Free Chapters from Triad of Rehlms Book 1!

Inspired by ancient Taíno mythology, a new era of immortals has arrived. Step into Eh’Fi, and meet the unpredictable divine beings of myth. Alliances will form, empires will rise, and the power of love will prove to be unstoppable. Are you ready to step into the fictional divine?

Chapter 1: Ahtah’Bae

My Sweet Sister Iti’Bah,

Today marks my first official day as Oh’Shun’s prisoner. Well, it’s probably been a century or two longer than that, but I’m restarting the count. I refuse to spend one more moment sulking in this underwater prison when I should be planning my next move. If Momma Gai’Ah learned of my lack of productivity, she might snap me out of existence. I mean, I’ve already created four beautiful beings that do their job perfectly above the surface. Who says that I can’t start my life over down here? Oh, which reminds me. Please tell Lu’Nah and Dai’Ahnah to keep count of the days for me while I’m down here. I want to celebrate when another year passes. If only we could celebrate together.

All my love,

Ahtah’Bae.

I kiss the large pink conch shell with a sad smile before sealing it in a bubble, a gentle wave of my hand lifting it towards the surface. Yah’Yah is probably sick of delivering my messages by now. But what choice do I have? My duties as Iti’Bah’s protector became impossible once I tethered myself to their failed Kri’Aeshon. The least they could do is play messenger for their sisters.

I watch the conch float above the surface, the light of the Sun glowing through the waves. Oh, how I miss the feeling of sunlight on my body. My mother’s light was always warm against my skin as I guarded Iti’Bah’s planetary form. But Momma’s words were clear. My days above the surface are long behind me.

Sacrificing my physical form to save Iti’Bah from being consumed by Yah’Yehl’s waters has permanently trapped my immortal being below the surface. Even trying to put one finger above Oh’Shun’s waves causes my form to evaporate immediately.

Outside of Oh’Shun, I no longer exist. My beautiful dark legs have transformed into a large fin the color of sunset, the one spot of color in this dim blue abyss. With Iti’Bah’s apparition confined to the shores of Kae and no way to swim below to reach me, I’ve learned to find solace in our conch shell messages. It’s better than living eternally alone.

“Are you done talking to yourself? It’s rather annoying.”

Well, not entirely alone.

Yah’Yehl’s blue skin shimmers nearby in the dim sunlight as he balances a bundle of old logs on his beefy shoulder. His iridescent black tailfin sways beneath him with the easy flow of the waves.

I gather my brown locks in my hands and twirl them into a topknot with a shrug. “I’m simply releasing the past.”

“You?” Yah’Yehl scoffs. “Doubtful.”

The golden tattoos outlining my body glow as I manifest a coral crown to sit atop my head. I feel the sharp edges pin my hair in place and sigh with satisfaction. “Since you were busy eavesdropping, I’m sure you’ve heard the news of my new day-tracking system. No need to thank me, but praise is appreciated.”

“Must be nice to create whoever you want to take care of your problems.”

“Excuse me?”

Yah’Yehl adjusts the logs on his shoulder with a grunt. “Every immortal you’ve made only exists to pick up your slack. Face it, Ahtah. You’re just as much of a failure as I am.”

“I’m nothing like you,” I spit.

“I think we have more in common than you’ll admit.”

His smug grin unnerves me; those swirling blue eyes of his deeper than the bottom of Oh’Shun. Everything about him makes me want to shred his being until nothing remains. He took everything from me. And yet I’m forced to live out my existence with his constant connection like a curse.

“Are you done?” His smile fades, a twitch of annoyance forming in his right eye.

“I’m allowed to think whatever I want, Yah’Yehl.”

“Try keeping your thoughts to yourself then.”

“Well, stay out of my head then!”

“Like I have a choice,” he says. “When I’m this close, you’re deafening.”

“And why can’t I hear your thoughts?”

That smug smile returns as Yah’Yehl swims backwards with a shrug. “Who knows.”

He’s gone in an instant, a trail of bubbles the only remnant of his presence. I know that I should focus on planning my new life in Oh’Shun. But something about Yah’Yehl being able to invade my mind unsettles me. Has he been listening to me as I prattled on for centuries? How much of me does this failed Kri’Aeshon know when I know absolutely nothing about him?

