by Katrina Ryan
“What are you?” she whispered.
The orb shot towards the sky and flew around in a large circle, pulsating with light like a heartbeat. Victoria had a feeling this was meant to answer her question, but she didn't understand the riddle. It floated up to the ramparts of the castle, and Victoria left the feather where it was and followed the orb on a walk on the castle walls. From this height, she could see that many of the main streets in the city had canals. The water was pristine, but they looked empty without boats.
“I could tell somebody about Atlantis,” Victoria mused to the orb. She was sure fame and fortune awaited whoever discovered the lost empire, but when she imagined the media of the world infiltrating this beautiful island, she knew that revealing the secret would be a mistake. “Or I could just forget it all.”
But she didn’t want to forget Atlantis. She usually left photography to Sarah, but she took her phone out of her pocket now, tempted to document the place for herself while she could. The screen was blank, and the phone simply wouldn’t power up. Maybe something in Atlantis affects the signal, Victoria thought. She returned it to her pocket with a sigh, thankful she had a watch that said she had an hour to spare before Tom was meant to visit.
The orb floated from the Plaza into the ancient city streets. Venturing further away from the part of Atlantis she was familiar with, Victoria began to worry whether she would get lost, but the streets and canals of Atlantis seemed to form such a perfect grid that she was confident she could find her way back if the orb abandoned her. It wasn't long before she realized it was giving her a tour of Atlantis. It led her around the streets of what was must have been the capital city, never stopping for more than a few seconds in one place. All around her, quiet canals reflected faded silver buildings. The city felt smaller than European capitals, but it had a majesty and elegance in its uniformity that Victoria couldn't explain.
Further from the Plaza, she passed through a few streets lined with balconied buildings that reminded her of apartments. Through the empty doorways and dark windows, she could see they were all abandoned. For a fleeting moment, she caught the scent of fresh bread in the air, but she was sure it was just her imagination. The orb never gave her time to go into any of the buildings, and she had a feeling that she wasn't supposed to. She could only wonder what had happened behind each door, while one truth becoming painfully evident. The city was dead.
Atlantis really isn’t dangerous, Victoria thought against her better judgment.
Passing an ancient storefront that she thought smelled of perfume, she brushed her hand against the wall. A thick layer of dirt transferred onto her finger, and a chunk of stone fell to the ground. Victoria picked it up. Beneath centuries of decay was the most beautiful silver stone she’d ever seen. She held it to building, her hand shaking. Atlantis was defenseless and damaged beyond repair.
“I wish I had a way to fix this,” she whispered to the orb.
She felt a pulse of heat in her hand, and when she looked at the wall, the fragment of stone had reattached itself. Victoria gasped, looking at the orb and then back at her hand for answers, though she already knew.
It was magic.
Victoria searched the ground for another fragment of stone and found one at the bottom of the doorway. After a few seconds, she found where it had come from, and she held it up. The heat flared in her hand again, seeming ready to escape this time. When she let go of the fragment, it stayed on the doorframe, either defying gravity or genuinely repaired.
Victoria’s pulse raced as she found a third fragment. But on this attempt, when she held it to its original location, nothing happened. She glanced at the orb for answers, suspecting it understood the significance of what she had done. Seeming to read her thoughts, it slowly approached her. She held out her hand, and the orb hovered inches away from her Sentence, never touching her skin. Victoria understood what it meant. The power was in the Sentence.
She returned to the Plaza, crossing over one of the largest canals in the city in the process, and sat down on the grass while the orb circled overhead. “I would never want to forget about Atlantis. Being marked without warning bothered me most,” she admitted. Only a day had passed since then, but she understood better what it meant than she had yesterday. “But the words are a reminder that justice will always prevail, aren’t they? Not doom.”
The orb drifted away.
Victoria sighed. Atlantis had changed her.
With a glance at her watch, she discovered it was already late in the afternoon. Tom would be at her house any minute to discuss universities, and he would notice if she was missing. Deciding she would have to come back to Atlantis again later, she returned home. She’d barely put an extra bottle of wine into the fridge when a knock sounded on the front door. Victoria closed her bedroom door and ran to answer it.
“Afternoon, Dusty,” Tom said, surveying her with a knowing look. “How have you been?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said, managing a laugh. Her heart soared at the sight of him, and she felt pure relief coursing through her veins. As much as she wanted to share her adventures in Atlantis with him, she needed time to process her most recent visit. While Tom prepared drinks, she brought her pile of prospectuses to the conservatory and opened the doors to let the summer inside, determined to focus on her boyfriend. Tom laid his books next to hers, and they exchanged glances as they sat down. She would have hated researching universities on her own, but together, it seemed like an achievable task.
“Where do we begin?” Victoria sighed.
“You still want to study law like Aiden, don't you?” Tom asked.
Victoria nodded. “It must run in the family,” she said. Her uncle was a lawyer in London, and for as long as Victoria could remember, she’d wanted to follow his example. Nothing bothered her more than injustice and inequality, and Aiden believed she had the discipline to fight for those causes. After a second, Tom removed a few booklets from the pile and set them on the floor. “Those universities haven’t got the strongest law programs,” he explained. “I wouldn't bother looking at them further. Agreed?”
