by S. M. Boyce
The sound of footsteps on the sandy floor broke Victoria's reverie, and she looked up at the wizard as he sat down beside her. He nestled close to her, their shoulders touching despite there being plenty of wall to lean against, but she didn't bother sighing or rolling her eyes. It wouldn’t have done any good, so she wasn't going to waste her energy complaining.
Besides, it had become chilly as they descended into the labyrinth, and he was warm.
He set his staff against the wall beside him and rested one elbow on his knee as he, too, watched Audrey play with the water. “She's like a different person down here.”
“I hadn't noticed,” Victoria lied. It was an impulsive lie, one she didn't fully understand. After she thought it over for a few seconds, she figured she had spoken so quickly because she didn't want to show her cards to Diesel. Her goal was to keep him at a distance emotionally. It would have been great if she could keep them at a distance physically, too, but that was a fight she wouldn't win. What he lacked in humility, he made up for in persistence.
He nudged her gently with the shoulder. “It's okay to be a little jealous.”
Victoria didn't bother censoring herself. She shot him a glare full of annoyance and frustration. “I'm happy for her, not jealous.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why on Earth would—”
“We’re not on Earth, at least not the Earth you know. We’re in Atlantis, her home country, where she will be welcomed like family. That incantation wasn’t for us, Victoria. It was for her. We’re not Atlantean. We are not their family. You may find that she likes it here better than back in Fairhaven.”
Victoria shook her head. “You wizards. You fight and bicker, but you're all the same. You're full of ominous warnings and vague threats, but offer nothing of substance except your spells. Audrey is my friend, and she will always be my friend. She's discovering a part of herself she didn’t know existed, magic she didn’t know was there, and I'm going to support her every second of the way through it.”
Diesel lifted his hands in gentle surrender and leaned his head against the wall as he stared straight ahead. “I didn't mean to offend you, Victoria. I merely want you to be prepared.”
She didn't bother responding. It was uncanny how like Fyrn Diesel could be, and not in the fun ways. Fyrn challenged her, made her better. Diesel was just annoying.
They sat together in silence, watching Audrey as a large turtle swam up to her. It bumped its head against the palm of her hand as if begging to be petted, and she scratched its neck. It shivered in the water, and Victoria swore she could see a smile stretch across its face.
“Does this make me a Disney Princess?" Audrey asked with a wink and a smile.
Victoria nodded. “You’d better start singing.”
Audrey chuckled and continued to pet the massive turtle. This was unreal. Next thing they knew, birds would fly out of the holes in the cave wall and nestle in Audrey’s hair.
A blip of golden light in the corner of her eye caught Victoria's attention. She turned in time to see the light recede into Diesel’s hand, where he now held a stunning golden dagger. It had been crafted of a single material from blade to handle, and the metal glistened and churned like water against a transparent surface.
He offered it to her. “Consider this an olive branch, Victoria. I want you to have it.”
Victoria didn’t know what to say. She lifted it with her fingertips, and it was surprisingly light. She grasped it in one hand, and the hilt fit perfectly into her palm. “It's beautiful.”
“It's powerful, too.”
“How so?”
“If you stab someone with it, they are forced to speak the truth.”
She scoffed. “Are you sure that’s not from the pain of being stabbed?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “This won’t make you bleed. It’s special.”
The delicate weapon felt like air in her palms. “So it’s a ‘truth dagger,’ huh?”
“I figured you weren’t the kind of girl who would care about a dozen roses, so I'm giving you a truth dagger instead.”
She shook her head at his obnoxious persistence, but she couldn’t hide her smile. “How does it work?”
“Stab me.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “You're not that annoying.”
He winked. “Not yet, anyway. Go ahead. Anywhere.”
Doubtful, she hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It won’t hurt at all. Think of a question you want to ask me and stab my leg. Anything goes.”
“Suit yourself.” She pressed the tip of the blade against his thigh, but he didn’t flinch. She pressed gently on the hilt, and it slid effortlessly into his body without drawing a single drop of blood. The blade simply disappeared into the fabric covering his leg.
Instead of screaming with pain, he shuddered. “Brr. I forgot how cold it is. Ask me something.”
“Why did you come with us?”
He caught her eye, jaw tense and lips parted slightly as though he were fighting the words about to tumble out of his mouth. “I wanted to make sure you were safe. Few return from Atlantis, and no one is the same when they come back. I knew you would try to go alone, and I wanted to protect you from getting hurt.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure that would have been your answer even if I hadn’t stabbed you with a truth sword.”
“Dagger.”
“Whatever.”
