by Katrina Ryan
“We should teach you,” Sarah said. “My dad used to take me fishing when I was younger. It was a bit slow sometimes, but I still enjoyed it.”
“I would enjoy that very much.”
Victoria couldn’t believe she and Sarah were having this conversation with Atlantean royalty, but at least they could contribute something in return for everything Athelea was doing for them. When they finished eating, Athelea lit a lamp on the balcony for Sarah to sketch and gestured for Victoria to follow her inside.
“What happened to you this afternoon at Shipwreck Beach could have been terribly serious,” Athelea said, closing the balcony door behind them. “Some power that even I don’t comprehend has tried to possess you. I don’t know where it has come from, or whether it will happen again, or what it is. I do believe, however, that we must ensure your protection immediately.”
“How do we do that?” Victoria asked.
Ten minutes later, they excused themselves from Sarah and proceeded through a series of paths and hallways around the palace gardens. Athelea gestured to an open doorway off the Garden of the Gods inscribed with the words Neutral Room, and Victoria stepped through. Immediately, she sensed that this enormous, windowless room was different from anywhere else she’d been in Atlantis. It felt full of energy, like it was alive. A layer of water seemed to cover the floor, and Victoria had a fleeting impression that there wasn’t anything solid beneath it. Only a bench and table in the middle of the room convinced her otherwise. Taking a step forward, her foot met solid ground, and the illusion shattered.
A white line of fire ran horizontally across the dark walls, halfway between the ceiling and floor. The flames reflected in the water, sending dancing prisms of light around the room. “That is Atlan fire,” Athelea explained, sliding the stone door shut behind her. She took a seat on the bench and gestured for Victoria to follow. “It prevents any ambient dexterity from leaving or entering the room, making a perfect learning environment. Let’s take a moment to walk around the room so you learn its energy.”
Victoria followed Athelea in a slow stroll around the perimeter of the room, still bemused by the unusual floor. The room made her feel uneasy. She could walk and see and talk and the way she did anywhere else, but a faint headache gave her the impression that the room was closing her in and somehow dulling her senses. After such a long day, she wasn’t sure if she was imagining it or losing her mind.
“As I mentioned earlier, Atlan stone conducts dexterity better than any other material,” Athelea said when they were halfway around the room. “When the Atlanteans were here, their dexterity made the stones incredibly strong. In return, the stones refined their dexterity. Together, the stone and fire should manage your dexterity so that nothing can go seriously wrong during your training. That is the purpose of a Neutral Room.”
“Do you think anything could go wrong?” Victoria asked, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.
Athelea shook her head. “I doubt it. We’ll begin by working with dexes that can protect you. I trust you’re intelligent enough to never go searching for Caelan, so offensive dexes would be a waste of time. Defensive dexes, however, will help you whenever he goes looking for you or you find yourself in trouble.”
“That makes sense,” Victoria agreed darkly. She had no inclination to start a fight with Caelan. “Do you really think Caelan has dexterity?”
“I fear he has powerful dexterity that he has grown from experimentation. The earthquake was a perfect example of his skill,” Athelea said. She scowled darkly around the room, as if it was somehow responsible for his behavior. “Unfortunately, he has probably planned countless ways to harm you by now. If you can name it, he can use it against you.”
Victoria closed her eyes, suddenly feeling hopeless.
“You must learn how to block Caelan’s dexterity. I honestly do not know what he is capable of, but if he could control your mind, or if he could put foreign thoughts in your head, you and Atlantis would be entirely at his mercy. You would rather be dead than ever find yourself in that situation where you lose your free will.”
Victoria felt faint as the fire on the wall of the Neutral Room slipped out of focus. She understood exactly what Athelea was implying. “Could he really possess me?”
