by S. M. Boyce
“Simmer down, Sally,” Victoria said, rising to her feet. She leaned back, nose crinkled a bit as she gave Audrey a familiar look.
Audrey knew that expression. It said, “What's wrong with you?”
“Nothing's wrong with me,” Audrey snapped. “It's you. Your attitude. You're trying to take away my heritage, the thing that makes me special, and I don't appreciate it. I don't want to leave yet, so don’t rush me.”
To her credit Victoria didn't say anything, but her expression shifted nonetheless. The look that followed was one Audrey had only seen a handful of times in her life, but she knew it all the same. It meant Victoria was biding her time, doing her best to figure out a different way to phrase what she wanted to say.
“Apologies, Your Highness,” Victoria said snidely. She retreated from the room and slammed the door behind her.
The moment the door closed, a pang of guilt hit Audrey square in the chest. She leaned against the wall, another moment of sanity burning away the joy.
Had Fyrn’s warning been correct? Was she losing herself to her Atlantean predisposition for selfishness?
Confused and not entirely sure if she could trust herself, Audrey slid down the wall until her butt hit the floor. She didn't want to lose Victoria, but she finally felt at peace. She finally felt like there was a gift within her as glorious and powerful as Victoria’s.
Maybe even more so.
After so many weeks and months of living in strange places and being surrounded by strange creatures with customs Audrey didn't understand, she felt at home.
And not even Victoria will take that from me!
Audrey gasped, her hand on her mouth as she tried to suppress the nasty thought that had just arisen. She knew it hadn’t been her. It had been foreign and desperate. In her core, she knew it had been that strange voice she had heard off and on since she found the crystals in the marketplace. With every hour she was here, it grew louder.
Victoria was right. Audrey needed to leave, to get out of here, to...
The glimmer of the blue crystal on her bedside table caught her eye, and she reached for it almost in a daze. The crystal settled into her palm, and her panic faded to a happy numbness. As it had in the hall when the general touched her, her worry abated. She still felt like she should be concerned with something, but she couldn't remember what.
“So strange,” she murmured softly to herself.
Chapter 20
Victoria paced the stall she shared with Diesel while she waited for him to return. They had to do something—anything!—to get Audrey back.
A few moments later the door creaked open and Diesel came in. Victoria couldn’t stop pacing, however. She could barely think, much less form words. She was fuming.
“Victoria, darling—”
“Don’t you ‘darling’ me.”
A thin smile played at the corners of Diesel’s mouth. “My love, please calm down. Whatever’s bothering you, I’m sure we can find a solution.”
“It’s Audrey. She’s not herself. She’s in danger.”
“Victoria.”
“Whatever these people are doing to her is changing her entire personality—”
“Victoria, please.”
“—and I’m not going to sit idly by while—”
A chill swept through Victoria’s body. Frost coated her skin, and she shivered. Diesel stepped up behind her, one hand on her shoulder as he pressed the truth dagger deeper. He must have grabbed it from her pack when she wasn’t looking.
“Diesel, what on Earth—”
“What’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten?” he asked.
For a moment she simply stared at him. It wasn’t willpower that kept her answer at bay. It was shock. “That’s the dumbest question I’ve ever heard.”
“Exactly. Before we can get anywhere or make any plans, you need to relax. Now answer me.”
The words pressed against her mouth as the dagger’s magic swirled within her until she couldn’t hold them back anymore. “My Mom’s raspberry hot sauce omelet with broccoli and peppers. She loved that nasty heap of mismatched food.”
“Oh gods, that’s disgusting.” Diesel grimaced, his grip loosening on the dagger.
“It really was. God, she would try to make me eat it all. If I smelled that cooking I snuck out the back door, even if I was starving.” Victoria laughed at the memory of her mother insisting it wasn’t all that bad. Really laughed. Her eyes watered and her cheeks hurt from the sheer improbability of a wizard stabbing her with a truth dagger to ask about gross food.
Diesel laughed. “I ate a dung beetle in school. A friend told me it was some magical bug that would help me learn spells faster. That bastard.”
“Wait, you had friends?”
Diesel chuckled and elbowed her in the side before pulling out the truth dagger and offering it to her. “You have the next question, my lady.”
Despite standing in a stall in the dungeons of Atlantis, Victoria couldn’t stop herself from grinning at this ridiculous wizard. She snatched the magical blade from his hands and slid it into his arm. It disappeared into his clothes, and he shivered as it entered. Despite his annoying personality, Victoria was grateful that this blade wouldn’t hurt him, at least not physically.
Wait—am I starting to enjoy Diesel’s company? She shook the thought from her head. “What was your most embarrassing moment?”
“What a cruel question!” He gave a wounded moan and lifted his hand to his forehead.
She chuckled. “Said the wizard who surprise-stabbed me with a truth dagger.”
“Touché.”
“Come on, out with it.”
His mouth tensed as the words pushed for freedom. “I fell down the stairs at a royal gathering in Fairhaven. There was a huge crowd, and I had to play it off as though an invisible intruder had attacked me.”
Victoria burst out laughing. “They believed you?”
