BRIDE OF ATLANTIS

by

Marie Morin

(c) copyright Marie Morin, March 2003
Cover art by Eliza Black, (c) copyright March 2003
New Concepts Publishing
4729 Humphreys Rd.
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com

Chapter One

“Just so you know, I killed your father,” Eric whispered in her ear.

Expecting love words when she’d felt him lean against her, felt the warmth of his breath along her neck, Alexis Stanhope was too stunned by her new husband’s confession to move. The scene she’d only moments before been staring at in wonder—the full moon dancing off the waters of the Caribbean in the wake of the cruise ship—vanished and she saw only the vision of her father, laying prostrate on his kitchen floor, blood pooling around him.

She could not seem to grasp what he’d said. “You were in Seattle. How…? How could you have…?” Her lips felt stiff. The words tangled on her tongue, as if she was speaking for the first time.

“Cleverly,” Eric said, taking a step back and striking her so hard between the shoulder blades that she tipped over the ship railing.

For several seconds she teetered on the balustrade, too shocked and too petrified with terror to do more than gasp, unable even to scream as she scrabbled for a hold on the slippery railing. The beautiful sequined sheathe she had worn for it’s elegance trapped her, allowing her no room to maneuver, despite the slit down the back of the skirt, so that she was scarcely able to do more than wiggle like a worm caught on a hook.

Then she felt him grasp her legs, flipping her completely over the railing. Several nails broke as she lost her grip and then she was plummeting toward the yawning sea, falling in slow motion, staring in shocked disbelief at Eric’s grinning face as it grew smaller and smaller with distance, as the waves seemed to rise up to catch her.

She struck the water almost fully erect, feet first.

The chill of the water seemed to loosen the grip shock had held over her vocal cords.

Subconsciously, she knew a cry for help was useless. Late as it was, music still spilled from the ballroom and casino where inebriated guests laughed and talked at the top of there lungs to be heard above the music. The thrum of the engines, the crash of churning water added to the clamor. It was doubtful if she would have been heard had she screamed before she went over.

Now, it was worse that useless.

And yet she couldn’t go to her death without telling the man who’d betrayed her how she despised him for his cowardly attack.

“I’ll divorce you!” she screamed furiously.

Dimly, she heard, or thought she heard, a laugh, and the words, “Too late.”

Despite the fact that she struck the sea feet first, she didn’t cleave the water cleanly. Her feet took most of the shock, but her bent knees and upper torso took the impact in sufficient force that a shock wave traveled through her entire body, as if she’d struck pavement.

The horror, however, overshadowing even the stunning pain, was that she continued to fall, on and on, almost forever it seemed.

Blackness engulfed her before her instinct for survival took over and she began to struggle against the water pulling at her, slowing her descent, and finally climbing. Her arms burned with the effort. Her lungs were on fire. Her head felt as if it would explode from the pressure of holding her breath.

Something brushed her leg.

She screamed a silent scream, loosing much of her captured air, swallowing a gulp of briny water. The fright galvanized her flagging strength, however, and she struggled harder to reach the surface, her need for air rapidly overshadowing all other fears.

The water around her lightened … or her eyes were becoming accustomed to the darkness. She wasn’t certain which, but this time, when ‘it’ brushed against her, she saw, or thought she saw, the shape of a man.

Eric?

Had she been mistaken? Had he come after her?

The shape moved away, but she was too desperate for air now to spare a thought for searching.

She could see the surface of the water above her. The moon’s glow rippled over the restless waves, causing the water to sparkle like silver and gold gems.

For some moments, hope buoyed her flagging strength, but no matter how she struggled, she seemed to come no closer. Her arms moved slower and slower. A different sort of blackness swarmed around her. She couldn’t hold her breath any longer.

She inhaled water as something grasped her and propelled her toward the surface as if she’d suddenly found a jet pack strapped to her. She thought the speed might be her imagination, but she was moving so fast that she cleared the surface of the water by several feet before she crashed down once more.

She went under, bobbed up, treading water like a half drowned puppy, flopping her arms and slapping at the water awkwardly, dipping under the water again and again before bobbing to the top once more.

Minutes passed before she could control her coughing and gagging. Finally, she managed to draw one pure breath of air and then another. Slowly, her drowning panic subsided until other considerations began to filter through her mind.

Frantically, she looked around for the ship.

When she finally saw it, she was certain her eyes were playing tricks on her. It couldn’t have gone so far … could it?

It was hopeless.

They’d sailed on without her.

No one had seen Eric’s cowardly assault.

No one had heard her scream as she’d fallen overboard.

No one except the man who’d pushed her … her husband of five days.

Some freaking honeymoon!

* * *

She had no hope of catching the ship. She knew that with a terrible certainty. It was miles away now. Slowly, she turned in a circle. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but water, and more water.

She was going to die here.

Something broke the surface of the water only a few yards from her, leapt toward the sky, then crashed down so hard that water rolled over her.

She screamed, then laughed a little hysterically.

It was a dolphin.

It must have been the dolphin that had pushed her to the surface.

Well, if he wanted the ‘trash’ out of his pond, he was going to have to push her a hell of a lot further. They’d left their last port of call hours earlier. They weren’t due to dock at home port for hours more. She was miles and miles from land in any direction.

She heard a splash again, this time behind her, and whirled toward the sound.

The head of a man emerged from the water less than two yards from her.

She was so stunned, she could only stare at him.

Irrationally, hope surged through her.

It died almost instantly as she realized she had already looked for a ship, a boat--anything. She’d seen nothing but the vanishing cruise ship. If he was actually with her, and not some figment of her imagination, then he was only company to drown with. He’d probably fallen off, or been pushed off, the same vessel.

She looked at him pityingly as he moved toward her and finally realized that he was probably nothing more than a figment of her hysteria, or hopefulness incarnate. In the bright moonlight, she saw that he was exceptionally handsome, with the perfection of features one expected only to find in models or movie stars.

The light from the full moon sparkled in his long, flowing hair. It looked, she decided almost whimsically, like spun moonbeams.

She felt oddly unmoved by her good fortune.

Wasn’t it every woman’s dream, after all, to be rescued by a handsome young hero?

But then, he was far too gorgeous to be real, wasn’t he? And, in any case it seemed unlikely that he was going to rescue her.

Obviously, her mind was playing tricks on her, filling her with hope when there was none.

Or maybe it was just her eyesight? A trick of the moonlight? If he was real, then he could not be as perfect as he appeared.

Then, too, unless he possessed uncommon swimming skills, it wasn’t likely that he would end up being her hero.

“Speken ze duetch?” He asked as he stopped a few feet from her, tilting his head quizzically.

Great! He didn’t even speak English! What kind of providence, or fantasy, was this?

“Par le vous francais?”

Alexis’ jaw dropped in surprise. Bilingual? Here? In the middle of godforsaken nowhere?

“Habla espanol?”

“Hell! Now I know I’m hallucinating.”

“Ah! English … wait. American?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He frowned. “This means joke?”

“No it doesn’t mean joke, damn it. I mean, yes, but … never mind.” Alex realized with some surprise that she was as angry as she was frightened. She had every right to be furious, of course. Her new husband had not only just admitted that he’d murdered her father, he’d just thrown her overboard. She didn’t want to think about the implications of his actions, or his last comments, however, and shied away from them almost as quickly as the thoughts scurried furtively through her mind. Her fear, she realized, had translated into defensive anger. She was furious because she was too terrified to think of anything except that, she, who absolutely hated the sea, was going to die in this place.

She must have been out of her mind to have allowed Eric to talk her into a honeymoon cruise.

Where had her sense of self preservation been when she’d fallen for a con man? Where had it been when she’d yielded to his persuasion? Shouldn’t alarm bells have gone off? Did all women turn into mindless morons the moment an attractive man popped the question, or was it just her?

Her father had owned a small construction outfit. He hadn’t been rich, merely well-to-do, but he’d had sufficient money to draw the sharks. She’s spent most of her adult life suspecting every man who’d ever courted her.

Then she’d met Eric. He’d seemed to have far more than her family had. It hadn’t occurred to her for one moment that he’d been another shark, far worse than any that had gone before him.

She’d brought him home to daddy, and he’d killed her father without her any the wiser … fooled even the police, who’d been convinced his alibi was air tight, then rushed her to the alter not six months later, and off on their ‘honeymoon’ cruise so he could neatly dispose of her, as well.

How had he managed to finagle her into a cruise, of all things?

Try as she might, she couldn’t seem to recall how it was that he’d waltzed her onto a cruise ship with no more than a token protest, when she would ordinarily only have gone kicking and screaming.

She’d always had a fear of the water, especially the ocean … any body of water, in fact, that wasn’t manmade and lined with concrete. The ocean was dark, deep and there were things in it, live things that bit, stung, and/or devoured the unwary.

It didn’t help her feelings one iota that she had company to die with.

“The ship’s gone. We’re going to die here,” she muttered, mostly to herself.

The man turned to look at the departing ship. “I can take you back, if you like.”

Alexis gaped at him, too stunned to speak for several moments. Hope surged through her again. “You can?”

He turned back to look at her, almost pityingly. “There is danger for you there.”

She stared at him. He’d jumped in to save her. He must have. There was no other explanation for his appearance.

It would’ve been far more helpful if he’d run to report it. At least then the ship wouldn’t have sailed off without them.

“You can’t help me. Not unless you can sprout wings,” she snapped sarcastically, knowing she sounded ungrateful for his attempt to save her, but uncaring. For chrissake! He hadn’t done a thing but jumped in to drown with her! How helpful was that?

He looked at her quizzically. “I can.”

“Can, what?” she asked, distracted.

“Sprout wings, if you like. Would you prefer that to swimming?”

“Yeah, right.” It wasn’t bad enough that she was in the middle of the ocean, treading water, just waiting to run out of energy and sink to the bottom. She had to be here with a lunatic.

“I will show you if you like,” he offered.

“Sure. Why not? It’s not like we have anything else to do,” Alexis snapped sarcastically, trying to control the shivers that had begun to rack her from head to toe as the chill from the ocean began to lower her body temperature.

WHY was she so cold, she wondered absently, trying to control the spasm in her jaw that signaled imminent teeth chattering. These were southern waters, and it was well into spring.

It was night of course.

And she was next to naked—sequins didn’t really offer a hell of a lot of warmth.

But surely she wasn’t suffering hypothermia?

Maybe it was just terror that was making her shake like she had palsy?

Would she slip into a hypothermic coma first? And, barely conscious, or better, not conscious at all, sink into oblivion?

Maybe she should try floating on her back. She’d always been rather good at that.

She was distracted from her morose thoughts by the strange man who’d dropped in to keep her company, and watched, puzzled, as he seemed almost to levitate upwards until she could see that he was bare from the waist up … and as muscular as a weight lifter.

She was still wondering how he’d managed the trick of rising so far out of the water when he extended his arms stiffly to each side.

Oh god! She thought. This lunatic thinks he can take off like an airplane. Did he plan on flapping his arms? Or did he think he was just going to take off?

He did neither. He merely extended his arms and bent his head forward.

As she watched, stunned into silence, the ridge of flesh on his sides beneath his arms and along the underside of his arms flattened, seemed almost to spread, began to form wings like, well, like dragon wings.

“NO!” she covered her face with her hands. She should have known it was she who’d lost her mind! Terror had turned her brain into mush. She simply couldn’t accept that she was alone in this vast nothingness, and her mind had conjured a companion. It didn’t matter whether she lived or died. She was a blubbering lunatic.

She felt him grasp her wrists, tugging her hands from her face.

His expression was one of concern. “I did not mean to frighten you.”

She burst into tears.

He released her hands abruptly, almost seeming to jump back from her.

“No! Don’t leave me! I don’t care if you are a figment of my mind! I can’t bare to be alone here, waiting to die! Stay with me, please!”

He moved toward her, pulling her close. He felt wonderfully warm and alive for a figment. She could almost believe he really was there.

“If I take you back, he will kill you. If I leave you, you will die.”

And she needed him to tell her this?

He frowned. He didn’t look angry. He looked as if he was concentrating very hard.

In the next moment, he plunged beneath the sea, taking her with him so fast she didn’t have time to scream.

Alex gasped … air?

She opened her eyes. Then blinked, rubbed her eyes and opened them again.

There was a … well it looked like a bubble surrounding her.

She was almost afraid to touch it, afraid that it would vanish and she’d find herself struggling for air. She was just as afraid not to touch it, needing the reassurance of knowing it was real.

Tentatively, she put her hand out, pressed against the almost transparent film that surrounded her. It yielded, stretched. She pulled her hand back, afraid to put too much pressure against it.

She couldn’t decide what to make of it. It seemed real. She didn’t think she was dreaming, or hallucinating.

But what had happened to her ‘hero’?

Carefully, she twisted around to look behind her.

She recognized the face of the man pushing the bubble of air encapsulating her. It was definitely the same man who’d spoken to her, offered to grow wings for her. The problem was, he wasn’t a man at all.

From his waist down, iridescent green and blue scales covered his long tail and fin.

Alexis felt quite suddenly as if she’d just run out of air. She passed out cold.

* * *

It was so black when Alexis finally came to, she thought she might have gone blind. She lifted her hand, felt around her. Something soft and yielding surrounded her. A deep cold penetrated it and she shivered, realizing suddenly that she was wet.

It took several moments to recall her last conscious moments, but when she did, she was inclined to think she’d had the world’s worst nightmare.

But, she was wet.

Maybe she’d fainted in the shower, bumped her head?

She was moving, though. She couldn’t see much of anything, but she could feel that she was moving.

She could also feel the thin membrane that she recalled exploring.

If she’d dreamed it, would she still feel that? Could it possibly be anything else that her mind had interpreted as a bubble?

She became aware of a soft glow of light and turned toward it.

Beneath her, she could see what appeared to be a coral reef. She was guessing, naturally. She’d never had the least inclination to go diving and had never actually seen one, except in pictures, but it did look like one, except for the cave-like entrance and the soft glow of light spilling forth from it.

Maybe she was dreaming? Eating seafood usually resulted her in dreaming some really bizarre things. Had she eaten seafood, though? She decided she must have, even though she couldn’t remember having done so.

Or was she floating mindlessly on the surface of the ocean, hallucinating while her life slowly slipped away?

The man—merman—that was pushing her along in the strange bubble, headed directly for the light.

Once they’d passed the opening, she realized it couldn’t possibly be a cave. It was a tube-like corridor that seemed to go on forever, and it was man made because it was as straight as an arrow … or made by something, in any event. It most certainly was not a natural cave.

It must have been at least two or three miles long, maybe more, because it seemed they traveled through it for a very long time. They passed, eventually, through the tube and into what appeared to be a great cove, or, more likely, a cavern and underground lake, although she could see no signs of stalactites, which she knew would’ve been in a natural cave.

Then, as they moved toward the surface of the water, she realized the ceiling emitted a faint glow—like a bright night sky. Faintly, she could just distinguish the twinkle of stars.

So they weren’t underground?

It didn’t make sense. They should be underground, but if they had been she wouldn’t be looking at a night sky.

She thought it over, trying to add two and two and coming up with six every time, because it just didn’t make any sense at all. Before they’d entered the tunnel, they had been surrounded by the darkness of deep water. She was as certain of that as she was certain of anything that had happened that night. Moreover, the tunnel they’d followed had been straight as an arrow, and just as level as a if it had been laid out with a contractor’s laser. And, if they hadn’t gone up, then it was a physical impossibility that this could be anything but a cave.

Unless … Maybe it was like the bottom of an extinct volcano? Maybe this place WAS beneath the sea, but opened to the sky because the cavern had no roof?

She abandoned her useless speculation when they surfaced at last. The bubble disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared and she found herself being cradled against the man’s chest. More curious now than frightened, she looked around.

They were still perhaps a mile, maybe two from shore. In the distance, she saw the twinkling lights of a city, sprawling along the shoreline as far as she could see in either direction.

The question was, what city?

It could not be the US. Coastal cities might abound, but they certainly wouldn’t be able to approach the city as she and her merman had.

South America? Could they possibly have gone that far?

She was no genius when it came to geography, but it seemed beyond the realms of possibility.

But then, up until a few hours ago she would have said that pretty much everything she’d experienced so far was beyond the realms of possibility.

“What is this place?” she asked, more to herself than to him. “It doesn’t look like any of the islands I’ve seen before.”

“It is not an island, not in the strictest sense of the word, at any rate,” he responded, sounding tired.

She turned to look at him. He looked tired, too.

How odd that her figment had human failings. If this really was a dream, would he get tired?

She had a bad feeling that he wouldn’t, but decided that she just couldn’t handle any more mental calisthenics at the moment. She was tired beyond belief and her head was throbbing as if it might explode.

She dismissed it, tried not to put a great deal of effort into thinking at all, instead merely watching as they drew closer and closer to the strange city.

As they neared the shore and she could see more clearly, an odd sense of disorientation swept over her. The place … every building, was in a style strongly reminiscent of ancient Greece … except these weren’t ruins. Some of the buildings looked old, perhaps a bit time worn, but none were crumbling. Most seemed to be single story buildings, with perhaps a handful rising two or three stories. In the distance, in what looked to be the center of the city, stood a cluster of buildings on a hill, or rise. These came the closest to resembling the multistoried buildings one would expect to see in a city of this size. In the midst of them, a tower rose well above everything surrounding it, almost like a lighthouse, or maybe an observation tower.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

The sense, almost of weightlessness the buoyancy of the water, had given gave way to a feeling of heaviness, cool air brushing her wet skin, bringing her to the realization that they were emerging from the water. She frowned, aware that she’d lost a sense of logic again. The guy carrying her was half fish, a merman. How could he just stand up and walk out of the water? She craned her head to see the merman’s tail and fin, but, even as she watched, they disappeared.

He set her on her feet and she leaned forward to peer at him in the dim light, watching in amazement as his iridescent scales gave way to skin, his lower body dividing to become two legs.

Well, two and a half.

He was stark naked.

Alexis straightened abruptly, blushing as she met his grinning face.

“Down boy! I don’t care how glad he is to see me, I’m not shaking hands!”

His expression became quizzical.

“Never mind!” She turned away, surveying the area, and realized they were standing on what appeared to be a stone pier. Steps led upwards to a beautiful stone house that looked very Mediterranean.

A wave of dizziness washed over her and she swayed, grasping his arm for support. “Where are we?” she demanded.

He scooped her into his arms and jogged up the stone steps to a verandah. Without pausing, he opened the door and stepped inside.

“My home.”

“I gathered that,” she said dryly as set her on her feet, steadying her by pulling her close against his side. Finding her land legs at last, Alexis pulled away, looking around the marble tiled foyer, her gaze skating over beautifully carved tables, chests … vases made of gold … none in a style she recognized. “But where is your home? And who are you? You never did tell me your name.”

“I am known as Adonis,” he said, and bowed in a quaint old world way that looked oddly gallant, given the fact that he was naked.

Alexis suppressed an urge to giggle—nerves or embarrassment, she wasn’t sure-- resolutely refusing to look at anything below his neck. “I wouldn’t doubt it in the least, but don’t let it go to your head. Pretty is as pretty does,” she added primly. “And we are where?”

“Atalantium.”

Chapter Two

Alex stared at him. “Atlantis?”

He shrugged. “Outworlders call it that.”

Slowly, Alexis wilted to the floor, dropped her head in her hands and gave up the effort to remain stoic and logical. As much as she hated women who wept at the slightest provocation, or yielded to hysterics when anyone with any sense would be trying to keep their wits about them, she couldn’t seem to prevent herself from behaving like a weakling. She cried.

She didn’t understand any of this. She strongly suspected she was either dead, or her husband--the snake!--had had her locked in a mental hospital and she’d been given some sort of mind altering drug.

But all she could really think about was that her daddy was dead, she’d married the snake that had killed him, and nobody was going to come looking for her.

He touched her before she realized he’d knelt in front of her. Oddly, the moment she felt the touch of his hand on her head, a strange calm came over her. It took an amazing effort to lift her head to stare at him. He smiled, scooped her into his arms once more and carried her up the flight of stairs that led off of the entrance hall.

The small room he took her to looked like a bathroom—except not. It was tiled, beautifully, in mosaics that looked very old world. But the fixtures only bore a passing resemblance to those she was familiar with.

The ‘throne’ looked … well, like a throne, not a toilet. She saw nothing that even resembled a lavatory, but wondered if the small cavity in one wall might pass for one.

There was no tub, but, taking up one whole end of the room, was what appeared to be a smaller chamber. Adonis stepped inside of it with her still cradled in his arms and finally settled her on a bench that ran the width of the stall. There was no curtain that she could see, no shower head, no knobs, and yet almost the moment they entered they were pelted by something that felt a lot like soothingly hot water, but wasn’t.

Still strangely lethargic, she was aware of being bathed, as if she was no more than a helpless child. The next thing she knew, she was lying, naked, on a vast bed, covered in satin sheets and filled with pillows of every shape and size.

The bed was covered. To her consternation, she discovered she was sprawled atop the sheets as if she’d hadn’t an ounce of modesty.

Struggling, she managed to turn her head and discovered that Adonis was sitting beside her, pouring something into his hands. The smell of jasmine wafted past her nostrils. Oil?

He moved to her feet, lifted one and began rubbing it—wonderful man—massaging each foot in turn until she almost felt like purring. Bending her knees, he scooted forward, settling a foot on each of his thighs, then began working her calves, kneading each one thoroughly until the painfully tensed muscles began to feel soft and pliant.

She didn’t really want to think. She wanted to just enjoy the wonderfully relaxing effects of the massage—except that she was far too relaxed already. In a way, it was almost the feeling of being inebriated—she felt completely relaxed, felt no real surprise about anything that was happening, felt no discomfort about the fact that she was naked in a strange man’s bed. Her judgment was definitely impaired.

And yet, not only had she not drank anything that might produce this effect, she also didn’t feel woozy in the least, just unable to do anything, and uncaring that she wasn’t able to.

Her attention returned abruptly to his hands when she realized he’d moved from her calves to her thighs. Heat started in her belly the moment his hands began sliding up and down her thighs from groin to knee.

She frowned, struggling now against the strange lethargy that prevented her from protesting, struggling against the stirring of passion.

The heat built as he moved to her belly and then her bare breasts.

Despite her best efforts, a moan of pleasure escaped her.

He smiled, lifting each of her arms in turn, massaging it, then placing her arms carefully on either side of the pillow that supported her head.

She wanted to demand to know what he was doing, but found she couldn’t speak.

“It’s all right,” he said, as if he’d read her mind. “Just relax. You’ll enjoy it.”

That’s what they all say, she thought dryly, but she rarely did.

Anyway, she barely knew this guy! How dare he take liberties with her!

“Shhh!” He murmured, placing a finger to her lips. “Don’t think.”

She frowned, realizing he was no longer kneeling between her spread legs, that he’d moved and was lying beside her now, stretched out, his body just barely touching hers. When had that happened? Had she dozed?

He turned away, lifting a small bunch of grapes from a bowl beside the bed. For a moment, he dangled the fruit over her, then slowly lowered it, brushing it lightly over first one nipple and then the other. The chill of the grapes, the feather light touch, brought her nipples erect, sent a new surge of heat curling through her belly.

She bit her lip as he stroked her, slowly, tantalizingly, trailing the grapes from her nearest breast, down over her belly and back up to her other breast.

Alexis closed her eyes, fighting the desire to yield to her body’s urges.

Abruptly, the door burst open, slamming against the wall.

Dreamily, Alexis opened her eyes, struggled and finally managed to lift her head, feeling strangely unmoved by the intrusion, neither frightened, nor relieved, always supposing this was a rescue.

Adonis rolled off the bed and came to his feet in an instant, facing the intruder furiously.

Alexis was only vaguely aware of his reaction, however. She was mesmerized by the angry warrior who stood on the threshold, surveying her as if she was no more than an insect.

He was, in a word, magnificent. And as naked as Adonis.

My goodness, he’s a manly man, she thought, her gaze drawn like a magnet to his member as it grew proudly erect under her unwavering stare. She wondered a little doubtfully, however, if it was, perhaps, a little more than she could handle.

Huge was always impressive, and mighty tempting, but a girl could risk serious injury with that thing!

After a moment, she tore her gaze from his trophy, surveying him dreamily, in a leisurely manner that missed nothing.

His features—high cheekbones, narrow blade of a nose, squared jaw—made her think ‘Indian Chief’, particularly since he had long, dark hair. But, even from across the room she could see that his eyes were blue.

His mouth was hard, straight and made her stomach muscles flutter pleasantly.

He was tall, taller even than Adonis, who must have been six feet tall.

His chest was massive with muscle … his whole body, but he didn’t have the veined, obscenely unnatural mass of a bodybuilder. His legs were particularly nice, mostly because she wasn’t used to seeing nicely shaped legs on a man. Body builders bulked up their leg muscles until their legs no longer fit together properly, and most of the rest looked as if their legs were atrophied.

The desire Adonis had been trying to awaken surged through her veins like fire as her gaze wandered over him and her mind conjured images of his big, hard, powerful hands stroking her … his big, hard, powerful everything making love to her. Her gaze returned to his face, lingering longingly on his mouth, as images of his mouth replacing his hands with caresses danced through her head.

The room reeked of testosterone.

She knew then that she HAD to be dreaming.

“Thor! How did you…?” Adonis growled angrily.

He couldn’t be Thor, Alex thought with contemptuous amusement. Thor was a Norse god for chrissake! He would’ve had acres of beautiful, golden hair. This guy looked huge enough, and powerful enough, to be a Thor, but his hair was dark.

The man Adonis had called Thor, lifted what looked amazingly like a sword and pointed it at Adonis. “I am the guardian. You can not hide your thoughts from me. You have broken the first law,” he thundered angrily.

Alexis giggled.

He looked startled, turned to glare at her for a moment—as if he was certain it could take no more than that to properly subdue her—then returned his attention to Adonis.

“The council decreed….”

“The council decreed that THEY would judge outworlders.”

“She would have died.”

Thor lifted his brows, turned to study Alexis for a long moment. She could see nothing in his eyes that indicated more than mild curiosity, however, certainly not compassion for her plight. “The affairs of the outworlders are of no interest to the council.”

Adonis took a step forward, furious. “What about you?”

“I am guardian of the laws. I obey the laws. I ensure that everyone obeys the laws. Without them, we would have no order, only chaos.”

“If you feel nothing, then you have no humanity left and you are not fit to be guardian.”

For a moment, Alexis thought the man called Thor was going to attack Adonis. Maybe that had been Adonis’ intention, to provoke a fight? If it had been, he was out of his mind. This fellow looked like he could make mincemeat out of him.

After a moment, to Alexis’ relief, he seemed to regain control of his anger. “You should have returned her to her people, not brought her here. You know it is forbidden to bring outworlders here.”

“She was attacked, thrown in the sea to die. If I had taken her back the man would have killed her.”

Thor’s lips tightened. “You must present this to the council … as you should have done to start with. Come. They wait.”

Adonis turned to look at Alexis. He seemed torn.

“Release her to me.”

Adonis’ head snapped around. He glared at Thor suspiciously. “Why?”

Thor’s face hardened. “If you do not release her, I will take her.”

Adonis looked taken aback. “You would kill her.”

