Natasha? Love, are you all right?” Raif asked, his deep voice thick with concern and contentment.

I felt him snuggled behind me, rubbing a hand slowly up and down my arm. I was cradled protectively in his arms, facing the wall. I felt sore, and more at peace than I had any right to be. I was home for the first time in my life, and while I knew that thought should’ve terrified me, I was comforted by it. I turned in his embrace and looked at him. His face held an expression of peace that I subconsciously knew no one else had ever seen. I knew this was the man that held my heart. The man he’d been in front of the Council had been a façade to protect himself from the betrayal and politics of his life. I treasured being able to know the real Raif that he kept hidden from the rest of the world.

“That was amazing. If it’s always like that we’re likely to solve the problem of my destruction without the king’s interference. I’ve never felt this content before.” I smiled and kissed him slowly.

We enjoyed lazily exploring each other’s mouths. Our hands slowly traced paths down backs and up arms. It was a simple enjoyment of touch more intimate than anything else I’d ever experienced. I knew deep into the recesses of my being that I loved this man with my entire heart. I pulled away and looked at him. He’d felt my necklace on my back and pulled it forward. At its sight, he stiffened in my arms.

“Where did you get this?” His voice trembled.

“I was sitting on the beach looking out at the ocean when I realized I was holding it. I’d thought I was sifting through shells at the time. I just thought it was beautiful and unique.” My tone was a little defensive. For the first time since finding the stone, I felt uncomfortable wearing it. I started to take it off and he stilled my hands.

“Natasha, with what we have just shared I am going to demand that you do not play me for a fool. You did not get this on the surface. You got this from here. I know, because I made this after we sank and it has been missing. I had meant to place it on a chain for my future bride, but it was no longer in my box when I made the proper chain for it. I will ask you again, where did you find this?” His touch was no longer gentle and caring, but cold. I yanked the necklace off my neck and threw it at him as I jumped out of his bed.

“I am telling you the truth, asshole! I found the stupid thing on the shores of the Bimini Island and was captivated by it. I felt like it was a gift from the sea and I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. Even showing other people caused me to feel possessive over it. I bought this chain for it on the same island and haven’t been able to part with it since. I had no idea it was from here or that you’d made it. Since it’s that important to you, take the stupid thing back. I certainly don’t want to hold something that’s so obviously meant for someone else.” When I’d finished, I stormed into his bathroom to bathe so that he wouldn’t see me cry. I felt foolish, like an unruly child. Everything was so intense here, things happened so quickly and I hadn’t had time to think about anything. I had watched his face as I yelled at him and knew the moment he realized I was telling the truth, the emotions crossing his face confused and scared me. I didn’t hear him come in, with the water spraying my face, but felt his arms pull me close to his body.

“Forgive me, amada. I should have known that Poseidon sent it for you. He somehow knew you were meant for me and wanted to give us his blessing. I was just shocked to have seen it again. He must have known you were mine and claimed you as such before we met. It is yours; it always has been and always will be. You are my alma xemelga and I am yours. Please don’t cry. I was wrong to be angry with you.” He stroked my back in circles and lifted my chin so I could see his face. “I cannot bear to see you upset, amada. Forgive me?” He kissed me. I was having difficulty dealing with emotions that had been sealed away behind a wall for most of my life, and wasn’t comfortable with the vulnerability I felt around him. But I could no more hold a grudge against him than I could have held my bare hand in a flame.

After we’d showered, we dressed and laughed when both of our stomachs began growling. His kitchen was done in black marble and a darkly stained wood. I thought at this point the beauty of this place would have become normal, but I was wrong. There were herbs drying above the center counter as well as in the open pantry. I was surprised to see modern, if not higher-tech appliances in the kitchen of a man who seemed so comfortable with the archaic. Everything was gorgeous and would make the most seasoned chefs jealous.

I sat on a barstool and watched him move around the kitchen. I craved him on a base level that was disturbing in its intensity. Without doing anything, he was tempting.

