by Bar Sagi
Yasmin felt a wave of guilt hit her. She couldn’t protect Atlantis. Not one bit. She muttered a hasty yes to Violet, then left, practically running in her slippery sandals in an attempt to get away from the guilt.
She spent the next hour or so in the gardens, breathing in their scent. She loved it here. Everything grew, and none of the plants wanted anything. It was easily her second favorite place in the palace.
Looking up at the stars, Yasmin let her herself think of David again. Her mind wandered over memories of him, both sweet and bitter, and her eyes filled with tears.
She couldn’t hate Violet, even though she was his fiancée. The girl was just as much a victim of David as she was. And yet she felt like the David she had known last year was someone else entirely.
Ever since he had returned to the palace, David had been tense and distant. He had stopped laughing, smiling, or having fun. He had just… drawn into himself, and away from her.
Did he need help? The thought crossed her mind, but she shooed it away. He broke my heart! I’m not gonna help him now!
Besides, she had more important things to think about. Like the rebellion. And the rouge army. And her powers. And Abby, who had been strangely silent for the past two months.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy that Abby was gone, but what about the beast? Would he try to invade her mind again? And would she be strong enough to say no?
“Hey,” Violet said, sitting down on a stone bench near Yasmin.
She fanned out her skirts, sitting with her back straight like a princess. Yasmin started to straighten her back before she caught herself.
I am not Violet! She thought, mentally kicking herself. Stop it, me!
“Hey.” Yasmin looked down at Violet, then sighed and sat down too. She rubbed her arms awkwardly, shivering a bit. It was cold!
“Are you okay?” Violet looked a bit nervous as she asked this.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because you are pushing yourself so hard both physically and mentally, not to mention doing it after being brokenhearted.” Violet sounded more serious than Yasmin had ever heard her. She looked like a different person.
“Why do you care?” Yasmin asked, flicking away a bug that had gotten on her dress. “And how did you even notice? I thought you didn’t know what went on between David and me.”
“Of course I noticed.” Violet’s voice was laced with pain.
Yasmin looked up at her, surprised to see hurt on her face. “But it matters not. I came here to talk with you about a very different thing.”
“Really?” Yasmin sighed. Would this take long? Violet was just another empty-headed noble. She wouldn’t have anything interesting to say.
Violet put her hand on Yasmin’s knee, a tender gesture. “I know it is hard, but pace yourself. Relax. There is more to the world than magic. The kingdom and its citizens need you to move forward at your own pace, not somebody else’s.”
“How would you know what the people need?” Yasmin saw Violet tense. There was something missing here.
“I just do.” Violet’s face had become guarded, and she was drawing away from Yasmin.
“You’re acting like a completely different person now. Who are you really?” Yasmin demanded. “I need to know if you want me to trust you.”
Violet sat straighter, if that was possible. “I am the first daughter of the second princess of the fairy king,” she recited, her head held high. “I am the fiancée to Prince David, and I hope that this rebellion will be stopped as soon as possible. It is my greatest wish.”
“And what are you doing to stop it?” Yasmin said, tapping her finger on the cold, stone bench. The wind howled, and she shivered, but kept her eyes on Violet. “I am doing my best. What right have you to tell me what to do?”
“None of your business,” Violet declared, holding her head high.
“Well, it’s none of yours either.” Yasmin stood and brushed her skirts. Glaring at Violet, she made to leave.
“Wait!” Violet lunged for Yasmin’s arm. She caught it, looking desperate. “Just trust me, okay?”
“Why should I?” Yasmin retorted, shaking Violet off. “You obviously don’t trust me.”
She walked away and reentered the ballroom with purpose. Maybe the dance lessons would pay off.
They didn’t. Every time she tried to go up to someone, merely to pass the time, they either inched away from her, fear in their faces, or laughed at her. It was horrid. This whole court was horrid. Filled with people who didn’t care at all about anything.
She wandered back to her room, changing out of the dress into something warmer. Even though her room was heated, it was below zero outside. Plus, the dress just didn’t feel right.
