Back to Atlantis

yet, she couldn’t help but think what if. What if David had loved her? What if there was a possibility for her and Lucas? What if there was a future, a good one, that didn’t require heartbreaking sacrifice?
And sacrifice didn’t just mean dying, like Abby had. Sacrifice, it meant living too. She had left everything she knew and loved for David. Yasmin had followed him blindly like he was a bright star, never once wondering why.
But she was different now. Not better or worse, but different. Less innocent, more in touch with the world. Sharper, harder. The cruel world of Atlantis had sharpened her to be faster, stronger, and smarter. They had wanted a weapon. And she was becoming one. And that was what scared her.
As they entered the library, the familiar smell of books calmed Yasmin. “We’re here,” she announced, going overt to sit by the fantasy section.
“Yes we are.” The man looked a bit uncomfortable. “My name is Jack Smith. I am part of the…” He cleared his throat. “You know.”
Yasmin nodded. “Umm, yeah.” She shifted in her chair. Was this man really part of the rouge army?
“Princess Amanda said you wanted to speak with me?” he inquired. “I am a busy man, so please hurry up.” He didn’t look insulting, but urging.
“Yeah. I was kind of hoping…” Yasmin took a breath, unsure of how to say it. She bit her lip nervously, looking down on the ground. “Will you ally with the queen?” She looked up to see Jack’s eyes turn mad.
“I know that you are the mage, but you are a naïve one.” He looked like fire was burning in his eyes. “I will never ally myself with the queen. She is supposed to protect us, but all she does is harm the country. It’s bad enough she named her successor not princess Amanda, but someone without a care for this country, but she isn’t even able to stop the rebellion!” He slammed his fist down on a nearby table, making Yasmin jump. She hadn’t realized the citizens’ hatred for the queen ran so deep.
“So you really hate the queen,” she asked lightly, inching away from Jack. “But you want to stop the rebels.” Jack nodded, his eyes narrowing.
“The princess is our best tracker, and working together with Lord Maven, they might have a chance to find the rebel’s hideout.” He looked desperate. “We are getting better at knowing where they might attack next. We now have a preparation time of a few hours. But it’s not enough to evacuate everyone, especially because we’re not supposed to exist.” He ran his hand through is hair, deeply troubled.
Yasmin felt amused. “Well, that seems easily enough solved.”
Jack looked up at her, startled. “Easily? Just how naive are you?”
Yasmin frowned at him. “I’m not that naïve. And I have given up everything to help your country. So you owe me some respect, because unlike you, this isn’t my home.”
Jack sighed and spread his hands. “We do respect you,” he said. “Why do you think I came here today? We hear things, and we hear how much you care for the country, and how much you are working hard to save it.”
“Then stop fighting me!” Yasmin almost yelled. “You idiot! The queen’s army has power, and with her as your ally, you could move freely about the realm, and evacuate more citizens.”
Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Yasmin held up her hand. “You want the rebels stopped, no? The only question is, who do you hate more, the queen? Or the rebels?”
Jack looked at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth, looking a lot like a fish. At last he managed, “Mage, even if we do agree, the queen would never—”
“The queen is losing.” Yasmin took a deep breath to calm herself down. “She won’t have a choice. And neither do you. This is your best chance, and if you two would stop being so stubborn, then we might have had a better edge against them already!”
She crossed her arms and glared at Jack. The answer had been under their noses the entire time. It was so frustrating!
A long silence followed her outburst. At last Jack said, “It’s not my choice. I can try and persuade them, but you will have to persuade the queen.” He snorted. “Good luck with that, because she is a cold icicle who cares only for herself.”
“I’ll manage,” Yasmin lied, hoping she would.
Would Maven and Amanda be enough to persuade the queen to see reason? She hoped so, because the rouge army wouldn’t wait forever. This would be their one shot.

Chapter 16
The price of magic
Yasmin was walking by the meeting hall a week later, feeling confused. Where was Gloriana? Ever since she had known her, Gloriana had never missed training. Not at all. Scrunching her forehead in thought, she wandered by the armed doors of the meeting hall when she heard raised voices.
“What do you mean, she won’t do magic?” Queen Andrea’s voice was raised. “Does she know how much this kingdom needs her?”
I’m guessing Gloriana’s in there, and so is the queen. Yasmin thought grimly. The queen is probably a bit unhappy about my decision. But I really think a mage isn’t what Atlantis needs. Sometimes I feel like Atlantis is fighting itself. Maybe my job is to glue it back together.
Steeling herself, she opened the door. Thirty heads swiveled toward her, nobles and priests and royalty alike. Yasmin saw David’s older brother, Prince Jasper, sitting on the queen’s right. He looked at her loftily, his blue-black eyes piercing through her.
Yasmin looked at David’s older brother for the first time. She had seen him from a distance before, but never up close. He had the same black hair as David did, even though it was braided on one side and long on the other, that framed his deep blue eyes and sharp face that was all angles. Although he was handsome, even with the eyebrow scar, there was