Atlantis Twisting Tides

Atlantis Twisting Tides Chapter One A

Chapter One

Hurricane Hero

Torrential rain pelted my face, sharp as grains of sand. The roar of the waves drowned out the sound of thunder. My father was right. A hurricane on the surface of the ocean was so different from one underneath. And more dangerous.

Shivers knocked into me like the waves. I shoved my fears of the unknown back under. This was the first time I’d escaped the confines of the undersea Kingdom of Merta. The first time I’d experienced an adventure. The first time I’d really been on my own.

A jagged bolt of lightning lit the black skies, highlighting a small sailboat only a few yards away. The cloth sail flapped and snapped loosely in the strong gale. The mast was broken in two pieces, the top half dangling. A guy struggled with the steering device at the back of the boat.

Cold snaked down my spine. He’d never make it to safety in this hurricane.

The guy in the boat stood holding a dangling piece of mast. He tried to fit the top onto the bottom half. He lost his balance…started to fall.

I jerked as if I was going to catch him. The air and water in my lungs wheezed. I couldn’t watch him get toppled into the turbulent ocean.

Like a Graceful Mojarra Fish, he repositioned and kept his balance, staying in the rocking boat. A nimble maneuver, for an air-breather.

Another bolt of lightning struck. I ducked under the surface, waiting out its electrical charge. No worse than an eel’s sting.

I swam under water toward the distressed sailboat. If I could get underneath the hull I could keep the boat afloat and guide him to safety. Without him ever being the wiser.

An I’m-so-smart feeling boosted my determination.

At fifteen, I’d never met a human before and wasn’t sure I wanted to now. Stories of how humans abused Atlanteans had circulated for centuries. That’s why we kept Atlanteans’ existence secret. Except, I didn’t want to see the human drown.

With the churning water below the surface, I couldn’t spot the hull of the boat. Emerging from the raging ocean about a yard away, the wind whipped my wet brown hair across my face. The ginormous waves rocked my body up and down and back and forth. I felt like a small piece of flotsam. Yet, I knew I was fine.

That poor human must be panicking.

Probably a year or two older than me, he only wore swim trunks. His longish, black hair flopped in front of his face. The corded muscles of his bare chest rippled with his efforts of trying to keep the small sailboat afloat. Rivulets of water ran down his front, disappearing into the waistband of his swim trunks. He was going to sink, and then drown.

My pulse panicked, racing in my veins. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Hey!” The guy’s voice halted my ogling.

I froze and submerged my head to my ears. He’d seen me. My pulse pumped an uneven rhythm. I was supposed to guide the boat from underneath the water without him knowing. He wasn’t supposed to know I existed.

But I’d been checking him out and got caught.

“Grab the mast!” His raw tone scraped.

My panic softened and slowed. He thinks he’s saving me. How sweet was that?  He was similar to a hero in one of the ancient stories.

Shaking my head, I couldn’t let him help. I didn’t need help.

“I’m diving in to get you.” He set his face in a determined, stubborn expression. Pursed lips, strong chin, narrowed eyes.

The blood in my veins throbbed. Harder. Stronger. Faster. I couldn’t let him take that risk. “No!”

I was the one saving him, not the opposite. Except I couldn’t tell him that, couldn’t explain my Atlantean heritage and how I could breathe underwater. That I lived underwater. Interactions with humans was restricted, especially for the royal family.

He set the mast down and bent over the edge. Way over the edge. The boat swayed precariously almost dumping him. He held out a tanned, strong hand.

“Get in.” He yelled over the roar of the waves.

The internal throbbing grew louder. My heart wanted to abandon ship. He didn’t understand the depth of what he was asking. I shook my head again.

“I’m trying to help, here.” His sarcasm seemed off-key. More funny than afraid. “If you don’t get in, then I’m going to have to jump in and get you. We’ll both drown.” He explained the situation calmly. As if he wasn’t terrified.

Which was impossible. He was a human in a tiny boat in the middle of a raging hurricane. If I didn’t accept his help, he’d drown— and it would be my fault.

And if I accepted his help, got in the boat, I’d be out of the ocean.

For the first time.