Sitting down on her bed, she got a book out of her suitcase. It was brand new, and she was halfway through reading it. Now seemed like the perfect time. Tucking herself under the covers, she snuggled up to her teddy bear and began reading.
Percy Jackson looked at Kronos. He–
Her perfect world was interrupted by screams. She sat up, startled. Why would anyone scream at this hour?
“Rebels!” A male voice shouted, laced with fear. “In the palace!”
Yasmin jumped off the bed and grabbed her shoes. She tried calling for the sword, but she was too distracted. Nothing happened. Cursing, she slammed the door open only to see people running past her, from servants to nobles. The rebels had never attacked the palace before. It was a riot.
She ran out of her room, her feet soundless in the loud hall. Where were they? Is David okay? She wondered.
In the ballroom, she saw the solders circle around the queen, protecting her and the royal family. Some of the nobles, including Gloriana, gathered their magic, preparing for battle.
Running into the gardens, she looked around. In the lamp light, she saw nothing. Had it been a false alarm?
She saw a man raise his sword, jumping out from under the bushes. She fell back on the grass, throwing a random fireball. By luck, it hit his sword, which became red-hot. He swore and dropped it, rubbing his hands all over his tattered clothes.
He reached into his belt and pulled out a gun. Yasmin bit her lip in fear. Did she have enough control over wind to counter a bullet? He raised the gun, a wicked grin on his face.
She tried calling up her magic, but she was too nervous. Her magic shot out of her control, and a fireball the size of the rebel shot toward the sky, illuminating the gardens.
Yasmin closed her eyes, praying for the end to come quick. She heard a click, the sound of a bullet being shot.
But nothing. How come she wasn’t dead? Daring to open her eyes a smidge, she saw violet, her pink dress billowing behind her. The girl had her hand out, and she was controlling the wind. She was literally floating!
Drawing a symbol in the air, Violet knocked the man back. He stumbled, then regained his footing, now aiming at Violet.
Yasmin gasped in fear. She couldn’t watch anyone die. Focusing on the ground below the rebel, she shoved her magic deep into the ground, meaning to sink the man up to his waist.
The rebel looked down, startled, as he began sinking. Dropping his gun, he tried in vain to get out. But as he began sinking deeper, up to his waist, his chest, his shoulders, his screams filled the air.
Yasmin clenched her fists, willing the ground to stop. Nothing happened. The man kept sinking, deeper and deeper into the ground.
“Yasmin!” Violet grabbed her arm. “Are you trying to kill him?” She looked at Yasmin’s terrified eyes and realized, this was out of her control.
“Help!” The man’s screams filled the air. Yasmin shivered, her eyes not leaving the man’s face. Please! She asked her magic. Don’t kill him!
Violet knelt beside Yasmin, forcing her to look at her. Then, taking her arm back, she slapped Yasmin with enough force to knock he
r onto her back.
“Get a grip!” Violet shouted. She shook Yasmin by the shoulders. “Don’t let this man die!”
That did something to Yasmin. She shook her head, looking at her necklace. It was glowing, pulsing. She had to get a grip.
The man was now up to his neck, nearly up to his chin. Yasmin gathered up her magic again, commanding it instead of asking. This was no time to be polite. She ordered her magic to spit him out.
And that’s exactly what happened. The earth spit the rebel out like he tasted like yesterday’s garbage, shooting him five feet in the air. He landed on the grass, terrified, all his killer instincts gone. Looking around, he ran, too fast for anyone to catch him.
Yasmin lay on the ground, shaking. She had nearly killed someone! She had to stop. She had to stop using magic. She wasn’t a killer. Not at all.
“Yasmin.” Violet knelt beside her, rubbing her back comfortably. Yasmin didn’t question her weird behavior. Any contact was a blessing. “Are you okay?”
“I am done with magic,” Yasmin said, looking up into Violet’s shocked eyes. “I am done with being the mage. I can’t hurt people anymore.”
