Atlantis Rising

by Gloria Craw

  I said, “Hi,” accompanied by a little wave.

  Silent stares resulted.

  “Hey, Alison,” Ian said, looking at me as though I was a stranger.

  “Hey,” I replied before continuing toward the kitchen.

  I got a soda and leaned against the counter, listening to the gossip around me. As usual, Brandy was in the middle of things, laughing, talking, and putting even the most self-conscious girls at ease. When she got a break, she came over to get a soda. “Wow. You clean up nice,” she said, giving me a wink. “Half the guys in here can’t stop looking at you, and Ian looks like a kid in a candy shop. In case you’re confused, he’s the kid and you’re the candy.”

  I laughed. “It’s been so long since I dressed up for anything, I wasn’t sure it was me when I looked in the mirror. And it’s all thanks to you.”

  “I do what I can,” she replied, smiling.

  Probably sensing my nerves, she stayed near me as I settled into the rhythm of things, then she wandered away to talk to a girl standing on the fringes of the group. Inspired by her social grace, I turned to my nearest neighbor, intending to strike up a conversation. Before I could say anything, I felt something on my skin. It was warm and it hummed a little. That’s when Nikki Cole walked into the room.

  Her strawberry-blond hair was pulled up to showcase her delicate features. Her shirt and skirt had been carefully chosen to emphasize her small, curvy figure. She radiated confidence like Ian did, but it came off cool and detached rather than inviting. She drew human attention, both male and female. It was the steady vibration coming from her that held mine. Her cornflower-blue eyes turned toward me and a sneer crossed her pretty face. She remembered me, but her eyes didn’t linger. They moved to Ian, and her sneer was replaced by a smile that transformed her face into radiant beauty.

  Crossing the room to him, she touched his forearm in a familiar way. Ian looked down at her, and the strangest thing happened to me. The energy in my body, more specifically just under my skin, began to heat and bubble. I’d never experienced anything like it. Brandy’s arm brushed mine, and she flinched back. “You’re burning up,” she whispered in alarm. “Take some deep breaths.” I did what she said. “Whatever you were thinking when your energy heated up, don’t think of it again for the rest of the night,” she ordered. “Do you understand me?”

  “Not really.”

  “I’ll explain later,” she said. “Just control what you think about, okay?”

  “Okay,” I replied, determined not to think of the pretty dewing girl who’d gone straight toward Ian and was now chatting him up. Brandy grabbed Felicity Nathanson and pushed her up next to me. “You two know each other, don’t you?” she said.

  Felicity was meant to distract me from thinking about Nikki, and I silently thanked her for it. “Felicity, right,” I said cheerily. “We had biology together last year. We were lab partners once.”

  She smiled. “Starfish dissection.”

  Felicity wasn’t really popular, sporty, musical, dramatic, or brainy. She was one of the kids filling the cracks at Fillmore. Like I’d tried to be. Feeling a connection with her, I said, “This is a great party, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. I was surprised Brandy invited me. But she’s so nice, and her cousin is in my trig class.” She had stars in her eyes when she mentioned Brandy’s cousin. I did my best to ignore that. I asked her what other classes she had, and as she finished reciting her schedule, I looked up to find Ian walking toward us.

  “Hi, Felicity,” he said with a smile for my companion. “Mind if I steal Alison for a minute?”

  “Uh, no,” she replied.

  He took my hand and towed me toward the group of boys and Nikki.

  “Why do you want to steal me?” I asked suspiciously.

  “I want you to come and play.”

  “Guitar Hero? I don’t know…”

  He didn’t let go of me until I was standing in front to the television holding a fake guitar. If anyone had bothered to ask, I would have told them not to start me out on the beginner level. I was fiercely competitive with Alex on the game and could play most songs with my eyes closed. I goofed up a little at first, but halfway through I was pursuing guitar greatness. As I finished the last chord on my third song, I banged my fake guitar in pantomime. Turning around I saw a sea of faces frozen in astonishment.