“To understand the predicament we are in now, you must understand our history. You remember me telling you that when we were created the gods had divided the earth and created their lands to suit their needs?” He looked up with his piercing teal eyes and waited for affirmation.

It was luck that a nod was acceptable, as that was all I was capable of at that moment. All rational thought left me at the sight of his face framed by the inky black of his loose, wet hair. I attempted to hide my reaction from him, but the corners of his mouth still curved in a knowing grin.

“Well, there existed a time before that and a time even before that, which has been lost in its telling. The time before the division of lands was when the three brothers ruled the planet. Zeus commanded all living things, Poseidon, the land and the waters, and Hades was tricked by his brothers into ruling the underworld. Zeus shared the power of the humans’ love with his brothers and the lesser gods. As long as tribute was made to the three brothers, the lands prospered. The people worshiped Zeus and Poseidon, and they in turn rewarded the people with fertile lands and their protection. It was a relatively peaceful time and the gods, excluding Hades, were content to let things be.”

“Everyone’s heard this story. It’s a myth. The gods battled, Hades lost, they all disappeared,” I interrupted, hoping to lead him past a pseudo history lesson. He looked at me, withering any further desire for interruption.

“Hades had always prided himself on his cunning intellect and was incensed that Zeus and Poseidon had been able to trick him into ruling the underworld. He was the only god that did not benefit from the praise and the love of the people. He was forced to live on the torment of the deceased’s misery.

“Zeus and Poseidon thought to contain Hades retribution by depleting his power source, as it is almost impossible to gain strength from the dead. In his fury, Hades conspired with the fates, who have always loved a good deception, and had the souls of every living being divided.”

“Wait. What do you mean that Hades lived on torment? I thought gods could only gain power if they received praise. That’s why Hades stole Hera’s daughter, so he would have one living soul to shower him in adoration, right?”

“Not really, that is more a twist humans have placed on this tale to make Hades more a tyrant than he really is. You see, as Zeus and Poseidon gained power with the love and worship of their people, Hades’ power had transformed and started to grow with the tortured pain of every soul that had departed from the living world. What better way for him to gain in power than by splitting the souls, ensuring that not only would he have twice the amount of suffering, but they would suffer all the more by being incomplete? He also knew that by being incomplete, the people would turn away from the gods in their search for their alma xemelga thus depleting the power base of his enemies.”

“That’s a terrible thing to do. Hades is kind of a dick. What does alma xemelga mean?”

Raif’s mouth split into a grin. “Yes, well, I guess he could be defined in such terms, but then so could the other gods. Alma xemelga means ‘soul mate’ or ‘my other half’ in Atlantean. May I continue?” I nodded, smiling to myself as he started putting bacon and eggs on plates. It was such a normal thing; I almost forgot we were talking about ancient Greek mythology as if it were actual fact. “The arrangement with the fates created chaos. The fates thrived on chaos, relishing in every moment that they could make the gods’ lives miserable.” He looked up at me, his teal eyes piercing into mine with a flare of anger I didn’t expect. It did weird things to my insides, none of which belonged to fear. “Life has always been nothing more than a game to the fates. They have never been alive nor dead, they have just always been. However, they did create stipulations to maintain some semblance of fairness. While they enjoyed chaos, they were careful to maintain a balance in power. It has never been said that the fates favored a certain god. The stipulations to this arrangement were that each soul would only spend a hundred years in Tartarus, the place your people call Hell, at which time they were allowed to be reborn to search for their mate again. There is no limit on how many times a soul can be reborn, just that, until it finds its mate, it is to suffer. Once a soul found its mate, they would pass over the underworld to enter into the Summerland to live in peace. This was agreeable to Hades, as he knew the souls would suffer that much more each time they returned to him.

“Hades was tricked this time by his own arrangement, for he is also a living being, as are all the other gods. By his own specifications, all living souls were to divide, leaving both man and god in search for their other half. As Hades has no contact with any living being, he will never be able to combine his soul. You can only merge with your mate if you both still live.”