“No, Yasmin!” Violet shook her gently. “People need you! The whole country prayed for an answer, when the king died. You were the answer to their prayer. You can’t just give up!”
“So I won’t, then what?” Yasmin felt numb. “Next time, I really will kill someone. And I won’t! I won’t become a murderer!” She felt tears slipping down her cheeks. Fear was making a hole in her chest. “And what’s worse, I feel like people expect me to save them alone! I’m only sixteen! I’m not a God!”
“Not everyone expects that.” Violet sounded pitying. “There are thousands of people out there who are willing to fight with you.”
“Really?” Yasmin looked up at Violet again. “Where? Because I don’t see a single one.” She gestured around the gardens. Moonlight poured across the pathway, making it eerily white.
“I am willing to fight with you.” Violet gently led Yasmin over to the bench. “And I will help you learn to control your powers. Running away from them will do you no good.”
“What could you do?” Yasmin looked at Violet. “Unless you’ve been lying to me all this time, you’re just another mean noble. Or in your case, a kind one. But most of the nobles only laugh at me.”
Violet’s face looked fairylike in the moonlight. She held out her hand. A gust of wind danced across it. “I am a master of the wind elemental magic.” She smiled softly. “But I am also a citizen of Atlantis. And I am part of its army.”
Suddenly the pieces clicked. “The rouge army,” Yasmin whispered, hardly daring to believe. “They’re real?” She looked out into the gardens, allowing hope back in as she leaned forward.
“Yes.” And that one word changed everything.
Chapter 11
A fight with old friends
“How many are there? Do they know where the rebels are hiding? Who’s their leader? Why do they believe in me?” Yasmin felt slightly out of breath, breathing hard. She hadn’t stopped flooding Violet with questions since she had learned of the rouge army’s existence. Since she felt like there was finally a chance.
“Wait a moment!” Violet put her hand up, laughing. “The palace is under attack, and I’m not going anywhere.” She looked serious as she got up. “But for the moment, they need you to fight. Can you?”
Yasmin swallowed, suddenly nervous again. “I don’t know. I’m still scared. Can you fight?”
“As the granddaughter of a king, people have certain expectations of me. I can’t.”
“Why not? People are dying!”
“Yes they are!” Violet tugged at Yasmin’s arm, pulling her toward the palace. “And they need the mage more than ever. Even if it’s in secret, I can help you. Come on!” Yasmin stopped fighting, running with Violet, half stumbling because of the other girl’s speed.
As they ran back to the ballroom, Yasmin’s heart filled with fear again, but this time not for herself. David. What would happen to him if the rebels got near?
She didn’t realize she was running faster, until they were already in the ballroom.
Inside, it was chaotic. Guards were protecting the queen and the prince heir in swarms, but not many of them were protecting the other nobles. Many rebels swarmed the ballroom, using the fact that most of the nobles had never even picked up a sword to their advantage.
Violet gasped. Grabbing Yasmin’s arm, she whispered urgently, “Protect David, okay? Promise me!”
Yasmin nodded, too stunned to move.
Violet hurried off toward Princess Amanda, who was circled by a few guards. She was backing away from the fight, not being a fighter herself. However, even in the midst of terror, her face was calm.
“Yasmin!” Jon called from the other side of the room. He stood near David, who was battling an onslaught of rebels nearly by himself. The nearby nobles were cowered under a table, and weren’t much help.
Yasmin’s heart fluttered in fear for her friend and David. She ran over to them, and tried calling the mage’s sword again. This time it appeared.
Raising it high, she charged at the nearest rebel, who, instead of a gun, held a big wooden stick. Why? Maybe he thought they were in the caveman ages. The stick blocked the sword mid-swing, making Yasmin curse under her breath.
The rebel also cursed. He looked better off than the other one had, at least, not as thin, but his clothes were no better. He was also covered in some kind of oil, or grime that made him smell like last week’s lasagna.
