Back to Atlantis

by Bar Sagi

  Producer & International Distributor

  eBookPro Publishing

  www.ebook-pro.com

  Back to Atlantis

  Bar Sagi

  Copyright © 2020 Bar Sagi

  All rights reserved; No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, of the author.

  Contact: sagigibar@gmail.com

  Contents

  Chapter 1 - The arrival

  Chapter 2 - The ball

  Chapter 3 - Training

  Chapter 4 - A princess

  Chapter 5 - Training & forest fires

  Chapter 6 - The fight

  Chapter 7 - The queen

  Chapter 8 - A spellcaster in training

  Chapter 9 - A rouge army

  Chapter 10 - Prince David’s birthday ball

  Chapter 11 - A fight with old friends

  Chapter 12 - The magic block

  Chapter 13 - Secrets hidden under a crown

  Chapter 14 - A visit home

  Chapter 15 - A ball to remember

  Chapter 16 - The price of magic

  Chapter 17 - A talker, not a fighter

  Chapter 18 - Letters & unspoken feelings

  Chapter 19 - Wishes under the stars…

  Chapter 20 - The new mission

  Chapter 21 - Enemies and Alibis

  Chapter 22 - The portal

  Chapter 23 - The betrayal

  Chapter 24 - The second-in-command

  Chapter 25 - After the battle

  Chapter 26 - “I will be there!”

  Message from the Author

  Chapter 1

  The arrival

  Yasmin couldn’t believe it. She was finally going to Atlantis. After months of training, she was really looking forward to it. But at the same time, she never wanted to leave home. She wanted to be with Digdig forever. Who wouldn’t?

  She put down her big suitcase—like huge—and looked at her family. They had come to David’s house to say goodbye. She had already said goodbye to her cat, Digdig—It involved much crying—and to her school. They thought she was going out of the country for a little while.

  Miriam looked at her, smiling. “Yasmin! I want to eat! It’s already noon! Let’s just go to Atlantis!”

  Yasmin looked at her best friend and stuck out her tongue. She knew Miriam was just kidding. But then, simultaneously, both their stomachs rumbled. She snorted. Maybe Miriam wasn’t joking.

  Hugging her father one last time, she tried smiling. “Bye, Dad.”

  He held her at arm’s length. “Come back soon, and don’t get yourself killed, okay?”

  “I’ll call you every day,” Yasmin promised. “Take care of Digdig.”

  Her father grinned. “He’ll be miserable without you, you know. Maybe I’ll start calling him chicken.”

  “Dad!”

  “Come, on, Yasmin, we have to go.” David was standing there, looking a bit anxious. He wasn’t normally, but these last few days he had been nervous and quick to explode. Something was bothering him, and he refused to tell her what, no matter how many times she asked—twenty-four.

  Grabbing her suitcase with a grunt—it had twenty books, perfect for a month-long stay—she stepped through the mirror Jon had used when he travelled from Atlantis.

  Yasmin blinked, sneezing in the bright sunlight. It was a cool day in November, but with no clouds, the sun and the chilling breeze sent poor Yasmin into a fit of sneezing.

  A few minutes later, putting on sunglasses and a scarf, Yasmin could breathe again. Hearing snickers, she saw that David, Miriam, and Jon were laughing at her.

  Daniella was nowhere in sight, though. Yasmin sighed, both because of her odd friends, and because of her worry about Daniella.

  Daniella had changed drastically since she met Jon. Nowadays, Yasmin wasn’t sure who Daniella was, or if she liked her at all. She seemed freer, which was good, but Yasmin just didn’t know if Daniella liked her.

  Yasmin looked around at the surroundings for the first time. She gasped in wonder. David said the portal would put them in the royal garden, but this was nothing like anything she had ever seen! There were roses in light blue shades, poppies in all the colors of the sunset, and the yellowest lemons ever! She loved making lemonade.

