by AR Colbert
Finding Atlantis
The Lost Keepers #7
AR Colbert
Ramsey Street Books
Copyright © 2021 AR Colbert
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Previously in The Lost Keepers
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
A DEEPER LOOK
ABOUT THE SERIES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Previously in The Lost Keepers
Everly is still running from Osborne and trying to hide her white aura. Rasputin finds her and tells her that he is on her side. He wants her to succeed as the Deliverer.
Rasputin also tells Everly she should not trust Tate. He is Agarthian royalty, and though he says he is on her side, multiple others believe Tate is only using her for personal gain.
Everly and the crew finally locate the old man from Gayla’s vision. His name is Driskell, and he has been cursed for discovering too much about the prophecy. He reveals that Everly is the Deliverer, and she must locate the three remaining pieces of the stone tablet to learn the full prophecy and restore order to the world.
CHAPTER 1
My cheek was wet and smashed up against the moist fabric of my too-hard pillow. I reached up to wipe the drool from my face, licking my dry lips and choking on my own morning breath. My neck ached, my back was sore, and—
I gasped as everything from the night before came crashing back into my memory. I didn’t want to open my eyes, because it would only confirm what I feared was true.
My pillow moved, and Tate’s chuckle warmed me as he pushed a strand of hair off of my forehead. I lifted one lid and saw his golden eyes glistening with amusement as he stared back down at me. “It’s about time you woke up. It would be a shame to survive the storm only to drown in your drool.”
I punched him in the wet spot on his arm and sat up to find that everyone was right as I’d left them the night before, huddled together in the stone hallway that adjoined Driskell’s cliffside shelter and the lighthouse at the top of the hill. It had seemed the safest place to hide and try to catch some sleep—between the fire damage above ground and the towering waves that crashed into the windows of Driskell’s shelter in the side of the cliff.
After a quick headcount to ensure each of my friends was still with us, I stood and stretched my aching muscles. The hall was still dark, but a faint gray light shone through from the shelter windows overlooking the ocean below. It was morning here in Scotland. How late did that make it back in New York?
“Devon.” I extended a hand to the boy beside Tate. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better this morning.”
“Strong enough to get us all back home?”
He cast a quick glance to Sean, who returned a subtle nod. “Uh, yeah. Probably. But maybe I should start with just one person to make sure. I’d hate to get us all stranded in New Jersey or something because I can’t make it back with a group. You wanna go first?”
I nodded. “Sure. Do you need to eat or anything before we go?” I fished around for the granola bar buried in the bottom of my bag, and my fingers tingled as they made contact with the piece of stone tablet tucked away inside.
“No, I’m good.” Devon held out a hand, and I grabbed onto it, bracing myself for the cold I would feel as he transported me through reality and back into our apartment in New York. But there was nothing that could prepare me for the intensity of it. It was even colder than I remembered—so chilling I thought my bones might freeze and crack if I were there any longer than the millisecond it took to teleport.
My eyes squinted in the darkness of our new location, and still shivering, I turned to Devon. “Thanks.”
“Yep, you got it. Bye.” The words fell quickly out of his mouth.
“Wait—” He was gone, already through the fabric of reality. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light, I realized I was not in my apartment, but in a different familiar room. That scoundrel!
“Everly?” My aunt Millie sat up in her king-sized bed, pushing an eye mask up onto her forehead. I could barely see her over the mountain of pillows surrounding her small frame, but she definitely saw me. “You’re glowing! What time is it? Is everything okay?”
A couple of pillows tumbled to the plush carpet as she swung her legs around to get a glimpse at the clock on her nightstand. It was two in the morning.
“What is going on?”
“Uhh…” I looked around, expecting Devon and some of the others to zap back in here and help me out, but they didn’t come. It was just me and my very sleepy, very concerned aunt. Had he teleported here by accident? The thought that he might know my aunt Millie’s bedroom so well made me shudder—soulmates or not. Or had he dropped me off here on purpose?
I suspected the latter, seeing as how he bolted the second my feet touched the ground.
“Everly.” Millie’s voice had turned stern, drawing my attention back to her.
How was I going to get out of this? “Maybe we should go downstairs and brew some tea,” I suggested. This could take a while.
She nodded, sliding her feet into some fluffy slippers and pulling on a silky robe. “Was that Devon who dropped you off?”
“Yes.”
She padded toward the stairs behind me. A million thoughts raced through my mind. I hadn’t intended to tell Millie about my powers just yet, and I definitely hadn’t planned to mention the prophecy until I understood more about it. But now that I was here, I wasn’t sure how I would get out without spilling everything.
“How long have you had your powers?” Her eyes brushed over me, examining the white aura that emanated from my skin.
“A few days.” Ugh! Devon could have at least warned me he was throwing me into this!
