by AR Colbert
Instead of attacking the Olympians, I decided to use what remaining strength I had to rescue Sean. I wrapped my arms around his calves and pulled him closer to the ground. “Sean, can you hear me? Snap out of it—I need you to move.”
Sean didn’t respond. It wasn’t a surprise, but it was a little disappointing to find the limits of my ability. This sure would have been a lot easier if I got to choose who was affected by time stopping.
I pulled him again and again, until his feet were on the ground. Then, as I did with the stranger on the street near the warehouse, I attempted to push him forward toward Devon. Thankfully, the foot-pedaling walking trick still worked.
The pressure continued to mount in my chest as I truly stretched the limits of my power. A groan escaped me as I fought to keep time stilled, just for a little longer. Rossel’s blade was still in my waistband, and I used it to cut through the ropes binding Millie and Driskell to her desk. Then I gathered us all into a circle, clasping everyone’s hands together as I went. I was almost finished when the string snapped and time moved forward again.
“What—” Millie started, but I interrupted her.
“Get us out of here. Now!”
It only took Devon half a second to register what was going on, and next thing I knew I was submerged into the most frigid stinging cold sensation imaginable. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the feeling of teleporting. It took my breath away, freezing my lungs. And then it was gone.
CHAPTER 14
I surveyed my people first, counting faces to make sure everyone had arrived safely. We were all here. Then I leaned back to examine where exactly here was.
We stood on white sand near a rocky outcrop of an island. The water was an impossible turquoise, stretching out to reach the hazy blue sky above.
“Porta Maris,” Millie whispered.
“It’s beautiful.” I turned to find tropical trees dotting the island at my back. There were no other people around—no roads or buildings. Just paradise.
“This way.” She marched toward the rocks, which towered about two stories overhead. “Are you alright, Sean?”
“I’m great.” He gave one nod. His shoulders remained tense, his expression flat. But he was in one piece. We all were.
The only person who seemed unwilling to follow Millie toward the rocks was Driskell. In fact, he was downright stubborn about it. When we all started walking, he sat in the sand like a toddler preparing for a tantrum.
I turned back for the old man and extended my hand. “Come on.”
“No.” He scrunched his nose, and his white mustache wiggled in the sunlight.
“Driskell, please. I want to keep you safe.”
His brows furrowed. “Just because the Olympians can’t get me here, it doesn’t mean I’m safe. There are other dangers out there. More than curses and royalty.”
“I promise, nothing will happen to you here.”
“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.” Driskell huffed and rose back to his feet, brushing the sand from his backside. He didn’t say another word as he fell into step beside me. A moment later we were back with the others.
“I love you, but there’s something you need to know,” Millie said, turning to Devon. “I’m going to ignore you when we get inside. I will essentially pretend you don’t exist. You can’t let them know about our connection here.”
“Why not?” he asked. The poor guy’s feelings were hurt and it was written all over his face.
“There isn’t time to explain everything right now. Just trust me on this.” My aunt took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, then pushed her hands into a crevice of the rock. The stones moved apart, revealing a narrow stairwell. We followed her down just a little ways before the space opened up again into a seaside tavern built into the cliffs.
Atlantean men and women sat at a long bar top overlooking the water. An older man with muddy brown hair looked up as we entered, settling on Millie with a cruel smile.
“Mildred. I never would have expected to see you here again.”
“What exactly is this place?” I whispered to Sean, as others in the room turned to see the exchange taking place between Millie and the Atlantean man.
“Porta Maris. The island isn’t governed by any organized body, and it offers asylum to all Atlanteans. As long as they remain here on this land, they are safe from the laws of the Keepers.”
“Right. That’s why Driskell will be safe here.”
Sean’s gaze hardened. “Driskell will be surrounded by all the other Atlantean criminals and misfits who also seek asylum.”
Ohh. Suddenly it seemed a little less appealing.
