The Last Atlanteans

by Katrina Ryan

  Tom reached over, gently wrapped his hand around her waist, and flipped her onto her back. Victoria gasped. She could see the desperation in his eyes, eyes that she could lose herself in, as he leaned in and brought his lips to hers. His kisses were gentle, the way most of his kisses started, but after a few seconds, something changed. Victoria felt a growing intensity as he pulled her closer. He was asking her to stay in the most persuasive way imaginable. She knew leaving Tom would be difficult, but she couldn’t stay.

  With all the gentleness she could manage, she slowed her kisses and pulled away. Tom's eyelids fluttered shut. Victoria could feel his heart racing through his shirt, matching her own pulse. She had no idea what he was thinking, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She only wanted to stay with him on her bed forever and pretend that none of her problems existed.

  “I should go now, Dusty,” Tom said after a minute. “Would you promise me something? Stay safe, and please come back soon. I’ll miss you.”

  Victoria knew he deserved that much. “I promise. I'll come back soon.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she said. Her breath caught in her throat. They’d never said such a serious goodbye before, but she knew now that it wouldn't be permanent. “I love you so much. See you soon.”

  He stood up and disappeared into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

  I'm so sorry, Tom, Victoria thought. She stared helplessly after him, wanting nothing more than to follow. The warmth and safety of his arms around her meant everything, and it took every measure of her restraint to stay away. Don't you dare follow him, she told herself. She could feel her sense of being incomplete grow with each step he took, and she hoped he would pass Aiden and Andrea in the garden without incident.

  Thinking of her family, Victoria buried her face into her pillow and started to cry. She cried because the portal to Atlantis was broken. She cried because Aiden and Andrea had said she couldn't go to university with person who made her complete, and she’d never felt so misunderstood by her family. They’d gotten into petty arguments before, the way any family would, but this betrayal felt like war. Whatever she decided to do for university, she knew that spending the whole summer with her family would be unbearable. She had to leave, and she knew where. Nothing about Atlantis could hurt her as badly as Aiden and Andrea had today.

  She needed to fix her mirror, or she needed to find the maps, wherever they were.

  Chapter Six

  THE MISSING PIECE

  Victoria spent an hour looking for the maps, then turned her attention to the mirror. The puzzle of broken glass seemed impossible to solve, but she persisted until her phone rang. She could see through her blurry vision that Sarah was calling. Wiping her tears away, Victoria answered it.

  “Hey, Vic, are you okay?” Sarah asked. “I’ve just seen a text off Tom saying I should talk to you.”

  Victoria shook her head, trusting that Sarah would understand her silence.

  “I can't believe Aiden and Andrea said no,” Sarah said. She sounded genuinely worried. “They always seemed so liberal. I mean, they give you bottles of wine without you even asking and let you have your own place. Keeping you from going to uni or on a gap with Tom doesn't make any sense.”

  “I can’t stay here any longer,” Victoria said. Sarah's sympathy wasn't helping. “I need to go away for a bit.”

  The conversation fell silent. Victoria guessed that Sarah, like Tom, had anticipated this situation. Everyone but me, Victoria thought, holding back a sigh.

  “Want me to come over tonight?” Sarah asked. “We can have a girly evening. That would be fun.”

  Or I could run away, Victoria thought. She knew Sarah wanted to provide a distraction, but neither of them would say it. The more important thing was that she’d soon have some distance between herself and her family. “That would be great.”

  “I'll get ready now and let you know when I’m on my way this evening. Everything will be fine.”

  Slightly cheered, Victoria hung up and returned her attention to the mirror. During dinner, Aiden and Andrea acted like their argument had never happened, which was fine with Victoria. She had to wait for the right moment to mention her plans, and she could feel it approaching. Andrea brought out cake and sparkling wine for dessert, which Victoria sensed was her way of apologizing, and as they finished eating in the garden, Victoria felt her conviction and confidence return.

  “Sarah and I would like to tour universities this week,” she said when Aiden and Andrea had opened another wine. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it didn’t matter. “I'm not really asking for your permission, since I'd probably go anyway, but I thought I should let you know.”