“So, what about Persephone? I know you said that was a twist, but what does that mean? Hades has no chance to find his mate? That seems rather unfair, even if he was being a jerk to start all this.”

“Persephone is Hades’ wife. They were married prior to the soul split. For thousands of years she split her time between the living and the dead, but she has since found her mate and no longer travels to the underworld. Hades remains alone. I am uncertain if he has any way of recognizing his mate, or if that was the cost of the curse he chose to place upon his brothers and the world.”

We ate in silence for a moment. I thought about what Hades had done, if his punishment was justified. To never have the opportunity to find your other half? It was unimaginable pain. But to have been the cause—I wasn’t sure if that was fair or not. It wasn’t my place to decide, and for that I was grateful. Raif started again in a softer tone.

“It is said that once the soul has mated, it shares the body of the two until the physical beings depart from this world. Usually the deaths occur very close together or simultaneously as the bodies have become attached at a deeper level than if the soul had not merged. The soul needs constant physical affirmation of acceptance to maintain its connection. Although, if that is true than Cleito has truly gone mad.” He trailed off for a moment and we ate in silence.

“Who’s Cleito?” I finally asked. I felt troubled, but not for myself. It was as if I was feeling a muted version of the turmoil going on inside Raif. Which was weird and I dismissed it as some funky thing that happens in Atlantis.

“When the dividir alma occurred, gods and mortals felt it. There was an instantaneous rumble across the entire earth that echoed into the heavens. I am told that the split sent many into madness. You can surely understand how a person would feel at having part of his essence ripped from him.” He shuddered. “Zeus decided it would be better for the gods to find their mates if the lands were split, and created into images of what that particular god desired. People, he had discovered over the years, were generally born into a land where they would thrive. He deduced that in order to become whole again, he would have to rule and live in a place where his soul would be reborn, a place where he thrived. He divided the lands so each god could search for their mates, for having incomplete gods was not acceptable.

“When Poseidon was allotted this particular piece of land, he was pleased. It was still young in its formation, so he was able to bend every part to his will. He walked around his land to understand the people, acquainting himself with what the land could offer them so that he would get the maximum amount of praise.

“Even though the gods now searched for their alma xemelga as one with us, they still needed our love and acceptance to gain power. They are to strive for our happiness, just as we are to theirs, to maintain utopia. Part of the happiness on both sides is to find our alma xemelga. Poseidon was pleased with his territory for a number of reasons. The first reason was that water surrounded this land; it is his element of choice. The most unforeseen, was the discovery of his alma xemelga.” Raif nodded to me, indicating that he was finally about to answer my question. “Cleito was the daughter of a farmer and very beautiful. She was devoted to her family and her father adored her. He was not particularly fond of the gods and had been hoping that their small island would be overlooked as too insignificant for any of the gods to want. When he saw Poseidon walking toward his farm that fateful day, he was less than pleased.

“There was no mistaking the instant connection between Cleito and Poseidon. The moment their eyes met, life for them, and us as a people, instantly changed. The soul recognized its mate, wanting to meld even before the two bodies had a chance to be introduced. It was said that the earth shook with their meeting, lightning cracked, and the waters churned in delight. I’m told that there has never been anything like it. I was not there for their meld and have never witnessed another alma se funden.”

“What does that mean? Divider alma must have something to do with the curse, right? What does the other one mean?” I was enthralled.

“Divider alma is the Atlantean term for ‘soul split,’ its literal translation is ‘divided soul.’ Alma se funden is the wondrous time when the soul meets its other half and becomes complete again, sharing the twin bodies. It is supposed to be glorious. It literally means ‘soul meld.’” He smiled at me and I shivered. “Poseidon knew before the day was over that Cleito was to be protected and cherished at all costs. He continued to form this land with the sole purpose of protecting his mate from any harm. The other gods mocked him for the futility of loving a mortal woman and he chastised them for their lack of completion. Zeus married Cleito and Poseidon before the week’s end and they lived together in the castle we visited yesterday. Poseidon was inclined to grant his bride anything she desired—we were lucky that she was not a selfish woman and just asked that their people be cared for. She desired only that the land would be forever fertile and their people never want for anything.