  Everyone’s surprise seemed pleasant, except for Nikki’s. Her eyes were filled with intense dislike.

  “Sorry about that,” I said. “I guess I got carried away.”

  My statement was greeted by a round of applause, and then Michael Larson said, “Well, no one is going to beat that. Time for a new game.”

  A little overstimulated by that much attention, I headed for the patio and some fresh air. I let myself out and then stood looking down on Sin City. The door opened and closed behind me. I didn’t need to look around to know it was Ian.

  “That was interesting,” he said, coming to stand next to me.

  “I play that game a lot with my little brother,” I explained. “There hasn’t been much else for me to do on weekends. Alex loves video games, and he appreciates a worthy opponent. According to him, I have mad skills.”

  Ian laughed softly and then turned to a different topic. “You felt her come in, didn’t you?”

  I knew he was referring to Nikki. “Yes. I’ve been feeling vibrations all day, but I didn’t know what they meant until I felt one at the exact moment Nikki came in. Do you think Nikki felt me, too?”

  “I’m sure she didn’t,” he said. “Brandy told me your essence rose in reaction to her, but Nikki didn’t respond.”

  “Why did it do that, the boiling-under-my-skin thing?”

  “You just got a taste of what it feels like to warm up for a fight.”

  “But I don’t want to fight with Nikki.”

  “Maybe not consciously, but you don’t like her. You told me that yourself. Maybe subconsciously you think she’s a threat to you.”

  I considered that. “It’s probably that I’m worried she’ll figure out what I am.”

  “Even if she did, it wouldn’t matter,” he assured me. “Your mother saved one of her cousins from Sebastian Truss. Her clan owes you as much protection as mine does.”

  I remembered Bruce and Amelia’s reaction to me three nights ago and I believed him. Neither of them would do anything to jeopardize my safety. I still felt uncomfortable about Nikki, though. I didn’t trust her.

  “She seems to like you,” I said, glancing at Ian’s handsome face and beautiful smile.

  He laughed again and turned to lean his back against the railing. “It’s social power Nikki likes,” he said. “She’s more into Luke Stentorian than me. He already heads a clan. I’m still waiting in line.”

  The idea of ugly Luke likenessing with beautiful Nikki was very gratifying. “They’d make an interesting couple,” I said.

  “Nikki thinks so. She’s been stalking him ever since his parents died. Poor Luke is no more in control of who he can likeness with than any of the rest of us. Nikki thinks it will increase her odds if she spends a lot of time with him, though. He likes her well enough, but he’s struggling to adjust to his new life and responsibilities. He doesn’t need the kind of pressure she puts on him. He probably left town more to get some space from her than to do business.”

  “And with her main prey out of range, you’ve been elevated to top target?”

  “It appears that way, but Nikki is too predictable for my taste,” he said, leaning in close to me. “Once you understand her character, there are no real surprises anymore. I prefer a little weirdness to liven things up.”

  “Which explains why we get along so well,” I said, putting my hand on his chest to push him back.

  He didn’t budge. Against my will, my breathing slowed, and my eyes lingered on his mouth. Thankfully, Connor poked his head out the door. “Alison, you up for Dance Revolution?” he asked.

  I took a deep breath. “I’ve
already made a fool of myself once tonight,” I replied. “Why not do it again?”

  “This I’ve got to see,” Ian said, following me in.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Within an hour’s time, everyone’s anxiety had disappeared, so boys and girls were mingling with enthusiasm. Twice I’d demonstrated how Dance Revolution should be done. As I laughed and talked with the kids around me, I wondered how I’d managed to go so long without this.

  I was bummed when the power went out around eleven. It was no use stumbling around in the dark even though everyone wanted to keep the party going. They talked about meeting up at other places in town. It didn’t take long for everyone to leave. Everyone but Nikki.

  She’d cornered Ian by the TV.