“I have my doubts, but at least they played along.”
“Oh my God,” Victoria pulled out the dagger. She had trouble catching her breath, she was laughing so hard.
He snatched the blade from her and slid it into her side even though she was still convulsed with laughter. “My turn. What was the worst hair cut you ever had?”
Victoria laughed so hard she snorted. “My Mom gave me a china doll cut when I was eight, but she did it herself. Each time she cut one side, it was a little higher than the other. I looked like a boy for almost two months.”
He laughed and dropped the truth dagger. It fell to the ground, and Victoria joined it.
She wiped a happy tear from her eye. “You’re an idiot, Diesel.”
“You love it.”
Victoria shook her head and returned the dagger to her pack. “Well, that was…unexpected. I thought you were going to betray me, or make me answer a question I didn’t want to.”
“Never, my love. Your safety is and always will be my priority.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He sat on his half of the straw, which they had separated into two piles, and leaned his back against the wall.
Finally calmer and a bit happier, Victoria was able to settle down. The reality of their situation in Atlantis sank in once more, but this time she could process it with a clear head. “I’m going to take a walk.”
“Make sure no one sees you. They’ll ‘kindly escort’ you back here.” He closed his eyes and nestled down, getting comfortable.
With a snap of his fingers, the door magically opened.
Victoria smirked at the powerful wizard’s gesture. At least they would never truly be locked in this room. She nodded and left, pausing at the door long enough to smile at the sleeping wizard. He was annoying most of the time, but she couldn’t help but be grateful he had come.
***
Victoria sat beside one of the many lakes in Atlantis, elbow resting on her knee as she stared into the deep water and the colorful red koi swimming w
ithin it. As much she hated to admit it, Fyrn’s warning seemed to be coming true.
Audrey was slipping away.
Victoria smacked the water in frustration and the fish skittered away. No. If there was one person Victoria would never give up on, it was Audrey. She knew Audrey better than anyone, and Audrey would never let her down like this. She had quit everything, abandoned everyone else, to join Victoria in her quest for revenge. She had skipped college and a chance at a normal life, all for Victoria.
Audrey had always been there for her.
Victoria stood, smiling with renewed hope. Atlantis had enchanted Audrey, but nothing could steal her away. It was Victoria's job to save her friend, and she would do it even if she had to pull Audrey out of here by the hair, kicking and screaming.
For now, Victoria would wait. Audrey still needed to learn to control her magic and the instructor seemed to be helping, but honestly Victoria wasn't sure they could wait much longer.
More and more, bringing Audrey here seemed like it might have been a mistake.
A nearby flutter of wings caught Victoria's attention, and Styx zipped up to her. She held her hands out so he could drop into her open palms. His tiny chest rose and fell as he gasped for breath.
“Any luck?" she asked.
He shook his tiny head and collapsed into her hands. Victoria couldn't help but think he was milking this a little.
When he had stopped heaving for breath, he hopped onto her shoulder and snuggled into her hair. Even after all their time in Fairhaven, it was still surreal for his tiny hands to pull on her hair as he found a comfy spot.
She headed back toward her stall—she wouldn't be so kind as to call it a bedroom—to find Diesel. They needed a plan.
***
Shortly after Victoria had left, Diesel had snuck out as well. He had work to do.
Deep in the abandoned tunnels beneath Atlantis, Diesel lifted his staff and shined the light emanating from the crystal at its tip into the depths of yet another abandoned cave. He opened his journal, consulting his notes from the last few tunnels to make sure he understood where he was.
As his light passed along one of the walls, something in the rock began to glow a brilliant red. He paused and examined the ooze, but he didn't recognize it. Carefully, he pulled a small vial out of his bag and took a sample. He could study it when he got home, along with the twenty other samples of various unidentified plants, minerals, and gooey things he had already taken.
Since they’d arrived, he had done nothing but explore and flirt with Victoria. His hosts didn't seem to care for him—a first in Diesel’s world, he had to confess—but he couldn't waste the opportunity to discover and learn what he could about their world and culture. It might come in handy later. Besides, it gave him a chance to step away from the utterly distracting Victoria Brie for a bit so that he could get a little work done.
Sometimes he wondered if she had put an enchantment on him, but he didn't care if she had. No one had captivated him like this in almost a decade. She reminded him of young love. It was clear she didn't reciprocate his feelings, but maybe he could wear her down over time. Besides, he got a kick out of the way she rolled her eyes.
He continued down the tunnel, walking for another few minutes before his light exposed a cave-in. Rocks filled the entire tunnel, blocking whatever lay beyond.
He stroked his chin. How strange. The last five tunnels he had explored had ended in cave-ins as well.
Diesel ran his hand along the rocks to look for signs of magical interference or brute strength, and sure enough he saw gouges along the edges of the cave-in, evidence that someone had taken a pickax to the rock and forced it to fall.
Same as all the others.
This was irrefutable evidence that the Atlanteans had purposely cut off most, if not all, their secondary exits. From a logistical standpoint, it didn't make sense to rely on only one entrance and one exit for an entire kingdom of people to escape if need be. He didn't fully understand the logic behind it.
