Several hours later, Jenny released a tired sigh. She was exhausted, confused, and still slightly mortified by her behavior earlier with Orion. Where on Earth had her lack of inhibitions come from she had no idea. She had intended a simple, pleasant kiss. Instead, she had heated up like a poker left in the fire until it was glowing red hot!

Granted, she wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t exactly a wild woman either. She’d had only two lovers in her life, one during her first year of college and the second shortly after she’d graduated. Neither had lasted. It was hard to have a long distance relationship, and they had quickly discovered they weren’t interested in expending the effort to make it last. Jenny understood she was seeking someone to fill the emptiness in her life.

Before she knew what she really wanted in life, she’d had to find out what she didn’t want first. She now knew she did not want a guy who needed a six pack of beer each night to make it through the day or one who thought leaving her behind while he went and had fun was okay. Granted, she never had the best examples of what a relationship should be like, but she’d always felt there was someone out there for her—someone who would make her feel loved, needed, appreciated and, well—that she was as important to him as he was to her.

Jenny jammed her hand into her pocket. She clutched the smooth stone she had found on the beach. She pulled it out and turned it over in her hand. It felt warm to the touch, probably from being in her pocket. The swirling colors reminded her of the stone that Orion had shown Magna. With a sigh, she slipped it back into her pocket and continued walking through the garden.

Orion was in a meeting, and the boys were playing with Kelia’s grandchildren. Jenny had taken the opportunity to escape for some quiet time. She drew in a deep breath, not sure where to start to make sense of all her thoughts and emotions. Did she start with how she got here or her unexpected marriage or her physical and emotional reaction to Orion—a mythical creature living in a mythical world?

“I need therapy! Where is my life coach when I need her?” she groaned.

She lifted her hands to run them through her hair before she remembered that she had it in a ponytail. Pulling the band free, she shook out her long hair. She paused when she reached the end of the path and saw a vine covered door at the end of it. With another frustrated groan, she looked up at the crystal dome. Shafts of light shone down through the water from the sun above. Hundreds of tropical fish swam overhead, creating a myriad of dancing shadows.

She was about to give up on trying to solve all of her confused feelings and return to the palace when she heard the sound of voices on the other side of the wall. Biting her lip, she glanced back at the palace before walking over to the door. Lifting her hand, she brushed the vines aside. She blinked in surprise when she saw a small, square window in the door. Ornate bars covered it. It took a second to realize that the bars looked like coral and there were tiny fish decorating them.

Beyond the door, a truly magical world existed. The street, made of blocks of limestone, glowed white under the traffic. Jenny’s mouth dropped open when she saw a cart go by, pulled by a creature that had the body of a seahorse but with four thick legs and webbed feet. Its tail swept back and forth like a whip. Jenny realized that this was the adult version of the small creatures in the cave when she’d first arrived here.

She instinctively reached up and unlatched the door when the creature moved out of sight. She pushed the door open and stepped out to see if she could still see it. Her eyes widened when she saw several men walking toward her carrying barrels on their shoulders. Jenny muttered a hasty apology and scooted out of the way. The heavy door slipped from her fingers and, before she could grab it, closed with a solid click.

“Oh, no,” she muttered, reaching for the door.

There was no handle on the outside of the door. Jenny wrapped her hands on the bars and pulled, but the door wouldn’t open. With a groan, she turned back around and glanced up and down the street. She would have to follow the palace wall until she found an entrance.

“Well, I wanted to see more of the world,” she said.

Biting her lip, she looked both ways again before deciding to go to the left. It seemed like there was more traffic heading that way. It also looked like there were more shops in that direction. She wasn’t opposed to doing a little browsing, even if she didn’t have any money. It didn’t cost anything to look.

It didn’t take Jenny long to get lost in the beauty and fascination of this underwater world. She turned in a circle, staring in awe at the brightly decorated shops, the brilliantly colored sea dragons, and the wide variety of people strolling through the city. It was obvious that not everyone was from the Isle of the Sea Serpent—or at least she didn’t think they were from the way they were dressed and their appearance.

“Is that a… oh, my!” Jenny breathed.

Across the street were two beings who could only have come from a mythical world. It was clear one was a man and the other was a woman, even though both of them were tall and muscular—and only had one eye in the center of their foreheads. They were animatedly talking to each other when a third person came up. This one looked surprisingly like a Minotaur. A shiver ran through Jenny when she remembered the tales she had read about these characters to her students.

A blush ran up her cheeks when the woman glanced up and caught her staring. Turning away, Jenny focused on the walkway in front of her for several feet before she glanced back over her shoulder. A frown creased her brow when she only saw the male Cyclops and the Minotaur man. Jenny turned back around and barely had time to stop before she ran into the missing woman. Dumbfounded, she looked up at the woman for a moment, unsure of what to say.

“Hi, I’m Jenny,” she finally said with a slight squeak in her voice.

The woman’s laugh made Jenny grimace. Now, that wasn’t a very confident greeting. Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at the woman.

“I’m Cyan. I like your hair. Where did you get that color?” the woman commented.

Jenny blinked in surprise and fingered a strand of her hair. “My dad’s side of the family,” she replied.

Cyan’s lips drooped. “Hydra’s heads, I had hoped it came from a dye,” she said with a sigh.

Jenny glanced at Cyan’s black hair. “You know, your hair would be really pretty with some red, purple, and pink or green along the ends. A teacher I worked with had a weekend job at a salon, and she was always leaving hair design books around the breakroom. I think if you got a tapered cut, it would really show off your face,” she suggested.

