Atlantis Tide Breaker

Atlantis Tide Breaker, Chapter Twelve

My eyelids stretched open. Panic pulsed through my bloodstream. He couldn’t figure out who Maris was. I had to distract him. I tried to jerk my chin out of his tight grip. His hold was too strong.

Gill whacked Hairy’s hand away. “Don’t touch her.”

Hairy flicked his hand as if in pain. His lips pushed out in an aggressive expression. He looked like he was considering punching Gill.

“I just started deciphering the code.” The heat in my chest blazed. My throat clogged. From fear or lack of oxygen?

Hairy’s eyebrows lifted in a suggestive way. “We’ve got plenty of time, air-breather. But do you?”

The threat was clear. Decipher the code and tell Hairy or slowly drown to death. Pearl couldn’t help without giving away her identity.

Maris and Cuda were backed against the wall. Chase might be an honorary Atlantean with full water-breathing rights, but he couldn’t assist. And Gill…

Well, Hairy already hated Gill because of the earlier defeat. He’d been offended when Gill had smacked his hand. He’d hated Gill’s defense of me. If Gill made a move, no doubt in my mind Hairy would use that pointy spear.

But this wasn’t fear making my lungs flame like fire. Pearl’s power was diminishing inside of me. I wouldn’t be able to breathe underwater much longer.

“If Tori is struggling to breathe, she won’t be able to think and figure out the message.” Maris’s worry screeched across my nerves. She feared for my life.

Hairy’s head jerked in Maris’s direction. “Who are you? And…how is this air-breather able to breathe underwater?”

And I feared for Maris and her sisters’ lives. I couldn’t let Hairy figure out who they were. The princesses were too important to Atlantean society. “I’ll get to work.”

“Answer my question.” Hairy grabbed my arm. “How are you able to breathe underwater?”

“I, um, I…” I didn’t know what to answer. I didn’t know how knowledgeable Hairy was about the Lost Daughters of Atlantis legend. I didn’t know, if he knew, that a princess had the power to turn air-breathers.

“There’s a special plant that gives the ability to humans.” The lie spat out of Gill’s mouth, like he pretended he didn’t want to say anything.

“What plant?” Hairy spoke slowly as if he didn’t believe Gill.

Coral held out a few pieces of the red seaweed. “Special seaweed from Fiji.”

Hairy dropped my arm and grabbed the seaweed from Coral. He shoved it in a small bag he carried at his side. “Might come in handy.” He snarled his lip at me. “Get to work.”

Shifting, I faced the gold plate buried in the cave wall. The images stared back, engraving the meaning in my mind. I couldn’t share the message with Hairy.

The current in the cave shifted. Tiny fish swam back and forth and back and forth like a pendulum counting down the end of my life. My vision blurred. My lungs felt like a fire had been set inside, which was impossible under water.

“If we don’t get Tori air, she’ll die.” Gill’s desperate tone held a hint of despair. Even with my back to him he knew how I suffered. Knew I didn’t have much time left.

“She better work faster.” No sympathy from Hairy.

The work was done. I knew the message. A message I couldn’t share. Especially with Separatists.

A message I was willing to die to keep secret.

And the way my lungs flamed like an inferno, I wouldn’t have to wait long for death.