Atlantis Riptide: Lost Daughters of Atlantis Book 1 Read online

  The idea of spies and war curled my stomach. Now that I understood the consequences and how it related to me, I had to stop this war from commencing. We’d told Cuda about Finn and our adventure under Atlas Island, how he’d followed Princess Cordelia. Cuda said he’d follow up on it which comforted me.

  Cuda kept walking. “Is there another water source nearby? Like at the Boardwalk?”

  “The lagoon at the mini golf course.”

  Where my underwater adventure had started.

  If I hadn’t saved the boy I might never have met Chase. I never would’ve divulged my secret and exposed my abilities to Finn. I might never have learned there were others like me and that I was a princess. I might never have gained the confidence I needed to stop running and hiding, to be myself, to stand up for myself.

  Feeling good to be me, I danced to the mini golf course holding Chase’s hand.

  He punched in the security code to unlock the building. “Now what?”

  “Legend says that each of the princesses has a special talent.” Cuda pointed at me. “Yours is turning air-breathers.”

  “I can confirm that.” Chase waved his hand.

  I scanned the blue surface of the water. The edge of the pool still showed stains, but it was so much cleaner than before. “Now that the lagoon is scrubbed and refilled, I don’t mind diving in again.” It would be like coming full circle, like finding myself in myself.

  “Not you.” Cuda jerked his head toward Chase. “You.”

  “What?” Chase’s entire body jerked to an alert position.

  “If an air-breather is turned five times, the change becomes permanent,” Cuda spoke with authority.

  “Why five times?” Chase sounded a bit shaky.

  “Poseidon wanted to confirm the air-breather he planned to turn was trustworthy with his secret before making the change permanent.”

  “What. Are. You. Saying?” Rubbing the pearl hanging around my neck, I glanced at Chase. Had I permanently changed Chase?

  His face paled and his body wavered in place. His eyes were bigger than sand dollars.

  “Poseidon bestowed the gift on humans he favored. We haven’t seen it recently because you haven’t been around.” Cuda peered at me and then switched to Chase, “Chase may be an honorary Atlantean.”

  The curling in my stomach collapsed upon itself like a wave ending in a big wipe out. My entire body stilled before a spurt of sympathy drove me to action. I ran to Chase and grabbed his hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Why are you sorry?” A smile lifted the ends of Chase’s lips. His expression softened.

  “I changed you.” Maybe he didn’t fully understand the repercussions. “I involved you in my world. In a possible war.”

  “You involved me with you. With your new world.” He squeezed my hand and pulled me forward. “With our new world.”

  His lips came down to mine sealing the deal. A deal that we would be together forever.

  My tummy calmed, but my heart sped up. I returned his kiss showing all my excitement and love and commitment with my lips. We didn’t need words. Our touch, our emotions, spoke for us.

  At Cuda’s discreet cough, we pulled apart. “Sorry to interrupt. We should test the theory before making any promises.”

  “If this is for real,” Chase squeezed my hand again before letting go and walking toward the water. “I’ll be Pearl’s personal Royal Guard.”

  “Really?” I squealed.

  My boyfriend. My bodyguard. My best friend.

  Cuda nodded. “After training.”

  Pure happiness floated through me. A lightness filled my insides. I had a boyfriend to protect me, a palace to live, and people to call family. More importantly, I found my true self.

  I held my breath as Chase waded through the shallow end. He saluted before going under the surface. Cuda and I waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  I edged closer to the lagoon. Peered in.

  Chase was swimming back and forth on the bottom.

  Five minutes passed.

  “I need to check on him.” I moved to dive in. Cuda held me back.

  Ten minutes.

  I was a wreck. I believed Cuda’s theory, but Chase had risked his life so many times for me. He didn’t need to do it again. Not for this.

  Finally, Chase emerged like a sea lion in a water show. Water splashing, a huge smile on his face. “I can breathe underwater! I can do it.”

