The Last Atlanteans

by Katrina Ryan

  “I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said with a smile. The orb disappeared through the door, and Victoria hesitated until she heard the lock click. Pushing the door open, she could only see the orb in front of her. She took a step forward, trusting she wasn’t in any danger. A strange sensation washed over her as her clothes became dry, and then, the building burst into light.

  Choking back a scream, Victoria could only marvel at the view in front of her.

  Countless torches around the building had ignited, providing a warm glow by which she could see that she was inside the largest and most beautiful library she’d ever seen. Hundreds of thousands of books lined the circumference of the building in shelves that reached from the floor to the base of the dome. The building was divided into stepped levels which were connected at regular intervals by straight staircases, reminding Victoria of an ancient theater or arena. The floor was a silver stone that looked expensive, though it wasn't a stone Victoria recognized.

  She followed the orb on a tour of the ground floor, resisting the temptation to touch any of the beautiful, old books. The orb then brought her up the grand staircase. Victoria stopped on the landing, noticing the most beautiful portrait she’d ever seen. Within the massive, gold frame, a handsome young man stood in front of an aquamarine sea. He had intelligent silver eyes, long brown hair with honey hues, and golden skin to match. His expression radiated kindness and wisdom. His clothes were what Victoria imagined of antiquity and were princely yet modest, and a metallic red bird perched regally on his bare shoulder.

  Her gaze finally wandered to the inscription at the bottom at the frame. Atlas, Beloved King. Pleased with her discovery, she followed the orb upstairs. Thousands of thin booklets in identical black binding filled this floor. Victoria felt the compulsion to read them growing, but she resisted. The orb finally stopped over one of the tables in the aisle. On it were a few blank sheets of paper, a quill with a god feather, and an atlas. Sensing the orb intended this for her, Victoria opened the book and discovered a map with a small cluster of islands labeled Atlantis near the middle. She began to look for England, curious about where the islands were in relation to each other. Failing to recognize anywhere, she sat down, suddenly feeling dizzy.

  “Atlantis is so far from home,” she whispered to the orb. “Getting here through a mirror shouldn’t be possible.” She looked at the beautiful sphere of light, wishing it could give her the answers she needed. It hovered in the air, expressionless. Victoria sighed and pulled out her phone from her pocket to take a picture, before she remembered that her phone didn’t work in Atlantis. She caught sight of the ribbon on her wrist and sighed. “I really don’t understand this place.”

  She returned her attention to the atlas and began to trace her own copy of the first map she'd seen, sorry that she lacked Sarah's artistic ability. When she finished drawing the outlines of the islands, she ran her finger along the edge of the main island, imagining its beautiful beaches with sapphire water. A second later, the parchment turned a faint shade of blue where she’d touched it. Wondering if she was imagining it, Victoria touched location of the mountain she’d seen from the Plaza, which she now knew was named Theus. She could visualize its beautiful, grassy hills, and a second later, the parchment surrounding her fingertip turned the same shade of emerald. She pulled away with a gasp.

  Her touch was coloring the paper.

  This must be magic, she thought. She labeled her map, created two more maps, and placed them all into the pocket of her jeans. Although she still had no idea where Atlantis was, she was amazed with her reproductions of the maps, and she resolved to look at them at home in the morning, when she had more resources around. She expected the orb to continue their tour of the library, but looking around, she realized it had disappeared while she’d been working.

  Through the glass dome overhead, she could see that the rainy, midnight sky would not be light for hours. She had little inclination to explore Atlantis on her own, especially in the dark, and her brush with magic had left her exhausted. I should go home, she thought, stifling a yawn. She ran across the Plaza, wishing she could lock the library behind her to protect all the beautiful books, but she had a feeling she would return sooner than she thought.

  Atlantis was taking over her life, but she wasn’t worried.

