis and her line from returning here.

She just hadn't expect that Zahir would be the one to inherit. Now, she turned to look down at the crowd, scowling when she noticed that her charge had disappeared. "Now where did he go?"

Graham laughed. "He's gone to try and woo his queen. Don't worry, Little Tiger, Grandfather is watching. If he's in danger, you'll know."

Lorelei crossed her arms over her chest. She cast a side long look at her brother. "Is she prettier then me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "She is. If you'd loosen up a bit, you'd be as pretty as her and you'd both be devastating.
Grandfather says she's just your type."

Lorelei stuck her tongue out at Graham. "What would you know about pretty? You'd be more likely to chase him and not her."

"You're not wrong but pretty is as pretty does. I bet her brother is as pretty as her. I can't wait for the ceremony."

Lorelei scowled; she'd rather think about close quarter combat then his ceremony to her, even if she was the other. Zahir was not the charming prince of her childhood dreams. 
****
Zahir took Charlotte by the hand and pulled the shocked woman from the dance floor. She seemed stunned by what he'd said. He tugged her along until they'd reached a quiet alcove. "That dream you had, the one that came after you getting your noggin smacked by whatever hit it when that boat capsized, it wasn't a dream. It all really did happen."

[Maira]

Charlotte couldn't help but gawk as the man whispered at her about the details of her dream after her head injury during spring break. How on Earth could he know those details? As he spoke, the images came fresh to her mind (a vision of him included), and she tried to backpedal. There were too many people though and Charlotte actually wound up getting bumped closer to him. He slipped confidently took her hand and escorted her away from the crowded dance floor. She couldn't help but look back frantically for her friends, hoping one of them would notice her disappearing.

Only once they were somewhere quieter, he'd maneuvered them into a little alcove near the back of the club, did the rest of his words sink in about destiny and her being his queen and that whole dream not being a dream. She stared at him before she yanked her hand from his and demanded, "What the hell did you put in my drink? Or maybe I should ask what the hell you're on? What makes you think calling some girl your queen is going to get you laid Zahir?!"

As his name slipped from her mouth, her hand flew to cover it. Why was she calling this madman by the name of the king in her dream? She really must be drugged! Not waiting for his answer, Charlotte spun on her heels and bolted back toward the dance floor. She needed to find Marissa and get out of this club immediately. If she was drugged, she sure as hell didn't want to be in a club when it hit her full on.

[Demeter]

Zahir groaned as Charlotte bolted back to the crowd. This was why he didn't like dealing with people of Non-Alati heritage. They just didn't get it and it wasn't like they had a deity who could whisper in their mind that everything was okay. Sighing, Zahir left the alcove to try and find her again. The crowd made that impossible. 

***
From the catwalks, Lorelei giggled as she followed the woman's path towards the door. Seemed like Zahir had struck out with the woman. Still laughing, she trotted down the stairs closest to Zahir, her brother right behind her. "Aw, did the little woman turn you down?"

He glared at her. "She assumed that her drink had been spiked since I knew all about her "dream." Now, she's wandered off."

Lorelei had to clap a hand over her mouth. She was laughing to hard at his predicament to respond. "What did you tell her?" she managed between laughs. 

"That I knew her and the details of her adventure over spring break."

It was Graham who spoke next. "Take it from a gay man, Zahir, calling her My Queen is not the way to a woman's heart. Especially one like that."

It was too much for Lorelei. She burst out laughing. She ended up laughing so hard that she had to hold onto her brother for support. All the while, Zahir glared at her. Wiping away tears, she looked at him. "Does that even work!"

He sniffed. "I'll have you know that it works on plenty, though Charlotte will be the only one I call My Queen."

That caused Lorelei to snarl. "Any one who falls for that sort of line has to be incredibly stupid. Guess she has some intelligence if she turned you down."

"Oh? And your approach of selecting some poor, hapless man, slamming him against the nearest hard surface and having your way with him is such an effective means of starting a relationship. What's the name of this week's lucky stud? Is it Brody, Alex, or Derrick? Or is it the groundskeeper, the bookkeeper, the head chef or the head Medic?"

Lorelei stared at him. 

"Oh yes, I know all about your various flings, possible mate of mine. At least I don't have a habit of fucking anything that walks!"

Graham looked between his sister and his king and sighed. Grandfather, he thought as he stepped between them, I sincerely hope you are right that she is meant for him. "Lorelei, Your Majesty, might I recommend that you finish this conversation else where?"

Zahir glanced at Graham before turning his attention to Lorelei. "We'll finish this back at Atlantis. I have to find Charlotte before she winds up in real trouble."