It was fairly clear the Atlanteans didn't want anything getting in... or out.
“But why?" he asked the empty cave.
Chapter 21
Victoria hadn’t found Diesel or come up with a plan to rescue Audrey, but she did find a maid who wanted something delivered to Audrey's room.
Just great.
Victoria walked down one of the dozens of identical white-walled halls in the Atlantean castle with a dress in her arms and a scowl on her face. Despite the castle’s brilliance and the stunning views available from every window, she couldn’t get over her anger at the people and just enjoy being in a magical lost city. She fumed, and she couldn't hide it. She had to play her part, at least until—
In her peripheral vision, she saw a guard watching her as she passed. He left his post and followed her, careful to keep his distance but watching her all the same.
The Atlanteans probably didn't want to let a foreigner run unchecked through their castle halls, even if they did just think she was a servant.
Out of spite and stubbornness Victoria picked up the pace, without turning around to let him know she had seen him and knew what he was up to. She wasn't about to let some asshole follow her.
His pace matched hers, and she grinned a bit at the thrill of a chase.
There were probably a hundred hallways in this massive castle, but she at least knew this section of the palace. Up ahead the walkway branched into four halls of bedrooms, council rooms, and what appeared to be a theatre of some sort. There was a deep doorway in the farthest hallway, and she could slip into it to remain unseen.
Using her head start, she rounded the corner and bolted for her hiding place. As she pressed her back against the door, she could hear his footsteps hurrying along the smooth marble floor.
With a smirk on her face, Victoria waited to hear which direction his steps would take. He muttered something under his breath, likely a frustrated curse, and took off down the first hall.
Sucker.
Sure, now it would take a little bit longer to get to Audrey's room, but it wasn’t like Audrey would be there. She almost never was. The Atlanteans controlled every minute of Audrey’s time in the castle, and allowed her as little time with Victoria as possible.
Besides, it was worth the extra walk to not be followed. To not be watched and treated like an unwelcome guest who couldn't be trusted.
To her surprise, Styx flitted down from the ceiling and trilled in her ear, then tugged on her hair and pointed back to the hall she had just come through. She glanced around, looking for guards or anyone else who might have been watching her, but the hallway was empty.
It seemed like her little pet pixie had found something.
Finally!
Victoria threw the dress over her shoulder in case she needed it later for an explanation. In this palace it always served her to have a reason to be walking about alone, and “delivering a dress to my master” seemed to be the only excuse that worked.
He darted off down the hall, wings humming through the air. Victoria ran after the pixie, struggling to keep up. Whatever he found had excited him, and he blazed ahead. He darted past a few hallways, but Victoria paused and tensely peeked around each corner to see if there was a guard who would ask her what she was doing. Thankfully these sections of the palace seemed fairly empty, and she was able to run through them quickly.
Styx finally stopped in front of a door identical to the rest and pointed at it, squeaking incoherently. Although the rest were shut and locked, this one stood ajar.
“You clever little thief, you,” she said, winking at him.
He grinned and bowed.
As they entered, Victoria was careful to keep an eye out for anyone else lurking about. She had asked Styx to find a vault, so she had been expecting a treasure room filled to the brim with gold and artifacts. Instead she found a boring old meeting room, nothing in it but a table, chairs, although it had a window overlooking one of the brilliant Atlantean lak
es beyond the castle.
She set her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow at her little pixie. “This isn't a vault, Styx.”
He rolled his tiny eyes and pointed toward a wall sconce. She studied it for a moment, not quite sure what he was up to, so he wrapped his arms and legs around it. The silver sconce was thicker than he was, so he struggled to pull it downward. He wriggled and flapped his wings, tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, and suddenly it clicked for Victoria.
It’s a hidden door!
She pulled on the sconce and sure enough, it came down. A door slid silently open, revealing a dark hallway of stacked stone. A thick wooden door with silver hinges waited at the far end.
Styx raced down the hallway and stuck his tiny hand in the lock. His tongue poked from the corner of his mouth again as he focused, staring at the ceiling as his hands maneuvered inside. Seconds later there was an audible click.
Victoria peeked through the now-open door, and a smile spread across her face when she saw gold. Lots and lots of gold.
More important than the gold, however, was the display of items. From daggers and swords to jewelry—even a tiara—the items had been carefully laid on individual white pillows. Though some of the cushions were empty, each had a small note attached to it with a pin. Someone had scrawled on each in a language she didn't understand, and the script reminded Victoria of the language on the map.
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need Diesel,” Victoria said under her breath.
If she were right, these were the Atlantean Artifacts Fyrn had mentioned. The notes pinned to each pillow were probably details of what each did, which wouldn’t surprise Victoria at all. The Atlanteans carefully controlled everything, and only her advanced training with Fyrn had helped her escape their watchful eye. They probably now believed she was nothing more than a servant, and she wanted to keep it that way.
When others underestimated her, she got the upper hand.
The rumble of men's voices caught her attention and she panicked. She ran to the door and peeked out, but thankfully the door to the meeting room had slid silently shut on its own.