by S. M. Boyce
She was welcomed here. Celebrated. The tiny internal voice she had been ignoring began speaking again, telling her this was where she belonged.
Audrey was so wrapped up in her surroundings that it seemed like they reached the castle in no time at all.
She almost couldn't believe her eyes when palace guards opened the vast double doors to the Atlantean palace for her. General Cato led the way, his hand still on the small of her back, and directed her toward the thrones at the back of the grand room. Their shoes tapped against the blue marble floor, but instead of observing the room, Audrey was instead captivated by the silver thrones and the beautiful Atlanteans sitting in them. Their soft skin shimmered in blues and greens. The man's long black hair fell down his back, and a brilliant silver crown sat atop his head. The woman beside him had long black hair woven into a delicate braid that dropped clear to her waist, and her silver crown bore glittering blue jewels on each of its points. Both smiled broadly as she approached them, and stood to greet her when the general knelt before them.
“Introducing Miss Audrey,” General Cato said.
“We haven't met a new Atlantean in centuries,” the king said.
The queen nodded. “It is an honor to meet you, young lady. Welcome to our city.”
Audrey beamed. “This feels like a dream. Everything is so beautiful. I didn't think people could be this friendly.”
The Atlantean woman laughed, the delicate sound lighthearted and airy. “You’re family, dear one. In Atlantis, we take care of our own. Come with me, Miss Audrey. I'm sure you’ll want to rest after your travels, and we have prepared our finest guest room for you.”
The queen began to lead Audrey from the throne room, but when she looked over her shoulder she realized Victoria and Diesel were gone. “Wait, where are—”
“Your servants will be fed and given their own quarters,” the queen assured her.
Audrey laughed. She couldn't help it. The thought of anyone mistaking Victoria for her servant was too much. “They're not my servants.”
Confused, the queen stared for a moment, then quickly glanced at the king and general as if they could explain the situation. Apparently neither knew what to say, and General Cato eventually gave a small bow. “Forgive us, dear Audrey, but what else could they be?”
“Guards!" the king said with a laugh. “They’re her guards, of course.”
Audrey chuckled, still entertained by their confusion. “They’re my fr—”
“Forgive us,” the queen interrupted with a laugh. “We were so excited to have you here, we weren't thinking. Your guards are safe. Come, I'll show you to your room.”
When the queen began to lead her through the hall again, Audrey just shook her head and followed. They might have had some odd customs and made strange assumptions, but so far they had been nothing but polite. Audrey wasn't going to fight them. She could always correct them later.
The brilliant castle walls were as white as the sandy beaches that had led them into the depths of the first caves on the way to Atlantis. Every window she passed offered a spectacular view of distant mansions or glimmering pools of water far below. There were brilliant green farms in the distance, and even a small forest. This cavern was its own ecosystem, full of life and vibrant color.
Eventually the queen pushed open a set of double doors that led to a beautiful and massive bedroom. In the center was a raised platform, and on the platform stood an ornate four-poster bed that looked out onto a balcony. A gentle warm breeze wafted past the curtains that hid the open balcony doors. It was perfect here, neither too hot nor too cold.
“Wow, that was fast,” Audrey said.
The queen smiled. “Our servants were notified as you walked over the grand lake. We strive for perfection in all things, Miss Audrey, and no guest should ever be forced to wait to relax after a long journey.”
“This is incredible,” Audrey said with an admiring grin on her face.
On the bed lay a silky white dress and several towels. The queen gestured to the door on the far wall. “You have a full bathing room at your disposal, and several maids will provide whatever you need. Once you have freshened up, have one of them send for us. We've planned a small feast in your honor.”
“Thank you so much,” Audrey said with a warm smile.
The queen nodded and returned to the hallway, leaving the doors open as she left. Audrey now had views from two sides of the castle, and they were spectacular—nothing but clear water and beautiful homes. Now and again she would catch a glimpse of a dark-haired beauty strolling along one of the sandy walkways, a long dress trailing in her wake. It was so calm here, so joyful.
What had begun as a small voice in Audrey's head when she first touched the crystal in the marketplace had now became an overwhelming force that drove her thoughts. Atlantis was like nothing she had ever experienced in her life. This felt like heaven. Like happiness. Like home.
***
Victoria gaped at the empty room into which she and Diesel had been shoved by the guards who had led them through the castle. She still hadn't seen Audrey, and part of her worried for her friend. But based on the reception her friend had been given, Victoria figured it was more prudent for her to worry about herself at the moment.
The room she was supposed to share with Diesel contained nothing but a pile of hay and a loaf of brown bread on a plate on the floor. Along the far wall was a single window, barely wide enough for a head to fit through.
