Atlantis Tide Breaker

Atlantis Tide Breaker Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Potent Power

Time seemed to pause as I took in the scene below cataloguing everyone’s reactions and organizing the thoughts in my brain. Then, the wave surged forward. Water from the lagoon heaved onto the miniature golf course. The waves crashed into the railings and the picnic tables and the Astroturf course.

I plunged with the wave. Screaming, air expelled out of my chest, but I should’ve been breathing in, filling my lungs for when I went under water again. Because I knew I was going under.

Trembling, I rode the water. Shivers sprinted through me. The wave took me down. Toward the ground. Toward Gill and the attackers. Feeling like I was on a crazy rollercoaster, I couldn’t stop my forward progress. I couldn’t control my direction.

But Sky could.

The wave carried me toward her. The water lowered like a kiddie slide. I swished to a stop at her feet.

Water lapped around me. I spit out the chlorine-taste. Struggling to a kneeling position, my body quivered. Goose bumps raced across my skin. I was sopping wet, tired and achy, shocked and scared.

Sky had all the control. She’d moved water. Normal Atlanteans couldn’t do that.

I stared at her with sockets so wide I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out. “What are you?”

Because she stood, she appeared larger than life. Larger than Atlantean. Her controlled expression twitched for a second. Softened. Then, her skin radiated. The pale green turned darker.

Not like needing-to-barf green, but sea monster green!

I jumped like someone had popped a balloon at a surprise party. My gaze darted to Gill. His eyes were wider than mine felt. His mouth hung open. With the two attackers’ arms holding him down, he appeared just as shell shocked.

So, did the two attackers.

“Who and what are you?” Gill’s question confirmed my worst fear. He didn’t know what Sky was or where her powers came from. “Are you an Atlantean?”

I examined Sky.

“What do labels matter?” Her skin went from green to angry red. “I’m the one who rescued you, Tori.”

My lips trembled trying to form words. “A-a-after you helped capture me.”

Sky raised the spear gun. Her lips firmed. Her eyes slitted, barely visible. But she didn’t respond to my dig.

My body felt heavy. Fear receded like the wave—replaced by the hurt and confusion turning in my mind. I staggered to my feet. If I was going to die, whether by Sky or the two attackers, I wanted to know why and by what.

Gill tried to shake off Hairy and Tattoo-guy. He struggled against them trying to get free. “Where’d you get those powers?”

Sky’s harsh rumbling laugh didn’t sound merry. “Guess you and your princess friends don’t know all the Atlantean legends.”

“Legend?” Tattoo-guy’s question told me he didn’t know about Sky’s additional powers.

“Why save me?” When she obviously didn’t care about me.

My confusion twisted into betrayal. Betrayal that sliced like a knife in my back. She’d pretended to be my friend. She’d been at the beach the day Gill was attacked. She’d probably helped lure him there. She’d lied to me. And she was working with the bad guys.

Bad guys who obviously didn’t know her entire story.

“You know how to solve the cipher, Tori.” The certainty in Sky’s voice had me sucking down air.