  Aiden and Andrea exchanged a glance. “Thank you for your honesty, darling,” Andrea said, sounding genuinely relieved. “I suppose you'd like a way to get there?”

  “Yes, please,” Victoria admitted, surprised and suspicious she was making progress so quickly. “We'll probably stay with Sarah's brother, so I just need some money for a train ticket there.”

  Aiden surveyed her thoughtfully. “Would a thousand pounds be enough to last you a few weeks?”

  Victoria gaped at him. It was an incredibly generous offer. Almost too kind, she thought, her suspicions flaring. “Isn't that too much?” she asked.

  Aiden shook his head. “Keep it for the summer. Spend time with Sarah, and look around a few universities. Maybe you'll find one that you like. If not, you and Sarah can go to Europe with Andrea later in the summer to view universities there.”

  There it is, Victoria thought, holding back a sigh. Anything to get me looking at universities far away from Tom. “I'll see how it goes. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, seeming relieved that she’d warmed to the idea. “I’ll send you a text when I've transferred the money. Andrea and I will be setting off for the airport in an hour.”

  Victoria managed a smile, conscious that this was all an apology for their argument, though money couldn’t buy her forgiveness. She finished her wine with a few sips. “Thank you. I’ll be packing in my room if you want to talk about anything else,” she said.

  After Victoria had organized her room and retrieved her suitcase from the main house, her iPhone chimed with the arrival of an email from Aiden confirming the money transfer. Victoria felt a surge of gratitude despite her annoyance. Finances was one less thing to worry about now. A minute later, her phone chimed again. Sarah was on her way.

  Victoria found Aiden in his study, thanked him for his generosity, and said goodbye. Andrea was packing in her bedroom with a glass of wine in her hand. Victoria sensed that the events of the day had upset everybody, but Andrea seemed determined to pretend nothing had happened.

  “We love you, darling,” Andrea said, wrapping her in a final hug. She glanced at the ribbon on Victoria’s wrist as they separated, and for a second, Victoria had the impression that Andrea knew what was underneath. “Stay safe, and keep us updated. We’ll be back in a few days.”

  “I love you, too,” Victoria replied. She meant it as much as always, but she could sense the damage to their relationship. “See you soon.”

  Crossing the garden between the two houses, Victoria felt relief wash over her. For at least the next week, she was free from Aiden and Andrea's rules. She knew she could contact Tom and agree to go to the Open Day with him, but even more than that, she needed to go back to Atlantis.

  Sarah arrived a few minutes later with a bag of essentials. Something about her looked different, Victoria thought, though it might have been the wine.

  “Hey, lovely,” Sarah said, pulling her into a hug. “Everything’ll be okay. Do you want tea or anything?”

  Victoria laughed. After such an emotional day, it seemed impossible that something so normal still existed. It was exactly what she needed. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”

  With the kettle boiling, Victoria retrieved her phone from the kitchen and managed a glance fo
r new messages before Sarah gently pulled it out of her grasp. “Leave it for a day or two,” she said. “I promise Tom will be fine. If there’s an emergency, he can get in touch with me.”

  Victoria sighed as Sarah powered off the phone and put it on the far end of the counter. They moved to the sitting room and settled onto the sofa with their drinks.

  “Can I talk to you about something?” Victoria asked

  “Anything.”

  Victoria took a deep breath. “I know what I’m going to say sounds mad, but I really need you to listen to me, even if you don’t believe me,” she said. Sarah nodded in agreement and put her sketchbook down. “I’ve found Atlantis.”

  She told Sarah about the mirror and the messages she’d received, explaining everything except for the Sentence. She wanted Sarah to believe her out of faith, rather than because she’d seen the proof. She would show the words only if there was no other option.

  “What does this mean?” Sarah asked when Victoria had said everything she wanted. She poured another cup of tea for herself and Victoria.

  “Even if I can’t fix the mirror, I need to try to find Atlantis again. Anything to get away from Aiden and Andrea for a while,” Victoria said.