“Out, out, pull it out,” he said, body tensing.
She obliged him and studied the dagger, still not convinced.
“I can try it on you,” he said.
She studied him for a moment, wondering if this were a trick. Diesel was her mentor’s foe, after all, and one she barely trusted. If this really was a magic dagger, he could pry any information he wanted out of her.
“Only if you want,” he said softly, looking away.
His deference caught her off-guard. He was usually so cocky, so sure of himself, that his quiet offer surprised her. Taken aback, she hesitated. It almost seemed like the deeper she got into these caves, the less she knew the people she was with.
“Fine,” she said, offering the blade.
He took it. “What shall I ask?”
“Nothing too personal.”
“Very well.” He paused to think for a moment before setting the tip of the blade against her thigh. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, tensing as she prepared for pain. He gently slid the dagger into her leg, and instead of agony she felt only the cool chill of frost on her skin. It was like stepping outside in winter with no jacket. She shivered. “Oh, Jesus, that is cold.”
He nodded. “What do you think about Fairhaven?”
Words pressed against her tongue like a mob against a locked gate. She tensed, already hating the feeling of these words desperate to tumble out of her. Her mouth finally opened on its own, and she had no idea what she would say. “I love Fairhaven. It’s my home.”
Diesel smiled, the creases around his eyes suggesting genuine happiness. “I’m glad to hear that.”
She reached for the dagger to pull it out, but it was as though there were a forcefield preventing her from touching the hilt while it was in her leg. She waved at it, panicking a bit. “Out, out, out.”
“Sorry, yes.” He pulled it out of her leg and warmth returned to Victoria’s body in a rush. She sighed with relief and shut her eyes, slumping against the wall with gratitude that the thing was out of her.
In her haste to get the dagger out of her body she had let her sleeve slide up her arm and reveal the Rhazdon Artifact embedded in her skin. Diesel’s eyes wandered over it, studying its curves and grooves, and for a moment Victoria let him. She watched his face, examining every expression, and was surprised to see only curiosity and calm. His eyes eventually met hers, and she waited for him to say something.
“It's fascinating,” he said.
“What is?”
He nodded to her arm.
“From everything I have learned, from every book I have read and every master I have spoken to, you should be utterly and completely evil. You should want nothing more than to rip the skin from my body and steal whatever magic you can. You should be an insatiable monster, content with nothing less than domination and power. And yet... ”
She waited, tense and uneasy as she watched him search for the words he wanted.
He continued, “And yet you're not. You're beautiful and kind and powerful and loyal. You're the kind of person I would follow into battle without a second thought.”
He stood and returned to their packs, which they had left a few feet from the walkway while they rested. He rummaged through his, but Victoria suspected he was merely occupying himself. She was suddenly convinced that even if she hadn't used the dagger, he would have told the truth anyway.
Elbow on her knee, she stared at the sandy floor as she tried to process what he had said. If she were being honest with herself, it was nice to be appreciated and not feared.
Her eyes wandered to Audrey, who was already staring at her. Neither said anything. Audrey eventually returned her attention to the pool of water, but her smile was gone.
***
Victoria had stopped trying to keep track of the hours they spent in the caves beneath Hawaii looking for Atlantis. They halted when they were tired, ate when they were hungry, and continued to follow the map.
But the more they walked, the more Victoria realized Audrey seem to know where she was going without referencing the scroll. Sometimes Victoria would wait until Audrey had already begun walking before checking the map. Audrey had been right every time. It bothered Victoria more than she felt it should, leaving her uneasy.
Hell, maybe she had wasted that favor to a crime boss to get this map. The thought alone annoyed her.
Around another bend, a fork in the tunnel forced Victoria to refer the map. But instead of another sketch directing her where to go, more words appeared on the parchment.
Progredere iudicari.
“Okay, no clue how to say that one,” Victoria muttered.
Diesel peered over her shoulder, too close again. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“What? What does it say?”
“Step forward and be judged,” Audrey said in an airy voice, as though she were deep in thought.
“Exactly,” Diesel said warily, eyes shifting toward Audrey.
Victoria jerked her head toward her friend, baffled and confused. “How did you know? You didn’t even look at the map.”
Audrey didn't answer. She stared into one of the tunnels, head cocked as though she were listening for something that Victoria couldn't hear. “They're coming.”
“Who?”
Audrey turned around, and for a moment Victoria didn't recognize her. Audrey's eyes were unfocused, and a strange smile played on her lips. It was as though someone had possessed her, and for a moment Victoria was terrified.
Physical attackers she could handle, but not a possessed bestie.
