Zane's Treasure

Chapter 1: Lost Hope, Hope Found

As the "Empress Elena" glided gently through the water. Arabelle Taylor sighed as she looked out over the horizon. Her soft honey eyes, almost seemed to reflect the golden pink sunset. As the wind blew at her chestnut colored hair it revealed a jagged scar on the right side of her face. She had been in a car accident with her father. He had died and she had lived. Her body was scarred and her body had been broken and still Arabelle had survived. Her right hip had been broken and a long raised and gnarled scar ran down from her hip to her knee. Arabelle had a permanent limp when she walked. Tyler Reynolds, had proposed the day they had graduated high school. Much to her father's dismay Arabelle had said yes.
Then the accident had happened and when Tyler had realized that Arabelle would be scarred forever. He had broken it off their engagement and left town. His true colors had shown that day and had broke what was left of her heart.
"I'm better off alone anyway." She said as she looked out over the water as the boat skimmed across the surface.
"Hey, Arabelle life vest there's a nasty storm headed our way. My Dad wants us to be safe."
"Thanks, Stacey will do." Arabelle said with a smile as she took the vest from her friend.
"Stop looking at the water like it wants to eat you. It's not going to happen vest remember."  Stacey then gave her friend a play shove.
They both laughed lightly and then Arabelle sighed.
"Sorry for the doom and gloom. My up coming twenty-fifth Birthday has me a little depressed. I have a degree in marine biology and I can't swim anymore thanks to my hip and every guy in Sapphire Cove won't even look at me." Arabelle wiped at her eyes as tears threatened to fall.
"Well their all just to stupid with no good sense. We have to find you someone. I leave for grad school soon. Not all of us can have your brains to graduate College and grad school, as young as you did."
The boat started to rock back and forth as the water became rougher.
"We'd have to find some one from another world. Who in their right mind would find this beautiful." Arabelle gestured toward her face.
Stacey smiled at her best friend.
"Someone who is smart enough to know that beauty is more then skin deep. They would see straight through to the you inside. I bet he'd claim you on the spot."
Arabelle chuckled at Stacey.
"We're not kids anymore and happily ever afters and fairytales don't exist."
Lighting streaked across the sky as a big clap of thunder rumbled off in the distances the waves started to become larger.
"We better head inside the cabin of the boat. It's getting pretty rough out here now." Stacey  Suggested as she looked up at the storm. Arabelle nodded as she reached out to take her friend's hand. Stacey grabbed a railing that was right outside the cabin door just as a massive wave crashed over the boat tearing Arabelle away from her.
"ARABELLE!" Stacey screamed in horror as she watched the sea seemingly swallow her friend. Just as quick as the storm had come it settled just as quickly as if it was pleased with what it had just taken.
Stacey's father cane out of the cabin to stand with his daughter as they looked out over the calm water. There wasn't a trace that Arabelle Taylor had ever been there.
& & & &
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean
"Zane, are you sure you should be doing this we're not teenagers again more. Aren't you afraid your old man will have a school of fish, if he finds out you've been going to the surface." Kaleb ask his childhood friend and Prince of Poseidon's Realm.
Prince Zane chuckled at his friend.
"My father is well aware of my trips to the surface. He's been trying to get me to marry. But, none of the mermaidens he has introduced me to have lite that spark in me. My coronation is approaching and King Prometeo, was hoping I'd have a family by now." Zane explained to his friend.
Kaleb looked at his friend confused.
"So the King doesn't care about your escapades. What if you get a human pregnant?"
Zane just shook his head at his friend. "The only way that would happen, would be if they were the descendent of the lost Atlantis people." Zane explained.
He smiled at his friends confusion.
"The people of Atlantis were known for mating with humans from time to time. My ancestors however only mated with royal merblood. Our History, speaks of the lost daughter of Queen Alana, Ruler of Atlantis. Story goes that she fell in love with a mortal and bore his child. When Atlantis sunk deeper into the sea. The queen and her people were lost. I however, believe she left the child with her human lover. Which means her royal bloodline lives on." Prince Zane stated with confidence.
"Which means my friend that unless she has royal merblood in her veins. Then no children will be had from our union."
"Does that make me a cad for having a very pregnant human lover." Kaleb asked sheepishly.