Lorelei rolled her eyes. "No, I'll find Charlotte. You can't find your way out of a paper bag," she said, "Graham, make sure he gets back to the boat while I go find the girlfriend."

Both men watched as Lorelei stalked off into the crowd, the people hurrying to get out of her way. Zahir grumbled. "One time. I got lost one time right after Atlantis had been raised. Will she let it go? Noooo," he muttered as he followed Graham out of the club. 
***

Even with her enhanced senses and with Grandfather guiding her, it took Lorelei some forty minutes to find Charlotte. By that time, the woman had wandered into a bed neighborhood. And she'd acquired a few new friends. Sighing, because Zahir would be impossible to deal with with if Charlotte was hurt or worse, Lorelei, kicked off her heels and strode forward. "Sorry, boys, this one is mine, she said before picking Charlotte up and tossing her over a shoulder. 

Stopping only long enough to retrieve her shoes, Lorelei hauled Charlotte back to the dock outside the club and dumped her into the boat at Zahir's feet. Glaring at the man, she dared him to say anything. She'd just spent a 60 minute return trip with Charlotte slung over her shoulder. The Mutari was strong and she'd zapped her a few times. Until Lorelei had growled at her to knock it off or get dropped on her head, that is. 

As Graham started the boat, Lorelei plopped down on a seat and looked at her feet. They were sore after the walk and she'd stepped on a few rocks. 

"Damnit, Lorelei! You were supposed to find her and make sure she was safe. Not kidnap her!" Zahir shouted as he wrapped a blanket around Charlotte. 

Lorelei shrugged as she rubbed her feet. "Found her. She's safe now. And why would kidnapping her matter? She's your mate and queen. She goes where you go."

Zahir groaned and tilted his head back. Damn Lorelei...

[Maira]

When she dashed back onto the crowded dance floor, Charlotte spent only moments searching for Marissa and the others. She knew that the dream-man lookalike would be following her though so she gave up pretty quickly and then bolted for the front door. If she could just make it back to Marissa's house without that man catching her she would be safe. That theory only lasted long enough to get her well and truly lost. She was not familiar with Florida, let alone this part of the Keys, and somehow the few minutes it took to get to the club turned into an eternity trying to get back to the house.

She had finally turned one too many corners and had found herself in a really sketchy looking neighborhood. She was heading toward a convenience store to try and borrow their phone, hers was in her purse still at the club, to call a cab but before she could reach the store two men slipped out of a shadow she hadn't noticed and blocked her path. Muttering to herself about bastards slipping stuff in her drinks, and bastards who wouldn't let her by to call a cab, Charlotte felt her Mutari powers starting to sizzle just beneath the surface of her skin.

Just as one of the men started stalking towards her, and sparks started to dance at the ends of her fingertips, Charlotte heard a hard female voice behind her, and then she was hoisted into the air. As her belly connected with the woman's shoulder her breath was pushed out of her in a rush before she could object to such treatment. When she finally got her breath back, Charlotte wasted no time letting into the woman verbally, physically, and electrically. Only the threats of being dropped on her head stopped Charlotte's struggles and discharges of her power. She kept up a running displeased mumble, however.

When the sound of the woman's footsteps changed, Charlotte took notice of just where the woman had brought her. Why the hell were they on a dock? She didn't have time to even try to get away and off the dock before she was unceremoniously dumped into a boat. Looking up, Charlotte glared daggers at the woman through her now quite tangled hair. When she heard the male voice behind her, she nearly yelped. How she hadn't known he was there she wasn't sure. Before even turning to confirm who she thought it was, his voice gave him away. She waited for him to stop talking before she made her feelings known about the entire situation and she grabbed his ankle and let flow a wave of electricity.

He hollered and Charlotte turned and pounced on him, her fangs quite prominent and the electricity pouring off of her. "You bastard!" she yelled at him above the roar of the boat's engine, only to be yanked off and once again dumped on the floor of the boat. Immediately she bounced up into a hunting crouch and she let fly sparks from her hands at the woman he'd named Lorelei.

About that time, the boat left the serene waters of the harbor, getting jostled as it hit the open sea. Charlotte's stomach lurched. All rage and animosity slipped from from her as the boat crested some gentle waves and splashed back down into the well between them. Her voice suddenly quieted and got shaky as she muttered, "Oh sh-shit..." before her stomach heaved and her dinner and the few drinks she'd had emptied themselves onto Lorelei's lower legs and feet. After the initial emptying, Charlotte spent the rest of her time on the boat leaning over the side heaving up stomach acid into the ocean.