“No. You would.”

Alexis didn’t understand what they were talking about, but after a moment Adonis turned to her, touched her gently on the forehead.

It was as if she’d suddenly come wide awake. Alexis sat up on the bed, gathering the sheets to her, looking wildly around.

“What is going on here!” she demanded, watching, bemused, as Adonis stalked over to a wardrobe, removed something that looked oddly like a cross between one of those hard plastic headbands and a headset, except that it was made of filigreed metal, and placed it on his head. Almost instantaneously, he was fully clothed--or at least appeared to be fully clothed, in some sort of short, white robe. He threw her one last glance, looked as if he would speak and then, without a word, stalked angrily from the room.

The man Adonis had called Thor approached the bed, studied her for a long moment and finally extended his hand. “Come. I must take you before the council.”

She was relieved to see he was wearing a loincloth and wondered what had made her think he was naked. Relief aside, however, she felt no inclination to oblige him.

“Not on your life, buddy! I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I’m not going anywhere with you!”

He reached for her.

Alexis scrambled to the other side of the bed, watching him warily.

He caught the sheets, giving them a jerk that would have brought her flying across the bed toward him, except that she hadn’t expected that move and he only succeeded in snatching the cover from her hands, leaving her bare once more.

Alexis grabbed a pillow and launched it at his head.

He dodged it.

She grabbed more, throwing them at him one after another in a barrage. He knocked them aside. Finally, she managed to smack him in the face with one. She was on the point of throwing the last, but decided to keep it, and hugged it to her bare breasts instead. She looked around to see if she could find something heavier to launch in his direction, but, unfortunately, he was standing on the side of the bed where the bowl of fruit resided.

He frowned at her. “This is childish.”

“Childish!” Alexis echoed. “Look, buddy, I don’t know you….”

“I am called Thor!”

“Oh! Well that just makes all the difference in the world. I suppose now that I know you I should just stop being childish and allow you to drag me off and murder me.”

His face tightened with anger. “It is your people who murder for pleasure. We do not.”

Alexis kept her distance. “Mine? Are you trying to tell me you’re some sort of alien, or something? Because I’m just about ready to believe it. I feel like I fell off the boat and landed on Mars.”

“Don’t be absurd. I am as human as you are.”

“I take leave to doubt that!”

“I will not argue with you,” he said stiffly, obviously offended.

Alexis didn’t care. Sure he’d looked good enough to eat while she was under the influence—whatever the hell that influence had been—but he also looked big enough, and mad enough, to break her in half. She wasn’t about to let him get hold of her if she could help it. “Good! You wouldn’t win.”

She thought for several moments that he would lose his grip on his temper. Her heart executed a little tap dance of anxiety.

“I am the guardian. Come with me. Now!” he ordered, holding his hand out imperiously.

“Is this supposed to mean something to me? Because it doesn’t. I haven’t a clue what the hell you’re talking about and I’m not going anywhere with you. And I’m especially not going any damn where without my damn clothes!”

He lowered his hand, studied her with a perplexed look on his face for several moments. “You have a foul tongue.”

“Baby, you ain’t heard nuthin’ yet! My father was a construction worker. You come near me and I’ll give you a run down of my vocabulary. And, if you touch me you’re going to draw back a nub.”

He stared at her, hard.

Alexis felt a peculiar fluttering sensation in her head, almost like an annoying fly was buzzing around her. Unconsciously, she swatted at it.

His brows rose, an expression of surprise bordering on amazement crossing his stern features.

“What?” Alexis demanded, feeling uneasiness creep up her spine as it occurred to her to wonder if there was something she’d rather not know about standing behind her. She wasn’t about to fall for that one, though.

He said nothing. After a moment he moved to the wardrobe Adonis had pulled his ‘headset’ from.

“Don’t think for one moment I’m walking out of here wearing nothing but that head thingy!”

He pulled a scrap of cloth from the wardrobe and turned to her. “You are not allowed a band. You are an outworlder.”

“Well, duh! I feel like I just fell down the rabbit hole! Anyway, I just told you I didn’t want a damned headband, didn’t I?”

He gritted his teeth, apparently fighting another round with his temper, but finally moved back to the bed, stone-faced now, holding the scrap of cloth out.

Alexis looked down at it. “I don’t suppose you have another one of those so I can cover both cheeks?” she asked, exquisitely polite.

His expression became puzzled.

“That is not big enough to cover everything I want to cover.”

“It is all that is available.”

Alexis pursed her lips. “What happened to the clothes I was wearing?”

Thor appeared to think about it. “Adonis destroyed them.”

Alexis gasped in outrage. “My beautiful gown! That … that bastard!”

Thor frowned. “His parents were wed.”

“Never mind,” Alexis said, reaching to snatch the minute scrap of cloth from his hands.

She wasn’t fast enough. He grasped her arm, hauling her across the bed towards him. Before she could react, he placed his free hand across her forehead.

Actually, his hand was the size of a dinner plate. It covered her whole face. What the hell did he think he was doing, she thought angrily, feeling a strange weakness wash over her.

Slowly, she wilted onto the bed, staring up at him in confusion.

He smiled triumphantly, dropped the scrap of cloth to the bed, hoisted her up and tossed her over his shoulder. The last thought Alexis had as she felt herself being carried from the room was that he had a really nice ass.

She reached down and patted it, discovering it was everything she’d hoped for, firm and round. He came to an abrupt halt.

Nice, she thought as darkness swam up to meet her.

* * *

The room Alexis found herself in when she woke abruptly was cavernous. She couldn’t seem to move, nothing but her eyes, in any event. It was almost as if she was strapped tightly to whatever it was she rested on. She looked around, wondering where she was now, and more to the point, why she was here.

What she saw rather reminded her of a stadium, or maybe an indoor theater. She appeared to be on a raised platform in the center.

There were between fifteen and twenty rows of bleachers and all were full almost to the point of overflowing with people ranging in age from perhaps twenty to sixty. It looked like a town meeting. No one, however, appeared to be making a sound, let alone talking.

It was very, very odd, even compared to the oddities she’d already been subjected to. She might almost have believed they were nothing but mannequins, except for the fact that she could see movements among them.

Gritting her teeth with effort, she managed to roll her head so that she could see further.

She saw then that there was a row of stone chairs that resembled thrones near where she lay. In the chairs sat six of the oldest people Alexis had ever seen in her life. Slightly behind them, in a thrown raised higher than those in front, sat a creature that easily looked twice the age of the ancients in front of her.

Thankfully, they all wore long, white robes.

Neither Thor nor Adonis had seemed greatly taken with clothing. She’d feared no one around here wore them.

That thought set off warning bells. She discovered when she managed to look down at herself that she was still as naked as the day she was born, and lying on something like a chaise at the edge of the center platform, in plain view of absolutely everyone.

She was going to kill Thor when she got her hands on him.

She found, to her immense relief, that she could move if she concentrated hard.

She moved one leg over the other, crossing them, bringing her knee up far enough that her sex was no longer in blatant view, then moved an arm across her breasts.

If she’d had hair like Rapunzel, she’d have felt worlds better.

She’d had these ‘exposure’ nightmares before, but as bizarre as they generally were, this one took the cake.

She had dreamed once that she was shopping and discovered she had no clothes on. She’d dreamed she had gone to school and discovered she’d lost her clothes somewhere between there and home. This was the first time she’d dreamed she had decided to go to a political meeting stark naked.

Feeling slightly less exposed, she became aware for the first time of a loud buzzing noise. Doubtless that was what was making her head throb like it would explode.

She was tempted to massage the ache in her temples, but decided her head didn’t hurt badly enough to uncover her breasts.

“You have released her, Guardian?”

The voice echoed inside the deathly silent room, making Alexis jerk in surprise.

Without considering that it was nigh impossible to move, Alexis whirled toward the sound as easily as if she had not been struggling for the past ten minutes only to move her body by inches. She saw that it was the most ancient of the group on the dais who’d spoken aloud.

Thor stepped forward, bowed slightly. “Nay, High Councilor. She has broken the hold.”

A collective gasp seemed to rise and move around the great room like a wave. The creature—Alexis couldn’t tell to save her life whether it was male or female, for even it’s voice didn’t give her a clue—turned to stare at Alexis for long moments in something akin to amazement.

Behind her, Alexis heard a murmur, of many voices, but low, strangely quiet for such an enormous group.

Adonis stepped forward.

“Speak,” the High Councilor admonished. “The mind talk causes her pain.”

Adonis glanced toward Alexis.

“I wish to keep her as my mate,” he said finally.

Alexis’ jaw dropped. Just like that? Was she supposed to have a say in this?

The High Councilor turned to look at her. “You may.”

Alexis stared at the Councilor in surprise. “May what?”

The High Councilor looked annoyed, glanced at the others on the platform, then looked at Alexis. “You asked if you might have a say in the decision. Speak.”

“I didn’t….” Alexis stopped. Everything about this place was absolutely bizarre. It couldn’t be—could it? “You read minds?”

“We converse.” The High Counselor hesitated. “Your people call it telepathy.”

Alexis’ thoughts went chaotic. Foremost in her mind was her earlier encounter with Thor. She turned a horrified gaze upon him, wondering if he could read her mind too, and if he had—trying frantically to recall exactly what had gone through her mind then. Unfortunately, she could remember far more than she wanted to.

It seemed to her that if they were going to release her from her inhibitions, they might at least have had the courtesy to make her forget what she was thinking while under the influence.

He did not so much as glance in her direction, but he blushed.

Alexis felt the blood rush to her cheeks until they were lit up like a neon sign. She covered her face with her hands. Just kill me now, she thought. I’m going to die of embarrassment anyway, or worse, live.

With a tremendous effort, she pushed the memories to the back of her mind, striving for composure. She looked at the one Thor had called the High Counselor. “Why?”

“We can not be heard by your kind if we only converse telepathically. Sound carries. No one, without telepathy, can hear thoughts.”

“So … you all just decided one day to go telepathic?”

The creature looked amused. “Something like that. I am called Aurora.”

Alexis flushed beat red, realizing … she blocked that thought.

Aurora’s brows lifted. “You are not like the rest of your kind.”

Alexis didn’t like the sound of that.

“This was merely a comment, not a judgment.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I find your reading my mind very rude.”

Aurora looked displeased. “You are an outworlder, an intruder here. Our right to protect ourselves supersedes your right to privacy.”

Alexis’ lips tightened. “Fine! Give me my damn clothes and I’ll leave! I’ve got unfinished business I need to take care of anyway. And MY kind don’t walk around naked. And that … that watchdog of yours dragged me here without so much as a scrap of cloth to cover me!”

Alexis felt a massive wave of anger and disbelief roll over her. She knew, somehow, that it was the reaction of the entire crowd to her little speech. The problem was, she wasn’t entirely certain which part of it had offended everybody. Maybe all of it?

She turned to find Thor glaring at her. She glared back at him.

He decided to ignore her.

She sniffed contemptuously and returned her attention to the High Counselor.

“Thor is the Guardian!” Aurora pronounced imperiously.

“Yeah, so he said.”

“Enough!”

Alexis shrugged, trying to hide her uneasiness, wishing she hadn’t allowed her nervousness to lead her into openly aggressive behavior.

Aurora turned to Adonis. “I must deny your request.”

Adonis seemed to struggle with his own anger. “Why? It is obvious she carries latent genes of the race. Few, even among us, could have broken the hold.” He threw Thor a smug glance.

Thor ignored him.

“You have broken the first law. You can not be rewarded for having done so, regardless of the circumstances. If she had chosen you, it might have been considered after a suitable punishment. But she has denied you,” one of the elders in front of Aurora intoned in a voice that crackled with disuse.

Alexis felt a pang of guilt at the look Adonis threw her. He’d saved her life. She didn’t want to appear ungrateful and was sorry that she obviously had.

But the fact remained that she did not want to stay, even if they wanted her to. That snake she’d married thought he’d gotten away with murder—a double murder. She wasn’t about to allow him to enjoy the life he’d deprived her father of, to reap the rewards of the years and years of hard labor her father had put in just so he could retire in comfort.

Almost as one, the elders turned to look at her. On their faces she saw varying degrees of sympathy. Aurora spoke.

“Alas, as worthy as your cause is, it is not so simple. In our society, you would have the right to exact vengeance upon the one who murdered your father. But we can not allow you to simply leave. If you are determined upon this course, you must submit to memory drain.”

Alexis’ jaw dropped, a sense of horror washing over her. She didn’t like the sound of that, at all. “Exactly what are we talking about here?”

“We can not allow you to take your memories of us with you. They must be erased.”

Alexis forgot all about being naked. She leapt to her feet, furious, horrified. “No way in hell are you touching my brain!”

The counselors looked unmoved by her outburst.

“It is the law,” they intoned in unison.

“Well, you can just take your damned laws and stuff them!”

Aurora looked at Thor. He strode toward Alexis purposefully.

Alexis leapt over the chaise, dancing just out of his reach, glancing behind her to make sure no one else was sneaking up on her blind side.

The crowd seemed frozen to their seats in shock.

Adonis had made no move in her direction either, but his expression was one of amusement.

The elders looked neither shocked nor amused, but remained seated. Alexis doubted they would be much of a threat anyway and focused on Thor.

Thor wore an expression that was a mixture of surprise, discomfort and irritation.

“Halt!”

Alexis stuck her tongue out at him, daring him to come after her.

He lunged.

This time Alexis was prepared for his amazing speed. She leapt into the air, catching him square across the jaw with a butterfly kick.

No one was more stunned than she that it actually worked.

Chapter Three

Alexis was racing toward the edge of the platform almost before she landed. Reaching the edge in three strides, she leapt from the dais and ran along the walkway that surrounded the platform, heading toward the nearest exit. She hoped it was an exit.

She’d almost reached her goal when a woman sprang from one of the lower benches, landing in front of her and effectively blocking her path.

She was probably the most beautiful creature Alexis had ever seen in her life.

It gave Alexis a perverse kind of pleasure when she executed a perfect flying kick, felling the woman on the spot. Without pausing, she leapt over the woman’s prone form and raced down a long, shadowy corridor.

These people lived near the water. She knew there had to be a boat somewhere.

She heard the pounding of footsteps behind her before she was halfway down the corridor … too heavy for the woman, undoubtedly Thor. She’d hoped for a longer head start, but the sound kicked her adrenaline up several notches and she ran faster, so fast she slammed into the wall when the corridor took an abrupt turn.

She barely broke stride, but she could hear the footsteps coming closer. Ignoring the pain in her arm and shoulder, she picked up speed once more, flying through the open doorway at the end of the corridor so fast the wind whistling past her ears almost deafened her to pursuit.

She needed to stop and get her bearings.

She didn’t dare.

It was morning now, she saw, still early, but bright enough she could see at a glance that she was on the rise she’d seen when she and Adonis approached the city. With only a slight pause, she struck off toward the waterfront.

She reached the water’s edge in minutes.

The coliseum, thankfully, stood only a few blocks from her objective.

A pier appeared in the semi-dark of early morning gloom, but she could see no boats. She veered to her right, hoping, certain, she would see a boat of some description if she followed the shoreline.

Her pursuer, however, was rapidly gaining on her now. She forced herself to run faster, but he seemed to gain on her anyway.

No boat suddenly appeared to help her escape.

Thor—she knew it had to be him—would catch her if she continued to race along the shoreline, and before many minutes passed.

She raced down the next pier she came to and dove into the water, swimming for all she was worth.

When she at last spared a glance back, she saw Thor standing on the end of the pier. As she watched, his loincloth disappeared, his legs melded together and iridescent scales replaced skin, a fin appearing where his feet had been.

She whirled and swam as fast as she could as she saw him dive off the end of the pier, but she knew it was hopeless.

Her brief freedom was a lost cause.

She felt a hand grasp her ankle, jerking her to a halt so abruptly that she went under. She kicked out, connected with something, felt the grip loosen and pushed herself to the surface.

Thor surfaced beside her.

She stared at him, gasping for air.

He seemed barely winded.

He reached for her, grasping both of her arms and pulling her flush against him. They were almost nose to nose.

Alexis didn’t think, couldn’t. She looked down at his hard, unyielding mouth, remembering that she’d wondered how it would feel on hers, lifted her eyes to his in unconscious supplication.

As if he could not help himself, he lowered his mouth to hers.

Heat rushed through her with the first, tentative brush of his lips against hers. Alexis caught her breath, confused by the flood of desire that rushed through her

as his mouth closed over hers. A strange weakness followed in the flood path, her body going into meltdown in response to his nearness.

Abruptly, Alexis kneed him. Unfortunately, he was much taller than her and she missed his groin. Then, too, the water slowed her movements so that the blow would not have been very effective even if she’d connected with her goal.

Nevertheless, Thor was so surprised at the attack, he released her.

Alexis knew she was too weak to have a chance. She tried anyway, slinging a handful of water in his face as she whirled to flee.

He caught her before she’d managed two strokes, jerking her around to face him. When she saw his hand coming toward her face, her first thought was that he was going to shove her under and hold her there until she stopped struggling.

Instead, as his hand covered her face, darkness fell and consciousness vanished.

* * *

Alexis stared at the beams crisscrossing the darkened ceiling for several moments before her memory came flooding back. When it did, she jerked bolt upright, looking around quickly for a possible escape.

The chamber she awoke in this time was far smaller than the coliseum, but still large for a room. Like Adonis’ home, it was filled with unimaginable treasures. Unlike Adonis’ home, which had been fairly spartan, this room had the cluttered, homey feel of someone who has lived long and accumulated many cherished belongings.

Aurora sat in a chair, studying her. She was the only other occupant of the room.

“You can not escape.”

It seemed like a dare.

Aurora’s expression became a mixture of amusement and sympathy. “I suppose it must sound like a challenge, and I do not doubt that you are a most resourceful young woman, but it is not … humanly possible.”

Alexis merely stared at her for several moments, wondering which part of the statement to dispute first. Finally, she said, “Humanly?”

Aurora smiled faintly. “I am not sure I could explain it to your … satisfaction.”

“I have a reasonably good understanding.”

Aurora nodded. “I do not doubt your intelligence. It is merely that you have not yet accepted that this is real, and not a figment of your imagination.”

“It isn’t something easy to accept, you have to admit.”

“Readily. If we were not the stuff of myth and fables, it might be easier, but I doubt even then….” She shrugged.

Alexis shivered, chaffing her arms unconsciously.

Aurora nodded toward the end of the chaise where Alexis sat. “There is a robe there if you would feel more comfortable.”

Alexis grabbed it up gratefully. She discovered it was something like a toga, opening at the neck rather than in front, and pulled it over her head. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

“We are human, but not as you are human.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Alexis murmured dryly.

Irritation crossed Aurora’s features, but after a moment, she seemed to shrug it off. “Long ago we realized that we possessed many ‘gifts’ that other races, or tribes, if you will, did not. Or, more accurately, I suppose, we had stronger gifts than others. We--cultivated them.”

“The telepathy?”

“Among other things.”

“You want me to believe that you’re actually from Atlantis? THE Atlantis? The one there’s been so many stories about?”

Aurora chuckled. “It matters not to me whether you believe or not. This is Atalantium, the only Atlantis, if you prefer, that ever existed.”

“But … but,” Alexis struggled for words. “That was thousands of years ago, before Christ, even … before Plato. I may not know much about history, but I do know that much.”

“Time means little to us.”

Alexis studied her a long moment. “So everybody here is thousands of years old? You’re … immortals or something?”

Again Aurora chuckled. “Not immortal. Some older than others. We are a very long lived people—live many times your lifetimes--but I do not think you understood what I said when I told you time means little to us. It is not a barrier to us.”

“Not a barrier?” Alexis said thoughtfully. “Time travel? You’re saying you time travel?”

“Time walk. Atlantis is hundreds, not thousands of years old. We are hundreds, not thousands--though I am the oldest surviving Atlantean.”

It actually made sense--in an insane sort of way. No wonder the Atlanteans had seemed so advanced compared to everyone else in the ancient world. They had simply time walked, learned what they needed, or taken what they wanted, collected the best from whatever age they pleased.

Aurora nodded. “We are very learned--value knowledge—but all of our technology is not borrowed, nor all our very own.”

“But you’re human? Not aliens?”

“We are human. We are genetically enhanced human beings. Which is why I said you could not escape. WE can come and go. No human lacking our gift to shift would be able to leave Atlantis. We have few boats because we really have no need of them. And even if you could manage to take one, or fashion a boat, you would not be able to survive the corridor which connects us to the sea, or the pressure so far beneath the sea.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed. “You had me going for a little bit there. I suppose you thought I wasn’t clear headed enough to notice, but I can see the sky. I know this must be an island.”

Aurora uttered a deep sigh. “It is an illusion. We shut ourselves off from the rest of humanity long ago, because our gifts, our technology, were looked upon as witchcraft, sorcery. As much as we were admired and, even occasionally worshipped, we were also feared and hated. We had thought when we chose to build our civilization before the time of ‘modern’ man, that we would be safe, and able to live peacefully. For a time we were, because only we possessed the ability to travel great distances quickly. But ancient man caught up with us when they began to roam the world. Many came--to destroy, to take, to wipe us from the face of history. We finally realized that we would either have to give up those things we took such joy of, or live apart from those who were different from us, because we would have no peace otherwise.

And so we built a great dome to protect our cities and sank our civilization beneath the sea, out of reach of those who would have destroyed it and destroyed our way of life.

But we had not counted on the effects of isolation--or the effect of living in what to all intents and purposes was no more than a cave. We had to create the illusion of living in the world we had left. Otherwise it was simply unbearable.”

Alexis was certainly no expert in the field of history, especially not ancient history, but she could understand the reasons for taking such a drastic step. Hadn’t China done much the same—cut itself off from the less civilized world? But China had rejoined the world, eventually—and found they’d been left behind by the barbarians they’d held in contempt.

“That was really a long, long time ago. I can see why it might have been a good idea way back when, but why did you never rejoin the rest of the human race? We’ve changed a good bit, become more civilized.”

Aurora looked amused. “And we would now ‘fit in’?”

Alexis was obliged to admit that, at least as they were, they couldn’t. “If you adapted to this, you could adapt to anything.”

“But we would still be ‘freaks’, different—we would not be left in peace. The governments of today would fight over our technology, the scientists would want to probe and study us. We are not entirely cut off. We are very aware of the outside world.”

“So you can’t, ever, allow an outsider … or outworlder, to come here and then leave again?”

“Not with knowledge of us.”

“It’s not like anyone would believe me, even if I was crazy enough to babble about it.”

“Some might. Many still seek Atlantis.”

Alexis stared at her a long moment. “I’m not about to let anyone tamper with my memories. Eric confessed to me that he’d killed my father. He thinks he’s killed me. I have to go back. I have to see that my father’s murderer is brought to justice. If you erase my memories, I not only wouldn’t be able to, I would be defenseless. I could walk right into an ambush and he’d just finish what he’s already tried to do once.”

“You would have all memories, save the memories of being rescued by Adonis, and the memories of us.”

Alexis said nothing. She didn’t believe for one moment, no matter how marvelous their technology, that they could so selectively erase certain memories and leave others. “So … I can stay, or I can go and remember nothing.”

Chapter Four

Alexis thought it highly unlikely that she would be believed if she simply said she’d decided to stay after all. Had their roles been reversed, she would be doubtful, and she was rather inclined to be gullible—to wit: her succumbing to the wiles of a con man—and Aurora seemed a little too savvy about the world to be the gullible sort.

She simply said, therefore, that she would like time to decide.

To her relief, Aurora accepted that. She pointed out, however, that it was a little more complicated than a decision to stay or to go. Even if Alexis decided to stay, she would not automatically be accepted as a member of the community. In order to be accepted, she must pass certain tests.

Alexis didn’t like the sound of that. She immediately envisioned those sort of archaic tests that involved torture of some kind. Aurora had laughed then and explained that they were more of a medical nature and relatively painless.

Alexis didn’t believe her.

“Trust is difficult for one from your world, I know. But, in time, you will come to understand that we do not lie.”

“I don’t want to be rude, but you did say you were part of the human race?”

Aurora chuckled. “We are telepaths,” she said gently.

She had a point. On the other hand, it was still human nature to lie, for the sake of self-preservation if nothing else, and there was always a way if one wanted to do something.

She was released to the care of another Atlantean, a woman named Helen. Helen’s expression when Aurora introduced them was impassive, but, since Alexis recognized the woman almost immediately as the one she’d clobbered in her escape attempt, she seriously doubted Helen would become a friend.

For her part, she was carefully polite as they left Aurora’s chamber, not because she was fearful of these people, but she saw no point in giving her intentions away by being openly antagonistic.

Closing Aurora’s door gently behind them, Helen turned to Alexis and smiled contemptuously. “You outworlders are a rather primitive and uncouth species. I have no idea why Aurora and Adonis consider you special. You have only to think a thought and it is there for anyone to perceive.”

Alexis’ lips tightened. A string of profanity came to mind. She made no attempt to stop it, or the threat of physical violence that accompanied it.

“As I said, rather savage.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I kicked your ass.” Even Alexis was aware that the comment lacked logic as an argument in her defense, but she decided she didn’t care. The woman made her itch for an outlet for her frustration.

“You caught me off guard, savage.”

Alexis plunked her hands on her hips. She had not liked the woman to start with and she was already very tired of being bossed around and treated to superior Atlantean attitudes. It might never have occurred to her under ordinary circumstances even to consider offering physical violence, but at the moment she felt a strong inclination toward giving in to that particular form of release. “So--on guard then. I’ll do it again.”

Helen sniffed contemptuously. “I have no desire to lower myself to your level.” She turned, began walking along the corridor they had found themselves in upon leaving Aurora’s apartment.

Alexis supposed, with little interest, that this must be something like an apartment building, for doors lined either side of the long hallway.

She was much more interested in the fight Helen had started anyway, just by being her nasty self, and being snubbed in no way lightened Alexis’ mood or readjusted her attitude. She fell into step beside Helen. “No desire to get your ass kicked again, you mean,” she muttered provokingly.

Helen stopped abruptly, faced her. “Violence is not allowed here. Thor would come instantly if I even attempted to take you up on your challenge.”

Alexis shrugged. “That’s as good an excuse as any.”

Helen turned away once more, walking quickly. She was a good bit taller than Alexis and it took an effort to keep up with her.

“Thor thinks you are a savage also. He bade me to keep a careful guard upon you.”

It was Alexis’ turn to sneer. “Stop! You’re hurting my feelings.”

Helen’s eyes narrowed. “You are a very provoking creature.”

“I don’t feel like being nice. It’s not like I actually wanted to come here.”

“Adonis was a fool to bring you.”

“He was trying to be helpful.”

“He lusted for you, savage. That is all. If he had not, then you would be drifting with the fishes now.”

Despite her best efforts, Alexis could not prevent a surge of fear at the memory.

Helen chuckled maliciously.

“Dad always used to say ‘pretty is as pretty does’. I’m sure some people think you’re pretty, but you’re such a bitch, somehow I just don’t see it.”

Helen preened. “Thor thinks I am beautiful. I am his first wife.”

Alexis was startled. “First? How many does he have?”

“You do not understand our ways. I am his first wife. It does not matter how many he takes. I will always be first wife.”

