shouldn’t have to tell you any of this. You’re very perceptive.”
“For a human?”
“I didn’t say that.” He leaned close and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I’m starving,” he said, sitting up, and sliding his long legs over the edge of the bed. “Sleep a little longer, if you like.”
She watched as he pulled a short white tunic with gold trim over his head. “Wait, that isn’t what you were wearing before,” she said.
Alex indicated a bench where a woman’s tunic, jewelry, and sandals lay. “Our hosts provided suitable fresh clothing and breakfast.”
Ree hadn’t been aware that anyone had entered the room. The fact that they hadn’t been alone while she slept was unnerving. Was she losing her edge?
“Who exactly are they? I believe I asked you before.”
Alex belted on his sword. “And you didn’t like the answer?”
“I have the feeling you’re humoring me.”
He nodded. “Maybe.”
She rose from the bed and faced him, clad only in her tangled hair. “I told you, I want the truth.”
“Actually, I’m not certain who our hosts are,” he answered. “I’ve heard rumors that this is all the work of spirits. . . ghosts, if you will.”
“You don’t believe that.”
He chuckled. “No. I don’t. But I doubt that they’re Lemorians. My guess is that our hosts are another kind of being altogether.”
Her eyes widened, and she settled both fists on her hips. “Don’t stop now. I can’t wait to hear this.”
“You have to stop thinking that only one species inhabits this planet.”
Ree exhaled softly and reached for her own clothing. How could she explain to him that she already knew that, that she’d seen and experienced so many strange things in her life that she could almost accept that he might be an Atlantean? But invisible beings that ran an underwater B & B? That was a little much to swallow.
“You may as well hear it all at once,” he said. “When I carried you off that yacht, you were dying, maybe already dead. I couldn’t give you back the life you lost. All I could offer was something more. Maybe less from your point of view.”
She belted her tunic with a silver chain. It was soft against her skin, woven of white fabric so fine that it seemed like silk and stitched so cleverly that she couldn’t find a single seam. It fit perfectly, molding to her skin, and falling gracefully from the hip to mid-thigh. “Go on,” she urged. “You have my full attention.”
“The only way to save you was to alter your genes, to make you an Atlantean so that you could survive beneath the sea.” He folded his arms across his chest. “But I was only partially successful. I had to take you to the Lemorian healers. I’m not certain, but I suspect you’re now a combination of human, Atlantean, and Lemorian.”
“A hybrid.” She considered the possibility. “You aren’t joking, are you?”
Alex shook his head. “What remains of your human body is anyone’s guess, but you certainly adapted to breathing underwater, and I can see certain physical changes that are definitely Atlantean characteristics.”
She dropped onto the bench. “Are these changes permanent?”
He nodded again. “I’m afraid so.”
“You’re telling me I’ve become some sort of mermaid, that I’ll never be able to return to life as a human?”
“I don’t know. I doubt if anyone could answer that question. All Atlanteans can breathe air for hours, even days, but we have to return to the sea, or we die. We can’t survive on land.”
“But I’m not Atlantean or human. I’m some sort of freak.”
“I prefer hybrid. And being part Atlantean isn’t all bad. We don’t get sick, not as humans do. We aren’t prone to cancer or heart disease, diabetes, or any of the sexually transmitted diseases. And we live a long time.”
“How long is a long time?”
“Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of human years. We aren’t immortal. We can be killed, but we have tremendous healing
“For a human?”
“I didn’t say that.” He leaned close and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I’m starving,” he said, sitting up, and sliding his long legs over the edge of the bed. “Sleep a little longer, if you like.”
She watched as he pulled a short white tunic with gold trim over his head. “Wait, that isn’t what you were wearing before,” she said.
Alex indicated a bench where a woman’s tunic, jewelry, and sandals lay. “Our hosts provided suitable fresh clothing and breakfast.”
Ree hadn’t been aware that anyone had entered the room. The fact that they hadn’t been alone while she slept was unnerving. Was she losing her edge?
“Who exactly are they? I believe I asked you before.”
Alex belted on his sword. “And you didn’t like the answer?”
“I have the feeling you’re humoring me.”
He nodded. “Maybe.”
She rose from the bed and faced him, clad only in her tangled hair. “I told you, I want the truth.”
“Actually, I’m not certain who our hosts are,” he answered. “I’ve heard rumors that this is all the work of spirits. . . ghosts, if you will.”
“You don’t believe that.”
He chuckled. “No. I don’t. But I doubt that they’re Lemorians. My guess is that our hosts are another kind of being altogether.”
Her eyes widened, and she settled both fists on her hips. “Don’t stop now. I can’t wait to hear this.”
“You have to stop thinking that only one species inhabits this planet.”
Ree exhaled softly and reached for her own clothing. How could she explain to him that she already knew that, that she’d seen and experienced so many strange things in her life that she could almost accept that he might be an Atlantean? But invisible beings that ran an underwater B & B? That was a little much to swallow.
“You may as well hear it all at once,” he said. “When I carried you off that yacht, you were dying, maybe already dead. I couldn’t give you back the life you lost. All I could offer was something more. Maybe less from your point of view.”
She belted her tunic with a silver chain. It was soft against her skin, woven of white fabric so fine that it seemed like silk and stitched so cleverly that she couldn’t find a single seam. It fit perfectly, molding to her skin, and falling gracefully from the hip to mid-thigh. “Go on,” she urged. “You have my full attention.”
“The only way to save you was to alter your genes, to make you an Atlantean so that you could survive beneath the sea.” He folded his arms across his chest. “But I was only partially successful. I had to take you to the Lemorian healers. I’m not certain, but I suspect you’re now a combination of human, Atlantean, and Lemorian.”
“A hybrid.” She considered the possibility. “You aren’t joking, are you?”
Alex shook his head. “What remains of your human body is anyone’s guess, but you certainly adapted to breathing underwater, and I can see certain physical changes that are definitely Atlantean characteristics.”
She dropped onto the bench. “Are these changes permanent?”
He nodded again. “I’m afraid so.”
“You’re telling me I’ve become some sort of mermaid, that I’ll never be able to return to life as a human?”
“I don’t know. I doubt if anyone could answer that question. All Atlanteans can breathe air for hours, even days, but we have to return to the sea, or we die. We can’t survive on land.”
“But I’m not Atlantean or human. I’m some sort of freak.”
“I prefer hybrid. And being part Atlantean isn’t all bad. We don’t get sick, not as humans do. We aren’t prone to cancer or heart disease, diabetes, or any of the sexually transmitted diseases. And we live a long time.”
“How long is a long time?”
“Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of human years. We aren’t immortal. We can be killed, but we have tremendous healing
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