Athelea said, and Victoria felt the last of her hope of safety in Atlantis shatter. “While you seemed to resist the attack earlier today, you might not be so fortunate if it happens again. Caelan probably could possess you successfully, but I wonder what purpose that would serve. He couldn’t kill you that way without destroying himself in the process. If he tries to harm you, I am quite confident that his methods will be either physical, if he can get close enough to you, or an attempt to manipulate psychologically.”
“How do I defend myself against his dexterity, then?” Victoria pressed.
Athelea beamed, and Victoria realized she’d finally asked the right question. “If you could learn to use your dexterity to put up a shield against outside dexterity, you will have an incredible defensive advantage over Caelan. With your consent, I will try to access your thoughts, and you will try to block my dexterity. There is no established method for your part, so we might have to experiment to find a system that works. Are you ready?”
Victoria hesitated. She had a horrible feeling that she knew what was next, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to expose her innermost self to someone she’d only known a few days. You trust Athelea, she reminded herself. She would never hurt you.
“Everything will be fine,” Athelea assured her. “We can finish whenever you’ve had enough.”
Victoria nodded. Better Athelea than Caelan, she reminded herself. Not knowing what else to do, she closed her eyes closed and waited, trying to distract herself with insignificant thoughts. A second later, the middle of her forehead began to tingle, and then the pressure stopped. Victoria opened her eyes.
“That is what the dex feels like,” Athelea said. “So you are aware, I am going to try to learn about the people you love. Even if our experiment fails, I hopefully will have gotten to know you a bit better.”
Victoria knew this disclosure was part of Athelea’s strategy. It was impossible not to think of Tom now. She tried desperately to keep Athelea from accessing those memories and thoughts, but as a sudden breeze rushed past her in this strange, enclosed room, she knew she stood no chance of hiding her personal life.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Athelea asked.
Victoria nodded and took a few deep breaths, wary about where this conversation was going. Athelea had succeeded so quickly. “His name is Tom. We’ve been together for about three years.”
“Tom seems a very charming young man,” Athelea said. “How did you meet?”
“We met through a mutual friend named Nick and have been together ever since,” Victoria said. “Tom is the best person I know. He has never had a bad thought or word about anyone. He cares so much about other people that he wants to get into charity work. Sometimes, I feel he’s too good to be real, but anyone who meets him can see he is the most genuine person.”
“That’s lovely,” Athelea said.
Victoria couldn’t find words to further express what she was feeling. All her love for Tom and the pain of separation came streaming to the forefront of her mind, impossible to ignore. She was going to have to fight harder if she wanted Athelea to stay out.
Athelea lifted her eyebrow in challenge.
It’s part of the game, Victoria reminded herself. Stay calm.
After what felt like an hour, even though it was only minutes, Victoria simply couldn’t fend off Athelea’s intrusions. With every attempt to keep her memories concealed, she revealed more about her life within a matter of seconds. If Caelan ever did this to me, Victoria thought, we would all be in trouble.
The process repeated for what felt like an hour. Victoria tried to fend off the attacks, but every time, Athelea managed to break through her defense.
“You ran away from home?” A
thelea asked after what felt like the hundredth attack.
Victoria nodded. “I needed some space from my family,” she said. If Athelea didn’t already know, she didn’t want to get into details of their argument now, while she had a pounding head and aching heart. Athelea already knew more about Aiden and Andrea, Nick, Tom, and Sarah than Victoria had thought was possible, and Athelea didn’t ask any questions but proceeded with another invasion.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Victoria panted, collapsing onto the bench. She wasn’t any closer to shielding her mind. She was only getting more frustrated with her failure, and she knew she would lose her temper if they continued any longer. She suddenly realized why she was struggling so much. “Athelea, do you have to be Atlantean to have dexterity?”
Athelea hesitated. Victoria realized she’d probably never thought about that before. “I’ve never known anybody who didn’t have Atlantean blood,” Athelea admitted. “I have heard stories of foreigners who thought they could invoke dexes, but I don’t believe any of them were ever proven. I would say that dexterity is purely an Atlantean power.”