“Lucky you,” Alexis said dryly. “I’m not ‘in’ to sharing, myself.”

Helen laughed. “I will never share him. It is I whom he loves. He may take other wives, or concubines, but I am the only woman he has ever loved.”

“Good for you,” Alexis snapped, refusing to analyze why Helen’s comments bothered her.

“He is the most powerful among us, our greatest warrior. That is why he is Guardian.”

Alexis might have been impressed if she hadn’t been so irritated. “What is this guardian thing everybody keeps spouting? I don’t get it.”

“Thor is the peace keeper, defender of the laws, protector of the people.”

“Don’t get me wrong—I’m sure that’s really impressive—but all things considered I can’t image that ‘the people’ really need a lot of protecting. It isn’t like anybody knows you’re here.”

Helen shrugged. “It is true that he has not been called upon for many years to protect Atalantium, but it is a comfort to know we have him to defend us should the need arise.”

“I’d think you’d need an army of Thors if Atlantis ever came under serious attack.”

“That’s because you do not know what he is capable of. Even your most powerful weapons would be useless against him.”

This really was stretching things. Alexis decided to ignore it. Obviously the woman was demented … certainly obsessed with the man.

She supposed she could see it, to a certain extent anyway. He was gorgeous. Too bad he was such an ass.

“He does not think very highly of you either. He said he could not understand why Adonis was so smitten with you, for you are nothing above the ordinary … quite plain, actually.”

“Guess I’ll be crying into my pillow over that.” Despite her flippant response, that stung, but Alexis wasn’t about to show it.

Helen smiled, allowing Alexis to know that she’d wasted her time trying to guard her feelings.

Alexis resisted, just barely, the urge to slap the smile off the woman’s face.

They had come at last to the end of the corridor. Ignoring Alexis’ indignant glare, Helen opened the door, gesturing for Alexis to precede her.

The bright sunlight after the dimness of the building was almost blinding, but it was warm and inviting. A pleasant breeze brushed Alexis’ cheeks, making her think of springtime.

It took Alexis several moments to realize that none of the sensations she’d just interpreted as a bright spring day were real.

Feeling almost disoriented at the realization, Alexis stepped cautiously outside and found herself in a garden. Stone walkways extended in every direction in a geometric design. Between the walkways exotic flowers created a riot of color, perfuming the air with their combined scents.

It reminded Alexis of the garden at her father’s home, the one designed long years ago by the mother she could barely remember.

It made her homesick as nothing else could have.

“You are to stay at the home of Adonis for now, until the council has decided your fate.”

Alexis definitely didn’t like the sound of that last comment, but she wasn’t about to allow Helen to see her concern. Instead, she focused upon Adonis. “And Adonis? Where will he be staying?”

“Adonis has been banished. It is his punishment for bringing you here. He will not be allowed to return for a full cycle of the Earth.”

“A full cycle?”

“One year.”

“A year!” Alexis exclaimed, dismayed that he was being punished so severely only because he’d been kind enough to help her. “That hardly seems fair.”

“He broke the first law. He is fortunate it is only a year.”

* * *

Alexis was a little surprised when Helen dismissed her and turned to go back inside. “You’re not taking me there?”

Helen turned to look at her with a mixture of contempt and surprise. “Can you not find your way?”

Alexis flushed. “I was merely asking if I was free to come and go as I please.”

“You can not escape. I see no reason why I should have to trail along with you. I was not told to do so.”

“Bitch,” Alexis muttered, whirling on her heel and stalking toward the door she could see on the opposite side of the garden. She nearly creamed Thor with the garden door when she flung it open.

They both halted abruptly, staring at each other in surprise.

They recovered from their surprise at the same instant, glaring at each other.

“I should have known they’d send a watchdog,” Alexis snapped angrily. “But I don’t know why they couldn’t send somebody that would be more fun, like a mortician.”

“Do you always burst through doors as if you were pitched out?”

Alexis studied him for a moment. “Well, now that we’ve established how glad we are to see each other, bye.”

She looked around, took her bearings and struck off along a narrow, cobbled street in the direction she thought Adonis’ home to be. It wasn’t as if she could possibly become hopelessly lost. The city had been laid out much like the spokes of a wheel. The coliseum and governmental buildings were clustered in the ‘hub’. Streets formed ‘spokes’ running away from the center, each lined with what appeared to be shops of one kind or another and other buildings similar to the one she’d just left, which she thought might be other apartments. Beyond the shops were single family dwellings, the homes of the Atlanteans. If she followed the street to the waterfront she was bound to find Adonis’ home without much difficulty.

She just hoped she could recognize it. All the buildings looked very similar, and she had only seen Adonis’ home once, at night.

Thor fell into step beside her as she made her way through the crowded marketplace, trying to ignore the fact that a good half of the people she passed weren’t wearing a stitch of clothing. A few, mostly older people, wore robes similar to the one Alexis was now wearing. Some looked as if they were ‘dressed’ in exotic body art, merely painted. Some of the younger people were dressed in really wild costumes of feathers, leather, virtually transparent cloth—Atlanteans didn’t seem to suffer from a need for conformity.

Around her, people were gesturing and nodding, but no one spoke out loud.

It wasn’t hard, really, to ignore them, despite their outlandish dress, or the lack thereof.

Thor was another matter.

“Call me surprised,” Alexis said dryly when he refused to allow her to outdistance him.

“I was not sent to escort you,” Thor said.

Alexis stopped, studying him for a long moment. “Aurora says Atlanteans never lie. You say you weren’t sent to escort me, and yet here you are, following me.”

“Rarely.”

“What?”

“Atlanteans rarely lie.”

“Ah ha!” Alexis said triumphantly. “I knew it!” It was probably the first thing anyone had said to her since she’d been here that she’d wholeheartedly believed.

Thor smiled faintly but looked puzzled. “You are pleased to know that we sometimes lie? You are an odd creature.”

The comment immediately raised her ire since Helen had only just referred to her as a creature, repeatedly and not flatteringly. “If you call me creature again, I’ll give you a fat lip,” Alexis snapped.

Thor’s brows rose. “Violent too,” he said, a faint smile curling his lips.

“Which you find amusing?” Alexis demanded, trying to decide whether she was being insulted again or not.

“In one so small, yes.”

“I’m average. You’re big. There’s a difference.”

Thor nodded. “About two hands.”

Alexis’ lips twitched, but she resisted the urge to smile as she turned and started walking once more. “Yours or mine?”

Thor followed, matching his stride to hers. He looked confused by her question.

“I mean, yours are about the size of pie plates. If you’re figuring two of those, I guess it would be close. Everybody must look small to you.”

Thor frowned, a look of concern crossing his features. “This bothers you?”

Alexis wagged a finger at him admonishingly. “No use fishing for compliments here. You won’t get them.”

Thor flushed slightly.

Alexis was both surprised and intrigued. She decided his bashfulness was cute. She wasn’t used to seeing men blush, not when they looked like Thor anyway. She couldn’t imagine him suffering a moment’s self-doubt.

If possible, he looked even more uncomfortable. “It seemed, before, that you found me … threatening.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed to slits. “We are NOT going to be friends if you refer to last night, EVER again! I was not in my right mind. Adonis had hypnotized me or something.”

Thors brows rose. After a moment, a faint smile curled his lips. “I was referring to when I was trying to ... ah … coax you to come with me.”

“Oh.” Alexis blushed but looked at him suspiciously.

“You said I looked big enough and angry enough to break you in half.”

“Oh.” Alexis thought about it a moment, though she would really have preferred never to remember the previous night, again, as long as she lived. Her lips tightened. “I didn’t say that. Maybe I was thinking it, but you had no business prying into my private thoughts, damn it!”

Thor fought a round with his patience. “I was not prying. It is hard to tell the difference when you are accustomed to living as we do. I do not set out to ‘read’ your mind--mostly not, anyway--it is just there, as if you have spoken.”

Alexis wasn’t sure she believed him.

“It is truth. I swear it.”

She supposed it sounded reasonable. It was a little hard to judge when she couldn’t do it herself. That didn’t mean she liked it. She resented the hell out of it.

“I was only curious to know if my size is something that offends you.”

“How could it offend me?” Alexis asked, not that she was more than half listening. She was still irritated about the lack of privacy for her thoughts.

“Threatens you then.”

Alexis shrugged. “Now, no. When you’re pissed, definitely, but don’t think just because you’re bigger than me that I’m going to let you bully me around.”

Thor stopped, pulling her to a halt, tugging at her arm so that she was looking at him. “You have no need to be so antagonistic. No one here will offer you harm.”

Alexis took leave to doubt that. “I suppose you think rendering someone unconscious isn’t violent?”

“You were harmed?”

Alexis was obliged to admit that he hadn’t hurt her, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d manhandled her and dragged her, naked, into public.

“This bothers you?”

“It bothers me a hell of a lot that you people keep reading my mind. I find it very, very rude!”

“You have the ability to prevent it—but I was referring to a discomfort regarding a lack of clothing.”

Alexis stopped, ignoring the last remark, which, in her book, hardly deserved an answer. “I do?”

“You were not aware of this?”

“Must you always respond to a question with a question?”

Thor chuckled. “I thought we were conversing.”

“Not very well. How do I prevent it?”

“I must suppose much the same as we do.”

“Which is?” Alexis asked with determined patience.

“Hard to explain,” Thor said meekly.

“That’s so helpful!”

“You are welcome.”

“You are familiar with sarcasm, I assume?”

“Not very, but I do recognize it,” Thor said solemnly.

Despite her irritation, Alexis couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I’m still not forgiving you for dragging me in front of the council naked as the day I was born.”

“My humblest apologies. I had not realized it was so important to outworlders.”

“Hmm. I had noticed nobody around here worries much about it,” Alexis said dryly.

“We have no need to feel shame about our bodies. Many wear clothing to adorn themselves, or shift, depending upon their abilities and nature. Some wear clothing because they are old and feel the cold or damp more than the young. But there is no real need to cover ourselves. The climate is maintained at a temperature comfortable to most.”

Alexis wondered how he could make something so radical sound so reasonable. Finally, she shrugged. She supposed it was reasonable—to him. Nakedness wasn’t something she had any desire to get used to. Besides, where would be the fun, and excitement, in seeing someone naked for the first time? If you got used to it, it didn’t seem like there’d be much of a thrill.

Thor grinned.

Alexis glared at him admonishingly. “Stop it!”

He looked contrite.

It was an act. He wasn’t contrite in the least. She could tell by the unholy gleam in his eyes. She steered the subject in a more comfortable direction. “What did you mean when you said ‘shift’? Aurora mentioned that too.”

“Molecular acceleration. We have found that we can change ourselves physically to suit our needs, and sometimes only for amusement.”

Alexis looked down at Thor. “Are you saying you aren’t actually wearing anything?”

“Clothing is required in council, but it would restrict my ability to change if I found it necessary so I … shift. I appear to be clothed.”

Alexis studied him thoughtfully for several moments and finally turned and began walking once more, wondering why he made himself appear to be wearing clothing, now, if he was comfortable without it. On the other hand, she had to admit she was more comfortable talking to him when he at least appeared to be wearing something. And she supposed, after some thought, although she’d never considered such a thing before, that the danglies between his legs might make life a little difficult if you were an action hero and had to worry about swinging in the breeze. They would definitely get in the way, especially his danglies.

She glanced in that direction thoughtfully before she considered whether he might notice her perusal, then, self-consciously, looked quickly at his face. She couldn’t help but notice he was looking a little flushed—apparently he had noticed.

Feeling a blush rise in her own cheeks, she decided just to pretend she hadn’t noticed and picked up the conversation again. “It sounds logical when you say it that way, the shifting thing, but—people can’t do that. How could you accelerate your molecules?”

Thor smiled wryly. “We simply do, much as you move without thinking, blink, breathe, reach for something.”

“Sounds like magic.”

“Magic is either slight of hand—not real—or something not fully understood. When man first discovered fire, he thought it was magic.”

“I suppose you have a point, except this shifting thing isn’t something humans can do, not ordinary humans anyway. They don’t have telepathy either.”

“Not now—not in your time, no.”

“The time walking thing again. We can’t do that either.”

“Only Atlanteans can.”

“No one else? Not even people in the future?--Because I’m assuming by your other comment that you mean people, someday, will be able to speak telepathically.”

“To my knowledge none save us time walk—but, yes, in the distant future, in the distant past. It is something man had, lost, but will find again.”

“And you actually know this?”

“Yes. I know this.”

“This really gives me a headache.”

A look of concern crossed Thor’s features. “More likely it is the mind talk. Unfortunately, you will not be allowed a band until the council rules upon it.”

“That thing Adonis put on his head?”

Thor nodded.

“I thought it was something to make him appear to be wearing clothes!”

Thor chuckled. “No! Do not offer violence. The band is to protect us from others, to give our thoughts privacy. We can filter this talk out at will, but it can be tiring. The band protects us without the effort.”

“But I can’t have one?”

“Not until it is decided whether you will go or stay. Until then, the only time you will have any privacy is when you are alone inside a building, or house. Few have the ability to penetrate the walls.”

Alexis sighed. She was obliged to admit it was perfectly reasonable, that they wouldn’t want to give her an advantage until they knew whether they could trust her or not, but it was damned inconvenient. Headaches aside, how was she supposed to … she cut that thought off.

Thor looked at her. “You have blocked your thoughts.”

“I did?”

Thor stopped walking. “I am curious to know how you learned this.”

“Beats me,” Alexis said, stopping as well and glancing at her surroundings.

“And this means?”

“I don’t know. I wish I did.” She saw with some surprise that they had arrived at Adonis’ home. Pleased that she’d found it so easily, she looked back along the street they’d traversed, realizing she’d been so engrossed in conversation that she’d hardly noticed anything along the way. “Well—thanks for walking me.”

Thor bowed. “It was my pleasure.”

Alexis studied him a moment. “Why did you walk me? I mean, if you weren’t told to.”

Thor’s brows rose. He looked away for a moment, as if considering his answer carefully, before he looked at her once more. “Curiosity?”

Alexis studied him thoughtfully. Although it sounded perfectly reasonable, under the circumstances, Alexis had a strong feeling that that was only a partial truth.

He looked uncomfortable. “I do not wish us to be enemies.”

Alexis was surprised. “I hadn’t really thought about it one way or another.” Her lips twitched. “I don’t know you well enough to hate you—yet,” she said jokingly.

Thor looked away. Alexis couldn’t tell anything about his expression except that he had obviously not understood that she was teasing, and it had not made him happy.

“Hey. I was teasing. I probably won’t be here that long, so what does it matter anyway?”

“It matters.”

The simple statement bothered Alexis. Although she wasn’t certain what to make of it, she had a suspicion that he wasn’t talking about being ‘just friends’ and she wasn’t sure what constituted morals here in Atlantis. Would it be even be acceptable, assuming she wanted to be friends? Or would she become a ‘scarlet woman’ or something like that? Helen had said she was his first wife, suggesting they, the men, at least, took more than one. She did hope he wasn’t angling to catch himself another wife, because she didn’t care what their traditions were, she didn’t believe in polygamy.

Thor looked startled, disbelieving, then annoyed. “My first wife?”

Shaken abruptly from her thoughts, it took Alexis a moment to catch up. She nodded, realizing he’d read her thoughts. Which was beginning to confuse the hell out of her because she was having a hard time remembering what she’d said, and what she’d only thought. It was like picking up the habit of talking to oneself, and then discovering you were going around muttering out loud and everyone could hear you. “Helen.”

“She told you this?” he said incredulously.

Alexis stared at him. “Told me what?”

“That she was my wife?”

“Yes. Where else would I have heard it?”

Thor’s lips tightened. “We are not wed.”

“Uh oh. Guess she won’t be confiding in me again, huh?”

Chapter Five

Alexis watched Thor stride away, back in the direction from which they’d come. He didn’t look very happy.

She shrugged. How was she to know Helen had blatantly lied to her? Or that it would bother Thor, for that matter?

Undoubtedly Helen had decided to take advantage of the fact that Alexis was the only person around who wasn’t telepathic and therefore would have no way of knowing whether she was lying or not.

The question was, why? And why that particular lie?

After a moment, Alexis dismissed it. Maybe, if she was here a while, she’d figure it out.

She was a lot more interested, though, in figuring out a way to make certain she wasn’t here for a while.

Turning, she climbed the steps to the house and tried the door. It wasn’t locked. Lifting the latch, she cautiously poked her head inside. “Is anybody home?”

She heard footsteps. A moment later, a girl entered the foyer from one of the rooms that adjoined it. She was dressed—in body paint and nothing else. Fortunately for her, she had a lovely figure. Like most of the Atlantean women Alexis had seen, she was tall, willowy, attractive and very blond.

Oddly enough, Alexis didn’t feel inclined to hold it against her, despite a life long antipathy for tall, willowy blondes.

The girl smiled, gesturing for Alexis to enter.

Alexis was more inclined to retreat. She must have gotten the wrong house after all, she decided.

The girl frowned, moved her lips in a way that was almost comical and finally managed to speak, beckoning with her hand at the same time. “Come. Come.”

Alexis still wasn’t certain whether to go in or not. Somehow the place didn’t look familiar. Of course, she hadn’t been in any state to pay a great deal of attention to her surroundings, but it seemed to her that the foyer had been tiled in white marble, not gray slate as this was.

The girl, who looked to be around sixteen, bobbed her head, gestured. “Yes. You stay here.”

Alexis thought that was what she was saying anyway. She spoke like someone to whom English was a second language, or like someone who’d never spoken before.

This was going to be fun.

Alexis moved inside, closed the door behind her and looked around. The impression that she was in the wrong place continued to tease her.

“I show room.”

Alexis shrugged. The girl seemed to have been expecting her. There was no point in arguing anyway, particularly since the girl didn’t seem to be capable of carrying on a verbal debate. Undoubtedly, she’d just made the acquaintance of her first Atlantean who had rarely, if ever, used her vocal cords.

She was, she realized after a moment, far too tired to argue anyway. Apparently being reduced to unconsciousness wasn’t actually as restful as sleeping. She hadn’t slept in—a while. She found she couldn’t calculate it since she didn’t even know whether Atlantean days and nights coincided with the rest of the world, but her body was telling her she’d gone a long stretch with little sleep.

And just as long without food. Her stomach began to rumble as she followed the girl upstairs. The girl giggled. “Food? You have ‘unger?”

Embarrassed, Alexis nodded. “To be honest, I don’t know whether I’m more tired or more hungry. I haven’t eaten, or slept in … hours, days maybe.

The girl led her to a room at the top of the stairs, gestured her inside.

Alexis stopped on the threshold. Despite the fact that she had been under some sort of mind control, she was absolutely positive that this was not the bedroom she’d been in before.

The girl proceeded to turn down the bed, then moved to a tall armoire and pulled a sheer length of cloth from one of its drawers. She frowned when she saw that Alexis was still standing by the door. “Here.” She pointed to the floor.

Enlightenment dawned. This was to be her room. That’s why it hadn’t looked familiar. She must be tired indeed that it hadn’t occurred to her that in a house so huge there would be many bedrooms, and the servant girl—she assumed the girl was a servant—would not have taken her to the master bedroom.

There followed a short battle. The girl insisted on helping Alexis to change. Alexis insisted upon doing it herself. Finally, the girl yielded, laid the garment on the bed and left. Alexis dropped the robe Aurora had loaned her and picked up the garment, examining it.

She could not only see light through it, she was fairly certain she could’ve read a newspaper through it. Talk about sheer! The fabric felt wonderful, however. She slipped it over her head. There was no mirror in the room, but she didn’t need one. She could well imagine that she looked positively indecent.

Not that it mattered ... really. She was alone in the house except for the girl.

She heard footsteps and leapt into the giant four poster bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

The girl bustled in with a tray, crossed the room and set the tray on the table next to the bed. Alexis felt a welling of gratitude.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, dropping the cover and scooting to the side of the bed to look at the tray of assorted fruits, vegetables, cheeses and breads. It all looked so good she couldn’t decide where to start first and began to take a bite of first one tidbit then another, barely waiting to swallow before she grabbed another piece.

The girl nodded, smiled.

She didn’t leave and Alexis began to feel a little uncomfortable under her unrelenting stare.

“What’s your name?” she asked around a bite of apple.

The girl frowned, tilted her head questioningly.

Alexis pointed to herself. “I’m Alexis and you are…?”

The girl nodded excitedly. “Moira.”

“Moira. Nice name. Very pretty.”

Moira smiled. “You eat. You sleep.”

Alexis nodded.

“Go to council then.”

Alexis lost her appetite. “Oh. So soon?”

Moira frowned. Apparently that bit of conversation was beyond her.

“Never mind.” Alexis returned the partially eaten apple to the tray and drained the glass of water that had been provided.

Moira gathered up the robe she’d discarded.

“Do you think you could launder that and return it to Aurora and tell her thank you?”

Moira looked confused.

“Clean?”

Moira nodded. “Clean. Aurora. Thank you.”

Alexis snuggled beneath the covers, yawning. She never heard Moira leave.

* * *

Something tickled her nose. Drowsily, Alexis rubbed the itch. She heard a deep chuckle and frowned. “Go ‘way,” she murmured in a sleep slurred voice, rolling over and snuggling deeper into the pillows.

She was just drifting away again when she felt the warmth of a hand settle lightly on her hip. Her skin tingled. She experienced a brief inner struggle, torn between the urge to slide back into sleep and the first stirrings of desire. Finally, she decided to ignore it.

The hand began to glide slowly down her hip and along her thigh. Warmth radiated through her. Desire took the upper hand, replacing the drowsiness of sleep with the lethargy of budding passion.

The hand stopped when it reached her knee. She caught her breath, waiting, this time in anticipation. His hand slipped beneath her gown, touching bare skin, and began to move upward again, over her hip, his fingertips skimming her belly, pausing. Her heart executed a little gallop of expectancy, want flooding her, awakening her flesh to sensation, his touch sending tremors through her belly and loins.

To her disappointment, after only a brief pause, as if he was trying to decide whether to slide his hand over her belly and between her thighs, or continue as he’d begun, he moved his hand upward, along the curve of her waist, and finally cupped her breast, kneading it gently.

Heat suffused her, traveling from her breasts to her belly.

“Mmm,” Alexis murmured, unwilling now to rouse herself from her half dream state because the hand was doing things that felt very pleasant.

His mouth settled against the sensitive, exposed flesh at her neck, and sent a flight of goose-flesh down her shoulder and arm. Moisture gathered in her sex. Anticipation fluttered in her belly.

Almost lazily, she rolled toward the warmth of his mouth, sought it with her own lips. She felt his weight settle against her length as his mouth covered hers, his kiss gentle, seductive.

His scent, his taste, the firm hardness of his mouth and body flooded her senses like a heady wine. She lifted her hand, placed it against his chest. His skin was warm, soft as velvet beneath her fingers, the muscles beneath rock hard.

Sweet desire gave way to hunger. She touched her tongue to his lips, slid it inside his mouth, touched his tongue with her own, beckoning.

His heart leapt beneath her palm, his breath becoming harsh. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, answering her invitation with a full scale assault to her senses. She closed her mouth around his tongue, sucking. He groaned, rolled until she was flat against the bed beneath him, his mouth ravishing hers now, hungry, demanding.

Her gown was bunched around her waist, his sex nudging her belly as he moved against her restlessly. She lifted her hips, grinding against him, trying to tilt her hips so that her clit could receive the attention it had begun to crave.

He rolled to his side once more, taking her with him. The sound of rending fabric reached her ears and a coolness wafted across her skin. Her nipples stood erect, growing hard, swollen, almost painfully sensitive.

She resisted when he lifted his lips from hers but groaned in ecstasy when she felt his mouth skate down her neck and settle on her breast, felt his tongue flick out to taste her. She twisted, urging him to caress her nipple. He covered the nearest with his mouth. She felt the light, teasing scrape of his teeth and then his tongue was nudging her nipple. She moaned in pleasure, threading her fingers through his hair, holding him close while he finessed her, feeling her nether lips growing slippery and wet with desire.

Her heart had begun to race so that she was gasping for air, dizzy. She protested when he lifted his mouth, nuzzled between her breasts.

He cupped her other breast with his hand and she felt his mouth close around her nipple, sucking, then teasing with his tongue. She caught his hand, guiding it from her breast and across her belly until his fingers settled against her clit.

He rubbed the sensitive nub, pinched it gently between his knuckles.

Alexis gasped, reached for his sex.

He was too tall. She couldn’t reach him.

Frustrated, she skated her hand across his belly, grasped his hips and urged him to move upwards. He moved. She wrapped her fingers around his sex, massaging, gripping him firmly and moving her hand up and down so that he groaned in pleasure.

He sought her mouth again as he moved over her. She kissed him back fervently, parted her legs, tilting her hips to receive him. She felt the head of his member nudging, seeking. She shifted, felt the head of his shaft probing her wetness. Slowly, he parted her flesh, entering her. She lifted up to meet him, felt the resistance of her flesh as it adjusted to his unaccustomed breadth, felt him slide deep, deep.

She wanted it all.

She wasn’t certain she could take it all.

He went still for a moment when he had fully seated himself, changed positions, supporting his upper body with his arms.

She clutched at the straining muscles of his arms, wanting his weight fully against her, opening her eyes a fraction when he did nothing more.

Thor was looking directly at her, his dark blue eyes almost sapphire with desire.

As their gazes locked, need rushed through her, sending a flood of hot, slippery juices through her sex. Her muscles contracted around him inside of her.

A muscle worked in his jaw. Slowly, still holding her gaze, he began to pull away.

Alexis slid her hands from his arms to his sides, downward until she was clutching his hips. She tugged, urging him forward once more.

He clenched his teeth, pushing slowly into her again. When he was fully inside her, he ground his hips against her, the rough hairs of his lower belly teasing her clit.

Alexis gasped, feeling her body building toward climax as he moved, ever so slowly, in and out, grinding against her each time he was fully inside of her.

She closed her eyes, savoring the building pleasure as he continued to stroke her, slowly, building a fire inside her loins.

She lifted her legs, wrapping them around Thor’s waist so that she could control the angle of his thrust, feel him where she needed to feel him.

It brought her to the edge.

She held her breath, trying to prolong the pleasure as long as possible, barely moving, waiting.

Her climax assaulted her, caught her so completely off guard that she cried out.

At her cry, he groaned as if in agony, sinking deeply inside her, quickly now, plunging deep and hard, faster and faster. Each thrust sent another spasm of pleasure through her, building upon the climax she’d only just experienced until she felt herself climbing toward yet another, higher, peak. When at last he cried out in ultimate pleasure, Alexis climaxed with him, harder than before. She bit down on his shoulder to prevent herself from screaming as, spent, he collapsed against her, gasping, murmuring something to her in a foreign tongue that she couldn’t understand.

Alexis barely heard him. Her body was wracked with pleasure so acute she almost blacked out. Sated, she welcomed his weight as he melted bonelessly against her.

She felt wonderfully depleted.

Finally, he rolled to his side, caught his breath and pulled her snugly against him.

Alexis was too weak even to protest.

* * *

When Alexis woke, the gray of early morning had begun to filter into the room. Two logs lay across her, one on her chest, the other across her hips. The logs resolved themselves into Thor’s massive arm and leg.