  My lips jumped into a smile. We could be together all the time.

  The door to the building banged open. I froze in place. Cuda didn’t move either. Chase sunk to the bottom of the lagoon.

  “What is going on in here?” Mrs. Fowler stormed toward us, her heels clicking on the concrete. Had she seen anything? “I’d call the police for trespassing, except Officer Clayton is already here.”

  I leaned sideways searching behind her to where Clayton stood. Two other shadows stood by the open door. “I can explain.” Although I wasn’t sure how.

  Chase emerged from the lagoon, water dripping from his body. “Aunt Sarah, we were goofing around.”

  “Chase.” Mrs. Fowler scowled. “I can’t believe you would break every rule you’ve known since you were a child.”

  “I’m not a child anymore, Aunt Sarah.” The sympathy in Chase’s tone was edged by firmness. “I’m eighteen. It’s time I made my own decisions and my own rules.”

  “I’ve raised you since you were eight-years-old.”

  “And I appreciate all you’ve done.” Chase stood in front of her, his bathing trunks dripping onto the fake Astroturf grass. His chin jutted out in a firm position. “I love you, but I need to be my own person.”

  “Do you plan to press charges?” Officer Clayton asked.

  Mrs. Fowler took in me and Cuda, then stared at Chase. Love shown from her bright eyes. She opened her arms. “Of course not.”

  Chase went into his aunt’s embrace and hugged her back, getting her wet.

  I blinked a few times to get rid of the stinging sensation. Growing up, I’d never had that kind of affection with—

  “I’d like to press charges.”

  Carlita.

  Dread wove its way around my chest, squeezing the air from inside. I took a step back. My adoptive parents stomped into the building.

  “She’s a runaway,” Carlita’s voice shrieked. “Arrest her.”

  My heart slashed. Panic and pain ran through me like I should be running. My muscles bunched, ready to break into a sprint. I could slip past them and dive into the ocean only yards away. They’d never find me, think that I drowned. I could escape forever into my new underwater world.

  Chase broke off the hug with his aunt and sidled over to my side in solidarity. “She’s eighteen and can go where she wants.”

  Uh oh. My head dropped and I examined the ground. Fear ate away at the lining of my stomach. The sensation burned.

  “She’s sixteen.” Carlita advanced toward me like a jail warden. “And she’s ours.”

  “Ours?” White, hot flashes exploded, punching a hole in my fear. “I’m not a possession. I’m a person.” I’m a princess, but I didn’t add the last bit.

  If Carlita learned of my other world she’d find a way to take advantage of it.

  Clayton raised his hands taking charge. “Everyone take a deep breath. Pearl, tell us everything.”

  “I’ll tell you what happened.” Carlita waved her arms about, pointing at me like a madwoman. “She ran away from the circus. She’s the star attraction. Ticket sales are down. I’m taking her back.” She reached out to grab my arm.

  “Don’t touch her.” Chase stepped in front of me and knocked Carlita’s hand away.

  “If you put a hand on Pearl, I’ll arrest you for assault.” Clayton turned on Carlita. “I asked Pearl to explain.”

  “I am sixteen.” I placed a soft frown on my mouth and angled my head begging Chase to understand. I searched for his reaction, hoping he
’d still feel the same about someone two years younger.

  He reached for my hand. Found it. Our fingers intertwined.

  We were together. A couple. I didn’t need to know anything else right now.

  I swallowed my fear of Carlita. Fear I’d kept inside for sixteen years. Fear that had controlled every move I made. I had to stand up for myself. “I did run away from the circus, from Carlita and Bill. I always wondered why they’d treated me so terrible when I did everything they asked.”

  “Did they abuse you?” Clayton’s gentle tone encouraged confidence.

  “No.” Carlita stomped her foot.

  I stared her straight in the face, refusing to be cowed by her temper. I’d learned a lot about myself in the last few weeks. Grown as a person. Supported myself in the real world. Discovered my true home.

