Authors: Scarlett Love
***
Hailey’s eyes widened as she took in the scenic street. Her shoes crunched on the cobblestone path as she followed Jerico through the village. She’d insisted on changing into her own clothes, wanting to return home in her belongings. Instead, the garb made her stand out amongst the sharply dressed pedestrians.
As she passed by a group of children, they stopped to stare at her, their red eyes shining brightly in the sunlight. She stifled a gasp by covering her mouth with her hand.
Her eyes swept over the pedestrians in the street. She hadn’t made eye contact with any of them until now. Everyone’s eyes were crimson. At first she’d thought Jerico was high on drugs, but now she wasn’t so sure. Who would give their children narcotics? There was no way everyone in the village was wearing contacts.
“What’s wrong with their eyes?” she hissed as they made their way out of the village.
“Nothing. That’s how our race looks,” Jerico explained gently.
“Race? No human has red eyes,” she scoffed. Was it too much to ask for the simple truth out of him.
“I never said we were human, Hailey.”
Hailey huffed and spun around. She’d had enough. This was insane, and while he might live in la la land she didn’t. “Okay, look, buddy. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m trying to save the Earth. I’m a world-renowned scientist and my work could mean the difference between life and death. Stop goof balling around and take me back to where you found me,” she ordered as she placed her hands on her hips for emphasis. The longer she spent here the less time she had to devise a plan.
“The tide will be rising soon. We must hurry if I am to take you back,” Jerico told her.
Hailey shook her head. Hadn’t she just said they’d needed to move their butts?
She jerked her hand in the direction of the volcano. “Lead the way.”
They continued their trek in silence, and Hailey let out a long thankful breath. She didn’t know what this guy was smoking, but she’d heard more than enough of his nonsense. This whole town seemed to be loony.
Toll bells sounded, drawing her from her thoughts. The sound was melodic, and she paused to listen to the beautiful sound.
“We’re too late,” Jerico said quietly.
“Too late for what?” Hailey groaned, picking up her pace. She wanted to get home to her family. They must be worried sick about her by now. She was supposed to check in hours ago, and her family always looked out for each other.
“To reach the exit. Do you see that path ahead. The bells warn of the tide rising. We won’t make it,” he warned.
Hailey shot him a frown. Was he nuts? The ocean was nowhere near where they were headed. Even if the tide rose, it wouldn’t come in that far.
“Hailey. Stop, please,” he pleaded. He reached out and clasped her wrist, pulling her to a halt.
Heat shot through her at the contact and she leaned into him despite herself. His warm breath ghosted over her face as he spoke. “I cannot allow you to go any further. It isn’t safe, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Hailey opened her mouth to protest, but before she could the sound of waves crashing drew her attention behind her. Water cascaded over the path as two waves collided. The spray rose into the air and the light breeze blew droplets onto her skin.
That wasn’t possible. How had the ocean rose that far in a matter of a minute. “I don’t understand,” she wondered aloud.
“It’s been sporadic lately. Our scientist guess it’s because of the stability of the Earth,” Jerico explained.
Hailey shook her head. She still didn’t understand.
“Prophecies predict that an unprecedented heat wave will hit the Earth in exactly twenty-three days from today. The effects will be catastrophic. At that time our species will be able to repopulate the Earth,” Jerico explained.
“You know this is crazy,” Hailey muttered. It sounded absurd. There was a simple solution to the problem, she just had to find it.
“The prophecy says that anyone who can find the opening to Atlantis can be saved and join our species when we retake our home.”
“Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England,” she deadpanned.
“You still don’t believe me?” Jerico asked.
Hailey shook her head. Nope. Not one word.
Jerico cleared his throat and placed one hand on her shoulder and the other he pointed toward the volcano. She sighed. The volcano is where this all started. Maybe she was still passed out, and this was some weird dream.
“Do you see the glimmer?” he asked quietly.
Hailey rolled her eyes, but followed the direction of his finger. A sheer light blue… force field—she couldn’t think of anything else to call it, shimmered in the distance. What is that?