“Care to elaborate?”
I paused on the stairs, turning to face her. “I think you should be sitting for this. Let’s get that tea going, and I will explain everything.”
Thirty minutes later, Millie looked even more exhausted than before. She rested with her elbows on the countertop, forehead in the palms of her hands. I half wondered if she’d heard a word I’d said, because she’d hadn’t made a sound the entire time I spoke. I’d explained how my powers emerged while Osborne chased me, Tate’s suspicions about the prophecy, our trip to Scotland, the storm’s reaction to my powers, and Driskell. She didn’t say a word. The only thing I didn’t mention was Rasputin. Not that I could have, even if I’d wanted to.
Finally, she lifted her weary eyes and sighed. “Oh, Tilly.”
I set my cup down hard on the counter. “What does any of this have to do with my mom?”
Millie just shook her head. “I knew her secrets were going to get the best of her. But I never would have guessed about any of this.”
“Do you have any idea where she might be?”
Millie pursed her lips. “No. Well, probably not.”
“Probably?
”
A noise in the kitchen doorway stopped the conversation from moving any further. Devon’s nervously grinning face peeked around the corner. “Hi.”
I scowled, but Millie smiled widely. “I was hoping you’d be back,” she said. Waving him into the kitchen, she chuckled. “You may as well bring the others in, too. I know you’ve got them with you.”
With a sheepish shrug, Devon entered the room, followed by Sean, Dom, Gayla, and Tate.
“How long have you guys been here?” I demanded. “And why didn’t you tell me you were abandoning me to explain everything to my aunt alone?”
“I did tell you I would have to inform her about all of this eventually. I just thought it would be better coming from you.” Devon looked sincerely apologetic. “Besides, this is getting too big for us to handle on our own. I thought we could use her help.”
He was right of course, but I didn’t want to admit it.
Driskell came around the corner next, eyes wide with astonishment. He probably hadn’t been off the island in a century. Part of me was surprised to see that he’d survived the trip with Devon. The curse should have killed him. But then, another part of me knew it was all somehow related to my new aura and the tablet. Just because I didn’t yet know how to wield the power it provided me didn’t negate the fact that it was some seriously strong stuff. Having more power than the Keeper curse that had kept Driskell imprisoned for so long was both exhilarating and terrifying. I just hoped I’d be able to use it for good.
“Hallo,” Driskell said in his rough German accent.
Millie let out a startled squeak. “I’ll boil some more tea,” she mumbled. “We’ve got some figuring out to do.”
CHAPTER 2
Once everyone was fully caffeinated, we headed upstairs into Millie’s study. Watching Driskell take in his surroundings was like watching a child explore a new classroom on their first day of school. This was a foreign and strange world to him, but there was enough familiarity to drum up excitement that radiated from him with every step he took.
“How long have you been trapped on that island?” I asked as we filed into the study.
“Since December of 1900.”
“I suppose a lot has changed since then.”
He walked over to the window and stared out at the quiet Manhattan street below. It was scattered with parked cars and tall glowing street lights, but there really wasn’t much activity on Millie’s street at 3:30 in the morning. “You could say that.”
Millie cleared her desk while Sean and Tate pushed a couple of chairs closer to the small sofa that sat in the room. Dom and Gayla pulled me off to one side while the others worked.
“You okay?” Dom asked.
“I think so. Millie took the news as well as she could, I think.”
Dom glanced over to where my aunt was now whispering with Devon and a frown tugged at her lips. “She’s not handling it as well as she’s letting on. She’s pretty concerned about you and what this might mean.”
“We all are,” Gayla said. “I wish I could jump right into another vision and tell you what to expect next. I’d do it if I could!”
“I know you would.” I surveyed the room, and my gaze snagged on Tate. He watched me with those gorgeous golden eyes, sending a flutter through my chest against my will. Everything had happened so fast. I still didn’t have a good grasp of what it all meant.
All I knew for certain, was that despite everyone telling me to keep my distance, the one thing I wanted was to wrap myself in Tate’s arms and have him tell me everything would be okay. I shook the thought from my mind, and we joined everyone else in the center of the room.
Driskell plopped himself down to the couch, and his mouth made a small “o” shape. He raised up and fell back again, grinning as the plush cushions bounced him back into place once more. Then he pulled a soft gray blanket from the back on the sofa and began to unfold it.
“So,” Millie said, immediately taking command of the room. “First things first. We need to unravel everything you know about this prophecy.”
We all turned back to Driskell, who was still fumbling with the blanket. “How big is this thing?”
“It’s ten feet by ten feet.” Millie grinned. “It’s my giant blanket, special ordered. Isn’t it delightful?”
Driskell’s bushy brows furrowed. “Are all blankets this large now?”