With an effort, she tossed them off and rolled to the opposite side of the bed.

She sat there a moment, her face in her hands as the cobwebs of sleep crept slowly away, leaving total consciousness in their place.

Thor snored.

Relief flooded her.

If he was asleep, it was surely safe to allow herself the luxury of thought—and deep regret.

What had possessed her to allow—no urge—Thor to have sex with her? She barely knew him. She wasn’t altogether certain she even liked him.

She was not ‘in’ to casual sex, never had been.

Casual sex might work for some, and she wasn’t one to judge, but the hard fact was she simply could not enjoy sex unless she was emotionally involved.

She had known the moment he touched her, sleep or not, that it was definitely not Eric. She couldn’t use the excuse, even to herself, that she had been groggy with sleep and had reacted in the belief that it was her husband—or even a boyfriend.

She had known the moment he kissed her that it could be no one but Thor.

And she hadn’t cared. She had wanted him to do just what he’d done. She had thoroughly enjoyed what he’d done, participated, encouraged—it made her hot all over again even thinking about it.

The ramifications of her self-analysis suddenly dawned upon her, freezing her to the spot.

She glanced at the man sleeping in her bed. Her heart performed a funny little flip flop that had little to do with the fact that she thought of him as a hot bod and fabulous sex toy.

Dismay filled her. She simply could not allow herself to become emotionally involved with him … with anyone from this place. She didn’t belong here. She couldn’t stay. Even considering a brief affair purely for enjoyment was begging for trouble.

She calmed herself. It was the circumstances, she told herself. She’d been thrown together with a man few women could’ve turned down and lived with themselves afterward. She had merely succumbed to her animal instincts. There was always a first time for everything and last night had been her first completely casual and emotionally uninvolved sexual encounter.

That was her story, and she was sticking to it.

Resolutely, she shook it off. She couldn’t afford the luxury of further self-examination anyway. He was liable to wake at any moment and she still hadn’t decided how to behave after the way she’d already behaved.

She stood up as she heard him stirring, firmly closing her mind to thoughts. Focusing on finding something to cover herself with, she moved to the armoire where Moira had found the gown.

There was little, she saw, to choose from, most of it as sheer as the gown she’d worn, that she had thought was for sleeping, that Thor had ripped off of her. Holding the pieces up now, she had to wonder.

She finally decided on something that looked vaguely like a skirt. In actuality, it was little more than a piece of sheer cloth, held together at the waist by strings about the breadth of apron strings. The top was almost as bad, just as sheer, and only covered her breasts, leaving her belly and back bare except for the strings she used to tie it on.

When she turned she saw that Thor was lying on his side, watching her, his head supported by his bent arm and hand, his expression unreadable.

Alexis said the first thing that came to mind. “It was thoughtful of Adonis to leave these here.” Her tone was wry. The clothing was almost more indecent than she would’ve looked naked, paying mere lip service to the concept of clothing.

A look of annoyance crossed Thor’s features. “I had Moira find some clothing for you.”

Surprised, Alexis lifted her brows. “I would’ve thought, this being Adonis’ home, that it would’ve been him.”

“This is not the home of Adonis. It is my home.”

Alexis gaped at him stunned, confused. “But I thought … YOU! You brought me here! Helen said I was to stay at Adonis’ home.”

Thor swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

He was gloriously naked.

Alexis’ mind went perfectly blank.

“I am the guardian. You were released to me.”

Something flickered in her mind, almost like a touch.

Alexis recognized it this time, however, knew he was trying to probe her mind. She stared at him, wanting, badly, to release her pent-up feelings about her situation, but it was impossible to keep her thoughts at bay and allow emotion to enter.

“You are guarding your thoughts from me. Why?”

Despite her best efforts, a smile of triumph curled Alexis’ lips. “Because I want privacy?” she said sweetly.

He frowned.

Alexis turned to look around the room, realizing that she should have guessed from the first that she, a prisoner, would be given a jailer if not confined to a prison. They probably didn’t have a real jail or she would’ve found herself in a cell.

Thor grasped her arm, forcing her to turn to look at him. To her relief, he’d resumed the facade of clothing, the loincloth he generally ‘wore’.

“I am your protector, not your jailer. You may come and go as you please.”

“But I have to stay here, right?”

“Until the issue is settled.”

Alexis nodded. She’d thought as much.

Thor lifted a hand, caressing her cheek. “This displeases you so much?”

Alexis ignored the caress with an effort, shrugged. “Being in Atlantis displeases me. I don’t suppose it really matters where I stay. Here is as good a place as any.”

Something, some emotion Alexis couldn’t quite decipher, flitted across Thor’s features. In the next instant, his expression was impassive. “And, what happened before—That was as good as any?”

Alexis knew exactly what he was asking, but that didn’t stop her from giving him a look of complete incomprehension.

He glanced toward the bed.

Alexis glanced toward the bed, assuming puzzlement. She knew she had to respond, however. The problem was she had not had the chance to come to terms with it herself and since she couldn’t decide how she felt about it, she wasn’t sharing her confusion. “Oh, that!” she exclaimed, as if suddenly enlightened. “Thanks! No, it was great sex. Really! Nothing like sex to relieve tension, huh? I can’t tell you how much better I feel now, relaxed, rested … I am hungry, though.”

Thor’s lips tightened. After a moment, however, he seemed to dismiss it. “Come. Moira will have laid out a meal.”

Alexis preceded him from the room and down the stairs. She could almost feel his anger bouncing off her in waves as he followed her silently.

Chapter Six

Thor left directly after they’d eaten. Alexis supposed he had business to attend to, but she had a hard time envisioning it.

She spent a good bit of the day pacing. She wasn’t accustomed to having nothing at all to do. Television would have been welcome. She could have stared at it mindlessly for hours. Unfortunately, that didn’t appear to be a modern marvel Atlanteans were terribly interested in. She supposed, considering their location, that it was just as well they weren’t. She couldn’t imagine the reception would be very good here.

She found books, and was actually excited for about two seconds, until she discovered they were written in a language she couldn’t begin to decipher.

The alphabet didn’t even look familiar.

There were other books in other languages, but she was no linguist. She couldn’t say more than a few words in French and Spanish combined, and she couldn’t read either one of them. The only books she found in English was the translation of Alexandre Dumas’ THE THREE MUSKETEERS and a book of mathematics.

She’d already read the classic three times and she had no use for the mathematics.

She’d discovered—small wonder—that there had been a communication glitch between her and Moira. She was not supposed to appear before the council again for almost a week.

So she had a week to figure out how to get out of Atlantis.

Easier said than done.

For one thing, Moira was in the house even if Thor wasn’t. Moira might not be much for vocalizing, but that didn’t mean she’d have any trouble at all with telepathy.

If she left the house to think, then anyone nearby might ‘hear’ her plans. She had no way of knowing what sort of distance limitations telepathy might have.

Finally, just after lunch, Moira left with a basket that suggested she might be heading to the market.

Alexis sat down to plot a strategy.

Probably the simplest thing to try, if not the easiest, was to see if she could steal a boat, or possibly beg a ride on one. There were several problems that immediately presented themselves regarding the last. For all she knew there wasn’t a soul in Atlantis who couldn’t instantly identify her. Then there was the minor little problem that she was not telepathic, and therefore could not communicate. The minute she had to open her mouth, even if they didn’t recognize her, they’d know she wasn’t from Atlantis.

She wondered if there was such a thing as a mute around here. Somehow, she doubted it.

As for stealing a boat, or even trying to get a ride in one, unless Aurora had lied to her, the boat probably wouldn’t do her any good.

Getting her hands on a boat, however, was the only way she could think of to test Aurora’s veracity.

Allowing them to erase her memory simply wasn’t an option, even if it might be the path of least resistance.

So, if she managed to steal a boat and sailed round and round Atlantis and discovered there was no way out without a submarine, her options dwindled considerably.

That left giving in to the memory drain, or convincing some Atlantean to take her.

It was a shame Adonis had been banished.

Of course he was the one who’d gotten her into this mess to start with, bringing her here instead of taking her somewhere in the outside world where she would’ve stood a chance of finding her way home.

And he had used his native powers to put a whammy on her only for the purpose of seducing her … which was probably why he’d rescued her, then brought her here to start with.

But, since he’d broken the law to bring her she didn’t think he would’ve quailed at the idea of breaking another one by taking her away again.

Alexis sighed deeply, regretfully laying aside the possibility of finding another Atlantean willing to take her out of Atlantis.

Of the handful she’d met, Helen was probably the only one that she would’ve had any possibility of convincing, and then only because Helen simply didn’t want her around. Which meant she couldn’t trust Helen.

So, it was the boat or nothing.

She went to the kitchen and gathered a few edibles. She didn’t know how long she might be traveling and she had no money … or whatever Atlanteans used for commerce.

After she’d collected the food, wrapped it in a cloth and placed it in a basket, she went upstairs to find a place to hide it.

She decided on the bedroom at the very opposite end of the house from Thor’s room. The farther, the better, and the least likely, she reasoned, that Thor might pick up on her thoughts.

She would simply inform Moira that she would be sleeping in that bedroom for the rest of her stay, wait until the house was quiet and everyone was asleep, and then she would leave and carry out her plan.

By evening, Alexis was suffering from nervous exhaustion. She’d made several attempts to explain to Moira her desire to move to the other bedroom. None of them had been successful. Finally, she had desisted. It didn’t matter. Moira was just the maid. It was none of her business, and, at any rate, as far as Alexis could tell, she hadn’t managed to get her intentions across so Moira would be none the wiser.

It seemed damned strange to Alexis, however, that Moira couldn’t read her mind as easily as Thor, and everyone else seemed to do.

She suspected Moira was playing stupid.

She was doing a damn good job at it.

It was well into the evening when Alexis began to think that Thor wouldn’t be coming back. She was tempted to leave then. Moira was still in the house as far as she knew, but even if Moira questioned her, she could say she’d just decided to take a walk.

On the other hand, if Thor did show up, Moira would be right there to tell him Alexis had left and hadn’t come back and that could shorten her lead time substantially.

She finally decided just to take a nap. Resting first would give her a better chance of success, otherwise exhaustion was bound to catch up with her.

She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep, but, doubtless because she’d spent all day in a state of nerves, she was so exhausted she was asleep within minutes.

She woke to a touch—wide awake.

She lay still for a moment, wondering, at first, what had awakened her.

She didn’t have to wait long to find out. Without a word, Thor scooped her into his arms and headed for his bedroom.

Alexis was torn. Should she pretend to still be sleeping? Or would it be better to protest now?

But, if she wasn’t with him, she’d only be able to guess when he’d gone to sleep.

Still, it went against the grain just to allow him to high-handedly decide what she could, and couldn’t do.

Well, she decided as he entered his room and placed her on his bed, he needn’t think he was going to get a repeat performance of the previous night!

To her irritation, he didn’t even try. He merely laid down beside her, pulled her against him and went straight to sleep.

She felt like clobbering him.

He might at least have given her the opportunity to snub him!

To her surprise, and despite her irritation, she drifted back to sleep.

She woke sometime later to the soft, rhythmic snores that told her Thor was dead to the world.

Unfortunately, he had one arm and leg flung over her.

She tried rolling away.

His arm tightened.

She gritted her teeth, forced herself to relax.

When she’d counted to a hundred and he still appeared to be asleep, she lifted his arm carefully and wriggled her upper body across the bed, turning onto her back so that she could place his arm on the pillow where she’d been lying.

She rested for a couple of minutes, deciding his arm must way fifty pounds. Lord only knew what that leg pinning her to the bed would weigh.

It was across her hips and she discovered fairly quickly that she could not sit up. She tried scooting upward on the bed, but met an immovable object, the headboard.

She stopped, panting with exertion.

After a few moments, she decided maybe she could crawl out from under his leg.

She twisted, gripped the sheets, pulling herself, wriggling away inch by cautious inch until she’d freed her hips and his leg lay only across her legs.

Bending, she tried to lift his leg. She only needed to lift it up enough, she reasoned, to relieve the pressure.

She’d no more than gripped his leg, however, when something settled against her butt. She felt—something—nudging the cleft—his nose. He’d planted his face right in her ass.

Alexis was afraid to move for several moments. She tried, a little frantically, to wiggle away. The face/nose followed her, as if it was glued to her.

She stopped moving, trying to decide if she’d moved far enough to get her legs, or at least one of them, out from under him. Unfortunately, she was almost doubled over by now and her own body prevented her from lifting her knee high enough to remove her uppermost leg.

She twisted, looking behind her.

Yes. It was definitely his head. She wondered that he wasn’t suffocating, considering how firmly he was planted.

If she grasped a handful of hair, she could almost certainly dislodge him, but that would probably wake him. She placed a palm on his forehead, pushing gently. His head barely moved. Jesus! His head was like a lead weight! Was there any part of this man that didn’t weigh a freaking ton!

She collapsed against the bed, thinking.

Finally, she decided to try to hold his head up enough that she could turn over. Once she was facing him maybe she could move him.

She’d broken a sweat by the time she managed to maneuver onto her other side so that she was facing him. She discovered, however, that she couldn’t let go of his head. Each time she tried to release him, he planted his face in her crotch.

She lay still for several moments, staring down at the back of his head. She was too far up on the pillows by now to have much leverage. She lifted his head and wiggled down the bed until she was at a better angle to grasp his shoulder and roll him, hopefully, in the other direction.

No sooner had she planted her palm against his shoulder than he lifted his arm, the one it had taken her twenty minutes to move, and dropped it across her once more.

Alexis gritted her teeth. She realized that she now knew what the rabbit felt like when he encountered tar baby.

She became aware, suddenly, that Thor’s shoulder was shaking.

Infuriated, she popped him on the shoulder. “You ass! How long have you been awake?”

He looked up at her, innocent eyed. “What?”

“Don’t you even try to pretend you’ve been asleep, you ass!”

He came up on his elbow, studied her for several moments. “Did you have somewhere to go?”

Wariness immediately replaced Alexis’ irritation. “The bathroom,” she said feebly.

He released her.

Alexis stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

She planted herself on the ‘throne’, sulking, but she didn’t dare think anything. That ass was listening to her every thought. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the tiled floor.

Finally, knowing it wasn’t safe even to consider options, she returned to the bedroom. “I believe I would prefer to sleep down the hall,” she said coldly.

Thor merely stared at her, saying nothing.

Alexis stalked from the room and down the hall.

She was still staring angrily at the ceiling when Thor entered the room, crawled into bed beside her as if he’d been invited, pulled her up against him and went to sleep.

She sulked through breakfast the following morning, pretending she was alone.

But she could feel Thor’s gaze.

Finally, he pushed his chair back and rose, extending his hand. “Come.”

Alexis looked at his hand. “Where?” she asked warily.

“I will show you my home.”

Alexis gave him a look. “I’ve seen it, thank you.”

Thor smiled faintly. “I meant Atlantis.”

“Oh.” Alexis looked at him suspiciously, but to save her life she didn’t see any sign in either his expression or his eyes that he had an ulterior motive.

She was really tempted to spurn his offer after what he’d done the night before, but the truth was she was sick of being cooped up. And, of course, she’d been wanting to see Atlantis.

She ignored his hand and stood up. “I’m not really dressed for public,” she pointed out, blushing when Thor surveyed her gossamer clothing with a slow thoroughness that produced a lot more heat than that blossoming in her cheeks.

“None will see you.”

Alexis was trying, not very successfully, to ignore the heat in his eyes and her body’s automatic reaction to it. “How do you plan to manage that?”

He moved toward her until they were standing toe to toe. Alexis looked up at him questioningly. He tucked his forefinger beneath her chin, leaned forward until his lips were almost brushing hers. “Trust me.”

Alexis’ eyes had begun to drift shut as he leaned toward her. She stared at his lips a moment, lifted her gaze to his.

He stepped back, took her hand in his. Alexis didn’t resist as he led her up the stairs and on to the rooftop deck. She didn’t protest as he took her arms and put them around his neck, then pulled her against him, folding his arms tightly around her.

She screamed bloody murder when he leapt from the deck into space, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Her arms tightened around his neck as she braced herself for impact.

“I must tell you that if you continue choking me, I may well pass out and then we will surely fall.”

Alexis loosened her grip infinitesimally and opened one eye a crack. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or more terrified when she discovered Thor had shifted, sprouting the wings of a great bird. She closed her eye again as she saw Atlantis drop away beneath them.

“You will not see much if you keep your eyes squeezed so tightly shut.”

Alexis was too terrified to find her tongue.

After a few moments, Thor looked down at her. “Alexis?”

“What?” Alexis said faintly.

“Are you truly frightened?”

“I’m t-truly t-terrified,” Alexis stammered, shaking all over by now as if she’d just stepped from a deep freezer. She thought she might be ill when Thor dropped suddenly toward earth. “Oh god!” she gasped, expecting to hit the ground any moment.

It was several moments after they stopped before Alexis summoned the nerve to open her eyes. When she did, she saw that Thor had landed, although he’d made no attempt to pry her loose.

She found she had to will her arms to release their death grip on his neck. When she finally managed to let go, her legs were so weak her knees gave out. Thor caught her, then sat, pulling her into his lap.

Alexis didn’t protest. She wasn’t able to. After a while, however, she ceased to shake except for an occasional tremor. She lifted her head finally, looked around and discovered they had left the city. Around them were terraced fields. Thor had taken a seat on a low stone wall that seemed to run for miles in either direction.

She saw when she looked at Thor that he was studying her, a look of concern on his features. “I don’t like heights.”

“I did not know.”

Alexis’ smile was a little lopsided. “You didn’t ask.”

He frowned. “It was wrong of me. I should have realized—you are not like us.”

Alexis discovered an unexpected wobble in her chin. “No,” she said, trying desperately not to cry like a baby just because he’d scared the living daylights out of her.

He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. “I am a fool, but I did not frighten you on purpose. On my honor, I would never harm you.”

Alexis sniffed, regaining control with an effort. “I didn’t think that.”

He pulled a little away, studied her face. “Forgive me?”

Alexis uttered a sound half way between a chuckle and a sob. “Only if you promise not to do that again.”

Thor lifted his hand, caressing her cheek. “On my life, I swear it.” He smoothed her hair and then slid his hand down, stroking her back. “Alexis?”

“Hmm?”

“I could take this fear from you.”

Alexis sat up. “What do you mean?”

He touched her forehead. “Here. I could take it.”

Alexis pulled away, slid off his lap. She found she was still a little shaky, but she could stand. “No.”

His look was puzzled. “You wish to keep it?”

Alexis shook her head. “Not particularly, but I also don’t want anyone messing with my mind.”

She could tell he didn’t understand. Why would he? It was obvious Atlanteans thought nothing of tampering with people’s memories, their will—they were accustomed to control, and self-control. How could they understand that someone like her would find that abhorrent?

Thor looked away. “We are so different then?”

For some reason Alexis didn’t understand, and didn’t want to analyze, his comment saddened her. “We are.”

Thor looked as if he might say something else, but instead he stood, looking around at the fields. “The canal is that way,” he said, pointing.

Alexis lifted her brows.

“If we are not to fly, then I must find another way to show you Atlantis.”

* * *

They had been following the canal for almost an hour when a pole barge came into view. Thor hailed the pilot and he poled over to the stone rim of the man-made canal. Thor leapt into the barge and turned, grasping Alexis around the waist and swinging her down.

When they reached the city of Oceianus, they thanked the man and climbed onto the quay.

Alexis’ fright had driven any thought regarding her indecent clothing from her mind until she began to notice, as Thor guided her around the town, showing her the sights, that most of the people they passed turned to stare at them.

Uncomfortable as she was, she still thought it a bit odd. She couldn’t see that she was dressed any more daringly than anyone else.

“It is because you are beautiful.”

Startled, Alexis looked up at Thor.

“They look because you are beautiful.”

Alexis rolled her eyes. “Please!”

Thor chuckled. “Compliments make you uncomfortable?”

“Only when they’re too exaggerated to be believed.”

Thor tried to look offended. “It is truth.”

“Thank you,” Alexis murmured wryly.

Thor stopped, pulled her to a halt. His expression was completely sincere. “In my eyes you are beautiful.”

Alexis stared up at him a long moment, discomfited. “Oh, so now it’s just in your eyes, huh? I see where this is going,” she said jokingly.

“Then why do you think they look?”

Alexis thought it over. “Maybe because they can look at me and see I’m not from around here?”

“You think you are that different?”

She shrugged. “We haven’t passed a single female that was over a hundred and ten pounds and under five foot eight … and blond. No wonder you thought I was short!” Short, pudgy and auburn haired. She stuck out like one lone peanut in a bag of popcorn.

“What is this word, pudgy?”

Alexis’ head snapped around. She frowned, but she couldn’t remember whether she made the comment out loud or not. “Soft and round.”

Thor’s eyes gleamed. “Yes. Very nice.”

“It’s not a compliment, dolt!”

“No?”

“Never mind—Do you think we could go back now?”

Thor studied her a moment, but turned without a word, and they began to retrace their steps.

Alexis was glum as they returned home. They had only visited one of the cities, but she’d discovered there wasn’t much point in visiting them all. Each was built like an island, connected by canals to the other cities. Each had a tunnel that connected them to the outside world like the one Atlantis, or Atalantium, had.

She suspected that was why Thor had taken her, so she could see for herself that any thoughts of escape were hopeless.

Chapter Seven

“You are quiet.”

Alexis smiled faintly. “People don’t usually complain about that.”

Thor frowned. “You have no wish to tell me what disturbs you?”

Alexis stood up. They’d taken their evening meal in the garden. It was a beautiful night. It should have been enough to lift her spirits. Ordinarily, it would have.

“Back home people would kill for something like this,” she said absently.

Thor looked taken aback.

Alexis chuckled. “Not literally! I only meant to say Atlantis is beautiful, quiet, peaceful—safe. I doubt anybody feels safe anymore back home. There’s so much—of everything really: hardship, violence, noise, pollution.”

“But you miss it?”

She nodded. “Isn’t that strange?”

Thor didn’t say anything for several moments. “You are thinking about returning?”

Alexis turned, discovering to her surprise that Thor was standing close. She hadn’t even heard him get up. “This memory drain Aurora was talking about—is it painful?”

Thor looked away. “I do not know. I do not believe it is.”

Alexis pursed her lips. “But you don’t know that it isn’t?”

Thor shrugged. “I have not experienced it. I can not tell you whether it is, or is not.”

“And, afterwards, I wouldn’t remember anything?”

“No.”

“It would be like I had never been here?”

“For you.”

Alexis glanced at him. She discovered she didn’t want to pursue his comment, however. “What about everything that had come before? I’d remember everything else, right?”

Thor studied her a long moment. “I believe so, yes.”

That wasn’t the answer she’d wanted. “But you don’t know that, for certain, either?”

“No.”

“Because you haven’t experienced it?”

“No. I have not experienced it.”

Alexis sighed, beginning to feel a little annoyed. “But you’ve known people who did, right?”

“Other outworlders.”

“Did they remember everything else?” Alexis asked.

“I do not know.”

Alexis gaped at him. “You don’t know? What did you do, just take them out and dump them somewhere?”

“That was all that was required.”

That comment scared her and because it did, it also made her angry. “So, what you’re saying is that if I decided to go through with this, somebody would erase my memories, I’d be taken—hopefully somewhere where I’d have a chance of surviving until I was found—and then I might, or might not, remember enough to get home?”

“I would take you. And, yes, to a safe place.”

“And maybe leave me wandering around with something like amnesia?”

Thor frowned. “I do not know this word.”

“It happens sometimes when a person gets a head injury, or if they’re in an accident. Sometimes they just can’t remember what happened in the accident. Sometimes they can’t remember who they are or anything about their past. I heard of a woman once who had amnesia and couldn’t remember her husband or children. She was scared, because it was like living with strangers. It must have been awful for her husband and children, because they loved her and she didn’t love them because she didn’t know them.”

“I would ease your mind if I could.”

“But you can’t.” Alexis shivered. “I think I’ll go in now. I’m a little chilled.”

Alexis was still awake, staring at the ceiling when Thor came to the room she’d claimed down the hall from his.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, studying her.

She ignored him.

After a few moments, he moved to the bed, scooped her up in his arms and returned to his room.

Alexis didn’t protest. It obviously hadn’t done any good that she’d been down the hall from him the night before. She’d had plenty of time to think it over since she’d left him in the garden and had become convinced that the little tour she’d been given had been Thor’s response to what she’d thought were her secret plans.

She would still have preferred to sleep alone.

The problem was, he didn’t seem to get the message. Or, if he did, he didn’t care.

In any case, what disturbed her most was the conversation in the garden.

She’d hoped for reassurance. Not only had she not gotten it, but Thor had revealed an aspect of his personality that disturbed her.

He simply hadn’t cared what had become of the ‘outworlders’ he’d abandoned to their own devices.

Not that he should have been responsible for them. She had to assume they were adults. Adults were responsible for their own survival.

But what if they’d been ‘crippled’ by having no memory of the things they needed to know to survive?

“I did not take you only because I knew that you were planning to try to escape again,” Thor said quietly.

Alexis turned to look at him, realizing that, although he’d brought her to his bed, he’d made no attempt to cuddle her, merely placing her on one side of the bed and lying on the other. He was, she saw, lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling as she had been earlier. “You had other reasons?”

He didn’t answer.

Alexis sighed. “I guess that means you’re not going to tell me.”

He turned on his side, facing her. After a moment, he reached for her, pulling her close. He leaned over and kissed her before she realized his intentions.

Her body responded immediately, and with a will of it’s own, heat curling beguilingly in her belly and between her thighs, her nipples puckering into tight little buds, begging for his kisses.

Alexis placed her palms against his chest, torn. On a purely physical level, she desperately wanted to just go brain dead and let him do anything he was of a mind to do.

But her brain had not ceased to function. Warning bells were screaming in her head that she would regret it if she gave in.

Regretfully, she pulled away. “No. Don’t get me wrong. Last night was great sex and I’d really like to do it again, but I don’t think it’s a good idea … for me.”

It was in fact a very bad idea. She realized she could easily become attached, and that wasn’t something she wanted to deal with.

Thor frowned. “Attached?”

Alexis pursed her lips, flipped onto her side with her back to him. “Good night!”

* * *

A conversation about the weather would have been welcome, but Thor seemed disinclined to talk. Alexis could think of nothing to say for fear she would open her thoughts, all of them, to Thor. Consequently, the meal was eaten in complete silence, punctuated by nothing more than the sound of eating utensils scraping plates and the dull thud as glasses were lifted and returned to the table. Alexis imagined it must be like this everywhere in Atlantis, except that at most tables they would be mentally conversing.

Even the thought of it exhausted her.

Besides, she was a talker. She was used to talking to people, and hearing them talk back. Living in a telepathic society was for—well for telepaths, not for ordinary humans like her, who yearned for the sound of another human voice. If she was here much longer, she was going to begin talking to herself.

To all intents and purposes, she’d spent most of her time alone since she’d arrived, with no one at all to talk to for hours upon hours.

Typically, Thor had been gone when she woke and had only just returned. She was curious to know what he did all day. He was the guardian, the protector. A slogan she’d heard one of the branches of the military use popped into her mind—an army of one—and she felt a touch of amusement, wondering what they’d think of this army of one.

