Atlantis Tide Breaker

Atlantis Tide Breaker, Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Loss & Love

Water whooshed out of my lungs. My stomach tugged in tight shooting cramps with each foe I counted.

Hairy and Tattoo-guy led a squadron of six other guys. Hairy acted like the boss leading them into the dead-end cave. The other guys trailed behind. Tattoo-guy floated closest to Hairy.

Eight against six.

I moved in front of the cipher key. The attackers might know the location but they didn’t know the encoding key. Didn’t know the importance of our find. Or the importance of some of the people they now held captive. I hoped.

To distract them from studying the princesses too closely, I asked, “Where’s Sky?”

She’d acted like their leader. Had bargained for my life and the nautilus.

 “Who are you?” Maris’s confused gaze went back and forth between Hairy and me. “Who’s Sky?”

“Scylla blew us off.” Hairy raised his bayonet-like spear—the same one that had threatened me before. “She’s the only reason you got away.”

Every muscle in my body tightened. I’d been afraid at the mini golf course, but this new threat was stronger. I might not have to deal with Sky’s power, but I was underwater and wasn’t Atlantean. The burning sensation spread across my chest.

Plus, Hairy and Tattoo-guy had brought their friends and from the weapons they carried and the stern expressions on their faces, this army wasn’t going to make a stupid mistake.

Cuda moved forward in front of Maris. “What do you want?”

“We wanted the nautilus.” Hairy shot a wicked smile in Gill’s direction. “By faking its destruction you wasted our time. Now,” Hairy moved in front of me. “We want the actual message.”

“W-what message?” I raised my shoulders trying to block the flash of gold behind me.

His smile shifted into a crooked one-sided lift. Even his lips appeared evil. “The message on the gold plate behind you. I know it’s a message from Poseidon and holds the answer to winning this war.”

“Don’t expect us to just hand anything over to a bunch of Separatists.” Gill’s accusation cut across the water like a shot.

“Ten points for the ginger.” Hairy’s derision mocked Gill.

I wanted to smack the egotistical Separatist.

Separatists were the group the Royal Atlanteans fought against. They’d tried to kill Pearl, lock Coral up for life, and dissect Maris. My lungs burned hotter. The princesses would make valuable prisoners of war.

But not more valuable than the message behind me.

The burning increased like a bad case of indigestion. We were stuck in a dead end cave with eight adversaries blocking the exit. The message they sought glared from the wall scalding my back. I felt the heat of the message even though the gold plate’s touch was cold.

The message spoke of total dominance. An unfair advantage no one deserved to own. As Gill had said, even good people could be corrupted.

Gill’s gaze swung to mine.

“Tori,” Hairy gripped my chin and yanked my head up. I could see nothing but his scraggly face with the heavy beard and mustache. “What does the message say?”

My heart fluttered like the gills of the fish swimming past. I licked my lips. “I-I-I haven’t figure it out.”

“That’s not what your Atlantean friend said.” Hairy studied Maris.