Atlantis Tide Breaker

Atlantis Tide Breaker, Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Faux Friend

Betrayal cut across me like a rusty knife in the back. The pain was sharp and the damage spread like a tetanus infection.

“Sk-sky? What’re you doing?” My jaw tightened with lockjaw symptoms.

“Grab her. She’s the key to getting Gill.” Sky pointed the same type of weapon at me, but it’s blade seemed sharper.

Frozen in shock, I spurted out the first thing that occurred to me. “I’m not the key to getting Gill.” Didn’t Sky realize Gill used me?

Hairy dropped his spear gun and leapt over the counter.

I turned and ran. My heart beat like a bongo. My breath wheezed. Sweat poured down my back. The door seemed so far away.

Arms wrapped around my knees and yanked me down.

I put my arms out bracing for the fall. My knees hit the fake grass. Hairy fell on top of me. His weight brought my body crashing to the ground.

Air whooshed out of my chest. I fisted my hands and punched hitting nothing. I tried to kick, but Hairy pinned me down.

I couldn’t move. Helpless. Captured.

Tattoo-guy played with the point of his spear like he couldn’t wait to jab someone. “She’ll bring Gill running.” Tattoo-guy’s tone scraped sending shivers of fear through me.

“He’ll hand over the nautilus for her.” Sky’s authoritative voice turned the fear to anger.

“You took the nautilus from Ashtyn. Why didn’t you just keep it?” Why give it back to Gill?

“Ashtyn didn’t steal the nautilus. I did.” Sky propped her hand on her hip holding the spear gun loosely at her side. She obviously felt in complete control. “But I couldn’t figure out the code. I thought if I returned the nautilus you’d be grateful and let me help you decipher, that way I’d learn the secret. Unfortunately, you’re not as smart as I thought.”

Everything inside me hardened. I’d shared my secret intelligence with her and now she cut me down. Turning my head, I glared. “I thought you were my friend.”

Her face paled. Then, her lips formed an ugly smirk. “Just like you thought Gill was your boyfriend this summer.”

Hurt slashed and vibrated in my chest echoing my embarrassment. When I’d told her Gill was my cousin she’d known I was lying. Not that I felt guilty. Look at all she’d lied about. “You knew about that?”

“You’d be surprised at all the things I see.” Sky’s grim pitch told me she knew more than I’d ever know.

Which would be normal. While I might be considered smart among humans, Atlanteans seemed to have another dimension of secrets and charades. I pretended to be a party girl, but Atlanteans posed as friends and boyfriends.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re an Atlantean?” If she was working with Hairy and Tattoo-guy she had to be Atlantean like them. And if she was working with the two attackers she was… “You’re a Separatist.”

Which meant Sky was working against the Royalists. Against Maris. Against me.

Her betrayal cut deeper, the pain sliced harder. Not only had she betrayed me but Gill and Maris and their Royal cause.

Hairy grabbed hold of my wrists and dragged me to my feet. “Does Gill know you’re here?”

“No. He left with the nautilus.” He was out of danger, gone, so maybe they’d let me go.