But there didn’t seem to be any threat to Atlantis that would require that kind of service so she supposed he must be something like a policeman. So—he must patrol the city during the day, watching for trouble, or ‘listening’ for it. She wondered if he patrolled all the cities or just this one, the capitol city.

“There are others who keep the peace in each of the other cities,” Thor said.

Alexis’ brows lifted, but she didn’t comment on his ‘hearing’ her thoughts. “Like you?”

He seemed to debate the question for a moment. Finally, he nodded, returning his attention to his plate.

What was eating him, anyway? Alexis wondered.

He gave her an enigmatic look.

Alexis decided not to go there.

She’d barely touched her food, discovering her appetite had completely vanished. She pushed her plate back. Moira appeared, removing the plates.

Alexis rose. She needed something to do, anything. She didn’t dare think, and if she couldn’t think, she had to do.

“What do Atlanteans do for entertainment?”

She was almost immediately sorry she’d said that.

Thor studied her for a long moment. Finally, he, too, rose, extending his hand. “It is festival time. I will take you.”

“Uh. Actually, I hadn’t expected to go out, not like this, anyway,” Alexis said, crossing her arms uncomfortably when Thor looked her up and down.

“Our customs are very difficult for you.”

It wasn’t a question. Alexis shrugged. “I suppose, given time, I might grow accustomed, but in just a few days….”

Thor looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “Wait here.”

He was back in a few minutes, carrying a cloak—undoubtedly his. When he’d draped it around her shoulders, she saw that it was about a foot too long.

Thor frowned. “We’ll have to shorten it for you.”

“Oh, no! I’d hate for you to cut it up. It’ll be fine, really! Actually, it looks kind of neat, like I have a train or something.”

“You are certain? It is likely to be trampled upon.”

“You’ve got a point,” Alexis said, frowning. She reached down, grasped the hem of the cloak and flipped it over her arm. “There.”

Thor looked doubtful, but took her arm, looping it through his, and escorted her from the house.

It was a rather courtly gesture, reminding her of the ‘gentlemanly’ behavior of past centuries. Unfortunately, she wasn’t altogether comfortable with Thor’s proximity, but if Thor read that thought, he chose to ignore it.

It was night, she saw, as they left Thor’s house. A gentle breeze wafted across the cove, bringing with it the pleasantly pungent scent of the sea. Above them, a full moon and a million stars lit up the night, bathing the city in a gentle glow that chased shadows into tiny corners around buildings and beneath trees.

It was almost impossible to grasp that it was entirely manufactured. In every way, it looked, smelled and felt like the most perfect of spring nights.

She couldn’t even keep her home this well acclimated. How the Atlanteans managed to do so on such a scale amazed her.

She studied the buildings they passed, admiring the architecture. Each was unique, and yet each building complimented the others around it, giving the city as a whole a continuity one rarely saw in cities of any size.

There were no vehicles of any kind on the streets. They passed a vender pushing a cart laden with what appeared to be oil lamps, but otherwise no sort of conveyance.

Everyone in Atlantis, it seemed, walked where ever they went—or shifted into a birdman and flew, or into a merman and swam.

Small wonder everyone they passed was lithe, fit—Alexis realized suddenly that, with the exception of the elderly who could not be expected to be lovely, she had not seen a soul who could’ve even been described as plain.

Vanity, then, must not be a big problem. It would be difficult to feel exceptionally pretty in a place where everyone was attractive.

Alexis didn’t find it all difficult to feel dull and plain beside them.

She was fit though. She had only been eight when her mother died, leaving her and her father alone. Naturally enough, her father had been inclined to push her toward sports. Not that she’d been very good at any of it, but her attempts to please him had resulted in growing up physically fit.

It had been her father who’d insisted she take up kick-boxing, despite her earnest objections, so that she could learn self-defense. She had not liked it. She had dropped out after only a few months and that had been years ago. She was surprised she’d even remembered any of the moves, let alone been able to perform them, but she was glad now that he’d insisted. All that time spent playing punching bag had been worth it if only for the look on Thor’s face, and Helen’s, when she’d creamed them. If there had been any chance at all of escaping that first day, the self-defense moves she’d learned years ago would have earned her freedom for her.

She missed him.

She didn’t want to think about it, however, and returned her attention to familiarizing herself with her surroundings. She discovered that they had traversed several blocks while she’d allowed her mind to wander.

As they neared the center of town, the foot traffic picked up. Every person they passed, nodded, bowed and smiled. Apparently Thor was well known, and respected or liked, by everyone.

She glanced up at him.

She had lied. She didn’t think she could ever grow accustomed to this place. It was beautiful, quiet, peaceful and well ordered. It was totally alien and almost made her yearn for the din of car engines; horns; talking, laughing, screaming people; the stench of pollution.

HER people might be every awful thing in the world that the Atlanteans were not, but they were—alive.

Being in Atlantis was like walking through a ghost town, watching wraiths drift silently by.

And then she realized what was wrong. There were no children. She had not seen a single child in all the time she’d been here.

“Where are the children?”

Thor didn’t look at her. “They will be at the festival.”

Alexis suddenly felt silly. She would not ‘hear’ the chatter and giggles of children. She was not telepathic and that was the only way, apparently, that Atlanteans ever communicated, except with outsiders like herself.

Moira could barely even vocalize words.

Thor stopped, pulling Alexis to a stop, as well. “There are few children. You do not understand our ways.”

Alexis looked up at him in surprise. “Why?”

“It is rarely allowed.”

“Having children!” Alexis couldn’t contain her shock. “You have to get special permission?”

Thor nodded.

Alexis thought about it a moment. “Oh. Population control.”

Thor looked as if he might say something, then stopped. After a moment, he merely nodded. “I tell you this, here, because it is a source of great pain to many who yearn for children. I don’t believe you would intentionally hurt anyone, but through ignorance….”

Alexis felt a welling of pity. She had wanted, for years now, to start a family of her own, but at least she knew that she could. How awful it must be for those who had no hope of it!

Thor lifted a hand, caressing her cheek with his knuckles. “You have a good heart and a quick understanding.”

Alexis looked away, uncomfortable.

Thor caught her chin, urging her to look at him. “You are an exceptional human being.”

Alexis blushed, grinning in embarrassment. “Not really. As my father used to say, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.”

Thor smiled, dropping his hands to her shoulders and pulling her closer. Instinctively, Alexis placed her palms against his chest, but she was never afterwards certain of whether she meant to push him away or if it was merely a token resistance.

She was mesmerized by his mouth as he lowered his head. Only looking at it sent a flash flood of heat through her, brought her body to readiness. Her nipples grew hard as pebbles, dampness saturated her femininity, even before her body molded against his, with just the faintest of touches as his lips brushed hers. “You are more extraordinary than you could begin to imagine,” he whispered against her lips.

Alexis barely heard his words. Her mind, her whole being, was focused on the touch of his body against hers, on his lips as they moved leisurely against hers, plucking first her bottom lip, then the top. Each time his lips brushed across hers, her heart thudded a little harder, her breath catching in her chest in anticipation.

If he had thrown her to the ground right then and there, she doubted very much that she would have even tried to resist.

“Thor! You did not say that you would come to festival!”

They jumped apart guiltily and turned toward the feminine voice.

Still more than a little dazed, it took several moments for Alexis to recognize the woman who stood only a few feet from them, pale with fury, despite obvious efforts to hide it.

Wonderful! Alexis thought. As if Helen didn’t hate me enough already only for breathing!

Alexis glanced from Helen to Thor. He looked about as uncomfortable as anyone she’d ever seen in her life.

Unfortunately, Alexis couldn’t think of a thing to diffuse the situation.

She should not feel sorry for Thor. He had cheated on Helen. He deserved the worst tongue lashing she could give out, at the very least.

But she was just as guilty. Helen had very clearly staked her claim.

And, in the end, wasn’t a woman more to blame, or at least as much? Men were biologically inclined to rut with every female that crossed their path. Not that that excused their behavior. They had a brain. They had the choice of using it. They didn’t have to give in to their animal instincts. They could learn a little self control.

On the other hand, to be perfectly fair, women were just as inclined to excuse their own behavior because of their biological makeup, throwing tantrums and/or crying jags because it was ‘their time of the month’ and it was hard to control their emotions.

“Actually, it was my idea. I was bored.”

Helen’s gaze could have drilled a hole through her chest. The look she gave Thor was almost triumphant. “Really? So soon? Poor Thor. I guess that puts you in your place. Perhaps she misses Adonis?”

Alexis flushed beat red. So much for acting civilized and pretending nothing had happened.

Up until that point, Thor had merely looked harassed. The mention of Adonis, however, was sufficient to bring a glare in her direction.

Alexis felt her jaw drop in surprise before indignation took its place. How dare he look as if she’d cheated on him!

In the first place, he knew damned well Adonis hadn’t finished what he’d started.

In the second, it wasn’t any of his damned business anyway!

She was on the point of telling him as much when she realized she probably didn’t have to. He would have read her thoughts as easily as he might have heard her voice had she spoken aloud.

He did not, however, look either contrite or mollified.

If anything, he looked angrier than ever.

“I do believe I’ll just find the festival myself,” Alexis said coldly.

She tried to push past him. He grasped her arm, pulling her to a halt.

“We will all go to the festival,” he said grimly.

“Oh joy! This will be such fun!” Alexis said sarcastically.

Helen said nothing, merely slipping her arm through Thor’s, almost with a smug look at Alexis, even as Thor took Alexis’ hand.

Silence reigned between the three of them as they moved in the direction of the bright lights Alexis could now discern in the distance.

She had a feeling, however, that Thor and Helen were deep in telepathic discussion.

After a moment, Alexis pulled her hand from Thor’s, wrapping the cloak more snugly against her. He glanced at her, but said nothing.

Alexis focused on her surroundings.

She was beginning to develop a headache. She wasn’t certain whether it was because they were nearing an area where many people were gathered, all chattering telepathically and therefore bombarding her brain with waves she could feel, even though she could not discern the speech, or if it was her own efforts to filter out interlopers.

In the end, the cause didn’t really matter. There wasn’t anything she could do about it.

Despite her headache, she was able to look upon the festival with some interest. It looked much like a county fair. Stalls lined several narrow thoroughfares, each filled with the wares of the merchant presenting them. In truth, she could see little difference, at first, between the festival and the market she’d noticed when she’d passed through on her first day on her way to find Adonis’ home. As they reached the center of activity, however, she saw that the festival included performers. A stage had been set up near a fountain. To her surprise, musicians were assembling there. She stopped, feeling a thrill of anticipation as she watched. Within moments, the strains of a haunting melody drifted over the milling crowd. Everyone became still, listening intently.

Doubtless, music was a rare treat indeed for these folks.

She loved music.

She hadn’t realized, until she heard it, how much she’d missed it.

She didn’t recognize the song, but the melody was almost hypnotic. She swayed to it, longing to dance … but no one was dancing.

Thor took her hand, pulling her against him. She looked up at him in surprise, realizing only then that she’d actually put the bickering pair from her mind when she’d stopped to listen to the music.

Helen, she saw, had disappeared.

She decided to enjoy the dance, and the music. Thor, she discovered, was a surprisingly graceful dancer for such a large man.

The crowd separated around them until they were encircled, as if they had become part of the entertainment.

After some minutes, however, others began to pair up. Alexis was disappointed when the music ended. After only a slight pause, however, the musicians struck up once more, this time playing a lively tune. The Atlanteans formed a line and began some sort of country dance. Unfamiliar with the dance, Alexis, almost reluctantly, turned to go, but Thor, laughing, pulled her back. “This is not difficult. Come. I will show you.”

Alexis shook her head. “I don’t know how to do this. I’ll just stomp all over your feet and embarrass both of us.”

“Coward.”

Alexis lifted her chin. “OK. You asked for it,” she said, laughing.

What she lacked in skill, she made up for in enthusiasm. She managed, most of the time anyway, to refrain from romping on Thor’s feet. Halfway through the third dance, however, she was just about ready to collapse.

“Time!” she said breathlessly. “I need liquid! I’m completely dehydrated.”

Chuckling, Thor left her and went in search of refreshment.

Hot from the rigorous exercise, Alexis was tempted to remove the cloak. No one was paying her any attention, and most were dressed as scantily as she was, or not dressed at all. In the end, however, she contented herself with merely fanning the cloak to cool herself. She was watching the other dancers when someone suddenly slammed in to her.

A little stunned, she chuckled, thinking one of the Atlanteans had drunk too much beer or wine and stumbled into her. In the next instant, however, she was grasped from behind in a bear hug and felt her feet leave the ground.

Alexis looked down at the scaly, inhuman arms gripping her, then twisted around to see what held her. It was beaked, like a giant bird, but instead of feathers, the rough, knobby skin of a reptile covered it. It’s wings, stretching out behind it like a para-sail, were like those of a bat. A forked tongue flicked from its beaked mouth. Alexis screamed.

Chapter Eight

The festival dropped below her as wind rushed past her ears. Frantically, Alexis clawed at the arms gripping her, trying, in mindless terror, to free herself until she finally realized she was so high the fall would kill her if she succeeded in breaking free.

Fear gripped her, shattering her thoughts into chaos. She tried to gather her wits, but she could think of nothing except that some horrible winged creature had her, was most likely taking her to dinner, possibly for its young.

Below her, closing fast, she saw another winged creature. Her heart almost stopped as the vision immediately assailed her of the two creatures fighting over her mid-air, rending her flesh, like two wolves fighting for the same haunch of meat.

A wave of dizziness assailed her and she realized that she was hyper-ventilating, that she would pass out if she didn’t control her breathing.

She closed her eyes. Unable to bear the images, trying to banish them from her mind, trying to slow her breathing. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it would burst from her chest.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that the second winged creature was Thor. In his hand was the sword he carried by his side, the one she’d thought was more or less purely for decoration. As she watched, he pointed it and fire shot from the tip in a blinding flash of white light.

“Oh my god!” She slammed her eyes shut, tensing against the pain she knew would come. Instead, she heard the creature that held her scream in agony. It’s grip loosened and Alexis gasped, now clutching frantically at the creature she’d only moments earlier tried to free herself from, feeling her fingers claw uselessly at nothing but air, feeling herself falling.

The ground was rushing up to meet her.

She squeezed her eyes closed against the terrifying sight.

She landed with a thump that knocked the air out of her lungs, felt arms grasp her against a rock hard chest. She opened her eyes, looked up at Thor and fainted.

She woke screaming.

Thor pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, rocking her.

Alexis burst into tears. She’d had no one to give her comfort since her father had died. She hadn’t expected the kindness. It demolished her defenses.

Slowly, she regained some control, enough to realize she was in Thor’s bed, in his home. Had she dreamed it then? Had it been nothing more than a horrible nightmare?

“He is gone. He will not harm you. I will not allow it.”

Alexis pulled away. “He?” She shook her head. He must have been too far away to get a good look at it. “It was a monster. I saw it. It was something horrible.”

Thor studied her a moment. Lifting his hand, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It was a man. He had shifted into a flying beast to steal you away.”

Alexis stared at him, sniffing. “A man?”

“I should not have left you alone.”

“But—I don’t understand. You said—everyone said it was safe here.”

Thor gently pushed her back against the pillows. Sliding under the covers beside her, he wrapped his arms around her once more, pulling her fully against his length.

Alexis didn’t protest. She felt chilled to her very marrow. She snuggled gratefully against him, burrowing her head beneath his chin. He filled her senses: the warmth of his skin seeping into hers, warming her; the hardness of his muscles—his sheer size—soothing her with the illusion, at least, of safety; his scent welcome, reassuringly familiar.

“I will protect you. I will let no harm come to you. I give you my word.”

“You didn’t catch him, though, did you?”

“No.”

“Do you think he’s dead?”

Thor seemed to wrestle with his thoughts a moment. “He was not alone.”

Alexis pulled away from him so that she could look up at him. “I’ve decided I don’t much like it here,” she said, trying to make the words come out in a joking tone. Instead, it sounded child-like, terrified—which she was.

Thor lifted a hand, brushed the hair carefully from her cheek, then threaded his fingers through it, cupping the back of her head, pulling her to him as he lowered his head and captured her mouth with his own.

Alexis kissed him back with urgency, opening her mouth to him as she felt his tongue touch her lips, suckling on his tongue as it plunged inside. He groaned, his hand moving from her hair, down her back until he cupped her buttock, gripped it, pulling her against his rock hard arousal.

Alexis moved her uppermost leg over his waist, undulating against him in an effort to get closer, and closer still. When he would have broken the kiss, she followed him, plunging her tongue into his mouth. Rolling until she lay half on top of him, Alexis rubbed her moist cleft against his swollen member, pressing her clit against the rounded head of his cock, then rocking back before pressing fully against it again.

He moved so that he was gripping both cheeks of her bottom, lifting her, impaling her on his erection. Alexis groaned, ending the kiss, trailing her parted lips along his cheek to his neck as he changed his position again. He came upright, shifted until he was sitting on his bent legs, Alexis in his lap, impaled to the root of his swollen shaft. She had looped her arms tightly around his neck to keep her balance as he changed positions. She loosened them, leaning back to study his face as she began to move slowly against him, in a grinding, almost circular motion that sent sharp needles of desire flowing through her from her clit into her belly, causing her muscles to contract around him.

His face hardened with desire, a muscle flexing in his jaw as he sought control, but his hands kneaded her buttocks, urging her to set a rhythm.

Alexis ignored him, catering to her own needs, feeling her body build quickly toward climax as she massaged her clit against him, moved her body so that she could feel his cock nudging against her G-spot teasingly, tantalizing her with the promise of imminent release.

He gasped, gritted his teeth, as Alexis threw her head back, groaning as the pleasure began to produce little quakes inside her, the muscles in her belly clenching and releasing in a like rhythm to her movements.

Bending, Thor took her breast into his mouth, suckling her nipple hard.

Alexis cried out, quaking with pleasure as her climax took her abruptly, pleasure rushing throughout her body.

Thor threw her to her back among the pillows, pumping into her so hard and fast he lifted her from the bed with each thrust. She dug her heels into the bed, slipped her arms around his waist and dug her fingertips into his buttocks as she arched to meet him.

He stopped suddenly, arching back, his face reflecting the intensity of his climax. Inside her belly, she could feel him, throbbing, pulsating, could feel heat flood her belly as his seed washed through her.

She released her grip on him, her arms, weak and heavy with fatigue, falling against the bed as he lowered himself against her, gasping for air. In a few moments, he moved to the bed beside her, pulling her with him so that she rested once more snugly against his side.

Alexis shifted, turning so that her back was to him, nudging his sated member with her butt.

A faint smile curled her lips. Who’d have thought a great he-man like Thor would want to snuggle afterwards? He was a wonderful lover. It was a shame, really.

* * *

Alexis was uneasy when Moira left her at Aurora’s door the following morning. She had not seen Thor. Typically, he was gone when she woke, and Moira, unfortunately, was not handy enough with her vocal chords to tell Alexis where he’d gone—even if she’d been so inclined, or knew.

Moira had managed to convey the information, however, that Aurora was expecting Alexis.

Alexis knew what that meant.

Tests.

Aurora smiled at Alexis’ expression as she entered the room and stood nervously by the door, motioning for her to come forward. Reluctantly, Alexis moved from the door and sat on the edge of the chaise, where she’d lain the last time she’d found herself in Aurora’s chambers.

“You look frightened to death, child. Did I not tell you that there was no need to fear the tests?”

Alexis nodded jerkily. “It’s just—I really hate hospitals, doctors, medical tests.”

Aurora studied her thoughtfully a moment and a look of sympathy crossed her features. “Your mother?”

Alexis felt a touch of surprise, despite the fact that she knew by now that her thoughts were not private in this place. She nodded.

“You do not trust easily, Alexis.”

Alexis shrugged. “It depends, really. Sometimes, about some things—and then I usually regret it.”

Aurora closed her eyes. “He was a charming rogue, and you a young woman lost and in desperate need of comfort. Don’t blame yourself for failing to see the warning signs about Eric.”

It was kindly said, and yet Alexis knew she would never be able to forgive herself, not completely. It was she who’d opened the door for her father’s murder. If she had not allowed Eric into her life, he would not have seen what there was to gain by killing her father.

“You did not open the door to the wolf, Alexis. The wolf had already found you, had already targeted you. You think it was a crime of opportunity, one you presented him with when, in fact, he had already learned everything there was to know about your father’s business interests, and you, long before that first ‘chance’ meeting. It is near impossible to protect yourself, and your loved ones, from the plotting of a stranger. You can not blame yourself.”

“How could you know this?” Alexis asked, stunned.

Aurora smiled wryly. “I have my ways.”

Alexis stared at her, understanding dawned, and as it did so an excitement seized her. “You time walked!”

“Something like that.”

Alexis leapt up, falling to her knees in front of the old woman. “You could undo it! You could change it, so that my father doesn’t die. Please! Please help me.”

Aurora looked at her sadly. “The past can not be changed. Only the future.”

“But … but you could! All you would have to do is warn him.”

Aurora touched her shoulder.

Alexis’ head swam. Images flashed through her mind. She saw her father, standing in his kitchen. He was cooking. Behind him, at the kitchen table, sat Eric. They were talking, laughing. As her father turned back to check his cooking on the stove, Eric stood. Pulling a knife from his jacket, he stepped up behind her father and, grasping her father’s head, slit his throat. Blood spurted in every direction. Her father grasped his throat, turning wild, questioning eyes on the man he had not thought was a threat. He went to his knees, fell forward, went still.

A stranger appeared in the doorway of the back hall, a woman Alexis didn’t recognize. She helped Eric to drag her father into the garage. Together they placed him in the chest freezer, covering his body with the food the woman had undoubtedly taken from the freezer in preparation for the murder. Returning to the kitchen, they carefully cleaned away all evidence of their presence and their crime.

In a moment, the scene changed. A woman, Aurora, spoke to her father as he slept, warning him. Again the horrible scene in the kitchen played itself out, varying little from the first scene. The exception being that her father, undoubtedly unnerved by the ‘dream’ he’d had, whirled when he heard Eric behind him. This time Eric stabbed her father in the heart.

Again, the scene changed and Alexis saw Aurora knocking at her father’s door. They argued heatedly over something and her father showed Aurora out. He looked at Eric suspiciously when he opened his door to him later, turned him away. Later, as her father lay sleeping, Eric crept into the room, stabbing him repeatedly as he slept.

Alexis collapsed when Aurora released her, sobbing into her hands. Aurora patted her shoulder, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. Finally, Alexis regained control, lifted her tear stained face. “I don’t understand. Is this … what you showed me. It happened?”

Aurora studied her a moment. “I am sorry that I hurt you by showing you this, but you must understand. The past can rarely be changed to reflect what we want. I might have tried many more times, many more ways, but the results would have been the same. Your father would have died.”

“So you’re saying there’s no point in even trying to change the future? It is what it’s meant to be? That fate decides and we have no control over our destiny?”

Aurora shook her head sadly. “I honestly do not know. I do not think it is human nature merely to accept. I do not think we could live without hope, and hope is the belief that we can change things. All that I do know is that we learned long ago that it was useless to tamper with what has been, what has already happened. We could not change it. It always seemed to be one thing, one action, that became the catalyst for all that came afterwards, but we found that there were many threads that led up to the inevitable. Changing one made little difference and finding all the events that led up to it was impossible.”

Alexis was silent for several moments. “But you tried anyway?”

Aurora nodded. “One can always hope that this time it will be different, but it did no good to warn him. It did no good to lure him to another place. It did no good to delay Eric. I could not change it.”

Alexis stared at her a long moment, thinking. “Maybe you just didn’t try hard enough. Maybe what you needed to change was my meeting with Eric. Maybe then it would’ve turned out differently.”

“It did not.”

“How can you know!” Alexis exclaimed angrily.

“Because you are here.”

Wearily, Alexis dropped her head into her hands. She felt Aurora’s gnarled hand settle on the back of her head. Peace filled her.

Alexis looked up at Aurora in confusion, trying to remember what had happened, how she’d come to be sitting at Aurora’s feet, but she sensed it was something better forgotten.

“Come,” Aurora said briskly. “I must introduce you to our physicians and you will see you have nothing to be afraid of.”

* * *

“I recovered this,” Eros said. “It was not easy to obtain. The one who wore it fought hard to destroy it.”

Thor picked it up, turning it over. It didn’t look like the ones commonly used, but neither did it look much different, at least, not in the artificial light that only dimly lit the chamber beneath the citadel where they met. Thor stood, holding it closer to the light for a better view, but still saw nothing of any significance. “A band?”

Eros nodded. “More powerful that the ones we developed. Even with the magnifiers we use, we can not pick up their telepathic communications. Perhaps, since you have no need for a magnifier, these are no impediment to you, but we have heard nothing known to be rebel communication in weeks. I had wondered why they had become so strangely quiet.”

“I have detected nothing either. I had thought they might have moved their meeting place beyond Atlantis, or found a chamber such as this that we knew nothing of—or perhaps even modified a secret chamber somewhere that would prevent telepathic waves from penetrating, as do these walls.

In truth, the quiet has disturbed me, for it was not likely that they had ceased their machinations.

This explains why we have not managed to discover anything about the rebels. And why they have grown so bold.”

Eros’ brows lifted questioningly.

“Last eve a rebel seized an outworlder under my protection.”

“To what purpose, think you?”

Thor studied Eros a moment. Eros was his most trusted lieutenant, but more than that, a friend. If he could not trust Eros…. “There are several possibilities. I have claimed first right to her as my woman, should she decide to stay. It is no secret. The attack could have been directed at me.”

Eros looked stunned for a moment, then grinned, clapping Thor on the shoulder. “You jest! I had thought you hopeless! Congratulations!”

Thor flushed. “Premature. She has not said she will stay. She has not said she will accept me. My claim would be enough, however, to make them believe they could use her against me.”

Eros looked intrigued. Before he could voice any of the questions Thor knew he wanted to ask, however, Thor directed him back to their immediate problem--discovering the objective of the rebels. “That is one possibility. There are others.”

“To seize her, successfully, right under your nose would convince any who were wavering that they had the strength to win. In truth, though we have intercepted nothing, my instincts tell me they grow in numbers daily and many more would join them if they felt their chances of success more certain.”

Thor nodded. “Or it is possible that she was the target.”

Eros looked take aback. “Why? She is an outworlder. Of what use would she be to them?”

“She is gifted, beyond any outworlder that I have ever seen, beyond even many Atlanteans.”

Eros looked skeptical but grinned after a moment. “I shall have to see this paragon.”

Thor’s eyes narrowed. “I value your friendship, Eros. But make no mistake, the woman is mine.”

Surprised, Eros studied him a moment, certain he must be jesting, but then threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I meant no harm. In any case, I know you well. You will have staked your claim very thoroughly by now and none other would have a chance at the lady’s heart.”

Thor frowned, but he had no intention of voicing his doubts, prior claim or not. Alexis was a law unto herself and Eros far too tempting to women to allow him to think he had a chance with her. He ignored the remark and returned his attention to the band. “We must have this analyzed, so that we know what we are up against, but if they have the capability of producing these the rebel movement is undoubtedly far larger than we had suspected. Did you question the man?”