  I was on trash duty, so I headed their way with a flashlight and a garbage bag. I picked up a couple soda cans and heard Nikki say, “You should come over to my house. My parents will be out late. We can watch a movie…or something.”

  “I have to help clean up,” he replied.

  She looked my way and spoke in a voice that was meant to be overheard. “Brandy’s little friend…oh…I mean big friend seems to have things under control.”

  “I can’t,” Ian said patiently. “I’ve got some stuff to do tomorrow. I can’t be out late.”

  Realizing she wasn’t going to prevail, she smiled up at him. “Maybe next time.”

  “Maybe next time,” he agreed, taking her by the elbow. “Let me walk you to your car.”

  I shoved another can in the bag.

  “I can’t stand that girl,” Brandy said from across the room.

  “I’d like to let my big self drag Nikki up the stairs by the hair and hang her from the roof by it,” I said. “I wonder what she’d think of me then.”

  Brandy chuckled. “I’d pay to see that.”

  When Ian came back, he went straight to the utility room and flipped the breaker back on. “You turned the power off,” I said in disappointment.

  “That’s the deal I made with my mom. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

  Spencer and Katherine walked in. We all stood silent, looking at the mess around us.

  “Apparently the party was a success,” Katherine observed.

  I put another soda can in the garbage bag and yawned. Spencer came my way and took the bag from me. “You have the night off, young lady,” he said.

  I stifled another yawn. “I can help.”

  “No. You need to get some rest,” he insisted. “I’m sure you’re still sore from the tiger’s attack. Better take advantage of some sleep.”

  Without adrenaline coursing through me, the aches in my body were back. “Okay,” I said reluctantly, “but I’ll do the dishes tomorrow. You can leave them in the sink.”

  Spencer pushed me gently out of the kitchen. “I’m an expert dishwasher,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for almost two hundred years now.”

  Ian caught me by the arm when I stumbled on the rug. “Come on, sleeping beauty.”

  On Katherine’s orders, all the bedrooms had been locked during the party. I leaned against the wall while Ian ran a hand along the top of the door frame, feeling for the key to my room. The only boy at the party who came close to being as attractive as him was Michael, and he’d take a distant second.

  Ian’s gaze lingered on me after he unlocked the door. Maybe mine lingered a little long, too. I was too tired to stop myself. “Thanks,” I said, pushing away from the wall.

  He blocked my way into the room. “You made quite an impression tonight,” he said. “At least ten guys asked me your name. I told them it was Kate.”

  I laughed. “Kate?”

  “It’s all I could come up with on short notice.”

  He smiled down at me, and the soft light around us caught the green flecks in his eyes. Like a moth to a flame, my gaze was drawn to his mouth. I remembered feeling safe when he slept behind me, and the warmth of his lips on mine when he kissed me. A piece of me wanted that again. Ian’s gaze flicked to my mouth, too. If I tipped my chin up, he’d kiss me. Warmth spread over me, tempting me to do it, but I took a deep breath and swallowed. Then I pushed him gently out of my way. “I flew my freak flag high tonight,” I said.

  His smile deepened. “You’ll never be invisible at Fillmore High again. It was good to see.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Good night, Alison,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “Good night,” I replied, closing the door between us.

  I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. The girl in the mirror looked a lot like she had before the party. Her hair was wavy and shone in the light. Her light gray eyes were still wide and framed by lots of dark lashes. The difference was the dreamy expression in them. She was changing from the inside out. It was coming on fast, too. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

  Morning came too soon for me, and it was accompanied by a profound longing for home. The first thing I did was call Mom’s cell phone.

  “Hi, sweetie,” she answered.

  I knew she was trying to hide it, but I could hear anxiety in her voice. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She sighed. “My car got broken into at the gym this morning. I’m with the police and insurance man right now.”

  An uneasiness made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “How bad is it?”

