Back to Atlantis

her magic, but she was too nervous. Her magic shot out of her control, and a fireball the size of the rebel shot toward the sky, illuminating the gardens.
Yasmin closed her eyes, praying for the end to come quick. She heard a click, the sound of a bullet being shot.
But nothing. How come she wasn’t dead? Daring to open her eyes a smidge, she saw violet, her pink dress billowing behind her. The girl had her hand out, and she was controlling the wind. She was literally floating!
Drawing a symbol in the air, Violet knocked the man back. He stumbled, then regained his footing, now aiming at Violet.
Yasmin gasped in fear. She couldn’t watch anyone die. Focusing on the ground below the rebel, she shoved her magic deep into the ground, meaning to sink the man up to his waist.
The rebel looked down, startled, as he began sinking. Dropping his gun, he tried in vain to get out. But as he began sinking deeper, up to his waist, his chest, his shoulders, his screams filled the air.
Yasmin clenched her fists, willing the ground to stop. Nothing happened. The man kept sinking, deeper and deeper into the ground.
“Yasmin!” Violet grabbed her arm. “Are you trying to kill him?” She looked at Yasmin’s terrified eyes and realized, this was out of her control.
“Help!” The man’s screams filled the air. Yasmin shivered, her eyes not leaving the man’s face. Please! She asked her magic. Don’t kill him!
Violet knelt beside Yasmin, forcing her to look at her. Then, taking her arm back, she slapped Yasmin with enough force to knock her onto her back.
“Get a grip!” Violet shouted. She shook Yasmin by the shoulders. “Don’t let this man die!”
That did something to Yasmin. She shook her head, looking at her necklace. It was glowing, pulsing. She had to get a grip.
The man was now up to his neck, nearly up to his chin. Yasmin gathered up her magic again, commanding it instead of asking. This was no time to be polite. She ordered her magic to spit him out.
And that’s exactly what happened. The earth spit the rebel out like he tasted like yesterday’s garbage, shooting him five feet in the air. He landed on the grass, terrified, all his killer instincts gone. Looking around, he ran, too fast for anyone to catch him.
Yasmin lay on the ground, shaking. She had nearly killed someone! She had to stop. She had to stop using magic. She wasn’t a killer. Not at all.
“Yasmin.” Violet knelt beside her, rubbing her back comfortably. Yasmin didn’t question her weird behavior. Any contact was a blessing. “Are you okay?”
“I am done with magic,” Yasmin said, looking up into Violet’s shocked eyes. “I am done with being the mage. I can’t hurt people anymore.”
“No, Yasmin!” Violet shook her gently. “People need you! The whole country prayed for an answer, when the king died. You were the answer to their prayer. You can’t just give up!”
“So I won’t, then what?” Yasmin felt numb. “Next time, I really will kill someone. And I won’t! I won’t become a murderer!” She felt tears slipping down her cheeks. Fear was making a hole in her chest. “And what’s worse, I feel like people expect me to save them alone! I’m only sixteen! I’m not a God!”
“Not everyone expects that.” Violet sounded pitying. “There are thousands of people out there who are willing to fight with you.”
“Really?” Yasmin looked up at Violet again. “Where? Because I don’t see a single one.” She gestured around the gardens. Moonlight poured across the pathway, making it eerily white.
“I am willing to fight with you.” Violet gently led Yasmin over to the bench. “And I will help you learn to control your powers. Running away from them will do you no good.”
“What could you do?” Yasmin looked at Violet. “Unless you’ve been lying to me all this time, you’re just another mean noble. Or in your case, a kind one. But most of the nobles only laugh at me.”
Violet’s face looked fairylike in the moonlight. She held out her hand. A gust of wind danced across it. “I am a master of the wind elemental magic.” She smiled softly. “But I am also a citizen of Atlantis. And I am part of its army.”
Suddenly the pieces clicked. “The rouge army,” Yasmin whispered, hardly daring to believe. “They’re real?” She looked out into the gardens, allowing hope back in as she leaned forward.
“Yes.” And that one word changed everything.

Chapter 11
A fight with old friends
“How many are there? Do they know where the rebels are hiding? Who’s their leader? Why do they believe in me?” Yasmin felt slightly out of breath, breathing hard. She hadn’t stopped flooding Violet with questions since she had learned of the rouge army’s existence. Since she felt like there was finally a chance.
“Wait a moment!” Violet put her hand up, laughing. “The palace is under attack, and I’m not going anywhere.” She looked serious as she got up. “But for the moment, they need you to fight. Can you?”
Yasmin swallowed, suddenly nervous again. “I don’t know. I’m still scared. Can you fight?”
“As the granddaughter of a king, people have certain expectations of me. I can’t.”
“Why not? People are dying!”
“Yes they are!” Violet tugged at Yasmin’s arm, pulling her toward the palace. “And they need the mage more than ever. Even if it’s in secret, I can help you. Come on!” Yasmin stopped fighting, running with Violet, half stumbling because of the other girl’s speed.
As they ran back to the ballroom, Yasmin’s heart filled with fear again, but this time not for herself. David. What would happen to him if the rebels got near?
She didn’t realize she was running faster, until they were already in the ballroom.
Inside, it was chaotic. Guards were protecting the queen and the prince heir in swarms, but not many of them were protecting the other nobles. Many rebels swarmed the ballroom, using the fact that most of the nobles had never even