  I firmed my mouth determined to tell all. “Not physically with beatings, but emotional and psychological abuse.”

  Carlita kneaded her hands together. “We’re a family.”

  I slapped my chest outraged at her definition of family. “Family is in your heart, not your wallet.”

  “She’s still under age. We’re her legal parents.” Carlita rummaged behind her for Bill’s hand. “We’re taking Pearl back to Florida.”

  “You’re not my real parents.” I’d never let them take me. I belonged here, or at least under the ocean near here.

  “I’ve been researching your background.” Clayton flipped through a small notebook. “Pearl, have you considered declaring yourself an emancipated minor? I’d be willing to support you in your claim.”

  “So would I.” Tears glistened in Mrs. Fowler’s eyes. “If I’d known what these people put you through, I never would’ve contacted them, never would’ve asked…” She sobbed.

  I understood. She never would’ve threatened me to perform at the Boardwalk. Chase was raised by a wise woman.

  Carlita’s expression hardened. Her lips tightened into a mischievous frown. “But you can’t become independent. You don’t know the whole truth.”

  A slight smile upturned my lips. A calmness settled in my veins. A streak of pride lifted my chin. “I do know the truth. My truth.”

  And truth is power.

  * * *

  Later that night, after Officer Clayton hustled Carlita and Bill out of town, Mrs. Fowler had returned to her apartment, and Cuda had dived back into the deep, Chase and I sat on the beach staring at the waves.

  The quiet of the night should’ve soothed my nerves, but questions stirred in my brain like a tempest. I had to be sure Chase was doing the right thing.

  “Will your aunt be upset when she finds out you’re going to train to be my Royal Guard and move under Atlas Island with me?” I knew Mrs. Fowler would never tell our secret.

  “Not as long as I can visit her.” Chase wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

  “What about college? Your dream of studying to become a reporter?” I wanted Chase to be happy with his decision. I didn’t want him to blame me for things he might’ve missed above the surface.

  “Cuda tells me there are Atlantean schools. And what better way to learn the trade than reporting on a war?”

  I angled my chin and arched a brow at Chase. “War?”

  “Or the diplomacy required to avoid war.” He totally got me.

  My heart floated like a helium balloon. Light, shining, and made for happy events. “Thank you.”

  He kissed my cheek. “You’re welcome.”

  Those were the easy questions to ask. My stomach squirmed. I fidgeted with the sand between my fingers. “Are you upset that I’m only sixteen?”

  His arm dropped from around my shoulders and he maneuvered in front of me. “No. You’re still the same person.”

  “Does it bother you that I’m a princess?” With royalty came responsibility. And possibly danger.

  He grinned in a playful way. “Does it bother you that I’m not royalty?”

  I swatted him on the arm. “Of course not. I’m not a snob.”

  He took my chin in his hands. His face grew serious. “Sixteen or eighteen. Princess or pauper. You’re still the same person I fell in love with.”

  “I love you, too.” My chest hitched. My heart swelled. A smile as wide as the Marianas Trench grew on my face. “Are you sure you want to become my personal Royal Guard?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He grabbed my shoulders and tackled me onto the sand. “Let me demonstrate.”

  And then he kissed me, showing just how personal his protection was going to be.

  A Note from Allie Burton

  Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed ATLANTIS RIPTIDE please consider giving it a positive rating or review at your place of purchase. In this brave new book world, the only way for a good story to find its way into the hands of other readers is if the people who loved it let others know. We authors appreciate any little bit of help you can give us.

  If you sign up for my announce-only newsletter, I will send you another book as my gift. You can join here http://www.allieburton.com/contact.html I only send out newsletters a few times a year, so it won’t be flooding your inbox on a weekly basis but will keep you aware of what’s upcoming.

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  I hope you enjoyed ATLANTIS RIPTIDE!