  “It could be worse. They smashed the back window and riffled through the glove box, but they only took the navigation system. I should have known better than to park along the street. There’s been a lot of this kind of thing around the gym recently.”

  “Do the police have any ideas?” I asked.

  “No, not yet. But I’d sure like to be there when they catch the guy. No one messes with my baby this way.”

  I smiled, knowing her baby was the car.

  “How is everything going with you?” she asked. “How was your little get-together last night?”

  Remembering the mess I had to clean up, I choked back a laugh. It hadn’t been a little get-together. Brandy had turned it into a full-on party. “It was fun,” I managed. “I got to show off some of my gaming skills. Alex would have been proud.”

  “I’ll tell him,” she said. “I’m sorry to cut this short, sweetie, but the police need me to answer more questions.”

  “Okay. Be careful, Mom. This isn’t the safest town in the world.”

  “I know. I will.”

  I hung up feeling troubled. Mom had talked about a string of break-ins near her gym, so it wasn’t like it came out of nowhere. But it worried me. If Spencer was right, the tiger had told someone that he was suspicious of me. “Suspicious” was the operative word. He hadn’t known for sure who I was, so why pass specifics along, right? Thankfully, Lillian was planning to drive by my neighborhood throughout the day. She’d let us know if anything changed.

  Whatever my concerns, the best thing was to get trained as soon as possible. I dressed for pain in shorts and a T-shirt. My hair was still wavy from the hot rollers. I pulled it back in a ponytail so it wouldn’t get in my way. Then I was ready.

  Well, maybe not ready, but I wouldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore. People I loved were in danger, and I had to learn how to protect them.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The house was quiet when I made my way to the kitchen. All the vibrations around me hummed at a low frequency. I thought I was the only one awake until I found Katherine wrapped in a silk bathrobe, sitting at the dining room table. Her chestnut-brown hair lay smoothly over her shoulder as she sipped a cup of tea. She looked up when I walked in. “Ready for today?” she asked.

  “I’ve waited a long time to learn what I can do with my mind. I suppose a bit of pain is a small price to pay for the education.”

  “That’s a brave girl,” she replied.

  I got the milk and cereal out while Katherine stared silently into her cup. When I sat next to her, she reached to get something from off the floor. “Brandy found this in the tiger’s car,” she sai
d, handing me a long, flat item wrapped in tissue paper.

  I knew without opening it what was inside. Removing the tissue paper, I found the same book I’d seen lying on the floor at the Shadow Box.

  “It’s a genealogy of your clan,” Katherine explained. “We hesitated to give it to you at first, but ultimately…it seemed more wrong to keep it from you.”

  A musty odor wafted toward me when I opened the cover. The first pages were yellowed with age and covered in a flourishing calligraphy I couldn’t read. “Names and birth dates,” Katherine said, pointing at the writing. “Under each bold line is a death date.”

  I skimmed more pages, feeling the life and death that ran through them. Tears clouded my vision when I realized I’d never know the stories behind the names. There was no one left to tell them to me. Farther in, the names shifted to English spellings written in an atrocious calligraphy. I could only make out a few of the letters. Seeing a scrap of paper marking a place near the end of the book, I turned there.

  The writing was still difficult to read, but I interpreted one of the names as Grace Laurel, followed by a set of dates that meant nothing in the Western European calendar. “Saul Laurel” had been penned next to it with another set of dates. Below them both was written, “Jillian Laurel.”

  Katherine pointed at the third name. “That’s you,” she said. “Jillian Laurel.”

  I’d never thought about my original name. I could only remember being called Alison, the name the state of Nevada had given me. Jillian seemed an odd name to me. I didn’t really like it. Shaking my head at the strangeness of it all, I pointed to the name above mine. “And this is my father?”

  “Yes. There’s not much I can tell you about Saul. I only met him once, but from what I read in the book, he was a dewing without joining.”

  Remembering that the tiger had referred to my father that same way, I asked, “What’s a dewing without joining?”