I follow the trail of bubbles to a large rock structure covered in mud and old grass. Yet another part of Iti’Bah that was buried under Oh’Shun’s waters. It’s a shame that I find it comforting to swim by her abandoned monuments instead of-

“Will you quit monologuing already? I can barely hear myself think.”

Yah’Yehl’s voice floats from the other side of the rubble. I swim through a stone archway to find him tossing his logs into a large pile — a graveyard of Iti’Bah’s original forests. A precarious structure of mud and rocks sits nearby, forming a hut that’s seen better days.

I bite back my laughter. “What is this?”

“This is the start of my empire,” Yah’Yehl beams as I swim around it.

“A very nice, um, start, you have here,” I say. “Is the entryway supposed to lean crooked like that or-”

“It’s called a work in progress, Ahtah,” he snaps. “Now, get out of here. I need to focus.”

“Clearly.”

Yah’Yehl flicks his wrist, and a wave of Oh’Shun sends me away from the disaster.

I regain control of my fins with a laugh. “Fine. I can tell when I’m not wanted. But don’t come calling me when it buries you alive.”

I swim back towards my side of Oh’Shun with great speed. What was I so worried about? Yah’Yehl isn’t even able to use his powers of Kri’Aeshon properly. So what if he can hear my thoughts? Let him listen in for eternity. Maybe it will lessen the blow once I show him what a true master of Kri’Aeshon can do.

Chapter 2: Yah’Yehl

I hate her. I want her to regret every day that she decided to tether me to this wretched Rehlm. And yet something about Ahtah’Bae makes me glad to have her all to myself. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to be trapped with someone else for a change. Beats being alone in Tu’Lehri, that’s for sure. There are only so many times that you can indulge in having all the massive bathing chambers to yourself before you grow utterly bored with banishment.

Even if we haven’t spoken until today, I’ve spent many of my recent days just watching Ahtah’Bae from a distance. She sends shell messages back and forth with her sister until the sun goes down. Then she just lies in the sand until the sun rises and does it all over again. Sometimes her mind is a mess of hate and sadness.

Other nights, it’s utter silence. Those are the days I hate the most. If I don’t see her apparition right in front of me, it’s like she blips out of existence. Almost as if she’s trying to erase herself. A part of me always aches every time she tries. It’s as if I’m being stripped of my physical form all over again. Today seems to be one of those days.

I manipulate the current to carry a few logs I procured from an old forest near Kah’Noh, but most of my focus is on locating Ahtah’Bae. Even the faintest whisper of her thoughts would put me at ease, yet I’m rewarded with silence.

Maybe I was too hostile yesterday. The truth is, I want to heal Athah’Bae’s sadness and ease her eternal pain. But how can I do that when I barely know her? Just because I’m tethered to her core and can hear some of her thoughts doesn’t mean I automatically know everything about her.

My manipulation of the current falters as I notice a masterpiece of colorful coral glittering in the distance. The tips of the palace extend beyond the surface, each pillar ornately decorated in colorful shells and jewels. Did Ahtah’Bae make this? Impossible! It must only be a hollow outer shell. There’s no way she could’ve made a fully functional palace in one night.

“Like it?”

I back away from the structure as Ahtah’Bae swims out of its massive entrance. Her glowing locks flow freely around her face, golden shells and threads woven around each one. The simple coral crown from yesterday has been replaced with an extravagant crown of gold. Everything about her reminds me of how she used to be above the surface — spoiled and detached.

I purse my lips and shrug, looking at the palace with indifference. “It’s alright.”

“Alright?” she balks. “This place is a masterpiece compared to your rickety shack.”

“Your architecture is gaudy.”

“Is it now?” Her eyes drift over to my abandoned logs before resting on me. “Well, I know you’re busy. Feel free to take a tour whenever you’re available.”

She swims back inside, and I snag a single sentence from her mind before she completely disappears from view.

Come and get me.