“Poseidon would watch her as she interacted with the people. His heart would burst with pride and joy that this woman, who was so giving of herself, was his mate. He was terrified of losing her. It was unknown as to what the effects the dividir alma had on the soul once it melded into one being with two bodies, especially when one of those bodies was an immortal god and the other was human.

“He placed wards on this land protecting her from any unforeseen harm and ensuring that only age would be her end. When he was assured of this precaution he also created natural occurring spring fountains that extended vitality. There are three that exist here.” I held my hand up, not knowing if I could believe what I was hearing.

“You mean to tell me that you have the Fountain of Youth here?” My disbelief was evident.

“We have three.”

“Like, the Fountain of Youth that the conquistadors searched for, killed for, and never found because it’s not real?”

“Similar to how no one has found Atlantis in over eleven thousand years, no? The entire continent of people has faded into myth. Your people allow history to fade and change until you no longer know truth from fiction. You accept truth only from those storytellers called historians, teachers, and doctors. Anyone who has an experience that varies from what they preach—you call them crazy. Your society has baffled me for centuries, yet you continue to thrive and grow; even through losing the connection to the lands, the energy, and the spirit around that makes the world such an amazing place.”

I felt an anger that wasn’t mine. I wasn’t angry at his words, I was chastised by them. He was right. We do only believe those who have prestigious titles in their fields. If a professor of astronomy told us we were the only habitable planet in the entire universe, we would believe them over the person who said aliens exist. And here I was, talking to someone who was essentially an alien on an island that shouldn’t be real, miles below the ocean floor. Who was I to say things couldn’t be?

“How can you not believe in the magic of the fountains when you’re here?” Raif’s voice was pained.

“This is a lot to take in, Raif,” I began. “I’m trying. Really, I am. It’s difficult to wrap my mind around everything, but being here, seeing and touching things that shouldn’t exist—well, it makes it difficult not to believe.” His lips curved into the slightest of smiles and my heart stuttered. It was in that moment that I knew I would do anything to see joy on his face.

“When Cleito and Poseidon had their first set of twins,” he continued, “Poseidon was so overjoyed, he named everything after his first son, Atlas. That was when we truly became a people with an identity separate from the rest of the world. From that moment on, we were known as Atlantis. He named the sea where we lived the Atlantic Ocean, and it was larger than any known body of water. I must admit, he was not very creative in naming things, but perhaps joy diminishes your mental capacity to a certain extent. They went on to have four more sets of twins and Atlantis was divided amongst them all. For a time, there were nine princes, one king, and Poseidon, god of it all.

“When Atlas came of age to rule, Poseidon took Cleito to their summer home on the cliffs. They lived in secluded bliss for a century, knowing their family would want for nothing. It was a mistake to have given complete control to mortal men, one we have paid for in blood and tears for eleven thousand years.” His voice was sad with the destruction of their proud history.

“We have a metal that is only found here in abundance, and in extremely small pockets that are difficult to get to in other parts of the world. You asked me about it earlier; the red, multifaceted stone. We call it orichalcum. It is an amazing metal that can be used in just about everything. It is strong, yet can be melted to be handled as easily as fabric. Our fathers traded this metal for the chance to find our mates. As you can imagine we craved this more than anything else, and for all that we had, our lands were, and are still, mostly comprised of men. Trading the metal to other regions enabled us to have their females visit for a chance to find our alma xemelga.

“Few women who visited these famed islands could stand the isolation from the fast-paced cultures that other gods led. They would stay, search for their mate, then leave as quickly as possible. We lacked the variety of other lands, yet have never felt incomplete because of it. We had never been a people to force others to live on our lands against their natures, but we did trade fairly and pray to the gods that we would find our mates.