  Chapter Five

  CONFLICTED

  The Sentence was still on Victoria's wrist, bold as ever under the ribbon, when she woke in the morning. She was surprised to find that the uneasiness she’d felt over the past few days no longer fluttered in her stomach, now replaced by a stronger sense of relief and satisfaction. She had what she wanted. She looked up at the mirror, debating whether to go to Atlantis before breakfast, and her heart seemed to stop for a second at what she saw.

  The mirror had shattered.

  The glass was still in the frame, but she could see straightaway that the connection between the mirror and Atlantis was broken. She closed her eyes, fighting a wave of devastation. She couldn’t help but think that the boy she’d seen with the Sentence was responsible, though she knew she was being paranoid. She was sure she would have heard someone walking through her house, and she could see the windows were still locked. He doesn’t even know where you live, she reminded herself. This was just a horrible accident.

  But the thought wasn’t any consolation. She could feel her body growing numb with shock, her mind less willing to comprehend. The way to Atlantis was broken, and the orb wasn’t here to help. After all the sacrifices she’d made in accepting the Sentence, she would never be able to go back to Atlantis.

  It wasn't until she looked at the globe on her desk that she felt a small wave of hope. I have maps of Atlantis, she remembered. If she knew where Atlantis was, she could get there without the mirror. She rummaged through the jeans she’d worn yesterday, but the pockets were empty. Victoria frowned. Maybe the maps couldn’t go through the mirror, she thought, sorry she hadn’t checked as soon as she’d come home. She looked through her bed and desk, her desperation growing.

  The maps were the key to her future with Atlantis, but they were nowhere to be found.

  Victoria found a pen and paper and spent the next fifteen minutes trying to recall the details of the maps. But when she looked at the final attempt, she knew the exercise had been a worthless. Needing inspiration, she scanned her globe for familiar islands, but nothing caught her attention. “It would take a miracle,” she sighed. She tore the papers out of the notebook, stuffed them into a folder on her desk, and vented in her journal.

  Receiving a text message from Tom, she remembered that she needed to have an important conversation with her family. In the afternoon, she heard voices in the garden. She wandered outside with a few prospectuses, reminding herself that she had no reason to be nervous. She found Aiden and Andrea reading in the sun with a bottle of wine between them, which seemed to be a good omen. She sat down on one of the spare chairs and took the liberty of refilling their wine before their glasses went empty.

  “Hello, darling,” Andrea said, setting her book down. “How was your weekend? Did you enjoy your housewarming?”

  “I’ve had a busy few days,” Victoria said, unable to find a better word to explain what the strangest weekend of her life. “I really love the house. Thank you again for the wine. I think it encouraged Sarah and Nick to kiss.”

  “You're welcome,” Andrea said with a smile. “I'm glad you had a good weekend, and I hope it works out for them.”

  She’s got no idea. Victoria took a deep breath, sensing her chance. “I've decided what I want to do for university.”

  “Oh?” Aiden said. He lowered his book, and Victoria knew she had his undivided attention. “What's that?”

  “I definitely want to study law,” she said. Saying these words filled her with conviction that this was the right decision, and Aiden and Andrea smiled at each other, though Victoria still couldn’t bring herself to break her other news. “I've always been interested with the work y
ou do, Aiden, and I can see myself studying it and making a career out of it.”

  “You would certainly excel at it, Victoria,” Aiden agreed. “You're a very intelligent young lady, and the law is in your blood. What universities are you considering?”

  Victoria couldn't fight her smile now. “Tom and I actually are hoping to get into Durham together and take a gap year beforehand.”

  Aiden stood up, all traces of his smile disappearing. “Absolutely not!” he barked.

  Victoria saw the sternness in his eyes. He was deadly serious. “What?” she demanded, glancing at Andrea for support. But Andrea simply looked away. Victoria's indignation swelled. “Any parent would love for their child to study at Durham! You both studied there!”

  “Durham is an excellent university, yes,” Aiden said. His expression softened slightly. “Any parent would be blessed indeed for their child to receive an education there. However, I will not have you and Tom attend the same university together, no matter how prestigious it may be.”