She had no idea how long they'd been in the boat, or that they had even stopped, until the man's voice came from beside and above her head, asking her if she needed help to get out of the boat. Charlotte rinsed her mouth and face with a quick scoop of sea water then glared up at him. As her eyes went from the surface of the water to the man's face Charlotte was surprised to see what appeared to be a dock under his feet. That jolted her mostly out of her seasickness haze and she looked around, unbelieving.

Standing up to get a better view, Charlotte was shaking her head and almost silently saying, "no," repeatedly under her breath. She couldn't tear her gaze from the floating city but she still addressed the man, who she suddenly had a sinking feeling actually was Zahir, "I don't know how all of this can be real, I'm not sure I want it to be. Its beautiful here but it just shouldn't exist." Finally she looked at him and she added softly, "It's better as a dream."

[Demeter]

Lorelei looked down at her shoes and then at the supposed queen of Atlantis. She rolled her eyes in disgust. Without saying anything, she stripped out of her clothing and, ignoring what she supposed was a squawk of distress from Charlotte, dove from the speeding boat. She surfaced a moment later, having taken on her sea form.

***

With one hand, Zahir kept a hold of Charlotte. And he kept an eye on Lorelei. He was caught between two impossible women. It would probably take a sledgehammer to convince the one that everything was real. The other one just confused him.

Once they reached the docks, Zahir helped Charlotte out of the boat while Lorelei swam through the channels to the royal residence. Things had changed since Charlotte's last visit. The center floating towers were still their but they'd expanded. Tucking Charlotte's arm through his, Zahir led her towards the new royal residence.

"But isn't a dream coming true a better reality? All of this is real, Charlotte. I've moved residences now that the population is growing. I still have an underwater room where you can look out on the reefs. I would have been happy with a hammock and a lean-to but Lorelei said that wasn't appropriate for the ruler of Atlantis."

He took her too one of the larger islands. He'd raised parts of Old Atlantis to form a villa of sorts that contained a private lagoon. The lateness of the night covered most with darkness but there was enough light for Charlotte too see where she was going.

Zahir took her to the staircase that would descend down to the queen's chambers. Lorelei, dressed in fresh clothing was waiting for them. He handed Charlotte over to the other woman, warning her to be nice or she'd find a love sick barracuda joining her on her morning swim.

Zahir turned towards Charlotte. He kissed the fingers of the hand he held before wishing her good night.

***

Zahir let Charlotte putz around for a week. He still wasn't sure what she thought but she hadn't made any attempts at escape. It may have been because the friend she'd gone out with that night had shown up the next morning in Atlantis and had reassured Charlotte that everything was okay but she'd barely talked to him.

And he really didn't know how to handle women. He was many things but mostly, he was a scientists. Otherwise known as a nerd. He knew that he didn't look like one but he was a tried and true nerd. Women confused him. They made him go all feeble minded and tongue tied when he saw them in those tiny bathing suits they all ran around in.

Given that he lived in the Caribbean, he spent much of his time tongue tied.

***

Lorelei supposed she needed to get to know of her co-queen. At the very least, someone had to tell the woman about her place here in Atlantis. Couldn't trust Zahir to do a proper job of it, not with the way he stumbled over his words. So, carrying a tray of glasses and a pitcher full of margaritas, Lorelei approached the chaise were Charlotte was sunbathing. She took a moment to study the woman; she was attractive, Lorelei supposed. She'd never really thought about things like that.

Shaking her head, Lorelei plunked the tray down on the table, making enough noise to startle Charlotte. "We need to talk. And we need alcohol to do it," she said while pouring Charlotte a drink.

Lorelei plopped down on the tiled floor. "We are destined to love the same man at the same man. Not that I can see myself loving that man but Grandfather says it will happen."

Charlotte was staring at her, drink frozen against her mouth.

"I suppose you need a better explanation. Zahir and myself are part of a race called the Alati. We are all bound to a deity. Among us, there are those that are special and are a Deities chosen representative on earth. Zahir is one of those special ones. These representatives need help o handle the stress of their duties. One who is strong. One who is soft.

"These representatives all have what is called a God Tool. Sometimes its a sword. Sometimes it is an item that ascribed to that God. Zahir holds Sea Song, the Trident of Poseidon. Zahir's partners are found because they are able to touch the trident and live. Anyone else would be fried. There are some exceptions, of course. The Oracle, of course, can hold the Trident. It would be rude not to allow that. My brother can hold it as we are descendent from the god."