Victoria nodded. “So Caelan is probably of Atlantean descent. That’s why he has dexterity.”
“It would seem so.”
The Neutral Room fell silent. The more Victoria knew about dexterity, the less she felt she understood it. But if Athelea was right, Gryffin had to be Atlantean, too. He must be her son, she thought. It seemed impossible, but the fact that Athelea was here proved otherwise. For a second, Victoria thought again of mentioning Gryffin, but she didn’t know where to begin.
“The fact that one can bear the Sentence is a strong indication of an Atlantean bloodline,” Athelea continued, when Victoria said nothing, and the moment passed. “In the years before the Destruction, Atlanteans spread out around Europe, which is probably why even Sarah can bear the Sentence.”
“Do all Atlanteans have dexterity?”
Athelea shook her head. “There have been a few Atlanteans throughout history who either were not born with it or decided to give it up.”
“Is that why I can’t do it?” Victoria sighed. “Is something wrong with me?”
Athelea shook her head, looking torn between amusement and sympathy. “Many Atlanteans seriously struggle with once dex or another. You've probably heard of the warrior Achilles. He was a brave Atlantean soldier who knew very powerful defensive dexes, but his one heel was his weakness that he could never quite protect or heal. That's where the phrase originates, and it describes exactly what you are facing.”
Victoria felt her frustration falter. Nick would absolutely love to hear that story. “Do all Atlanteans go to school?”
“Yes. Most Atlanteans attend school as children for training in math, literacy, and the sciences especially, to strengthen their knowledge for dexes. The process is effective yet predictable. They leave school with an arsenal of practical dexes for everyday life. Then, many attend university to learn how to use dexterity at a more complex or professional level.”
Victoria nodded, making a mental note to ask later what those dexes were but stayed silent for now to let Athelea continue.
“Dexterity, however, does come most naturally to those with royal blood. Members of the royal family are often born with inherent dexterity. Royalty use dexterity for protecting themselves and Atlantis, and for managing situations when nothing else will work.”
Victoria bit her lip. The hierarchy sounded deeply unfair, and Athelea didn't seem to understand how the system looked to anyone on the outside. Royalty could have abused their power so easily, and Victoria was sure that the commoners had thought similarly. “Is there any other way to learn?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.
“The most dangerous education,” Athelea admitted, “is when Atlanteans experiment with their strengths and discover their lack of limitations. Without supervision, they can learn dexes that destroy civilizations instead of build them.”
“Caelan,” Victoria muttered.
“Most likely. I believe Caelan must have some form of traditional training, perhaps through dexologs, before he decided to experiment. That combination makes his dexterity unpredictable and unstable.”
Great, Victoria thought. She didn't like the sound of it, and even Athelea had a glint of worry in her eyes.
“What you must remember, Victoria, is that the way you learn is not nearly as important as what you learn,” Athelea said. “I desperately wanted to study at university, but my father never let me. I had a tutor, and although I learned everything from her, I despised nearly every minute of the process.”
Victoria managed a smile, feeling slightly reassured. Athelea was full of surprises, and it was impossible not to admire her confidence and faith.
“Ultimately, dexterity is a strange force,” Athelea concluded. “I suspect yours is still not fully developed because you haven’t been in Atlantis very long. It may take time for your body to become familiar with Atlantean energy and learn how to handle it. We can try again tomorrow. You’ve had a long day.”
Victoria didn’t hesitate to conclude their session. Following Athelea out of the Neutral Room, she felt her headache disappear as the weight of the room lifted. She said goodnight and goodbyes at the top of the Royal Tower, and Athelea returned down the tower to wherever she went at night. Sarah was still sketching on the balcony, so Victoria got ready for bed in silence, feeling her mood worsen as she processed the events of the day. Sarah joined her inside a few minutes later and put her sketchbook and necklace on the side of her bed.
