Back to Atlantis by Bar Sagi (best book reader txt) 📗

in the act. Good luck!” She squeezed Yasmin’s hand, a sisterly gesture, and smiled at Lucas.

“Bye,” Yasmin said. She felt really nervous to be sitting with David and Lucas in a car for two hours. Oh, yeah, Violet would be there too. But with her luck, Violet would only add to the drama.

The car was waiting for them by the entrance. It was white, and long, with really clean windows. What weirdos, Yasmin thought as she climbed in, remembering her family’s blue-gray car that always smelled of dust with a laugh. The royal car smelled of champagne and cleaning materials. Nothing made it alive.

“Hi, Yasmin!” Violet beamed at her, dressed in a hot purple dress that matched her eyes perfectly.

As usual, she managed to look like a goddess without trying. “I’m so happy you decided to come! We could use your help.”

She turned to Lucas, who looked even more uncomfortable in the small space, the look on his face proclaiming to the world he would rather be anywhere but here, and added, “Hello. You’re Yasmin’s boyfriend, right?”

David glared at Yasmin from next to Violet, while the tension in the car doubled. As the driver set off, Yasmin found herself wedged between Lucas and David, while Violet sat by the window. She was treated to David’s glares for five minutes straight, while the stuffiness in the car grew unbearable, as did the silence.

Violet was shifting around, like she could tell something was wrong. She glanced at David’s angry face, then, confused, looked at Lucas, who looked equally unhappy.

“Did you two break up?” She looked horrified suddenly, slapping a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!”

“It’s not your fault, Violet, sweetie,” David said, smirking.

Yasmin felt the word ‘sweetie’ settle like a rock in her stomach.

“It’s not your fault Yasmin can’t keep a man.” He shot an almost bored look over at her and Lucas, and Yasmin had to look away.

There was something about his eyes that reminded her of Abby’s, jealous and hating.

“Why can’t you leave her alone?” Lucas burst out, glaring at David. “I know she was your girlfriend…” Both Violet and Yasmin looked hurt at this, and Violet drew her hand away from David’s. “But she isn’t now. So get over it, man, because you have another great girl right there!” He pointed at Violet, who smiled weakly at him.

Yasmin felt glad that Lucas had defended her, but also privately thought he had only made things worse. The tension in the car doubled, if possible.

“Oh, aren’t you the hero,” David hissed, his eyes stilts. “But she doesn’t want you, because you’re only second best to me, and the second I say so, she’ll come running back—”

His words were cut off by Yasmin’s hand smacking across his face.

A red welt immediately appeared on his cheek.

Everyone in the car was gaping at her.

“David, enough!” Yasmin said loudly, trying to control her emotions. “You have no right to say that! I will never choose you, do you understand? I like Lucas!”

She turned her face away from David, who had suddenly become as white as a sheet, and was touching his cheek with tears in his eyes.

Violet reached out and squeezed David’s hand, trying to give him some degree of comfort. She ought to, after all. They were almost husband and wife.

Touching David’s wound gently, she tried to heal it with her magic, but he grabbed her wrist and wouldn’t let her touch his cheek.

***

Violet sat back in her seat, hurt, and crossed her arms. It was not the first time that she wondered what was going on between Yasmin and David.

Does David still have feelings for Yasmin? Violet wondered, as she watched the three of them, their feelings so tangled it was impossible to tell anything anymore. Does David keep sabotaging her relationship with Lucas because he is jealous? The thought seemed impossible. After all, I know David best. He’s been my fiancée for years. I love him with all my heart. And I know he loves me back.

But looking at David now, that thought wasn’t so clear.

David was gazing out the window, deep in a trance of his own, and touching the fading red mark that was left of Yasmin’s slap.

He looked, there was no better word for it, crushed. Like he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders.

***

Yasmin sat staring at her hands, silent tears rolling down her face, and wondering how things had escalated so fast.

She had slapped David! And she wasn’t a violent person! True, David probably deserved it, but still. She squeezed her hands tighter together and tried to pull herself together.

***

Lucas was looking at the three of them, Violet and Yasmin and David, so different from him.

From a different world. Even Yasmin had looked at ease with the royal princess. He, Lucas, was an outsider. But that didn’t matter much, did it? He was never going to get the girl, anyway. He was better off just staying away from these kinds of people.

***

The rest of the ride passed in uncomfortable silence. Yasmin kept looking down at her hands and wishing all of this was over. As they neared a red stone city, Yasmin felt the car slow down and the crunch of gravel.

Lucas opened the door and stepped out of the car, blocking Yasmin’s view of the city. She had heard rumors, of course, that it was a city built of red stone because of the mine beside it. But nothing had prepared her for reality when Lucas moved out of the way.

They were standing on a mountain, in a city literally carved out of it. The mountain itself was dense gray stone, but on the inside, it was a beautiful, soft red stone.

The city was carved out of the mountain, all made of stone. People bustled by, lively and full of energy, just like Tel Aviv.

There were no cars as far as she could see, because, of course, how well would a car work in a city carved out of