“No.” I stood and snapped the blanket wide in the air so that it fell over both him and Gayla, who sat beside him on the sofa. He turned and lifted his brows at her playfully, eliciting a loud groan from my friend. “Can we please get back to the prophecy?”
“Yes, sorry.” Driskell cleared his throat and launched into the same information he’d told us at the lighthouse.
Millie nodded along as he spoke, and when he finished, she asked, “And what about you?”
“Me?” Driskell shook his head. “What about me? I am not the Deliverer. It has nothing to do with me.”
“But the curse was for you. It’s either been broken or breached. Either way, the royalty will know, and they will come looking for you. You can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous. You’ll have to get out of New York.”
Driskell scratched his head as though the thought hadn’t occurred to him.
“Where do you suggest he goes?” Sean asked. Something had shifted in him since we landed on the island in Scotland. He sat taller, more focused, eyes clear. Sean was in guardian mode, and it was clear that this was what he was made for.
“Porta Maris,” Millie said.
“That’s a terrible idea!” Driskell stood, and his enormous blanket pooled at his feet. “You might as well serve me up on a silver platter!”
Millie sighed. “Hear me out. Porta Maris is not a part of any sovereign nation, which is good. You can’t exactly go seeking asylum in another territory—they all want your head. But I know some guys.”
I laughed. “You know some guys? That’s how every bad crime drama starts.”
“No really. They’ll keep him safe.” She looked at Devon as though she expected him to chime in, but he was silent. Devon looked as clueless as I felt.
“Okay, so where is this Porta Maris?” I asked.
“It’s in the Caribbean,” Millie said.
“In the Bermuda Triangle.” Driskell scoffed and waved a hand in the air before plopping back down on the couch with a bounce.
“The gateway to Atlantis,” Sean said softly. There was no denying the reverence in his tone.
“I’m out!” Gayla raised both hands in the air. “That’s a little too risky for me. I kinda feel like staying alive for a little while longer.”
“What are you talking about?” I turned from Gayla back to Millie. “Is it dangerous?”
“The gateways are designed to keep anyone out of the territories who doesn’t belong there. So yes, technically for non-Atlanteans, it could be dangerous. But Driskell is Atlantean.”
“That doesn’t make it safe.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, I’m Atlantean. I’ll take you, Driskell. You already know that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.” My chest tightened as I recalled the oath I’d made on the island.
“Right,” Millie said. “That brings us to the next issue we need to get figured out. Your aura.”
I’d almost forgotten about that. It was difficult to remember when I couldn’t even see it myself. But the looks on all the other faces in the room reminded me that they could definitely see it—and it was not as easy for them to forget.
“I found a way to hide it,” Tate said. “It worked when we went to the library.”
Millie smiled, but I knew her well enough to see that it wasn’t sincere. Was she skeptical of Tate’s intentions as well? “That’s great, but Everly needs to do more than hide it. She needs it to be blue. We want to let everyone know she’s Atlantean without revealing too much else. Also, she needs to be able to move about freely, without you by her side.”
&nbs
p; I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily mind having Tate by my side twenty-four-seven, but I understood her point.
“I do think I can use your help, though. Meet me down at the apothecary and—”
A knock sounded at the door. “Millie?” Jeeves’ voice was laced with concern. “Are you okay? I thought I heard a man’s voice.”
The color drained from my aunt’s face. “I’m fine. Just getting started with work a little early.” Her response was strained, but I wondered if Jeeves would pick up on it. Hopefully he’d take her word and be on his way. There wouldn’t be any easy way to explain why she was holed up in her study with a random group of college students and an old hairy German man in the middle of the night. Make that dawn, I noted as I took in the gray light shining through the window.
“Okay.” Jeeves hesitated. “Then I’ll be right up with some coffee. Pierre has breakfast started already, too.”
He hurried down the hall and Millie faced us with big round eyes. “You guys have to go. Devon, can you get them back to their apartment?”
Devon grimaced. “Usually, yes. But I used up everything I had teleporting them all here. It’ll be a bit before I have my strength back.”
“It’s fine.” I stood. “I’ll just let Jeeves know I stayed the night. He’ll assume you were talking to me.” I cleared my throat and dropped my tone a few octaves. “I have a manly voice.”
Gayla snorted, and I rushed over to the door. I’d meet Jeeves in the hallway and stop him before he entered the room. Hopefully seeing me would ease any of his suspicions. He wasn’t exactly a bodyguard, but he was a previous college linebacker, and that was as close to personal security as a butler could be. If he suspected any foul play going on in the study, he wouldn’t hesitate before busting in and coming to Millie’s rescue. I had to play it cool and make him believe everything was fine.
I twisted the knob and found Jeeves already standing in the hallway again with a tray holding a coffee carafe and a yogurt parfait. “Everly.” He took a startled step back. “I didn’t know you were here.”