“You shouldn’t have kept the key,” Victoria said, her irritation flaring before she could hold the words back.
Sarah looked up, seeming shocked for a moment, before she reached for the necklace. “You can have it, Vic. I didn’t know you wanted it.”
“I don’t want it,” Victoria said. “That’s the point. I want everything to be exactly how it was when the Atlanteans left, so that everything is the same if they ever come back.”
Sarah paused, and Victoria knew she didn’t have an argument for this. “I see what you mean,” Sarah said gently, “but it’s just a key. Is there any harm in me having it for now?”
Victoria sighed. “I suppose not.”
“You should talk to Athelea about her plans going forward. I can see how much it means to her that you’re helping.”
Athelea would probably leave everything broken forever, Victoria thought, though she didn’t dare say it to Sarah.
“What do you think of Atlantis now you’ve been here a bit longer?” Sarah pressed. “Has your time here been what you expected?”
Victoria smiled. “It’s obviously beautiful, but I don’t understand it. It’s so broken, and I really don’t like the fact that nobody else is here. It feels a bit like a ghost town, or a country that’s been ruined by war.”
“It is strange,” Sarah agreed. “I’m glad you and Athelea are trying to help Atlantis, even if it’s going to be a lot of work.”
“I don’t feel like we’re doing much yet,” Victoria admitted. She wanted to tell Sarah more about her training in dexterity, but she had no idea where to begin. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Does it have anything to do with her magic?” Sarah asked.
Victoria stayed silent, meeting Sarah’s gaze significantly. “Dexterity. It’s essentially manipulating energy to perform an action. I couldn’t do it, and Athelea ended up finding out everything about Tom and Aiden and Andrea.”
“I’m sorry,” Sarah said, pulling her in for a hug. “Don’t worry. I know you’ve been stressed recently, but you’ll get it soon, you’ll see.”
“Thanks,” Victoria said. Sarah’s faith reassured more than would have expected. “How have you been? I noticed you’ve been drawing a lot this week. Could I see?”
Sarah handed her notepad to Victoria and sat back, ready for the appraisal. Her current sketch of the view of the Atlantis from the Royal Tower was still missing color but other
wise complete. Victoria flipped to the front of the book and found the sketch of Tom, which made her heart ache. Next were drawings of the meadow and temple on the other island, which she skipped over with a shiver. Sarah had drawn the exterior of the Grand Library while Victoria had been unconscious after the earthquake, capturing the graceful curves of the dome, the commanding pillars and scholars of the entryway, and the detail of the stones perfectly. They really were stunning sites, and Sarah’s representations did them justice.
“They’re beautiful,” Victoria said, handing the book back to Sarah. “What will you do with them?”
“I’m going to ask Athelea if I can take them home,” Sarah said. “I’d love to keep them, even if I can’t use them for my portfolio.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind,” Victoria said. “You know what she’s like.”
They laughed together. Victoria felt better for having voiced her concerns about the dexes and the key and having explained to Sarah what it meant to her. And no matter what happened in the future, she was thankful that Sarah was experiencing Atlantis with her. They talked for a while longer about England before turning the lights out and saying goodnight. Victoria fell asleep, exhausted but ready to see what the next day in Atlantis would hold.
Chapter Eighteen
THE DARK DEX
“We should devise a plan of action, ladies,” Athelea announced at breakfast the next morning before Victoria had remembered to suggest it. She surveyed the balcony table over her goblet of juice with a practiced air of importance. Victoria suddenly felt like she was at some sort of official meeting and took a long sip of her mango tea. It felt too early for such a serious discussion, even if she had slept incredibly well.
“Yesterday, we discussed how we could restore the dexes that once protected Atlantis,” Athelea continued. “I went through my father’s personal library last night, and I couldn’t find any information about what dexes the masons used to fortify the buildings originally. I will continue my search until I find something helpful, but until then, we have many other preoccupations.”