  The sky was clear blue, and the path sparkled in the sun, made of marble stone that didn’t have a streak of dirt. Everything looked perfect.

  “Ahh-hhchoo!” Except for a cold that Yasmin seemed to be developing.

  “You ready?” David asked her, his fingers sliding into hers.

  Yasmin nodded as she looked around the garden, feeling an urge to protect it. This was David’s home. She wasn’t going to let anyone, especially a ‘beast’ burn his life to the ground.

  They started walking along the path. Yasmin started talking with Miriam excitedly, and she let go of David’s hand so she could carry her suitcase.

  “Can you believe my parents are only letting me stay here for a week? But I would miss real life if I stayed in this Kingdom too long.” Miriam said kingdom carefully.

  “Only you.” Yasmin laughed. “Me, I would much rather be in a fantasy.”

  “I suppose that’s why you started going out with David, right?” Miriam teased Yasmin.

  Yasmin looked thoughtful. “I don’t know why I started dating David. Maybe it was an idea I had built of him, the fact that he opened me to a whole new world, or yes, the fact that he was a prince. But now that I know him, these things seem pointless. The person inside, the REAL David, is the one that I love. He could be a poor peasant and I would still love him. He’s so full of life, and during those rare times he is vulnerable, I want to protect him, and everything he loves. I want to get to know him better, and see what comes next.”

  “You really love him, don’t you?” Miriam said softly. Yasmin saw that though her face was sort of sad, she smiled happily. “I hope I find something as amazing as you guys have someday. Even if he is just a friend.”

  Yasmin hooked her arm into Miriam’s. “You have me!”

  They laughed, and kept talking, with David walking ahead, and Jon and Daniella behind.

  Suddenly David stopped in his tracks, and his whole body went rigid.

  Yasmin looked at his face, wondering what could have made him this pale. She didn’t get to think for long, though, because–Wham!

  A beautiful girl with dark red hair kissed David, on the lips! She pulled away, hugging him tightly, while everyone else stood rigid with shock.

  “David! I’ve missed you!”

  David had apparently turned to marble, because he was as white as snow and didn’t move.

  Yasmin was trying to comprehend what happened when the girl turned to her and said, “Hey, you must be the mage! My name is Violet of Maidenhill. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

  Violet of Maidenhill was a teenage girl about their age, with thigh-length rose-red hair, and soft purple eyes that sparkled in the sun. Her pale complexion matched her red cheeks from running. She was graceful, almost like a fairy. She was around Yasmin’s height, maybe a bit taller, and she looked so happy, you couldn’t help but smile.

  Yasmin just stood there with her mouth open. “Why did you kiss David? Is it a custom?”

  Violet giggled, and her purple eyes flashed in the sunlight. “No, of course not! I’m David’s fiancée, and that’s why I kissed him!”

  “Fiancée?!!” Yasmin exclaimed. “D
avid, what’s going on? Is this true?”

  David turned to look at her, his eyes filled with regret and something she couldn’t understand. But with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she knew it was true.

  Yasmin started running, away from David, and toward the castle. She just needed to get away.

  “Yasmin!” David called after her, running and placing a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly he staggered back, pushed back by winds that circled the now crying Yasmin.

  “Stay away from me!” Yasmin nearly screamed. “You two-timer!”

  Running away again, this time with no one stopping her, Yasmin even left her suitcase behind.

  David stared after her, his eyes filling with hurt. What have I done? He thought. I just sent Yasmin into a rainstorm.

  She entered the castle at a run, running past the kitchen, away from the maze of corridors, just away. She had a searing hole in her heart. Just moments ago she had trusted David with her life, but now she felt like she knew nothing about him. Who knows? Maybe he had another wife stored away somewhere.

  After a few minutes of running, Yasmin leaned against the wall. Her heart was torn in half, and to make it worse, both halves were arguing.

  I know what David did was wrong, she thought. But maybe he had a reason. Running away won’t help.