“It’s the barrier that keeps Atlantis a secret from the rest of the world. The weather is breaking it apart, which is how you were able to get so close. You practically wandered into our city yourself,” he told her.
Hailey shuddered, enjoying the feel of his warm breath on her ear. His voice was so deep and sexy. But she needed to focus, and even if this man was Godlike, there was something wrong with him. “I don’t know how you expect me to believe this. It’s crazy,” she said exasperated. It was insane. She gasped as a bird waddled up to them from one of the bushes. “Oh my God,” she whispered. She’d done a report on this bird in high school. It was extinct. It had been for centuries, but there it was right in front of her. A dodo bird. How in the world? This wasn’t happening.
The world spun around her and for the second time that day. She gasped as her mind clicked together the pieces of the past few hours. The people here wore strange clothing, the city was unlike anything she’d ever seen on Earth. Then there was the stuff she hadn’t wanted to admit she’d noticed. The temperature. It wasn’t hot here, it was balmy, but comfortable. She had to consider the red eyes and odd shaped ears. Now there was the extinct bird. Dear God, what if she had stumbled upon Atlantis? Her head spun and blackness reached out and swallowed her whole.
Hailey picked at the food on her plate. It smelled delicious and the prawns and fresh veggies seemed to be cooked to perfection, but she couldn’t eat. Her mind kept drifting to her revelation earlier. Part of her kept waiting to wake up. She’d pinched herself several times, but nothing had happened.
“You should eat,” Delia said quietly as she took a bite of her asparagus.
Hailey nodded and jabbed her fork into a spear. Delia, Jerico’s sister had cooked the delicious meal for her. She’d also given her full access to her wardrobe. The pair had gone out of their way to make her feel at home.
“I’m still in shock,” she told them honestly. “I can’t stop thinking about my parents and brother. Is there anything we can do? Why can’t we take a boat?” There had to be something. Why couldn’t they bring refugees into the city? Surely they couldn’t sit back and watch the human species be evaporated.
Jerico took a sip of his drink and placed a comforting hand over hers. “There is nothing we can do. The tide rises and falls as it sees fit. The barrier that protects our city keeps people from finding us, but it also keeps us here.”
“Will it go down again?” There had to be a way to get back home. She had to rescue her family. Save the world.
Delia shook her head, but it was Jerico who spoke. “Perhaps. We don’t have any control over it. Until a few weeks ago, the ocean protected our lands. It was when the water fell and receded that we knew our time to retake the Earth was close.”
A few weeks ago? That’s when all this started. She sighed and closed her eyes. Everything was related.
“We would love to help save lives. That’s why Jerico and I were out earlier walking the boundaries. We were searching for those worthy of sanctuary here,” Delia began, setting her fork on her plate. “But we only have enough provisions for our community. We could take on a few people. Our prophecy says that anyone who can cross the bridge is to become a member of our society.”
Hailey sighed. Jerico had mentioned that earlier. A thought occurred to her, and she perked up. “If I brought my family here, they could be saved?”
The two siblings looked at each other and she held her breath. There had to be a way. If she couldn’t save her people, she’d like to be able to save her family. Tears burned her eyes. She didn’t want to lose them. Her parents were her idols and her brother her best friend.
“It would be a risk, going back out into the world,” Jerico began. “I suppose that if the tide draws back we could mount a rescue.”
“It’s only going to get hotter. The Earth is not safe, not until after the event,” Delia explained. “Going out there now, could mean your death.”
Hailey swallowed hard. She couldn’t accept that her parents and brother were going to die. She rose from the table. Though she was thankful for the sibling’s hospitality she wanted to be alone. Everyone she loved was going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. No. that was unacceptable. There was a way. There was always a way. There had to be.
“Excuse me,” she whispered, her voice hoarse as emotion tinged it. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door, resting her back against the cool metal. Slowly she sank to the ground as sobs raked her.
***
Jerico sighed raising his hand to knock on Hailey’s door. Would she want to see him? Or did she prefer to be alone? He hesitated, his arm hanging in the air. She’d been upset earlier. With good reason. He could only imagine how he would feel if he were to lose Delia. His parents had perished several years ago, and the loss still affected him.
