The Last Atlanteans by Katrina Ryan

Author:Katrina Ryan [Ryan, Katrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

DEXTERITY

“Are you okay?” a voice asked. Victoria wasn’t sure if it belonged to Athelea or Sarah, or both speaking simultaneously. She tried to nod or to say that she wasn’t in pain, but she couldn’t move her body. Her head seemed foggy, and all she could process was the warmth of the sand beneath her body. Being out of control was strangely blissful, but Victoria knew it wasn’t right. She could hear Sarah’s constant stream of questions and Athelea’s calm responses, but in her state, their words were meaningless sounds.

She took a few deep breaths, reminding herself that she was unharmed. After a what seemed like an hour, her body seemed to reconnect with her mind. Her vision slowly returned, and she could think rationally again. The spell had passed. Sarah and Athelea were both looking at her with expressions of concern. Victoria sat up with a sigh, sensing that Athelea would probably never stop worrying about her now, would always think she was fragile.

“What the hell happened?” Sarah asked. Under her newfound tan, she was whiter than Victoria had ever seen her. “That looked horrible.”

“I don’t know. It was like a fog took control of my body,” Victoria said. “I wasn’t in pain, but I couldn’t do anything.”

Athelea frowned. “Do you feel better now?”

“Just shaken,” Victoria admitted. “What happened? Was it Caelan?”

“It was not,” Athelea said. She sounded certain, though Victoria sensed she was racing for an explanation. “Whatever took control of you was a force of which I have very limited knowledge. If it is what I fear, we must take action immediately.”

Exchanging glances with Sarah, Victoria realized neither of them wanted to ask what that was. It must be bad if Athelea is worried, Victoria thought. They packed the kites away and returned to the palace without any delay, and Athelea locked the gates to the Isle of the Gods behind them. She prepared dinner somewhere in the castle while Sarah sketched and Victoria drank tea on the balcony. Victoria suspected it was party of Athelea’s scheme to make sure Victoria wasn’t alone.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you vegetarian?” Sarah asked Athelea after a glass of wine. The somber mood of the late afternoon had lifted slightly with food and the sunset, and this question made Victoria laugh for the first time in what felt like days.

“I haven’t eaten meat since the Destruction,” Athelea said. Victoria and Sarah exchanged glances. “There aren’t many animals left in Atlantis, and I’ve never been skilled at fishing, so my options are scarce.”

“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.

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