  “And you’re going alone?” Sarah asked.

  Victoria nodded, feeling a small sense of relief. If this was the biggest objection Sarah could produce, nothing could stop her from leaving.

  “You won’t be safe,” Sarah sighed, “especially not from yourself. I can imagine you spending weeks moping about Tom and university and the future. You’ll be sad and probably make bad decisions. I’m coming with you.”

  “No,” Victoria said. “Absolutely not.”

  “Why not?” Sarah countered. “If you give me three good reasons, I’ll let you go on your own.”

  “It’ll be too dangerous for you.”

  “It’ll be more dangerous for you if you’re alone, Vic. Honestly.”

  Victoria could feel her argument failing. Sarah was right, and they both knew it. Slowly, Victoria nodded.

  “Brilliant. I just have one more suggestion,” Sarah said. “Hear me out, okay?”

  Victoria hesitated, knowing she shouldn’t give Sarah any more time to negotiate. She could guess what Sarah was going to say, and it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but she nodded in resignation.

  “You probably want to leave straightaway, but we should take a few days first to look at universities,” Sarah began, holding up a hand to silence Victoria’s sigh. “Even if it’s just two days, I’ll be happy. We can look at local universities to make Aiden happy while we prepare. Then, if you seriously want to look for Atlantis, you’ve had a bit more time to think about it.”

  Victoria had to admit it wasn’t the worst suggestion she’d heard that day. She did need more time to prepare, and as long as she was away from Aiden and Andrea, waiting a few extra days to find Atlantis wouldn’t hurt. With a nod, she conceded. “Two days looking at universities,” she said, “and if I want to look for Atlantis after that, we’ll try. Promise?”

  “I swear,” Sarah said, pulling Victoria in for a hug. She glanced at her own phone again, blushing.

  For a moment, Victoria wondered if Sarah was messaging Tom, but then she understood. “What’s the deal with you and Nick?” she asked, hoping she sounded casual. “I haven’t really had time to ask you about what happened at the housewarming.”

  “What do you mean?” Sarah asked, locking the display on her phone. Victoria met her gaze steadily, refusing to let Sarah evade an answer. Sarah knew exactly what she meant. “We had lunch in town today, but nothing is going on,” Sarah amended, a defensive edge in her voice. “We’re just friends.”

  “You wouldn’t have told me if it hadn’t been a halfway decent afternoon,” Victoria said. Maybe she and Tom had been wrong hoping that one kiss could change everything, but the fact that Sarah and Nick had spent the afternoon together was a good start, even if Sarah didn’t call it a date.

  For the rest of the evening, Victoria sensed Sarah was paying more attention to her phone than the film or her artwork. “Should I message Tom?” Victoria asked when the film finished. She felt agitated that she hadn’t spoken to him in hours and frustrated that she couldn’t go longer without contacting him. She wanted to know how his evening had been and whether he’d thought of another plan for their future together, and at the same time, she didn’t.

  Sarah glanced up from her drawing, biting her lip. “Doesn’t seem like a brilliant idea to me,” she said gently. “Wouldn’t a little space be better for now?”

  Victoria sighed. “I miss him already.”

  Sarah closed her sketchbook. “I’m not here to stop you. It’s your decision.”

  Victoria had her answer, even if it wasn’t the one she had wanted. She retrieved her phone from the kitchen, showed Sarah to the guest bedroom, and said goodnight. She sat on her bed in her own room and stared at her phone for a minute before deciding against contacting Tom. She would have to survive a few days without contacting him. She was drifting asleep when she heard a knock on the front door.

  Tom, Victoria thought, instantly wide awake. Wondering if Sarah had arranged a surprise visit, she raced to the door and found herself staring straight into the intensely silver eyes of a familiar face.

  But he wasn’t Tom. Victoria could only gape at the tall boy with long brown hair whose tattoo she had seen in the coffee shop. His lips formed the most annoying, arrogant smirk she had ever seen. Before he could say a word, she slammed the door in his face, secured the locked, and leaned against it for extra security, breathless.