Yasmin wrinkled her nose, trying desperately to get the smell out of her nostrils. It was in vain, because she was sure the smell would forever be burned into her brain. Shifting the grip on the sword hilt to her left hand, she kicked the rebel in the knee.
He swore and dropped the stick, which was still attached to the sword. Yasmin lifted the stick in both hands—it was heavy—and wacked the stick over the rebel’s head.
He didn’t collapse, like he did in her grand plan, but instead swore and rubbed his head. Yasmin took that opportunity to kneel him in the groin and watch him fall to the ground, protecting his private parts.
Satisfied, she shook the stick of the sword before she looked around for David. He had disarmed one of the two rebels near him, and Jon was helping.
Yasmin ran over to David, closing the last few feet between them. She was exhausted, not only because the day had been long, but because it had been very tasking too. But there was no time to rest.
David glanced at Yasmin, and a thousand emotions played across his face, too fast for her too read.
Joy filled every inch of her body, along with relief. David was alive! And even better, he looked like the David she knew, the one she loved!
“Yasmin!” Jon said, relief in his eyes too. He looked unharmed, but exhausted. Magic took a lot out of him. “Can you lend me some power?”
That she could do. Lending artists power didn’t take any sort of control over her magic, just the ability to transfer magic.
Reaching out, she grasped Jon’s sweaty hand in her callused-filled one. Concentrating, she gave him as much power as she could afford to, to keep from blacking out, then broke the connection.
Blinking the spots out of her eyes—this was hard—she heaved her sword again. More than half the rebels were either knocked out on the floor or dead, but a few nobles and servants littered the grounds as well.
“Duck!” Jon cried, his drawing pad and pencil held out in front of him like a weapon. In his hands, they were quite a deadly one.
Yasmin and David ducked, but the rest of the queen’s court was too caught up in the battle to hear.
A fog was coming out of Jon’s drawing pad. It was light gray and murky. It wasn’t see-thru exactly, but neither was it useable.
Because David and Yasmin h
ad ducked, the fog passed over the heads. But everyone else, who hadn’t heard the warning, collapsed as they breathed in the smoke. Bodies of nobles and rebels alike littered the ballroom. Hopefully, most of them were only asleep and not dying.
Jon, while kneeling on the ground, grinned happily. “Hey, Yasmin!” he called, waving his arm in her direction.
She turned, astounded. “What the hell did you do, Jon?”
“Not much, this is just some gas to knock them out.” Jon paused. “Now that they are out, can you, you know, magic up a gust of wind or something?”
Yasmin winced as she changed her position to a more comfortable one, sitting crisscross-apple sauce. “Um, yeah, I would rather not. Can’t David?”
“I suck at elemental magic, remember?” David said, deliberately looking away from Yasmin. “And why can’t you do it?”
“Scared?” Jon teased.
“Yeah, actually, I am.” Yasmin sneaked a glance at David, but his face had become stone again.
It was like she had imagined him ever bring, well, human. “My magic’s been spinning out of control lately. I nearly killed someone today, and next time, there might not be someone to stop me. I never want to use magic again.”
“But you gave me magic,” Jon said, clearly confused. “That’s using magic right there.”
“Yasmin, as the Prince of Atlantis, I will do my best to find out why your magic has gone wonky.” David shot a glance at her.
In that one glance, she saw worry, and fear. It made her sure of one thing: that David still cared about her. She knew it in her heart. “We will work together to save the people of Atlantis.”
Yasmin rolled her eyes, nearly screaming from frustration. “Have you not heard anything?” She practically shouted at David. “I can’t save anyone! People have died, time after time, because I was weak. I am the worst mage in the history of mages, and I can’t save Atlantis!”
“You can!” David exclaimed, making her look at him through tear-filled eyes. It had been a long night. “Yasmin, you are one of the strongest people I know. You are strong, brave, and hardworking. You have a fire that burns within you, protecting those you love. But most importantly, you are kind and you really care about Atlantis. You can’t bear to see people hurt.”