Lorelei took a break and sipped from her glass. "You can touch the Trident. And Grandfather says you are the soft one, no offense meant. So, there it is. That is way you are here. The choice to be a queen of Atlantis is up to you."

[Maira]

Between her unceremonious kidnapping by the supposed king of the mythical city of Atlantis, and now this totally bizarre conversation with Lorelei, Charlotte was about to go stark raving mad and jump off the closest dock into the water. So what if she didn't know how to swim because surely she had gone insane and none of this was real anyway. She had yet to take a drink of her margarita and once Lorelei stopped talking, she just stared at the woman over her glass for a moment before setting it down and excusing herself. As soon as she was out of sight of Lorelei, Charlotte bolted for where she hoped Zahir would be.

The people here acted strangely around her, like she was somebody special, and most of the time it bothered her but at this moment she was glad of it. It meant her barreling past Zahir's staff and into didn't get her in trouble like it probably would somebody else. "Zahir!" she yelled across what she supposed passed as a throne room. Then, when she got closer and the other people in the room left she begged, "Zahir, please explain whatever it was that Lorelei just tried to tell me? Something about gods and tools and me being the soft one?" She stopped to wait for his answer, but before he could give it she remembered the last thing the crazy woman said, "And what about me being queen of Atlantis? Did you kidnap me because I have to marry you?"

[Demeter]

As Charlotte plowed through his staff, Zahir vowed to kill Lorelei first chance he got. Now he had this woman, who was still a virtual stranger to him, asking if she'd been kidnapped for the sole purpose of marriage to him. Taking advantage of the open concept of the new palace, he glared at Lorelei from where she stood on the opposite shore. He pointed at her and then ran a finger across his neck as if to say you're gonna die for this.

He took a deep, cleansing breath before turning to handle Charlotte. She looked to be on the edge of hyperventilating so he grabbed her hands and told her breath. While Charlotte calmed down, Zahir puzzled out how to deal with this newest hiccup. He'd been slowly trying to bring Charlotte around to the idea that Atlantis was a real thing. And now Lorelei had tossed everything at her.

Oh yes, Lorelei was so going to regret doing this...

Once Charlotte had calmed down, though still plenty panicked, Zahir made her sit down. "I'm not going to lie and say that she was messing with you but whatever happens, it's your choice. Everything that happens from this point on is your choice."

Zahir paced the throne room, running his hands through his hair. "This was not how any of this was suppose to go but, believe me, Charlotte, all of this is very real but I don't know how to get you to believe it."

He sat next to her, starring out at the blue green waters of the caribbean. "The first time you were here, I rescued you after your boat capsized. You'd hit your head pretty good and your so-called friends pretty much left you to drown. I brought you here, well to the towers since this spot hadn't been raised yet. You thought you were dreaming then too."

He sighed. "What can I do to make you understand and believe that everything Lorelei said is true. Atlantis is very real, if in a different location. The Trident of Poseidon is real. I'm the ruler of Atlantis, as unbelievable as that sounds. You are one of a very select number who are special enough to rule along side me, if you so wish. So, tell me what I can do to help you know that everything is real."

[Maira]

After Zahir finished talking, Charlotte took a breath and eyed him as she thought about her answer. After a moment she nervously whispered, "I just need to see what everybody is talking about, Zahir." Then, with a bit more confidence she continued, "I don't understand what an Alati is, I don't understand the Gods or the weapons thing, I'm not even sure I understand who you are. Please just show me something I can actually understand."

She wasn't exactly sure if she'd been clear, hell, she wasn't even sure if she knew what she'd asked for would be enough. She had already come to accept that Atlantis was a real place and that she wasn't dreaming, though accepting that this floating city was the same as the mythical city was a little harder to swallow.

Charlotte waited, curious to see what Zahir would show her, and she hoped that maybe something would actually make sense.

[Demeter]

For a moment, Zahir's head spun as he tried to understand what Charlotte had just said. How could the not know what an Alati was? By the sake of the Gods, the Mutari were once Alati! Zahir raised a brow and stared at the young woman, wondering just how steep this learning curve would be.

At least she seemed to believe that Atlantis was real and that she wasn't in a coma or something. Although, it was sort of worrying that she hadn't tried to commandeer a boat and go screaming to the coast guard about how a bunch of loonies had kidnapped her. Most anyone would have tried to escape by now.

Zahir pivoted so that he was crouch in front of her. "Do you remember when you were here a few months ago and you saw a trident, basically a giant fork, in an underground chamber? Would it help to see that again. The Trident can explain everything."

