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

pieces missing. “But they died!” she protested.

“No, they didn’t.” Lucas looked at his interlocked hands, his head down, like a wounded dog. “The beast kidnaps people from places he attacks, then uses their family members as spies, warriors, anything. He has a couple thousand of them locked up, probably.”

“How horrible,” Yasmin said, trying to wrap her mind around it. “A couple thousand? And you’ve been spying for him?”

She wanted to ask, if he had done more? But the words wouldn’t come out. She couldn’t bear to think that Lucas, her Lucas, had hurt people.

“Yeah, I have. But soon the beast’s second-in-command will come, to take you to the beast. I don’t know why, and they wouldn’t tell me.” Lucas swallowed, unable to look her in the eye. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad at you,” Yasmin said with shock, realizing it was true.

Lucas stared back at her, stunned.

“But I can’t trust you.” She wished with all her heart she could help Lucas, but the only way to do that was to turn herself in. And she wasn’t going to do that.

“So the rebels won’t be attacking?” Yasmin asked Lucas, watching his face carefully.

“Only one is coming,” Lucas said, standing up and walking over to the doorway. “It was a trap. And you fell for it.”

Yasmin cursed silently as she tried to find a way out of her binds. Twisting and turning, she nearly fell over, and her wrists only hurt more.

“Don’t bother,” Lucas said, as he turned back to see her nearly hit her head. “I tied those ropes so well, you have no chance of getting out.” He looked unhappy as he turned back.

Maybe I can’t twist free, Yasmin thought as an idea struck her. But maybe I can magic my way out of here. Shaking off her growing fear, she tried to summon a lightning bolt to her fingertips, thinking it would fry the ropes.

After a few attempts brought her nothing, she changed her tactic. If lightning wouldn’t work, then how about fire? If she cupped her hands and made a fire, the heat would burn the ropes.

Gathering her courage and praying for a normal fireball, Yasmin made a fireball. Focusing on making it grow, and making it hot, she felt her ropes burn little by little. Yes! She thought with excitement. It worked.

As the ropes fell to the ground, Yasmin took another glance at her surroundings. Her magic was still rusty, and she didn’t want to electrocute Lucas.

A wooden plank a few feet away from her seemed perfect. If she knocked Lucas out, she could get away without killing him.

Untying the ropes around her legs as quietly as possible, Yasmin stood up and inched toward the plank.

She picked it up, wincing. Splinters dug into her palm, and blood rolled down her hand. Sneaking up behind Lucas, she positioned the plank and gathered up her courage. She had never hit someone she cared about before.

Lucas whirled around, fear and confusion on his face as he saw she was free.

He opened his mouth, maybe to tell her something, she didn’t know.

On instinct, Yasmin swung the plank as hard as she could.

It connected with a sickening crunch and Lucas collapsed.

Yasmin dropped the plank in shock and winced as it hit Lucas on the stomach. “Sorry, Lucas,” Yasmin said, feeling sad.

“I know you understand why I had to do this. I hope your parents won’t die because of me.” Yasmin shut up, because she was starting to feel stupid, talking to an unconscious person.

Taking one last glance at Lucas’s sleeping face, Yasmin ran out the door, searching for David and Violet…

Chapter 24

The second-in-command

Yasmin ran around town, looking for Gloriana. She had to tell her, and fast. She had to tell Gloriana that this was all a ruse, a trick. That the rebels weren’t coming to burn the town.

A she stopped to catch her breath by a statue of a crown, she saw David and Violet in the distance.

“David!” she called out, hands on her knees. “Violet!”

They walked over, confusion on their faces. “What’s going on? Where’s Lucas?” Violet asked, growing concerned. “Did something happen?”

“Well, a plank hit him in the stomach and it knocked him out,” Yasmin said, feeling awkward as she straightened. She glanced at David, who blushed. Weird.

“Oh no!” Violet gasped, hand over her mouth. “What happened?” She reached out and took Yasmin’s hand, a comforting gesture. “Are you okay?”

“I hit him,” Yasmin explained, feeling awkward. David snorted.

“What did he do, come on to you?” David shut up as Yasmin glared at him. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Yasmin nodded and continued. “He was working for the rebels. His parents are being held hostage there. If he didn’t do what they told him to do, they would have killed them.”

Yasmin watched horror grow on their faces. “But we have to find Gloriana and tell her.”

“Tell her what?” David asked. “What happened?”

“The rebel attack,” Yasmin said. “It’s all a trap.”

She felt anger bloom in her chest. This whole thing, this civil war, it was horrid! She clenched her fist in anger. “Only one person is coming here. We don’t have to stay.” Yasmin felt eager to leave.

“Wait a minute.” David held up his hand. “Who’s coming to pick you up?”

“Umm, their second-in-command, I think?” Yasmin said, trying to remember what Lucas had said.

David’s eyes looked like shattered glass. “We’re staying.” He had a murderous look on his face, and Yasmin took a step back.

She had never seen David like this, and it scared her. She wasn’t afraid of him, but afraid of what caused him to look like that.

Yasmin hugged herself, resisting the urge to hug him. “Why? Why is their second-in-command so important?”

When David didn’t answer, Violet piped up, “There is a rumor that the second-in-command is someone who supposedly died two years ago.” She also looked mad. “His name is Varley Aldred. The old king’s best friend and high counselor.”

Yasmin raised an eyebrow, in understanding. If someone close to her father had gone over to the side of