Eros grimaced. “When a man is determined to fight to the death it is nigh impossible to capture him alive. What did you discover of the man who seized your woman?”

“Nothing. I killed him.”

“But.… You could not use the hold?”

“He … endangered Alexis. I did not try.”

* * *

Alexis found that Aurora had not lied to her. The tests were strange, very tiring but with the exception of an ordinary blood test, there was no pain involved, no strange rituals or inventive tortures.

She was tested over a period of three days. On the fourth day, weary beyond belief, she was told to rest. She did so gladly, unable to recall a time when she had been so exhausted.

On the fifth day, she was called before the council. To her surprise, Helen informed her that the meeting was to be held in the Council chambers, not before the Body as her first hearing had been. When Alexis had looked at her blankly, Helen had grudgingly explained that meetings in the coliseum with the Body were only for the purpose of voting upon crimes involving the first five laws. Minor infractions were decided by the Council alone and, since Alexis’ case was not actually a crime, it too fell under their jurisdiction. Since it would be the council alone who decided upon Alexis’ fate, the meeting would be held in the private Council Chambers.

When Helen opened the door and ushered Alexis inside, she saw that Thor was in consultation with the High Council. Her heart leapt at the sight of him. A riot of thoughts rushed through her mind before she could prevent it, but no one looked her way so she felt some hope that her lapse hadn’t been noticed. At any rate, the thoughts had been so random, so chaotic, that she’d scarcely grasped them herself. Surely no one else could have interpreted them.

She focused her gaze, and thoughts, upon the assembly after that, knowing that was her only hope of keeping her innermost secrets to herself.

Noticing her arrival, Aurora gestured for her to come forward. When Helen would have withdrawn, Aurora stopped her, commanding her to come forward, as well.

Helen looked surprised, and uneasy, but she approached the council as she’d been told.

Alexis, naturally, had no idea of what business Thor had had with the council, but from his expression, and theirs, it had not been a pleasant meeting.

She discovered that it was to get worse.

Aurora studied Alexis and Helen in turn. She spoke to Helen.

“We have reviewed your claim and your petition regarding your choice of Thor as husband. It is well known that you had a standing agreement with Thor at one time, however, prior claim can not be considered when the original petition was rejected. You may review the circumstances of the original rejection if you are so inclined, but the decision was solid and irrefutable. You have added nothing to the new petition that might be considered in extenuation, or that would reverse the original decision. We must deny your prior claim and dismiss your petition.”

Dismissing Helen, whom she had evidently reduced to speechlessness, Aurora fixed Alexis with a stern eye. “We call you here today, Alexis Stanhope, to rule upon your situation with us, and to thank you for your willing participation in the tests we found necessary to make our determination.

Alexis’ brows lifted. She hadn’t been aware that she’d had a choice.

Aurora frowned at her.

Alexis focused on her toes.

“Child.”

Alexis looked up at her.

“We would like to welcome you to live among us. We find that you are genetically superior, that you are free of defective genes of any kind. We also find that you are, genetically similar to Atlanteans in that you possess certain abilities not generally found among outworlders.”

Alexis looked at her in surprise. “Abilities?”

Aurora nodded. “We suspected, of course, but it was necessary to confirm our suspicions that you have the natural ability to guard your mind from telepathy without use of a device, that you can break a mind hold. Those are powerful gifts, would be even among Atlanteans. We would like to welcome you as a bride of Atlantis, bride of Thor, who has claimed first right and petitioned the council to take you as wife.”

Chapter Nine

Alexis’ jaw dropped. She glanced quickly at Thor, wondering if he’d had anything to do with this ‘decision’.

“The decision was based upon your tests,” Aurora said gently. “Naturally, we would like to allow mating to be a matter of compatibility, affection, physical attraction—love if you will, as in the old times. But we have not the luxury. In any case, it seems fortune smiles upon your union, for you appear to have formed an emotional attachment to match your biological profiles,” Aurora finished, smiling faintly.

“Wait a minute. Look. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m married already,” Alexis said a little desperately.

Aurora’s brows lifted. “You are divorced.”

“Divorced?” Alexis repeated, stunned.

Aurora nodded. “It was witnessed, by Adonis. You divorced your—ah—previous spouse when he threw you overboard.”

Alexis looked at her blankly. Suddenly, she recalled the words she’d screamed at Eric as she was falling. She shook her head. “That was … anger, graveyard humor. It meant nothing—changed nothing.”

“You did not intend to divorce him?”

“I fully intend to divorce him as soon as I can go home, but that doesn’t change the fact that, by law, I’m still married to him.”

“Your laws?”

“Our laws.”

“You live in Atlantis now,” Aurora reminded her gently. “If you stay, only our laws apply to you. The laws of outworlders are no concern of ours. And, by our laws, you rejected your marriage before a witness. You are divorced—free to wed.”

Alexis stared at her, glanced at Thor, who stood, stone-faced, glanced at Helen’s pale countenance. “But—there was an understanding between Thor and Helen. She told me it had been settled.”

Aurora stared at her for so long that Alexis blushed, realizing Aurora was probably well aware of her lack of consideration for Helen’s prior claim. “We have ruled against Helen’s prior claim. We considered the long attachment she and Thor had, but there remains a biological impediment. Time can not change this. She was told this long ago. Thor accepted the ruling. Helen must also.”

“NO!” Helen cried suddenly. “Aunt--councilor, you know we have loved each other from the time we were children! It is not right!”

“Helen, you know the laws. You know, have known for many years, that this could not be.”

Helen rushed to Thor, grasped his arm, shaking it. “Tell them it doesn’t matter! We do not care if we are not allowed to have a family.”

Thor looked at Helen uncomfortably. “Helen, I loved you as a playmate when we were children together. I have loved you as a dear friend from the time we grew up, but you are no more in love with me, as a woman loves a man, than I am, or have ever been, in love with you. We did no more than agree that we should settle for each other for companionship’s sake. I was willing, if it was allowed, but it was not. I accepted that we could only be friends. I thought you had also.”

“Nay! You did not! You said that we would wait a while and petition again, that I would be your wife or none other!”

Thor paled, glanced at the council.

Aurora flushed, half rose from her seat. “Helen! You perjure yourself! You can not lie to us! Even if you are willful enough to try to lie to yourself, we know the truth!”

Helen looked frightened, but only for a moment. She whirled upon Alexis, fixing her with a look that should have killed her on the spot, before she turned to Thor once more. “It is her, is it not? It is that she-creature Adonis brought among us! She does not belong here. She will never belong.”

“This has nothing to do with Alexis. This was settled long before she came. You led me to believe that it was settled, and that you had accepted as I had,” Thor said with determined patience.

Helen released his arm, stepped back. She turned to look at the councilors, at Aurora. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze settled upon Alexis. She said nothing, however.

After a moment, Aurora addressed Alexis once more.

“You have heard the council’s ruling. You must decide.”

Shock ran through Alexis. No one had warned her that she would have to decide, now, today. She had thought she would have more time. She thought quickly. “What if I left and came back? I can’t just stay. I have to settle my affairs. My father deserves justice. I am the only one who can see that he has it. If you would only allow me to take care of that, I would willingly return, or you could erase my memories then. It wouldn’t matter afterwards.”

Aurora seemed to consult with the other councilors for several moments. When she finally returned her attention to Alexis, she knew the answer even before Aurora spoke. “It seems a reasonable request….”

“Thank you! Yes … I’ll agree to anything you want to do … afterwards.”

Aurora frowned. “Patience, child. As I was saying, it seems like a reasonable request. However, there are … circumstances which have arisen which make it impossible to allow your petition.”

“What circumstances?” Alexis demanded.

“There is danger to you….”

“I KNOW that,” Alexis interrupted her again.

“Do not interrupt me!”

Alexis blushed.

“You do not know the danger. I do not speak of your former spouse … and that is not the only consideration. You carry Thor’s child.”

Alexis stared at her in absolute horror. Visions flashed through her mind: Thor shifting, sprouting wings; Thor shifting into a merman; the horrible beastman that had attacked her; Adonis as dolphin, then merman. Other images crowded behind those that might have been comical if they had not been so horrendous; of her, straining to deliver her child and a doctor holding up a dolphin, or merchild; of her searching frantically for her baby, picking up puppies and kittens and looking them over to see if it was her child, shifted into some beast. She couldn’t do that! She had to get rid of it, she thought a little wildly.

Aurora erupted from her seat, effectively distracting Alexis from the images flickering through her mind. Stalking toward Alexis, she grasped her hand and hauled her from the room like a naughty child. Alexis was too stunned to protest. She glanced back as Aurora dragged her from the room. Thor was staring at her, pale, looking desperately ill.

Helen was laughing.

Aurora didn’t stop until they’d reached her private chambers. Dragging Alexis inside, she slammed the door behind them, shoved Alexis toward a chaise. Alexis staggered back a few steps but remained standing, watching in bemusement as, still in the grips of a fury Alexis had never witnessed, Aurora stalked to a chest, pulled a band from it and returned, shoving it firmly into place on Alexis’ head.

Immediately, the annoying buzzing noise that Alexis had long since learned to ignore, ceased.

Weak kneed, she sat on the chaise behind her, watching Aurora pace the floor.

“What have I done?”

“Indeed! You should well ask!”

Alexis stared at her, realizing she had done something unforgivable, but uncertain of what it was.

“You have wounded a good man! Hurt him to the quick with your ignorance!”

The image of Thor’s face entered Alexis’ mind. “Thor?” she asked, feeling a little sick.

Aurora stopped pacing, collapsing into her chair as her anger vanished. She covered her face with her hands. “Child! Child, that was unforgivable.”

“What? What did I do?” Alexis cried, fighting the urge to burst into tears.

Aurora took several long, calming breaths and finally looked at Alexis. “What possessed you to think such thoughts?”

Alexis felt her jaw go slack as realization dawned. She burst into tears. “I couldn’t help it! I was so surprised!”

“We should have fitted you with a band long since. You have an undisciplined mind!”

Alexis cried harder.

“Hush!”

Alexis jumped at the harsh command, fought for control of her emotions.

Aurora studied her for a long moment and finally moved from her chair to sit beside Alexis, pulling her into a loving embrace. “Hush, child. I know you did not intend to hurt Thor.”

“No! No, I didn’t. Do you think I did?” Alexis asked tearfully.

Aurora seemed at a loss for words. Finally, she said. “Why did you think those things?”

Alexis was tempted to pretend she didn’t remember thinking anything. “I don’t know. It’s just … I’m not USED to people changing, shifting. I don’t know what to expect—You mean, it wouldn’t look like … it would just be a baby?”

“Of course it would be … it IS a baby!” Aurora snapped. “We are as human as you are!”

Alexis blushed, finally pulling away from Aurora, although she was grateful that Aurora had offered her comfort. “I just—I hadn’t really thought about it until you said I—that I was pregnant. I should find him, apologize.”

Aurora stood, paced the room thoughtfully for several moments and finally returned to her chair. “It will do no good,” she said sadly. “It is done now.”

Alexis stared at her, feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was unthinkable that she couldn’t ask for forgiveness and be granted it. It was unthinkable that Thor would hate her now only because of one careless thought. She didn’t think that she could bear that. She knew she couldn’t bear to think of it. “But … but, I didn’t mean it!”

Aurora looked at her sadly. “Alexis, your heart spoke. We all know that you meant it. I understand that you did not purposefully hurt us, that it was ignorance, because you have not been with us long enough to fully understand who and what we are, but that does not change the fact that you look upon us as … not of your kind. Perhaps we should consider aborting the child.”

Instinctively, Alexis’ hand flew protectively to her belly. “No!”

Aurora studied her. “Only a few moments ago that thought was uppermost in your mind.”

“You don’t understand! I wasn’t thinking of Thor! I was thinking about that … that horrible thing that attacked me. Thor said it was a man, a man who had shifted into a beast. And Adonis, the first time I saw him, he was a dolphin. And when Thor came after me when I was trying to escape, he changed into a merman.

I’m not like you! I can’t do these things. Nobody I know can do these things. And all I could think about was that the baby would not be like me and I wouldn’t know how to deal with it! It’s not you, any of you. It’s me! I feel like an alien in this world and I can’t help it because nothing here is familiar to me.”

“Be still, child. I will try to make you understand.” She paused, thinking. “We are an ancient race,” she said finally.

“I know.”

Aurora shook her head. “We have been so intent on preserving the life that we have had that we have lost our youth.”

Alexis frowned. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Living as we do, here, in Atlantis, living the life spans that we engineered for ourselves, we have all but lost the spring time of our race. In the beginning, we did nothing to control population growth, but we soon saw that that was a terrible mistake. To correct our error, no one was allowed to bear a child for many years, but when the time came that we felt we could, with control, begin again to have families, we discovered that many were too old to bear. Of those who could, there are—genetic considerations.”

Alexis looked at her blankly.

“Inbreeding.”

Alexis was revolted and it showed.

Aurora’s lips tightened. “It is not a matter of incest, but rather genetics, that are too closely related. In a sense, all of mankind is related. All carry certain traits, but any time they reproduce within a limited gene pool, problems arise. Particularly, if they happened, like us, to deliberately introduce specific denominators. It is my generation that is mostly to blame, and as I am the last, I feel a terrible burden for what we brought about in our ignorance. We bred so indiscriminately that only one in a hundred of our children were allowed to bear a child, but even then we could not achieve a balance that was healthy and finally we saw that a whole generation must pass from this life before anyone would be allowed to bear again.”

“I’m sorry. I really don’t know anything about genetics, certainly not enough to understand.”

Aurora considered for a moment. “Do you know anything about animal breeds?
“Not much,” Alexis admitted. “But a little, I guess. I can recognize certain breeds, if that’s what you mean.”

“The Doberman?”

Alexis shuttered. “Unfortunately, yes. I had a very unpleasant experience with one.”

Aurora nodded. “As with others originally bred to guard and kill on command, they have been bred over generations to produce specific attributes—but along with those desirable attributes, very undesirable attributes have also surfaced.”

“They turn on their masters.”

“They’ve been known to, or to suddenly, for no apparent reason, attack and kill.”

Alexis was thoughtful. “Is that what Adonis was talking about when he said the council had agreed to consider outworlders?”

Aurora smiled wryly. “It is a sign of desperation, but, we have come to realize that it is necessary that we ‘pollute’ our race to save it.”

“Selectively.”

Aurora nodded.

“Not very flattering to outworlders,” Alexis said dryly.

“No. But the purity of our race is important to us. Outworlders have bred as indiscriminately as we. Though they have not erred as we did, breeding too closely, they have begun to lose those traits specific to their race, blurring, mixing. One day there will be only one race of man.”

“But that’s a good thing. No more racial prejudice.”

Aurora smiled wryly. “If you believe that will bring peace, then you do not know your fellow man well at all. Mankind will always have prejudice for some reason or another. It is because we are, essentially, herd animals, territorial, but herd animals nevertheless. We are naturally inclined to gravitate toward others of our kind. It gives us a sense of safety. Class prejudice, or intelligence, or perhaps financial considerations will replace old prejudice with new.”

Alexis frowned. “So, what you’re saying is that no Atlantean, now, may breed with another?”

“A few are allowed, but the vast majority are not. There were many who volunteered to yield their place to a new generation, but it ceased to be a matter of population control only long ago.

Thor has waited many years to find a life mate, to be allowed a family. You can not begin to conceive how devastating it must be to him to find you, only to be denounced before the council.

But, I realize it is more my fault that this tragedy occurred than yours. Regardless of the law, I should have discussed it with you in private first.”

Alexis felt, for several moments, that she would be sick to her stomach. She covered her face with her hands. It occurred to her that it would’ve been a kindness if they’d just killed her on the spot, instead of allowing her to live with such tortuous thoughts. Finally, she realized why it hurt so much to realize what she’d done to Thor. She loved him.

She would have felt terrible if she had hurt anyone.

She would not have felt crushed.

Perhaps, after all, she should ask that her memories be taken? It would give her peace. She might not be able to avenge her father’s death, but if they took her memories, that wouldn’t torture her either.

She looked up at Aurora. “Will you take my memories and send me back, please?”

Aurora looked at her sadly. “Alas, we can not.”

“Why!” Alexis cried. “You said before that you could. I want you to! I don’t want to remember anything! I don’t care anymore. I just want to forget and take my chances in my own world!”

Aurora took her hand. “You do not understand. The rebels have found you. You are only safe with us, here. Only Thor can protect you and he could not do so if we sent you away.”

Alexis gaped at her. “Rebels?” she echoed.

“I do not know how they discovered your abilities, but they have.”

“Rebels?” Alexis repeated.

“Did you think we were a utopian society, that everyone would be content only to wait until we had solved our many problems?” Aurora asked bitterly. “The rebels have been growing in numbers. They have found a way to prevent Thor’s detection, and if we do not find a way to stop them, they will soon be strong enough to destroy Atlantis.”

“But … but what would they want with me?”

Aurora studied her a long moment. “You broke Thor’s mind hold. No one in Atlantis could have done so. This is the main reason we knew we must wed you to Thor, for his off-spring must be strong enough to protect future generations. You have no conception of how important you are to us … or to the rebels.”

Chapter Ten

A week went by. Alexis remained with Aurora and finally decided she had misunderstood Aurora when the High Councilor had said Alexis must remain under Thor’s protection. Or maybe Thor had refused to take her?

Or maybe he was too busy trying to track down the rebels?

After a while Alexis began to wonder if she, and Aurora, had completely misinterpreted Thor’s feelings. Maybe he’d just been insulted, not hurt? Wouldn’t he have to care about her to be hurt?

He would’ve had to have fallen in love with her to be hurt.

But men didn’t experience love at first sight—did they?

And they certainly hadn’t been together long enough for it to be anything else.

Even if it was love at first sight, that was really just lust, wasn’t it? No finer feelings involved, nothing of a more permanent nature. Lust. Something people just naturally got over once they’d sated themselves.

It should have been a happy thought—the realization that she wasn’t a monster after all, who had wounded someone unbearably—the realization that she, too, would feel better after a while.

Somehow it didn’t.

She supposed that was because she had failed to convince herself that what she felt for Thor was only lust.

Alexis wasn’t certain whether fear or hope was uppermost in her mind when Thor came for her at last. She only knew that her heart felt like it would beat its way out of her chest, that she was so breathless she was on the verge of hyper-ventilating, that she would have far preferred it if she’d been allowed to hide in Aurora’s apartment forever like the coward she was.

She was certain when Aurora herself escorted her out, that she felt very much like a death row inmate going to his execution. She could not have dreaded death more than she dreaded a confrontation with Thor. In fact, she spent some minutes praying to a god she’d never believed in that he would prove his existence and strike her dead on the spot.

He didn’t oblige her.

Thor bowed, but he did not offer his arm. Alexis didn’t dare look at him. She found that she had absolutely no desire to learn what she might see if she looked in his eyes.

Coward! She chastised herself.

He was far too polite.

Alexis wanted to cry, but she realized she had indulged her weaknesses far too much already. If she hadn’t spent so much time consumed by herself; her sorrow; her homesickness; her feelings; she might have spared some thought for the troubles, and feelings, of others. She might have actually come to understand the Atlanteans a little better. She might not have hurt people who had only shown her kindness.

Aurora had spoken only of hurting Thor, but Alexis realized that she had also hurt Aurora.

If only SHE could go back in time! If only she could undo what she’d done!

But then, Aurora had said even Atlanteans, who could time walk, could not change the past.

So, she only had the future.

It looked bleak.

If Thor had acted as if she was some sort of freak, she would never have gotten over it and it occurred to her that Aurora was most likely right. Thor wouldn’t get over it either.

She took a deep, fortifying breath. Her father had always said, ‘Change the things you can. Don’t waste your time trying to change the things you can’t.’

She had been given a band. She at last had the privacy to find a way to escape.

* * *

A week of polite silence was enough to have Alexis climbing the walls. It might not have been so bad if Moira had been able to carry on a civilized conversation, but to be trapped in a house with a man who always seemed to look through her, not at her, was more than Alexis could bear.

She began going for longer and longer walks. Thor, naturally, accompanied her. Try as she might, she simply could not shake him. Apparently, he was determined to protect her from the perceived threat of a group of rebels, no matter how much he despised her now.

Alexis was just as determined to find a way to escape. She was rapidly reaching a point where she was desperate enough to consider trying to swim out.

No matter what she’d been told, she knew there had to be some sort of transportation that would allow her to escape.

Nothing, she knew, short of a submarine would do it.

She would never be able to hold her breath long enough to make it down the entrance tunnel, much less to reach the surface afterwards.

It was one of those things her father had warned her about—a brick wall.

Thor still slept with her—but he slept.

Alexis finally began to wonder if all those times before, when he had snuggled close, it had been nothing more than insurance—that she would be there when he woke, or perhaps so that he could be certain he would be warned if there was any threat to her.

In desperation, she decided to seduce him.

She was willing, by now, to do anything to shake Thor from his frozen shell, even risk humiliation and rejection.

She prepared herself for ‘battle’ with the greatest of care, bathing in water scented with jasmine, combing her hair until it shone with health. It was difficult to decide what to wear, if anything.

She finally decided on nothing. There was no point in having clothing that would have to be gotten rid of.

She had ‘lived’ in her band since Aurora had given it to her, wearing it even as she slept. She debated with herself on whether it would be better to wear it, or leave it off. If she left it off, she was almost certain to give her plans away. If she wore it, then Thor would not be able to know how much she truly cared for him, how deeply sorry she was for wounding him, how much she wished she could take it back.

Finally, she decided to wear it. She didn’t want to risk giving her scheme away, and it wasn’t likely that Thor would ‘listen’ or believe she loved him even if she thought it very, very hard, not after what she’d done.

He might never completely forgive her for her ugly prejudice, but if Aurora was right and he did love her, then she should still be able to reach him, to find a measure of forgiveness that would allow them something.

Having finished her preparations, she lay down on the bed on top of the covers, waiting. After a few minutes, it occurred to her that that might be a little too obvious. He might, or might not, take the bait. She pulled the covers back and crawled under them, lying on her back. Time passed. It occurred to her that she wasn’t exactly displaying herself in a very sexy manner. Maybe on her side? She rolled over, trying to envision the sight that would greet Thor as he slipped into bed beside her—her back, her bare ass. Would that be a turn on? She flipped over—full frontal view. She shifted several times, trying to get comfortable, trying to pose herself in a way that looked sexy, yet not contrived. Would a person sleep like this?

She flopped onto her back, spread her legs, put her arms over her head, her hands tucked under the pillow—spread eagle.

Hmm. She felt fairly certain this would be man’s interpretation of sexy, if not hers, but it seemed a little blatant to be construed as unaffected.

She was on the point of changing positions again when the door opened.

She froze, trying to pretend she was asleep.

She held her breath, trying to regulate her erratic breathing, which she knew could in no way be interpreted as sleep.

He climbed in beside her. He reached for her, his palm landing flat on her belly. The muscles in her belly tensed, despite her best efforts to play ‘unconscious’.

He paused. She could FEEL his confusion.

He lifted his hand again, lay down on his back beside her, folding his arms under his head.

Damn it! Alexis thought. I KNEW I should have been lying on my side! I could have wiggled my ass against his cock then. Bet that would’ve gotten a rise out of him!

She lay still, concentrating on regulating her breathing. Finally, when she felt a yawn tearing at her clenched jaw muscles, KNEW she couldn’t hold it back, she rolled onto her side, burying her face in the pillow in the hope that he wouldn’t hear her … because if he heard her yawning he’d know damn well she hadn’t been asleep any of the time.

He didn’t move.

Alexis felt like screaming in frustration.

Every freaking night he cuddled her! Tonight of all damn nights he decides to play hard to get!

She was tempted to just roll over on top of him.

But he would KNOW then. She wouldn’t be able to pretend she’d been sleeping, gotten caught up in his love making and just decided to give in.

Damn him!

Fuck!

Shit!

Hell!

She heard a very distinct snore.

That bastard! It took every ounce of Alexis’ self-control to refrain from rolling over and clobbering him.

Alexis lay, wide awake, fuming. When she had considered risking humiliation and rejection, she had not considered that she might have to take the initiative. She had thought she would only have to play sexy, and easy, and he would do the rest.

She couldn’t decide what to do now.

How the hell could a man just lie down and go instantly to sleep anyway?

She listened.

He was definitely snoring, very rhythmically. It didn’t seem likely that he was faking it just to torment her.

If he hadn’t been a mountain, she would’ve rolled him off the bed and onto the floor. She was oh so tempted to try anyway.

After a while, she began to realize that she’d lain tensed so long that she was beginning to cramp. Her arm and shoulder were going numb.

Thor was too close for her to simply roll all the way over to her other side, facing him. She would have to roll in place.

If she did that and he wasn’t really asleep, he’d know she wasn’t either.

She was going to DIE if she didn’t move. Fire had begun to ignite in her leg muscles and it had nothing whatsoever to do with passion.

She rolled onto her back, took as deep a breath as she dared and held it, listening.

He continued to snore as if he was dead to the world.

She rolled her head in his direction, cracked an eye.

He appeared to be sleeping.

Quickly, she revised her plan. She could roll toward him, asleep, of course, throw her leg over him, maybe her arm….

She was on the point of rolling when he did--presenting her with his back.

Damn it!

She glared daggers at the back of his head.

She should just give up. It wasn’t going to work. If he realized she was doing it purposefully, he might just freeze her out.

She fumed about it a while and finally decided, the hell with it, she was going to get laid tonight, one way or another!

She rolled, coming up snugly against his back.

He’d stopped snoring.

She couldn’t decide whether it was because he’d rolled onto his side, or if she’d woke him.

Finally, she slid her arm causally around his waist. Had he tensed? His breathing rhythm changed?

She reached around him, feeling for a flaccid member. Her fingers closed around a cock that was rock hard and ready.

Her breath left her as if she’d been punched in the chest.

For several moments she wasn’t certain what to do. She couldn’t very well pretend to be massaging him in her sleep. Could she?

The hell with it. So he knew she was awake, damn it!

She slid her hand down his shaft, cupped his testicles, massaging them gently. They drew up into a hard, tight ball. She slid her hand up again, rubbing his member in a gentle gliding motion, up, down.

His breathing became harsh, irregular.

She lifted her head, brushed her lips against his neck then tasted him with her tongue, licking along his neck to his ear. She came up on her elbow to reach his ear, catching the lobe between her teeth, biting down gently, tracing the convoluted shell with her tongue and all the while she allowed her hand to move over his erection, massaging him.

When she lifted her head, he rolled over, staring up at her.

She gazed back at him, wanting him to see in her eyes that she wanted him, loved him, that she was asking for forgiveness.

He said nothing.

She had not expected it to be easy.

After a moment, she allowed her gaze to follow her hand, watching as she massaged him.

He truly was magnificent.

She moved over him, took his hard shaft into her mouth, suckling before she began a rhythm, pushing him all the way into her mouth, then slowly lifting her head and allowing him to slide out again.

He groaned, pushing his fingers through her hair, gripping her head, guiding her.

He was huge.

After a few moments, her jaws began to ache. She persisted, determined to pleasure him in the one way she knew men loved best.