Zane slapped his friend on the back.
"Not at all my friend, as long as she brings you joy and you are her joy as well I'm happy for you both. I am glad your bloodline isn't cursed like mine."
"I was hoping to introduce Lila to you this evening. I won't be returning to the Realm with you tomorrow. It's almost time for the baby to arrive and I promised Lila I wouldn't leave her." Kaleb confessed to the Prince.
"Of course Kaleb I'd love to meet her this evening." Prince Zane said as he smiled at his friend.
Once they were farther away from the palace and closer to the water surface they could feel and see a change to the waters currents.
"Looks like a wicked storm is churning up on the surface. It'll be safer if we take the caverns up to the surface caves." Kaleb said to Zane.
The Prince nodded in agreement.
As they swam closer to the underwater caverns. Something hit the water above them started to sink and then float back up to the surface.
Both mermen looked up at the sound.
"Is that a..." Kaleb's words were cut off by Zane.
"A human woman! We have to help her!" Zane exclaimed as he started to propel himself through the water faster toward her.
Reaching her they started to unfasten the straps of the slightly tattered life vest.
"We have to get her to the surface she needs air!" Zane as he took in her lifeless form.
As his fingers took hold of her left arm a white spark of electrical light tingled his finger tips. It surprised the Prince at first, but he shook it from his thoughts as Kaleb nudged his shoulder.
The two increased they speed as they moved their tails faster though the water. Weaving through the water and around rock towers. The two looked at one another as the surface got closer. Once they had broken through the surface of the water. They entered an underwater cave. Kaleb used his powers to create a beautiful tropical hideaway. He then held onto the pearl rope necklace around his neck. A golden light surrounded him below his torso. Within seconds his mertail had become a pair of human legs. Once up on the rocky ground, Kaleb took the young woman from Prince Zane. Once on the rocky shore, Zane pulled himself up beside her. He then used his mermagic to pull the sea water from her lungs. With Kaleb holding her on her side as she coughed up more water.
There was a small wound on the side of her head. Zane smiled as he took in her heart shaped face, the jagged scar that ran down her right cheek. He had never seen hair the color of hers. Zane couldn't help but wonder what color her eyes were.
"She's beautiful, Kaleb don't you think." Zane asked his friend as he reached out to caress the cheek with the scar.
"I think, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Zane my friend. If she is lovely in your eyes then that is all that matters." Kaleb said as he smiled at the Prince.
When his skin touch her soft silky cheek. White electricity sparked at the touch and pulsed through their bodies.
"She's the one I've been looking for all these years, Kaleb. Why couldn't I find her before now?" Zane questioned out loud.
Kaleb's bright blue eyes, raked over her as the woman laid there breathing softly yet not conscious. When his eyes reached her legs he stopped. Her shorts didn't cover below her thighs. Kaleb took note of the thick scar tissue that stopped at the side of her knee.
"Zane, I think you couldn't find her till now because I think she wasn't able to go near the water. Look there is a scar that runs up the right leg too." Kaleb pointed out.
Zane looked down at the place his best friend was indicating, and saw where the scar disappeared up the side of her shorts. He was curious to how far the scar went. What had happened to her in the first place? What was her name? Where had she been?
Zane wanted to kiss her lips and see if they were as soft as a flower's petals.
The young woman started to stir. Kaleb called out to Prince Zane.
"She's starting to wake. You'd better hurry and change. Unless your ready to explain that your a merman." Kaleb pointed out.
Zane looked at Kaleb and then back down at the woman.
He then used his mermagic to activate the pearl around his left wrist. The pearl started to glow a light blue as the light swirled around his fins. When the light faded, Prince Zane was standing up on the rocky shore. His dark stormy eyes never leaving the woman's face. As he put on a shirt and shorts they had hidden here in the caveo walls. He then bent down and lifted her into his arms.
"Your beach house is close isn't it Kaleb? I was hoping I could stay there." Zane asked his best bud.
"My beach house is the only house on this part of the beach. But yeah we can go there. We'd better get there before day break. If we're they'll ask to many questions." Kaleb said reminding him.
"Let's just get moving, her skin is still slightly chilled." Zane replied to Kaleb.
After walking two miles from the caves. Zane smiled when he saw Kaleb's lone beach house come into view.