Diesel leaned in. “At least they gave us a plate. How generous.”
Behind them, the door slammed. Both she and Diesel flinched and spun on their heels, but the door didn't have a handle from this side, and it opened inward.
“This is insane,” Victoria said under her breath.
Diesel shrugged. “It’s about what I was expecting. I had hoped I would be wrong.”
“Do they hate everyone who isn’t Atlantean?”
“Pretty much.”
“They didn’t even give us a bed! It's just hay!”
Diesel grinned. “A bed? You only want one?”
She shot him a pointed look. “Focus, Romeo. This isn't a room, it's a stall.”
Diesel leaned against the wall and put his hands in his pockets. “Like I said, they only take care of their own.”
Victoria placed her hands against the door, biting her tongue and shaking her head in an effort to keep from doing or saying something stupid. They had welcomed Audrey like royalty, but were treating Victoria and Diesel like cattle.
Styx fluttered overhead, his tiny wings beating the air with a slight hum that reverberated in the otherwise empty room. She beckoned him over.
“Go look for a vault or something like one. Let me know when you find it.”
Still hovering in the air, Styx gave a salute before flittering off through the tiny window in the far wall.
“A vault, huh?" Diesel asked.
She met his gaze and dared him to challenge her, but he didn't. Instead, he pushed himself off the wall and begin to pace around the room, observing every brick as though it were interesting. Maybe he was looking for a secret passage or some other way out, but Victoria was too pissed to even think about escape.
She had sworn she wouldn't steal from the Atlanteans when Fyrn had suggested it, and he told her she would change her mind. She wasn't quite ready to steal anything, but she was sure as hell considering it.
These people were assholes.
CHAPTER 18
Later that evening, Audrey left her room in a magnificent white dress with a train that whispered over the floor as she walked. The soft fabric was unlike anything she'd ever felt and it fit her like a glove, flattering the curves she had always hidden beneath her jeans and baggy T-shirts. It was as though a permanent smile had been etched into her face, and her cheeks almost hurt from it.
She was off to a private dinner with royalty who wanted nothing more than to get to know her and ask her questions about her life.
A flare of war
ning crept into the back of her mind, a rare moment of sanity in the midst of the fanfare.
Ask yourself why, her intuition said.
This was different than the voice that had guided her through the labyrinth on the way to Atlantis. This was deeper and stronger—her real self, the natural intuition she had trusted since birth.
She paused in the center of the hallway, joy rushing from her like water from a balloon. Since she had come here, she had listened only to the voice that had first appeared back in Fairhaven. The one that had told her to keep her magic a secret. That plan had failed and yet, the closer she got to Atlantis, the more she felt compelled to listen to that voice.
It was almost as though she wasn’t in control of herself. And since she had been here, she had ignored her common sense almost completely.
She pressed herself against the wall and held her head as she tried to sift through her conflicting thoughts. She felt crazy, and legitimately wondered if she were losing her mind.
Atlantis did things to her, shifted her thoughts in a way she wasn't sure she liked. Moments of sanity weren't supposed to be few and far between—especially not for her.
Throughout her friendship with Victoria, V had been the bubbly fun one and Audrey had been the asshole who had kept people from taking advantage of her friend. Yet here Audrey was, without a clue as to where Victoria had even gone.
“Audrey?”
Audrey snapped upright. General Cato was standing at the end of the hallway and watching her with a concerned expression. In a matter of seconds he crossed the gap between them with his long, powerful strides.
“Are you all right?" He set a hand on her shoulder, and as quickly as her moment of sanity had come, a warm numbness took its place. Her worry faded with his touch, and the blissful happiness she had felt since entering the palace returned.
She still knew she was supposed to be worried about something, but she couldn’t remember what.
“I'm fine,” she said softly, not quite believing herself.
He smiled. “You must be hungry. I bet you haven't had real food in quite a while. Come with me. The king and queen are waiting for you in their private dining area. The royal family has taken quite a liking to you, you know. I have a feeling you will be joining them here frequently.”
She grinned. “What a kind thing to say. Thank you. Do they have children?”
“Sadly, no. They’ve tried, but all their children died young. I think you remind them of—” The general cleared his throat and cast his gaze to the floor.
“Of whom?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say. Perhaps the king will tell you someday, but it’s not my place.”
Deep in her chest, a warning flared like a bonfire through her body. Something was wrong about what he had just said, but she couldn't place it.
General Cato leaned in. “You'll have to act surprised when they share this with you, but I happen to know for a fact they'll be offering you training.”
