by S. M. Boyce
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 lakes 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.
No, the voices were coming from behind the walls.
As she stepped into the hallway, the words became clear. She recognized General Cato’s voice, but he was speaking a language she didn't understand.
Even though she didn't understand the native tongue, this was great. All she had to do was get Diesel down here, so he could listen in on the meetings while he deciphered the notes in the vault.
The general’s tone changed, his voice deepening, and it sent a chill down Victoria's spine without her understanding why. There was something about this guy—something off—but she didn’t know what.
To her surprise, a low and guttural growl escaped Styx. He was staring at the wall through which the voices came, glaring at it as though he were going to strangle someone. He flitted in front of her and put his hands out as if to protect her from some invisible force, but nothing happened. Victoria wondered if the pixie could understand more than just English. It seemed as though he had picked up on something the general had said, perhaps directed toward her.
Shit. She didn’t like the idea of him talking about her, especially not if it riled Styx so much. Her instinct told her any feud with this Atlantean general would only end in blood.
She beckoned Styx closer. Careful to keep her voice low, she shared her plan with the pixie. “Keep an eye on the general, but don't let him or any of his minions see you.”
Styx saluted.
She wished he could speak English, but he only muttered gibberish. She tapped on her cheek, wondering how he could best be of use. “If our lives are in danger, come boop me on the nose. Okay?”
Styx nodded.
Victoria headed back to the meeting room she had used to enter the vault and pressed her ear against the wall. No voices, thankfully. When she pressed her hands against the door, it slid open. She panicked for a second before confirming that the room was in fact still empty.
Close call.
Apparently just pressing on the door opened it, so she would have to be careful. She darted through the meeting room and slid into the hallway with Audrey's dress in hand, aimed for Audrey's room with a smile on her face.
She still wasn't convinced she should steal, but she could at least learn what they had in the vault. These people weren't allies, and if things devolved they might become enemies. She had to know what powers they possessed.
Plus, if her intuition was right and the general wanted to hurt her or Audrey, Victoria’s whole stance on not stealing from them might change.
***
Luak lounged on an expensive leather couch in an ornate living room filled with golden trinkets and adorned with mahogany crown molding. A little gaudy for his taste, but hey—these people were rich and loved showing off their money. He studied the walls of the mansion, enjoying all the paintings and especially what looked like an original Monet. He bit into an apple, taking the last bite as he examined the gold pendant in his hand. It was covered in red gemstones, and even a soldier like him could appreciate the beauty in the contrast of garnet and gold.
He stood and tossed the core onto the floor before fetching another apple from the fridge. He leaned against the counter and eyed the corpse of the person he had stolen the artifact from, her blood-stained high heeled shoe sticking out from behind the kitchen island. Her corpse lay across the tile floor amidst the pearls from the necklace that had broken in their short-lived battle.
Another Rhazdon Artifact for his master. She would be pleased, especially about this one. His master enjoyed wealth and jewelry, and she had been eyeing this Artifact for some time. He was her favorite Artifact hunter, and for good reason.
He lifted the pendant, trying to recall what it did. He believed this one was about clairvoyance, or maybe it was the one that allowed its host to understand any language. He couldn't remember, but he knew it was exceptionally powerful.
Perhaps he should keep it.
He cringed almost as soon as he finished the thought, since his master would be furious with him if she knew. Her servants had to wait decades to be allowed additional Rhazdon Artifacts, and they would be given whatever she decreed they were worth.
Luak already possessed several of the best Rhazdon Artifacts in existence, and he wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. That meant the artifact Victoria had stolen from him.
Soon.
Patience wasn’t his strength, but he would have it very, very soon.
CHAPTER 22
“You continue to impress me, Audrey.”
Audrey beamed. She couldn't help but feel pride at her words. She was once again in the palace gardens with her oddly nameless instructor, who had refused to be called anything other than “Miss.” Regardless of the odd custom, Audrey relished the warmth radiating from the hidden Atlantean sun as they experimented with more of the artifacts.