Her diamond amulet began to glow.
Danger.
Diesel put his hand on Victoria’s shoulder, and for the first time she wasn't annoyed. She appreciated the comfort it brought, and it took a moment to realize she had leaned toward Audrey and the hand was holding her back.
“Don't,” he said quietly.
“Who dares enter the secret lands?" A man's voice echoed through the tunnel, as warped and distorted as if he were talking underwater.
Styx squeaked in surprise and dove into Victoria’s hair, his tiny body trembling.
The thundering voice seemed to snap Audrey out of her daze. She came to, looking around with wide eyes. But instead of fear, she looked excited—as if she were ready and waiting for something Victoria couldn’t see.
Victoria would have given anything to know what was going on in her friend's head.
There was a sudden presence behind Victoria, the kind of feeling that came when someone walked into a room. She spun on her heel to find a man behind her. His silver skin looked as soft as silk, and it had a slight iridescent gleam that reminded Victoria of wet scales. His long black hair hung over his shoulders, and he held a curved sword in each hand. He glowered at Victoria, his eyes shifting between her and Diesel.
Victoria tensed, ready to summon her sword, but Diesel caught her eye and shook his head gently. It was a warning, a request for her to stand down, so she hesitated.
She shot a wary glance around. Light glinted from dozens more swords in the shadows of both tunnels behind Audrey. The way toward Atlantis was blocked, and this solitary stranger stood between them and the way out.
But leaving wasn’t the goal—they needed to reach Atlantis. Victoria tensed and waited for something to happen.
The stranger looked past them both, his eyes scanning something Victoria could only assume was Audrey. His scowl was immediately replaced by a broad grin, and he pushed past Victoria as though she weren’t there. Victoria stumbled into the wall, and Diesel reached for her to help her find her feet again.
“I'm fine,” she said, waving away his hand. The stranger walked up to Audrey, who studied him with concern.
He offered his hand to her, and she nervously took it. When she touched him he muttered something under his breath, and as if on cue her skin began to glow a brilliant blue. She rose into the air and hovered, her hair floating around her head as though she were swimming underwater, the ribbons of her dark locks shimmering like silk. But instead of showing fear or concern, she smiled down at the stranger.
“What a happy day!" the stranger said. He clasped her wrists and guided her to the ground as the soldiers in both tunnels began to cheer. The sound reverberated off the walls, shaking Victoria to her core.
“Am I really Atlantean?" Audrey asked, almost breathless.
“Quite so, young one. Quite so. I am General Cato, dear soul. And you are?”
“Audrey.”
“An honor to meet you, Miss Audrey. Come, come! We must bring you home at once!”
The cheering continued as the general led Audrey down one of the tunnels, and the soldiers parted to let them through. But instead of waiting for Victoria and Diesel to catch up, the soldiers closed the path again and began to follow their general as though neither Victoria nor Diesel were even there.
“Hey!" Victoria shouted.
Diesel grabbed her arm. “Victoria, remember the Atlantean way. We don't exist to them. They care only for their fellow Atlanteans.”
“But who knows if she's safe with them? I just let my friend disappear into a crowd of strange men. Do you know how wrong that would be?" Victoria jogged after them, and Diesel kept pace with her.
“Trust me, Victoria, she's safer with them than you or I are.” He shot her a glance that made Victoria feel like he knew more than he was letting on.
It finally struck her as they jogged after the soldiers, who were still cheering for her friend. Diesel had come to protect Victoria, not because he was enamored of her, but because Audrey was not in any kind of danger. These were Audrey's people, and it was suddenly very clear that Victoria was not welcome.
CHAPTER 17
Atlantis is beautiful. It was all Audrey could think as she took in the magnificent hidden city around her.
A long transparent bridge allowed her to walk over a dazzling lake, and it ended at a massive palace with spires and glittering blue floor-to-ceiling windows covering the entire edifice. On either side of the walkway, the world stretched for what seemed like miles in an impossibly massive underground cavern that didn't have a hint of darkness. It glimmered and gleamed, glowing with its own light even though she couldn't tell where it came from. The water sparkled like something in a commercial, too perfect to be real, and yet she was looking at it.
General Cato led her across the bridge, his hand on the small of her back the entire way. Ordinarily she would've batted him away, being perfectly able to walk by herself, but something about these people—something about thei
r kindness and excitement at seeing her—melted her defenses. She lost herself in their joy.
Other Atlanteans strolling along the lakeside streets of sand and cobblestone paused to watch the procession as it followed the glass road. Some waved, and others smiled happily at her.