“Training?”
“Of course! You were raised by humans, so you have no idea what it means to be an Atlantean. We possess powerful magic, Audrey, and you need to learn to control it.”
“That's actually why I'm here,” Audrey said.
He tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I took out half a city block in Fairhaven when I lost control. I need to learn to manage this magic, or I might hurt somebody.”
General Cato’s smile widened, and he looked at her in appreciation. “I'm impressed, Audrey. Most Atlanteans don't realize their potential even when raised here. I expect great things from you, and I know you won't let me down.”
“How could I? I feel at home here.”
“You are home, Audrey.”
She nodded without thinking, and the suspicious little voice in her core grew quiet again.
***
With every step Victoria took in the Atlantean palace, she became more and more uneasy.
A short while after they had arrived, the door had clicked open and a maid delivered a curt “follow me” before darting off. She and Diesel had obeyed simply to get out of the room, but the maid walked too quickly and they could barely keep up.
Out of spite, Victoria refused to walk any faster than a casual stroll, even if it meant getting lost.
Each soldier she passed glared at her as she walked by. Even the maids stared at her with a mixture of wariness and disgust. She hated it here. It felt as though they would kill her at any moment simply for not being Atlantean.
“Don't let them see that it gets to you,” Diesel said softly from beside her.
Victoria tried to take his advice, arching her back and relaxing her shoulders as best she could, doing her best to keep her eyes forward. Diesel put his arm around her waist and nodded charmingly to the next maid they passed, who averted her eyes quickly and hurried down another hallway.
Victoria smacked away his hand and he chuckled. “I had to try.”
“Focus, Diesel,” she said under her breath.
“Do you know where we’re going?” he asked, apparently trying to change the subject.
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen that damned maid in at least five minutes.”
“Where are you two going?" a man asked from behind them.
Victoria spun on her heel to find a guard in the middle the hallway, his shoulders squared and hand on his sword as he stared them down.
“We’re looking for Audrey,” Victoria said.
“She's with the king and queen, and you're not to interrupt. Go to her quarters, and she will give you instructions when she returns.”
Victoria gaped when the guard summoned one of the maids from a nearby room and spoke to her in a language Victoria didn't understand. Diesel, to his credit, simply burst out laughing.
They thought she and Diesel were servants.
Without making eye contact, the maid gestured and began to head down a side hall. “This way.”
Victoria could feel the heat in her cheeks, but did her best to restrain her boiling anger.
Unbelievable.
CHAPTER 19
Not long after her meal with the king and queen, Audrey had been ushered to one of the many palace gardens to begin her training. The ornate wrought-iron fences were covered in ivy and roses, and giant hedges surrounded her on all sides. To her left an Atlantean woman adjusted one of the dozens of glistening artifacts on display, almost all of them crafted from the same stone as those Audrey had bought in the Fairhaven marketplace. Most of them had been carved into beautiful animals, though some were unfinished crystal points.
The Atlantean instructor pulled her long braid over her shoulder and smiled warmly. “Do you know why some of them are carved into statues while others aren't?”
Audrey shook her head. “They're beautiful, though.”
The instructor nodded. “Indeed they are. The weaker crystals are carved into statues or figurines while those with the most power are left untouched, preserving as much of the original stone and its power as possible. The weaker stones are made beautiful in a different way.”
Audrey grinned, thinking of the stones hidden in her pack in her room. No wonder that one had given her so much power back in Fairhaven.
“As our honored guest, you may choose any of these you like. Which draws you?”
Audrey stood in front of the table, eyes wandering over the brilliant facets and edges of all the crystals. But one in the center caught her eye, a brilliant blue crystal about the size of a golf ball. She lifted it, and white light danced along her skin at its touch.
The instructor beamed. “You have a gift, Audrey. In all my years of teaching, only royalty has ever picked the most powerful stone the first time they tried.”
Audrey smiled, pleased with herself.
“Let us practice your aim,” the instructor said, gesturing toward a circular target at the end of the red brick path. Behind it was a tangle of vines and ivy dotted with pink flowers.
&nb
sp; “How do I do this?" Audrey asked.
“Atlantean magic is all about intention and focus. The power is in your connection to the crystal you hold in your hand. Therefore, you need never question your ability, only where to channel the energy. There is limitless power in that crystal. However, as you are new to its magic, it will drain some of your energy as well with each shot. The more powerful your attack, the more of your own energy you will use—at least in the beginning. Over time, you will learn to overcome this fatigue, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself winded in the early years of your training. Now, focus your mind and trust the power within the crystal you hold. Where would you like its magic to go?”