Victoria nodded, flattered that he thought she was better than all those institutions. “Aim for the stars, right?”
“Indeed. Old or new university?”
“Old, for the history and tradition of it. I got a Durham prospectus last night, actually, though I don’t remember ordering one.”
Tom winked and pulled another few books from the pile. “Me too. Near to home or further away?”
“I want an adventure,” she said. That could be anywhere in the world, she realized, wondering what subjects the university in Atlantis would have taught. “What do you think about Oxford?” she asked.
Doubt flashed in Tom’s eyes for a second, and Victoria felt her spirits fall. She’d never considered that Oxford wouldn't be what he had expected or wanted. “All their programs are great,” he said diplomatically. “There are just so many ways I could get into charity work, some of which are probably much easier and faster than a university degree. I want to make a difference in the world as soon as I can.”
Victoria was torn. She admired his ambition, but the thought of his path diverging from hers terrified her. She busied herself with looking through a new prospectus to hide the surge of panic she felt. “We still have time to decide,” she said. “I'm not worried yet.”
“I have been thinking a lot about uni recently, Dusty,” he said. The intensity in his eyes took her by surprise, commanding her attention. She put her prospectus down. “And it scares the hell out of me when I imagine going anywhere without you. You really are the most important person in my life, and the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I really don't think I could survive without you.” He leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand, his eyes fixed on her. “So, I have a question for you. Would you like to go to take a gap year together?”
Victoria felt her pulse race. Tom's proposal was a big, sudden step to de
ciding her future, but it felt right.
“Breathe, Dusty,” he said, laughing. She hadn't realized she’d been holding her breath. She exhaled, still composing a response. “I'm not asking you to marry me or anything yet. I would just like us to spend the next year together on the biggest adventure of our lives.”
“Where?” she asked.
“Anywhere in the world, as long as we’re together. I could volunteer with some amazing charities, and you could get experience in law or do whatever you wanted. And if we’re ready for university after that, we could go somewhere like Durham together. You could study law, and I could study business.”
Victoria sensed this was the moment he’d been working towards all morning, if not the past few days. “That would be amazing,” she agreed, “but Durham’s not an easy university to get into.”
“Shoot for the stars.” He smiled. “As long as we’re together, I’m happy.”
Victoria took a deep breath. Tom was so persuasive. “It’s not too early to start thinking about uni, is it?”
Tom shook his head. “The first deadlines at Oxford and Cambridge are still a few months away. But a few days ago, I had a feeling that if I didn’t ask you soon, you’d make your own plans and disappear from my life forever. And I never want to lose you. I love you too much.”
Victoria leaned over the table and kissed him. “I love you, too, and I'm not going anywhere. I think a gap year together would be brilliant.”
They spent the next hour making a schedule of what universities to visit. It would be a busy and exciting summer, and Victoria couldn’t wait to tell Aiden and Andrea. She could imagine how proud they would be of her plans for the future. By late afternoon, she and Tom had worked their way through all their university guidebooks and planned a busy summer, and she was ready for a glass of wine, even if Tom didn’t drink.
“What on earth is that?” Tom asked, reaching for her left wrist as she picked up the pile of booklets to bring inside. Victoria detected an edge in his voice. Following his narrowed gaze, she realized he was looking at the rose Sarah had drawn on her left arm yesterday.
“Sarah was inspired when we went out for coffee yesterday,” she said with a shrug.His eyes lit up in comprehension. “She could be a tattoo artist, it looks so real. But you're perfect the way you are. Don't change.”
Victoria hoped her blush was answer enough for him. The books were hiding the ribbon on her other wrist, and a knock sounded at the door a second later, saving her from worrying what Tom would say if he knew about the Sentence. “It’s Nick,” she said, recognizing his punctuality. “I’ll put these books away if you let him in.”
She ran to her bedroom, dropped the books onto her desk, and took a final look around. Everything was still in order, but the mirror was still glowing. The others will want to see the house, Victoria thought. Scowling at her reflection, she threw a blanket over the mirror and closed the door. She would have to wait to give her tour of the house after the alcohol started flowing and hope nobody noticed.
She returned to the kitchen to find Tom talking to a young man wearing glasses, a smart shirt, and unseasonably long trousers. His brown eyes surveyed the room for a moment, and Victoria knew who he was looking for. “Your place is amazing, Victoria,” he said, holding out a crate of cider. “Congratulations. Is Sarah here yet?”
Victoria shook her head. “She’s running late today. You really should ask her out if she means that much to you, before it’s too late,” she said. “Seriously. You two would be so good for each other.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “She already knows I fancy her. There's no point.”
“There is always a point if you like her that much, but never mind,” Victoria said lightly. “Let’s get drinks.”