“King Atlas had begun to feel pressured to find a wife to produce further heirs, as we were, and still are, unsure of our lifespan. We do not live as you do, Lady Natasha. There is something about either living in Poseidon’s lands or having his blood in our veins that makes us practically immortal. We also discovered that we have a very difficult time reproducing.

“Atlas had the same hopes as we all do, to find his mate and become complete. After sixty unsuccessful years of searching, he gave up and married one of Aphrodite’s daughters, Triana.”

“Aphrodite… Wasn’t she the goddess of love, or something?”

“Yes, love and beauty. All her children shared her beauty, and Triana was no exception. Because of this, she was accustomed to being spoiled and pampered by her father and mother. Atlas felt burdened to spoil her in the way that she had been accustomed to because she had agreed to give up the chance of finding her mate to be with him. She was constantly draped in fine jewels and expensive, rare fabrics. She had the latest fashions sent to her for her approval upon their creation. Exotic perfumes were found or created just for her. Atlas doted on her, eventually becoming so enamored with her that our trade agreements changed to suit her needs and we no longer had time to search for our mates. We were too busy keeping our king and queen sated. Our treasury grew to be the most valued and coveted in the world. With news of our treasury and the vanity of Queen Triana, we quickly became prime targets for invasion and had many enemies.

“Atlas was a good leader in that he saw the threats and prepared for them. A better ruler would have avoided what was to come, petitioning to his god and father, Poseidon, for guidance and direction. Atlas, however, created a vast army and built walls around the borders of our lands, making it nearly impenetrable to attack. Our warriors were brutal in their defense of our lands so that not one single member of invading armies lived to tell the tales. Atlas was amazed at the brutality his people were capable of and became insatiable. We quickly became a warrior nation to be feared by all we approached.

“Atlas was cunning in his strategies for conquering other lands, and eventually he began to draw the attention of the gods. They watched with growing anger as our king desiccated their lands and Poseidon did nothing to contain him. For years we plundered and lived as gods among men. We were feared for our brutality, respected for our tenacity, and envied for our wealth. King Atlas declared himself the god of Atlantis.” Raif paused and shrugged his shoulders, as if to erase the burden of his people’s history.

“Triana gave Atlas a son the year we were destroyed. The day Prince Nereus was born was a fantastic day of celebration for all. Had we been attacked that day, we would have been defeated. For a week we drank to celebrate the health of Prince Nereus and the prowess of King Atlas. It was a joyous time of celebration that the gods used to destroy us.

“A scout arrived home a week after Prince Nereus was born, bringing news of an uncharted land filled with treasure that made ours look like a drop of water in the vast ocean. Queen Triana was incensed by this news and King Atlas immediately sent out our strongest warriors to obtain this treasure for his beloved wife. He depleted our army so that only a handful remained behind to defend our borders.

“We were attacked from all sides by three different armies. If we had all of our warriors we may have stopped the bloodshed of our people, but we will never know. I was just a boy when I saw them come. My father was the Warrior Chief and was among those sent out to the sea to obtain the treasure when we were attacked. I took up a sword and killed many before I was captured and brought to the castle with the rest of the young captives.

“Poseidon heard the cries of his people, but it was too late. Zeus was in our palace to enact the justice we deserved. Zeus told Poseidon of our treachery, explaining that if Poseidon was not going to lead his people, then he would suffer to watch as Zeus destroyed us. Poseidon allowed Zeus to kill his son, Atlas, and Triana, for their ambitious greed; as long as he was allowed to handle the insolence of his followers in a manner befitting our vanity. The invading armies were given one night to vacate our lands or they too, would suffer Poseidon’s rage.

“The next day, with the rising sun, the grounds shook as a great earthquake started to swallow the lands. The seas boiled and raged sending tsunamis to flood the lands. Many people were killed, including some of Poseidon’s own children, and we huddled in terror, knowing we were soon to follow.