A rumbling growl emerged from his huge chest. His fingers tightened almost painfully in her hair, tugging.

She lifted her head to look at him, but did not release him, merely ran her tongue over the head of his shaft.

He grasped her shoulder, pushing her back onto the bed and following her. She spread her legs, welcoming him as he came over her, lifting her hips. He pushed inside her without a pause, slipping with little resistance through her wetness. She clutched his shoulders, trying to pull him close. He resisted, holding himself away from her with locked arms, staring down at her as he thrust into her over and over.

She was disappointed, but soon forgot it as she felt the pleasure building in her body. She gasped as she neared climax, closing her eyes.

She was on the verge of climax when he abruptly pulled away from her. Her eyes flew open, but before she could protest, he rolled her over, lifting her until she was on her knees, thrusting inside her. With his first thrust, he struck her G-spot and Alexis cried out, feeling her stomach muscles clutching at him, spasming with pleasure. She grasped the sheets in her fists, burying her face against the soft bedding to smother her cries of release as it washed over her in waves.

Her climax set his off. He thrust into her over and over again, a ragged cry torn from his throat that sent shivers racing down Alexis’ spine. Finally spent, he stopped, breathing hard, raggedly.

Alexis’ knees gave way and she collapsed onto the bed on her side, gasping.

After a moment she realized that Thor had not lain down beside her. She looked up at him.

He was standing beside the bed, breathing hard, his expression unreadable.

Without a word, he turned and strode from the room.

Stunned, Alexis watched him leave, unable to think of anything to say.

Slowly, a knot of misery formed in her throat. “Well,” she murmured. “I did manage to crack that shell, didn’t I?”

She wondered, however, why she felt like pure hell.

Chapter Eleven

When thirty minutes, and then an hour passed and Thor had not returned. Alexis rose, turned on the lamp beside the bed.

It was late, but she didn’t think she could sleep to save her life.

She got up finally, went into the bathroom.

She wasn’t certain exactly what she had expected the first time she’d made use of the facilities, but it had been nothing at all like she could’ve imagined. The bathroom was most definitely not archaic. It was also not modern, as in anything she was accustomed to. It actuality, it looked like something out of the far distant future.

The shower did not spray water. She wasn’t certain what it did spray. It didn’t actually look like a liquid, but rather more like some sort of particles. Regardless, it did not disappoint. She felt as clean, refreshed and invigorated when she used it as she would have if it had been a traditional hot water shower.

She still wished, as she stepped inside, that she had a plain ‘old fashioned’ shower where she could’ve turned it up full blast and allowed the water to beat her misery away.

She pulled a filmy gown from the armoire when she’d finished, pulled it over her head and climbed into bed.

She was certain she could not sleep, but within minutes she knew nothing.

She awoke sometime later, groggy, disoriented and uncertain of exactly what it was that had awakened her.

Then she felt a hand settle on her hip.

Her heart leapt with joy. “Thor!”

She rolled onto her back.

Adonis was lying beside her, a strange smile playing about his lips.

“Adonis! What are you doing here?”

“I came for a visit.”

“But ... but, you can’t! My god! If Thor catches you…!”

Adonis shrugged. “It is not likely. I saw him stalk out a couple of hours ago. He seemed … angry.”

Alexis bit her lip. “Really?”

Adonis nodded, reached up before Alexis could protest, grasped her band and tossed it across the room.

“What are you--!”

He touched her forehead with a fingertip.

Alexis wilted back against the pillows like a deflating balloon. She stared up at Adonis in incomprehension, fighting the urge to give in to the lethargy.

He stood up, looking down at her, still with that faint, oddly disturbing smile. After a moment, he sighed, reached down and grasped the neck of her gown. The tug as the fabric resisted and finally split, jostled Alexis, rousing her fractionally from her semi-stupor. She frowned, concentrated, finally managed to move her arm to cover herself.

He wagged his finger at her. “I can’t allow that. If you persist in resisting the mind hold, I’ll have to tie you.”

Alexis’ eyes widened. He was mad. He had to be.

He laughed. The laugh sounded strangely familiar. But not at all like Adonis.

He leaned over her, touched her forehead again and Alexis felt herself sinking deeper, felt her resistance failing as her mind began to wander aimlessly.

Dully, she watched while he carefully arranged her on the bed, spreading her legs.

The action was so reminiscent of her earlier attempt at a seduction that it clicked in her mind despite her inability to focus completely, to connect her thoughts. She knew, suddenly, what his intentions were.

She tried to pull her legs up to protect herself and found that she couldn’t. With an effort, she rolled her head to the side and looked down, discovering, to her consternation, that he’d tied her.

He moved over her, looked down at her distastefully and thrust inside her so hard he lifted her from the bed.

Her body had not prepared the way for penetration. Her flesh, like the gown, resisted. She felt it tearing from the assault and, despite the mind hold, a scream of pain fought it’s way past her frozen vocal chords. She tensed as she waited for the next thrust, too frightened to realize that she might have spared herself some of the pain if she could have relaxed her muscles, too disoriented in any case to wield that much control over her body without the ability to focus.

If possible, it was more painful than the last and she realized it was intended to be as brutal as he could possibly make it. She just didn’t understand why.

Alexis felt herself sinking toward oblivion when the assault stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Her gaze followed as Adonis rose from her and flew across the room, striking the wall and then sliding down it.

She stared at him a moment, uncomprehending, and then the image of Thor swam before her eyes. She blinked, looking up at him, feeling relief flood through her as she realized that he was really there.

He looked down at her, his face a mask of barely controlled rage that sent a bolt of renewed fear through her. She flinched as she saw his hand coming toward her, but he only brushed her cheek gently with one shaking finger before he straightened, turning to look at Adonis.

She knew as he turned toward Adonis that he meant to kill, not subdue him. Dimly, she was aware of the need to try to stop him, but she could neither move nor speak.

He didn’t move as Adonis climbed to his feet, merely stood rigidly still, glaring at him.

Adonis stared at him a moment, a look of dawning horror washing over his face. He screamed, “No!”, thrusting his hands out before him as if to ward off a blow.

Baffled by Adonis’ behavior, Alexis’ gaze moved to Thor’s sword, but it remained at his side, untouched. She noticed then that the walls had begun to quake, the furniture shuddering. The air directly in front of Thor wavered, rippled.

Alexis stared at it, thinking at first that it was some trick of her mind or blurring vision, but it became more substantial as she watched. Like the widening rings in a puddle of water when one drops a stone into it, or a whirlpool, the rippling waves of air abruptly rushed toward Adonis. Adonis fell to his knees, covering his head. The wall behind him disintegrated. The furniture on either side of him disappeared into particles of dust.

Quite suddenly, it was no longer Adonis, but Helen who sat cowering in the corner, untouched as if caught up in the eye of a hurricane.

The funnel vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. Thor stared at Helen in stunned disbelief, but after a moment, his fury returned. He strode toward her, gripped her head in his hand. She fell unconscious at his feet.

Thor looked down at her a moment then turned and strode toward Alexis. Snapping the cords at her ankles, he gathered her up in his arms. The pain, held at bay by the mind hold, flooded through her in blinding waves when Thor touched her forehead, releasing her.

Helen! Stunned disbelief and abhorrence washed through Alexis. Helen had transformed into Adonis only to rape her? Why?

Alexis squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memory, trying to block out the awful pain. Had Helen hurt the baby? Had that been the plan?

A different fear rushed through her and a terrible dread. She hadn’t realized until that moment, when it occurred to her that she might loose it, how precious the child was to her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the thought of losing it, realizing finally that the wetness she felt between her thighs was blood.

Thor smoothed the hair from her face, caressed her cheek.

“The baby, Thor. I think she’s killed our baby. Help me. Please.”

Thor turned, strode to the gaping hole that had once been one wall of his home and leapt through it.

Alexis gasped, expecting a jarring impact. Instead she heard a rush of air, the flap of great wings as he shifted. Within seconds they settled in the garden at Aurora’s home. The heavy oak door that led onto the garden fell to dust at Thor’s approach. He strode quickly down the corridor.

Aurora’s door flew open before they reached it. Aurora stood in the doorway, her face creased with anxiety.

“She can not heal herself,” Thor said in an anguished voice. “Help her mother.”

Chapter Twelve

Alexis wasn’t certain whether she was rendered unconscious by drugs, or mind control, or if she simply passed out from physical distress, but for some time she knew little of what was happening to her, rising only in brief snatches to the surface of consciousness before falling into the pit of darkness again. She heard snatches of conversation several times, but wasn’t certain whether it was real or imagined.
“No. Speak. Telepathy hurts her. She’s in enough pain already,” Aurora said quietly.

“Won’t that disturb her more?”

Alexis didn’t recognize the voice and wondered if it was a doctor.

She felt a hand stroking her cheek lightly and recognized it as Thor. A sense of peace settled over her and with it came darkness once more.

When Alexis woke again, she found that she was staring up at the ceiling in Thor’s bedroom. Disoriented, she wondered for several moments if she’d only had a hideous nightmare.

She twisted her head on the pillows, looking at the corner wall where Helen had been thrown in her ‘dream’. No gaping hole met her gaze, but after a moment, she realized that the materials were new. It had been repaired then.

It hadn’t been a nightmare … at least, not in the sense that it was something that frightened but could not hurt.

She felt her belly. It was useless, of course. She was, or had been, only a matter of days into her pregnancy. There had been no telltale sign of a child growing inside her womb.

But her stomach was sore. She tried not to think what that might mean.

Moira’s face appeared above her. She dropped the tray she held in her hands when she saw that Alexis was looking at her and raced from the room.

Alexis watched her departure in stunned surprise.

In a few moments, Aurora appeared in the doorway, hesitated, then moved across the room. Sitting on the side of the bed, she took Alexis’ hand. “How do you feel, child?”

“Sore,” Alexis admitted. “The baby?”

Aurora’s face crumpled and Alexis felt her heart skip a beat. “We don’t know yet. The physician believes there is a good chance the child still grows, but….”

Alexis nodded, unable to speak for the lump in her throat. “What happened to Helen?” she asked finally.

Aurora paled. “She is under house arrest. She….” Aurora broke off, collected herself. “She has broken the second law. The penalty is severe, particularly under the circumstances.”

“The second law?”

“No Atlantean shall falsify themselves in order to commit fraud.”

“You mean shift to appear as someone else?”

Aurora nodded. “But it was never anticipated that anyone might do so to commit such a … horrendous crime. The council has not been able to decide upon punishment. She may … be given death.”

Alexis gaped at her. “But … but nothing but murder deserves death, and not always even then. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances.”

Aurora looked at her sadly. “Child, you know very well that there are no extenuating circumstances here.”

“But she didn’t murder me.”

“She may have murdered your child. If the child survives, Helen will be allowed to keep her life.”

“It must be very hard for you. She’s your niece, isn’t she?”

Aurora nodded. “My great niece. But it is harder still that she threatened the life of my grandchild.”

She hadn’t imagined it then. Thor had called her mother, but Alexis had thought, perhaps, it was merely a term of endearment or respect. It seemed … physically impossible that Aurora could have born him.

Aurora’s smile was wry. “I should return your band before your thoughts lead you into trouble.”

Alexis blushed. She’d become so accustomed to the freedom of unrestricted thoughts that she’d forgotten Adonis … no Helen, had snatched it from her head.

Aurora took it from a drawer and returned, placing it on Alexis’ head. “We did not return it to you because we needed to monitor you while you were so ill.” She paused, seemed to collect her thoughts. “Thor is the result of our attempts at artificial birth—the only successful attempt. I had never born a child, still haven’t—he was conceived and incubated outside the womb. But he is still my child, born from my ovum, which we revitalized because I was already well beyond my childbearing years, fertilized and injected with the ‘perfect’ DNA. He was to be a superior being. At first, we thought we had erred badly. He possessed gifts even beyond our wildest imagining, but he had difficulty controlling his gifts, in particular his greatest gift.”

Alexis struggled up on one elbow, trying to sit up. Aurora frowned disapprovingly but helped her adjust her pillows. “What was the gift?”

“Sound.”

Alexis frowned, perplexed. “But, everyone can make sound.”

Aurora smiled. “Did you know that your scientists had learned, in recent years, that dolphins were capable of emitting sound waves that are so powerfully intense they produce heat? That they can use this ability to kill when threatened? Your science is only beginning to realize the potential of sound, to utilize it now in medicine.

It was this gift we gave Thor, the power to harness sonic waves, project them. We had no idea of how powerful a weapon we had made him until the first time he tried to use it.

The results were … horrific. He could not control the intensity or focus. He leveled all within his path, reducing it to dust. For a time, he was afraid to use it, even when we needed his protection. We, too, were afraid.

Over time, he has learned to control it better, but it is still the one gift we all fear most, even Thor.”

Stunned, Alexis could only stare at her for several moments, realizing that the event Aurora spoke of had to have happened long ago. “God of thunder.”

Aurora flushed, looked uncomfortable. “The young are prone to irresponsibility. It hardly seems just to judge someone on their childish antics, particularly when—if—they mature to become a very responsible adult. Thor was a precocious child, but he was never cruel and he has grown into a good, honest, responsible man.”

“It wasn’t a judgment, and you’re right, I doubt many people could boast of making no bad decisions when they were young and inexperienced. I was mostly thinking out loud, because I had guessed … but it seems almost inconceivable. He could not be that old, surely?”

Aurora chuckled. “Indeed he is not … probably older than you think … but no, nor am I, I might add,” she said dryly. “But the world, in any time, was his playground, and, indeed, he was not the only one who played such … inexcusable tricks.”

Alexis had trouble absorbing it, but found after some moments that it just seemed too unreal to accept. It made no difference, really. Thor was Thor, the man she’d come to know, to love. “This power you spoke of—he used it to….”

Looking more than a little relieved that Alexis had moved on, Aurora nodded. “And worse, he did so while in the grips of a fearful rage. It is nothing short of a miracle that he was able to exercise control. He has left us for a time. Once he saw that you were going to be all right, he said that he had to try again to find the rebels … and, of course, he does. We have learned that they have managed to develop a band that protects them even from Thor, to whom our bands are as nothing. But, more than that, Thor was badly shaken, by his failure to prevent your injury, by the events that led up to it, by the events that followed. He needed time to be alone with his thoughts."

Alexis stared at her. As intriguing as the thought was that Thor was distressed by her injuries, which might imply he still cared, another comment Aurora had made wiped everything that came before, and after, from Alexis’ mind. “The bands are as nothing? Are you telling me Thor … Are you saying Thor could read my … a person’s mind even if they were wearing the band?”

Aurora looked surprised, then a smile began to form. “You did not know this?”

Alexis felt heat rise to her cheeks until they seemed to pulsate with each heart beat. “No, I did not know this, damn it! Nobody told me this!”

Aurora tried to keep a straight face, but a chuckle escaped her. “Child! What thoughts have you shared with Thor?”

She was obviously delighted by the prospect. Alexis glared at her, not amused in the least. “It isn’t funny!”

Aurora shook her head, but she couldn’t refrain from chuckling. “You did not try to block his mind probe once you began to wear the band?”

Alexis slid down in the bed, covering her head with the sheets, trying frantically to remember all the thoughts that had run through her mind from the time she’d moved back in with Thor.

Not that it mattered. She could remember enough to make her wish she could find a nice, deep, dark hole to crawl into.

She didn’t know who she wanted to choke worse, Aurora or her son.

* * *

Thor was not absent long, nor did he stray far from her, not that Alexis cared. She was too busy sulking over her humiliation. She felt like a blind woman who’d been handed a sheet of clear film and been told she could cover herself with it … exposed, and deceived.

She supposed it was merely an oversight that she had not been warned, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Aurora had had an ulterior motive for not telling her the band was useless around Thor.

She had to wonder if the walls of his house even helped. She recalled that he’d told her once that the walls would shield her from most, which she should have realized was a warning of sorts. He hadn’t said everyone, just most.

Damn it! It wasn’t fair! They knew she didn’t understand the half of what was going on in Atlantis, that she was not used to any of their abilities, or their traditions. And yet she’d been judged by her thoughts, and her actions, as if she was one of them and knew better.

The only bright spot in what had otherwise become a miserable existence, was that, as the days turned into weeks, she realized that her baby still resided safely in her womb, healthy and growing.

Alexis, almost unconsciously, treated Thor to a taste of his own medicine when he returned. She was angry with him for knowing her unguarded thoughts, and embarrassed about her own thoughts and actions. She didn’t decide to repay in kind for the cold shoulder he’d treated her to before the attack. She simply could not bring herself to speak to him, and she was too busy guarding her thoughts from him to allow for much else anyway.

After the third night of staring at her back, Thor rolled onto his side, grasped her and hauled her against him. She resisted, for all the good it did. She fumed about it for several minutes, but she realized fairly quickly that she had missed the sense of security she felt when she was cuddled close to him. She relaxed after a few minutes, drifting toward sleep.

“You are angry with me?”

Alexis roused, trying to make sense of the question. “An understatement if I ever heard one,” she said finally.

“Because I broke my word and failed to protect you.”

“Dolt,” Alexis said succinctly.

Thor was silent for several minutes. Alexis sensed he was wrestling with confusion. “Not because of that?” he asked tentatively.

“No.”

“Why then?”

Alexis did not want to bring it up. She wanted to forget it had ever happened.

She felt his lips brush her shoulder. They were curled in a smile.

“If you say another word,” Alexis threatened, “I swear I’ll choke you.”

A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “You could not.”

“Try me.”

He nipped her shoulder with his teeth. “You would strangle the man you adore?”

Alexis flopped onto her back, glaring up at him as he came up on one elbow, supporting his head with his hand so that he could look down at her. “I do NOT adore you! You are the most … the most annoying man I have ever known in my life!”

He reached up to brush her hair from her cheek, caressing her lightly with his fingers. “I thought … It seemed to me that you cared for me a little.”

Alexis’ lips pursed, she tried to roll back over on her side.

Thor stopped her.

Alexis stared up at him, feeling her anger dissolve into nothingness at the barely concealed anxiety in his expression. A knot of emotion formed in her throat, making it difficult to swallow, or to speak. “I love you,” she said finally. “I know you probably don’t believe me after … after, but I do.”

Thor touched her lips. “Shhh. I was … wounded, and angry because it caused me such pain, but I have loved you from the first moment that I saw you. I do not think that I could withhold forgiveness even if I desired to do so. In truth, it has caused more pain even to try.”

“Really?” Alexis said doubtfully. “From the first?”

Thor nodded.

“Even though….”

Thor frowned. “Perhaps not the very first moment.”

Alexis sighed deeply. “I didn’t think so.”

Thor studied her a moment. “Truthfully, I thought that you were the most beautiful creature that I had ever seen in my life the first time I looked upon you. In that moment, I wanted you. I was—jealous that Adonis had you.”

Alexis blushed, pleased but still doubtful. It would have been a little easier to believe if he hadn’t laid it on so thick.

He touched her face, made her look at him. “Heart, mind, body, soul, the most beautiful. On my life, I swear it.”

Alexis squirmed uncomfortably. “So when did you really fall in love with me?”

“When you defied me,” Thor responded, grinning.

Alexis’ brows rose. “Which time?”

“The first time, when I commanded you to come with me and you spoke foul words to me.”

Alexis laughed. “You’re joking.”

He shook his head solemnly.

“You were smitten?”

“To be honest, I thought for several moments that you had put a mind hold upon me. I could not think clearly at all.”

Alexis knew he had to be teasing her, but it sounded good. “Even after what I did at the coliseum?”

“Even after you stunned me by kicking me in the head,” Thor said, laughing.

“I am sorry. I didn’t really want to hurt you. I just wanted to get away.”

Thor seemed to debate with himself a moment. “You did not stun me, at least not in the way that you thought.”

“Liar!”

He smiled faintly. “It is the truth. I swear it.”

Alexis frowned. “Then how, exactly, do you mean?”

“I had never seen the like of it … that jump and kick. If my reflexes had been a little slower, I think you might, truly, have felled me, but you only grazed me. I was more stunned by what you had tried to do. I could only stare after you in wonder as you took flight.”

Alexis was indignant, not the least because he sounded as if he was teasing. “You’re saying you LET me?”

“Not … precisely.”

“That was low, really low. Letting me think I had a chance.”

Thor frowned. “Now you are angry with me again. I will begin to fear to speak.”

Despite her irritation, Alexis couldn’t help but be amused. “Right.”

“Truly,” Thor said, almost with complete sincerity.

“I don’t believe you’re afraid of anything. You’ve no reason to be, after all.”

Thor shook his head. “I do not fear death. I do not fear physical injury. But I do fear the pain only you can inflict.”

“Me?”

“You. Only you can break my heart. I love you.”

Chapter Thirteen

Alexis lifted her hand, cupping the back of his head and pulling him down so that his lips met hers. He teased her, resisting her effort to deepen the kiss, merely brushing his lips tantalizingly over hers.

“Make love to me,” she whispered against his lips.

Thor lifted his head. “I dare not.”

Alexis looked at him blankly, certain, at first, that he must be joking. “Why?”

“You are not healed, Alexis. I could hurt you. I could hurt our babe,” he said quietly.

“Oh,” Alexis said, disconcerted that she hadn’t thought of that herself, but then her mind had been elsewhere, and she hadn’t felt so much as a twinge of pain in the past day or two. “You wouldn’t,” she insisted after a moment.

“You do not know this,” Thor said gently.

He was right, unfortunately. She didn’t know. She thought it would be all right, but she couldn’t be completely certain.

She sighed, deeply regretful. “You’re right. We should wait until the doctor says it’s safe.”

Thor settled back, pulled her close and began stroking her back. Several moments passed in silence. “I could pleasure you,” he said tentatively.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, but Alexis realized that it had little appeal at the moment. What she really wanted, needed, was to feel him inside of her, possessing her so that the ugly memory of her rape would begin to fade.

“No. We’ll wait.”

He tipped her chin up, brushed his lips lightly across hers. Alexis felt her lips tingle pleasantly at his touch, felt a welcome and familiar stirring in her lower belly. Her lips parted in invitation, her breath catching in her throat as he plucked lightly at her lower lip, sucking it gently into his mouth. He released her lower lip, his tongue skating across the sensitive flesh, then caressing her upper lip.

The pent-up breath Alexis had forgotten she was holding rushed from her lungs and with it the tension she hadn’t realized was there, replaced by a far more pleasant tension of expectancy as he plunged his tongue inside her mouth to explore the sensitive inner recesses.

His kiss was a slow, gentle caress, his hand equally gentle as it skated along her back, cupped her buttock, then traveled down her thigh, moving restlessly, aimlessly, as if he were a blind man, learning the feel of her skin, the suppleness of her flesh, each curve and hollow.

Alexis’ heart thudded into overtime as he moved his hand up along her thigh and cupped her sex, delving inside with one finger.

He released her lips, making his way slowly down the length of her body with mouth and tongue, kindling a higher and higher fire in her blood as he lingered over her breasts with a thoroughness that had her struggling to catch her breath, drunk with desire, boneless and at the same time taut with building tension.

The muscles of her stomach, hypersensitive now to his lightest touch, jerked as he moved over her belly, nipping her with his teeth, lathing her with his tongue. She waited, breathless with anticipation as his mouth moved over her lower belly, his teeth gently nipped the ultra sensitive flesh at the top of her thighs.

He stopped, lifted his head to look at her. His expression was harsh with desire. His eyes gleamed as he held her for several heartbeats with his gaze. He grasped her legs, spreading her thighs and kneeling between them. Sitting back on his feet, he placed his palm on her belly, hesitated for several moments, then moved his hand down, parting the folds of flesh in her sex, rubbing the tiny nub that was her pleasure center.

Her eyes slumberous, she watched him as he studied her.

He caught her gaze, held it as he lowered his head, replacing his hand with his mouth.

Alexis gasped, gripped two handfuls of the sheets, dug her heels into the mattress at the onslaught of incredible pleasure emanating from his tongue as he teased her clit, sucked it.

Pleasure rose inside her like the tide, higher and higher until she was gasping for air, her mouth parched, her head swimming. She hovered at the edge of ultimate pleasure for so long she thought she would die of it. And suddenly she knew what she needed to take her over the precipice.

She grasped his cheeks, sitting up as he lifted his head, leaning forward to kiss him. She tasted herself on his lips. It was wildly erotic, escalating her desire. When she ended the kiss, she twisted around, lowered herself to the bed and took his engorged member into her mouth, lavishing it with her attention. He groaned, leaned over her and began to make love to her with his mouth once more.

She found as she moved her mouth over him that she was moving beyond the plateau of pleasure she’d been hovering on, climbing higher still. She suckled his member as her climax caught her. She felt him go rigid, trying to hold back. She wouldn’t have it, catching his buttocks in her hands to hold him to her, suckling harder as he tried to pull away. He groaned as if he were being tortured, and then she felt his hot juices against the back of her throat as he climaxed. She held him until he stopped shuddering.

When she lifted her head at last, he fell weakly to his side, gasping.

He was looking at her, his eyes still glazed with spent passion. “That was … not necessary.”

A faint smile curled Alexis’ lips. “Oh, but it was.”

He gripped her arms, pulling her down and tucking her snugly against his body. “I wanted to give you pleasure.”

“I wanted to give it in return,” Alexis said, pleased with herself. She had never done that before. She hadn’t realized she would enjoy it so much, but the truth was, feeling his pleasure had heightened her own considerably.

His hand was still shaking as he began to rub her back once more.

* * *

Alexis lived for the moment. She didn’t realize that she had simply refused to do anything else until Aurora asked when she and Thor would wed.

Alexis kept her smile with an effort, glad that Thor was far away—hopefully too far to ‘hear’ her thoughts—glad that she was wearing her band.

“We haven’t discussed it yet,” she said evasively.

“But--you will not wait until the child is born, surely?” Aurora demanded. “If you do not feel strong enough yet to make arrangements, I would do this for you.”

Alexis could see the hope in the older woman’s eyes, knew she was trying to hide the fact that it was something she desperately wanted to do. Alexis would gladly have given her the task, only to make her happy, except for one major stumbling block.

As much as Alexis loved Thor, she had also loved her father. She could not allow his killer to run free. Eric had stolen her father’s golden years, deprived her of many years she could have shared with him, deprived her child of the chance to know a grandfather. Her love for Thor didn’t—couldn’t change anything. She still had to find a way to go back. She didn’t know what would happen after that. Maybe she would be allowed to return—she desperately hoped she would. But, regardless of possible consequences to herself, it had to be done.

“We haven’t decided yet, and, with Thor chasing rebels it could be quite a while, but I’d like for you to plan the wedding, whenever it takes place. I don’t have a clue about the Atlantean traditions.”

For a moment, Alexis thought Aurora might jump up and shout her delight like a young girl, but she merely threw her arms around Alexis, hugging her tightly. “You are the daughter of my heart, Alexis. Know that I am beyond joyful that you will be my daughter by marriage.”

From out of no where, tears sprang up to sting Alexis’ eyes. She blinked them back with an effort. “I love you too, Aurora.”

Aurora released her, patting her knee. “I must begin making plans. Thor is the Guardian. We must have an elaborate celebration. It will be tedious for the two of you, I know, but everyone will expect it to be an especial event.”