  Bloody hell.

  She looked towards the guest bedroom and heaved a sigh of relief. The door was closed and the light was off. This situation would have been impossible to explain, even to Sarah. Victoria could hear that the boy hadn’t moved, and she doubted he would leave until she’d called the police or listened to what he wanted to say. His tattoo of the Sentence isn’t a coincidence, she decided. He knows about Atlantis. “Who the hell are you?” she hissed at the door, trusting he could hear her.

  “My name is Gryffin,” he said. His voice was low and commanding and sounded even older than she had imagined. Victoria was glad he couldn’t see her surprise through the door. “I need to talk to you. Open the damn door so we can talk properly.”

  Victoria seethed at the idea of someone telling her what to do in her own house. She raced for a response. “You’re talking right now, aren’t you?”

  His sigh was audible through the door. “Are you looking for Atlantis?”

  Victoria felt her breath pass through her lips. Against her better judgment, she found herself unlocking and opening the door to face Gryffin. “How do you know?” she demanded.

  He smirked in a way Victoria found incredibly annoying. “To begin with, you have the Sentence on the wrist of your dominant hand. You might not have told anybody about it, but it’s as obvious as a tattoo.” Victoria reflexively reached for the ribbon on her right wrist but stopped when Gryffin raised an eyebrow. “You seriously need to forget about Atlantis. Forget it exists, forget you ever thought about it, and don’t go looking for it. It’s fucking dangerous. Trust me. Your life depends upon it.”

  Victoria could only stare at him.

  “I won’t warn you again,” he said. And without another word, he turned his back to her and took off running. Victoria stared after him, too stunned to follow, though she now had a million questions. He knew about Atlantis and the Sentence, and she need answers.

  “Wait,” she called, breaking out of her trance, but he didn’t stop. Whether he was ignoring her or too far away to hear, she knew she’d missed her chance to get information from the beautiful, mysterious, irritating boy. But his visit had still answered some of her questions. Atlantis had always wanted her to find it, and she had a sudden suspicion that Gryffin had sent the message telling her to stay away. Did he break the mirror, too? she wondered. She shivered at the thought of him being in
her house without her consent or knowledge, but that was in the past.

  For the first time since she’d chosen to keep the Sentence, she was absolutely convinced that giving her loyalty to Atlantis had been the right decision. She would see the words on her wrist every day and remember Atlantis, no matter who asked her to forget. If Gryffin wouldn’t give her any more information, she would learn herself, even if it took the rest of her life. He can’t stop me.

  For a final moment, she wondered if she should follow him to ask about the mirror, and then she noticed that he had dropped a small bundle of papers on the doorstep. He wouldn’t have done that on purpose, she thought, her interest flaring. She picked them up and retreated inside before he realized they were missing. Seeing the top page containing familiar shapes overlaying a grid, she couldn’t quite believe her luck, or what his secret was.

  It was a bundle of maps. And they were in her own handwriting.

  Abandoning the idea of pursuing Gryffin, Victoria locked her front door and laid out all the papers across her kitchen table. From their delicate texture, she could tell that these were the exact maps she had made in Atlantis. How the hell did Gryffin get these? she wondered. He obviously knew more about Atlantis than she did, but that didn’t matter terribly at the moment. She had the maps now. She pulled out her phone and got to work locating Atlantis on a real map.

  She started her search in the Mediterranean, since most historians place Atlantis there. Feeling lucky, she held her breath and zoomed in on a random place in the sea. But there were no islands there. She tried a few more locations, feeling foolish for trusting blind luck, and stopped when she spotted a stretch of coastline that she was sure she recognized from the largest paper map. She compared the two maps for a moment, hardly believing her eyes. They’re a perfect match.

  When she zoomed out more on her phone, she found that Atlantis simply didn’t exist on modern maps. Where the islands were supposed to be was nothing but empty sea, but Victoria wasn’t surprise, and didn’t care what modern technology said. She had found Atlantis.