  ‘That’s not true!’ Her other half shouted. I should have fought harder! It’s not okay! She’s so pretty. No wonder she’s David’s fiancée. I just needed to be perfect, and I wasn’t. Again.’

  Yasmin frowned mentally. She was sure those last thoughts weren’t hers. It wasn’t like her to think about the other girl’s beauty. And she was rarely jealous immediately. She mostly blew her top, a completely different problem.

  “Yasmin!” Miriam called from somewhere behind her.

  Turning around, she saw her friend looked slightly out of breath. “I think some part of you came here self-consciously,” she said, indicating the room around them.

  Yasmin looked, gasping. She was inside the most amazing library she had ever seen. With tall glass windows, bookshelves sixty feet high, and thousands of books, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed it before.

  “Hey.” Miriam placed a hand on her arm. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m in a library, how could I not be?” Yasmin smiled sadly. “But I might just skip the welcoming ball tonight. I don’t want to see David yet.” Or ever, she added mentally.

  Miriam, instead of being sympathetic, sighed and said, “Are you nuts? You’ve been preparing for weeks! You learned how to dance! You asked, actually begged, Daniella to draw you a perfect dress! Plus, it looked like the entire palace was getting ready!”

  Yasmin sighed. “I just don’t feel like it.”

  “But there will be great exotic food!” Miriam tried. “Look, if helping David was the only reason you had to stop the rebellion and help millions of innocent people, then turn around and go home.”

  Yasmin blinked, taken back by that statement. “Home?”

  “But if you have any other reason, then stay. If you leave with work undone, then it will be your fault, not David’s.”

  Yasmin thought it over. Was helping David the only reason she had to save Atlantis? She looked around. Librarians were dusting shelves, scholars were reading books, and the sunlight gleamed from the windows.

  But then she thought of Abby, and her fate. She remembered telling her parents everything, and how Abby’s mother broke down halfway through the explanation.

  Abby’s father had looked outraged and didn’t believe them, but her mother, Mrs. Silvertree did. A regal woman with brown hair instead of blonde, told them that Abby had come to her, explaining her magic and asking for help. But she had just shooed her daughter away.

  Yasmin remembered promising herself that no one else would live a fate worse than death. She had promised to save them, for Abby’s sake, and to stop the Beast once and for all.

  It’s funny, she thought. After all I’ve been through, Abby is a key reason for me to stay here. It funny how things turn out.

  It’s not funny! I didn’t WANT to die! A voice inside her said.

  What? Yasmin thought, confused. I didn’t die! Am I going crazy?

  “So?” Miriam said, bringing Yasmin back to reality. “What did you decide? Because I’m still going to stay the week. Maybe fantasy land is fun!”

  Yasmin sighed, pretending to give up. “Fine, I’ll got to the ball. But only if you come with me wearing a dress.”

  Miriam crossed her arms and glared at Yasmin. “That’s a steep price. But fine, if it’s for my heartbroken best friend. I’ll have to find a dress. I suppose my favorite jeans won’t do.”

  Chapter 2

  The ball

  Walking into the ballroom, Yasmin felt like a tiny, underdressed ant. She was wearing a sky-blue dress with white sleeves reaching to her elbows, and she had left her hair hanging, slightly curled.

  She wasn’t wearing makeup—Yasmin absolutely hated makeup—and even though Daniella’s dress was gorgeous, she felt like a famer in a lady’s clothing.

  “I can’t believe I’m wearing a dress and I don’t see food anywhere,” Miriam grumbled from beside her. She had grumbled because of the dress, but otherwise seemed happy. Her dress was light red, almost hot pink, and she looked striking with her hair in a bun. She wore sports shoes, and didn’t seem impressed by the room at all.

  The ballroom was one of the grandest rooms in the palace. With two floors, balconies, exits into the royal gardens, marble floors, and chandeliers everyone loved attending balls. The music was amazing—Apparently—and the whole room was made of marble, with a live band in the corner.