“Cleito saved us from death. She cried out to her mate to have mercy on their people. She pleaded with him to have mercy on those that they had failed to protect, tears streaming down her face. Her tears melted Poseidon’s heart of righteous anger and the shaking slowed. Poseidon agreed to spare the lives of their people, but was incensed that the tears of a woman had quelled him. He swore that they would never again be his downfall. Cleito bowed her head in supplication so he would not see the pain he was causing her.

“Poseidon planned to punish Cleito, but before he could, her body rose up and spoke a prophecy: ‘A lesson must be learned for gods and men to live in harmony. Atlantis shall descend to be hidden. Until the time the soul mates and willingly chooses to break; you shall be apart from your heart. Atlantis will join the ranks again when tears are freely given.’ After speaking, Cleito fell to the ground. Poseidon became terrified that his anger had been the death of his mate and rushed to her side. As he touched her, the earth shook even more violently than before. For the first time ever, Poseidon was unable to bend the land to his will. He was abruptly cast out of Atlantis. We were swallowed by the seas; to be hidden from all until the prophecy could be fulfilled. Cleito wept for the loss of her mate, but no tears fell. Instead the heavens opened and it rained in Atlantis.

“We as a people imprisoned her in the palace where she had lived with Poseidon and she has remained captive and alone for the eleven thousand years that we have been underwater. She prays to the gods for forgiveness for her people, hoping for the day she will be reunited with Poseidon. He is allowed to enter his temple, but only when called and only as a shade. He has never entered though, choosing to abandon all communication with his people until the day he is to be reunited with his alma xemelga.” Raif finished with a flourish.

“It’s a sad story, Raif, but what does it have to do with us? Why is everyone so upset about my arrival? They don’t think…I mean, we couldn’t be…” I couldn’t say the words I knew in my heart to be true. I couldn’t be Raif’s soul mate. We barely knew each other. But, if his story was to be believed, that didn’t matter. Once your soul meets its match—that’s it.

“You are most definitely my alma xemelga, my soul’s mate. I had suspected it with my reaction to you when you woke here, but I was not certain until we shared a bed. You and I are to fulfill the prophecy that the oracle set into motion eleven thousand years ago. Without us, my people will be forced to live for eternity under water, never mating, never dying, forever living with the torment of knowing that the other half of their soul is lost without them.” He reached for my hand and I grasped at his, looking for something to tether me down. I replied with as much honesty as I could through a voice that was soft and surprisingly steady.

“That really doesn’t sound that bad, you know. So we mate. I’m not seeing the downfall here. Yeah, I’ll miss my family, but for some reason I feel more at home with you than I’ve ever felt before. Why are you so upset? Would you rather have a different mate?” He chuckled at my naïveté and pulled me onto his lap.

“Amada, my beloved, we did not think it would take eleven thousand years for you to arrive. Many of my people have become content to live apart from those on the surface and are unwilling to be a part of a culture that is ruled by selfish people constantly at war. We are a peaceful people now.” He took a breath and I could feel the faint tremors in his body. I held him close to me, resting my head on his shoulder to allow him to say what he needed to without having to look at me. “The second part of the prophecy is that we must willingly part. If we complete the alma se funden you must return to where you are from and leave me here. You must understand; time is of no consequence when you are dealing with immortal beings. You may leave and part from me for an unknown amount of time. It could be seconds, or millennia. I am not sure if I am capable of being apart from you for that long. There is a small chance that you could stay here, hidden with me, without mating. As long as my people do not know you are my alma xemelga we should be safe.” He said regretfully, knowing his hope was foolish.

“Won’t Poseidon be angry with us for prolonging his separation from Cleito? From everything you’ve said, it sounds like a bad idea to piss off your god.”

“I know you are right, amada, but I don’t like it. We will depart to Cleito’s palace in the evening so that we can travel under the cover of darkness, away from my peoples’ prying eyes. I believe she will be able to help us complete the prophecy and get you home.”