Alexis was relieved when Aurora left.

It was hard to maintain a facade of happiness under the circumstances. Thor had not actually asked her to marry him. She hadn’t wanted to tell Aurora that because she didn’t want him prodded to ask. If he hadn’t asked, then he still had some doubts about it.

She wasn’t angry about it. The truth was, she wasn’t entirely convinced that she was cut out to be an Atlantean. Thor wasn’t meant for anything else. She was twenty six, not sixteen, no starry eyed teenager who believed love conquered all. As much as she loved Thor, as much as he seemed to love her, they were from two very, very different worlds and she had to wonder if marriage would only lead to heartbreak and disaster for both of them.

She would be willing to take the chance, if Thor decided it was what he wanted, but she couldn’t shake her doubts.

In any case, her focus at the moment was on returning to her world to settle matters. She had run out of options. In point of fact, she had never really had any. There simply was no way out of Atlantis unless she could convince an Atlantean to take her.

She had decided Thor was her best—her only hope.

She fully intended, when he returned, to begin her campaign to convince him.

She was in the garden rehearsing her campaign when the sounds of civil war erupted.

Alexis had become so accustomed to the silence of tranquillity that the explosion of sound almost made her heart stop. She fell to her knees, covered her ears as the sound of a thousand, ten thousand screaming people erupted around her.

Chapter Fourteen

Thor had made very little headway in discovering the rebel compound. He had assured himself, however, that the threat, should it come, would not be from Atalantium, but one of her sister cities.

Since he could no longer trust that he would be alerted telepathically in the event of an attack, he had stationed sentries around the city to help him watch for trouble.

He was speaking with the members of the council when the alarm went up, from first one, then another, and then yet another of his sentries.

Thor left them abruptly, rushing up the tower of the council building to the observation deck. Few buildings in Atalantium were as tall as the council building, none taller. The tower offered the point of greatest visibility.

He was staring, grimly, in the direction of Oceianus when Aurora, breathless from the climb, joined him.

He pointed to what appeared, at first, to be a dark cloud moving toward the city.

Aurora stood beside him, watching as the cloud slowly resolved itself into a horde of flying beasts. “So many! I had not thought….”

“They would not have attacked until they felt sure they had the numbers to insure a good chance of success. In truth, I had not expected they would launch an all out attack. I had expected clandestine tactics. There is no time, now, to summon my men.”

“What could they possibly hope to gain? Do they think they have only to take over the council to rule Atlantis?”

Thor looked down at her, his face grim. “I do not think they want only to rule Atlantis. I think they believe their gifts will give them the power to rule the world of the outworlders. I fear they’ve come to raise Atlantis.”

Aurora stared at him in shocked disbelief. “But … they can not! The mechanism would never hold! It is ancient. Even if it were not, we are thrice the number ever anticipated. The weight alone would destroy us. Atlantis would break apart.”

“I do not believe they will listen to reason, mother.”

“You must stop them! You can not allow them to capture it!”

“I can not stun them all. There are far too many. I await your orders, High Councilor.”

Aurora grasped his arm. “Destroy them then.”

Thor turned his attention to the advancing horde. “The dome could crack. Even if I could prevent that, half of Atalantium lies before me, in the path of destruction. I would be taking the lives of our own people.”

Aurora looked out over her beloved city, reluctant to give the order she knew Thor must have to proceed. “You are our only hope! Destroy them. They will surely destroy all of Atlantis if they succeed and all will be lost. Better to save those we can than that we allow all to die. We must call the people. They will have a chance, at least, if we warn them to seek safety.”

Thor nodded, turned to gaze out over the city. Aurora joined him, combining her ‘voice’ with his.

Beneath them, everyone stopped, looking up, too stunned with disbelief for several moments even to move.

Within a split second, the screams of thousands reached them as pandemonium broke out, people running in every direction in an effort to save themselves.

Thor transferred his attention to the approaching army. They were too close already. He dared not give his people much time or the destruction would be absolute.

Instinctively, he pulled his sword as the first wave reached the coast, but he realized he could not allow himself to be drawn away from what he believed was his enemy’s ultimate goal. If he went out to meet them, the citadel would be unguarded.

The mechanism lay beneath the citadel.

He sheathed his sword.

“Go, mother. Take the council below, to the chamber. If I fail, you must protect the mechanism. If you feel you can not, destroy it so that they can not use it.”

When she had gone, Thor turned to meet the army, lifting his arms, palms upward as he summoned the power, funneling it. The waves formed, rippled, inverting like a miniature cyclone as he sent it forth. The citadel, where he stood, shook from the force. Great pieces of the ramparts cracked, fell into the maddened crowd below, creating even more havoc. Before him, a swath of Atalantium fifty feet wide vanished as if it had never been, crumbling to dust. The handful of enthusiastic warriors who had led the first wave, caught flame, screamed, plummeted toward the sea.

The rebels fell back, regrouped. Minutes passed while they conferred, then they splintered into dozens of smaller groups and approached again.

Consternation filled Thor. It would take a massive wave to encompass them now that they had spread out. He dared not risk it, knowing the losses in terms of his own people would be massive. Instead he tried pounding at them with a barrage of smaller sonic blasts. But, with each bombardment, more of Atalantium lay in ruins, more crushed and maimed lay dead and dying.

When the rebels fell back once more, Thor knew what he had to do. He had to risk a wave that would destroy them all, that could destroy all of Atlantis. If he allowed them to spread their attack again, he would be forced to destroy Atalantium anyway, for he could only level the city, sending the waves in every direction at once and everyone around him would die, all those he had warned to flee to safety … Alexis.

He sought his inner strength, waited until they had reformed at a distance they thought safe. The air around him stilled. Slowly ripples formed and the air wavered. The ripples grew in size until the building he stood on began to disintegrate and he was standing on a precipice. He launched the wave at the rebels even as they began to scatter.

* * *

Alexis climbed to her feet, realizing Atalantium must be under attack. Unfortunately, she had no idea of the direction of attack, no idea where to run. Would she be safe in Thor’s home?

The ground beneath her feet shuddered as if in answer, shifting. Alexis looked down, terrified a fissure would open up and swallow her, certain it must be an earthquake.

Helen burst through the gate that led to the street, breathing hard, her eyes wide with fear.

Alexis stared at her, unable to believe for several moments that it could be Helen, that Helen had been released … or escaped. She watched uneasily as Helen made her way across the garden, stumbling each time the earth shook, but moving determined toward her.

“I have come to take you from Atlantis. To take you home.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Do you have a choice? Atlantis is doomed. If you do not come with me now, you will die with everyone else.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed. “I’ll take my chances with Thor and the others.”

Helen’s expression changed, hardened with malice. “He will not come for you. He is too busy trying to save his precious Atlantis.”

“He’s the protector of the people. I know he’ll do all he can to save Atlantis. He’ll come for me as soon as he can.”

Helen’s eyes narrowed. “Are you so anxious to die then? What happened to your vow to avenge your father? Or have you forgotten him? Does it take no more than a man between your thighs to deprive you of a will of your own?”

Alexis’ lips tightened. “I have not forgotten my father or my vow. But I wouldn’t trust you any further than I could throw you. If you thought I was stupid enough to fall for your offer, you’re not terribly bright.”

Helen shrugged. “It would have been easier if you had just cooperated, but you will go.”

Too late Alexis realized that Helen wasn’t looking at her at all. She was looking behind her. Alexis whirled as a creature, much like the one that had captured her before, swooped from the sky, his taloned feet extended to catch her.

She leapt aside, dashed for the door to the house. Helen caught her by her flying hair, almost pulling it from her scalp. Alexis whipped around, her arm locked and extended, her hand balled in a fist. She caught Helen square across the jaw, whipping her head sideways with the force of the blow. Her knees wobbled, gave way and she crashed to the ground.

Helen retained her grip on Alexis’ hair, however, pulling Alexis down with her. Before Alexis could disentangle herself, the beast was upon her. It grasped Alexis’ leg, pulling her off of Helen. Alexis kicked out at it, breaking it’s hold. As she scrambled to her feet, Helen caught her from behind in a mind hold.

Alexis’ legs went rubbery. The beast caught her as she fell. Gripping her tightly, it leapt into the air.

* * *

A great shout of triumph rose from the crowd as they saw the remnants of the band of rebels fleeing as fast as their wings could carry them, back toward the city of Oceianus. Weary from the energy he’d expended in warding off the attack, Thor sank to his knees, catching his breath as he watched them flee.

He needed to go after them, follow them to their lair.

He wanted to check on Alexis to be certain she was not harmed.

After a moment, he rose, shifted into a winged beast and followed the rebels.

He had almost reached the corridor that connected the cities when it occurred to him that something was not quite right. The rebels were fleeing, but they were making no attempt to shake him from their trail, no attempt to outdistance him. He slowed, stopped, looked back in the direction from which he’d come. When he turned toward Oceianus once more, he saw that the rebels had come to a halt, as well.

It dawned on him then.

The mechanism had not been the objective … not this time anyway. Alexis had been the target.

He had been puzzled by their strategy, but he had not put it together.

With a roar of fury, he sent a sonic wave toward the rebels, obliterating them.

He did not wait to see if any survived. Whirling mid-air, he soared toward Atalantium and his home. He saw them as he reached the outskirts of the city.

There were two of them. One held Alexis, barely conscious, the other—he knew it was Helen. She had shifted. She was wearing one of the bands the rebels had devised, but he knew.

He followed, hoping to catch them before they entered the exit tube, but he had expended far more energy than he was accustomed to. Despite his best efforts, he had gained on them only a little when he saw them shift from flying beasts to dolphins and dive beneath the water.

His heart lurched in his chest as Alexis disappeared beneath the water. An awful fear assailed him that they had not protected her, that she would die. He shook the thought off. The rebels had wanted her. They would want her alive. If it had been only Helen, Alexis would probably be dead already.

He flew low over the water, shifted into a merman and dove beneath the waves, following them.

He had no idea where they might be taking her, but they were taking her to the outside world. If he did not catch them soon, he could lose Alexis forever.

Grimly, he swam faster, gaining on them slowly. He didn’t dare use the sound waves against them for fear of harming Alexis. They would know that.

He was tempted to pull his sword, fire a bolt of lightening into the tunnel wall, but he could not be certain that it would only trap them. The walls could collapse upon them.

He was still a half a mile behind them when he saw them emerge from the tunnel.

By the time he, too, reached the opening, they’d disappeared.

He stopped, looking around him, probing the darkness.

He could not discern their thought waves, any of them.

That meant they’d placed a band on Alexis, as well.

Alarmed, for several moments he simply froze, unable to decide which way to go—knowing if he chose the wrong direction he would be giving them even more headway.

He summoned the dolphins.

In moments, three had encircled him, bobbing their heads, chattering. He sent them each to search in a different direction. That left two for him. After a moment, he decided to swim toward the surface. Atlanteans were land creatures. Regardless of their ability to shift, they would have provided a place for themselves above water.

He flicked his tail, shooting toward the surface.

As he neared the surface, he heard the distant sound of a motor. He stopped, turning slowly until he could discern the direction.

He smiled grimly. A boat. He struck off in the direction the sound had come from. Two of the dolphins joined him, told him what he’d already guessed, that the rebels had taken Alexis aboard a small boat.

They cavorted around him playfully for some minutes, but finally dropped away, returning to their own business.

The roaring of the engine became steadily louder, assuring Thor that he was closing the distance and still headed in the right direction.

Quite suddenly, however, the engine stopped.

Thor surfaced.

The boat had pulled alongside a ship at anchor.

Thor studied it for several moments, probing for thought waves.

He uttered a curse. It was a passenger vessel, filled with outworlders.

He should have known it wouldn’t be so easy, that they would have anticipated the possibility that he might follow.

He could not allow the outworlders to see him. They would know that. They would feel safe now, less guarded.

Thinking quickly, he dove once more, shifted into a great shark and rammed the small boat. The boat shuddered, rocked, but remained upright. Above, he could hear screams as the people on the vessel spotted him.

A man raced from the railing. He was back in moments with a gun, firing wildly into the water all around the boat.

Thor circled, propelled himself toward the small craft like a torpedo, cracking the hull, tipping the boat. Helen, Alexis and the unidentified rebel, who’d been trying to board the vessel, pitched over the side the boat and into the water.

It was what Thor had been waiting for, but he knew he had to move quickly or Alexis would drown.

He caught Alexis carefully in his jaws and dove, shifting as he gained distance, forming a capsule of air around her to protect her.

He surfaced when he’d put a few miles between them and the ship, shifting once more into a merman, releasing Alexis from the capsule of air. She sank like a stone. Catching her, he touched her forehead to release her from the mind hold.

She didn’t respond.

Chapter Fifteen

“Alexis!”

Alexis heard someone calling her, but it sounded like they were far away, or speaking through a tunnel. There was urgency in the voice, and she felt a spark of recognition, but somehow she couldn’t rouse enough interest to try to respond. She was so cold! So tired! All she wanted to do was find warmth and sleep.

She was drifting away when she heard her name called again.

It took a supreme effort to lift her eyelid.

She saw it was Thor. That was good. It was a relief. She’d had an awful nightmare, but it was all right now. She drifted again. This time she was shaken until she felt her head flopping around on her neck.

She pried both eyelids open. “Wha?”

Thor’s face swam before her eyes. It took her several moments to bring him into focus. As she struggled to do so, however, she became aware of the fact that she was freezing cold, and wet.

How did she get wet? she wondered vaguely.

“Alexis. Are you all right?”

Alexis frowned. Stupid question. She was cold, wet. She wanted to go home. She couldn’t figure out what she was doing in the water. She thought about it for a couple of minutes. Oh yeah! Eric—the snake—had thrown her off the damned ship.

Somehow that didn’t seem quite right, though. She thought about it some more. There was something … something. An image of huge jaws coming at her filled her mind. Her heart leapt into overtime and she started screaming, clawing at Thor in an effort to climb out of the water.

He grasped her tightly. She felt his hand touch her face and suddenly she was drifting again. She stopped fighting, settled against him. He was warm.

I want to go home, she thought plaintively.

She felt herself rising up, as if she’d suddenly become weightless. Cold air blew against her wet skin. Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably. It was the last thing she remembered.

When she woke up, she was staring into a bright light.

“Alexis!” someone said. “There you are! No! Don’t go back to sleep.”

Someone was patting her cheeks, slapping them lightly.

Annoyed, she opened her eyes again.

“Atta girl! Stay with me now.”

She was moving, she saw. Above her she could see row after row of bright fluorescent lights whipping by.

“Where?”

“Saint Johns. It’s OK. You’re going to be OK now. Are you listening? Don’t go back to sleep, Alexis.”

“Where’s?”

“The man that brought you in? He’s in the waiting room. Just hang in there like a good girl and we’ll let you see him in a little while.”

They rolled the gurney she was on into a small room. Overhead, more bright lights from flourescents beamed down at her, and then a brighter lamp was shoved in her face and someone bent over her.

A blood pressure cuff was slapped around her arm and pumped up until she felt like it would crush her arm. Slowly the air was released from it, but the cuff remained. A needle pricked her other arm in the bend of her elbow. A blanket was thrown over her, and then another. Warmth began to seep into her frozen limbs.

“Blood pressure’s low … a few abrasion’s here. Look’s like she’s got an interesting little goose egg on her head here. Concussion, you think?”

Someone pried her eyelids up and flicked a flashlight in her eyes.

“Hey. What’s your name? Tell me your name?”

That was stupid! They’d been calling her Alexis every few minutes. Surely they knew her name, but the guy didn’t seem to want to leave her alone. “Alexis,” she murmured.

“What day is it, Alexis?”

“How hell should I know! Thought it was night,” she snapped, feeling thoroughly provoked.

He grinned at her. “OK. How many fingers am I holding up?”

It took an effort to open her eyes, focus. “Two.”

“Good girl!”

Why was everybody talking to her like she was a moron? Alexis wondered in irritation.

“I don’t think she’s concussed, but take her to x-ray and let’s have a look.”

“The guy that brought her in said she was pregnant.”

“How far?”

“A month, maybe, six weeks tops.”

“Wait on the x-ray then.”

The blood pressure cuff was pumped up again.

Every few minutes someone would touch her face, pat her cheeks until she opened her eyes and looked at them.

Her teeth finally stopped chattering.

She drifted off again after a while. The movement of the gurney woke her. She opened her eyes and discovered that she was in the hall again, and then an elevator and finally another room. They parked her gurney beside a bed. She was rolled onto the bed. A sheet and light blanket were pulled up and tucked around her.

A woman appeared beside her carrying a needle. “I’m going to give you something to help you sleep. You’re going to feel a pinch.”

It was a hell of a lot more than a pinch.

She could’ve slept without the damned shot if they’d just let her, she thought indignantly.

In a few minutes, however, she began to drift away again and her anger faded away with her thoughts.

When Alexis opened her eyes again, Thor was standing over her.

He smiled at her and her heart executed a little flip flop of happiness. “Why, hello handsome. They let you wander loose in a place like this?”

He looked puzzled. “They have not said I could not.”

Alexis chuckled, shook her head. “Never mind. Just a joke.”

He still looked confused.

“With all these sick women in here, I’m not sure their hearts can take it … seeing a gorgeous hunk of a man.”

He grinned. “I think you must still be a little confused.” He touched his head.

Alexis smiled wryly. “Actually, I am. I was beginning to think I’d dreamed … everything until I woke up and saw you. What happened? How did I get here?”

“You do not remember?”

Alexis frowned. A shiver skated over her. “Some of it … most of it. I just don’t remember getting here.”

“I brought you.”

“I gathered that,” Alexis said dryly. “Why? I mean, why here? Why didn’t you take me back to … well back.”

“You said you wanted to go home. You were … ill. I thought it best for you.”

Alexis stared at him. She wasn’t sure whether she was glad or sorry that she was back in her own world. On the one hand, she HAD wanted to come back. She had to do something about Eric. On the other hand, she had a bad feeling about Thor’s reasons for bringing her back.

“Aurora—the physicians would have taken care of me. Why didn’t you take me back there?”

Thor took her hand, studying it thoughtfully. As if it was infinitely fascinating, he lifted each finger and looked at it, caressed it and finally laid her palm against his own, studying their hands. Finally, he lifted her hand and kissed it. “You have almost died twice now, Alexis.”

“But I didn’t. It’s over now,” Alexis said, her mouth grown dry with a nameless fear.

Thor frowned. “Twice, I have almost lost you … not just because I failed to protect you, but because of me. I would far rather live without you and know you live, than to keep you with me and, perhaps, see you die.”

Alexis gaped at him. Before she could say protest, someone tapped on the door and entered.

Alexis stared at the two strange men who moved into the room and stood at the foot of her bed. “Who are you?”

The older of the two spoke. “I’m Detective Richardson. This is Detective Heikes. We just wanted to ask you a few questions about your accident.”

Alexis flicked a glance at Thor. “What accident?”

Richardson gestured at Thor. “Your friend here told us you were Alexis Stanhope. I checked it out. You were reported lost at sea almost two months ago, by….” He looked down at his notes. “Eric Stanhope. The story he gave us was that you’d fallen overboard, or, possibly, that you’d committed suicide.”

Alexis felt anger wash over her. “I’ll just bet he did.”

Richardson and Heikes exchanged a look. “We had you checked out. You’ve been positively ID’d as Alexis Stanhope. I’d be interested in hearing what you’ve got to say, if you feel up to it.”

“Eric threw me overboard.”

Richardson frowned. “You’re sure? Not that I doubt your word, Mrs. Stanhope, but sometimes, after an accident, people get strange ideas in their head. They’re confused, don’t remember anything very clearly.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my memory. We were standing at the prow of the ship. Eric stepped up behind me, told me he’d murdered my father. And then, before I could react, he struck me and threw me overboard.”

Again Richardson and Heikes exchanged a look. “Your husband murdered your father and then tried to murder you? Is that a correct statement?”

Alexis nodded. “My father wasn’t a wealthy man, but he had enough money to interest Eric, obviously. Once he’d killed my father, all he had to do was to get rid of me and he could have everything—the business, my father’s home, his stocks—he was worth three quarters of a million, at least.”

“Well, ma’am—not that I’m doubting your word, but something just doesn’t click here. If your husband threw you overboard in the middle of the ocean almost two months ago, how did you end up here? Where have you been all this time? And who is this guy? He told the staff here that he was related, but I can’t find any record of any relation by the name of Thorson.”

Alexis glanced at Thor worriedly. Thor shook his head ever so slightly, turned to look at Richardson and Heikes … giving them a hard stare.

The detectives returned his stare with piercing looks of their own. In moments, however, their eyes began to appear glazed, their facial muscles sagged and they stared blankly into space.

Surprised, Alexis glanced at Thor. “What happened?”

“They won’t remember I was here,” Thor said flatly.

Confusion flooded through Alexis and a terrible dread. “You’re going?”

Thor nodded. Bending, he kissed her lightly on her lips. “I love you, Alexis,” he said when he straightened, caressing her cheek lightly with his fingertips.

Alarm ran through Alexis. “Thor? You’ll come back for me? Promise!”

The pain in his expression told her without words that he wouldn’t. He touched a finger to her forehead. Despite her best efforts, Alexis felt herself sinking into a dark pit. An almost overwhelming sense of despair engulfed her.

“Forget,” Thor whispered.

Chapter Sixteen

The police were none too happy that Alexis could not remember where she’d been when she had been missing so long. They weren’t too happy about the fact that she couldn’t remember how she’d come to be at the hospital either.

The doctors shook their heads and decided she’d experienced some sort of trauma that had induced amnesia. They pointed out that it would’ve been enough of a shock when she fell, or was thrown, overboard to induce a mild amnesia. And, whatever had happened to her just before she’d been found had further traumatized her. They couldn’t find anything physically wrong with her so it was undoubtedly hysterical amnesia.

The DA was doubtful, but launched an investigation. Alexis was adamant, amnesia or not, and filed for a divorce even before she brought charges of attempted murder against her soon-to-be-ex-husband. The end result was that Eric had been arrested before Alexis left the hospital.

The wheels of justice ground slowly. Alexis was in her sixth month before Eric went to trial.

In his first trial, Eric was sentenced to ten years for assault and attempted murder.

A month later Eric and his accomplice, his wife, Sylvia Johnson, went to trial for the murder of Alexis’ father. That trial lasted two months. The DA failed to win a murder one conviction. Eric was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to forty years. His wife, Sylvia Johnson, received a sentence of twenty years.

Alexis was beside herself. She KNEW Eric and his wife had plotted her father’s murder. Unfortunately, despite what she told them, the investigators were unable to prove a plot to commit murder—not that they doubted her. But it required evidence to prove premeditated murder and they were unable to find that proof.

Finally, Alexis realized that she would have to accept the justice she’d been able to obtain. It wasn’t a full measure, but it was something.

Impending motherhood made it easier.

She had little understanding, or interest, in the construction company her father had left her. She sold it and placed the money in trust. She would have felt guilty about her decision if the company had held sentimental value for her father, but the fact was he had grown weary of the construction business long before he had enough money saved up to retire and turn it’s operation over to a job supervisor. He wouldn’t have expected her to keep it and try to run it herself. He would’ve been surprised if she’d even considered it.

That being the case, she decided to use the money to support her and her child so that she could be a full time parent. At least until her child was old enough to start school, she intended to devote herself to him. Afterwards—she didn’t know what she would do afterwards.

She walked daily, determined to make certain she was in good physical condition for her delivery. As she entered her last weeks, however, she found that walking was becoming more and more a penance, and less an exercise.

Foregoing the neighborhood walks, Alexis began to take a twice daily turn around the garden. She had begun to waddle as her body became more cumbersome, but it wasn’t her awkwardness that kept her close to the house. It was her certainty that she had no desire to be far from the phone when the time came.

She was reclining on a chaise in the garden, feeling, she was certain, and looking, like a beached whale, when she saw the man again.

It was the third time she’d seen him in as many months, trying to look casual as he leaned against a tree across the road and studied her surreptitiously.

It had frightened her the first time she noticed him. He was always dressed in leather, his hair long. She’d thought he must be a biker, or a thug.

For a moment she hesitated, trying to decide what to do. Finally, she rolled from the chaise and stood up. Unfortunately, her stomach muscles were stretched to capacity with the weight of her baby. Sudden shifts produced excruciating cramps. She caught her stomach, bending over. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut while she waited for the pain to subside.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder.

“Do you need help?”

Slowly, as the muscles relaxed fractionally, Alexis straightened, looking up at the man. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she met his gaze. Her thoughts scattered in confusion. “Why?” she managed to gasp out.

He frowned, perplexed.

Alexis felt a sob tearing at her throat. “Why did you leave me? Didn’t you love me enough?”

His expression contorted with pain for a moment before he subdued his emotions. “You mistake me, I think, for someone else.”

“Don’t! I know you! If I were blind, I’d still know your voice. If I were deaf, I would still know your touch.”

He swallowed with obvious difficulty, his expression uncertain now. “You do not know me.”

Alexis shook her head. “I thought I did. You said, once, that you loved me. Was it so easy to stop?”

He took a step back, white now. “You can not … remember.”

Alexis swallowed with difficulty. “I remember, Thor. I have always remembered. Why did you try to take that from me too? If you didn’t want me anymore, you should’ve at least left the memories, not tried to take them from me!”

Thor looked away. “It was because I loved you, more than my own life, more than my own happiness. I could not bear to cause you pain. I set you free because I loved you. I tried to take the memories so that you would only know happiness.”

Alexis went to him, placing a hand on each cheek, forcing him to look at her. “You did all of this for me? Because you love me?”

“Yes.”

“And I am free to choose?”

Thor studied her a long moment. “You felt you did not belong with me.”

Alexis shook her head slowly. “I think I always knew that I belonged with you. I just didn’t realize until you brought me back here that you were my home, where ever you are, where ever we stay.”

“You are certain?”

Alexis nodded.

Thor lifted his hand, touched her cheek. “I have wanted no one but you since I first saw you, wanted only to live my life with you, to grow old loving you. I want you for my wife, my life mate.”

Alexis studied him. “And will we grow old together?”

Thor nodded. “On my honor.”

“Then take me with you. Take me home. I want my son to know his father, who is the most wonderful human being I’ve ever known.”

Thor’s arms came around her, squeezing her so tightly against him that the baby began to kick furiously. He drew back, looked down at her rounded belly in surprise.

After a moment, he grinned, resting his hand against her belly, chuckling as he felt the baby pelting his hand.

His expression became pensive after a moment. “Only wonderful?”

Alexis frowned in incomprehension.

His lips twitched. “You thought, once, that I was magnificent.”

She tried to look disapproving, but a chuckled escaped her. Reaching down, she cupped his sex firmly. His eyes widened. “Absolutely magnificent. I think you are the most magnificent … swordsman that ever lived.” She released him, rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “But I love this part second best,” she murmured against his lips.

He laughed. Lifting her arms, he placed them firmly around his neck, then leaned down and scooped her into his arms. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.”

Her eyes widened. “Now?”

He nodded. “My son is anxious to see his father.”

“But … but … it’s broad daylight. Someone will see.”

Thor laughed. “But will they believe?”