It had been the comfort of friends and Delia that had gotten him through the rough times. Hailey had neither of those here. His decision made, he tapped on her door.
Light footsteps padded across the stone floor and moments later the door slid open.
“Would you mind some company?” he asked quietly, wanting to respect her wishes.
Hailey sniffled, her red-rimmed eyes searching his. “Sure.” She opened the door wider for him to enter.
Jerico shut the door and followed her to the balcony. Hailey leaned on the railing and looked out over the city.
“It’s beautiful here,” she breathed.
“It is,” he agreed, glancing up at the moon.
“The city has been hidden here all this time?” she wondered aloud.
“It has. Our species once lived amongst men, but our technology and culture was more advanced. It began to cause problems. Our ancestors retreated from the main lands and hid our city,” he explained.
“I can’t believe that I found this place. Thousands of people have searched for this city to no avail, and I stumble upon it by accident,” she laughed. “Ironic.”
“Perhaps it was fate,” Jerico replied. Did she believe in fate?
“Fate? I don’t know if I believe in that,” she answered honestly.
Jerico nodded. “I do. Last night, I had a dream of a red haired goddess lying on the rocks. The tides receded, and I felt compelled to search the volcano. Delia and I found you this morning,” he admitted.
“You dreamed of me?” she asked curiously.
“Yes.” There was more, but he didn’t want to tell her now. The timing needed to be right. He didn’t want to frighten her, nor did he want to rush into something. Hailey was vulnerable, and she barely knew him.
“Wait. You think I’m a goddess?” she blanched and turned incredulous eyes on him.
“Hailey, you’re beautiful. Surely you must know that. You must have many suitors,” he complimented.
Hailey snorted. “Yeah. I have guys lined up at my door.”
“I assumed so.” He nodded. She most likely had someone back home.
“It was a joke,” she giggled.
Her face lit up with the noise and he smiled, his heart swelling at the fact that he’d brought her a tiny bit of joy.
“I move from city to city studying the climate. Technically, I still live with my parents. Not many guys find that attractive, and I don’t really have the time to date,” she admitted as her cheeks flushed with heat.
“Then the men near you are fools,” he admonished.
Hailey laughed and shoved him playfully. “Aren’t you a charmer. I bet you get a lot of women here.”
He shook his head. “No.” He hadn’t wanted to explain this to her yet, but the opportunity had presented itself. “We believe in destiny—fate. It is our belief that we have one true soul mate.”
“Romantic.”
He inclined his head. The notion was romantic as she said. “We often are notified when our soul mate is close. Usually with a dream.”
Hailey stiffened next to him, and he paused, letting what he’d said sink in. “What are you saying?” she whispered, her wide eyes meeting his.
“I believe it was fate that brought us together. You were meant to come to that volcano, and I was destined to find and rescue you.”
Hailey roamed the halls of Jerico’s beautiful mansion. That was the only word she saw fit to describe. She’d been their guest for a week now and she still wasn’t accustomed to the home. It was unique and unlike anything she’d ever seen before.
The ornate silver furniture was breathtaking, and she had a hard time believing that it really existed. It wasn’t a dream. This was her new reality. Jerico and Delia had been wonderfully friendly—Jerico especially.
Her mind still reeled from his revelation about soul mates. She’d thought those didn’t exist. Things like that only happened in fairytales. Ha. Her life was a fairytale now. Her heart sped up at the thought.
Jerico was gorgeous, and he was kind and caring. No man had ever looked at her the way he did. She’d dated off and on over the years, but her work had always taken precedence over her social life. Now, she didn’t have anything to do.
She approached the large stone balcony and leaned on the railing staring off into the city. This was her home now. Jerico had mentioned scientists. Perhaps she could speak with him about obtaining a job here. Would the people here be receptive to her? Jerico and Delia had been very open and friendly, and the people she’d spoken with on her venture into the city the other day had been receptive as well.