“I’m not here for a fight, Tano. I’m just dropping someone off,” Millie said. She stood tall, putting on a brave face.
The man—Tano’s eyes grazed over our crew, skipping right over Sean, Devon, and me. He squinted at Driskell. “The old man?”
Driskell made a hrmmph and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yes. See to it that he isn’t harmed.”
“Why would I care what happens to him?” Tano smirked.
“Because you owe me one, and you know it.” Millie’s voice was hard. It didn’t sound like the gentleness of the aunt I knew and loved.
“Oh come on, Millie. It’s been over a hundred years. When are you gonna forgive me?”
“I don’t forgive murderers.” She turned her head slightly but didn’t make eye contact with Devon. “Especially not those who kill my soulmate.”
Devon tensed beside me, but I had to give him credit for remaining calm. He was doing much better than I would have done in his situation.
Tano paused for a moment, then let out a loud barking laugh. “You need to relax, Millie. Let bygones be bygones. Your soulmate will be back one day, and hopefully in a smarter body. And as for the old man…” Tano waved Driskell off. “I don’t see why anyone would care a lick about him. Look at him. He’s harmless.”
A pent up breath escaped my lips. They didn’t know who Driskell was, then. I could only hope he would be able to stay anonymous.
“Good,” Millie remained remarkably in control of herself. “Then there’s one more thing—we need a couple of rooms. Probably just for one night. They’ll be going under to Atlantis tomorrow,” she dipped her chin toward us, “and I’ll be heading home. But tonight we’ll need somewhere to sleep.”
“That’s gonna cost you.” Tano licked his chapped lips.
Sean had to grab Devon’s arm to keep him from hitting the man. Tano looked over to see what the movement was all about, but Millie reached out for his shoulder, drawing his attention back to her.
“Just show me to the kitchen,” she said. “I’ll get right to work.”
Devon relaxed, and we followed Tano through the crowd to an archway behind the bar. A short hall led us back to the kitchen, where Millie seemed to make herself right at home. She went straight for a pantry and emerged with a couple of aprons.
Tano seemed satisfied with that, and after another minute or two of mouthing off to my aunt, he left us alone. After a few more minutes of Millie rummaging through cabinets and drawers, she had a stack of ingredients on the counter. She put her hands on her hips and turned to me.
“Driskell will be safe, and you’ll be off to Atlantis by morning. But right now, I need your help.”
I didn’t know what lay ahead, but I trusted that Millie had it under control. And finally, after a very long day, I leaned into the hope flickering inside. With a guardian by my side and a warrior-goddess somewhere deep within me, I knew we were going to be successful. We would reach Atlantis, find a missing piece of the tablet, and eventually carry out the prophecy.
But first, we had some work to do.
To be continued...
What does it take to get to Atlantis, and what will happen when Everly finally makes it there? Order Episode 8: The Water Princess, and find out! Or sign up for AR Colbert’s newsletter and be the first to know when each
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A DEEPER LOOK
Chronos: Chronos was a Greek god often depicted with a long white beard and a scythe in his hand. Philosophers referred to him as Father Time. Some myths claim the god consumed his own children, the way time also consumes all things. Though he was technically a Titan, not an Olympian, they all fall under the same umbrella when it comes to the world of the Keepers.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Lost Keepers is an ongoing series following the adventures of Everly Gordon and the powerful beings in her world. Each installment is a fun-sized short novel, similar to an hour long episode of your favorite TV show. The episodes are released on the 8th day of every month, so you never have to wait long for the next book!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AR Colbert is a wife, mother of two, and life-long daydreamer from central Oklahoma. She believes in the magic of a good story and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her days getting lost in books. Her other hobbies include baking, cheering on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and obsessively scrolling through Zillow.
You can follow her online on Goodreads, Facebook, or Bookbub to learn about new releases.
Other books by AR Colbert:
The Ember Society Series
From the Dust
From the Earth
From the Embers
From the Flames