Sarah arrived a few minutes later, dressed in a skirt and a summery shirt. Victoria could tell she’d put extra effort into her appearance today. Not for Nick, Victoria thought with a sigh, deciding to ask Sarah about it later. She led the way to the sitting room, hoping there wouldn’t be any drama tonight. Sarah greeted Tom with a hug and gave Nick a brief wave, which he returned. Victoria sighed and opened a bottle of wine while the others settled in the conservatory. When she joined them, Sarah and Nick were sitting on opposite ends of one of the sofas.
“I love your house,” Sarah said to Victoria eventually. She’d paid more interest her second glass of wine than she had to Nick. The group had ordered pizza and were waiting for delivery. “Everything looks so sophisticated. The three of us should just move in with you.”
Victoria laughed. “You're more than welcome to, but there’s not enough beds. And I don't know whether my family would agree to it permanently.”
“They could adopt us, too. You know they love us,” Sarah said. “You do have the best family.”
A second later, Victoria felt her phone vibrate in her hand. Assuming it was an update about the pizza delivery, she almost ignored the message. But seeing that it was from an anonymous sender, she couldn’t help herself. She felt her heart sink further as she read the words.
STAY AWAY FROM ATLANTIS.
Who the hell is sending these messages? Victoria wondered. She could feel frustration coursing through her veins. For a fleeing moment, she worried that this new message was some sort of practical joke, but nobody knew about the mirror, her visit to Atlantis, or the words on her wrist.
“You okay, Stardust?” he whispered.
Victoria nodded, hoping he didn’t see her hands shaking. The display on her phone had dimmed, so he wouldn't have seen the text. “Probably just the cider making me sleepy,” she said, flashing the most reassuring smile she could manage. She hated lying to Tom, but he would only worry if he knew the truth. “I'll be better with food.”
He kissed her forehead. Whether he believed her was difficult to gauge. Her phone buzzed again a few seconds later, but he didn't seem to notice her flinch. This time, it genuinely was an update about the pizza, but Victoria felt her composure crumble. She excused herself to get another drink, and as soon as she was alone in the kitchen, she sank to the floor, shaking.
Atlantis was meant to be giving her a choice about the Sentence, but now that she was seriously considering keeping it, Atlantis wanted her to stay away. The contradictory messages were cruel, and she refused to believe that Atlantis didn’t need her.
Maybe these newest messages aren’t from Atlantis, she mused while she prepared another round of drinks. The possibility reassured her slightly. She locked her phone in her bedroom, checked that the mirror was still glowing and the Sentence was still on her wrist, and tried to enjoy the rest of her evening. Only a few more hours until you can decide, she reminded herself.
An hour passed as the group worked through another bottle of wine. A chorus of Sarah’s genuine laughter filled the conservatory. Victoria glanced from her watch to Tom, recognizing the sound of flirting, though she never would have expected Sarah to entertain Nick’s attention.
“Sarah,” Nick said. Something in his tone made everyone in the room look at him. He sounded much less sober than he had only minutes ago, but there was determination in his expression. Victoria glanced at Tom, but he didn’t seem worried. “I dare you to kiss me.”
Victoria nearly spilled her drink. When she'd suggested that Nick should ask Sarah out, she hadn't expected him to take her advice. And this was far from what she’d meant. Please don’t, she prayed, wishing Sarah could hear her thoughts. A dare couldn't possibly end the years of tension and unrequited love between those two. Someone would get hurt, and that person would undoubtedly be Nick.
“Fine,” Sarah said, and the room fell silent. Victoria groaned inwardly. “But just so everyone is clear, this doesn't mean anything. I'm only accepting a dare.”
“The same goes for you,” Nick said, before Victoria could advise anyone to reconsider. “This doesn't change anything.”
Victoria knew he would leave the next move to Sarah, and the air filled with expectant tension. Sarah leaned in af
ter a second, placed her lips on his, and pulled away, blushing fiercely.
“There,” she said, swaying slightly on the spot. “That was easy.”
Nobody said anything for a few seconds, and Victoria couldn't decipher either of their reactions. She sipped her wine, trying not to imagine what her social life would be like if two of her best friends never spoke to each other, and then Tom started to laugh. The sound filled the conservatory with a sense of relief, and everyone seemed to relax. Victoria glanced at the ribbon on her wrist. Whatever happened tonight, whether at home or in Atlantis, she knew everything would be alright.
She had only hours to decide what she wanted.
Chapter Four
TRUE ALLEGIANCE
If you put your hand into the fire, you will lose the Sentence and sever all ties with Atlantis forever. If you do not touch the fire, you will remain marked, and the Sentence will be your key to Atlantis.
Victoria pondered these words from the morning’s text message as she stared into the flames of the fire without a source. It was another warm, quiet night in Atlantis, a light rain was falling, and the unusual fire was burning in the front of the throne in the castle, presenting Victoria with a choice. For once, it seemed Atlantis was giving her what it had promised.
With a smile, she turned her back on it and the fire and ventured to the Plaza. She wanted to explore the city even more than she wanted to sit on the throne. She stopped in the Plaza only to check that the Sentence was still under the ribbon, and then continued towards the beautiful domed building she’d admired during her previous visits. An inscription above the building named it as the Grand Library. As she proceeded up the steps, the orb appeared out of nowhere between her and the enormous wooden door.