Down the red brick path, the bullseye still smoked from a brilliant white blast she had loosed using another Atlantean crystal. They had gone through every single crystal in the display, but Audrey still preferred the power in the first one she had ever used with this instructor.
The instructor returned the crystal to the table. “It astounds me that you were able to use Atlantean magic outside the kingdom, especially with no experience.”
“I didn't have a lot of control over it,” Audrey said with a shrug.
“I caution you to not dismiss your power so easily. There is a difference between humility and under-appreciating your talent.”
Audrey studied the woman, who in turn watched her with an intrigued expression. They stood in silence for several seconds, Audrey unsure of what to say.
Eventually the instructor smiled. “You have a natural gift, and I hope you continue to use it. I don't believe there's anything more I can do for you, Audrey. It's time for you to advance your studies.”
“Can I go out in public and not destroy things? If I left Atlantis, would I hurt anyone?”
The instructor set a hand on her heart, mouth working a bit before she spoke. “I suppose not, but why would you want to leave?”
Audrey couldn't answer. She wanted to share the beauty of Fairhaven’s palace and the magical hob glob of creatures living there, but the words wouldn't come. Everything in her core told her to stay here instead, to celebrate the fact that she was special even among the powerful Atlanteans.
After all, hadn't she come home?
***
Ever since Victoria had ducked her guard the Atlanteans had been far less subtle about the fact that she was being watched. Now two or three followed her everywhere she went, and she hated every step of it.
But with a bit of Diesel’s help, the two of them had shed their tail and gotten into the vault unseen.
And man, how she had hated asking for Diesel’s help!
“This isn't what I had in mind for our first date, but I'm happy to be spending time with you, my love,” the wizard said as he scanned the notes pinned to the various pillows in the vault.
Victoria rubbed her temples. “You exhaust me, Diesel.”
“That’s an improvement from ‘I don’t even like you,’ so I’ll take it.” He hummed happily, finger tapping on his chin as he studied the Atlantean Artifacts.
Victoria groaned in annoyance.
Styx flew laps around the massive vault, ducking and weaving around the piles of gold and treasure he was using as his own miniature obstacle course among the fortune that had been stored in here.
“What do they say?" Victoria nodded to the notes pinned beneath each Atlantean Artifact.
Diesel stroked his chin. “They're fascinatingly organized. Every single Atlantean Artifact—and yes, that is in fact what these are—has its power listed, along with the spirit or entity attached to it. For those missing from their pillows, a note has been added about who is currently using it.”
“Which one does General Cato have?”
“I haven’t seen his name on any of these notes yet, but it’s inevitable that he has at least one. The queen can charm men to do her bidding, though I find it odd for a regal woman to have seduction powers. I always imagined queens were above such information-gathering methods.”
“Hmm. Are there any that give the host immense strength?”
“I haven’t seen one yet, but I’ve only just started. This is too much to remember. I need to write it all down.”
He whipped out his journal, but surprisingly didn't use a pen. He stroked his chin again while he studied the pinned notes and ink appeared magically on the paper.
“What's going on?" Victoria examined the book over his shoulder.
He grinned charmingly and leaned in, tilting the book toward her as he took advantage of the excuse to be close. Script continued to appear on the page as Diesel put his arm around Victoria’s shoulders. “Neat, isn't it? I came up with this. I never run out of ink, and it's much easier to take notes this way.”
“Neat.” Victoria smacked him hard across the knuckles and he released her, flinching a bit as he shook out his hand.
“I love it when you play hard to get!”
“Focus, please,” Victoria said with an eye roll.
“It will take me a few hours to get everything down,” Diesel said. “T
here's so much information here.”
“Make it as quick as you can,” Victoria said. They didn't have the luxury of time, and they certainly didn't want to be caught in the vault. With only one exit, they would be sitting ducks.
He nodded and returned to his journal, occasionally checking his notes as he scanned the papers pinned to the pillows.
Victoria paced the room, enjoying the soft flutter of Styx’s wings as he flew his laps through the towers of gold coins and piles of jewelry. It was better than silence. Or worse…a conversation with Diesel.