[Maira]

She knew she had thrown poor Zahir for a loop by the look on his face. She did her best not to laugh at his obvious confusion with her confusion. At his suggestion to see the Trident again, Charlotte nodded her willingness to see it again. She wasn't actually sure if it'd help, but if it had the ability to explain things to her as well as Zahir thought it would then at least it'd give her a basic knowledge to base some useful questions from.

*****

For the next few days, Charlotte spent a lot of time in Zahir's underwater chamber. Zahir arranged to have her meals brought to her and she spent her time shared between listening to what the Trident had to tell her and asking Zahir questions. The Trident shared the history of Atlantis and the Alati who had lived and ruled there with her, as well as what it knew about the Alati world at large and even what it had learned about the Mutari from Lorelei and Zahir since the Mutari came into existence after the fall of the city and after the Trident was lost to the sea. By the end of her third day with the Trident, Charlotte was feeling more than a little overwhelmed with new knowlege, but she was also grateful for it. Whatever the weapon told her, Zahir confirmed or clarified if she had questions.

It was evening when Zahir checked on her and he found her stretched out on the couch built into one of the window walls. She had been staring, lost in thought, into the moonlit water for at least an hour and when she heard his footsteps she jumped with surprise. She wasn't sure when, but sometime during the past three days Charlotte had come to feel at ease in Zahir's presence and she actually looked forward to spending time with him. A warm smile turned up the corners of her mouth and she pulled her legs up to make space on the couch if he wanted to sit. "I'm still a little lost as to how our world is so totally different than what I thought it was, but thank you for helping me to understand at least this part of it."

[Demeter]

Zahir smiled softly at Charlotte as he sat on one of the padded benches. "I can guess at how overwhelmed you are by all this. Not that long ago, I was just a marine biologist who spent most of his free time on the beach before suddenly becoming the ruler of a fabled city. I do apologize for dragging you all the way here; I honestly wasn't interested in scouring the world for you, again."

Zahir shifted, leaning back against the wall. "I suppose that now that you've had a crash course in Alati history, we should get to know each other. I'm Dr. Zahir Saab, phd and not md. I'm in my thirties, healthy, ruler of Atlantis. I have a mother, an annoying little sister and I don't want to speak of my father or half-siblings. Things have hit a rough patch on that front as my sister has killed my father's first wife."

Zahir briefly explained his father's people and the first years of his life to Charlotte. And then he moved onto the subject of Lorelei. "I apologize for imposing her on you but, if my suspicions are correct, she's number three of our triad. No one is happy about this."

"So, Charlotte, wanna be a queen?"

[Maira]

It was hard for Charlotte not to chuckle at poor Zahir's expense. He was clearly not used to dealing with women in a personal manner and his awkwardness was, to her, downright adorable. When he rattled off the basics about his family, how he thought Lorelei was the third part of their triad, and then asked her if she wanted to be a queen, the laughter fell from Charlotte's lips. It wasn't mean laughter, or harsh at all, just surprised.

"Zahir," she started, her voice still breathy from laughing, "Even if I understood this all perfectly I doubt I'd say no." She laughed again, this time with mild bitterness, and then told him, "I grew up in a very conservative, very religious family. I barely know anything about what I am, let alone about the rest of the world. Part of the reason I left home for college was to get away from them, and part was so that I could actually learn things and know that the information wasn't colored by my parents' values. Even if it seems like this means I'm agreeing to do this based purely out of rebellion, I'm not. One value from my parents that I actually think applies here is to fulfill my duty, just to the Trident instead of them."

She was shaking, as if chilled, by the time she finished talking and her eyes had turned from Zahir to the water outside the window. She had no idea what being Queen of Atlantis would mean for her personally, what her responsibilities would be or what would be expected of her, but if it meant living a new life where she was free to learn and exist without worrying about her parents interfering... How was that not worth doing?

[Demeter]

No one quite knew what they were doing when it came to rebuilding Atlantis. Everyone had to pitch in and help out and thus far, Charlotte had managed to not only find work on land but had wiggled free of every swimming lesson scheduled for her. Until Zahir tugged her away, to the giggling of the people, and shoved her into the shallow pool within his quarters.

"What kind of Queen of Atlantis doesn't know how to swim?" he shouted over her screams. "Come on, Charlotte, you're in the Caribbean. We like boats. Swimming is a life skill you need to learn."

Still chuckling, Zahir waded into the pool. "You're not even in the ocean. You're in a shallow pool. Its four feet, at the most. First we float."

He sighed at the glaring female. "Charlotte, you at least need to know enough to keep your head above water in case of an accident. Besides, how can I take you for a amazing underwater date if all you can do is float?"