  “Hey there! You must be Yasmin!”

  Yasmin turned around, apparently alone, because Miriam was sneaking off to look for food.

  The stranger was a gorgeous woman in her twenties with long black hair, very red lips, and a smile that took up half her face, outlined by very sharp and keen eyes. Her dress was deep red, almost purple, with a right shoulder strap, and a skirt stopping at the knees. Her hair was done up in a braid, wrapped around her head like a crown, and she wore a large ruby necklace.

  She looked like a princess. Yasmin’s eyes widened. She felt like a little girl, dreaming about princes, princesses, and evil witches.

  “Um…” Yasmin had so many questions she wanted to ask, but she could only say, “Who are you?”

  “Oh, how impolite of me! Mother would have my head on a platter.” The woman made a face. “My name is Princess Amanda, but you can call me Amanda or Amy. It only seems fair, you being my brother’s girlfriend.”

  “You’re David’s sister?!” Yasmin felt a thousand emotions at once.

  Feeling surprised and amazed, she felt her face burn red, with shame and embarrassment. “I can’t be his girlfriend if he has a fiancée,” she said miserably.

  Honestly, what she felt about David was so complicated, she didn’t even know where to start untangling her feelings.

  “He can’t choose. That’s the price of being royalty.” Princess Amanda’s face held some sort of apology that Yasmin wasn’t accepting.

  “Then why did he become my boyfriend?” she declared angrily, forgetting where she was.

  The quiet talk of the ballroom stopped, and everyone turned to look at her.

  Yasmin glared at them momentarily, then turned her gaze back to Princess Amanda.

  “I don’t know,” Princess Amanda said sadly, treating Yasmin as an equal. “If I had to guess, I’d say he loves you, and that he wants to end the marriage alliance.”

  “Then why doesn’t he stop the alliance?” she asked. “He’s not doing anything! Was I just an amusement?!” She was spilling all her feelings now, vibrating with hurt and anger. “What’s wrong with him!?”

  “He can’t fight his mother.” That sentence simple an
d quiet, made Yasmin instantly hate the royal family.

  “So that’s it?! He becomes a coward!”

  Turning on her heel, Yasmin marched away, looking for Miriam, who she knew might help. She had finally located her, chatting with Daniella, who looked perfectly comfortable standing near Jon. Just as she stepped toward her, the music stopped and someone spoke.

  “Dear guests, thank you for coming!” The voice was clear and high, most likely a female. “My returning son, Prince David, shall begin the first dance with his betrothed, and then we shall introduce the guest of honor!”

  People started clapping politely. They made way for a circle in the middle of the dance floor, where an awkward young man with dark hair was taking the hand of a beautiful redhead.

  No. Yasmin thought. David looked amazing, dressed in a light green suit and tie, but he looked unhappy, even smiling. Had she not been feeling so hurt, she would have charged in and stopped the dance, taken David away, and talked with him.

  Violet looked positively glowing, in a dress the same shade as her eyes, with her straight hair done up in tumbles of curls, and a bright smile on her face. She looked like a carefree fairy, practically floating around the room. Yasmin had never seen anyone so happy. She started to smile in spite of herself and stopped.

  Watching the dance and feeling unable to move, Yasmin had a war of emotions going on inside her. It was the same as always, though she hadn’t figured out where the voice came from.

  ‘You shall never be loved by him.’ A deep voice made Yasmin jump, interrupting her thoughts. Though she didn’t recognize the voice, she felt certain she had heard it before. Perhaps it was the beast? Yasmin frowned.

  How could anyone enter her thoughts without permission? She had read books about mind possession, after last spring. And the person whose mind is entered always has to accept it. Otherwise, only a fleeting dream can be disturbed.

  But out! Yasmin thought. It is hard enough arguing with myself, so stay away!

  ‘I can’t believe I ever believed what you said.’ A familiar voice that wasn’t hers—Again!?—entered her head. ‘It was the worst mistake I ever made.’