“I think I am going to like you, Jenny,” Cyan said with a grin.

“Well, that’s better than wanting to step on me,” Jenny retorted.

For added effect, Jenny wiped the back of her hand across her brow with an exaggerated sigh of fake relief. Cyan burst out laughing at Jenny’s teasing. Jenny couldn’t help but grin back at the unusual woman.

“Boost, Meir, and I were on our way to get a drink, would you care to join us?” Cyan asked.

“I… Sure, why not? I have to tell you, this is all kind of new to me,” Jenny shared.

“Is this your first time in the underwater city?” Cyan asked.

Jenny waited to reply until they crossed the street to meet up with Cyan’s friends. She swallowed hard when the large woman stepped out in front of a cart. The two large sea dragons pulling it reared up on their hind legs. The driver growled a warning to Cyan who just grinned at the man and waved for Jenny to follow her.

“Yes… This is my first time here… in this world,” Jenny said, stepping up onto the walkway.

“Who’s your new friend, sweetheart?” Boost asked, brushing a kiss across Cyan’s lips.

“A newcomer,” Cyan replied.

“A newcomer. She looks different.” The Minotaur bent forward and sniffed Jenny before straightening. “She smells funny, too.”

“Meir, be nice,” Cyan warned, shooting her friend a stern gaze.

“No offense. It isn’t a bad smell,” Meir said defensively.

“What kingdom are you from, Jenny?” Boost asked politely.

Jenny gazed at them as they paused to hear what she had to say. She wasn’t sure if she should make something up or tell the truth. It wasn’t likely they would know where Yachats or Portland was and she highly doubted that this world was going to invade the Earth if she told them where she came from. Heck, she didn’t even know if it was possible to get back to her world anyway.

“Yachats, then Portland, but I still consider Yachats my hometown,” Jenny replied.

Her statement was greeted with puzzled silence. Jenny watched as her new friends glanced at each other with confused expressions on their faces. Cyan shook her head at Boost, who shrugged.

“Never heard of that kingdom,” Meir finally said, breaking the silence.

“We’ll have to drink to this Yachats, then Portland hometown,” Boost said.

“Sea Gully Tavern?” Cyan asked with a hopeful look.

“Of course,” Boost replied.

Jenny wasn’t sure what was happening, but she was swept along with the three strange but very nice mythical creatures that towered over her. She wondered what her friends and co-workers would say if they could see her now. Hell, she wished she could share this with her students. It would totally blow their minds and capture their attention faster than any video game.

“What is so funny?” Cyan asked, glancing down at Jenny.

“You’d never believe me if I told you,” Jenny chuckled.

Cyan tilted her head and looked at Jenny with a curious expression. “Try me,” she replied.

* * *

“Where is she?” Orion demanded.

“I ordered every available guard to search the palace and gardens,” Coralus grimly replied.

“I’ve sent word to the isle guards here and above to search for her,” Kapian stated.

“She said she was going for a walk in the garden. I saw her there earlier,” Kelia added.

Orion lifted his hands and ran them through his hair. He should never have left her alone. What if the magic that brought her here took her away? What if Magna somehow returned and….

His mind refused to believe that Jenny had disappeared. His meeting with Kapian and the other officers of the realm had been interrupted by a long and detailed request from the Isle of the Pirates. Ashure was asking permission to race the sea stags and happened to mention at the end of the meeting that the Isle of the Elementals had vanished. Well, it did not necessarily vanish but, in Ashure’s usual ‘graceful’ words, perhaps floated away due to all the hot air the King of the Elementals tended to blow. It was causing navigational issues with the currents. Ashure was hoping Orion could do something about that. Oh, and the pirate king hoped Orion would entertain the idea of selling his favorite stag, Sea Fire, for a reasonable price.

“Bloody pirate. I should have listened to Drago during the war and sent a tidal wave over the isle to wash all of them away,” Orion muttered.

Orion closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He had used the momentary break to see if Jenny might like to explore the kingdom later this evening. That had been nearly an hour ago. He opened his eyes and stared back at Coralus and Kapian.

“Find her,” he bit out.

“Your Majesty,” a man said behind him.

Orion turned and watched a guard hurry toward him. He recognized the man as York, Shamill’s former personal guard. The memory of the last time he spoke to the man flashed through his mind, and his stomach clenched. He waited impatiently for York to come to a stop.

“What is it?” Orion demanded.

“A vendor believes he saw the Queen slip through the gate at the end of the garden,” York replied.

“Did he say which way she went?” Orion asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. She was last seen walking toward the market. I’ve sent someone to inform the other guards and to inquire with the local merchants who may have seen which way she went,” York added.

“Kelia, stay here. If Jenny returns….” His throat tightened.

“I will notify you the moment she returns,” Kelia promised.

Orion silently cursed. The word ‘if’ struck him hard. The fact that Jenny was seen wandering along toward the market helped relieve some of his fear. He had forgotten about the door at the end of the garden. There was no way to re-enter once you walked out unless someone let you in. As a child, he had been locked out on more than one occasion when he slipped through it to escape Kelia in search of some great adventure.

Pushing past York, Orion strode through the open rotunda that connected the many sections of the palace and out through the covered patio to the gardens. Kapian, York, and Coralus followed closely behind him. He was almost at a run by the time he reached the door and pushed it open.

Pivoting to the left on the walkway, he began cutting through the crowd of merchants and patrons who parted when they saw him coming. His gaze swept over the heads, looking in vain for a glimmer of fire-coral red hair.