  Allie

  Atlantis Red Tide

  Lost Daughters of Atlantis Book 2

  When a girl on a quest gets kidnapped…

  Princess Coral wants one thing. Actually two. Her lost sisters. Locked in her underwater castle by an evil regent intent on seizing control of her kingdom, Coral is determined to break free and find her siblings. When she tries to escape, she’s seized by her childhood crush, Finn.

  This wasn’t the reunion she’d expected. Finn plays a delicate game. A game of loyalty, betrayal, and honor.

  Even though Finn is working for the enemy, Coral needs his help to reunite with her sisters and stop an underwater war. She must risk her heart to gain his trust. But what will happen if Finn chooses against her?

  “I’m a sucker for princesses and while all three of these sisters are that, Coral actually is a princess from the beginning of the book. So I was hooked. And Finn. Oh, man. He’s yummy. Loved the adventure too. Great book. Can’t wait to read the third one in the series.”

  – Reviewer

  Excerpt:

  Strange sounds stirred me from sleep. I listened with my eyelids closed. The buzz of the electric eels lighting the palace hummed in the distance. Nothing unusual, but something felt off.

  Stiffening my limbs, I opened my eyes to complete darkness. Too dark, especially when I heard the comforting buzz of the eels. So, only dark in my room?

  A hard wave of water sluiced across my skin as if something moved beside me. Before I could react, a hand covered my mouth. Too late to scream. But the scream built inside over-inflating my lungs. My chest was going to burst. Explode with shock and fear.

  I punched and kicked, my foot hitting something hard, solid, muscular.

  “Oof.” The guy—because with a chest like that it definitely was a guy—grunted.

  A smidgen of satisfaction released my built up air in tiny bubbles.

  With his left hand still over my mouth, he used his right hand to wrap something around my arms. The binding scratched like seaweed. The sharp pokes dug into and under my skin puncturing any satisfaction, any superiority, and any sane thought. Terror stabbed like spear points. Mollusk had mentioned the Separatists had threatened me. Was I going to die?

  I yanked my arms apart. Instead of loosening or breaking completely the binding grew tighter, drawing my wrists together. The terror multiplied like algae growing on my lungs, I suffocated. Simple seaweed shouldn’t hold against a super strong Atlantean. This guy should k
now that basic fact if he was an Atlantean.

  But if he wasn’t an Atlantean how could he be breathing underwater? My ribcage tightened around my lungs adding to my panic. I’d felt no metal and rubber scuba equipment on him.

  He wrapped the same stuff around my legs. I struggled, pulled on my legs, but the seaweed or rope or whatever he used grew so tight my limbs tingled.

  “Don’t struggle or it will completely cut off your circulation,” the guy said like he cared.

  As if.

  I couldn’t hit or kick or scream. But I could bite.

  Opening my mouth, as much as I could with his hand over my lips, I got ready to clamp down on his skin with my teeth.

  He slipped his hand off in a sure motion and slapped something on my face. Rough around the edges, the suction adhered to my mouth. My breathing staggered, choked in my lungs.

  Five finger-like points stuck out from the center attached to my mouth. One point stuck on my chin. Two more pointed across my cheeks. And the other two sandwiched my nose.

  A star fish.

  He’d attached a star fish to my lips to keep me quiet and used super-strong seaweed to tie up my legs and arms.

  Pain radiated from my chest spreading helplessness through my veins like a shot of morphine. I wiggled, but basically I was helpless.

  There was no way to fight this guy. Nothing I could do.

  Just like my life.

  Pampered and spoiled which basically meant I’m useless. A phony figurehead. A pawn in a game I never really understood. My heart raced as if I actually still put up a struggle. But the helplessness pumping through me changed to a paralyzing fear. I was such a wimp.

  The blood in my veins chilled. Froze like iced fish. I was being kidnapped by the Separatists.

  The guy lifted me and threw me over his shoulder. Strong arms wrapped around, holding me like precious cargo. Precious cargo who weighed next to nothing for this guy, a traitorous voice whispered in my head.