  “Durham's not a small university,” she protested. “We probably won't even be in the same college.”

  “I forbid it.”

  Victoria sank into her seat. “You can't,” she whispered, trying hard not to whine. “I'll be eighteen. I can do whatever I want, with whomever I want.”

  “As long as you live under our roof, you live by our rules.”

  “Maybe I'll leave, then.” The words were out before she could stop herself, but she meant them. “Sarah's family will let me live with them. They love me.”

  “Victoria,” Andrea interrupted. Her face was lined with worry and hurt at Victoria's threat. Nothing else, Victoria knew, would have forced her to break her silence. “Tom is a lovely boy, but I agree with Aiden. University is not the right time or place to make such serious commitments. You're still young, and your education should still be your first priority. We don't want you to ruin your future with hasty decisions.”

  Victoria glared at her family across the garden table. Andrea can't mean that, she told herself. “Tom and I have been together for three years. We are not a hasty decision. I don’t want anything or anyone else, and I’m old enough to decide that for myself,” she said. The fact that Aiden and Andrea thought otherwise made her feel sick. “We're not asking you for permission to get married. I just want to take a gap year and go to uni with him. Is that really so unacceptable?”

  “If Tom goes to Durham, you must go to Oxford or Cambridge or any other university, or we will not fund you,” Aiden said. “And you certainly will not take a gap year together. That is my final word.”

  Victoria stood up, tears stinging her eyes. Aiden and Andrea were being so unreasonable. “Tom is the love of my live,” she declared. Having nothing else to add, she stormed into her new house, slammed her bedroom door behind herself, and threw herself onto her bed, ignoring the broken mirror.

  No, no, no.

  A day ago, she’d been so happy with her plans for her future that she hadn't imagined how easily everything could unravel. The thought had never occurred to her that her family wouldn't support such an important decision. She had no idea how she would tell Tom or, even worse, what would happen next. She refused to believe this was the end of their relationship, but if it was, she would never forgive Aiden and Andrea. She could never choose between Tom or her family.

  Someone I love is going to get hurt, Victoria realized. A second later, her phone rang. She glanced at the display with a sinking heart. She didn’t want to have this conversation, but she knew Tom would spend the rest of the day worrying if she didn't answer. She took a deep breath and accepted the call.

  “Hi, Dusty. How are you?” he asked. The warmth of his voice broke her heart. She desperately wanted to say that she wasn't alright and that she needed him in her life, but she couldn’t find the words. The line fell silent for a few seconds that stretched for an eternity. Another moment passed before Victoria realized she’d pushed the button to end the call herself.

  What have I done? she wondered, staring at her phone in horror. In all the time she and Tom had been dating, neither of them had ever hung up on each other or walked away in the middle of a conversation. A wave of guilt crashed over her with this realization. She desperately wanted to tell Tom about her horrible day, to hear him say that everything would be okay, and as she contemplated calling him back, her phone buzzed the with the arrival of a message.

  What's wrong? You can talk to me. I love you, Dusty, his text said.

  You shouldn't be apologizing, Victoria thought, fighting a fresh wave of tears. It's not your fault. It was no reassurance that he wasn't even angry with her, and she hated herself for hurting him. He was so loving and supportive and caring and exactly right for her. Right now, more than ever, she didn't believe that Aiden and Andrea were truly considering her best interests. Regardless of what anyone thought, she knew with every part of her being that she belonged with Tom, and she refused to let this be the end.

  Tom was her everything, but she couldn’t bring herself to respond to his message.

  Fifteen minutes later, she still hadn’t composed a response, and a knock sounded on her door. She sighed into her pillow, wishing Andrea would leave her alone. Unless Aiden had changed his mind, Victoria didn’t want to talk to anybody yet. “Go away,” she said, closing her eyes. When the door opened, she felt her temper flare. “Honestly, I need to be alone.”

