Not All Imps Are Demons... Part 6

Ian felt the spray from the Ocean water soaking his face as the boat raced across the water. The Imps seem to have everything under control. He was certain that they were actually moving at a speed not considered nautical in any way. Islands passed by in a blink and new islands appeared in the very next blink. He was sure they were not truly as close to one another as it would appear. The beauty of the islands was lost to the speed they were being passed by. Ian wondered if he would know when they arrived at the place Atlantis was suppose to be located. His answer came quicker than he expected. In the middle of what Ian considered no-where, just water as far as any eye could see, rose an Island filled with beauty. Trees filled with fruits of every shape and size adorned the trees. The skyline was covered in the brightest colors birds he had ever seen. The sounds of the jungle filled his ears and he swore he was in Paradise. The boat stopped as it hit the sandy beach.
"This is where we tread tenderly, Ian. The ruler can not see us on this side of the Island but he will know we are here if we disturb anything."
"How are we going to find Alisa if we can't look for her?"
"She will come to us. The ruler must return to his habitat at the bottom of the ocean every few hours. When he does, we will call to her."
"And we will know he has gone, how?"
"He is gone now or the Island would not have raised from the ocean for us. We have called her already. She will be here soon. Our people are bringing her here now. But we only have a short time before the ruler will return. What we must do, we must do quickly."
A large flock of Macaws took to flight suddenly. The red, orange, yellow and blue colors were brighter than anything Ian had ever seen. Clean and fresh. He suspected this was the colors that the earth had been when God first created it, before man had a chance to corrupt it all with his grime and filth. From the trees came a small army of soldiers, all looking like the Imps that had brought Ian to the Island. Behind them walked Alisa, her eyes filled with tears and her face drawn in sadness. She looked up and saw Ian. Her face changed as she ran to him. Her arms went around him and she kissed him. Not just a kiss, but one that screamed into Ian's soul and made his body react. Ian returned the kiss in like. He held her tight until her body stopped trembling.
"He said you were dieing! I heard you screaming... telling me to do whatever he asked of me!"
"It was a lie, Alisa. He wanted you to tell him the secrets."
"I don't know any secrets. That is NOT a lie, Ian. Please, you must believe me."
"I believe that you think you do not know anything, sweetheart. I am going to try and find the secrets you have hidden away to try and protect yourself. When we have done that, we can go home."
"Yes Ian, I want to go home, with you."
"I won't ever leave you, Alisa. I have been in love with you since the day you walked into my office. I will always be in love with you."
"Ian, we must get this done now before the ruler returns. If he finds us all here, he will kill us all."
Ian looked at the tiny soldier that appeared to be the leader. "Yes, you are right. Do you have a name?"
"I was once called Imel. But I have not been called that since I sold myself to the ruler."
"You are Imel to me. What do we need to do?"
"Thank you, you are too kind. You must go inside Alisa's mind and find what she can not see. Once you have the knowledge we need, you will be returned to your world."
Ian took Alisa off to a secluded area. He took her hand in his and kissed her softly. "Do you trust me, Alisa?"
"More than anyone in this world, Ian. I trust you with my life."
"Then trust me just for a little while with your mind. I am going to see many things, some very private. But I have to see everything to be sure I don't miss what I am looking for."
"I have no secrets from you, Ian. Please, go inside so we can leave this place."
Ian closed his eyes as he held Alisa's hands. He had always had the ability to see into anothers mind but only if they were willing to allow him too. A gift and a curse at the same time. AS he probed her mind, he saw her childhood. Nothing from the ordinary. Her parents were not wealthy but not poor either. Her teen years were spent cheer leading and living life to it's fullest. She study abroad in Italy and Spain and did research into the lost cities and places like Pompeii, learning everything she could of the world past. She met Mark while doing an internship from Yale, studying the lost city of Atlantis. It was here he hoped to find what he was looking for. His mind was taken away a few times by the memories in her mind of past loves and of their touch. He had to concentrate, see past these things if he was to find what he was searching for. He heard a voice. It was Marks voice, whispering to Alisa. He had placed thoughts, memories in her mind as she slept at night. This was his way of protecting her, Ian was sure.
"Ian, you must hurry. The guards say that the ruler will be back soon. Please, hurry."
"I am doing my best Imel. I need a little more time!"
"Time is something we have very little of."
Ian probed deeper. Alisa struggled to free herself from his hold. He had heard from some that the deeper the probe, the more pain it caused the subject. He did not wish to hurt her. Suddenly, Mark's voice was echoing in Ian's head. He was hearing what he had come to find. The words made Ian shudder and he fought not to release his hold on Alisa. He could see Mark in his car. He saw the horrible creature that sat at his side in the vehicle, taunting him, burning his flesh with it's touch. The Ruler, Ian assumed. A much scarier, more filthy creature than the Imps. A Demon, for sure.
"Aghhhhhhhhhh!!!" Ian felt a terrible pain ripped through his mind. The pain was like a hot poker being inserted directly into his brain. The Demon sitting in the vehicle with Mark suddenly turned it's blood red eyes towards the window. The grin on it's face, the sickening drool that dripped from it's mouth and putrid teeth were enough to gag Ian. He held tight to Alisa's hands. And then he heard it. A voice that was not Mark's An evil voice that caused Ian's heart to speed.
"I see-e-e-e-e-e you, Ian. Naughty, naughty boy!!!!!!!!!"