If there’s one thing I can’t resist, it’s a challenge. Especially when it comes from a being like her. I abandon my pride at the doorstep and dare to enter further into Ahtah’Bae’s domain. High ceilings decorated in seashells and bright green moss await me once I swim beyond the entryway, the main hall gleaming with sunlight.

An intricate light system lines the walls as I follow a trail of bubbles down a nearby hallway. Aside from her earlier taunt, Ahtah’Bae’s mind is silent once more. Does she have the ability to shut me out now that she knows I can hear her thoughts?

It isn’t long before I swim into a circular room with large window arches showcasing the rest of Oh’Shun. A few colorful creatures swim around in the distance, their fins disappearing behind rows of vibrant green kelp. I’m calling them fish. Whether Ahtah’Bae likes the name or not is none of my concern.

Two large thrones made of pink coral sit at the center of the room. Ahtah’Bae lounges on the left throne while her tail drapes over the empty throne on the right. She doesn’t bother sitting up as I swim closer and spreads her arms wide.

“Welcome to paradise.”

“Looks just as gaudy from the inside,” I grunt, observing the large windows before spinning to face her. “And what is the point of these?”

“They’re for Beh’Ni.”

“Who?”

A chill runs up my spine as I feel another presence lurking nearby. I was so focused on finding Ahtah’Bae earlier that I didn’t notice a new divine energy swimming around until now. And it’s growing closer.

“Mom, I’m back!”

A massive creature with a gap-toothed smile pokes their head in one of the windows. I’m calling him a shark. The force of his appearance sends me back into a nearby pillar. I glance out the other window to see the fish unfazed by his arrival, only stopping to bow their head before swimming on through the kelp forest.

Beh’Ni’s eyes set on Ahtah’Bae before drifting over to me. “Who’s that?”

“Beh’Ni, darling, this is Yah’Yehl. He’s the Di’Ehti that helps make up Oh’Shun.”

“Is he my dad?”

Ahtah’Bae’s eyes grow wide. “Absolu-”

“Absolutely,” I cut in. “Um, son.”

Beh’Ni eyes my uneasy movements as I swim towards him. “How come I never met you before?”

“Well, I wanted to surprise you. Not every day a father meets his son for the first time.”

Ahtah’Bae swims between us in a flurry of bubbles and clamps a firm hand on my mouth. “Beh’Ni, darling, did you have a reason for stopping by the throne room?”

Beh’Ni straightens up, his large fin saluting as his brow crinkles with focus. “Status report. No one else is in Oh’Shun but us and our local community. I swam all over the place, and I didn’t see anyone else. Well, I did meet Yah’Yah.”

Yah’Yah. The name of that old creature boils my blood. How dare they roam free near my waters while I stay trapped under the surface? All of this would’ve never happened if they had just died the way I had planned.

“Thank you for that,” Ahtah’Bae’s eyes flit towards me before she smiles at Beh’Ni. “And as a reward, I’ve set up a feast for you in the dining room. Why don’t you swim along and help yourself.”

“Oh boy! Thanks, Mom!”

Beh’Ni swims away in a flurry, his energy retreating. I can feel Ahtah’Bae’s eyes on me, but I can’t find the courage to look at her. How can I? I just lied to her Kri’Aeshon about my identity. There’s no doubt she’ll want to punish for it.

“Beh’Ni is mine,” she growls. “And if you do anything to hurt him-”

“I’m not here to steal Beh’Ni away from you, Ahtah.”

“Then why even claim to be his father? I’m trying to start over down here, Yah’Yehl.”

She glares at me through two endless brown pools glittered with gold. I can sense a mix of sadness and frustration clouding her mind, and I want to wash it away. Will my words be enough to reach her?

I swim closer and dare to take her dark hands in mine. “Will you allow me to join you in that endeavor?”

“What?” she chokes, her hands ready to dart out of my grasp. But I won’t let her slip away that easily.

“Let’s rule Oh’Shun. Together.”

-End of Free Sample-

The story continues on Fantasy Island and is also available in e-book and print. Learn more by visiting Fantasy Island, exclusively found on Storyteller Planet! https://www.storytellerplanet.com/triadofrehlms