  “If you really mean that, I'll leave,” a gentle voice replied. Tom. Victoria gasped as her heart skipped a beat. “But I’d rather stay with you for a while if you’re upset, Dusty, if that's okay.”

  Victoria nodded slowly, her misery slowly dissipating in his presence. He took his place at her side and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug filled with love and understanding. His skin burned softly against hers, and she burrowed deeper into the contours of his body. Even if it didn’t resolve the situation, she was thankful he’d decided to visit her.

  “Tom,” she whispered after a minute, lifting her face from his chest to look at him. “Aiden and Andrea said I can't go to university or take a gap year with you. He said he won't pay my tuition if we do. It's so unfair.”

  She could feel the tears welling in her eyes as Tom hugged her tighter. He was silent for what seemed an eternity, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. “It is unfair, Dusty,” he said at last. “Aiden and Andrea were having a serious conversation in the garden when I walked past. You’re making decisions that will set your entire future, and they just want the best for you.”

  “Really doesn't feel like it,” she grumbled. Aiden and Andrea could spend the whole summer talking about her future, but they’d already done the damage. “I want to make these decisions for myself. It’s my life.”

  Tom brushed his fingers through her hair. “I know, and I promise we will work through it. Lots of people do.”

  “How?”

  The question filled the room with silence. Tom spoke after a minute. “I feel like everyone should take time to reflect over the summer. Applications for university don't close for a while, and we're not in any real hurry to make a decision,” he said. “Maybe we'll think of a better plan for our futures in that time or your family might change their mind.”

  Victoria nearly laughed. “You are such a bloody optimist.” A thought occurred to her. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

  Tom's expression became serious. His beautiful silver eyes met hers, seeming to search for an answer. “I don't know, to be honest. As soon as you hung up, I sensed something was wrong. I had the worst feeling that you’d be gone if I waited much longer, so I had to see you.”

  Victoria gaped at him. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not going to do anything drastic, are you, Dusty?”

  Victoria frowned, not understanding what he was implying. “Like what?”

  “Leaving, running away, anything. I know you're upset with your family, and I have a feeling you’ll want to put space b
etween yourself and them.”

  Leaving, running away, anything. Victoria ran her hands through his soft hair as she marveled at that plan. It was certainly a drastic solution, but she had no reason to stay at home if she wasn't happy. Even a week away would be enough to get distance and clarity and give Aiden and Andrea time to reconsider. Tom's fears had unknowingly given her the perfect plan, though his expression begged her to deny it.

  “I might go away for a while,” she said, deliberately keeping her answer noncommittal. “But I really need you to understand that it's not your fault. This is all between Aiden and Andrea and myself.”

  Having given him the confession he wanted, she closed her eyes, bracing for his reaction. A second later, she felt his warm fingers brush against her face. He traced a path from chin up to her forehead and back down the other cheek, like he was trying to memorize her body. Victoria sensed he was debating whether to fight for her, or if her plans were already set.

  “It's a bit drastic, but I understand,” he said. He was speaking very carefully now. “You don’t have to say where you’re going, if you know yet, but at least let me know when you’re leaving, please. I want to say goodbye before you go.”

  “I don’t want to stay here too much longer,” she said, leaving that to his interpretation.

  “Tomorrow?” he translated. He sighed into her pillow, a sound of despair that broke Victoria's heart even further, and began to run his fingers gently along her arm. Victoria sensed he was forming reasons for her to stay, that he wasn't going to give up easily. “You’ll miss the Open Day. There’s no way I can talk you out of this, is there? Or any way you’ll take me with you?”

  Victoria shook her head, avoiding his gaze. Those silver eyes could persuade her to do anything. She briefly imagined running away with him, leaving everything behind, but this was her battle, and she refused to get anybody else involved. Even if it kills me, she thought “I am sorry I’m missing the Open Days. I would have loved to go with you.”